Fire-Fighting Nozzle, Fire-Fighting System and Method for Operating a Fire-Fighting System

Abstract

A fire-fighting nozzle comprising a tubular inlet having an inlet opening, said inlet extending along a longitudinal axis from said inlet opening toward a shut-off valve, a tubular outlet having at least one nozzle opening, said outlet extending along a transverse axis transverse to said longitudinal axis toward said nozzle opening, the sealing valve being arranged between the inlet and the nozzle opening and sealing the outlet in a sealing region with respect to the inlet, characterized in that a radial distance of the sealing region from the longitudinal axis is smaller than or equal to a smallest radial distance of the inner circumferential surface of the inlet opening from the longitudinal axis in a region between the inlet opening and the sealing region.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. Fire-fighting nozzle comprising: a tubular inlet having an inlet opening, said inlet extending along a longitudinal axis from said inlet opening toward a shut-off valve, a tubular outlet having at least one nozzle opening, the outlet extending along a transverse axis transverse to the longitudinal axis toward the nozzle opening, wherein the shut-off valve is arranged between the inlet and the nozzle opening and seals the outlet in a sealing region relative to the inlet, wherein a radial distance of the sealing region from the longitudinal axis is smaller than or equal to a smallest radial distance of the inner lateral surface of the inlet opening from the longitudinal axis in a region between the inlet opening and the sealing region; a spring mounted against a radially inwardly facing collar on the tubular inlet, wherein the spring is arranged to act on a valve stem of the shut-off valve and wherein the collar has an opening extending parallel to the longitudinal axis, in particular in the region of the bottom of the inlet facing the outlet wherein the opening is located at a lowest position of the inner lateral surface of the tubular inlet.

18. Fire-fighting nozzle according to claim 17, wherein the opening spans an arc angle of more than 1° and less than 45°.

19. Fire-fighting nozzle according to claim 17, wherein a spring force of the spring acts on the valve stem in such a way that the valve stem is pressed against a fire detection means and is moved in the direction of the fire detection means when the fire detection means is triggered.

20. Fire-fighting nozzle according to claim 17, wherein the valve stem is mounted movably in the direction of the longitudinal axis or in the direction of the transverse axis.

21. Fire-fighting nozzle according to claim 17, wherein sealing means seals an annular space between the valve stem and the tubular inlet or the tubular outlet.

22. Fire-fighting nozzle according to claim 17, wherein the cross-section of the inlet is point-symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis.

23. Fire-fighting nozzle according to claim 17, wherein the cross-section of the outlet is point-symmetrical to the transverse axis.

24. Fire-fighting nozzle according to claim 17, wherein the nozzle opening is formed for receiving a nozzle insert, in particular for receiving a fog nozzle insert.

25. Fire-fighting nozzle according to claim 17, wherein the inlet opening is formed for arrangement on a mounting fitting of a distribution pipe.

26. Fire-fighting nozzle according to claim 19, wherein the fire detection means is a glass barrel.

27. Fire-fighting system comprising: a supply line; at least one fire-fighting nozzle connected to the supply line according to claim 17; and a nozzle insert arranged in the fire-fighting nozzle.

28. A method of operating a fire-fighting system according to claim 27, comprising: initially flooding a dry-biased supply line with extinguishing fluid in a fire event; and draining the supply line after the fire has been extinguished, the extinguishing fluid flowing completely out of the area between the inlet opening and the sealing area via the inlet opening's inner circumferential surface.

Description

[0038] In the following, the subject matter is explained in more detail with reference to a drawing showing embodiments. In the drawing show:

[0039] FIG. 1 a section along the longitudinal axis through a fire-fighting nozzle;

[0040] FIG. 2a a detail of a drainage system;

[0041] FIG. 2b a section through a groove;

[0042] FIG. 3 a section 3 as shown in FIG. 2b;

[0043] FIG. 4 a longitudinal section along the transverse axis through a fire-fighting nozzle.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a fire-fighting nozzle 2, which is connected by a tubular inlet 4 to a mounting fitting 6 of a pipeline 8. Via the pipeline 8, the fire-fighting nozzle 2 can be flooded with extinguishing fluid in case of activation.

[0045] The fire-fighting nozzle 2 is sealingly screwed to the fitting 6 with the inlet 4 via a screw-on clamp 10. The inlet 4 has an inlet opening 4a. The inlet opening 4a is circumscribed by an inner circumferential surface 4b of the inlet 4. The inlet 4 extends along a longitudinal axis 12. In the installed state, the longitudinal axis 12 extends in a horizontal direction. A transverse axis 14 extends transversely to this longitudinal axis 12. In the installed state, the transverse axis 14 extends in particular in the vertical.

[0046] The inlet 4 is connected to a tubular outlet 18 via a sealing area 16. The outlet 18 runs along the transverse axis 14. An outlet opening 18a is provided at the outlet 18. A nozzle insert 20 can be inserted, in particular screwed, into the outlet opening 18a.

[0047] In the sealing area 16, a circumferential seal 22 is arranged on a valve stem 24. A collar 26 is arranged on the inner lateral surface 4b remote from the inlet opening 4a and points radially inwards. A spring 28 is hinged to this collar 26. The spring 28 is tensioned in the rest state. The spring 28 is held in the tensioned state by a glass barrel 30. The valve stem 24 is attached to the glass barrel 30.

[0048] The tubular inlet 4 extends between the inlet opening 4a and the collar 26, and between the collar 26 and the sealing area 16.

[0049] In the rest state, the tubular inlet 8 is subjected to a rest pressure which presses against the valve stem 24. As a result, the glass barrel 30 is pressurized.

[0050] If a fire occurs, the increased temperature causes the glass barrel 30 to burst, so that the spring 28 pushes the valve stem 24 out of the inlet 4 in the direction of the longitudinal axis 12. The seal 22 of the sealing area 16 enters a clearance 32, allowing air to escape from the orifice 20 past the seal 22. Such a loss of pressure is detected in the pipeline 8 and results in the pipeline 8 being flooded with an extinguishing liquid. The extinguishing liquid can then come to the nozzle insert 20 via the inlet 4 and the free space 32 and be expelled there.

[0051] However, such activation occurs only at nozzles 2 which are located immediately or in close proximity above the fire load. Nozzles remote therefrom do not activate, since the glass barrel 30 does not burst.

[0052] Nevertheless, the pipe 8 is flooded and extinguishing fluid also reaches the inlet 4a in non-activated nozzles 2, i.e. the area between the collar 26 and the sealing area 16, in particular up to the seal 22.

[0053] After successful fire-fighting, the pipeline 8 is emptied. In order to prevent extinguishing fluid from remaining in the nozzle 2, in particular between the inlet opening 4a and the seal 22, it is proposed that the radial distance 34c of the circumferential surface 4b to the longitudinal axis 12 in the sealing area 16 is smaller than or equal to the radial distance 34a, b between the inlet opening 4a and the sealing area 16. In particular, this also includes the collar 26, which is a taper of the clear width of the inlet 4a. A groove 36 is provided in the collar 26 for this purpose. This is shown in more detail 2a.

[0054] FIG. 2a shows the inner lateral surface 4b of the inlet 4. The collar 26 is provided on the inner lateral surface 4b and is circumferential. The spring 28 is hinged to this collar 26. In the bottom region of the inlet 4a, however, the collar 26 is provided with a recess, consequently a groove 36. The groove 36 is in the bottom region of the collar 26, in particular in the region of the collar 26 which points in the direction of the nozzle outlet 18a. This is vertically downward in the installed condition. The groove bottom extends beyond the groove wall in the direction of the sealing area 16, thus forming a recess on the inner lateral surface 4b between the collar 26 and the sealing area 16.

[0055] FIG. 2b shows a longitudinal section at the collar 26. It can be seen that the radial distance 34a in the region of the inlet opening 4a is greater than the radial distance 34b in the region of the groove 26. Further towards the sealing region 16, the radial distance 34c becomes smaller again. The radial distance 34c there is the smallest of all radial distances 34. The groove 26 extends with its radial distance 34b in the longitudinal direction 12 towards the sealing area 16 and forms a step on the lateral surface 4b.

[0056] This makes it possible to completely empty a non-activated nozzle 2 after fire-fighting has been carried out. The longitudinal axis 12 runs horizontally. Due to the fact that the radial distance 34c, starting from the sealing area 16, via the radial distance 34b in the area of the groove to the radial distance 34a at the inlet opening 4a, becomes at least constant, but preferably larger, extinguishing fluid can flow out of the inlet opening 4a driven by gravity.

[0057] The groove 36 can be seen again in the sectional view according to FIG. 3. There it can be seen that the radial distance 34c behind the drawing plane is always smaller than any radial distance 34b, a in the direction of the drawing plane.

[0058] It is also possible to mount the valve stem 24 in the outlet 18 so as to be movable along the transverse axis 14, as shown in FIG. 4. By means of the spring 28, the valve stem 24 can be moved in the direction of the glass barrel 30, so that the seal 22 enters the free space 32 and can be flowed around by extinguishing fluid. However, again, it is ensured that a radial distance 34 from the longitudinal axis 12 in the sealing area 16 is less than any radial distance 34 between the sealing area 16 and the inlet opening 4a.

[0059] With the aid of the nozzle shown, a dry-biased system can be protected from frost damage even after it has been activated.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0060] 2 fire-fighting nozzle

[0061] 4 inlet

[0062] 4a inlet opening

[0063] 4b inner lateral surface

[0064] 6 fitting

[0065] 8 pipe

[0066] 10 clamp

[0067] 12 longitudinal axis

[0068] 14 transverse axis

[0069] 16 sealing area

[0070] 18 outlet

[0071] 18a nozzle outlet

[0072] 20 nozzle insert

[0073] 22 gasket

[0074] 24 valve stem

[0075] 26 collar

[0076] 28 spring

[0077] 30 glass barrel

[0078] 32 clearance

[0079] 34 radial clearance

[0080] 36 groove