US-12616860-B2 - Concealed horizontal sidewall sprinkler

US12616860B2US 12616860 B2US12616860 B2US 12616860B2US-12616860-B2

Abstract

A concealed sprinkler includes a sprinkler body having a flow passage therethrough with an inlet end and an outlet end. A closure device is secured at the outlet end of the flow passage by a heat responsive trigger. A deflector assembly includes a deflector plate and a button secured to an upstream side of the deflector plate. The deflector assembly is movably supported to the sprinkler body by at least one arm. The button defines an aperture that extends unobstructed all the way through the button from an upstream side to a downstream side.

Inventors

Michael J. Oldham

Assignees

THE VIKING CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240808

Claims (16)

1 . A concealed sprinkler, comprising: a sprinkler body having a flow passage therethrough with an inlet end and an outlet end disposed along a center axis; a closure device secured at the outlet end of the flow passage by a heat responsive trigger; a housing surrounding the closure device; and a deflector assembly disposed within the housing, the deflector assembly including a deflector plate, said deflector assembly being movably supported relative to the sprinkler body, wherein the heat responsive trigger includes a soldered element assembly and at least one lever that engages an inner shoulder of the housing and at least one aperture of the soldered element assembly, the inner shoulder defining a distal opening of the housing, wherein the soldered element assembly comprises a terminal wall transverse to the center axis and a peripheral wall contiguous the terminal wall, the peripheral wall being disposed along the center axis toward the deflector assembly, wherein the peripheral wall extends at least partially within at least a portion of the housing, wherein the peripheral wall comprises at least one slot, and wherein the at least one lever is disposed through the at least one slot.
2 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the solder element assembly comprises a top element soldered to a bottom element, and wherein the bottom element comprises the at least one slot.
3 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 2 , wherein the at least one slot extends from the peripheral wall into the terminal wall.
4 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 3 , wherein the at least one aperture comprises a first aperture, wherein the top element comprises an opening, and wherein the top element covers the at least one slot such that the opening and the at least one slot form the first aperture.
5 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 4 , wherein the top element comprises a first portion aligned with a base of the bottom element to provide the terminal wall of the solder assembly and a second portion aligned with a side of the bottom element to provide the peripheral wall of the solder assembly.
6 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 5 , wherein the first portion of the top element comprises a semi-circular configuration, and the base portion comprises a circular configuration.
7 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 6 , wherein the at least one slot comprises a portion of the circular configuration.
8 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 5 , wherein the second portion of the top element comprises a tab with a radius of curvature that corresponds to a radius of curvature of the side of the bottom element.
9 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 8 , wherein the tab comprises a width greater than a width of the at least one slot.
10 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 5 , wherein the at least one slot extends to a terminal end of the peripheral wall and wherein the terminal end is located between the inner shoulder and the deflector assembly.
11 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 10 , wherein the at least one lever comprises a pair of levers.
12 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 11 , wherein the at least one slot comprises a pair of slots, wherein each slot of the pair of one slot extends to a terminal end of the peripheral wall, and wherein the terminal end is located between the inner shoulder and the deflector assembly.
13 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 12 , wherein each lever of the pair of levers is disposed through one of the pair of slots.
14 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 13 , wherein the at least one aperture comprises a second aperture, wherein the bottom element comprises the second aperture, and wherein a first lever of the pair of levers engages the first aperture and second lever of the pair of levers engages the second aperture.
15 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 14 , wherein each of the first lever and the second lever comprises a first planar portion that engages the inner shoulder and a second planar portion axially off-set from the first portion that supports a lever bar.
16 . The concealed sprinkler of claim 15 , wherein the lever bar comprises a threaded aperture, wherein the threaded aperture receives a set screw that supports the deflector assembly.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/169,921, filed Feb. 8, 2021, which is continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/146,856, filed May 4, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,940,347, granted Mar. 9, 2021. The entire disclosures of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD The present disclosure relates to a sprinkler assembly and, more particularly, to a concealed horizontal sprinkler assembly for use in a side wall mount. BACKGROUND This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. Automatic sprinklers are well known and have long been used in fire extinguishing systems. Typically, automatic sprinkler assemblies include a sprinkler body which includes an inlet for connecting to a pressurized supply of water or other fire extinguishing fluid, an outlet opening, and a deflector which is mounted spaced from the outlet opening of the sprinkler body. The deflector disperses and directs the water in an optimum pattern when the water is discharged through the outlet opening. In one common form, the deflector is mounted in a fixed position and spaced from the outlet opening by a frame. The frame includes a pair of arms, which attach to either side of the sprinkler body, and aligns the deflector with the path of the water when it is discharged through the outlet opening. The outlet opening is normally closed by a closure seal which is held in place typically by a trigger element, such as a glass bulb or a fusible link element. The trigger element extends between the seal and the frame and is usually held in place by a set screw or the like. Other forms of sprinkler assemblies include flush sprinkler assemblies. Flush sprinkler assemblies include a housing and a deflector which is recessed within the housing. The deflector is movably mounted to the sprinkler body by a pair of guide members and moves between a closed position in which the deflector is recessed within the housing and an extended position wherein the deflector projects from the housing and is spaced from the outlet opening of the sprinkler body. Similar to a fixed sprinkler assembly, a flush sprinkler assembly includes a thermally responsive trigger mechanism and a fluid seal. In a flush sprinkler, the fluid seal is positioned within the interior of the sprinkler body. The fluid seal is secured by a trigger mechanism. Thus, under normal operating conditions, the trigger mechanism prohibits fluid flow from the outlet of sprinkler body. When the temperature rises to a preselected value, the trigger mechanism, which is normally a fusible link, separates permitting the pins to move in an outward direction under the pressure of the water. With the separation of the fusible link, the pressure in the water supply line pushes the fluid seal away from the outlet opening and the deflector to its outward position thereby enabling the water to travel through the sprinkler body and to be dispersed by the deflector. In side wall mounted sprinklers, the orientation of the assembly causes the pressurized water to disperse in a horizontal direction. There is a need for an automatic side wall sprinkler assembly which exhibits an optimized spray pattern. Sidewall sprinklers typically include a deflector with a solid central portion with tines extending from the central portion and a blade that is positioned above the central portion. When the fluid flows from the discharge opening of the base, the fluid impinges on the boss and on the central portion of the deflector. The boss and deflector disperse the fluid radially outward, and the fluid is thereafter further dispersed by the tines, and in the case of the sidewall sprinklers also by the blade. The boss and the solid central portion of the deflector inhibit the fluid flow in a direction directly forward of the horizontal sprinkler. SUMMARY This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. A concealed sprinkler includes a sprinkler body having a flow passage therethrough with an inlet end and an outlet end. A closure device is secured at the outlet end of the flow passage by a heat responsive trigger. A deflector assembly includes a deflector plate and a button secured to an upstream side of the deflector plate. The deflector assembly is movably supported to the sprinkler body by at least one arm. The button defines an aperture that extends unobstructed all the way through the button from an upstream side to a downstream side. The aperture through the button can be cylindrical, tapered, elongated in an either lateral or vertical direction or otherwise shaped to provide a desired flow pattern. The aperture can also be sloped in a desired upward or downward direction and/or divided into multiple flow paths. According to a further aspect of the