Low pressure, extended coverage, fire protection sprinkler
A low pressure, extended coverage, fire protection sprinkler, e.g., of the upright type, suitable for use in protection of at least extra hazard and high piled storage occupancies, in accordance with the 1999 Edition of NFPA 13, has a body with an internal passageway extending between an inlet end and an opposite outlet end, and a deflector mounted to the body by at least one support arm and disposed in alignment with the axis and generally spaced from the outlet end of the internal passageway. The sprinkler has a predetermined K-factor, e.g., of greater than about 16.0. The sprinkler is configured and arranged to deflect flow of water generally radially outwardly and downwardly of the sprinkler in a predetermined spray pattern. Preferably, the predetermined spray pattern has a generally polygonal shape, e.g., a rectangular shape, when viewed at a predetermined distance below the deflector.
1. An upright-type fire protection sprinkler comprising:
a body defining an internal passageway extending between an inlet end and an opposite outlet end, the internal passageway having a K-factor between about 18 and about 41, where the K-factor equals an average flow of water in gallons per minute through the internal passageway divided by a square root of pressure of water fed into the inlet end of the internal passageway in pounds per square inch gauge, the outlet end having an axis; and
a deflector mounted to the body by at least one support arm extending from the body and disposed in alignment with the axis and generally above and spaced from the outlet end of the internal passageway at a position with an inner surface of the deflector opposed to flow of water from the outlet end of the internal passageway, the inner surface of the deflector configured and arranged to deflect flow of water generally radially outwardly and downwardly of the sprinkler; wherein the inner surface of the deflector defines:
a generally planar central area intersecting and generally perpendicular to the axis, a redirecting area including four slanted redirecting surfaces extending from a radially outer peripheral edge of the central area, each at a predetermined acute angle, relative to a horizontal plane through the central area, with a radially outer perimeter of the slanted redirecting surfaces being axially relatively closer to the outlet than the central area, and a channel disposed between each of the four slanted redirecting surfaces, and
a plurality of spaced-apart tines extending from the radially outer perimeter of the slanted redirecting surfaces, towards the outlet, at predetermined tine angles, measured relative to the axis, wherein each of the four slanted redirecting surfaces is substantially planar, wherein each of the redirecting surfaces is symmetrical about a vertical plane generally through its center, with an intersection of each of the vertical planes with each of the slanted redirecting surfaces defining the predetermined acute angle, measured relative to the horizontal plane through the central area, and wherein each of the predetermined acute angle is between about 10 degrees and about 40 degrees.
2. The sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein each of the predetermined acute angle is between about 15° and about 35°.
3. The sprinkler of claim 2 , wherein each of the predetermined acute angle is between about 20° and about 30°.
4. The sprinkler of claim 3 , wherein each of the predetermined acute angle is about 20°.
5. The sprinkler of claim 4 , wherein each of the predetermined acute angle is about 30°.
6. The sprinkler of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of spaced-apart tines comprises two or more of the spaced-apart tines extending from the radially outer perimeter of each of the slanted redirecting surfaces towards the outlet.
7. The sprinkler of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of spaced-apart tines comprises three or more of the spaced-apart tines extending from the radially outer perimeter of each of the slanted redirecting surfaces towards the outlet.
8. The sprinkler of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of spaced-apart tines comprises five of the spaced-apart tines extending from the radially outer perimeter of each of the slanted redirecting surfaces towards the outlet.
9. The sprinkler of claim 6 , wherein the predetermined tine angle of the two or more spaced-apart tines is between about 0° and about 25°.
10. The sprinkler of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined tine angle of the two or more spaced-apart tines is between about 5° and about 20°.
11. The sprinkler of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined tine angle of the three or more spaced-apart tines is between about 0° and about 25°.
12. The sprinkler of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined tine angle of the three or more spaced-apart tines is between about 5° and about 20°.
13. The sprinkler of claim 8 , wherein the predetermined tine angle of the five spaced-apart tines is between about 0° and about 25°.
14. The sprinkler of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined tine angle of the five spaced-apart tines is between about 5° and about 20°.
15. The sprinkler of claim 7 , wherein the five spaced-apart tines extending from the radially outer perimeter of each of the slanted redirecting surfaces towards the outlet are characterized by different predetermined tine angles.
16. The sprinkler of claim 7 , wherein three adjacent spaced-apart tines extending from a middle region of each of the slanted redirecting surfaces towards the outlet are characterized by a predetermined tine angle between about 3° and about 11°, and two other spaced-apart tines extending from opposite outer regions of each of the slanted redirecting surfaces towards the outlet are characterized by a predetermined tine angle between about 9° and about 17°.
17. The sprinkler of claim 16 , wherein the three adjacent spaced-apart tines extending from the middle region of each of the slanted redirecting surfaces towards the outlet are characterized by a predetermined tine angle of about 7°, and the two other spaced-apart tines extending from the opposite outer regions of each of the slanted redirecting surfaces towards the outlet are characterized by a predetermined tine angle of about 13°.
18. The sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the vertical plane through center regions of a first opposing pair of the slanted redirecting surfaces is substantially perpendicular to a plane generally of at least one of the support arm and the axis.
19. The sprinkler of claim 18 , wherein the vertical plane through center regions of a second opposing pair of the slanted redirecting surfaces is substantially coplanar to a plane generally of at least one of the support arm and the axis.
20. The sprinkler of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of spaced-apart tines comprises two or more of the spaced-apart tines extending from the radially outer perimeter of each of the first opposing pair of the slanted redirecting surfaces and three or more of the spaced-apart tines extending from the radially outer perimeter of each of the second opposing pair of the slanted redirecting surfaces.
21. The sprinkler of claim 20 , wherein the spaced-apart tines extending from each of the first opposing pair of the slanted redirecting surfaces are characterized by a predetermined tine angle between about 10° and about 25°, and the spaced-apart tines extending from each of the second opposing pair of the slanted redirecting surfaces are characterized by a predetermined tine angle between about 10° and about 20°.
22. The sprinkler of claim 3 , wherein the K-factor is about 25.2.
23. The sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the channel is radially bounded by a crease.
24. The sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the channel extends radially outward and downward of the central area to a scalloped opening.
25. An upright-type fire protection sprinkler comprising:
a body defining an internal passageway extending between an inlet end and an opposite outlet end, the internal passageway having a K-factor between about 18 and about 41, wherein the K-factor equals an average flow of water in gallons per minute through the internal passageway divided by a square root of pressure of water fed into the inlet end of the internal passageway in pounds per square inch gauge, the outlet end having an axis; and
a deflector mounted to the body by at least one support arm extending from the body and disposed in alignment with the axis and generally above and spaced from the outlet end of the internal passageway at a position with an inner surface of the deflector opposed to a flow of water from the outlet end of the internal passageway, the inner surface of the deflector configured and arranged to deflect the flow of water generally radially outwardly and downwardly of the sprinkler;
wherein the inner surface of the deflector defines a central area, a plurality of redirecting surfaces proximate the central area, and a plurality of channels adjacent the plurality of redirecting surfaces.
26. The sprinkler of claim 25 , wherein the central area comprises a generally planar central area intersecting and generally perpendicular to the axis, and the plurality of redirecting surfaces including four slanted substantially planar redirecting surfaces extending from a radially outer peripheral edge of the central area, with a radially outer perimeter of the slanted redirecting surfaces being axially relatively closer to the outlet than the central area.
27. An upright-type fire protection sprinkler comprising:
a body defining an internal passageway extending between an inlet end and an opposite outlet end, the internal passageway having a K-factor greater than about 16.0, wherein the K-factor equals an average flow of water in gallons per minute through the internal passageway divided by a square root of pressure of water fed into the inlet end of the internal passageway in pounds per square inch gauge, the outlet end having an axis; and
a deflector mounted to the body by at least one support arm extending from the body and disposed in alignment with the axis and generally above and spaced from the outlet end of the internal passageway at a position with an inner surface of the deflector opposed to a flow of water from the outlet end of the internal passageway, the inner surface of the deflector configured and arranged to deflect the flow of water generally radially outwardly and downwardly of the sprinkler;
wherein the inner surface of the deflector defines a plurality of channels.
28. The sprinkler of claim 27 , wherein the inner surface further defines a central area and the plurality of channels extend radially outward and downward of the central area.
29. The sprinkler of claim 28 , wherein the inner surface further defines a redirecting surface between a pair of the plurality of channels.
30. The sprinkler of claim 29 , wherein the redirecting surface is substantial planar.
31. The sprinkler of claim 29 , wherein the plurality of channels comprise four channels and the plurality of redirecting surfaces comprise four redirecting surfaces.