System and method for delivering fire suppression agent to an obstructed gas appliance

Abstract

A system for delivering a fire suppression agent to an obstructed cooking appliance is disclosed, which includes a fuel delivery path extending from a source of cooking fuel to a burner of the cooking appliance, a source of fire suppression agent selectively in fluid communication with the fuel delivery path, and a valve assembly associated with the fuel delivery path and the source of fire suppression agent, wherein the valve assembly is configured to control the delivery of fire suppression agent to the burner of the cooking appliance and shut off the burner from the source of cooking fuel.

Claims

1. A system for delivering fire suppression agent to a cooking appliance, comprising: a fuel delivery path extending from a source of cooking fuel to a burner of the cooking appliance; a source of fire suppression agent selectively in fluid communication with the fuel delivery path; a valve assembly operatively associated with the fuel delivery path and the source of fire suppression agent, wherein the valve assembly is configured to control the delivery of fire suppression agent to the burner of the cooking appliance and shut off the burner from the source of cooking fuel without having to provide dedicated piping to deliver the fire suppression agent, wherein plural cooking appliances are in fluid communication with the valve assembly via separate fuel delivery paths, wherein the plural cooking appliances include different types of cooking appliances; and a deflector switch disposed at a junction between the plural cooking appliances configured to control the flow of fire suppressing agent to one or more of the plural cooking appliances.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly has a position permitting fluid communication between the source of cooking fuel and the burner through the fuel delivery path, while preventing fluid communication between the source of fire suppression agent and the burner through the fuel delivery path.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly has a position preventing fluid communication between the source of cooking fuel and the burner through the fuel delivery path, while permitting fluid communication between the source of fire suppression agent and the burner through the fuel delivery path.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising an actuation mechanism operatively associated with the valve assembly for moving the valve assembly from the first positon to the second position.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the actuation mechanism is mechanically actuated.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the actuation mechanism is electrically actuated.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the actuation mechanism is operatively associated with a condition sensor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the cooking appliance has an obstructed cooking volume and the burner is located within said cooking volume.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein plural sources of fire suppression agent are in fluid communication with the valve assembly.

10. A system for delivering fire suppression agent to a cooking appliance, comprising: a fuel delivery path extending from a source of cooking fuel to a burner of the cooking appliance; a source of fire suppression agent selectively in fluid communication with the fuel delivery path; and a valve assembly operatively associated with the fuel delivery path and the source of delivering fire suppression agent, the valve assembly having: a first position permitting fluid communication between the source of cooking fuel and the burner through the fuel delivery path, while preventing fluid communication between the source of fire suppression agent and the burner through the fuel delivery path; and a second position preventing fluid communication between the source of cooking fuel and the burner through the fuel delivery path, while permitting fluid communication between the source of fire suppression agent and the burner through the fuel delivery path in the event of a fire, without having to provide dedicated piping to deliver the fire suppression agent, wherein plural cooking appliances are in fluid communication with the valve assembly via separate fuel delivery paths, wherein the plural cooking appliances include different types of cooking appliances; and a deflector switch disposed at a junction between plural cooking appliances configured to control the flow of fire suppressing agent to one or more of the plural cooking appliances.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the cooking appliance has an obstructed cooking volume and the burner occupies said cooking volume.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising an actuation mechanism connected to the valve assembly to facilitate movement of the valve assembly from the first position to the second position.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the actuation mechanism is mechanically actuated.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the actuation mechanism is electrically actuated.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the actuation mechanism is operatively associated with a condition sensor.

16. A method of delivering fire suppression agent to a cooking appliance, comprising: connecting a source of fire suppression agent to a fuel delivery path extending from a source of cooking fuel to a burner of the cooking appliance; and facilitating the delivery of fire suppression agent to the burner of the cooking appliance as cooking fuel to the burner is shut off from a source of cooking fuel, without having to provide dedicated piping to deliver the fire suppression agent, in the event of a fire, wherein plural cooking appliances are in fluid communication with the valve assembly via separate fuel delivery paths, wherein the plural cooking appliances include different types of cooking appliances, wherein facilitating includes, controlling a deflector switch disposed at a junction between the plural cooking appliances to facilitate the delivery of fire suppressing agent to one or more of the plural cooking appliances.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of facilitating the delivery of fire suppression agent involves facilitating the actuation of a valve assembly operatively associated with the fuel delivery path and the source of fire suppression agent.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of facilitating the actuation of a valve assembly involves facilitating the mechanical actuation of the valve assembly.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of facilitating the actuation of a valve assembly involves facilitating the electrical actuation of the valve assembly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) So that those skilled in the art will readily understand how to make and use the fire suppression system of the subject invention without undue experimentation, preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to the figures wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is an illustration of a system for delivering fire suppression agent to an obstructed gas-fueled cooking appliance in the event of a fire, which includes a valve assembly operatively associated with the fuel delivery path of the appliance and a source of fire suppression agent, wherein the valve assembly is shown in a position that permits fluid communication between a source of cooking fuel and the appliance through the fuel delivery path, while preventing fluid communication between the source of fire suppression agent and the appliance;

(3) FIG. 2 is an illustration of the system shown in FIG. 1, wherein the valve assembly is in a position to prevent fluid communication between the source of cooking fuel and the cooking appliance, while permitting fluid communication between the source of fire suppression agent and the cooking appliance through the fuel delivery path of the appliance;

(4) FIG. 3 is an illustration of a system for delivering fire suppression agent to a plurality of gas-fueled cooking appliances, which includes plural sources of fire suppression agent operatively associated with a valve assembly, wherein the valve assembly is in a position that permits fluid communication between a source of cooking fuel and the fuel delivery path of each cooking appliance; and

(5) FIG. 4 is an illustration of the system shown in FIG. 3, wherein the valve assembly is in a position to permit fluid communication between the plural sources of fire suppression agent and the fuel delivery path of each cooking appliance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural elements or features of the subject invention, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a system 10 for delivering a fire suppression agent to a cooking appliance, and more particularly, to an obstructed cooking appliance designated generally by reference numeral 12. It is envisioned that the delivery system 10 of the subject invention would be integrated with or otherwise housed within the cooking appliance 12 itself, rather than being located separate or otherwise remote from the cooking appliance 12. The location of the delivery system 10, either within or attached to the housing of the cooking appliance 12, would vary depending upon the overall structural design of the appliance.

(7) As used herein, the term obstructed cooking appliance refers to a cooking appliance with a self-contained or otherwise enclosed cooking volume, such as, for example, a culinary grill characterized by very high temperature overhead gas heating elements. These cooking appliances are generally found in professional or commercial kitchens and are typically used for overhead grilling, and some types are commonly referred to as salamander grills.

(8) As discussed in more detail below, the delivery system 10 of the subject invention uses the burners 14 that are located within the enclosed cooking appliance 12 as spray nozzles for delivering a fire suppression agent into the obstructed cooking volume 16. In the event of a fire, as fuel to the burner 14 is shut off from the supply of fuel 22, the suppression agent is allowed to flow into the dedicated fuel delivery piping, which carries the agent directly into the cooking volume 16 of the appliance 12 without requiring any additional piping to be installed.

(9) Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that this design simplifies the installation of the fire suppression system by eliminating the need for dedicated suppressant piping in and around any obstructions that may be associated with the cooking appliance, as is typical in prior art fire suppression systems found in most commercial kitchens. Therefore, system installation costs are reduced, kitchen staff has less piping in their workspace, and dedicated piping need not be rearranged if or when the cooking appliance is moved. Additionally, because the system is integrated within and can otherwise move with the cooking appliance itself, it would not be possible to leave the appliance unprotected if it is moved away from any suppression agent delivery piping and spray nozzles.

(10) With continuing reference to FIG. 1, the fire suppression system 10 includes a dedicated fuel delivery path 20 that extends from a source of cooking fuel 22 to the burner(s) 14 of the cooking appliance 12, which has an obstructed cooking volume 16. The source of cooking fuel can be a self-contained storage vessel (as depicted) or cooking fuel could be supplied from a remote source by a main distribution line leading into the kitchen. The cooking fuel could be propane, natural gas, or other suitable gas or liquid fuel, which may vary depending upon availability and/or cost.

(11) A source of fire suppression agent in the form of a self-contained pressure vessel 24 is in fluid communication with the dedicated fuel delivery path 20 of the appliance 12. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the fire suppression agent can be selected from materials such as nitrogen or a similar fire suppressing gas, water or a wet chemical agent, or the like. It is envisioned that the amount of fire suppression agent contained within the source 24 will be proportional to the size of the cooking volume 16 of the gas-fired cooking appliance 12. The pressure vessel 24 would also include a propellant for facilitating the transport of the fire suppression agent through the duel delivery path 20 in the event of a fire. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that a relatively small amount of propellant would be required in this system, due to the proximity of the fire suppressant source 24 to the obstructed cooking volume 16 being protected.

(12) In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the subject invention, a valve assembly 26 is operatively associated with the dedicated fuel delivery path 20 and the source of fire suppression agent 24. The valve assembly 26 includes a two-way rotatable valve element 28 that is adapted and configured to control the delivery of fire suppression agent to the burner 14 of the cooking appliance 12, as cooking fuel to the burner 14 is shut off from the source of cooking fuel 22 in the event of a fire. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that valve assembly 26 will have appropriate internal sealing features associated with the rotating valve element 28 to prevent cross-talk between the internal flow paths and otherwise maintain the fluid integrity of the valve assembly 26.

(13) The rotatable valve element 28 of valve assembly 26 has a first operating position that permits fluid communication between the source of cooking fuel 22 and the burner 14 of the cooking appliance 12 through the fuel delivery path 20, while preventing fluid communication between the source of fire suppression agent 24 and the burner 14 through the fuel delivery path 20, which is depicted in FIG. 1. The rotatable valve element 28 of valve assembly 26 has a second operating position (rotated in a clockwise direction from the first position as shown in the depicted exemplary embodiment) that prevents fluid communication between the source of cooking fuel 22 and the burner 14 through the fuel delivery path 20, while permitting fluid communication between the source of fire suppression agent and the burner 14 through the fuel delivery path 20, which is depicted in FIG. 2. When valve element 28 is in the second position, the burner 14 of cooking appliance 12 functions as a spray nozzle to deliver fire suppression agent directly into the obstructed cooking volume 16 of appliance 12, without requiring installation of any additional piping for fire suppression.

(14) The fire suppression system 10 further includes an actuation mechanism 30 operatively connected to valve assembly 26 to facilitate the movement of valve element 28 from the first position of FIG. 1 to the second position of FIG. 2 in the event of a fire within the obstructed cooking value 16 of appliance 12. In one embodiment of the invention, the actuation mechanism 30 is mechanically actuated by way of a fusible link 32 or the like. In another embodiment of the invention, the actuation mechanism 30 is electrically actuated by way of a solenoid switching mechanism 34 or the like. In an embodiment of the subject invention, the actuation mechanism 30 is also operatively associated with a cooking volume condition sensor 36, such as, for example, a heat sensor, a smoke detector or a similar condition sensing device cable of monitoring the operating environment of the cooking appliance 12.

(15) The condition sensor 36 will activate or otherwise trigger the actuation mechanism 30 upon detecting excess heat, smoke or another sensed condition beyond a certain allowable level or limit. In the alternative, a manual override switch will be operatively associated with the actuation mechanism 30, in addition to or instead of the condition sensor 36. The manual override feature would be in the form of a pull station or the like, where the cook or kitchen staff could pull a pin or press a button in the event of a fire to activate the fire suppression system 10 as the kitchen is evacuated.

(16) Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, in another embodiment of the subject invention, a fire suppression system 100 would include two or more cooking appliances 112, 212 that are each in fluid communication with a valve assembly 126 through respective dedicated fuel delivery paths 120, 220 connected to a single source of cooking fuel 122. More particularly, system 100 could be operatively associated with an obstructed gas-fueled cooking appliance 112 in the form of an overhead broiler or the like, and free-standing cooking appliance such as a gas-fired grill 212, which may be located directly below the overhead grilling appliance 112 as depicted, and may be located elsewhere nearby the overhead grilling appliance 112.

(17) It is envisioned that system 100 could also include plural sources of fire suppression agent that are all in fluid communication with the valve assembly 126, such as a bank 124 of storage vessels (124a-124d) that are connected to a manifold 125, which communicates with the valve assembly 126. In the event of a fire in one or both of the cooking appliances, the valve element 128 of valve assembly 126 would move from the first position of FIG. 3 to the second position of FIG. 4, so that as the fuel supply 122 is shut off, fire suppression agent is allowed to flow from the bank 124 into the obstructed cooking volume of one or more of the appliances 112, 212, without requiring any additional piping. In this regard, it is envisioned that a deflector switch could be located at the junction 225 between the fuel delivery paths 120, 220 to control the flow of fire suppression agent to either of the two appliances 112, 212. It is also envisioned that the manifold 125 could be configured to deliver the fire suppressant from each of the supply vessels 124a-124d of bank 124 in concert or in series. As in the previously described embodiment, an actuation assembly 130 in the form of a fusible ink 132 or solenoid switch 134 connected to a condition sensor 136 and/or a manual pull station facilitates the movement of valve member 128.

(18) Referring once again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the subject invention is also directed to a method of delivering fire suppression agent to an obstructed gas-fueled cooking appliance 12, which includes the steps of connecting a source of fire suppression agent 24 to a dedicated fuel delivery path 20 extending from a source of cooking fuel 22 to a burner 14 of the cooking appliance 12, and facilitating the delivery of the fire suppression agent to the burner 14 of the cooking appliance 12 as cooking fuel to the burner 14 is shut off from a source of cooking fuel in the event of a fire, so that the burner 14 functions as a direct spray nozzle into the obstructed cooking volume 16.

(19) The step of facilitating the delivery of fire suppression agent involves facilitating the actuation of a valve assembly 26 operatively associated with the fuel delivery path 20 and the source of fire suppression agent 24. In one embodiment of the invention, the step of facilitating the actuation of the valve assembly 26 involves facilitating the mechanical actuation of the valve assembly 26. In another embodiment of the invention, the step of facilitating the actuation of the valve assembly 26 involves facilitating the electrical actuation of the valve assembly 26. Alternatively, the valve assembly 26 could be manually activated from a pull station or the like.

(20) While the subject disclosure has been shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure.