Concealed Window Sprinkler With Angled Deflector Spray Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional sprinklers often result in errant fluid spray that can cause adjacent sprinklers to malfunction, and there is a need for efficient fire exposure protection systems that can direct fluid only over the desired area without impinging on adjacent sprinklers.

Innovation Solution

A concealed sprinkler assembly with a deflection assembly comprising guide pins and a deflector, configured to extend from the housing at oblique angles, ensuring fluid is directed over a specific window or wall while preventing impingement on adjacent sprinklers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional sprinklers are used to provide fire exposure protection, then fire suppression function is achieved, but errant fluid spray causes adjacent sprinklers to malfunction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesprinkler operation reliabilityVSAvoiderrant fluid spray impingement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The deflector is designed with specific geometry and orientation to create localized fluid flow patterns. The deflector directs fluid spray in a controlled manner to cover only the intended protection area, preventing errant spray from reaching adjacent sprinklers. This localizes the useful fluid flow effect while eliminating harmful impingement on neighboring devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The deflection assembly is configured to extend from the housing at oblique angles, creating a three-dimensional fluid distribution pattern. By orienting the deflector at specific angles relative to the housing, the system achieves comprehensive area coverage while maintaining spatial separation from adjacent sprinklers, thus preventing malfunction through dimensional positioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Area of stationary object

If fluid spray is directed over a wide area to provide comprehensive fire protection, then fire exposure protection coverage is improved, but adjacent sprinklers are impinged causing malfunctions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire protection coverage areaVSAvoidfluid spray impingement on adjacent sprinklers
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The deflector geometry is specifically designed to concentrate and direct fluid flow along defined paths that cover the required protection area. By shaping the deflector surface and orientation, the system achieves effective area coverage while confining the fluid spray within controlled boundaries that avoid adjacent sprinklers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The deflection assembly extends from the housing at oblique angles, utilizing three-dimensional space to achieve wide area coverage. The angular orientation of the deflector creates a fan-shaped or directional spray pattern that expands coverage in horizontal and vertical dimensions while maintaining spatial boundaries that prevent impingement on neighboring sprinklers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If high fire ratings are required for windows to ensure fire exposure protection, then fire safety is improved, but construction costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire safety protectionVSAvoidconstruction cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The sprinkler system extracts and isolates the fire protection function from the window assembly itself. By providing dedicated active fire suppression through the concealed sprinkler with controlled fluid direction, the system reduces or eliminates the need for windows to have high fire ratings, allowing the use of less expensive window materials while maintaining overall fire safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The deflection assembly acts as an intermediary between the fluid supply and the protected area. It precisely controls fluid distribution to protect windows and walls from fire exposure, thereby reducing the thermal and mechanical stress on window materials. This intermediary protection mechanism allows the use of windows with lower fire ratings while maintaining adequate fire safety protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4041417B1Concealed window sprinkler
Publication Date: 2025.08.27 TYCO FIRE PRODUCTS LP
  • EP4041417B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4041417B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4041417B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A fire exposure protection sprinkler assembly includes a fluid supply line configured to provide fire exposure protection fluid and a fire exposure protection sprinkler. The fire exposure protection sprinkler includes a body coupled to the fluid supply line and configured to receive the fire exposure protection fluid, a sealing assembly configured to unseal in response to a fire such that fire exposure protection fluid may flow, a housing having a pair of legs arranged opposite the housing of each other and having an aperture, and a deflection assembly having a pair of guide pins coupled to a deflector and the housing and disposed within each of the apertures of the legs, wherein the deflection assembly is configured to extend from the housing, wherein the deflection assembly is configured to receive the flow of the fire exposure protection fluid while extending from the housing.