Fire extinguishing systems

Claim 2

In a fire extinguisher having a body including an extinguishant container with a normally closed extinguishant discharge opening, a rupturable bulb containing thermally expansive fluid, means supporting the bulb adjacent to the said opening, means supported by the bulb for holding the opening closed until the bulb is ruptured by thermal expansion of the said fluid in response to incipient fire conditions in the neighborhood of the extinguisher whereupon the bulb ruptures, and opens the discharge opening, control means mounted on the body and associated with the discharge opening and operative in response to an electrical signal to open the dischaRge opening if the latter is closed, and electrical signalling means mounted on the body and responsive to discharge of the extinguishant to produce an electrical signal.

Claim 3

An extinguisher according to claim 1, in which said control means comprises electrically detonatable explosive-actuated means, and means mounting the explosive-actuated means adjacent the bulb so as to rupture the bulb when the explosive-actuated means is electrically detonated.

Claim 4

An extinguisher according to claim 1, in which the electrical signalling means comprises an electrical switch, means mounting the electrical switch adjacent to the bulb, and an operating member biased into contact with the bulb and connected to the switch so as to operate the switch when the bulb ruptures.

Claim 5

In a fire extinguisher having a body including an extinguishant container with a normally closed extinguishant discharge opening, control means mounted on the body and associated with the discharge opening and operative in response to incipient fire conditions in the neighborhood of the extinguisher to open the discharge opening if the latter is closed, electrically detonatable explosive-actuated means operatively associated with the discharge opening for opening the latter when electrically detonated, and electrical signalling means mounted on the body and responsive to discharge of the extinguishant to produce an electrical signal.

Claim 6

In a fire extinguisher having a body including an extinguishant container with a normally closed extinguishant discharge opening, control means mounted on the body and associated with the discharge opening and operative in response to incipient fire conditions in the neighborhood of the extinguisher to open the discharge opening if the latter is closed, electrically detonatable explosive-actuated means operatively associated with the discharge opening for opening the latter when electrically detonated, and electrical signalling means mounted on the body and responsive to discharge of the extinguishant to produce an electrical signal.

Claim 7

In a fire extinguisher having a body including an extinguishant container with a normally closed extinguishant discharge opening, first control means mounted on the body and associated with the discharge opening and operative in response to incipient fire conditions in the neighborhood of the extinguisher to open the discharge opening if the latter is closed, second control means mounted on the body and associated with the discharge opening and operative in response to an electrical signal to open the discharge opening if the latter is closed, mounting means for supporting the weight of the extinguisher body and including first and second members arranged to undergo relative movement in response to a change of weight of the extinguisher following loss of extinguishant from the container thereof, and electrical switch means fixedly mounted relative to one said member whereby to be operated by the said relative movement in response to the change in weight of the extinguisher as a result of loss of extinguishant therefrom.

Claim 8

In a fire extinguisher having a body including an extinguishant container with a normally closed extinguishant discharge opening, first control means mounted on the body and associated with the discharge opening and operative in response to incipient fire conditions in the neighborhood of the extinguisher to open the discharge opening if the latter is closed, second control means mounted on the body and associated with the discharge opening and operative in response to an electrical signal to open the discharge opening if the latter is closed, mounting means for supporting the weight of the extinguisher body and including first and second members arranged to undergo relative movement in response to a change of weight of the extinguisher following loss of extinguishant from the container thereof, and electrical switch means fixedly mounted relative to one said member whereby to be operated by the said relative movement in response to the change in weight of the extinguisher as a result of loss of extinguishant therefrom.

Claim 9

In a fire extinguisher having a body including an extinguishant container with a normally closed extinguishant discharge opening, first control means mounted on the body and associated with the discharge opening and operative in response to incipient fire conditions in the neighborhood of the extinguisher to open the discharge opening if the latter is closed, second control means mounted on the body and associated with the discharge opening and operative in response to an electrical signal to open the discharge opening if the latter is closed, first electrical switch means mounted on the extinguisher body to sense whether the discharge opening is closed or open so as to be operated when the discharge opening is opened, second electrical switch means mounted on the extinguisher body to be susceptible to the extinguishant therein so as to be operated in response to loss of extinguishant therefrom, and circuitry connected to the first and second switch means to produce an output only when both are operated.

Claim 10

In a fire extinguisher having a body including an extinguishant container with a normally closed extinguishant discharge opening, first control means mounted on the body and associated with the discharge opening and operative in response to incipient fire conditions in the neighborhood of the extinguisher to open the discharge opening if the latter is closed, second control means mounted on the body and associated with the discharge opening and operative in response to an electrical signal to open the discharge opening if the latter is closed, first electrical switch means mounted on the extinguisher body to sense whether the discharge opening is closed or open so as to be operated when the discharge opening is opened, second electrical switch means mounted on the extinguisher body to be susceptible to the extinguishant therein so as to be operated in response to loss of extinguishant therefrom, and circuitry connected to the first and second switch means to produce an output only when both are operated.

Claim 11

An extinguisher according to claim 6, including mounting means for supporting the weight of the extinguisher body and having first and second members arranged to undergo relative movement in response to a change in weight of the extinguisher body, and in which the second electrical switch means comprises an electrical switch arranged to be operated in response to the said relative movement of the first and second members resulting from loss of extinguishant from the coNtainer.

Claim 12

An extinguisher according to claim 6, in which the second electrical switch means comprises a pressure-sensitive switch responsive to the pressure of the extinguishant if any in the container so as to be operated by loss of extinguishant therefrom.

Claim 13

In a fire extinguisher having a body including an extinguishant container with a normally closed extinguishant discharge opening, a releasable diaphragm matching the said discharge opening, and first and second retaining members disposed at circumferentially spaced positions around the perimeter of the discharge opening to hold the diaphragm in a position in which it closes the said discharge opening; a rupturable bulb mounted on the extinguisher body to locate the first retaining member and containing thermally expansive fluid which expands in response to detection of incipient fire conditions and ruptures the bulb to cause the displacement of the first member; a locating member associated with an electrically detonatable explosive charge and mounted on the extinguisher body to locate the second retaining member until the locating member is ruptured by detonation of the explosive charge in response to the said electrical signal and causes displacement of the second retaining member; the diaphragm being freed, to open the discharge opening, upon displacement of at least one of the first and second retaining members; and electrical signalling means mounted on the body and responsive to discharge of the extinguishant to produce an electrical signal.

Claim 14

In a fire extinguisher having a body including an extinguishant container with a normally closed extinguishant discharge opening, a releasable diaphragm matching the said discharge opening, and first and second retaining members disposed at circumferentially spaced positions around the perimeter of the discharge opening to hold the diaphragm in a position in which it closes the said discharge opening; a rupturable bulb mounted on the extinguisher body to locate the first retaining member and containing thermally expansive fluid which expands in response to detection of incipient fire conditions and ruptures the bulb to cause the displacement of the first member; a locating member associated with an electrically detonatable explosive charge and mounted on the extinguisher body to locate the second retaining member until the locating member is ruptured by detonation of the explosive charge in response to the said electrical signal and causes displacement of the second retaining member; the diaphragm being freed, to open the discharge opening, upon displacement of at least one of the first and second retaining members; and electrical signalling means mounted on the body and responsive to discharge of the extinguishant to produce an electrical signal.

Claim 15

An extinguisher according to claim 9, including a third retaining member disposed at the perimeter of the discharge opening at a position spaced circumferentially therearound from the first and second retaining members, and means biasing the third retaining member into the said position from which it is displaced by release of the diaphragm, and in which the electrical signalling means comprises an electrical switch and means mounting the electrical switch on the extinguisher body so that it is operated in response to displacement of the third retaining member.

Claim 16

An extinguisher according to claim 10, including a circular support member having a peripheral chamfer, means supported on the extinguisher body and defining first and second bores directed radially of the discharge opening and respectively receiving the first and second retaining members which are spherical in shape and are loosely positioned in and protrude from the ends of the bores to contact the chamfered edge of the support member whereby to hold the support member in a position in which it supports the diaphragm in the opening against the pressure of the extinguishant; the said rupturable bulb being disposed radially of the discharge opening and located to hold the first spherical member in engagement with the chamfer until the bulb is ruptured; the second locating member comprising a piston slidable in the second bore to hold the second spherical member in engagement with the chamfer and incorporating the explosive charge whereby to be ruptured by electrical detonation of the explosive charge to release the second spherical member.

Claim 17

An extinguisher according to claim 11, including means defining a third bore directed radially of the discharge opening and spaced circumferentially therearound relative to the first and second bores, and in which the third retaining member comprises a third spherical member which is loosely located in and protrudes from the third bore, and including a spring-urge member slidable in the third bore to hold the third spherical member against the said chamfer whereby to be urged radially inwards on release of the third spherical member when the support member is displaced, and in which the said electrical switch is positioned to be actuated by the radially inward movement of the spring-urged member.

Claim 18

A fire extinguishing system, comprising at least two self-contained extinguishers each of which includes a container for hOlding extinguishant under pressure, means defining a normally closed extinguishant discharge opening for discharging extinguishant from the container, means responsive to incipient fire conditions in the neighborhood of the extinguisher for opening its discharge opening, electrically responsive means capable of opening the discharge opening in response to an electrical signal independent of said incipient fire conditions, and electrical signalling means operative to generate a said electrical signal in response to opening of the discharge opening of that extinguisher, electrical circuitry interconnecting the electrical signalling means and the electrically responsive discharge means of the extinguishers whereby generation of a said electrical signal by any one extinguisher''s electrical signalling means causes the electrically responsive means of each other extinguisher to open its discharge opening, detector means mounted to be operative in response to incipient fire conditions in the general neighborhood of all the extinguishers to produce a further electrical signal, and circuitry responsive to this further electrical signal and connected to said electrically responsive means of each of the extinguishers to actuate them all in response to the further electrical signal.

Claim 19

A fire extinguishing system, comprising at least two self-contained extinguishers each of which includes a container for hOlding extinguishant under pressure, means defining a normally closed extinguishant discharge opening for discharging extinguishant from the container, means responsive to incipient fire conditions in the neighborhood of the extinguisher for opening its discharge opening, electrically responsive means capable of opening the discharge opening in response to an electrical signal independent of said incipient fire conditions, and electrical signalling means operative to generate a said electrical signal in response to opening of the discharge opening of that extinguisher, electrical circuitry interconnecting the electrical signalling means and the electrically responsive discharge means of the extinguishers whereby generation of a said electrical signal by any one extinguisher''s electrical signalling means causes the electrically responsive means of each other extinguisher to open its discharge opening, detector means mounted to be operative in response to incipient fire conditions in the general neighborhood of all the extinguishers to produce a further electrical signal, and circuitry responsive to this further electrical signal and connected to said electrically responsive means of each of the extinguishers to actuate them all in response to the further electrical signal.

Claim 20

A fire extinguishing system comprising at least two self-contained extinguishers each of which includes a container for holding extinguishant under pressure, means defining a normally closed extinguishant discharge opening for discharging extinguishant from the container, thermally responsive means responsive to incipient fire conditions in the neighborhood of the extinguisher for opening its discharge opening, electrically responsive means capable of opening the discharge opening in response to an electrical signal independent of said incipient fire conditions, first electrical switch means, means mounting the first electrical switch means to be operated in response to the opening of the discharge opening of the respective extinguisher, second electrical switch means, means responsive to loss of extinguishant from the container of the respective extinguisher to operate the second electrical switch means, and first electrical circuitry connected to the first and second electrical switch means and responsive thereto to produce an electrical signal only when both are in the operated condition at the same time, and second electrical circuitry interconnecting the first electrical circuitry and the electrically responsive means on the extinguishers whereby generation of a said electrical signal by one extinguisher''s said first electrical circuitry causes the electrically responsive discharge means of each other extinguisher to open its discharge opening.

Claim 21

A fire extinguishing system comprising at least two self-contained extinguishers each of which includes a container for holding extinguishant under pressure, means defining a normally closed extinguishant discharge opening for discharging extinguishant from the container, thermally responsive means responsive to incipient fire conditions in the neighborhood of the extinguisher for opening its discharge opening, electrically responsive means capable of opening the discharge opening in response to an electrical signal independent of said incipient fire conditions, first electrical switch means, means mounting the first electrical switch means to be operated in response to the opening of the discharge opening of the respective extinguisher, second electrical switch means, means responsive to loss of extinguishant from the container of the respective extinguisher to operate the second electrical switch means, and first electrical circuitry connected to the first and second electrical switch means and responsive thereto to produce an electrical signal only when both are in the operated condition at the same time, and second electrical circuitry interconnecting the first electrical circuitry and the electrically responsive means on the extinguishers whereby generation of a said electrical signal by one extinguisher''s said first electrical circuitry causes the electrically responsive discharge means of each other extinguisher to open its discharge opening.

Claim 22

A system according to claim 14, including mounting means for supporting the weight of each extinguisher and including first and second members arranged to undergo relative movement in response to a change in weight of the extinguisher, and in which each second electrical switch means includes a weight-responsive electrical switch associated with the first and second members of the corresponding extinguisher so as to be operated by the said relative movement resulting from loss of extinguishant from the container of that extinguisher.

Claim 23

A system according to claim 15, in which each second electrical switch means also includes a pressure-responsive switch mounted on the container of the corresponding extinguisher to be operated in response to loss of pressure therefrom, the said electrical circuitry comprising logic means operative to produce a said electrical signal only when the first switch means is in the operated condition at the same time as at least one of the weight-responsive and pressure-responsive switches.