Patent ID: 8225881

Claim:
A dry sprinkler having an unactuated state and an actuated state, the sprinkler comprising: an inlet fitting having an inner surface defining an inlet of the dry sprinkler, the inlet including a sealing surface; an outlet frame having an inner surface defining an outlet of the dry sprinkler; a casing tube having an inner surface, the casing tube coupling the inlet fitting to the outlet frame such that the inner surface of the inlet fitting, the inner surface of the outlet frame and the inner surface of the casing tube define a passageway extending along a longitudinal axis between the inlet and the outlet, the inner surface of the inlet fitting defining a first diameter of the passageway about the longitudinal axis and the inner surface of the casing tube defining a second diameter different from the first, the passageway defining a rated K-factor being an expected flow of fluid in gallons per minute from the outlet divided by the square root of the pressure of the flow of fluid fed into the inlet of the passageway in pounds per square inch gauge; a fluid deflecting structure located at a fixed axial distance from the outlet such that the axial distance is the same in both the unactuated state and the actuated state; a diverter assembly disposed in the passageway, the diverter assembly including: a sealing member having first and second metallic surfaces axially spaced apart between an inner and outer circumference; a shield centered about the longitudinal axis, the shield having a first surface and a second surface confronting the first metallic surface; and a mounting portion engaged with the sealing member and the shield; and a locator disposed in the passageway to locate the diverter assembly along the longitudinal axis such that in the unactuated state the sealing member is engaged with the sealing surface and in the actuated state the sealing member is located along a portion of the passageway spaced from the sealing surface, the locator further being fixed to the diverter assembly such that the shield remains centered about the longitudinal axis and does not translate with respect to the locator in the unactuated state and actuated state, the locator including two portions with a connector in between to space the two portions symmetrically apart about a locator axis that is generally coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis, the connector defining a channel of the locator.