Foam fire extinguishing system

Claim 2

An improved fire extinguishing system of the type employing high expansion foam, the improvement comprising: a. a reservoir containing high expansion foam producing fluid; b. fluid means for supplying a pressurized source of water coupled to said reservoir; c. proportional mixing means coupled to said fluid means and said reservoir for combining the water and high expansion foam producing fluid in predetermined proportion; and d. a foam generator comprising: 1. a plurality of nozzle members coupled to said proportional mixing means; 2. a screen horizontally disposed and opposite said nozzles, said foam generator having top, bottom, rear and side enclosures, said bottom enclosure extending from said screen to a distance substantially in the vicinity of said nozzles and said top enclosure extending from said Screen substantially beyond said nozzles, said rear enclosure depending downwardly from said top enclosure defining an orifice whereby air is drawn into said foam generator through said orifice defined by said enclosures when fluid is caused to be discharged through said nozzles for projection upon said screen where said high expansion foam is generated.

Claim 3

a screen horizontally disposed and opposite said nozzles, said foam generator having top, bottom, rear and side enclosures, said bottom enclosure extending from said screen to a distance substantially in the vicinity of said nozzles and said top enclosure extending from said Screen substantially beyond said nozzles, said rear enclosure depending downwardly from said top enclosure defining an orifice whereby air is drawn into said foam generator through said orifice defined by said enclosures when fluid is caused to be discharged through said nozzles for projection upon said screen where said high expansion foam is generated.

Claim 4

a screen horizontally disposed and opposite said nozzles, said foam generator having top, bottom, rear and side enclosures, said bottom enclosure extending from said screen to a distance substantially in the vicinity of said nozzles and said top enclosure extending from said Screen substantially beyond said nozzles, said rear enclosure depending downwardly from said top enclosure defining an orifice whereby air is drawn into said foam generator through said orifice defined by said enclosures when fluid is caused to be discharged through said nozzles for projection upon said screen where said high expansion foam is generated.

Claim 5

The fire extinguishing systems defined in claim 1 wherein said screen is a multilayer screen.

Claim 6

a plurality of nozzles coupled to said spaced openings in said manifold, said nozzles adapted to output said foam producing concentrate mixture;

Claim 7

a plurality of nozzles coupled to said spaced openings in said manifold, said nozzles adapted to output said foam producing concentrate mixture;

Claim 8

The fire extinguishing system as defined in claim 2 wherein said multilayer screen comprises a first and second honeycombed layer each having a plurality of hexagonal cells disposed therethrough, said first honeycombed layer in intimate contact with said second honeycombed layer.

Claim 9

a multilayer screen horizontally disposed and being opposite said nozzles; and

Claim 10

a multilayer screen horizontally disposed and being opposite said nozzles; and

Claim 11

A fire extinguishing system as defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid means comprises: a. a water reservoir; b. a source of pressurized, inert gas; and c. means coupling said source of pressurized, inert gas to said water reservoir and said foam concentrate reservoir.

Claim 12

an enclosure having top, bottom, rear and side walls, a portion of said top wall and said bottom wall being coupled to said multilayer screen, said enclosure defining an orifice through said bottom wall whereby the output of foam producing concentrate mixture from said nozzles causes ambient air to be drawn through said orifice.

Claim 13

an enclosure having top, bottom, rear and side walls, a portion of said top wall and said bottom wall being coupled to said multilayer screen, said enclosure defining an orifice through said bottom wall whereby the output of foam producing concentrate mixture from said nozzles causes ambient air to be drawn through said orifice.

Claim 14

A fire extinguishing system as defined in claim 4 wherein said inert gas is nitrogen.

Claim 15

A fire extinguishing system as defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid means comprises a source of pressurized water coupled to said proportional mixing means and said reservoir or foam concentrate.

Claim 16

A fire extinguishing system as defined in claim 1 wherein said pressurized source is pressurized in the range of 40 to 80 psi.

Claim 17

A fire extinguishing system of the type using high expansion foam comprising: a. self-contained source means for containing pressurized gas; b. first reservoir means coupled to said self-contained source means for containing high expansion foam producing concentrate fluid; c. a second reservoir for containing water coupled to said self-contained source means; d. a proportional mixing valve having a pair of input lines and a single output line, said input lines being coupled to said first and second reservoirs respectively; e. foam generating means for drawing air into same and generating foam coupled to the output of said proportional mixing valve, said foam generating means comprising:

Claim 18

A fire extinguishing system of the type using high expansion foam comprising: a. self-contained source means for containing pressurized gas; b. first reservoir means coupled to said self-contained source means for containing high expansion foam producing concentrate fluid; c. a second reservoir for containing water coupled to said self-contained source means; d. a proportional mixing valve having a pair of input lines and a single output line, said input lines being coupled to said first and second reservoirs respectively; e. foam generating means for drawing air into same and generating foam coupled to the output of said proportional mixing valve, said foam generating means comprising:

Claim 19

A fire extinguishing system as defined in claim 8 wherein said multilayer screen comprises a first honeycombed layer having a plurality of hexagonal cells disposed therethrough and a second honeycombed layer in intimate contact with said first honeycombed layer, said second honeycombed layer having a plurality of hexagonal cells disposed therethrough being dimensionally smaller than those of said first honeycombed layer.

Claim 20

A fire extinguishing system as defined in claim 8 wherein said pressurized gas is an inert gas.

Claim 21

A fire extinguishing system as defined in claim 10 wherein said inert gas is nitrogen.

Claim 22

A fire extinguishing system as defined in claim 8 wherein said self-contained source means is pressurized in the range of 40 - 80 psi.

Claim 23

A self-contained fire extinguishing system of the type using high expansion foam comprising: a. a source of pressurized, inert gas; b. at least one foam reservoir adapted to contain high expansion foam producing fluid, said reservoir coupled to said source of pressurized, inert gas; c. a water reservoir coupled to said source of pressurized, inert gas; d. a proportional mixing valve having a pair of input lines and a single output line, said input lines being coupled to said foam reservoir and said water reservoir respectively; and e. a foam generator having an enclosure of top, bottom, rear and side walls defining an orifice through said bottom wall, a multilayer screen including first and second honeycombed layers in intimate contact with each other, said multilayer screen being horizontally disposed and secured to protions of said top and bottom walls, a manifold having a plurality of spaced openings therein being disposed within said enclosure and coupled to the output of said proportional mixing valve, sand a plurality of nozzles each being coupled to one of said spaced openings and being opposite said multilayer screen and adapted to output said mixture of foam producing fluid uniformly upon said multilayer screen whereby the output of said foam producing fluid from said plurality of nozzles causes ambient air to be drawn through said orifice.

Claim 24

A self-contained fire extinguishing system of the type using high expansion foam comprising: a. a source of pressurized, inert gas; b. at least one foam reservoir adapted to contain high expansion foam producing fluid, said reservoir coupled to said source of pressurized, inert gas; c. a water reservoir coupled to said source of pressurized, inert gas; d. a proportional mixing valve having a pair of input lines and a single output line, said input lines being coupled to said foam reservoir and said water reservoir respectively; and e. a foam generator having an enclosure of top, bottom, rear and side walls defining an orifice through said bottom wall, a multilayer screen including first and second honeycombed layers in intimate contact with each other, said multilayer screen being horizontally disposed and secured to protions of said top and bottom walls, a manifold having a plurality of spaced openings therein being disposed within said enclosure and coupled to the output of said proportional mixing valve, sand a plurality of nozzles each being coupled to one of said spaced openings and being opposite said multilayer screen and adapted to output said mixture of foam producing fluid uniformly upon said multilayer screen whereby the output of said foam producing fluid from said plurality of nozzles causes ambient air to be drawn through said orifice.

Claim 25

A fire extinguishing system as defined in claim 13 wherein said first and second honeycombed layers each have a plurality of hexagonal cells disposed therethrough, the hexagonal cells of said second honeycombed layer being smaller than the hexagonal cells of said first honeycombed layer.

Claim 26

A fire extinguishing system as defined in claim 13 wherein said inert gas is nitrogen.

Claim 27

A fire extinguishing system as defined in claim 13 wherein said inert gas is pressurized in the range of 40 - 80 psi.