Sprinkler head having one-piece closure body

Abstract

The invention relates to a sprinkler head (1) for a sprinkler system, comprising: • a pipe section (6) for a sprinkler fluid, the pipe section being designed to connect to a connector of a sprinkler pipe of a sprinkler system at a first end (8, 9) and having an outlet opening (7) at a second end; a closure element (10) configured for sealing the outlet opening of the pipe section; • an abutment element (4) connected to the pipe section; • a release element (12) arranged between the abutment element and the closure element, the release element being designed o in a normal state, to hold the closure element in the outlet opening of the pipe section in such a way that the closure element seals the outlet opening of the pipe section, and o in a released state, to release the closure element from the position in which it closes the outlet opening of the pipe section, wherein the closure element is a closure body consisting of an elastic, in particular spring-elastic, material and the closure body is formed in one piece.

Description

[0001] Sprinkler head with one-piece closure body

[0002] The invention relates to a sprinkler head with a closure element for sealingly closing an outlet opening of a line section of the sprinkler head, as well as to such a closure element itself. It further relates to the use of such a closure element in a sprinkler head and also to a sprinkler system having a sprinkler head as described.

[0003] Sprinkler systems have been used for fire protection and firefighting in buildings for many decades. Such sprinkler systems typically comprise a storage tank containing pressurized sprinkler fluid and a line or pipe system connected to the storage tank, which includes distribution lines or pipes that terminate in the ceiling areas of rooms to be protected and into which sprinkler heads are installed. Such sprinkler heads have valves that are normally closed but open when activated, allowing the sprinkler fluid to escape. These valves are often formed by a closure element that tightly closes an outlet opening. This closure element is held in the closed position by a trigger element and is released from this position when the trigger element is activated.Sprinkler heads typically also feature deflector and distribution plates that allow pressurized sprinkler fluid to rebound and distribute it, thus covering a large area with the sprinkler fluid. As already mentioned, sprinkler head valves are typically closed by release elements, preferably thermal release elements. These are located between an abutment section designed to support them and a closure element of the valve. These elements normally keep the valve closed, preventing the sprinkler fluid from escaping. In the event of fire, the thermal release elements heat up to a triggering temperature, causing them to trigger and releasing the closure elements, opening the respective valve and thus preventing the sprinkler fluid from escaping.Typical thermal release elements can include support bodies made of a fusible link or glass ampoules, also called glass vials, filled with a release fluid, usually also with a gas bubble. The latter are triggered by the expansion of the thermal release fluid upon heating, which builds up pressure inside the glass vessel, ultimately causing the wall of the glass vessel to burst, destroying the glass vial.

[0004] It is particularly important for the functionality of such sprinkler heads that the trigger element is fixed between the abutment element and the closure element in such a way that the former is held immobile, in that it is firmly clamped between the abutment and the closure element. Due to the resulting force exerted by the closure element as well as the abutment element and the applied clamping force, there is a fundamental risk that a glass ampoule could accidentally burst and thus the sprinkler head could accidentally be triggered. To prevent this, a spring is usually provided on the closure element as an additional component, which controls the force effect. In particular, such a spring - usually a disc spring - enables the glass ampoule to be inserted between the abutment element and the closure element. The spring also allows the compensation of, for example,dimensional variations of the abutment, closure element and / or trigger element due to temperature fluctuations. At the same time, the use of such a spring designed as a separate element means that this spring or its interaction with the closure element may represent a potential weak point for sealing the outlet opening of the sprinkler head. In particular, such a risk always exists if exact positioning of the parts cannot be achieved when inserting the valve assembly consisting of the spring, closure element and trigger element. Such springs are also made of a metal, e.g. spring steel, and their material is usually subject to the risk of corrosion or similar, or their spring effect may deteriorate over the period of use of the spring, or in particular may even be lost completely.Furthermore, movements of the valve elements in the sprinkler head caused by ambient temperature fluctuations, for example due to different ambient temperatures in summer and winter, and the different expansion of the materials of the components involved can lead to wear at the joints between the spring and the closure element, which impairs the tightness of the closure. In particular, since the spring and closure body are usually made of different materials, they are usually subject to different degrees of expansion, which can further exacerbate the aforementioned wear and tear. Since sprinkler heads typically remain installed in sprinkler systems for several years, often even decades, even minor wear and tear over time can lead to a potential leak-tightness problem.

[0005] Based on the above-described deficiencies of known sprinkler heads, there is a need to adapt them in such a way that, in particular, correct positioning of the components of the sprinkler head is facilitated during its assembly and that a reliable and permanent seal of the valve in the sprinkler head is achieved.

[0006] This object is achieved according to the invention by a sprinkler head having the features of claim 1, a closure body made of an elastic, in particular spring-elastic, material and formed in one piece, having the features of claim 9, a use of such a closure body according to the invention in a sprinkler head according to claim 14, and a sprinkler system with a sprinkler head according to the invention according to claim 15, in particular one with a closure element according to the invention. Advantageous developments of a sprinkler head according to the invention are described in dependent claims 2 to 8, and those of a closure body according to the invention are described in dependent claims 10 to 13.

[0007] According to the invention, a sprinkler head for a sprinkler system initially comprises a line section for a sprinkler fluid, wherein this line section is configured at a first end for connection to a sprinkler line connection of a sprinkler system, e.g., with a screw thread. The line section further comprises an outlet opening at a second end. Furthermore, according to the invention, the sprinkler head has a closure element for sealingly closing the outlet opening of the line section. It further comprises an abutment section connected to the line section and a trigger element arranged between the abutment section and the closure element.The triggering element is configured to hold the closure element in the outlet opening of the line section in a normal state such that the closure element closes the outlet opening of the line section in a sealing manner, i.e., tightly against the escape of sprinkler liquid, and to release the closure element from its position closing the outlet opening of the line section in a triggering state and thus to allow the escape of sprinkler liquid.

[0008] According to the invention, the closure element is a closure body made of an elastic, in particular spring-elastic, material, which is formed in one piece. This elasticity of the closure element ensures that the closure element can provide sufficient spring action, particularly with regard to forces acting on the trigger element, so that a spring as an additional component—as is standard in the prior art—can be completely dispensed with, and yet the trigger element, in particular, can be inserted into the sprinkler head and / or retained in the sprinkler head without damaging it due to excessive force.

[0009] In particular, the closure element can consist not only of a single material, but also of a combination of materials while maintaining the one-piece design of the closure element. In particular, the closure element can have different regions with regard to their elasticity. Thus, it can be particularly advantageous to provide a central, inelastic or only slightly elastic region in the closure element, while the wheels and / or outer regions of the closure element have a higher elasticity.Such a structure can in particular ensure that the closure element retains its original shape and / or is not deformed by the action of force in such a way that, for example, the trigger element can no longer be held and / or the sealing function can no longer be guaranteed and, at the same time, the edges and / or outer regions are so flexible that a sufficient sealing and / or spring effect can be achieved.

[0010] In particular, the one-piece closure body can be a separate component that is not firmly connected to any other component, in particular not to the trigger element. In particular, the closure body is not part of a coating of the trigger element and / or is not a cap firmly connected to the trigger element, in particular not one designed as a coating.

[0011] Advantageously, the closure body can be configured to withstand, in the normal state of the trigger element, a fluid pressure exerted on the closure body by the sprinkler fluid in the pipe section while maintaining the tight closure of the outlet opening. In the triggered state, the closure body can be moved out of the outlet opening by the fluid pressure in such a way that the outlet opening is cleared for the sprinkler fluid to escape. In particular, in the normal state, the closure body advantageously withstands a fluid pressure of at least 35 bar or 500 psi.

[0012] In a further advantageous development, the sprinkler head according to the invention can have a nominal K-factor (sprinkler discharge factor) of at least 20 [L / min / (bar) 1 2 ], in particular at least 57 [L / min / (bar) 1 2 ], in particular at least 80 [L / min / (bar) 1 2 ], in particular at least 1 15 [L / min / (bar)1 2 ], in particular at least 1 60 [L / min / (bar) 1 2 ], in particular at least 360 [L / min / (bar) 1 / 2 ], and / or up to 400 [L / min / (bar) 1 / 2 ] so that a sufficiently high flow rate of sprinkler fluid through the sprinkler head can be ensured. In particular, the sprinkler head or its design can be adapted with regard to the dimensions of individual components, particularly the pipe section and the outlet opening, to ensure the required K-factor.

[0013] A glass ampoule can advantageously be used as the triggering element. In particular, the glass ampoule is filled with a gas and / or a liquid. In this case, a liquid with a boiling point that does not exceed a triggering temperature is advantageously used. Furthermore, the glass ampoule can advantageously be designed in particular to be able to burst by heating. The bursting can be caused in particular by expansion of the gas and / or the liquid and / or by evaporation of the liquid in the glass ampoule. Such a glass ampoule as a triggering element can in particular be triggered and caused to burst if, due to a fire, the ambient air around the sprinkler head or around the triggering element is heated to such an extent that the temperature rises above a triggering temperature of the thermal triggering element.

[0014] Advantageously, the closure body can seal the outlet opening in the normal state of the trigger element without interacting with another element existing alongside the trigger element. In particular, potential weak points can be avoided in this way by using additional components. Advantageously, the closure body and / or trigger element, in particular the glass ampoule, can be held in place in the normal state by a pre-tensioning force of between 200 N and 1000 N, in particular between 200 N and 800 N. This ensures in particular that, on the one hand, the aforementioned components are not damaged by excessive force and / or unintentionally or excessively deformed. For example, deformation of the closure body, in particular excessive deformation, could threaten a loss of tightness. On the other hand, the far greater risk of unintentional damage to the trigger element, in particular the glass ampoule, due to excessive tensioning is prevented.In particular, this can result in either a loss of the triggering effect per se, for example, due to the leakage of the filled gas or liquid from the glass ampoule, or an unintentional bursting of the triggering element, especially the glass ampoule. The latter then inevitably leads to an unintentional transition from the normal state to the triggered state and ultimately to an unintentional discharge of sprinkler fluid through the defective sprinkler head. In both cases, there is a risk of complete loss of function of the sprinkler head.

[0015] With particular advantage, the closure body can be made of a plastic, in particular a polymer, preferably a polyamide, in particular a partially aromatic polyamide. The plastic can in particular be fiber-reinforced, in particular with up to 70% fibers, in particular glass fibers. With a closure body made of such a material, in particular the aforementioned advantageous properties of the closure body can be achieved, or such a closure body can ensure corresponding interaction with other components of the sprinkler head to achieve the described advantageous developments. A closure body formed from a plastic can in particular be manufactured cost-effectively in large quantities by means of an injection molding process.

[0016] The sprinkler head according to the invention can advantageously have a deflection and distribution plate for distributing the sprinkler fluid, as is generally known in sprinkler heads from the prior art. Such a deflection and distribution plate serves, in particular, to distribute the sprinkler fluid, which initially flows in from the front, over a sufficiently large area, in order to be able to wet a large area with the sprinkler fluid, provide preventive fire protection, or extinguish a fire that has occurred there with the sprinkler fluid.

[0017] The object is also achieved according to the invention by a closure body for a sprinkler head, in particular for a sprinkler head according to the invention, consisting of an elastic, in particular spring-elastic, material and formed in one piece. The advantages and advantageous developments of a closure body according to the invention described below also apply to the closure body of a sprinkler head according to the invention, or the advantages and advantageous developments of a sprinkler head according to the invention can be transferred to a closure body according to the invention.

[0018] The closure body can particularly advantageously be plate-shaped. The plate shape can in particular have an outer, substantially flat edge section and a central protrusion for receiving a section of a trigger element. The edge section can advantageously run at an angle to a main extension plane of the closure body, which can result in an improved sealing effect when the trigger element is inserted. The central protrusion can in particular serve to center the trigger element or simplify and / or bring about such centering. In particular, the central protrusion can advantageously be shaped to correspond to a head of the trigger element, accommodate it and advantageously enclose it in order to provide the trigger element with additional stability, in particular with regard to movements of the trigger element parallel to the flat extension of the closure body.In a particularly advantageous embodiment of a closure body according to the invention, it can be made of a plastic, in particular a polymer, preferably a polyamide, especially a partially aromatic one. It can then be produced, in particular, by injection molding.

[0019] In particular, the closure body can advantageously have a tensile modulus according to ISO 527-1 / -2 between 20,000 and 40,000 MPa, in particular between 25,000 and 40,000 MPa, in particular between 25,000 and 30,000 MPa and / or a breaking stress according to ISO 527-11-2 between 200 and 400 MPa, in particular between 250 and 400 MPa, in particular between 250 and 300 MPa and / or a breaking elongation according to ISO 527-11-2 between 0.5 and 2.5%, in particular between 1 and 2% and / or Charpy impact strength according to ISO 179 / 1 eU between 20 and 100 kJ / m 2 , especially between 40 and 80 kJ / m 2 , especially between 50 and 70 kJ / m 2and / or Charpy notched impact strength according to ISO 179 / 1 eA between 5 and 30 kJ / m 2 , especially between 10 and 20 kJ / m 2 A closure body with such a parameter(s) or with such parameter(s) can be achieved in particular by means of the design in the form of a closure body consisting of a, in particular fiber-reinforced, plastic, in particular a polymer, in particular advantageously by using a, in particular partially aromatic, in particular fiber-reinforced, polyamide as material for the closure body.

[0020] The object is also achieved by the use of a closure body according to the invention in a sprinkler head, in particular in a sprinkler head according to the invention. The previously described advantages and advantageous developments of a closure body according to the invention, or of a sprinkler head according to the invention, can be fully applied to a use according to the invention.

[0021] The object is also achieved by a sprinkler system with a sprinkler head according to the invention, in particular with a closure body according to the invention. Once again, the described advantages and advantageous developments of a sprinkler head according to the invention, or of a closure body according to the invention, can be fully applied to a sprinkler system according to the invention.

[0022] Further advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a possible embodiment with reference to the accompanying figures. These show:

[0023] Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a sprinkler head according to the invention with the closure body and trigger element shown in exploded form; and

[0024] Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the sprinkler head according to Figure 1 with clamped closure body and trigger element.

[0025] Figure 1 shows a sprinkler head 1. The sprinkler head 1 has a sprinkler body 2. This consists of a base body 3, an abutment element 4 and a connection 5 between the base body 3 and the abutment element 4. The base body 3 has a line section 6, at the end of which, shown at the top in the figure, there is an outlet opening 7. Furthermore, at the lower end of the line section 6 there is an inlet opening 8 for introducing sprinkler liquid into the line section 6. The line section 6 with the inlet opening 8 and the outlet opening 7 thus forms a fluid channel 6, 7, 8 for conducting sprinkler liquid through the sprinkler head 1. Furthermore, a thread 9 is provided on the outside of the base body 3, which thread enables the sprinkler head 1 to be inserted and secured by screwing it to a supply line for sprinkler liquid.

[0026] Figure 1 also shows a closure body 10. The closure body 10 is formed in one piece and has a substantially flat geometry. It serves to tightly close the outlet opening 7 of the line section 6. For this purpose, a support 11 is provided in the area of ​​the outlet opening 7, onto which the closure body 10 can be placed. The support 11 thus also forms a valve seat. It also helps to bring the closure body 10 correctly into the position required to seal the outlet opening 7 of the line section 6. In order for the closure body 10 to remain sealingly fixed in the outlet opening 7 of the line section 6 after the line section 6 has been subjected to sprinkler fluid or despite the resulting water pressure, the closure body 10 must be braced. This can be done by means of the trigger element 12, orThe trigger element 12 and the closure body 10 are clamped together between the support 10 or base body 3 and the abutment element 4 (see Figure 2). The trigger element 12 in this case is a glass ampoule filled with a gas and / or a liquid. This ampoule is designed to burst upon reaching a trigger temperature due to the increased internal pressure caused by the heated gas and / or liquid inside the glass ampoule, thus releasing the clamping of the closure body 10 in the outlet opening 7 of the line section 6. As a result, the closure element 10 can no longer withstand the water pressure of the sprinkler fluid, so that it is forced out of the outlet opening 7 of the line section 6 by the sprinkler fluid. This creates a fluid channel 6, 7, 8 through which the sprinkler fluid can pass.To facilitate correct clamping of the locking body 10 and the trigger element 12, the locking body 10 is plate-shaped and has a central protrusion 13 for receiving a tip 14 of the trigger element 12. Furthermore, this arrangement of the tip 14 in the central protrusion 13 can stabilize the trigger element 12 with respect to lateral movement from the clamped position.

[0027] Figure 2 shows the sprinkler head 1 according to Figure 1 with the closure body 10 and trigger element 12 braced together. The closure body 10 rests on the support 11. The tip 14 of the trigger element 12 engages in the central protuberance 13 of the closure body 10. An ampoule end 15 of the trigger element 12 rests against the abutment element 4. To achieve secure bracing, and in particular to make bracing possible at all, the closure body 10 consists of an elastic, in particular spring-elastic, material, preferably a plastic, in particular a polyamide, in particular a partially aromatic polyamide.In this respect, the closure body 10, formed in one piece according to the invention, takes over in one element the functions of two elements in sprinkler heads known from the prior art, namely the parts of the closure body and the spring element, which together form a closure arrangement (or closure element). The closure body 10 accommodates a section of the trigger element 12, seals the outlet opening 7, and provides the spring effect achieved in sprinkler heads according to the prior art by the separate spring.

[0028] In Figure 2, the plate shape of the closure body 10 with an outer, essentially flat edge section 16, which, however, extends in particular essentially at a shallow angle to the main extension plane of the closure body 13, as well as the central protuberance 13, can be clearly seen again. The central protuberance 13, in the clamped state, engages into the outlet opening 7 of the line section 6. A part of the edge section 16 of the closure element 10 rests on the support 11. It can be seen that the integrally formed closure element 10 seals the outlet opening 7 of the line section 6 in the clamped state with the trigger element 12 without interacting with any further element existing alongside the trigger element 12.

[0029] List of reference symbols

[0030] 1 sprinkler head

[0031] 2 sprinkler bodies

[0032] 3 basic bodies

[0033] 4 Abutment element

[0034] 5 Connection

[0035] 6 line sections

[0036] 7 Exit opening

[0037] 8 Entrance opening

[0038] 9 threads

[0039] 10 locking bodies

[0040] 1 1st edition

[0041] 12 trigger element

[0042] 13 central protrusion

[0043] 14 lace

[0044] 15 Ampoule end

[0045] 16 edge section

Claims

Claims 1 . Sprinkler head (1 ) for a sprinkler system, • a line section (6) for a sprinkler liquid, wherein the line section (6) is designed at a first end (8, 9) for connection to a connection of a sprinkler line of a sprinkler system and has an outlet opening (7) at a second end; • a closure element (10) designed to tightly close the outlet opening (7) of the line section (6); • an abutment element (4) connected to the line section (6); • a trigger element (12) arranged between the abutment element (4) and the closure element (10), wherein the trigger element (12) is designed o in a normal state to hold the closure element (10) in the outlet opening (7) of the line section (6) in such a way that the closure element (10) seals the outlet opening (7) of the line section (6), and o in a trigger state to release the closure element (10) from its position closing the outlet opening (7) of the line section (6), characterized in that the closure element (10) is a closure body (10) made of an elastic, in particular spring-elastic, material and the closure body (10) is formed in one piece.

2. Sprinkler head (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the closure body (10) is designed, in the normal state of the trigger element (12), to withstand a liquid pressure exerted by the sprinkler liquid in the line section (6) on the closure body (10) while maintaining the sealing closure of the outlet opening (7). and in the triggered state to be moved out of the outlet opening (7) by the liquid pressure in such a way that the outlet opening (7) is released for the sprinkler liquid to escape.

3. Sprinkler head (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the closure body (10) in the normal state withstands a liquid pressure of at least 30 bar.

4. Sprinkler head (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a nominal K-factor of at least 20 [L / min / (bar) 1 2 ], in particular at least 57 [L / min / (bar) 1 2], in particular at least 80 [L / min / (bar) 1 2 ], in particular at least 1 15 [L / min / (bar) 1 2 ], in particular at least 160 [L / min / (bar) 1 2 ], in particular at least 360 [L / min / (bar) 1 / 2 ], and / or up to 400 [L / min / (bar) 1 / 2 ].

5. Sprinkler head (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure body (10) and / or the triggering element (12) is and / or is held in the normal state by a prestressing force of between 200 N and 1000 N, in particular between 200 N and 800 N.

6. Sprinkler head (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure body (10) seals the outlet opening (7) in the normal state of the trigger element (12) without interaction with a further element existing next to the trigger element (12).

7. Sprinkler head (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure body (10) consists of a plastic, in particular a polymer, preferably a polyamide, in particular a partially aromatic polyamide.

8. Sprinkler head (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a glass ampoule (12) as a trigger element (12), wherein the glass ampoule (12) is filled in particular with a gas and / or a liquid, in particular having a boiling point not exceeding a trigger temperature, and in particular being designed to be able to burst by heating, in particular by expansion of the gas and / or the liquid and / or by evaporation of the liquid in the glass ampoule (12).

9. Closure body (10) consisting of an elastic, in particular spring-elastic, material and formed in one piece for a sprinkler head (1), in particular for a sprinkler head (1) according to one of the preceding claims.

10. Closure body (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that it is plate-shaped with an outer, substantially flat edge portion (16) and a central protuberance (13) for receiving a portion (14) of a trigger element (12). 1 1. Closure body (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that the edge portion (16) is inclined to a main extension plane of the closure body (10).

12. Closure body (10) according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that it consists of a, in particular fiber-reinforced, plastic, in particular a polymer, preferably a, in particular partially aromatic, polyamide.

13. Closure body (10) according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the closure body (10) has a tensile modulus between 20,000 and 40,000 MPa, in particular between 25,000 and 40,000 MPa, in particular between 25,000 and 30,000 MPa and / or a breaking stress between 200 and 400 MPa, in particular between 250 and 400 MPa, in particular between 250 and 300 MPa and / or an elongation at break between 0.5 and 2.5%, in particular between 1 and 2% and / or Charpy impact strength between 20 and 100 kJ / m 2 , especially between 40 and 80 kJ / m 2 , especially between 50 and 70 kJ / m 2 and / or Charpy Notched impact strength between 5 and 30 kJ / m 2 , especially between 10 and 20 kJ / m 2 have.

14. Use of a closure body (10) according to one of claims 9 to 13 in a sprinkler head (1), in particular according to one of claims 1 to 8.

15. Sprinkler system comprising at least one sprinkler head (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, in particular with a closure body (10) according to one of claims 9 to 13.

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