Injection head having silencing function for gas-type fire extinguisher

Abstract

An injection head includes a silencing unit installed for releasing a fire-extinguishing gas in a fire-extinguishing area in the gas type fire extinguisher using a fire-extinguishing gas. The silencing unit includes silencing members of block shapes made of a porous material capable of passing a gas disposed at an outlet of an orifice. A first end face of the silencing member is disposed in contact with the injector head main body, while a peripheral face and a second end face of the silencing member are opened to the atmosphere except for the portion contacting a ring member for fixing the silencing member to the injection head main body by a bolt.

Claims

1. An injection head having a silencing function for use in a fire extinguisher, comprising: an injector head main body having an orifice; a ring member; a silencing unit for releasing a fire-extinguishing gas in a fire-extinguishing area, said silencing unit including a silencing member at an outlet end of said orifice, said silencing member having a block shape and being made of a porous material to allow the fire-extinguishing gas to pass therethrough, a diameter of pores of said porous material of said silencing member decreasing along a flow direction through said silencing member along which the fire-extinguishing gas flows, said silencing member being configured to have: a first end face contacting said injector head main body, a second end face opposite said first end face and opened to atmosphere except for a peripheral end portion of said second end face of said silencing member contacting said ring member, and a peripheral face between said first end face and said second end face, said peripheral face opened to atmosphere; and said silencing member being composed of: a central member, a peripheral member, and an end member covering an end face of said central member and an end face of said peripheral member, wherein a pore diameter of pores of said peripheral member and said end member is smaller than a pore diameter of pores of said central member; a bolt for fixing said ring member and said silencing member to said injector head main body, said bolt penetrating through a peripheral portion of said silencing member.

2. The injection head according to claim 1, wherein said bolt penetrates through an inside of said silencing member, and said bolt is screwed into said injector head main body.

3. The injection head according to claim 2, wherein said bolt penetrates through a bolt receiving portion of said silencing member, said bolt receiving portion protruding radially outward relative to main portions of said silencing member.

4. The injection head according to claim 1, wherein said injector head main body includes a detachable orifice plate having said orifice.

5. The injection head according to claim 1, wherein said orifice has a narrow end facing said silencing member.

6. The injection head according to claim 1, wherein said injector head main body, said ring member, and said silencing member are configured such that an injection reaction F of the fire-extinguishing gas applied on said injection head at a time of emission of fire-extinguishing gas, and a flow rate Q of the fire-extinguishing gas released from said injection head satisfy a relation of formula 1 and formula 2
F (kgf)=A (kgf.Math.min/m.sup.3).Math.Q (m.sup.3/min)(formula 1)
A (kgf.Math.min/m.sup.3)0.2(formula 2).

7. An injection head having a silencing function for use in a fire extinguisher, comprising: an injector head main body having an orifice; a silencing unit for releasing a fire-extinguishing gas in a fire-extinguishing area, said silencing unit including a silencing member at an outlet of the orifice, said silencing member having a block shape and being made of a porous material to allow the fire-extinguishing gas to pass therethrough, a diameter of pores of said porous material of said silencing member decreasing along a flow direction through said silencing member along which the fire-extinguishing gas flows, said silencing member being composed of: an upstream side member; and a downstream side member, wherein a pore diameter of pores of said downstream side member is smaller than a pore diameter of pores of said upstream side member; said silencing member being arranged such that an end face of said silencing member open to atmosphere is supported on said injector head main body by a threaded ring member contacting a peripheral portion of said end face of said silencing member and by a bolt contacting a central portion of said end face of said downstream side member of said silencing member.

8. The injection head according to claim 7, wherein said threaded ring member has screw threads threading on to said injector head main body.

9. The injection head according to claim 7, wherein said injector head main body includes a detachable orifice plate having said orifice and contacting a first end face of said silencing member, said end face comprising a second end face, and said bolt is screwed into the orifice plate.

10. The injection head according to claim 7, wherein said orifice has a narrow end facing said silencing member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view as seen obliquely from bottom showing a first embodiment of an injection head having a silencing function for gas-type fire extinguisher of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a front view of the same.

(3) FIG. 3 is a left side view of the same.

(4) FIG. 4 is a plan view of the same.

(5) FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the same.

(6) FIG. 6 is an X-X sectional view of FIG. 4.

(7) FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relation between injection reaction F of fire-extinguishing gas applied to the injection head when fire-extinguishing gas is released, and flow rate of fire-extinguishing gas released from the injection head.

(8) FIG. 8 is a front view of a second embodiment of an injection head having a silencing function for gas-type fire extinguisher of the present invention.

(9) FIG. 9 is a left side view of the same.

(10) FIG. 10 is s plan view of the same.

(11) FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the same.

(12) FIG. 12 is an X-X sectional view of FIG. 10.

(13) FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an injection head for a conventional gas-type fire extinguisher.

(14) FIG. 14 is a perspective view as seen obliquely from bottom showing a third embodiment of an injection head having a silencing function for gas-type fire extinguisher of the present invention.

(15) FIG. 15 is a front view of the same.

(16) FIG. 16 is a back side view of the same.

(17) FIG. 17 is a left side view of the same.

(18) FIG. 18 is a right side view of the same.

(19) FIG. 19 is a plan view of the same.

(20) FIG. 20 is a bottom view of the same.

(21) FIG. 21 is an X-X sectional view of FIG. 19.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(22) An embodiment of an injection head having a silencing function for a gas-type fire extinguisher of the present invention is described below by reference to the accompanying drawings.

(23) FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 show a first embodiment of an injection head having a silencing function for a gas-type fire extinguisher of the present invention.

(24) The injection head 1 having a silencing function for a gas-type fire extinguisher is an injection head installed for releasing a fire-extinguishing gas to a fire-extinguishing area in the gas-type fire extinguisher using a fire-extinguishing gas, and includes an injection head main body 2 connected to a piping (not shown) for supplying an fire-extinguishing gas, an orifice plate 3 forming a plurality of orifices 31 detachably disposed on steps 21 formed in an internal space of the injection head main body 2 (see FIGS. 4 and 6), a silencing member 4 of block shapes formed of a porous material capable of passing a gas disposed at outlet of orifices 31, and a ring member 6 for fixing the silencing member 4 to the injection head main body 2 by way of bolts 5.

(25) In this case, the orifice plate 3 forming the plurality of orifices 31 is disposed on the steps 21 formed in the internal space of the injection head main body 2, for example, by way of threads formed in the periphery of the step 21 and the orifice plate 3. Therefore, the orifice plate 3 is detachable, and the orifice plate 3 forming plural types of the orifices 31 can be selected according to the condition of the place of installation or the like.

(26) Instead, by omitting the orifice plate 3, as shown in a second embodiment below, the orifices can be directly formed in the injection head main body 2.

(27) The orifices 31 are preferably formed oppositely to the silencing member 4 at the small-end side (narrow end) 31a of the orifices 31.

(28) Hence, by distributing the fire-extinguishing gas uniformly from the central parts of the silencing member 4 toward peripheral parts, the noise generated in the emission area of the fire-extinguishing gas can be made uniform, and the noise reduction rate can be further increased.

(29) The silencing member 4 of block shapes formed on a porous material is an integral structure, or may be formed in split structures, as shown in the embodiment, composed of a central member 41, a peripheral member 42, and end members 43 for covering the end faces of the central member 41 and the peripheral member 42.

(30) The porous material composing the silencing member 4 is preferably a sinter made of an inorganic material (metal, oxide of metal, hydroxide of metal, and others) high in shape retaining performance.

(31) The pore diameter of pores of the porous material composing the silencing member 4 is made of a generally homogeneous material, or a material changed in the gas passing direction, or more particularly a material reduced in the gas passing direction. For example, in this embodiment, it is made of a material becoming smaller in the pore diameter of the pores of the peripheral material 42 and the end face material 43, than the pore diameter of pores of the central material.

(32) Thus, the pore diameter of pores of the porous material composing the silencing member 4 is made smaller in the gas passing direction (i.e., direction of gas flow), and by releasing the fire-extinguishing gas uniformly from the parts of the silencing member 4, so that the noise generated from the emission area of the fire-extinguishing gas can be made uniform, and the noise reduction rate can be further enhanced.

(33) The silencing member 4, whether in integral structure or in split structure, is disposed so that the one-end side of the silencing member 4 may contact with the injection head main body 2 (possibly including the orifice plate 3 in this embodiment), and the peripheral parts and other-end side face of the silencing member 4 are opened to the atmosphere, except for the portion contacting with the ring members 6 for fixing the silencing member 4 to the injection head main body 2 by way of the bolts 5.

(34) As a result, it is possible to increase the emission area of the fire-extinguishing gas to be released to the atmosphere of the silencing member 4. Moreover, the injection reaction of fire-extinguishing gas applied to the injection head 1 at the time of emission of fire-extinguishing gas is canceled by the portion of the fire-extinguishing gas emitted from the surrounding of the silencing member 4 in the injection head 1, and can be decreased.

(35) In this case, the bolt 5 penetrates through the silencing member 4, or in this embodiment, the inside of the peripheral member 42 and the end-face member 43, and is screwed into the injection head main body 2. Therefore, the silencing member 4 is facing the orifice plate 43, and is fixed and integrated to the injection head main body 2.

(36) As a result, it is possible to further increase the emission area of the fire-extinguishing gas to be released to the atmosphere of the silencing member 4, and the noise reduction rate can be enhanced, and generation of noise due to interference of the released fire-extinguishing gas with the bolt 5 can be prevented.

(37) In the embodiment, the position of the silencing member 4 through which the bolt 5 penetrates, or in the embodiment, positions 42a, 43a of the peripheral member 42 and end-face member 43 are formed in a shape swollen (protruding) to the outer peripheral side from the other positions. In other words, the bolt receiving portions 42a, 43a of the peripheral member 42 and end-face member 43 protrude further outwardly than a circumferential surface of the main portions of the peripheral member 42 and end-face member 43, as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5.

(38) As a result, it is possible to increase the emission area of the fire-extinguishing gas to be released to the atmosphere of the silencing member 4, and the noise reduction rate can be enhanced.

(39) Still more, when the porous material for composing the silencing member 4 is formed by cutting out from a sinter plate, waste of the material can be saved by forming the member into the shape of the embodiment (a square-like shape).

(40) In the injection head 1 of the embodiment, injection reaction F of fire-extinguishing gas applied on the injection head at the time of emission of fire-extinguishing gas and flow rate Q of the fire-extinguishing gas released from the injection head are defined to satisfy the relation of formula 1 and formula 2.
F (kgf)=A (kgf.Math.min/m.sup.3).Math.Q (m.sup.3/min)(formula 1)
A (kgf.Math.min/m.sup.3)0.2(formula 2)

(41) Where A is a constant determined by the type of the injection head and the fire-extinguishing gas. The value of A is preferably 0.15 or less, or more preferably 0.1 or less.

(42) FIG. 7 shows the relation between injection reaction F of fire-extinguishing gas applied on the injection head at the time of emission of fire-extinguishing gas and flow rate Q of the fire-extinguishing gas released from the injection head, when measured by using nitrogen as fire-extinguishing gas, in three types of injection head (injection head 1 of the embodiment and injection heads 10A, 10B shown in FIGS. 13 (a) and (b)).

(43) Apparent from the results of measurements shown in FIG. 7, the injection head 1 of the embodiment is lowered in the magnitude of injection reaction F of fire-extinguishing gas applied to the injection head at the time of emission of fire-extinguishing gas to about to 1/10, as compared with the conventional injection head.

(44) In the meantime, when carbon dioxide or fluorine compound is used as the fire-extinguishing gas, the value of A is in a relation of nitrogen>fluorine compound>carbon dioxide, but the tendency is same as in FIG. 7.

(45) As a result, the required supporting force of the building accommodating the piping system including the injection head 1 can be decreased, and the problems of limitations of place of installation and cost elevation can be solved.

(46) In the first embodiment, the position of the silencing member 4 through which the bolt 5 penetrates is formed in a shape swollen (protruding) to the outer peripheral side from the other positions. However, as shown in FIG. 8 to FIG. 12, a uniform peripheral shape (cylindrical shape) may be formed as in the second embodiment of the injection head having the silencing function for gas-type fire extinguisher of the present invention.

(47) Other structure and action of the injection head 1 of the second embodiment are the same as in the injection head of the first embodiment.

(48) FIG. 14 to FIG. 21 show a third embodiment of the injection head having the silencing function for gas-type fire extinguisher of the present invention.

(49) The injection head 101 having a silencing function for this gas-type fire-extinguisher is an injection head installed for releasing a fire-extinguishing gas to a fire-extinguishing area in a gas-type fire extinguisher using a fire-extinguishing gas, and includes an injection head main body 102 connected to a piping (not shown) for supplying a fire-extinguishing gas, an orifice plate 103 forming a plurality of orifices 131 disposed detachably at step 121 formed in an internal space of this injection head main body 102, a silencing member 104 of block shapes made of a porous material capable of passing a gas disposed at outlets of the orifices 131, a ring member 105 abutting against the peripheral edge of one-side face released to the atmosphere of the silencing member 104 for supporting the silencing member 104 to the injection head main body 102, and a bolt 106 abutting against the central part of one-side end face released to the atmosphere of the silencing member 104 for supporting the silencing member 104 to the injection head main body 102.

(50) In this case, the orifice plate 103 forming a plurality of orifices 131 is detachably disposed in steps 121 formed in the internal space of the injection head main body 102, for example, by way of screws formed in the peripheral surface of the steps 121 and the orifice plate 103.

(51) As a result, the orifice plate 103 forming plural types of orifices 131 can be selected according to the conditions of the place of installation and others.

(52) In the meantime, by omitting the orifice plate 103, similar orifices can be directly formed in the injection head main body 102 (not shown).

(53) Preferably, the orifices 131 are formed to face the silencing member 104 at the small-end side 131a of the orifices 131.

(54) As a result, the fire-extinguishing gas can be distributed uniformly from the central parts of the silencing member 104 toward the peripheral parts, and the noise generated near the emission position of the fire-extinguishing gas can be made uniform, and the noise reduction rate is higher.

(55) The silencing member 105 of block shapes made of a porous material is formed in an integral structure, or, as in the case of this embodiment, is formed in a split structure consisting of an upstream side member 141 and a downstream side member 142.

(56) The porous material composing the silencing member 104 is preferably a sinter material of inorganic material high in shape retaining performance (metal, oxide of meal, hydroxide of metal, etc.).

(57) The pore diameter of gaps in the porous material composing the silencing member 104 is composed of a homogenous material on the whole, or a material changed in the gas passing direction, or more specifically a material reduced in the gas passing direction. For example, in the embodiment, the silencing member 104 is made of a material smaller in the pore diameter of gaps in the downstream side member 142 than the pore diameter of gaps in the upstream side member 141.

(58) Thus, by setting the pore diameter of gaps in the porous material composing the silencing member 104 to be smaller in the gas passing direction, the fire-extinguishing gas can be released uniformly from the parts of the silencing member 104, and the noise generated near the emission position of the fire-extinguishing gas can be made uniform, and the noise reduction rate is higher.

(59) The silencing member 104, whether in integral structure or split structure, is disposed with the end face of other side of the silencing member 104 (the opposite side of the side released to the atmosphere) in contact with the injection head main body 102 (in this embodiment, including the orifice plate 103). The end face of one side of the silencing member 104 (the side released to the atmosphere) is supported on the injection head main body 102 by way of the ring member 105 contacting with the peripheral edge of this end face, and the bolts 106 contact the central parts of the end face.

(60) In this case, the ring member 105 disposed detachably on the injection head main body 102 by way of screw threads formed in the peripheral surface of the injection head main body 102 and the ring member 105.

(61) The downstream side member 142 composing the silencing member 104 is formed in a larger diameter than the upstream side member 141, and the outer peripheral edge of this downstream side member 142 is fixed as being held between the end face of the injection head main body 102 and the peripheral edge of the ring member 105. Therefore, the emission area of the fire-extinguishing gas released to the atmosphere of the silencing member (downstream side member 142) is further increased, and the noise reduction rate can be heightened at the same time.

(62) The bolts 106 are screwed into the orifice plate 103.

(63) As a result, the silencing member 104 can be firmly restrained and supported by the injection head main body 102, and it is possible to use the silencing member 104 large in the passing resistance of fire-extinguishing gas, and high in silencing performance per unit volume, and the noise reduction rate is higher. Hence, the injection head 101 can be reduced in size, and the problems of limitations of place of installation or cost increase can be solved.

(64) Herein, the injection head having the silencing function for gas-type fire extinguisher of the present invention is described by referring to a plurality of embodiments. However, it must be noted that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments alone, but may be changed or modified in various forms within the true spirit thereof.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(65) The injection head having the silencing function for gas-type fire extinguisher of the present invention has an injection head of a small size, and is capable of enhancing the noise reduction rate, and is moreover capable of reducing the injection reaction of the fire-extinguishing gas applied to the injection head at the time of emission of the fire-extinguishing gas. Hence, the injection head can be used in wide applications of the gas-type fire extinguishers using fire-extinguishing gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, fluorine compound and others, and it can be applied not only in new installations of gas-type fire extinguishers, but also in existing facilities of gas-type fire extinguishers only by exchanging the injection head.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

(66) 1 injection head 2 injection head main body 21 step 3 orifice plate 31 orifice 4 silencing member 41 central member 42 peripheral member 43 end member 5 bolt 6 ring member 101 injection head 102 injection head main body 121 step 103 orifice plate 131 orifice 104 silencing member 141 upstream side member 142 downstream side member 105 ring member 106 bolt