Abstract:
Disclosed therein is a sprinkler mounting device having a mounting bracket that includes a tightening member mounted on the front of a bracket body for opening and closing an open portion by a lever, so that the tightening member can firmly hold a reducer, to which a head is joined, once a worker bends the lever back after inserting the reducer into the bracket body.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a sprinkler mounting device that includes an open-type mounting bracket, to which a reducer is fit and firmly joined from the front. 
     2. Background Art 
     In general, a mounting bracket mounted on the support bar in a laterally movable manner is divided into a closed-type mounting bracket that a reducer is perpendicularly fit thereto and an open-type mounting bracket that the reducer is fit thereto from the front. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a sprinkler mounting device using the closed-type mounting bracket. The mounting bracket  1  includes: insertion holes  2  formed on both side walls thereof for inserting a support bar  7  thereinto; a bent portion  4  having a space portion  3  formed in front of the support bar  7 , which is inserted into the insertion holes  2 , for allowing a reducer  8  to be vertically inserted and fit into the space portion  3 ; an open portion  5  formed on the opposite side of the bent portion  4 ; and a pressing member  6  mounted at the open portion  5  for fastening the reducer  8  inserted into the space portion  3 . 
     As described above, in case of the above-mentioned closed-type mounting bracket  1 , since the reducer  8  is vertically inserted and fit into the space portion of the mounting bracket, the reducer  8  cannot be mounted on the mounting bracket  1  in a state where a head  9  is joined to the reducer  8 , and hence, the closed-type mounting bracket  1  has a problem in that a user must carry out not only reducer-mounting work but also head-mounting work in an uncomfortable position that he or she stands on a foothold. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the open-type mounting bracket proposed to overcome the problem of the closed-type mounting bracket  1 . The open-type mounting bracket includes: a body  11  having a mounting portion  12  for allowing a reducer  8  to be fit from the front; a rotatable member  13  having one side shaft-mounted at the front portion of the body  11  for opening and closing a mounting portion  12 ; and a tightening screw  14  mounted on the rotatable member  13  for fixing the reducer. 
     However, the open-type mounting bracket  10  having the above structure has a problem in that a mounted status of a sprinkler head  9  is unstable since the reducer  8  is fixed only by a tightening force of the tightening screw  14 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior arts, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a sprinkler mounting device having a mounting bracket that includes a tightening member mounted on the front of a bracket body for opening and closing an open portion by a lever, so that the tightening member can firmly hold a reducer, to which a head is joined, once a worker bends the lever back after inserting the reducer into the bracket body. 
     To accomplish the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a sprinkler mounting device comprising: T-shaped frames mounted on a ceiling at a predetermined interval in parallel; a support bar mounted on the T-shaped frames at right angles from the T-shaped frames; a mounting bracket, the mounting bracket including a            -shaped bracket body having a closed face bent between parallel upper and lower faces for allowing the support bar to be insertedly mounted between the upper and lower faces, mounting slots respectively formed on the upper and lower faces for insertedly fitting a reducer onto the upper and lower faces from the front, retaining jaw portions, each being formed at one side of each of the mounting slots, a lever mounted rotatably on a first hinge shaft at the other side of the mounting slots, and a tightening member bent in correspondence to a section of the reducer, the tightening member having a locking recess formed at one side thereof and caught to the retaining jaw portions and a hinge space portion formed at the other side thereof, the tightening member being mounted rotatably on a second hinge shaft of the lever; and the reducer insertedly mounted into the mounting slots of the mounting bracket.
     As described above, after the reducer to which the head is joined is insertedly fit into the mounting slots formed at the front of the mounting bracket and the retaining jaw portions are caught to the locking recess, when the lever is pulled, the tightening member tightens and firmly fixes the reducer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a sprinkler mounting device having a closed-type mounting bracket according to a prior art; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a sprinkler mounting device having an open-type mounting bracket according to another prior art; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a sprinkler mounting device according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a mounting bracket according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C are views showing a state where a reducer is mounted on the mounting bracket according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing essential parts of a mounting bracket having locking means mounted on a lever according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a plan view of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a mounting bracket according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a mounting bracket according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a sectional view of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a mounting bracket according to a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a mounting bracket according to a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of release tool locking means of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will be now made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , a sprinkler mounting device according to the present invention includes: T-shaped frames  700  mounted on a ceiling at a predetermined interval in parallel; a support bar  400  mounted on the T-shaped frames at right angles from the T-shaped frames; and a mounting bracket  10  mounted on the support bar  400  in a laterally movable manner. The mounting bracket  10  serves to fix a reducer  500 , on which a head  600  is joined, to the support bar  400 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the support bar  400  includes bent portions  420  formed integrally with the support bar  400  or formed separately from the support bar  400  (see  FIG. 2 ). 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the mounting bracket  10  according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the mounting bracket  10  includes: a            -shaped bracket body  100  having a closed face  130  bent between parallel upper and lower faces  110  and  120  for allowing the support bar  400  to be insertedly mounted between the upper and lower faces  110  and  120 ; mounting slots  111  and  121  respectively formed on the upper and lower faces  110  and  120  for insertedly fitting the reducer  500  onto the upper and lower faces  110  and  120  from the front; retaining jaw portions  112  and  122 , each being formed at one side of each of the mounting slots  111  and  121 ; a lever  200  mounted rotatably on a first hinge shaft  210  at the other side of the mounting slots  111  and  121 ; and a tightening member  300  bent in correspondence to a section of the reducer  500 , the tightening member  300  having a locking recess  310  formed at one side thereof and caught to the retaining jaw portions  112  and  122  and a hinge space portion  320  formed at the other side thereof, the tightening member  300  being mounted rotatably on a second hinge shaft  220  of the lever  200 .
     In case of the support bar  400  having the bent portions  420  formed integrally with both sides thereof, which are respectively joined with the T-shaped frames  700 , after the bracket body  100  is mounted on the support bar  400 , the lever  200  is joined to the bracket body  100  via the first hinge shaft  210 . 
     Now, a process to mount the reducer to the mounting bracket according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention having the structure as described above will be described. 
     First, as shown in  FIG. 5A , the reducer  500 , to which the head  600  is joined, is inserted into the mounting slots  111  and  121  in a state where the lever  200  and the tightening member  300  are bent back to one side, and then, when the lever  200  is bent toward the retaining jaw portions  112  and  122 , the tightening member  300  rotates on the first hinge shaft  210  together with the lever  200 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5B , in a state where the locking recess  310  of the tightening member  300  rotated on the first hinge shaft  210  is located on the retaining jaw portions  112  and  122 , when the lever  200  is pulled, it comes back up, and then, the second hinge shaft  220  is rotated on the first hinge shaft  210 . 
     When the second hinge shaft  220  is rotated on the first hinge shaft  210 , as shown in  FIG. 5C , the tightening member  300  tightly catch the reducer  500  in a state where the retaining jaw portions  112  and  122  are inserted into the locking recess  310  and the tightening member  300  surrounds the reducer  500 , such that the reducer  500  is firmly fixed to the support bar  400 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a mounting bracket according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, which further includes locking means mounted on the lever  200  in order to prevent that a worker moves the position of the reducer  500  as he or she pleases after inspection of fire-fighting equipment. 
     The locking means includes: elongated holes  113  and  123  formed at sides of the upper and lower faces  110  and  120 ; a spring  230  having a spirally wound portion  231 , to which the first hinge shaft  210  is fit, and vertical end portions  232  extending from both ends of the spirally wound portion  231  and being inserted into the elongated holes  113  and  123 ; and a one-way latch portion  201  formed at one end of the lever  200  in such a way as to correspond to the vertical end portion  232 . 
     It is preferable that the bracket body  100  and the lever  200  further include locking holes  140  and  240  formed near the elongated hole  113  for inserting a safety pin  250  thereinto, so that the lever  200  cannot be pulled before the safety pin  250  is removed from the locking holes  140  and  240 . 
     When the lever  200  is pulled after the safety pin  250  is removed from the locking holes  140  and  240  in order to mount the reducer  500 , an inclined portion  202  of the latch portion  201  pushes the vertical end portions  232  to the ends of the elongated holes  113  and  123 , and then, the vertical end portions  232  go over. In a state where the lever  200  is pulled completely, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the lever  200  is in a locked state since the vertical end portions  232  are caught to retaining portions  203  by elastic force of the spring  230 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a mounting bracket according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the tightening member  300  includes upper and lower stoppers  331  protrudingly formed at the centers of horizontal portions  330  of the tightening member  300 , and the reducer  500  includes a plurality of horizontal grooves  511  formed on flat portions  510  thereof in correspondence to the stoppers  331  of the tightening member  300 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the stoppers  331  are fit into the horizontal grooves  511  to thereby prevent a vertical movement of the reducer  500 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a mounting bracket according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the mounting bracket  100  includes cut portions  131  formed at both sides of the closed face  130  and cut pieces  132  inwardly inclined and bent by the cut portion  131 . The cut pieces  132  are inserted into a plurality of vertical groove portions  401  formed on a rear face of the support bar  400 . 
     The cut pieces  132  are insertedly fit into the vertical groove portions  401  in a state where the reducer  500  is fixed and mounted as shown in  FIG. 11 , such that the reducer  500  cannot be moved laterally. 
       FIG. 12  illustrates a mounting bracket according to a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the mounting bracket includes a screw hole  133  penetratingly formed in the closed face  130  described in the first preferred embodiment, and a tightening screw  134  is coupled to the screw hole  131 . 
       FIG. 13  illustrates a mounting bracket according to a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the mounting bracket illustrated in  FIG. 13  is suitable for a sprinkler mounting device using a support bar  400  having a groove portion  410  formed at a lower central portion thereof in a longitudinal direction. 
     The mounting bracket includes a through hole  124  formed on a lower face  120  thereof in correspondence to a width of the groove portion  410  and protruding pieces  125  upwardly bent at both sides of the through hole  124  in such a way that the protruding pieces  125  are insertedly fit into the groove portion  410 . The protruding pieces  125  serve to hold the position of the mounting bracket  100  even in a state where the reducer  500  is not joined thereto. 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.