Sprinkler having improved plug opening structure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sprinkler having an improved plug opening structure, the sprinkler being implemented to comprise: a sprinkler body having an upper inlet port through which fire extinguishing water flows in and a lower outlet port connected to the upper inlet port; a deflector which blocks an outlet side of the inlet port in the body and ejects the fire extinguishing water in all directions when descending; a cylindrical housing coupled to the outlet port of the body and having a vertically penetrating hollow part for a discharging operation of the deflector therein; a plug disposed in the hollow part of the housing to support the deflector; and an actuator for fixing the plug and separating the plug downward from the hollow part of the housing when a fire occurs, wherein the plug supporting the deflector is secured by a plurality of balls, upon the occurrence of a fire, a rotator is rotated by the contractive recovery of a linear shape memory alloy wire triggered by heat, causing the plurality of balls to retract, thereby automatically opening the plug and the deflector released from support so as to discharge fire extinguishing water.

Description

Plug-open structure improved sprinkler

[0001] The present invention relates to a sprinkler capable of initial fire suppression in the event of a fire, and more specifically, to a sprinkler with an improved plug opening structure in which a plug supporting a deflector for blocking a fire water flow path is detached by an actuator in which a shape memory alloy wire contracts and restores due to a fire, thereby causing the deflector to descend and open the fire water flow path.

[0002] A sprinkler is a fire extinguishing system installed on the ceilings or walls of building structures according to specific standards to release extinguishing water in the event of a fire, thereby enabling early fire suppression.

[0003] These sprinklers activate automatically when the indoor or ambient temperature reaches the set operating temperature in the event of a fire. The operating principles involve the soluble metal installed inside the sprinkler melting or detaching at the operating temperature to open the head, or the glass valve breaking to activate the system. In both cases, the head must be replaced with a new, closed, or non-activated, head after each use.

[0004] In addition, such sprinklers must be equipped with a complex configuration including a heat sensor, a fuse metal, and a glass valve, and since the heat detected by the heat sensor must be transferred to the fuse metal or glass valve, it may be difficult to discharge the extinguishing water immediately depending on the time it takes for the heat to be transferred.

[0005] A technology that enables the immediate discharge of extinguishing water by utilizing a shape memory alloy that deforms at a specific temperature in the event of a fire to solve the aforementioned problems is as follows:

[0006] Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0298526 (registered on June 1, 2001, hereinafter referred to as 'Document 1') “Sprinkler Head for Fire Extinguishing System” is disclosed,

[0007] Literature 1 describes a sprinkler head for a fire extinguishing system having a frame with a support rod extended therefrom, a body having a fastening part formed on the upper outer surface and a discharge port formed inside, a valve cap installed at the bottom of the discharge port to block the discharge port of the frame, a heat-sensing part installed to detect the occurrence of a fire and open the valve cap, and a reflector installed on the support rod to reflect and spread the fire extinguishing liquid discharged through the discharge port, wherein the heat-sensing part is configured to expand and detach at a certain temperature, and a coil spring made of a shape memory alloy material is installed between the valve cap and the center of the bottom of the support rod, thereby using a shape memory alloy to simplify the structure, improve manufacturability, and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0008] As another technology, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0043212 (published April 27, 2020, hereinafter referred to as 'Document 2') “Automatic Sprinkler and Method of Operating the Same” is disclosed,

[0009] Literature 2 describes a technology regarding an automatic sprinkler and its operating method that includes a waterway section, a spraying section plug, a spraying section, and an operating section, which is automatically sealed after complete extinguishment. It operates in stages of a waterway blockage state, a shape memory alloy contraction stage, and a shape memory alloy expansion stage, thereby setting the shape memory alloy of the sprinkler to match the initial fire occurrence temperature during a fire to enable more accurate initial extinguishment, which increases the probability of initial fire suppression by preventing malfunctions. Furthermore, since the spray is automatically blocked after complete extinguishment, the inconvenience of blocking the spray can be reduced. It also prevents secondary damage caused by excessive spraying, allows for reuse unless severely damaged, and is economical as it can be reused without replacement after a fire accident, thereby providing a reduction in maintenance costs.

[0010] Another technology is disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2425544 (registered July 21, 2022, hereinafter referred to as 'Literature 3'), titled "Sprinkler using an elastic type shape memory alloy."

[0011] Literature 3 describes a sprinkler using an elastic type shape memory alloy, wherein the sprinkler body into which fire extinguishing water flows, a main body part having a sprinkler frame through which the sprinkler body is penetrated and coupled, a discharge part that restrains the discharge of the fire extinguishing water or discharges the fire extinguishing water, and an operating part formed to be detachable so as to discharge the fire extinguishing water when heat is detected due to a fire, wherein the operating part includes an elastic actuator that absorbs heat and restores to its original shape, and a side bar coupled to the elastic actuator to induce the operating part to be detached, thereby simplifying the configuration of the sprinkler and enabling it to respond immediately to the occurrence of a fire and quickly suppress the fire.

[0012] The plug-opening structure improved sprinkler according to the present invention is a technology proposed to solve the problems of the prior art as described above,

[0013] The purpose is to allow fire extinguishing water flowing in through the deflector to be discharged in all directions by detaching the plug supporting the deflector through a linear wire made of a shape memory alloy that contracts and restores due to heat generated during a fire.

[0014] The purpose is to support the plug using a spherical ball, and when the wire contracts and restores, the rotator rotates to retract the ball supporting the plug, causing the plug to free-fall, and at the same time, the deflector that was supported by it automatically opens and falls due to water pressure, thereby ejecting fire extinguishing water.

[0015] The plug-opening structure improved sprinkler according to the present invention aims to achieve the above objectives,

[0016] A sprinkler body having an upper inlet through which fire extinguishing water flows in and a lower outlet connected thereto;

[0017] A deflector that blocks the outlet side of the inlet in the main body and sprays fire extinguishing water in all directions when descending;

[0018] A cylindrical housing coupled to the outlet of the above-mentioned main body and having an upper and lower through-hole inside for the discharge operation of the above-mentioned deflector;

[0019] A plug disposed in the hollow portion of the housing to support the deflector; and

[0020] An actuator for fixing the plug and, in the event of a fire, detaching the plug downward from the hollow portion of the housing;

[0021] Includes,

[0022] The present invention provides a sprinkler with an improved plug opening structure, characterized by comprising: a recess formed to be recessed along the outer surface of the plug and having upper and lower steps; two or more support holes formed to penetrate inwardly and outwardly through the outer surface of the housing and arranged radially; two or more support balls disposed in each of the support holes, with a portion inserted into the recess; a rotator having two or more stay grooves that are rotatably fitted in a manner that surrounds the housing and face each of the support holes when rotated; a support block mounted on the outer surface of the upper side of the discharge port of the main body; a snap block formed protruding from the outer surface of the rotator; and a wire made of a shape memory alloy that is disposed in a manner that surrounds the outer surface of the rotator, with one end supported by the support block and the other end supported by the snap block, and which shrinks and restores to its original shape at a certain temperature.

[0023] The plug-opening structure improved sprinkler according to the present invention is,

[0024] The greatest effect is that, in the event of a fire, the opening structure of the plug and the deflector supported thereon is improved so that the plug can be supported and released more easily by using a spherical ball capable of forward and backward movement to rotate the rotator and lower the plug and deflector, thereby allowing the extinguishing water to be ejected.

[0025] In addition, by using a wire with a diameter of 0.3 mm or less, the response time can be reduced, and since it can be heated and restored even with a microcurrent, it has the effect of significantly reducing the amount of current supplied to all sprinklers installed in the building.

[0026] It also has the effect of providing sprinklers that can operate without malfunction in the event of a fire.

[0027] In addition, the opening and closing structure for the inflow and outflow of fire extinguishing water is designed to operate solely through the contraction and restoration of the wire, without being affected by external vibrations or earthquakes.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional diagram showing a sprinkler with an improved plug opening structure according to the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 2 is an exploded three-dimensional view of FIG. 1,

[0030] FIG. 3 is an exploded three-dimensional view showing the sprinkler body,

[0031] FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5 are cross-sectional configuration diagrams of FIG. 1,

[0032] FIGS. 6 and 7 are configuration diagrams for showing the operating state of a sprinkler with an improved plug opening structure according to the present invention.

[0033] The present invention relates to a sprinkler with an improved plug opening structure according to the present invention,

[0034] A sprinkler body (10) having an upper inlet (11) into which fire extinguishing water flows and a lower outlet (12) connected thereto;

[0035] A deflector (20) that blocks the outlet side of the inlet (11) in the main body (10) and sprays fire extinguishing water in all directions when descending;

[0036] A cylindrical housing (30) coupled to the outlet (12) of the main body (10) and having an upper and lower through-hole (31) inside for the discharge operation of the deflector (20);

[0037] A plug (40) disposed in the hollow portion (31) of the housing (30) and supporting the deflector (20); and

[0038] An actuator (50) for fixing the plug (40) and, in the event of a fire, detaching the plug (40) downward from the hollow portion (31) of the housing (30);

[0039] It is characterized by including

[0040] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0041] Prior to this, terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention. Accordingly, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely one preferred embodiment of the invention and do not represent all of the technical spirit of the invention; therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications capable of replacing them may exist at the time of filing this application.

[0042] Based on Figure 1, the upper part side is designated as upper or upper, and the lower part side is designated as lower or lower.

[0043] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7, the plug-opening structure improved sprinkler according to the present invention is,

[0044] It is largely composed of a sprinkler body (10), a deflector (20), a housing (30), a plug (40), and an actuator (50).

[0045] If we look at each component,

[0046] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, the main body (10)

[0047] By installing on the ceiling of a building structure or on panels covering it, etc.

[0048] An upper inlet (11) connected to a fire water supply pipe and into which fire water flows, and

[0049] A lower outlet (12) interconnected with the inlet (11)

[0050] It is composed of a cylindrical structure including

[0051] At this time, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the main body (10) may be configured to be divided into an upper part (10A) and a lower part (10B). The inlet (11) is formed to penetrate vertically in a double-tube structure within the upper part (10A), and the outlet (12) is formed to penetrate vertically within the lower part (10B). Ultimately, they are arranged in a structure in which the upper part of the outlet (12) surrounds the lower end of the inlet (11), i.e., the outlet side, so as to be spaced apart from each other. The upper part (10A) and the lower part (10B) can be assembled or separated from each other by mutual fastening between the screw threads formed on each and the corresponding screw threads.

[0052] As illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the deflector (20) is

[0053] The above main body (10) blocks the outlet side of the inlet (11) and is intended to spray fire extinguishing water in all directions when descending.

[0054] upper ring (21),

[0055] A lower ring (22) spaced apart from the lower side of the upper ring (21) and having a plurality of radially arranged guides (221), and

[0056] Two or more relay rods (23) connecting the upper ring (21) and the lower ring (22)

[0057] It consists of including

[0058] At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, a gasket (24) is further provided in the central area of ​​the upper surface of the lower ring (22) of the deflector (20) to block the outlet (12) of the main body (10) and prevent leakage.

[0059] As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the housing (30) is

[0060] It is formed as a cylindrical structure that is coupled to the outlet (12) of the main body (10) and has an upper and lower through-hole (31) inside for the discharge operation of the deflector (20).

[0061] At this time, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a step portion (32) is formed in the hollow portion (31) of the housing (30) to limit the downward distance of the deflector (20). In other words, the downward distance of the deflector (20) can be limited by further forming an annular step portion (32) so that the upper ring (21) of the lowered deflector (20) can be seated. Consequently, the lower ring (22) and each relay rod (23) can descend without interference with the step portion (32), and only the upper ring (21) is caught on the step portion (32) and seated.

[0062] As illustrated in FIGS. 2, FIGS. and FIGS. 5, the plug (40)

[0063] It is disposed in the hollow portion (31) of the housing (30) to support the deflector (20),

[0064] The lower part is in the shape of a disc and the upper part is in the shape of a cylinder, so that the upper part is structured to support the deflector (20).

[0065] As illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the actuator (50) is

[0066] The plug (40) is fixed in place and, in the event of a fire, the plug (40) is detached downward from the hollow portion (31) of the housing (30).

[0067] A recess (51) formed to be recessed along the outer surface of the plug (40) and having upper and lower steps,

[0068] Two or more support holes (52) formed to penetrate inwardly and outwardly on the outer surface of the housing (30) and arranged radially,

[0069] Two or more support balls (53) disposed in each of the above support holes (52) and some of which are inserted into the above recess (51),

[0070] A rotator (54) that is rotatably fitted in a manner that surrounds the housing (30) and has two or more stay grooves (541) that face each support hole (52) when rotated,

[0071] A support block (55) mounted on the upper outer surface of the outlet (12) of the main body (10),

[0072] A snap block (56) protruding from the outer surface of the rotator (54), and

[0073] A wire (57) made of a shape memory alloy that is arranged to wrap around the outer surface of the rotator (54), with one end supported by the support block (55) and the other end supported by the snap block (56), and shrinks and restores to its original shape at a certain temperature.

[0074] It consists of including

[0075] At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the recess (51) is formed to be recessed along the lower outer surface of the disc shape forming the plug (40).

[0076] And each stay groove (541) of the above rotator (54) is formed as a hemispherical groove structure in which a part of the support ball (53) that has come out of the support hole (52) and is separated from the recess (51) can be concealed.

[0077] And the wire (57) is made of a linear structural shape memory alloy, with a diameter of 0.3 mm or less, and it is most preferable that it be 0.3 mm. This diameter is suitable for the wire (57) to heat up sufficiently quickly with only a microcurrent supply, and also to have a contraction recovery force sufficient to force the rotator (54) to rotate. In other words, if the diameter exceeds 0.3 mm, the amount of current to be supplied increases significantly, and if it is less than that, the amount of current to be supplied decreases, but the contraction recovery is weak, so the rotator (54) cannot be rotated or may break in the middle.

[0078] In addition, the wire (57) is structured to have a certain length, and may be further provided with snap rings for binding at both ends, and the head of the snap ring is inserted into the hole of the support block (55) and supported, and the head of the other snap ring is inserted into the hole of the snap block (56) and supported.

[0079] And as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the actuator (50) is further provided with a stopper groove (58A) formed to be recessed in a portion of the outer surface of the rotator (54), and a stopper block (58B) that is connected to the support block (55) and placed in the stopper groove (58A) and rotates along the stopper groove (58A) so that the rotator (54) can be stopped at a position where each support hole (52) and each stay groove (541) face each other when the rotator (54) rotates.

[0080] And the inner hole of each support hole (52) has a smaller diameter than the support ball (53), and the outer hole of each support hole (52) has a diameter corresponding to the support ball (53) so that the support ball (53) can pass through.

[0081] Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, with the support ball (53) having a portion of its area inserted into the recess (51) within the support hole (52) and the remaining area located in the support hole (52),

[0082] As shown in FIG. 7, when the rotator (54) rotates and the support hole (52) and the stay groove (541) face each other, the deflector (20) is pushed downward due to the water pressure of the fire extinguishing water, and the plug (40) is also pushed together, so that a part of the support ball (53) comes out of the recess (51) and the remaining part is concealed in the stay groove (541), and as a result, the support of the plug (40) using the support ball (53) is released, and the plug (40) is detached from the hollow part (31) of the housing (30).

[0083] Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the actuator (50) is further provided with a return member (59), which is a spiral elastic body arranged to wrap around the outer surface of the main body (10), with one end connected to the stopper block (58A) and the other end connected to the rotator (54).

[0084] Eventually, when the contracted restoration state of the wire (57) is released, the wire (57) is extended by the elastic restoring force of the return member (59), and the rotator (54) returns to its original position. In this structure, when the fire suppression is completed when the plug (40) is removed by the actuator (50), the rotator (54) is artificially rotated to generate an elastic restoring force on the return member (59), and when the plug (40) is inserted into the outlet (12) side of the main body (10) and the rotator (54) is released, it can be automatically rotated by the elastic restoring force of the return member (59) and placed back in its original position.

[0085] In describing the present invention above, the "plug-opening structure improved sprinkler" having a specific shape and structure has been described primarily with reference to the attached drawings; however, the present invention is capable of various modifications and changes by those skilled in the art, and such modifications and changes should be interpreted as falling within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0086] The sprinkler with an improved plug opening structure according to the present invention provides a structure that allows the plug to be immediately released by utilizing the contraction and restoration of a shape memory alloy wire in response to heat generated during a fire, thereby automatically opening the deflector and rapidly ejecting fire extinguishing water. This gives it high industrial applicability in the field of building fire safety. In particular, compared to conventional sprinklers that rely on heat-sensing elements such as soluble metals, glass valves, and fuse metals, it has a simplified structure and faster response speed, thereby improving initial fire suppression capabilities. Since it can be widely applied to commercial, industrial, and residential buildings, it possesses sufficient industrial applicability.

Claims

1. A sprinkler body (10) having an upper inlet (11) into which fire extinguishing water flows and a lower outlet (12) connected thereto; A deflector (20) that blocks the outlet side of the inlet (11) in the main body (10) and sprays fire extinguishing water in all directions when descending; A cylindrical housing (30) coupled to the outlet (12) of the main body (10) and having an upper and lower through-hole (31) inside for the discharge operation of the deflector (20); A plug (40) disposed in the hollow portion (31) of the housing (30) and supporting the deflector (20); and An actuator (50) for fixing the plug (40) and, in the event of a fire, detaching the plug (40) downward from the hollow portion (31) of the housing (30); A plug-open structure improved sprinkler characterized by including 2. In Paragraph 1, The above actuator (50) A recess (51) formed to be recessed along the outer surface of the plug (40) and having upper and lower steps, and Two or more support holes (52) formed to penetrate inwardly and outwardly on the outer surface of the housing (30) and arranged radially, and Two or more support balls (53) disposed in each of the above support holes (52) and a portion of which is inserted into the above recess (51), and A rotator (54) that is rotatably fitted in a manner that surrounds the housing (30) and has two or more stay grooves (541) that face each support hole (52) when rotated, and A support block (55) mounted on the upper outer surface of the outlet (12) of the main body (10), and A snap block (56) protruding from the outer surface of the rotator (54), and A wire (57) made of a shape memory alloy that is arranged to wrap around the outer surface of the rotator (54), with one end supported by the support block (55) and the other end supported by the snap block (56), and shrinks and restores to its original shape at a certain temperature. A sprinkler with an improved plug opening structure characterized by being composed of 3. In Paragraph 2, The actuator (50) further comprises a stopper groove (58A) formed to be recessed in a portion of the outer surface of the rotator (54), a stopper block (58B) connected to the support block (55) and positioned in the stopper groove (58A) so as to rotate along the stopper groove (58A) so that the rotator (54) can be stopped at a position where each support hole (52) and each stay groove (541) face each other when the rotator (54) rotates, and a return member (59) positioned to wrap around the outer surface of the main body (10), with one end connected to the stopper block (58B) and the other end connected to the rotator (54), characterized by an improved plug opening structure sprinkler.

4. In Paragraph 2, The inner hole of each of the above support holes (52) has a smaller diameter than the support ball (53), and A plug-open structure improved sprinkler characterized in that the outer hole of each support hole (52) has a diameter corresponding to the support ball (53) so that the support ball (53) can pass through.

5. In Paragraph 4, A sprinkler with an improved plug opening structure, characterized in that each stay groove (541) of the rotator (54) is formed as a hemispherical groove structure in which a portion of the support ball (53) that has come out of the support hole (52) and is separated from the recess (51) can be concealed.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, A plug-open structure improved sprinkler characterized by having a step portion (32) formed in the hollow portion (31) of the housing (30) to limit the lowering distance of the deflector (20).

7. In any one of paragraphs 3 through 5, The above wire (57) is characterized by being made of a linear structural shape memory alloy with a diameter of 0.3 mm or less, and is a plug-open structure improved sprinkler.

Images