WO2019168456A1

WO2019168456A1 - Safety pin for a fire extinguisher

Info

Publication number: WO2019168456A1
Application number: PCT/SE2019/050156
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ahmed MIREÉ
Original assignee: Progressive Safety Sweden Ab
Priority date: 2018-03-01
Filing date: 2019-02-20
Publication date: 2019-09-06
Also published as: SE1800049A1; EP3758805A4; SE541570C2; EP3758805A1

Abstract

A safety pin (4) for a fire extinguisher (1 ), which is mainly comprised of a container for fire extinction agent, a handle part arranged at the container with a transport handle (2) and an operating handle (3) pivotaily attached in relation to the transport handle, operated by a pivotal movement and thereby activating a discharge device with a discharge valve for discharge of the fire extinction agent. The safety pin (4) blocks the operating handle against accidental activation in a locked position by extending through holes (10-13) in side walls (6-9) in both the transport handle and the operating handle. The safety pin (4) consists of two pin portions (15,16) which each have a free end (18,19) and between them has a free space (17). The two pin portions (15,16) are interconnected by means of a connecting portion (21 ), provided with a gripping and pulling portion (22). By this, the two pin portions may substantially simultaneously and with a short pulling movement with the gripping and pulling portion, shift from locking position to releasing position, when each pin portion with its ends releases at least a respective one of the holes in the handle part.

Description

SAFETY PIN FOR A FIRE EXTINGUISHER

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a safety pin for a fire extinguisher according to the preamble of the subsequent claim 1. TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Fire extinguishers in the form of movable units comprise mainly a container for an extinction agent, an outlet opening having an outlet valve, a transport handle and an operating handle for controlling the outlet valve. In order to prevent accidental discharge, there is a safety device in the form of a safety pin. The safety pin, which is provided with an eyelet, extends through and locks in openings between the operating handle of the fire extinguisher and the transport handle, which have a common pivot shaft. The safety pin is sealed with a sealing which is broken when the safety pin is drawn out when using the fire extinguisher. In a case of fire, panic might easily break out and people do not always act in a sensible way. Since the fire extinguisher is lifted in the transport handle and the operating handling

simultaneously, the safety pin is jammed. Because the transport handle and the operating handle are pivoted on a common pivot shaft and since the force applied on the operating handle acts on a larger radius to the pivot shaft and since the safety pin sits on a smaller radius to the pivot shaft, there is a gear ratio for the applied force. A comparatively small force on the operating handle will then result in a substantially higher force on the safety pin. Because many people do not know or realize that the safety pin is jammed, this happens time after time and it is a great problem, since most often it is a very urgent task to get the fire extinguisher going.

A fire extinguisher, which operates immediately when activated is a critical condition which has to be fulfilled in order to quickly prevent a fire. A number of attempts have been made to prevent these drawbacks caused by jamming of the safety pin, see for example SE patent 381 816 B, wherein a weakened safety pin is used which is broken when the operating handle is pressed down with a force towards the transport handle. Unfortunately, this might also cause accidental triggering of the extinguishing agent, if someone depresses the handle too hard, when the fire extinguisher is not to be used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, one object of the invention is to solve the above problem by providing a safety pin according to the present invention, the characterizing features of which are presented in claim 1.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described more in detail below in connection with a couple of embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a fire extinguisher of the type for which the invention is relevant, having a handle part with a safety pin that locks a transport handle and an operating handle of the handle part to each other,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the handle part of the fire extinguisher, which is provided with the safety pin according to a first embodiment of the invention, Fig. 3 and 4 shows by a section through along the line A-A in Fig. 1 the safety pin in its first embodiment according to the invention, in a blocking position and a releasing position respectively,

Fig. 5 and 6 is a side view and a top view, respectively, of the handle part provided with the safety pin according to the invention in a second embodiment, in the blocking position,

Fig. 7 is a section through a part of the handle part and through the safety pin in the second embodiment, along the line E-E in Fig. 5 in the blocking position,

Fig. 8 is an end view from behind of the handle part and the safety pin in the second embodiment, in the blocking position, Fig. 9 is a corresponding view of Fig. 8 of the safety pin in the second embodiment, but in the releasing position, Fig. 10 is a top view of the handle part and the safety pin in the second embodiment, in its releasing position,

Fig. 11 is a corresponding section of Fig. 7, but with the safety pin in its releasing position, Fig. 12 is a top view of the handle part, provided with the safety pin according to a third embodiment of the invention, with the safety pin in the blocking position,

Fig. 13 is also a top view of the handle part, provided with the safety pin according to the third embodiment, but with the safety pin in its releasing position,

Fig. 14 is a side view of the handle part with the safety pin in the third embodiment in its blocking position, wherein also the discharge/outlet valve of the fire extinguisher is showed,

Fig. 15 is a section through the handle part and the safety pin in the third

embodiment in its blocking position, along a section line A-A in Fig. 14,

Fig. 16 is a corresponding section view of Fig. 15 of the handle part along the same section line A-A, but with the safety pin in the releasing position.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The device according to the invention in the form of a safety pin is intended to be applied on a portable type of fire extinguisher 1 , which upper part is shown in Fig. 1. This prior art type fire extinguisher 1 is provided with a pull-out ring 5 in a safety pin 4, which locks a transport handle 2 provided on a container for extinction agent, and an operating handle 3 to each other in order to prevent accidental discharge of the extinction agent. The safety pin 4 is inserted through holes in the side parts of the transport handle 2 and the operating handle 3, respectively. When the fire

extinguisher is to be used, it is gripped by the hand simultaneously over both the transport handle 2 and the operating handle 3, whereby the force which presses them towards each other inadvertently jams the conventionally designed safety pin 4, so that it cannot be pulled out.

With reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the basic principle for the safety pin according to the invention is described by a first embodiment. The transport handle 2 shows in a known way two side walls 6, 7 which extends adjacent to two side walls 8, 9 of the operating handle 3. These are arranged to be able to be displaced parallel to one another during operation in a releasing position of the safety pin 4, in the example by a pivoting movement in known manner around a pivot shaft 31 , as shown in Fig. 2. The two side walls 6, 7 of the transport handle 2 as well as the two side walls 8, 9 of the operating handle 3 have through holes 10-13 which, in an unaffected position for the operating handle 3, are opposite each other, i.e. centered around a common axis of symmetry 14. The holes 10-13 are visible in Figs. 3 and 4 by that these figures shows sections along the axis of symmetry 14 and across the side walls 6-9. The blocking position is thus ensured by the safety pin 4 being inserted into the four holes and blocking movements between the operating handle 3 and the transport handle 2 across the plane of the paper.

The safety pin 4 is according to the invention made with two pin portions 15, 16, arranged with a mutual free space 17 i.e. with a distance between each other, but are connected to each other to follow a determined synchronized movement pattern. The pin portions 15, 16 each have free ends 18, 19, which are spaced apart at a predetermined distance, namely substantially the same distance as the mutual distance between hole 10 in one side wall 6 of transport handle 2 and the hole 13 in second side wall 9 of operating handle 3. The two pin portions 15, 16 are, in the example, fixedly connected to each other by forming together a pin unit, made of a rod material, such as a bent metal rod. The pin portions 15, 16 are located along a common longitudinal axis which is intended to coincide with the common axis 14 of the holes. Between the two side walls 6, 7 of the transport handle 2, a gap 20 is formed in which one pin portion 15 is accommodated and is movable at the change- over movement of the safety pin 4 along the longitudinal axis 14, between the blocking position of Fig. 3 and the releasing position of Fig 4. Thus, one pin portion 15 slides in blocking position, as shown in Fig. 3, from the gap 20 through one hole 10 in the transport handle 2 and through the adjacent hole 12 in the operating handle 3, while the second pin portion 16 slides from the outside through one hole 13 in the operating handle 3 and through the second hole 11 in the transport handle 2, so that the ends 18, 19 of the two pin portions 15, 16 protrude through the holes 10-13. In the blocking position, the safety pin 4 in turn can be suitably secured against unintentional pull-out, for example by means of an easily breakable fuse. The two pin portions 15,16 are rigidly interconnected by means of a connecting portion 21 , which in the example is hook-shaped and extends through the gap or space which occur between the operating handle 3 and the transport handle 2 in that the handles in the blocking position are angled towards each other. A part of the connecting portion 21 which is located alongside the handles 2, 3 also forms a gripping portion or pulling portion 22 in the form of an open loop, which in the first example can be directly grasped by one person's finger and pulled out in the direction of the longitudinal axis 14 for shifting from blocking position to releasing position. From Fig. 4 it can be seen that a releasing position arises as soon as the safety pin 4 is pulled a very small distance, so that the two pin portions 15,16 with their ends 18,19 leave the holes 11 ,12, which are closest to the ends, whereby the operating handle 3 with its side walls 8, 9 is free to be pushed in towards the transport handle 2 and thereby activates the fire extinguisher 1. By dividing the safety pin 4 into two separate, but still interconnected pin portions 15,16, a very quick change-over to the releasing position can take place, because the pin portions perform a simultaneous and very short movement to leave at least one hole in the respective pairs of holes which are otherwise kept locked relative to each other. For a conventional pin in the form of a straight, long pin, a much longer time is required for a longer movement in order to release both pairs of holes.

With reference to Figs. 5-11 , the safety pin 4 according to the invention will be described below with a second embodiment, wherein the gripping portion or pulling portion 22 is supplemented with a combined gripping and pulling handle 23, which forms a force enhancer and a position holder for the safety pin 4, which otherwise can have the same design as in the first embodiment. The gripping and pulling handle 23 is connected to the gripping portion 22 of the safety pin 4 by forming a pivot center 24, formed as a hub, see Fig. 7. Around the hub, the loop of the safety pin runs, which forms the gripping portion in the basic embodiment of Figs. 2 and 3. The loop is designed as a circular arcuate portion, which runs around the hub which has a circular cross-sectional shape. The gripping and pulling handle 23 has a movable contact point or tangent point 25, in the example in the form of a cam surface which is arcuate and intended to cooperate with a fixed contact point 26 on the handle part 2,3, in the example on one side surface 8 of the operating handle 3 and having a bending center which is eccentric relative to the pivot center 24 of the hub, with a radius selected so that a pivoting of the gripping and pulling handle 23 outwardly creates a pulling force on the safety pin 4 in the outward direction to a releasing position. The gripping and pulling handle 23 is therefore formed with a gripping loop 27 or gripping hook, which can be easily gripped by a person's finger for pulling or pivoting outwards. Instruction for a user about the necessary action for the releasing movement is in the example marked in the form of an arrow-shaped portion 28 of the gripping and pulling handle 23, which indicates the pulling direction. In the example, a word PULL or“drag” is also inserted, which in combination with the arrow shape clearly indicates that the grip handle should be pulled outwards. The force enhancer thus functions as a lever which requires a smaller force than is the case in the first embodiment.

The gripping and pulling handle 23 is, as can be seen in the example of Figs. 5-11 , substantially disc-shaped, preferably made of plastic and has a slit-shaped space 29, which has a height corresponding to the thickness of the safety pin 4 and receives the grip portion 22 of the pin and partly also one of the pin portions 16 and is open with a slot-shaped opening 30 against the handle part. As best seen in Figs. 7 and 8, the gripping and pulling handle 23 is formed with a claw-shaped fork portion 32 having an upper and a lower fork leg 33, 34 which are slightly resilient from and towards each other, and in the locking position interposes in the gap 20 of the handle part, and there conveniently grips around the pin with a smaller bias and a lug 35, so that the pulling handle 23 and the pin cooperate to form a secure restraint, i.e.

securing the pin in this position. Figures 9-11 illustrate how the safety pin 4 is extended to the release position by pulling outwardly in the pulling handle 23, thereby pivoting it outwardly about its hub 24, which at the same time is moved straight outwardly through the interaction of the movable contact point or cam curve 25 with the fixed contact point 26 on a side surface 8 of the handle part. A third embodiment will be described below with reference to Figs. 12-16, where Fig. 14 also shows how the transport handle 2 is fixedly attached to a triggering device / discharge device 36 in the form of a discharge valve / outlet valve 37, which is located in an outlet port on the upper end of the fire extinguisher agent container, which also applies to the other embodiments. As mentioned above, the operating handle 3 is hingedly connected to the transport handle around a shaft 31 , in practice by means of a shaft pin. The third embodiment shows an alternative embodiment of the gripping and pulling handle 23, the main function of which is the same as the second embodiment. The pulling handle 23 is formed as a gripping hook 38 and the actuation instruction is here formed as an arrow 39 in the handle 23. The sectional views in Fig. 15, which show the blocking position, and in Fig. 16 which show the releasing position, clearly show the lug 35, which creates a small resistance to be overcome at the beginning of the pulling movement.

Furthermore, the safety pin 4 in the third embodiment has a somewhat simpler design than in the first and the second embodiment.

The invention is not limited to the examples described above and illustrated in the drawings but can be modified within the scope of the following patent claims. For example, the two ends 18, 19 of the two pin portions 15, 16 must not be positioned so that they leave their opening exactly at the same time, but certain deviations are allowed. Although not shown in the figures, the intention is for the safety pin to be fully pulled out prior to activation of the fire extinguisher by depressing the operating handle against the transport handle, even if release occurs as soon as the ends of the pin portions leave each hole. In the examples, the side walls 8, 9 of the operating handle 3 are located outside the side walls 6, 7 of the transport handle 2, but the same function is obtained with the side walls of the operating handle instead is located inside the walls of the transport handle. The conventional structure of the transport handle 2 and the operating handle 3 has not been fully described, but they are constructed by bending sheet metal to a U-profile shape, which is best seen in Fig. 1 , where the side walls of the handles are supported by flat elongated portions, where the operating handle portion is applied in known manner against the release valve for discharging the extinguishing agent. The two pin portions may be two separate portions of rod material, which are interconnected by a connecting portion in the form of a plastic part. The force enhancer may be of a different construction, for example, a trigger with a latch releasable by the trigger, which holds the pin locked by the action of a spring force.

Claims

1. A safety pin (4) for a fire extinguisher (1 ), which is mainly comprised of a

container for fire extinction agent, a handle part arranged at the container with a transport handle (2) and an operating handle (3) pivotally attached in relation to the transport handle, arranged to be operated by a pivotal movement and thereby activating a discharge device (36) having a discharge valve (37) for the discharge of the fire extinction agent, wherein the safety pin (4) is arranged to block the operating handle against accidental activation in a locked position by extending through holes (10-13) in side walls (6-9) in both the transport handle and the operating handle, characterized in that the safety pin (4) consists of two pin portions (15,16) which each have a free end (18,19) and between them has a free space (17) and are interconnected by means of a connecting portion (21 ), provided with a gripping and pulling portion (22), whereby the two pin portions are, substantially simultaneously and with a short pulling movement with the gripping and pulling portion, shiftable from locking position to releasing position, when each pin portion with its ends releases at least a respective one of the holes in the handle part.

2. The safety pin according to claim 1 , characterized in that the free ends

(18,19) of the pin portions (15,16) are located at a mutual distance, which substantially corresponds to the distance between the side walls (6-9) of transport handle (2) and operating handle (3), respectively.

3. The safety pin according to claim 1 , characterized in that a gripping and

pulling handle (23) is pivotally connected to the gripping and pulling portion (22) of the safety pin (4) about a shaft (24), and adapted to, by a movable contact point (25), take support against a fixed contact point (26) on the handle part (2,3), to form a lever and through a pivotal movement about the shaft create a pulling movement of the safety pin outwardly from the locking position to the releasing position.

4. The safety pin according to claim 3, characterized in that that the gripping and pulling handle (23) is formed with a slit-shaped space (29) arranged to receive the gripping portion (22) of the safety pin and a part of its one pin portion (16).

5. The safety pin according to claim 4, characterized in that that the gripping and pulling handle (23) has a claw-shaped portion (32) with two fork legs (33, 34) located on either side of a portion of the pin for cooperation with the same, for securing the pin in locking position.

6. The safety pin according to claim 3, characterized in that that the movable contact point (25) is a cam surface.

7. The safety pin according to claim 6, characterized in that that the cam

surface is formed by an arcuate surface, the center of curvature of which is eccentric relative to the pivot center (24) of the gripping and pulling handle

(23).

8. The safety pin according to claim 5, characterized in that that the two fork legs are slightly resilient and having a lug (35) which projects into a gap between the two fork legs (33,34) to create a resilient resistance to the passage of the pin and thus a securing of the pin.