CA1059875A - Automatically fire-extinguishing system - Google Patents

Abstract

AUTOMATICALLY FIRE-EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

Disclosed is an automatic fire-extinguishing system comprising one or more portable automatic fire-extinguishers placed at desired locations within a region wherein automatic extinguishment should be effected when a fire occurs therein.
Each of the fire-extinguishers includes integrally a bomb containing a fire-extinguishing gas under a pressure condition and a gas jetting nozzle connected through a valve to the bomb. At least one fire sensor is arranged at a desired location within the region. Each fire extinguisher is provided with an electro-mechanical means for opening the valve, an electrical means for actuating the opening means and an internal gas pressure detecting switch, and; an electric control circuit formed by the combination of the electric circuit of the opening means, electrical actuating means and the gas pressure detecting switch which are connected in series. If a plurality of fire extinguishers are utilized, the electric control circuits of these fire extinguishers are connected in series in such a way that the electrical actuating means of one fire extinguisher is capable of being-actuated in response to a fire signal from the fire sensor while the electrical actuating means of the other fire extinguishers are capable of being actuated by an output signal of the internal gas pressure detecting switch of an adjacent upstream fire extinguisher.

Description

~5~ 5 ~ACKGROUND O~ I~IE INVENl`ION
lield of -the Inven-tion This inven-tion relates to an automatic fire-extinguish-ing system, and par-ticularly to an automatic fire-extinguishing system utilizing a fire-extinguishing gas.
Description of the Prior Art In conventional automa-tic fire-extinguishing systems ~; utilizing a fire-extinguishing, a bomb containing a fire--extinguishing gas, such as halon gas, under pressure is .. ~
provided at a location. Several gas jetting nozzles are arranged at desired locations within a region wherein automa-tic extinguishing shouId he effected when a fire occurs ~ ~ :
therein. The gas jetting nozzles are connected through a valve and a pipe to the bomb. Fire sensors are arranged at desired locations within region. In response to a fire signal from -the fire sensors, the valve is opened -to cause fire-extinguishing gas to jet from the gas jetting nozzles into the region so that automatic ex-tinguishing can be effected therein. ~-However, since such conventional automatic fire- --extinguishing sys-tems require a complicated sys-tem of gas -~
pipes from a gas bomb to the gas jetting nozzles, the cost and ins-tallation of -the pipes is expensive. Moreover, since the gas pipes are fixedly arranged in the walls, ceiling, : :
etc., of a room defining a ~g~onl~Nherein automatic extinguishing should be effected when fire ~occurs therein, it is not easy to remove the gas pipes and to change the arrangement of the . ,; , gas jetting nozzles. Furthermore, the gas bomb to be used must have a capacity comparable with the space of the region -' ~ ~2-~ ~ .
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wherein autolnatic extlncJuishing should be eEfected and, therefore, gas bombs having different capacities must be prepared for diEferent reglons. This is very uneconomical.
- To eliminate the drawbac~cs of the above-mentioned conventional fire-ext:inguishing system, G.J. Grabowski e-t al invented the fire protection apparatus which is disclosed in the U.S. Patent 3,713,491. ~n this patent, a por-table autoMatic ~ire protection sys-tem is disclosed comprising battery powered, independent suppressor units, each including a supply of fire extinguishing fluid and a fire detector.
The connection of the individual unit's control circuits provides a control circuit network that au-tomatically initiates . -an extinguishing fluid discharge from all units in response to fire detection by any single unit.
Even though the Grabowski et al system eliminates the above mentioned problems of the previous pipe arrangement, the sensin~ capability of this systern is lowered because of the restricted disposi-tion of the fire detector upon each --independent suppressor. Since each suppressor is provided with the own-battery/ if a numher of suppressors are utilized for the fire-extinguishin~ system, the cost of the batteries becomes high.
The main object of~this inven-tion is to provide an ~-automatic fire-extinguishing system which eliminates the above described dïsadvantages of the prior arts/ and to enable easy installation or removal of the system in or from - a region wherein automatic fire-extin~uishing should be effected, and to allow a flexible arrangement of gas jetting nozzles according to the size and shape of the region.
` 30 SUMMARY OF T~IE INVENTION
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5~375 'rhe systelll oE the presellt inventloll comprises one ~r more portable automatic fire-extlnguis}lers placecl at desired locations within a region wherein automatic extinguishing ; should be efEected when a fire occurs thcrcin; each of the ., , ~
Eire-extinguishers integrally including a homb containing a fire-extinguishiny gas under yressure and a gas jetting nozzle connected -througll a valve to said homb; at least one fire sensor being arranged at a desired location within the region; each fire extinguisher bein~ provided with an electro--mechanical means for opening the valve, an electrical means for actuating the opening means and a gas pressure detec-ting switch which detects the gas pressure in the bomb; an electrieal control circuit being formed by the eombination of the electric circuits of the opening means, electrical actuating :, , lS means and the gas pressure detecting switch whieh are eonnected ; in series. IE a plurality of fire e~-tinguishers are utilized, the electric control cireuits of these fire extinguishers are connec-ted in series ln such a way that the electrical actuating means of one fire extinguisher is capable of being , . . . 20 actuated ln response to a fire signal from the fire sensor, while the electrical actuating means of the other fire extinguishers are capable of being actuated by an output signal of the internal gas pressure detecting switch of an , adjacent upstream fire extinguisher~ The electric circuit of the fire sensor (or sensors) is connected to a DC power source which is supplied from an AC power source via a conventional transformer and a rec-ti~ier or a DC power source of a battery. The above-mentioned elec-tric control circuit is also connected to the same power supply source as the electric circuit of the fire sensor (or sensors~. In ', , . ', ~, . :

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this automatic fire-extinguishiny system, the electro-mechanical opening means of the fire extinguishers are actuated one by one in accordance with the connection order of a series of the control circuits of the fire extinguishers. Therefore, a power source of very low capacity is required, as compared to an automatic fire-extinguishing system wherein all fire extinguishers are capable of being simultaneously actuated in response to a fire signal issued from any one of fire sensors.
Since the control circuit of each fire extinguisher is very :
simple and a plurality of control circuits are easily connected -~ I in series, the cost of the employment of the automatic fire ~ extinguishing system is greatly reduced from the cost of ; employment of the systems of the prior arts.
ccording to a ~urther broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic fire-extinguishing - system comprising one or more automatic fire-extinguishers placed at desired locations within a region wherein automatic extinguishing should be effected when fire occurs therein, each of said fire-extinguishers including integrally a bomb ~ 20 containing a fire-extinguishlng gas under pressure and a gas .~ . I .
jetting nozzle connected through a valve to said bomb, at least one fire sensor arranged at a desired location within : ,.~ . .
said region, and intermediate electric power supply source connected to said automatic fire-extinguishing system, each fire extinguisher provided with a relay to receive an actuation signal issued from anyone of said fire sensor or sensors and an electro-mechanical means for opening said valve, a gas jetting detecting switch for detecting gas pressure in said bomb and a unit control circuit for controlling the actuation of said fire-extinguisher, said unit control circuit comprising a series circuit provided with an electric actùation circuit o~ said opening means and an on-off switch which are controlled by said relay _~ _ ~ A
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5~875 for connection in series, a terminal of said series circuit connected to a terminaL of said intermediate power supply source, a switch means of said gas jetting detecting switch for interrupting power supply to said series circuit in response to reduction of internal gas pressure in said bomb and for simultaneously out-putting an electric potential of the other terminal of said intermediate power supply source to an output terminal of said unit control circuit, said switch means connected to the other terminal of said series circuit and the other terminal of said intermediate power supply source, said relay of one of said fire-extinguishers being capable of receiving a fire signal issued from said fire sensor while said relay of the other fire-extinguisher being capable of receiving an actuation signal from said ~'~
i~ .
~ output terminal of said unit control circuit of said fire~
. . .
;~, extinguisher arranged at an adjacently upstream position concerning electric connection.
, BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING
~, Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of ; 20 the automatic fire-extinguishing system according to this ~ invention.
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Fig. 2A is a schematic side view of a valve provided with an electro-mechanical means for opening the valve and an internal gas pressure detecting switch applied for each fire-extinguisher according to the present invention.
Fig. 2B is a schematic side view of the valve shown in Fig. 2A, indicating the opening condition thereof.
-~ Fig. 3 is a diagram representing a series of control -:
circuits applied to the automatic fire extinguishing system shown in Fig. 1.
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- Fig. 4A is a diagram of the control circuit of an `, automatic fire-extinguishing system utilizing a single fire-; extinguisher according to the present invention.

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. ~ Pig. 9B is a diagram of a part of tlle control circuit of a modifled embodiment of the automatic fire extinguishing system utilizing a plurality of Eire-extinguisilers according to the present invention.
D13TAILE:D EXPL~NI'.TION OF TEI~ INVENTIO~ :
~s illustrated in Fig. 1, a plurality of portable automatic fire-extinguishers (No. 1, ~o. 2, ...) are placed at desired locations within a region, for example, a room wherein automatic extinguishing should be effec-ted when a fire occurs therein. The number of fire-extinguishers may - be selected according to the size and shape of -the region.
In this system, the portable automatic fire-extinguisher ~o. 1 comprises a housing 1, a bomb 2, containing a fire~
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-extlnguishing gas such as halon gas under pressure and i 15 accomodated in the housing 1, and a conduit 3 for fire-extinguis-l hing gas extending from the bomb 2 to the outside of the ;~1 housing. The conduit 3 is provided at its in-termediate '.! portions with a valve 4, a internal pressure detecting switch 5 and gas jet detec-ting switch 6 and a-t its end :
opposite the bomb 2 with a gas jetting nozzle 7.
A control box 3 involves an intermediate power source comprising a transformer and a rectifier, and electric ~ elements-for indicating the condition of the elements of the .;
automatic fire-extinguishing system according to the present invention. The intermediate power source is connected to a conventional AC power supply source. Ins-tead of utilizing such a power supply system, a battery such as a Cadomium battery may be utilized. To prevent a trouble due to an unexpected electric power failure, it is preferable to use . .~ .
an alternatively actuatable power supply system comprising ~ , : .
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`~ the above-mentiolled intermediate power source and the battery.
The portable automatic Eire-extinguishers (~lo. 2, . . . ) other than the fire-extinguisher No. 1 in -this system are ~' identical with the fire-extinguisher ~lo. 1, except tilat control box 8 is removed. The control box 3 can be exchangeably ` mounted on any of the fire-extinguishers (No. 2, ... ).
Fire sensors 9 are arranged at desired locations within the region, for example at several positions in the ceiling of a room defining the reglon. ~ fire signal from `~
the fire sensors 9 is transmitted over a line Ll to a relay box 10 of the first fire extinguisher No. 1.
he sensors 9 recieve electric power from the inter-mediate power source via a line Lo~ The earth terminal of the relay box 10 of the first fire extinguisher i~o. 1 is connected to a ground of the intermediate power source.
When a signal issued from any of the fire sensors 9 is ~;
transmitted to the relay box 10 of the first fire extinguisher -- No. 1, which contains a unit control circuit, an electro-mechanical means (not shown3 for opening the valve ~ is actuated so that fire-extinguishiny gas from the bomb 2 is .-, . . . .
.:~!j j etted through the conduit 3 and out of the gas jetting nozzle 7. Therefore~ the gas pressure of the bomb 2 is ~ -~ rapidly reduced. The gas detecting switch 6 comprises a ;` ;~
-~, bellows (not shown) which is capable of expanding along ; 25 the axial direction thereof if the gas is contained in tlie bomb 2 in compressed condition, and a limit switch (not ;, shown) which is actuated by the deformation of the bellows.
.1 '.
. ~hen the gas contained in the bomb 2 of the first fire extinguisher No. 1 is jetted from the nozzle 7, since the gas pressure in the bomb 2 is remarkably lowered, the switch : . : .
! - 7 -.
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~59~75 6 detects this condition ancl lssues a signal to actu~tes ~le relay box 10 of the second fire extinguisher No. 2, by way of a connection line L,3. Conseq-uently, an electro-; -mechanical means-(not shown) for opening the valve 4 of the second fire extinguisher No. 2 is actuated to open the valve 4. The relay box 10 of the third f`ire extinguisher ~ .,-No. 3 (not shownJ is,actuated by a signal issued from the switcll 6 oE the second fire extinguisher No. 2 in the same manner as the signal transmission from the switch 6 of the ' 10 first fire ex-tinguisher No. 1 to the relay box 10 of the second fire extinguisher No. 2 as mentioned hereinbeEore.
'`'! If more than four fire extinguishers are utilized for the automa-tic fire extinguishing system according to ; the present invention, the transmission of the actuation , lS signal from the s~ltch 6 of the upstream fire extinguisher ,' to the downstream fire extinguisher is carried out in the same manner as mentioned above. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a power so~lrce having large capacity. Consequently, a ~;
~( power source having only a capaci,ty sufficient for actuating `. 20 the sensors 9 and the control circuit of a single fire extinguisher can be utilized for th'e automatic fire extin-~ guishing system provided with a plurality of fire ex-tinguishers, ,;~ according to the present invention.
,,-, ' 'The control circuit of the automatic fire extinguishing, . ,~ .
'' 25 system according to the present invention can be made very - ;~
,,, easily by simply connecting the control circuits of the ~'1 component fire extinguishers in series. This is one of the distinguished merits of the present invention.
' Iri the above-mentioned embodiment of the automatic - 30 fire extinguishing system shown in Fig. 1, if a control . , , ' .
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circuit Or anyone o~ the ~ire extin~3ui.shers, Eor example that of the fire ext.inguisher No. 1, does not work Eor any reason, the control circuit of the downstream fire extin-guishers can not work, because of the construction of the assembled control circuit. Therefore, in this condition, `~
the fire ex-tinyuishing system can not operate functionally.
To prevent such a problem from ocurring, a -time control system is applied to each fire extinguisher. The detailed construction ~ and function of this system is hereinafter explained with ; 10 reference to Fig. 3.
According to our experience, there is a possibility . :
of gas leakage from the bomb 2. If the contained gas does leak from the bomb 2, it is impossible to expect the effective . jetting -of gas from the nozzle 7 and, on the other hand, -the switch 6 is actuated in spite of the fact that the fire . sensors 9 have not deteeted a fire. In such eondition, the ~-. :~ . .
~ control eircuits of the fire extinguishers at the respeetive ;
`` positions downstream from the posit:ion of the fire extin-. guisher from which the gas has leaked, are actuated by the ., -~ 20 signal issued from the switch 6 of the fire extinguisher :. from which the gas leaked. Therefore, it is preferable to ;; prevent such a problem caused by possible gas leakage from -~
the bomb 2. To complete~y prevent this problem, the electric . circuit of the internal pressure deteeting switeh 5 is .~ 25 inserted in a line connecting the control cireuits of two .; .
adjaeent fire-extinguishers so that, even if the switch 6 of an upstream fire extinguisher of two adjacent fire extinguishers issues a signal to actuate the elements of ~; ~the downstream fire ex-tinguisher, the transmission of such si.gnal is interrupted by the eleetrie eireuit of the ,, g ~
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internal pressure detectlng switch 5 oE the upstream fire extinguisher from which the cJas leakecl. Consequently, any possible problem due to unexpected gas leakage from any fire extinguisiler can be perfectly prevented.
Tile automatic Eire extinguishing system may be designed to transmit a fire signal over a line L5 and a commercial telephone line via an EG station to a remote central monitor.
The automatically fire extinguishing system of this invention, as described above, requires only one kind of automatic fire ex-tinguisher, such as the fire extinguisher No. l and No. 2 described above which have a suitable same capacity. Namely in the present system, a necessary number of the same portable fire extinguishers may be placed at suitable locations within a region according to the size and shape of the region. Therefore, the present system is very economical and flexible, compared with conven-tional systems wherein many kinds of bombs having different capacities must be prepared. Furthermore, the automatic fire extin-guishing system of this invention can be installed in a region only by placing one or more portable fire extinguishers such as the fire extinguishers (No. 1, No. 2, ...) at ; suitable locatlons withi~ the region, but requires no complicated system of pipes Erom a gas bomb to a number of gas jetting nozzles, which system of pipes would be . .. .
needed in conventional systems as described hereinbefore.
Therefore, installation and removal of the present system can be very easily effected, and modification of the arrangement of the fire extinguishers can be very easily carried out.

. - 10 -1al 5~37S
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Moreover, in the prescnt system, only one exchangeable controller 8 may be prepared for the Eire~extinguisher No. 1 and similar controllers for the other fire~ex-tinguishers ` tNo. 2, .. )~may be omitted. As a resul-t a very economical system can be employed.
Detailed ~xplanation of the Valve Disposed in a Connected I'ortlon between the Bomb and the Condui't J~xtelldiny to the Nozzle Referring to Fiys. 2A and 2s, the construction and function of the valve 4 disposed in a connected portion ' between the bo~b 2 and the conduit'3 extending to the . . .
nozzle 7 is explained in detail. A conduit 2a extendlng from the'bomb 2 is provided with'a T shaped head portion 2b '~ wherein both ends are ope'ned. One end of the T shaped ,~:; .
head portion 2b is threaded and -thread engaged with an end ' of the conduit 3, while the other end of the T shaped head ., ' portion 2b is also threaded and thread engaged with a cap 13 so as to seal the opening. The cap 13 is provided with . :, .
~ a central aperture which is covered by a metallic or plastic '~ 20 film 13a. The valve 4 is slidably positioned in a cylindrical ;
room of the T shaped head portion 2b. The cylindrical room is composed of a narrow room and a wide room so that a ring ~' ~ . , ' shaped wall is formed between these two component rooms : . :
-~l as shown in Figs. 2~ and 2B. The valve 4 is posi~ioned in ~' ' ' the wide room in such a way that when the valve 4 contacts the ring shaped wall, the connection between the conduit 3 '~

'~ and the conduit 2a is interrupted, while'when the valve ;,, .
4 rnoves away from the above-mentioned ring shaped wall '~ toward the cap 13, the conduit 3 is connected to the conduit 2a. The valve 4 is provided with a cylindrical recess ~ ' ,, .:
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4a (Fig. 2s) coaxially formed thereill at the side o~ the cap 13 and a cylinc1rical room 12 formed therein as shown in Fiy.
2A. The room 12 is connected to outside of the body of the valve 4 by means of a plurality of thin conduits 12a which are capable of connecting the room 12 to the conduit 2a only when the valve 4 interrupts the connection between the conduit 2a and the conduit 3~ An expancion spring 14 is lnserted in a space formed by the cylindrical room 4a `~ and a possible space between the`valve 4 and the cap 13, and consequently, the valve 4 is always urged toward the conduit 3. The spring force of the helical spring 14 is so selected tha-t if the gas pressure in the space involving the spring 14 is reduced by the gas leaking -through any possible hole in the film 13a, the pressure imparted to the ;~, transversal wall of the cylindrical room 12 exceeds the resistance created by the spring 14, and consequently, the valve 4 is displaced toward the cap 13. An electro--mechanical means for opening the valve 4 is a solenoid mechanism 16 provided with a needle 15 which is capable . - ,i of inserting into the film 13a at a center position thereof when the solenoid is a~-tuated. Fig. 2A represen-ts the standby condition of the needle 15, while Fig. 2B represents the working condition of the needle 15 wherein the film 13a is broken at the center position thereof. When the film 13a is broken at the center position thereo~, the gas contained in the space formed by the cylindrical space 4a and the space between the valve 4 and the cap 13 escapes through the brokened aperture o~ the film 13a, and consequently, the gas pressure in this space is instantly lowered. Accordingly, the valve 4 is displaced from its interrupt position toward , ~s5~
the cap 13 and the conduit 2a is connected to the conduit 3.
When the Eire extinguishing gas is supplied into the bomb 2, before assembling the necessary elements of each ~ fire extinguisher, a gas supply condui-t (not shown) is ~ ' ~ 5 firstly thread engaged with the T shaped head por-tion of the conduit 2a while the other end oE the T shaped head portion is sealed with the cap 13. Then, the fire extin-guishing gas of high pressure is supplied via the gas supply conduit. In this condition, -the valve 4 is displaced ,-~ 10 to the position adjacent to the cap 13 so that the,gas supply .. , :
' conduit is connected to the conduit 2a. After the bomb 2 .; .
is filled with the fire extinguishing gas, the gas supply is stopped. Since there is a very small cylindrical ' -clearance between the peripheral surface of the valve 4 ~, 15 and the inside wall of the T shaped head portion, the space formed by the cylindrical space 4a and -the space between '~ ~ -:, . :
~`~ the valve and the cap 13'is gradually filled with the gas `~ and the gas pressure in the above-mentioned space becomes ,~
~, the same as that of the bomb 2. In this condition, the valve 4 is automatically displaced toward the ring shaped wall formed between the thin cylindrical portion and the thick cylindrical portion of the T shaped head portion 2b, and finally, the valve 4'is urged against the ab,ove-mentioned `
' ring shaped wall so that the T shaped head portion 2b is ,,' 25 completely sealed by -the valve 4. ,' ~ , . ,~, - :
, The gas iet detecting switch 6 comprises a bellows ~ ,; -', , ~not shown) always connected to the condui-t 2a as shown in ,'~
., - . Fig. 2A. Therefore when the bomb 2 is filled with the fire extinguishing gas, the bellows is axially expanded in ~ ' ,, 30 accordance with the gas pressure. A limit switch (not shown) :

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is disposed at a position adjacent to the bellows in such a condition that the limit switch normally closes a circuit when the belows is axially expandecl, and the above-mentioned circuit is opened and another circuit is closed when the axial deformation of the bellows is eliminated. The above--mentioned condtion of elimination of the axial deformation of the bellwws corresponds to the gas ejection Erom the bomb 2.
Control Circuit of the Automatic Fire-extinguishillg System ~, 10 The control circuit of the automatic fire-extinguishing ;~ system shown in Fig. 1 is hereinafter explained in detail with reference to the circuit diagram shown in Fig. 3. The control circuit oE each fire-extinguisher is identical as shown in Fig. 3. Therefore this control circuit is herein-after referred to as a unit control circuit. The unit control circuit comprises: a magnetic relay 17, provided : .
with an on-off switch 17a; a timer relay 18, which is also a magnetic relay provided with an on-off switch 18a; an :~
electric circuit 16a of a solènoid (not shown) of the ` 20 electro-mechanical means for opening the valve 4, and; an electric circuit 19 of a limit switch (not shown) of the gas jet detecting siwtch 6. The unit control circuit is . .~, .
connected to an intermediate power source 8 comprising a transformer 8a and rectifier 8b. A terminal of the `, 25 magnetic relay 17 and an terminal of the timer relay 18 are connected to a ground L6 which is connected to one terminal of the rectifier 8b. The other terminal of the relays 17 and 18 are connected to an input terminal lla of a control circuit 11 in parallel condition. One terminal ` 30 of the on-off switch 17a is connected to the ground L6 while ": ` :`

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: ~59~5 tlle other terminal of the switch 17a is connected to an input terminal of the elect:ric circuit 16a oE the solenoid of the electro-rnechanical means for opening the valve 4. ., :
:~ The limit switch 19 is provided with three terminals l9a, :~
:: 5 l9b and l9c and the output terminal of -the electric circuit ~; , 16a is connected to the terminal l9c of the limit switch .` 19. The terminal 19a is normally closed -to the terminal ' ~ ~.
19c by the axial expansion oE the bellows oE the ~as jet ~ ,' .~' detecting switch 6 while the bomb 2 is Eilled with the ~' . ~; . . .
', 10 compressed fire-extinguishing gas, but is capable of being - ~ ~ ~
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' connected to the terminal 19b when the bellows axially .
,, shrinks due to the gas jetting from the bomb 2. The ~ terminal l9a is also normally connected to a power supply ,' ''~ ' line L2 which is connected the other terminal of the rectifier , 15 8b. The terminal 19b is connected to an output terminal .
'`~ llb of the control circuit 11. The line of this connection ~, "l is hereinafter referred to as a line L3. The line L2 ~ ~ disposed in the control circuit 11 is provided with an `~, i input terminal lld and an output ,terminal llc, and the ' -~' ,l 20 on-off switch l~a is utilized so as to be able to connect ',~
the line L2 to the line L3~ This on-off switch 1'8a is . .~
actuated by the timer relay 18. . '~.-: ' "' ;',. In the automatic ,fire-extinguishing system shown ,~' in Fig. 1, the fire sensors 9 are electrically connected . .
25 in a series and, referring to Fig. 3 again, the input 1 terminal thereof is connected to the line L2 by way of a ',.~ line I~o while the output terminal thereof is connected to ~ .
,.~ the input terminal lla of the control circuit of the first :, fire-extnguisher No. 1. The unit control clrcuit of the ~;
'~ 30 fire-extinguisher ~o. 2 is connected to the un.it control :~ .:' ' ~' . ' , , . . .
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circuit of the ~irc-ex~LIlguisller No. 1 in such a way that the input terminal lla of the fire-extinguisher No. 2 is connectecl to the output terminal llb of the fire-extinguisher No. 1, while the input terminal lld oE the line L~ of the fire-extinguisher No. 2 is connected to the output terminal llc of the line L2 of the fire-extinguisher No. 1. The ~ .
~ connection of the uni-t control circuits of two adjacent fire-i -extinguishers are made in the same way as the above-mentioned connection of the unit control circuits of the fire-extinguishers l~o. 1 and No. 2. Therefore, in a case of utilizing a large number of fire-extinguishers for the automatic fire-extinguishing `~ system according to the present invention, the assembled control ~ circuit for controlling the functional operation of the fire-. . . . .
; -extinguishers can be made very simply.
,-The functional operation of the automatic fire-extin-guishing system shown in Figs. 1 and 3 will now be explained ~. - . :
in detail. When anyone of the fire sensors 9 detects a fire, the line Lo is connected to the line Ll so that the sensing - -~
`i signal is input to the unit contro~ circuit of the fire-;~ 20 -extinguisher ~o. 1. Consequently, the magnet relay 17 ` is actuated to close the switch 17a. When the switch 17a is closed, the electric circuit 16a of the solenoid of the ;
electro-mechanical means-for opening the valve 4 is energized, ;
so that the solenoid is actuated and inserts the needle 15 into the Eilm 13a (Figs. 2A, 2B). Accordingly, the film ., .
13a is broken so that the gas contalned in the space formed by the cylindrical space 4a and the space between the valve 4 and the cap 13 escapes therefrom, and the valve 4 is displaced toward the cap 13. When the valve 4 is displaced as mentioned above, the conduit 3 is connected to the conduit ~ .

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'~ 2a so that the fire extinyuishing gas is ejected from the nozzle 7 of the Eire-e~tinguisher No. l. Con.sequently, the gas pressure in the bomb 2 is remarkably reduced so that bellows oE the switch 6 is axially contracted. Accordingly, ' the connection between the terminals l9a and l9c of the ~'' limit sw.itch 19 is opened and the terminal l9b is~connected . ~.
to the terminal 19c of the l.imit switch l9 of the fire~
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:.~ -extinguisher No. l. Therefore, electric power is transmi't-ted ; to the line L3 of the unit control circuit of the fire- ;

-extinguisher No. 2 via the output terminal llb of the . . ~ .~: unit control circuit of the fire-extinguisher No. 1 and ~! the input terminal lla of -the unit control circuit of the -~ fire-extinguisher No. 2. Consequently, the fire-extinguisher ~' ~; No. 2 is actuated to eject the fire-extinguishing gas from '-i , . , ~' 15 the nozzle 7 thereof in the same manner as mentioned above.
The fire-extinguishers No. 3, No. 4 and so on, are actuated .. ' so as to eject the fire-extinguishing gas from their own :' nozzles 7 one by one in succession, as mentioned above. ~` ;
'~ In the above-mentioned automatic fire-extinguishing system, if the relay 17 of the unit control circuit of some '.~'; fire-extinguisher does not work, the fire-extinguishers arranged at electrically downstream positions can not work;
v'~ For example, if the rela~ 17 of the fire-extinguisher No. l ;~
" , ''l does not worlc, since it is impossible to energize the ~".'' 25 electric circuit 16a of the solenoid, the unit control circuit of the fire-extinguisher No. 2 can not receive tlle ~-~ electrical actuation si.gnal from the'unit control clrcuit of the fire-extinguisller No. 1. Therefore, the remaining fire-extinguishers No. 2, No. 3, and so on, can not work.
To prevent such a problem, the timer relay 13 is utilized '~ - 17 -` ' .
, 1~5~
in the Ullit control circuit oE eacll fire-extinguisller.
That is, when an actuation signal is transmitted to the timer relay 18, the timer relay 18 is actuated to close the on-off switch 18a-a~ter a predetermined time after the signal is transmit-ted thereto. Therefore, even if the magnet relay 1~ does not close the on-off switch 17a, the unit control ~ clrcuit of the fire-extinguisher No. 2 receives power from ; the line L via the on-off swi-tch 18a and -the terminals llb of the unit con-trol circuit of the fire-extinguisher No. 1. Accordingly the fire-extinguishers, arranged at -~ ;
-~ electrically downstream positions from the fire-extinguisher wherein the magnet relay 17 does not wor]~, can be perfectly ~ operated.
`~ As mentioned above, the fire-extinguishers of the , . . .
automatic fire-extinguishing system shown in Fiy. 1 are actuated so as to eject the fire-extinguishing gas from ~ their own nozzle 7 one by one successively, and; the ; capacity of the intermediate power supply source can be ~.~ . . . ... .
reduced to a great extent from that required for the prior arts, for example reduced to only a capacity sufficient to work the sensors 9 and a single unit control circuit of ~, a fire-extinguisher. ~s already pointed out, this is one of the advantages of the automatic fire-extinguishing system according to the present invention.
.~' ' ,, .
In the above-mentioned embodiment of the automatic ~ ~
: -fire-extinyuishing system according to the present invention, , several fire-extinguishers are utilized. Ilowever, it is :. .
;; also possible to use only a single fire-extinguisher which is utilized as component fire-ex-tinguisher of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. The control circuit of this embodiment ~'' .

. . --' , , ~ 'i . ;' ' `' , ' ' . , ~ 5~7~
;~ is shown in Fiy. ~
~ ccording to our experience, tllere is a possibility of gas leakage aEter disposition of -the fire-extlnguishers , in the region to be protected. If the fire-eXtinguishing `' 5 gas leaks from the bomb 2 of any fire-ex-tinguisher, since -~ the gas pressure in the bomb 2 is remarkably lowered, the bellows of the cJas jetking detecting switch 6 may be axially contracted so that the limit switch 19 works in the ' ' same wày as when a fire signal is issued from the sensor ~ 10 9. That is, the actuation power is transmitted from the ~' ', line L2 via the terminals 19a, 19b and llb of the unit , . . ~ , . . -: .
,~' 'control circuit of the fire-extinguisher, wherein the gas ~, ' , , ~1 , , ~
',~ leaked from the bomb 2, to the line L3 of the unit control ' circuit of the fire-extinguisher arranged at electrically ,' 15 downstream position therefrom. Therefore, the latter fire~
`, -extinguisher,is actuated so as to e~ect the fire-extinguishing , t!i gas from the nozzle 7 thereof~ To prevent such possibility, ' a safety switch 5 (Fig. 1) is insert'ed into each~ unit ~i control circuit of any fire-extinguisher. This safety switch ,~ 20 5 has a simi].ar construction -to the construction of the , switch 6 as shown in Fig. 4B. That is, the safety switch ~;. . .
- comprises a limit switch 20 and a bellows (not-shown) which , is capable of axlally expanding or contracting according i~ 'to the gas pressure in the bomb. The limit switch 20 ;' 25 is provided with an output,terminal,20a, an input terminal '~', 20b and a safety terminal 20c. The terminal 20a is normally '', closed to the terminal 20b due to khe axial expansion of ''~ - the bellows. 13Owever, if the bellows is contracted due to .; .
gas leakage from the bomb 2, the terminal 20a is connected to the safety terminal 20c. This safety switch 5 is'put into , .

,,, - 19 -~, . .

~S~8~5 the unit control circuit of each Eire-extinguisher as shown in Fig. 1. As it can be clearly under6tood f~om the disclosure ~ -of Fig. 4~, the output terminal l9a of the limit switch 19 is connected to the inuut terminal 20b of the limit switch 20, while the output terminal 20a is connected to the line L2. ~ccordingly, even though the gas pressure in the bomb

2 is lowered by the gas leakage from -the bomb 2, the unit control circuit of the fire-extinyuisher, arranged at an - electrically downstream position from the fire-extinguisher 1~ wherein the fire-extinguishing gas leaked from the bomb 2, does not receive any actuation signal. Consequently the above-mentioned possible trouble due to the gas leakage from the bomb 2 can be perfectly prevented.

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Claims (6)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclu-sive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An automatic fire-extinguishing system comprising, one or more automatic fire-extinguishers placed at desired locations within a region wherein automatic extinguishing should be effected when fire occurs therein, each of said fire-extinguishers including integrally a bomb containing a fire-extinguishing gas under pressure and a gas jetting nozzle connected through a valve to said bomb, at least one fire sensor arranged at a desired location within said region, and intermediate electric power supply source connected to said automatic fire-extinguishing system, each fire extinguisher provided with a relay to receive an actuation signal issued from any one of said fire sensor or sensors and an electro-mechanical means for opening said valve, a gas jetting detecting switch for detecting gas pressure in said bomb and a unit control circuit for controlling the actuation of said fire-extinguisher, said unit control circuit comprising a series circuit provided with an electric actuation circuit of said opening means and an on-off switch which are controlled by said relay for connection in series, a terminal of said series circuit connected to a terminal of said intermediate power supply source, a switch means of said gas jetting detecting switch for interrupting power supply to said series circuit in response to reduction of internal gas pressure in said bomb and for simultaneously out-putting an electric potential of the other terminal of said intermediate power supply source to an output terminal of said unit control circuit, said switch means connected to the other terminal of said series circuit and the other terminal of said intermediate power supply source, said relay of one of said fire extinguishers being capable of receiving a fire signal issued from said fire sensor while said relay of the other fire extinguisher being capable of receiving an actuation signal from said output terminal of said unit control circuit of said fire extinguisher arranged at an adjacently upstream position concerning electric connection.

2. An automatic fire-extinguishing system according to claim 1, further comprising a timer relay inserted into said unit control circuit of each fire-extinguisher and an on-off switch connecting said other terminal of said intermediate power supply source and a connected line between an output terminal of said gas jetting detecting switch and said output terminal of said unit control circuit, said timer relay being capable of closing said on-off switch in response to an input actuation signal into said unit control circuit.

3. An automatic fire-extinguishing system according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary control circuit means for interrupting the transmission of an output signal from said gas jetting detecting switch to said output terminal of said unit control circuit of each fire extinguisher, said auxiliary control circuit inserted into a connection circuit between said output terminal of said gas jetting detecting switch and said output terminal of said unit control circuit, said auxiliary control circuit being capable of actuating in response to the reduction of internal gas pressure below a predetermined value.

4. An automatic fire-extinguishing system according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate power supply source comprises a tranformer and rectifier connected to said transformer.

5. An automatic fire-extinguishing system according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate power supply source is a D. C. Battery.

6. An automatic fire-extinguishing system according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate power supply source is mounted on any of said fire-extinguishers.