Abstract:
A guard for a fire-suppression sprinkler head may be attached directly to a water supply pipe of the sprinkler head. A cage may be configured to surround the sprinkler head and a base plate may be configured for attachment to the pipe. The cage may be attached to the base plate.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61,350,070 filed Jun. 1, 2010. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to fire-suppression sprinklers and more particularly to protective devices for preventing damage to and inadvertent activation of sprinkler heads. 
         [0003]    Fire-suppression sprinkler systems are installed in numerous buildings. In some buildings, sprinkler heads may be vulnerable to being damaged or inadvertently activated as a result of activities taking place in the building. For example, in school gymnasiums, indoor sports activities such as basketball or volleyball may result sprinkler heads being struck by balls. Sprinkler heads in these settings are typically provided with protective guards. A typical guard for a sprinkler head may be structured as a wire cage that may attach to and surround the sprinkler head. Such guards may not fully protect a sprinkler heard from a very high impact. A guard that is attached to a sprinkler head may transmit force of a high impact to the sprinkler head itself. In some instances the sprinkler head may inadvertently activate or break away from its water supply pipe. 
         [0004]    As can be seen, there is a need for a system of guarding sprinkler heads against impact damage in a manner that does not leave a sprinkler head vulnerable to being severed from its water supply pipe. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In one aspect of the present invention, a guard for a fire-suppression sprinkler head attached to a pipe may comprise: a cage configured to surround the sprinkler head; and a base plate configured for attachment to the pipe, 
         [0006]    the cage being attached to the base plate. 
         [0007]    In another aspect of the present invention, a guard for a sprinkler head mounted on an end of a pipe may comprise: a base plate; a cage attached to the base plate and configured to surround the sprinkler head; and a support member configured for attachment to the pipe with u-bolts, the base plate being attached to the support member. 
         [0008]    In still another aspect of the invention, a guard for a sprinkler head mounted on an elbow of a pipe may comprise: a cage configured to surround the sprinkler head; and a base plate configured for attachment to the pipe with u-bolts, the cage being attached to the base plate and an outboard end of the base plate being cantilevered beyond the u-bolts. 
         [0009]    These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sprinkler head guard in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the guard of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a section view of the guard of  FIG. 1  taken along line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the guard of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective of a sprinkler head guard in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a side view of guard of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a section view the guard of  FIG. 5  taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 6 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view the guard of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a perspective of a sprinkler head guard in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a side view of the guard of  FIG. 9 ; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is an exploded view of the guard of  FIG. 9 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
         [0022]    Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. 
         [0023]    Broadly, embodiments of the present invention generally provide sprinkler head guards which are not attached to the sprinkler head but are instead attached to a water supply pipe for the sprinkler head. 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 through 4  there may be seen an exemplary embodiment of a sprinkler-head guard  10  which may be useful for application over an “in-line” sprinkler head  36 . The guard  10  may comprise a base plate  12 , base plate legs  14  with slip-jam joints  42 , a sprinkler head hole  16 , u-bolt holes  18 , u-bolts  20 , nylon thread-lock nuts  22  and a cage  30 . The cage  30  may comprise side force-resistant bars  24 , a bottom ring  26 , a top ring  28  and a top force resistant bar  40 . The sprinkler-head guard  10  may be attached directly to a pipe  34  which may be a water supply for the sprinkler head  36 . The sprinkler head hole  16  may be configured so that it may engage with a mounting flange  60  to which the sprinkler head  36  may be attached. The guard  10  may not be in actual contact with the sprinkler head  36 . Consequently, forces from impact on the guard  10  may be transmitted to the pipe  34  and the sprinkler head  36  may remain isolated from such forces. Even if a high-impact force were to displace (either longitudinally or rotationally) the guard  10  from its originally installed position, edges of the hole  16  may engage with the mounting flange  60  so that damage to the sprinkler head may be prevented. 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIGS. 5 through 8  there may be seen an exemplary embodiment of a sprinkler-head guard  50  which may be useful for application over one of the sprinkler heads  36  that may be mounted on an elbow of the pipe  34 . The guard  50  may be similar to the guard  10  except that a base plate  52  may be configured differently than the base plate  12 . An outboard end  52 - 1  of the base plate  52  may be cantilevered beyond the base plate legs  14  and the u-bolts  20 . 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIGS. 9 through 11  there may be seen an exemplary embodiment of a sprinkler-head guard  60  which may be useful for application over one of the sprinkler heads  36  that may be mounted on an end of the pipe  34 . The guard  50  may be similar to the guard  10  except that a base plate  38  and a support member  62  may configured to support the cage  30 . The support member  62  may comprise two of the base plate legs  14  and may be held in position on the pipe  34  with two of the u-bolts  20 . A base plate  38  may be bolted to the support member  62  with bolts  32 . 
         [0027]    In an exemplary embodiment, side force-resistant bars  24  may be made of steel and may be about 4½ inch long and ¼ inch in diameter. The side force-resistant bars  24  may be bent at an angle of 22 degrees inward from the bottom ring  26 . The bottom ring  26  may have a 4½″ outer diameter and may measure 3/16 inch in thickness and may be ½ inch wide. The bottom ring  26  may be centered over the sprinkler head hole  16  may be welded just below the 22 degree angle on the inside of the side force-resistant bars  24 . The top ring  28  may have a 3½ inch outer diameter and may measure 3/16 inch in thickness and may be ½ inch wide. The top ring  28  may be centered over the sprinkler head hole  16  and may be welded just inside and flush with uppermost ends of the side force-resistant bars  24 . The top force resistant bar  40  may measure 3 inch in length and can be ¼ inch in diameter. The top force-resistant bar  40  may be welded in line with two of the side force-resistant bars  24 , inside the top ring  28 . 
         [0028]    The steel force-resistant bars  24  may be welded to the bottom ring  26  and top ring  28  in such a way as to prevent anything the size of a tennis ball or larger from coming into contact with the sprinkler head  36  and causing activation of the sprinkler system. The top force-resistant bar  40  may be configured as to not allow anything the size of a golf ball or larger from coming into contact with the sprinkler head  36 . 
         [0029]    It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.