Granted Patent B2

US 12,447,364 · App. 18/303,959 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Inventors: Steven Lee Shields (Lubbock, TX); Manuel R. Silva, Jr. (Cranston, RI)

Assignee: Tyco Fire Products LP

A62C37/08A62C35/68A62C37/12B05B1/30B05B3/0486

Abstract

Claims (57)

1. A sprinkler, comprising:

a body defining:

a passage along a longitudinal axis, the passage having an inlet; and

an outlet fluidly coupled with the passage;

a button positioned within the passage, the button including:

a main body defining an engagement surface;

a tail projection that is positioned on a same side of the main body as the engagement surface and that extends away from the main body along the longitudinal axis; and

a slot extending through the tail projection perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the slot split into a first section and a second section;

the first section of the slot defining a first alignment surface positioned between a pair of second alignment surfaces;

the second section of the slot defining the first alignment surface positioned between the pair of second alignment surfaces;

a thickness of the slot formed between the first alignment surface and the pair of second alignment surfaces of the first section and the first alignment surface and the pair of second alignment surfaces of the second section;

an activation assembly coupled with the button, the activation assembly to release the button from within the passage in response to a temperature reaching a threshold temperature, the activation assembly comprising a lever coupled with a link, the lever to engage with the button causing the button to push a seal against the body, the link to separate in response to the temperature reaching the threshold temperature causing the lever to disengage with the button;

a deflector coupled with the body; and

the seal coupled with the engagement surface of the button, the seal and the button to fluidly seal the inlet from the outlet, the seal comprising an aperture to receive the tail projection.

2. The sprinkler of claim 1 , the seal comprising

a first sealing surface engaging the body; and

a second sealing surface opposite the first sealing surface and engaging the engagement surface.

3. The sprinkler of claim 1 , comprising:

the inlet and the outlet aligned to define the longitudinal axis of the passage; and

the deflector coupled with the body, with the longitudinal axis passing through the deflector.

4. The sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein a shoulder of the body, the seal, the main body, and the tail projection are substantially centered along the longitudinal axis.

5. The sprinkler of claim 4 , wherein the engagement surface is substantially parallel to the shoulder.

6. The sprinkler of claim 4 , wherein the shoulder that is annular.

7. The sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the seal includes a flexible coating, and wherein the flexible coating engages the tail projection to couple the seal with the button.

8. The sprinkler of claim 1 , comprising:

the seal configured to surround the tail projection.

9. The sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein:

the seal includes a flexible coating; and

the tail projection is to deform the flexible coating.

10. A sprinkler, comprising:

a body defining:

a passage along a longitudinal axis, the passage having an inlet;

an outlet fluidly coupled with the passage; and

a compression pin aperture to receive a compression pin;

a button positioned within the passage, the button comprising:

a tail projection that extends away from an engagement surface in a direction along the longitudinal axis; and

a slot extending through the tail projection perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the slot split into a first section and a second section;

the first section of the slot defining a first alignment surface positioned between a pair of second alignment surfaces;

the second section of the slot defining the first alignment surface positioned between the pair of second alignment surfaces;

a thickness of the slot formed between the first alignment surface and the pair of second alignment surfaces of the first section and the first alignment surface and the pair of second alignment surfaces of the second section;

an activation assembly coupled with the button, the activation assembly to release the button from within the passage in response to a temperature reaching a threshold temperature, the activation assembly comprising a lever coupled with a link, the lever to engage with the button causing the button to push a seal against the body, the link to separate in response to the temperature reaching the threshold temperature causing the lever to disengage with the button;

a deflector coupled with the body;

the seal to engage the engagement surface and the body, the seal to receive the tail projection, the tail projection split by a slot; and

the compression pin aperture positioned to engage the button to force the button against the seal with the compression pin inserted into the compression pin aperture.

11. A method of manufacturing a sprinkler, comprising:

providing a body, the body defining:

a passage extending along a longitudinal axis between an inlet and an outlet;

a seat; and

a tooling pin aperture extending from an outer surface of the body to the passage;

inserting a seal and a button into the passage, the button defining a tooling pin recess, the seal having an aperture to receive a tail projection of the button, a slot extending through the tail projection along the longitudinal axis, the slot split into a first section and a second section, the first section of the slot defining a first alignment surface positioned between a pair of second alignment surfaces, the second section of the slot defining the first alignment surface positioned between the pair of second alignment surfaces, a thickness of the slot formed between the first alignment surface and the pair of second alignment surfaces of the first section and the first alignment surface and the pair of second alignment surfaces of the second section;

providing an activation assembly coupled with the button, the activation assembly to release the button from within the passage in response to a temperature reaching a threshold temperature, the activation assembly comprising a lever coupled with a link, the lever to engage with the button causing the button to push the seal against the body, the link to separate in response to the temperature reaching the threshold temperature causing the lever to disengage with the button;

orienting the button about the longitudinal axis such that the tooling pin recess aligns with the tooling pin aperture; and

inserting a tooling pin through the tooling pin aperture and into the corresponding tooling pin recess such that the seal is compressed between the seat and the button.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the body defines at least two tooling pin apertures, wherein inserting the tooling pin through the tooling pin aperture includes inserting each tooling pin through the corresponding tooling pin aperture and into the corresponding tooling pin recess.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the button defines at least two tooling pin recesses, and wherein each tooling pin is inserted into a different one of the tooling pin recesses.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein orienting the button about the longitudinal axis includes engaging an alignment device with a first alignment feature defined by the button and a second alignment feature defined by the body.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first alignment feature is a first alignment recess defined by the button, wherein the second alignment feature is a second alignment recess defined by the body, and wherein engaging the alignment device with the first alignment feature and the second alignment feature includes inserting the alignment device into the first alignment recess and the second alignment recess.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (24)