Sprinkler piping structure and installation method thereof

Abstract

To provide a sprinkler piping structure having a short total length of piping, being easy to install, and being capable of supplying a sufficient amount of water, and an installation method of the sprinkler piping structure.SOLUTION: A sprinkler piping structure is installed in a building being an apartment house including at least one dwelling unit having a plurality of habitable rooms and non-habitable rooms. The sprinkler piping structure has: a main pipe connected to a mother pipe introduced to one habitable room or non-habitable room of the dwelling, the main pipe having a diameter smaller than that of the mother pipe; and a plurality of branch pipes connected to the main pipe and having a diameter smaller than that of the main diameter. Both the main pipe and the branch pipes are formed of cross-linked polyethylene. The branch pipes and the main pipe can be rolled and wound up together, and can be delivered and spread at an installation place of the sprinkler piping structure. The main pipe forms a loop-shaped circulation path at the installation place. Each of the branch pipes has one end connected to a part of the main pipe, and the other end connected to a sprinkler head provided in any of the habitable rooms or non-habitable rooms.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sprinkler piping structure and an installation method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] In buildings such as apartment buildings, sprinklers are installed in multiple rooms on one floor. A sprinkler piping structure is provided to supply water to sprinkler heads located on the ceilings of the multiple rooms. Specifically, as schematically shown in FIG. 6 , a branching mechanism (header) 20 is connected to a main pipe 1 installed in a portion of the ceiling space. The branching mechanism 20 is connected to multiple branch pipes 3, each extending to a sprinkler head 4 located on the ceiling of each room. In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, a loop-pipe branching mechanism is provided, and multiple branch pipes are connected to the loop-pipe branching mechanism. Typically, the branching mechanism described in Patent Document 1 is located in the ceiling space of a wet area such as a bathroom or washroom (a non-living space where water is used and a water supply is installed). Branch pipes extend in various directions from the branching mechanism located in the ceiling space of the wet area to supply water to the sprinkler heads on the ceilings of each room.

[0003] The water supply and drainage system described in Patent Document 2 has a main pipe connected to a meter box outside the dwelling unit of an apartment building, a main pipe connected to the meter box and extending into the interior of the dwelling unit, and branch pipes (branch pipes) that branch off from the main pipe and extend to the plumbing. In this configuration, multiple branch pipes extend from the main pipe to each of the water faucets installed in the plumbing areas (unit bath, laundry room, toilet, sink, washbasin, etc.) installed in the dwelling unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-67818 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 2606808 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a sprinkler system in which multiple branch pipes are connected to a branch mechanism connected to a main pipe, the connection between the main pipe and the branch mechanism and the connection between the branch mechanism and the branch pipes are all installed above the ceiling in a wet area such as a bathroom. Because the branch pipes extending from the branch mechanism installed in the wet area such as a bathroom to each living room are long, the total length of the piping in the entire sprinkler piping structure is long. Therefore, installing the branch pipes is complicated, requires a long installation time, and may result in high costs. This problem is the same whether the system uses a box-shaped branch mechanism as shown in FIG. 6 or a loop-shaped branch mechanism as described in Patent Document 1.

[0006] The configuration described in Patent Document 2 is for water supply and drainage equipment, but in the case of a sprinkler piping structure, sprinkler heads must be installed and pipes must be connected to rooms other than those with water supply valves. Each sprinkler pipe must supply a sufficient amount of water to prevent fires, with sprinkler heads installed in multiple locations, including those in rooms other than those with water supply valves. Therefore, the diameters of the main pipe and branch pipes in a sprinkler piping structure must be large, and this is sometimes regulated by ordinances, standards, etc. Therefore, the configuration of Patent Document 2, which relates to water supply and drainage equipment, cannot be directly applied to a sprinkler piping structure.

[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, to provide a sprinkler piping structure and an installation method thereof that has a short total piping length, is easy to install, and is capable of supplying a sufficient amount of water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The sprinkler piping structure of the present invention, which is installed in a building that is an apartment building including at least one dwelling unit having a plurality of living rooms and non-living spaces, comprises a main pipe that is connected to a main pipe that leads to the living room or non-living space of one of the dwelling units and has a smaller diameter than the main pipe, and a plurality of branch pipes that are connected to the main pipe and have a smaller diameter than the main pipe, wherein the main pipe and the branch pipes are both made of cross-linked polyethylene, the branch pipe and the main pipe can be rolled up together and can be unrolled and unrolled at the installation site of the sprinkler piping structure, the main pipe forms a looped circulation path at the installation site, and each of the branch pipes has one end connected to a part of the main pipe and the other end connected to a sprinkler head installed in one of the living rooms or non-living spaces. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, there are provided a sprinkler piping structure and an installation method thereof which have a short total length of piping, are easy to install, and are capable of supplying a sufficient amount of water. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view schematically showing a sprinkler piping structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the sprinkler piping structure shown in FIG. 1 in a state before installation. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing a sprinkler piping structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing a modified example of the sprinkler piping structure shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically showing a sprinkler piping structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a conventional sprinkler piping structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [First embodiment] The sprinkler piping structure of the first embodiment of the present invention, shown schematically in FIG. 1, is installed in an apartment building. A main pipe 2 is connected to a header pipe 1, which is introduced from outside the dwelling into a living space or non-living space on a floor, such as a bathroom 10 of a dwelling unit, via a short connecting pipe 5. The living or non-living space here refers to rooms 11-15, a hallway 16, a corridor 17, and the like within the dwelling unit. The main pipe 2 is composed of a pair of thin pipes 2a, 2b that are substantially parallel to each other and extend along each other. The pair of thin pipes 2a, 2b are connected to each other to form a closed flow path. The connection point between the header pipe 1 and the connecting pipe 5 is located above the ceiling of a wet area such as the bathroom 10 of the dwelling unit, and the connection point between the connecting pipe 5 and the main pipe 2 is located close to the connection point between the header pipe 1 and the connecting pipe 5, for example, above the ceiling of the hallway 16. The main pipe 2 extends from the ceiling above the entrance hall 16, where it connects to the connecting pipe 5, through the ceilings of two or more living or non-living spaces within the dwelling, such as the hallway 17, kitchen 11, living room 12, and bedroom 13. Branch pipes 3 are connected to the main pipe 2, which extends through two or more living or non-living spaces, and extend to sprinkler heads 4 installed in each of the living or non-living spaces (e.g., bedroom 15, kitchen 11, living room 12, bedrooms 13 and 14). That is, one end of the branch pipe 3 is connected to a portion of the main pipe 2, and the other end is connected to a sprinkler head 4 in one of the living or non-living spaces. When multiple sprinkler heads 4 are installed in each living or non-living space, a branch pipe 3 connected to each of the multiple sprinkler heads 4 is installed in each living or non-living space. The sprinkler heads 4 are cover members that cover the ends of the branch pipes 3 and are formed, for example, from solder. When the temperature inside the habitable or unoccupied space rises due to a fire or other cause, and the heat at least partially softens the solder, the sprinkler head 4 comes off the end of the branch pipe 3. Water that had accumulated in the parent pipe 1, connecting pipe 5, main pipe 2, and branch pipe 3 is then discharged from the end of the branch pipe 3 that has been opened by the release of the sprinkler head 4, thereby exerting a fire-extinguishing effect.

[0012] In this embodiment, a plurality of branch pipes 3 extend from a main pipe 2 consisting of a pair of thin tubes 2a, 2b extending across a plurality of living spaces or non-living spaces. Each of these branch pipes 3 is connected to the main pipe 2 inside or near a living space or non-living space in which a sprinkler head 4 is disposed. Therefore, the branch pipes 3 of this embodiment are shorter in length than, for example, the branch pipes of Patent Document 1. As a result, the total length of the entire piping of the sprinkler piping structure is significantly reduced. As a result, the sprinkler piping structure of this embodiment requires less piping material (e.g., cross-linked polyethylene) than conventional sprinkler piping structures, simplifying installation work.

[0013] Furthermore, in a sprinkler piping structure, a sufficient amount of water must be secured to each sprinkler head 4 to exert a fire-extinguishing effect, and therefore the inner diameter of the main pipe cannot be made too small. However, in this embodiment, the main pipe 2 is composed of a pair of capillaries 2a, 2b that are substantially parallel to each other and extend along each other. Therefore, even if the inner diameters of the capillaries 2a, 2b are relatively small, a sufficient amount of water can be secured at each sprinkler head 4. By configuring the main pipe 2 as a pair of small-diameter capillaries 2a, 2b in this manner, handling and installation of the piping are facilitated. As an example, in this embodiment, the inner diameter of the parent pipe 1 is 50A, the inner diameter of the connecting pipe 5 is 32A, the inner diameter of the capillaries 2a, 2b that constitute the main pipe 2 is 20A, and the inner diameter of the branch pipe is 16A. In this specification, the size of each pipe is expressed in nominal diameter according to JIS K 6769. This nominal diameter may be, for example, that of cross-linked polyethylene pipes of type XM or XE.

[0014] If the diameter of the main pipe is large (for example, an inner diameter of 32A), it is difficult to roll up and wind up the main pipe. Therefore, it is difficult to roll up and handle the main pipe compactly when transporting it to the installation site of the sprinkler piping structure.

[0015] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , the thin tubes 2a and 2b, each having a small diameter (e.g., an inner diameter of 20A), can be rolled up and wound up. Furthermore, even thinner branch pipes 3 (e.g., an inner diameter of 16A) can be connected to various locations on the pair of thin tubes 2a and 2b via joints 6, and the thin tubes 2a and 2b and the branch pipe 3 can be rolled up and wound together to form a single roll. This rolled up structure of the thin tubes 2a and 2b and the branch pipe 3 can be easily transported to the installation site (the ceiling of a building). At the installation site, the main pipe 2 does not need to be connected to the branch pipe 3; instead, the thin tubes 2a and 2b and the branch pipe 3 can simply be unrolled and unrolled from the rolled up structure. The unrolled thin tubes 2a and 2b extend through the ceilings of two or more living or non-living spaces, such as a hallway 17, a kitchen 11, a living room 12, and a bedroom 13. Then, a portion of the thin pipes 2a, 2b is connected to the main pipe 1 via the connecting pipe 5, and each branch pipe 3 is connected to each sprinkler head 4. The thin pipes 2a, 2b and each branch pipe 3 are then fixed to appropriate locations above the ceiling using, for example, adhesive tape or metal fixtures, to complete the sprinkler piping structure. This eliminates the need to connect the thin pipes 2a, 2b to the branch pipes 3 above the ceiling in each living or non-living space, simplifying installation of the sprinkler piping structure. In particular, the work performed at the installation site does not require significant specialized knowledge or skills, allowing for easy installation of the sprinkler piping structure without requiring significant experience, improving work efficiency. In particular, the shorter length of the small-diameter branch pipes 3 reduces pressure loss, thereby increasing the water pressure when the sprinkler heads 4 are removed and water is discharged from the ends of the branch pipes 3, improving fire extinguishing performance.

[0016] [Second embodiment] Next, a sprinkler piping structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 3, the sprinkler piping structure of this embodiment has a main pipe 7 connected to a main pipe 1 introduced into one living room or non-living space (e.g., bathroom 10) on a floor via a short connecting pipe 5, and the main pipe 7 is a looped circulation path that extends across two or more living rooms or non-living spaces. The connection point between the main pipe 1 and the connecting pipe 5 is located on the ceiling of a wet area such as bathroom 10 in the dwelling unit, and the connection point between the connecting pipe 5 and the main pipe 7 is located in a position close to the connection point between the main pipe 1 and the connecting pipe 5, for example, in the attic of an entrance hall 16. The main pipe 7 extends from the attic of the entrance hall 16, where it is connected to the connecting pipe 5, through the attic spaces of multiple living rooms or non-living spaces in the dwelling unit, for example, a hallway 17, a kitchen 11, a living room 12, and bedrooms 13, 14, and 15. To this main pipe 7, branch pipes 3 are connected which extend to sprinkler heads 4 provided in a plurality of living or non-living spaces (for example, kitchen 11, living room 12, bedrooms 13, 14, 15).

[0018] In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the branch pipes 3 are short, significantly reducing the overall length of the sprinkler piping structure. This reduces the amount of piping material, lowers costs, and simplifies installation. Furthermore, because the main pipe 7 is a looped circulation path extending across two or more habitable or non-habitable spaces, a sufficient amount of water can be secured at each sprinkler head 4 even if its inner diameter is somewhat small. For example, the inner diameter of the main pipe 1 is 50 A, the inner diameter of the connecting pipe 5 is 32 A, the inner diameter of the main pipe 7 is 20 A, and the inner diameter of the branch pipes is 16 A. In this embodiment, substantially similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 2 , the main pipe 7 and the branch pipes 3 can be rolled up and wound into a roll with each branch pipe 3 connected to various locations on the main pipe 7 via fittings 6. This allows the rolled up main pipe 7 and branch pipes 3 to be easily transported to the installation location (the ceiling of a building), where the main pipe 7 and branch pipes 3 can be unwound and extended from the roll. The widened main pipe 7 extends across the ceiling of two or more living or non-living spaces, such as the entrance hall 16, hallway 17, kitchen 11, living room 12, and bedrooms 13-15. A portion of the main pipe 7 is connected to the main pipe 1 via connecting pipes 5, and each branch pipe 3 is connected to each sprinkler head 4. The main pipe 7 and each branch pipe 3 are then fixed in appropriate positions in the ceiling, completing the sprinkler piping structure. This embodiment also simplifies the installation of the sprinkler piping structure, improving work efficiency and enhancing fire extinguishing performance.

[0019] Fig. 4 shows a modified sprinkler piping structure of this embodiment. The main pipe 8 of this modified example is a loop-shaped circulation path that spreads across two or more living rooms or non-living spaces (for example, an entrance hall 16 and a hallway 17), but it is a smaller loop than the configuration shown in Fig. 3. Even in this modified example, the length of the branch pipe 3 is shorter than in the conventional example shown in Fig. 6, and the total length of the entire piping of the sprinkler piping structure can be shortened. Therefore, substantially the same effects as the configuration shown in Fig. 3 can be obtained.

[0020] [Third embodiment] Next, a sprinkler piping structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Differences between this embodiment and the first and second embodiments will be mainly described, and descriptions of parts that are the same as those of the first and second embodiments will be omitted.

[0021] In the sprinkler piping structure of this embodiment, a main pipe 9 is directly connected to a main pipe 1 introduced into one living room or non-living space (e.g., bathroom 10) on a floor, and the main pipe 9 extends through two or more living rooms or non-living spaces. The connection point between the main pipe 1 and the main pipe 9 is located in the ceiling space above a wet area such as bathroom 10 in the dwelling, and the main pipe 9 extends from the ceiling space above the wet area such as bathroom 10 through the ceiling spaces above two or more living rooms or non-living spaces in the dwelling, for example, a hallway 17, a kitchen 11, a living room 12, and a bedroom 13. Branch pipes 3 are connected to this main pipe 9, extending to sprinkler heads 4 provided in each of the living rooms or non-living spaces (e.g., kitchen 11, living room 12, bedrooms 13-15).

[0022] In this embodiment, as in the first and second embodiments, the branch pipes 3 are short, reducing the overall length of the sprinkler piping structure. This reduces the amount of piping material, lowering costs, and simplifying installation. For example, the inner diameter of the main pipe 1 is 50A, the inner diameter of the main pipe 9 is 20A, and the inner diameter of the branch pipes 3 is 16A. In this embodiment, as in the configuration shown in FIG. 2 , the main pipe 9 and branch pipes 3 can be rolled up together into a roll, with each branch pipe 3 connected to various locations on the main pipe 9 via a fitting 6. This roll can be easily transported to the installation location (the ceiling of a building), and the main pipe 9 and branch pipes 3 can be unwound and extended from the roll at the installation site. The main pipe 9 is unrolled to extend through the ceilings of two or more living or non-living spaces, such as the entrance hall 16, hallway 17, kitchen 11, living room 12, and bedroom 13. The sprinkler piping structure is completed by connecting a portion of the main pipe 9 to the parent pipe 1, connecting each branch pipe 3 to each sprinkler head 4, and fixing the main pipe 9 and each branch pipe 3 to an appropriate position above the ceiling. In this embodiment as well, the installation work of the sprinkler piping structure is easy, improving work efficiency and enhancing fire extinguishing action. [Explanation of symbols]

[0023] 1 main pipe 2,7,8,9 Master 2a,2b tubule 3 Branch Pipe 4 sprinkler heads 5 Connecting pipe 6 Joints 10 Bathroom 11 Kitchen 12 Living Room 13, 14, 15 Bedrooms 16 Entrance 17 Hallway

Claims

1. A sprinkler piping structure provided in a building that is an apartment building including at least one dwelling unit having a plurality of living rooms and non-living spaces, a main pipe connected to a main pipe introduced into one of the living spaces or non-living spaces of the dwelling unit and having a smaller diameter than the main pipe; and a plurality of branch pipes connected to the main pipe and having a smaller diameter than the main pipe, the main pipe and the branch pipe are both made of cross-linked polyethylene, the branch pipe and the main pipe can be rolled up together and can be unrolled and unrolled at the installation site of the sprinkler piping structure, The main pipe forms a loop-shaped circulation path at the installation location, A sprinkler piping structure characterized in that each of the branch pipes has one end connected to a part of the main pipe and the other end connected to a sprinkler head installed in any of the living rooms or non-living spaces.

2. The sprinkler piping structure according to claim 1 , wherein the main pipe comprises a pair of capillaries extending alongside each other.

3. 3. The sprinkler piping structure according to claim 1, wherein the branch pipe and the main pipe are sized so that they can be rolled up together.

4. 4. The sprinkler piping structure according to claim 1, wherein the main pipe has an inner diameter of 20A and the branch pipe has an inner diameter of 16A.

5. 5. A sprinkler piping structure according to claim 1, wherein the main pipe is connected to the parent pipe via a connecting pipe, the connecting pipe having a smaller diameter than the parent pipe and a larger diameter than the main pipe.

6. A method for installing the sprinkler piping structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in a building that is an apartment building including at least one dwelling unit having a plurality of living rooms and non-living spaces, comprising: a main pipe having a smaller diameter than a main pipe introduced into one of the living rooms or non-living spaces of the dwelling unit, and a plurality of branch pipes having a smaller diameter than the main pipe being connected to the main pipe; and rolling up the main pipe together with the branch pipes to form a single roll body; transporting the roll body in which the main pipe and the branch pipe are rolled up and wound to the installation site; At the installation site, the main pipe and the branch pipes are unwound from the roll body and spread out to form a loop-shaped circulation path by the main pipe; A method for installing a sprinkler piping structure, comprising: connecting the main pipe to the parent pipe, and connecting each of the branch pipes to a sprinkler head installed in the living room or non-living space.

7. The sprinkler piping structure installation method according to claim 6, wherein the main pipe is connected to the header pipe via a connecting pipe.

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