Systems and methods of polymeric sprinklers
A sprinkler includes a body including an internal passageway extending from an inlet to an orifice. The body can be made of a composite material, such as a polymeric material. The sprinkler can include a first frame arm extending from the body, a second frame arm extending from the body, and a connector member connecting the first frame arm with the second frame arm.
1 . A sprinkler, comprising:
a body comprising an internal passageway extending from an inlet to an orifice, the internal passageway defining a longitudinal axis;
a first frame arm extending from the body;
a second frame arm extending from the body, the first frame arm and the second frame arm each parallel with the longitudinal axis and comprising reinforcing fibers that are aligned within five degrees of parallel with the longitudinal axis; and
a connector member that is monolithic with the first frame arm and the second frame arm, the connector member includes a first end that extends from the first frame arm, a second end that extends from the second frame arm, a sidewall that extends between the first end and the second end, a first guide pin channel that extends into the body towards the inlet, and a second guide pin channel that extends into the body towards the inlet, an arc length of the sidewall around the longitudinal axis is greater than sixty degrees and less than three hundred degrees.
2 . The sprinkler of claim 1 , comprising:
the first frame arm comprises the first guide pin channel and the second frame arm comprises the second guide pin channel.
3 . The sprinkler of claim 1 , comprising:
the connector member defines a partially annular opening through which the longitudinal axis extends such that a line from the connector member through the partially annular opening and the longitudinal axis passes out through a gap between the first end and the second end.
4 . The sprinkler of claim 1 , comprising:
the orifice comprises a tapered portion that increases in diameter in a direction from the inlet towards a surface of the body that defines the orifice.
5 . The sprinkler of claim 1 , comprising:
the longitudinal axis intersects a line defined from the first guide pin channel to the second guide pin channel within a threshold distance of a midpoint of the line, the threshold distance less than 0.01 inches.
6 . The sprinkler of claim 1 , comprising:
the first frame arm includes a first outward portion outward from a first inward portion, the first outward portion on a side of the body towards which the connector member curves away from the longitudinal axis; and
the second frame arm includes a second outward portion outward from a second inward portion, the second outward portion on a side of the body away from which the connector member curves away from the longitudinal axis.
7 . The sprinkler of claim 1 , comprising:
the body is made of a composite material monolithically formed with the first frame arm and the second frame arm by injection molding, the composite material comprises thermoplastic polymeric resin and corresponding reinforcing fibers; and
the thermoplastic polymeric resin has a peak melting temperature of at least about 250° C.; a water absorption of no more than about 0.3 wt. %; and
the composite material has a coefficient of thermal expansion of no more than about 100 microns/m.
8 . The sprinkler of claim 7 , comprising:
the thermoplastic polymeric resin comprises polyphenylenesulfide, polyphthalamide, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherimide or a combination of two or more thereof; and the reinforcing fibers comprise glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers or a mixture of two or more thereof.
9 . The sprinkler of claim 7 , comprising:
the composite material has an elongation at break of no more than about 3%.
10 . The sprinkler of claim 7 , comprising:
the composite material has a tensile strength of at least about 150 MPa.
11 . The sprinkler of claim 7 , comprising:
the composite material has a transverse molding shrinkage of no more than about 1%.
12 . The sprinkler of claim 7 , comprising:
the composite material has a melt flow index at 400° C. of at least about 1 g/10 min.
13 . The sprinkler of claim 7 , comprising:
the composite material comprises:
(a) thermoplastic polymeric resin selected from the group consisting of Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS), Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), Polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), Polyphthalamide (PPA), Polyimide (TPI), Polyamide (PA), Polysulfone (PSU), Polyethersulfone (PES), Polyetherimide (PEI), Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) and mixtures of two or more thereof; and
(b) reinforcing fibers selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers and mixtures of two or more thereof.
14 . The sprinkler of claim 13 , comprising:
the composite material comprises about 25 to 45 wt. % glass fibers and/or carbon fibers; and the thermoplastic polymeric resin comprises polyphenylenesulfide.
15 . The sprinkler of claim 13 , comprising:
the composite material comprises about 25 to 35 wt. % glass fibers and/or carbon fibers; and the thermoplastic polymeric resin comprises polyetherketoneketone.
16 . The sprinkler of claim 13 , comprising:
the composite material comprises about 25 to 35 wt. % glass fibers and/or carbon fibers; and
the thermoplastic polymeric resin comprises polyetherimide.
17 . The sprinkler of claim 13 , comprising:
the composite material comprises about 20 to 35 wt. % glass fibers and/or carbon fibers; and
the thermoplastic polymeric resin comprises polyphthalamide.
18 . A sprinkler system, comprising:
one or more pipes that receive fluid from a fluid supply;
a body comprising an internal passageway extending from an inlet coupled with the one or more pipes to an orifice, the internal passageway defining a longitudinal axis, the body is made of a composite material;
a first frame arm monolithically formed with the body;
a second frame arm monolithically formed with the body;
a connector member connecting the first frame arm with the second frame arm, the connector member comprises a sidewall having an arc length around the longitudinal axis greater than sixty degrees and less than three hundred degrees;
a first guide pin channel defined into the connector member towards the inlet; and
a second guide pin channel defined into the connector member towards the inlet.
19 . The sprinkler system of claim 18 , comprising:
the longitudinal axis intersects a line defined from the first guide pin channel to the second guide pin channel within a threshold distance of a midpoint of the line.