AU2021107037A4

AU2021107037A4 - Fire protection system

Info

Publication number: AU2021107037A4
Application number: AU2021107037A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Tristan Clark
Original assignee: Firefenda Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Firefenda Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2021-08-24
Filing date: 2021-08-24
Publication date: 2021-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 2029-08-24

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to a sprinkler system for use in fire protection, and in particular, a sprinkler system that is portable and easily adjustable. In one aspect of the invention a fire containment sprinkler system comprises a base configured to be supported above a ground surface, said base having an attachment for receiving water from a water source, a first sprinkler system mountable with respect to the base, a second sprinkler system mountable with respect to the first sprinkler system, wherein a vertical distance between the first sprinkler system and the second sprinkler system is variable. 10 .2-0

Description

The present invention relates generally to a sprinkler system for use in fire protection, and in particular, a sprinkler system that is portable and easily adjustable. In one aspect of the invention a fire containment sprinkler system comprises a base configured to be supported above a ground surface, said base having an attachment for receiving water from a water source, a first sprinkler system mountable with respect to the base, a second sprinkler system mountable with respect to the first sprinkler system, wherein a vertical distance between the first sprinkler system and the second sprinkler system is variable.

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FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a sprinkler system for use in fire protection, and in particular, a sprinkler system that is portable and easily adjustable to be used in a variety of applications to provide enhanced fire protection.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In early 2020, in Australia alone, bushfires were responsible for the destruction of an estimated 18.6 million hectares of vegetation (46 million acres; 186,000 1o square kilometres; 72,000 square miles), destroyed over 5,900 buildings (including 2,779 homes) and killed at least 34 people. In the USA and other countries, such as Canada, Spain, Portugal, Greece, bushfires or wildfires are also becoming more common as extended periods of dry and hot weather provide for perfect fire conditions across such countries.

In many bushfire emergencies, the time window between being warned of an approaching fire and having enough time to safely evacuate a residence or property can be very short. As such, property owners must be prepared to quickly and efficiently activate a fire safety plan that is capable of providing a degree of fire protection without requiring significant time and expertise in setting up.

A variety of different types of sprinkler systems have been proposed as a means of providing effective fire protection for properties and the like. Such sprinkler systems have proven particularly useful in defending a home or buildings against a bushfire, provided that there is access to a sufficient supply of water. However, most existing sprinkler systems are expensive and are difficult to quickly erect and install and adapt to meet the needs of the particular property owner in their specific circumstances.

Many existing sprinkler systems employ a single sprinkler head type that is configured to spray a mist of water over the immediate surrounds. However, in instances where the fire has a significant heat-front such a mist of water can be readily evaporated, thereby having negligible effect on the approaching fire. Other proposed sprinkler systems are heavy and difficult to employ and do not provide multiple sprinkler arrangements to provide the ability to spray water at different heights and intensities.

Thus, there is a need to provide a sprinkler system for use in an outdoor situation that can be simply and effectively installed for use and which provides multiple sprinkler options that can be adapted for applying water at multiple heights.

The above references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the above prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

The invention according to one or more aspects is as defined in the independent claims. Some optional and/or preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided a fire containment sprinkler system comprising: a base configured to be supported above a ground surface, said base having an attachment for receiving water from a water source; a first sprinkler system mountable with respect to the base to distributing water therefrom in a first radial manner; a second sprinkler system mountable with respect to the first sprinkler system to distribute water therefrom in a second radial manner; wherein a vertical distance between the first sprinkler system and the second sprinkler system is variable.

In one embodiment the second sprinkler system is mountable on an end of an extender pipe that extends between the first sprinkler system and the second sprinkler system and wherein the extender pipe is replaceable with extender pipes of varying length to vary the vertically distance between the first sprinkler system and the second sprinkler system.

The first sprinkler system may comprises a pair of rotating arms for delivering a controlled stream of water therefrom in a rotating manner

The second sprinkler system may be an impact sprinkler system.

The base may be supported on a plurality of legs pivotally attached thereto. The legs may be extendable to vary a height of the base above the ground surface.

The legs may have ground engagement members at an end thereof for penetrating the ground surface.

In another embodiment, the base may be supported on a trolley having wheels for moving the sprinkler system. The trolley may have a housing for housing a hose and reel, wherein the hose is extendable from the reel to connect with the water supply.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fire containment sprinkler system in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the fire containment sprinkler system of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing the first sprinkler system of the fire containment sprinkler system of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a is a perspective view of a fire containment sprinkler system in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Fig. 4 with the housing removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention.

The sprinkler unit of the present invention will be described below in relation to the delivery of water from an external water source to be applied to a ground surface or to an external surface of a building structure for the purposes of fire protection. However, it will be appreciated that the sprinkler unit of the present invention could be employed to supply a variety of different fluids to various surfaces for a variety of different purposes and still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, a sprinkler unit 10 is depicted in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The sprinkler unit 10 has a base 12 that is supported above a ground surface by way of a plurality of legs 14. Each of the legs 14 is mounted to the base 12 between a pair of flanges 13, such that they are pivotally movable between an extended position for use, as shown in Fig. 1, and a retracted position for transport and storage where the legs 14 extend substantially parallel with respect to each other.

The legs 14 have an extender member 15 that is telescopically received therein and which can be extended from the leg 14 to extend the length thereof. The distal end of the extender member 15 has a ground engaging member 16 attached thereto that is able to penetrate the ground surface to securely position the leg 14 in position. It will be appreciated that such a configuration enables the legs 14 to be extended to different heights to accommodate an uneven ground surface, and can be elevated to different heights to vary the spray coverage as will be discussed in more detail below.

A hose attachment 19 is mounted to an underside of the base 12 to provide an attachment point for a hose 18. The hose 18 is in fluid communication with a water supply, such as a dam or tank, which has a pump associated therewith to supply water to the sprinkler unit 10 at pressure.

A first sprinkler system 20 is mounted to the base 12 to provide a first water delivery system. The first sprinkler system 20 is of a conventional rotating arm sprinkler type that receives water from the water supply and delivers a constant stream of water to the surrounds in a circular motion. The first sprinkler system comprises two opposing arms 21 mounted to a central body 22 that is free to rotate about a central pipe 23 of the sprinkler system. The central pipe 23 is in fluid communication with the hose attachment 19 to receive the pressurised water from the water source, such that the water is free to flow through the central pipe and into the arms 21. Each of the arms 21 has a bend 21a formed at the end thereof with a jet 21b located at the end thereof for releasing the water therefrom. As the angled nature of the bend 21a with respect to the arm 21, as the water is propelled under pressure from the jet 21b, the arms will experience a force that causes the arms to rotate about the central pipe 23, thus delivering water in a circular manner about the sprinkler unit 10. The jet 21b is configure to deliver water from the ends of the arms 21 in a constant stream rather than a mist, such that the water is less likely to be evaporated in the presence of a fire.

As is shown in more detail in Fig. 3, the arms 21 of the first sprinkler system 20 receive water from the central pipe 23 under pressure to cause the arms to rotate

A as described above. The water flows through the central pipe 23 and past the first sprinkler system 20 to be received within an extender pipe 25 that engages with the end of the central pipe 23. In this regard, the end of the extender pipe 23 has an external thread 24 that matches with an internal thread 26 formed on the end of the extender pipe 25, so that the extender pipe can be simply attached/detached to/from the central pipe 23 as required.

As is shown more clearly in Fig.1 and Fig. 2, the extender pipe 25 connects the first sprinkler system 20 with the second sprinkler system 28 such that water is able to flow to the second sprinkler system 28 via the extender pipe 25. The second sprinkler system 28 is in the form of an impact sprinkler head that is capable of delivering a larger spray radius of a uniform water distribution that the first sprinkler system 20.

The height of the second sprinkler system 28 with respect to the first sprinkler system 20 can be adjusted by adjusting the length of extender pipe 25 that is used. If the second sprinkler system 28 is to apply a spray of water to the walls or roof of a building structure, a longer extender pipe 25 can be used to ensure that the structure is receiving the appropriate water dosage. Thus, a number of different length extender pipes 25 may be provided to ensure that the sprinkler unit 10 is correctly configured to provide the desired degree of water spray coverage.

It will be appreciated that the configuration of the sprinkler unit 10 enables the unit to be simply carried to position and connected to the water supply for use. The interchangeability of the extender pipes 25 enables the sprinkler unit 10 to be simply adapted to provide two different spray radius configurations at different heights as required.

An alternative embodiment of a sprinkler system 40 is depicted in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. In this embodiment the sprinkler unit 10 is not mounted on legs 14 but is mounted on a trolley 43 having wheels 44 that supports a housing 42. The sprinkler system 40 has a first sprinkler system 20 and a second sprinkler system 28 connected by way of a detachable extender pipe 25, in the manner as discussed above. The attachment 19 provided attachment to a hose 45 which is preferably a heavy duty fire rated hose 45 that is wound on a reel 46.

One end of the hose 45 can be attached to the water supply and the hose is retained on the reel 46 so that it can be wound/unwound for use as required through the use of the winder handle 47. A recess 42a is formed in a wall of the housing 42 to enable the hose 45 to be extended for connection to the water supply.

The connector 19 fixedly attaches to the housing 42 to support the first sprinkler system 20 and a second sprinkler system 28 in position. The first sprinkler system 20 is mounted immediately above the upper end of the housing 42 and the second sprinkler system 28 is mounted to an end of the extender pipe 25 in the manner as previously discussed.

It will be appreciated that the cart 43 and housing 44 provides a degree of protection to the hose 45 and in use will add considerable weight to the system. Therefore, to ensure that the system is portable and can be readily positioned for use, the wheels 44 provide a simple and effective means for setting up the sprinkler system 40 in the desired location. The system 40 can be simply tilted such that the wheels 44 support the weight of the system for moving the system into the desired location.

It will be appreciated that the present invention provides a simple yet effective sprinkler unit that is portable and easy to install and which employs two separate sprinkler systems to deliver water spray in the event of a fire. The vertical spacing between the separate sprinkler systems can be easily adjusted to accommodate different heights and diameters of spray as determined by the specific needs of the user.

Throughout the specification and claims the word "comprise" and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word "comprise" and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

A

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A fire containment sprinkler system comprising: a base configured to be supported above a ground surface, said base having an attachment for receiving water from a water source; a first sprinkler system mountable with respect to the base to distributing water therefrom in a first radial manner; a second sprinkler system mountable with respect to the first sprinkler system to distribute water therefrom in a second radial manner; wherein a vertical distance between the first sprinkler system and the second sprinkler system is variable.

2. A fire containment sprinkler system according to claim 1, wherein the second sprinkler system is mountable on an end of an extender pipe that extends between the first sprinkler system and the second sprinkler system and wherein the extender pipe is replaceable with extender pipes of varying length to vary the vertically distance between the first sprinkler system and the second sprinkler system.

3. A fire containment sprinkler system according to claim 1, wherein the first sprinkler system comprises a pair of rotating arms for delivering a controlled stream of water therefrom in a rotating manner

4. A fire containment sprinkler system according to claim 1, wherein the second sprinkler system is an impact sprinkler system.

5. A fire containment sprinkler system according to claim 1, wherein the base is supported on a plurality of legs pivotally attached thereto.

6. A fire containment sprinkler system according to claim 5, wherein the legs are extendable to vary a height of the base above the ground surface.

7. A fire containment sprinkler system to claim 6, wherein the legs have ground engagement members at an end thereof for penetrating the ground surface.

8. A fire containment sprinkler system according to claim 1, wherein the base is supported on a trolley having wheels for moving the sprinkler system.

9. A fire containment sprinkler system according to claim 8, wherein the trolley has a housing for housing a hose and reel, wherein the hose is extendable from the reel to connect with the water supply.