Concealed pendent fire protection sprinkler with drop-down deflector

1. A fire protection sprinkler, comprising:

a body having an output orifice and a flange;

a seal cap to seal a flow of fluid from the output orifice;

a thermally-responsive element positioned to releasably retain the seal cap;

a plurality of housing members extending from the flange;

a plurality of rods, each rod slidably contained within one of the housing members and extending into the flange; and

a deflector connected to ends of the rods,

wherein each of the rods comprises at least one cylindrical portion and at least one frustoconical portion, and each of the housing members comprises at least one cylindrical portion and at least one frustoconical portion, and at least one frustoconical portion of the rod lodges in at least one frustoconical portion of the housing member.

2. The fire protection sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the thermally-responsive element comprises a pair of levers, each of which is connected to a soldered link.

3. The fire protection sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein each of the rods slides between a first position within the housing member to a second, lower position extending from the housing member.

4. The fire protection sprinkler of claim 3 , wherein, in the second position, the rods engage the housing members so as to assist in maintaining the deflector in a relatively stable position.

5. The fire protection sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the deflector comprises a conical portion facing the output orifice.

6. The fire protection sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the deflector comprises radial slots.

7. The fire protection sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein at least two sides of the deflector are substantially linear.

8. The fire protection sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the deflector comprises tab portions with holes configured to receive ends of the rods, to connect the deflector to the rods.

9. The fire protection sprinkler of claim 1 , further comprising a support cup having a substantially cylindrical outer surface, wherein the sprinkler is mounted in the support cup.

10. The fire protection sprinkler of claim 9 , wherein a height of the outer surface of the support cup in an axial direction is less than a length of the rods.

11. The fire protection sprinkler of claim 9 , further comprising:

a substantially cylindrical escutcheon installed in the support cup so as to surround the sprinkler, the escutcheon having a flange; and

a substantially flat cover releasably mounted on the flange of the escutcheon,

wherein the deflector moves from a first position to a second, lower position upon release of the cover.