DE2805614A1 - WEIGHT-SENSITIVE BRACKET FOR A FIRE EXTINGUISHER FOR MONITORING ITS CHARGE STATE - Google Patents

Description

PATBNTANWAIiT

DIPL. ING. Ii. HOIiSBE
IPWNB-WHLSEB-STIlABSa 14

8900 AUGSBURG

TELEPHONE 516415 TELEX 5 33 202 patOl d

. • / .925

Augsburg, February 8, 1978

.3OC Limited,
Hammersmith House, London VJb 9DX »England

Weight-sensitive bracket for a fire extinguisher monitoring of its state of charge

The invention relates to a device for monitoring the charge level of a fire extinguisher.

According to current practice, fire extinguishers are relatively infrequent on their serviceability checked what its cause, among other things, in the constantly increasing costs for working time and travel time of the specialist staff between the service department of the fire extinguisher

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■ ⁴ ■ 28056H

manufacturer and the locations of the fire extinguisher has _o The inspection of fire extinguishers normally consists in a /."agung of the respective fire extinguisher to determine its Löschmittelinnalts based on the out of its total weight from _ö eleiteten weight, whether the actual extinguishing agents content or a predetermined -Linde! volume st that is sufficient to fight a fire of a size for which the fire extinguisher in question is designed.

The relatively large intervals between the individual checks naturally bring with them the danger that the fire extinguisher can be partially or completely emptied during one such interval Use or as a result of a reduction in its extinguishing agent content below a specified level due to leaks Minimum becomes unusable. This is particularly (but not limited to) carbon dioxide fire dissolvers.

The invention has for its object to provide a relatively simple and cheap device for permanent monitor the state of charge of a fire extinguisher, which is always easy to understand, even for non-specialists Displays the charge level.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the arrangement specified in the characterizing part of the main claim solved.

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Preferably the holder of the fire extinguisher has a resilient suspension for the fire extinguisher (i.e. a resilient device, expandable by the fire extinguisher weight, which can be attached to a wall or the like, so that the fire extinguisher held on it hangs, as it were, on a spring balance. However, according to an alternative Embodiment instead of a spring-elastic suspension a resilient support for the fire extinguisher (i.e. a resilient support weighted by the fire extinguisher compressible device) between the Floor of the fire extinguisher and a fixed structural part the bracket or between the fire extinguisher base and the Can be arranged floor of a building.

In a preferred embodiment with a resilient suspension, the holder has an essentially L-shaped part, the horizontal L-leg of which forms a platform on which the fire extinguisher stands, and whose vertical L-leg is attached to one end of a tension spring which is suspended at its other end on a bracket part that can be fastened to a V.'and or the like. With decreasing Feuerlös chergewiclit therefore finds a relative movement between the L-shaped member and the attachable ή on the wall aging part instead, and this relative movement may be by means of a simple visual display element displayed v / ground, many latter together with the L-shaped part

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is movable and, for example, as frvei is elaborately trained, ά & ο aurcii sin renster der is visible through it and an avriscaen s; three states distinguishing Ad supplies.

In order to avoid the Dall Fsder stiaidi ^ by ^ it Fsuerlöscherge'v'icht under üiDarinun ^ v held: IRD, the arrangement is preferably made such that the L-förmi _e e ¹ ₃ IEIL long as the fire extinguisher in a sufficient state of charge is located on a support element of said fixed ilalterun ^ steep or on another suitable support. In this case the spring lifts the fire extinguisher out of its rest position if it is emptied in such a way that it is unusable, so that this change of state is indicated.

Although a simple visual indicator is preferably provided this can also be done, for example, by a lilinic light display or an acoustic indicator replaces or that be combined which have a horn, a bell or the like can and in the event of the fire extinguisher becoming unusable comes into action.

An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in more detail

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described. It shows:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a holder

for a fire extinguisher, and

i'ig. 2 is a view in the direction of arrow II

in LIg. 1.

The drawings show a holder for a fire extinguisher 10, indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 1 and omitted in FIG. 2 for the sake of clarity has approximately vertical plate 13 connected by angle parts Ik. Approximately in the middle of its length, the vertical plate 13 is provided with elongated slots 15, into which guide pins 16, which are arranged on a support plate 17, protrude. At its lower end, the support plate is provided with a horizontal flange 25 which can be attached to the floor. However, the holder is preferably mounted on a wall, for which purpose the support plate 17 is provided with fastening eyelets 27.

The vertical plate 13 of the L-shaped part 11 is provided with a horizontal flange 18 at its upper end

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provided, which carries at its free end a projection 19 to which a display element 22 is attached. To the Flange 18 is attached to one end of a tension spring 20, the other end of which is attached to an upper flange 21 of the support plate is hung. In addition, a front plate 23 is arranged on the flange 21, which is connected to a front plate in front of the display element 22 lying window 24 is provided.

The display element can be an analog display element, for example with a calibrated scale, but preferably a two-state display element is used, for example has two fields with easily distinguishable colors, for example green for sufficient charge and red for insufficient charge of the fire extinguisher. Instead of colored Fields can also include the words "full" and "empty" to display the fire extinguisher charge level.

The spring 20 is designed so that when the fire extinguisher is full or contains at least sufficient filling for its usability, the base plate 12 of the part 11 rests on the flange 25 in order to reduce the spring tension. In this state, the usefulness of the fire release is signaled by the part of the display element 22 that is visible through the window 2k. However, if the fire extinguisher has emptied to such an extent that it does not

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is more useful, the spring 20 lifts the part 11 and the part now visible through the window 24 of the display element 22 then signals the lack Usability of the fire extinguisher.

Should the holder for another fire extinguisher be used with a different one that corresponds to the usability limit Limit weight are used, it can easily be adapted to this other fire extinguisher by the spring 20 is replaced by a new spring adapted to the other limit weight. Alternatively, the spring tension of the spring 20 can be made adjustable by, for example, the location of the upper attachment point of the spring is made adjustable. For this purpose, a screw-threaded connecting element can be placed between the spring and the flange 21 be provided.

Preferably, the upper end of the holder, which contains the spring and the display element, is completely encapsulated, to prevent unauthorized intervention in the mechanism of the charge status display.

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Blank

Claims (1)

Claims Device for monitoring the charge level of a fire extinguisher, characterized in that the same as a weight-sensitive holder (11, 17) for the fire extinguisher (10) is formed and has display means (22) which provide a weight-dependent display indicating whether the state of charge is sufficient or insufficient. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that that the holder has a resilient suspension (20) for the fire extinguisher. 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the holder has a resilient support of the Fire extinguisher. k. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the display means (22) provide a visual display of the respective charge status of the fire extinguisher. 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the display means is an acoustic Can emit a charge status signal. 8U9833 / 0949 ORIGINAL INSPECTED 28Q5614 5. Device according to claim 2, dadurcn bekenn ze i cane t, daiö the Haltun .ς a substantially L-förKi _ö it part (11), the horizontal L-arm (12) forms a platform on which the fire extinguisher (lü) can be set up, and its vertical L-leg (13) rait; his:; i upper uide (18) via a tension spring (2u) on one, on one ..ana or derv.1. attachable bracket part (17) is on ^ eaun ^ t. 7. "Device according to claim o, thereby öeK that the display means together with the L-shaped part (11) the holder moveable sxcht displaye lenient (22) have. 8. Device according to claims J, characterized in that the visual display element (22) provides a display distinguishing two states and that each part of aes display ^ eeleraents through a renster (24) of: ialterun. ^ Oicutoar is, y. Device according to one of Claims & to b, characterized in that the arrangement is made such that the L-fcrmi ^ e part (11), if the fire extinguisher has a sufficient charge, on a 3tutzelement (25) of the one - Ianä or the like fasten ar en Iialterun ₀ oteils (17) sits on. 809833/0949