Patent ID: 7237619

Claim:
An automatic fire sprinkler device comprising: a self-adjusting orifice associated with an automatic fire sprinkler, said automatic fire sprinkler having: a sprinkler housing defining a water inlet and a water outlet; a plug mechanism, attached to said sprinkler housing, and responsive to a thermally sensitive element, wherein said automatic fire sprinkler is adapted such that when said sprinkler is connected to an automatic fire sprinkler system, and when said sprinkler is in a standby configuration, a plug of said plug mechanism seals said housing so as to prevent a stream of water from discharging from said automatic fire sprinkler via said water outlet, and wherein said automatic fire sprinkler is further adapted such that when said sprinkler is connected to the fire sprinkler system, and when a temperature of said thermally sensitive element reaches a particular value, said plug is displaced with respect to said housing to achieve an activated configuration, in which: (i) said water inlet fluidly communicates with a water flow-path of the automatic fire sprinkler system; (ii) said stream of water passes through said water outlet and discharges from said automatic fire sprinkler, and (iii) said orifice self-adjusts in direct response to a water pressure acting on said orifice, so as to provide, as a function of said water pressure, a plurality of different, open cross-sections for said stream of water to pass therethrough, such that each open cross-section of said open cross-sections uniquely corresponds to a particular, unique water pressure acting on said orifice.