AUTOMATIC, PYROTECHNIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER

Abstract: A fire extinguisher for automotive vehicles, boats, and technical environments which is either automatically controlled, in case of fire, by the action of a thermosensitive cable or, in case of front impact, by the action of a percussion pin switch or manually by a push button located in the interior compartment. It consists of a cylindrical cell box, a valve assembly, a pyrotechnic charge, a bottle of carbon dioxide. When the pyrotechnic charge is electrically energized, it explodes and the percussion pin perforates the diaphragm of the CO>2< bottle. The gas pressurizes the cell box and causes the extinguishing substance to flow out through a hose at the end of which a nozzle is disposed that sprinkles the extinguishing substance through a circular crown. The fire extinguisher has two small pipes within the cell box which mix CO>2< with the extinguishing substance.

Description: Automatic, pyrotechnic fire extinguisher The state of art in this field provides manual fire extinguishers and automatic installations. The extinguishers may be of several types: dust-, C0 2 -, foam-, halons-extinguishers and the like. They may be pressurized or have a C0 2 or nitrogen bottle, but they always are operated manually. A particular type of fire extinguishers carries a sprinkler head instead of a valve assembly which explodes at a given temperature and opens the orifice from which the extinguishing substance flows out. Such a type of fire extinguisher cannot be remote controlled by any push button and/or switch and has to be installed directly in the apparatus to be protected. The automatic fire extinguishing installations consist of a sensor device and an extinguishing device. The fire is sensed by field sensors connected to a sensing and extinguishing central installation. The automatic fire extinguisher of the present invention is located in the middle between the manual fire extinguisher and the automatic fire extinguishing installation and is absolutely new. It is easy to be operated like the manual extinguishers and has the advantages of the known automatic fire-extinguishing installations . The automatic, pyrotechnic fire extinguisher of the present invention (Tab. 1/2) consists of a cell box (1) containing the extinguishing substance, a valve assembly(2), a pyrotechnic charge, a bottle of liquid carbon dioxide (3), a hose (4) for supplying the extinguishing substance, a nozzle (5), two small pipes (6) and (7) within the cell box, a thermosensitive cable (8) , a manually controlled electrical push button (9) , a percussion pin switch (10) . The valve assembly consists of: a cylindrical threaded body (11) which is screwed to the cell box; a bottle holder (12); a percussion pin (13); a plug (14) which closes the chamber (15) acting as mortar in which the pyrotechnic charge is received. In case of fire, when the pyrotechnic charge is electrically energized by the thermosensitive cable (8) , it explodes and causes the percussion pin to perforate the diaphragm of the carbon dioxide bottle (3) . The propellant contained in the bottle enters the cell box (1) and pressurizes the extinguishing substance causing the same to flow out under pressure. At the same time, C0 2 flows into pipes (6) and (7) . The portion of C0 2 flowing through pipe (6) causes the extinguishing substance to swirl, while the portion flowing through pipe (7) is discharged directly to the hose where it mixes in a swirling way with the flow of the extinguishing substance. Pipe (7) is basic for the foaming. The fire extinguisher (Tab. 2/2) may be controlled: 1) manually, by an electric push button (16) located, for example, in the interior compartment of an automotive vehicle near the driver; 2) automatically, in case of fire, by the action of the heat that shorts the thermosensitive cable (8) located above the area to be protected; e.g., in case of an automotive, vehicle the cable is located under the hood panel ; 3) automatically, in case of front impact, by the action of the percussion pin switch (10) located between bumper and engine . The fire extinguisher may be located within the engine compartment in a vertical or horizontal position or within another room available in the automotive vehicle or the apparatus to be protected. The automatic fire extinguisher can protect automotive vehicles, boats, electrical, electronic, thermal, oleodynamic apparatus, generating sets etc., and is particularly suitable for unmanned apparatus and rooms .

Claims: Claims 1. A fire extinguisher for engine compartments of automotive vehicles, boats, electrical, electronic, mechanic, oleodynamic or thermal apparatus in cabinets and/or closed rooms which is manually or automatically remote controlled characterized by a little room acting as mortar, in which a pyrotechnic charge is located that explodes when the pyrotechnic charge is electrically energized and causes a percussion pin to perforate the diaphragm of the carbon dioxide bottle so that the propellant can flow out. 2. The fire extinguisher of the preceding claims, characterized by a thermosensitive cable that energizes directly the pyrotechnic charge without any antifire control means once it is fired. 3. The fire extinguisher of the preceding claims, characterized by a remote-controlled electric push button that energizes directly the pyrotechnic charge. 4. The fire extinguisher of the preceding claims, characterized by a percussion pin switch that automatically energizes the charge in an automotive vehicle in case of front impact. 5. The fire extinguisher of the preceding claims, characterized in that all of the automatic control means are contained in a head disposed on the cell box of the fire extinguisher. 6. The fire extinguisher of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fishing pipe is near the wall of the cell box so that it can also operate when the cell box is in horizontal position. 7. The fire extinguisher of the preceding claims, characterized by a pyrotechnic charge that can be energized by the voltage of a battery or the main. 8. The fire extinguisher of the preceding claims, characterized by a nozzle with a shape that allows it to deliver the extinguishing substance over 360°. 9. The fire extinguisher of the preceding claims, characterized by an inner pipe (6) that supplies the propellant to the extinguishing substance by mixing them in a swirling way. 10. The fire extinguisher of the preceding claims, characterized by a pipe (7) within the hose which is connected to the room containing the C0 2 bottle through a orifice in the high portion of the fishing rod, said pipe allowing C0 2 to be mixed with the flow of the extinguishing substance at the base of the fishing rod, thus forming a foam.

Inventors: PIATTI DOMENICO, PIATTI, DOMENICO
Applicants: PIATTI DOMENICO, PIATTI, DOMENICO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A62C13
IPC codes: A62C3, A62C13, A62C37