Granted Patent B2

US 12,734,381 · App. 18/160,740 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventor: Wieslaw Wieczerzak (Czermin, PL)

Assignee: KIDDE FIRE PROTECTION, LLC

A62C13/70A62C13/66A62C13/76

Abstract

Claims (42)

1 . A valve body for a cartridge-operated fire extinguisher, the valve body comprising:

a first socket configured to have an end of a cartridge installed therein;

a latch movable relative to the first socket between a first position and a second position; and

fastening means configured to reversibly fasten the latch in the second position;

wherein in the first position the latch is configured to permit an end of a cartridge to be installed within and removed from the first socket; and

wherein in the second position the latch is configured to directly engage with a cartridge installed within the first socket to thereby lock and retain the cartridge within the first socket; and

wherein the fastening means comprises a screw or bolt having a head and a shank, wherein a threading on the shank is configured to engage with a counterpart threading in a portion of the valve body, and wherein engagement between the threading on the shank and the counterpart threading permits fastening of the latch in the second position.

2 . A valve body as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the latch is configured to engage with a collar provided at an end of a cartridge installed within the first socket.

3 . A valve body as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first socket comprises a wall configured to surround an end of a cartridge once installed therein, and wherein the latch is configured to move through a slot in the wall as it moves between the first position and the second position.

4 . A valve body as claimed in claim 1 , comprising biasing means configured to bias the latch toward the first position.

5 . A valve body as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the valve body comprises a second socket configured to have an end of a dip tube installed therein.

6 . A valve body as claimed in claim 5 , wherein in the first position the latch is configured to permit an end of a dip tube to be installed within and removed from the second socket, and wherein in the second position the latch is configured to engage with a dip tube installed in the second socket to thereby lock and retain the dip tube within the second socket.

7 . A valve body as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the second socket comprises a wall configured to surround an end of a dip tube installed therein, and wherein the latch is configured to move through a slot in the second socket wall as it moves between the first position and second position.

8 . A valve body as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a third socket configured to have an end of a blow pipe or a shutter valve installed therein.

9 . A valve body as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the valve body is arranged to provide a visual indication when the latch is in the second position.

10 . A valve body as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the valve body comprises a marker that is arranged to provide the visual indication and/or wherein the visual indication comprises abutment of the latch against a prominence of the valve body.

11 . A cartridge-operated fire extinguisher comprising:

a cylinder with an opening at an end of the cylinder;

a valve body as claimed in claim 1 fixed to the cylinder to seal the opening; and

a cartridge housed within the cylinder, wherein an end of the cartridge is installed within the first socket, and wherein the latch is in the second position such that the cartridge is locked and retained within the first socket.

12 . A method of assembling a cartridge-operated fire extinguisher comprising:

installing an end of a cartridge into a first socket of a valve body in accordance with claim 1 whilst the latch is in the first position;

moving the latch into the second position such that the cartridge is locked and retained within the first socket; and

fixing the valve body having the cartridge locked thereto to an end of a cylinder in order to seal an opening in the end of the cylinder, wherein the cartridge is housed within the cylinder when the valve body is fixed to the cylinder.

13 . A method of disassembling a cartridge-operated fire extinguisher comprising:

detaching a valve body in accordance with claim 1 from an end of a cylinder of the fire extinguisher, wherein the valve body has a cartridge locked thereto;

moving the latch of the valve body from the second position and into the first position such that the cartridge is no longer locked within the first socket; and

removing the end of the cartridge from the first socket.

14 . A valve body for a cartridge-operated fire extinguisher, the valve body comprising:

a first socket configured to have an end of a cartridge installed therein; and

a latch movable relative to the first socket between a first position and a second position;

wherein in the first position the latch is configured to permit an end of a cartridge to be installed within and removed from the first socket;

wherein in the second position the latch is configured to directly engage with a cartridge installed within the first socket to thereby lock and retain the cartridge within the first socket;

wherein the valve body comprises a second socket configured to have an end of a dip tube installed therein; and

wherein in the first position the latch is configured to permit an end of a dip tube to be installed within and removed from the second socket, and wherein in the second position the latch is configured to engage with a dip tube installed in the second socket to thereby lock and retain the dip tube within the second socket.

15 . A valve body for a cartridge-operated fire extinguisher, the valve body comprising:

a first socket configured to have an end of a cartridge installed therein; and

a latch movable relative to the first socket between a first position and a second position;

wherein in the first position the latch is configured to permit an end of a cartridge to be installed within and removed from the first socket;

wherein in the second position the latch is configured to directly engage with a cartridge installed within the first socket to thereby lock and retain the cartridge within the first socket;

wherein the valve body comprises a second socket configured to have an end of a dip tube installed therein; and

wherein the second socket comprises a wall configured to surround an end of a dip tube installed therein, and wherein the latch is configured to move through a slot in the second socket wall as it moves between the first position and second position.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (90)