Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic extinguisher usable mainly for protecting the electrical boxes of electrical equipment and machinery, consisting of a base (3) and a body (8) that are connected but separable, which facilitates and simplifies monitoring and maintenance operations. In the main operating mode, after fire is detected by a probe (9), preferably located inside the protected element, the circuit board (4) activates a solenoid (27) integrated into an actuator (12), which causes the mobile end (21) to make contact with the O-ring (19), which becomes worn owing to the high electric current circulating at the contact point, releasing the extinguishing agent (11) contained inside the container (15) and which reaches the inside of the protected element through the discharge tubes (32), extinguishing the fire and also causing tripping of the circuit breaker of the electrical boxes of the electrical equipment or protected machinery and activation of lighting means (13), optical indicators (14) and acoustic indicators (34). The circuit board (4) may then transmit information to other external elements connected thereto. If necessary, the circuit breaker of the protected element can be reset, to which end the cutout switch (23) will be manually pressed first, which will cut the cutout (22), thereby eliminating the short circuit at the contact point. The auxiliary or secondary operating mode is activated if the main operating mode fails, the aforementioned information being applicable except that the movement of the mobile end (21) is produced by the softening of the thermoflux element (25) owing to the heat produced by the fire. Alternatively, the solenoid (27) may be replaced by an electroflux element that will be placed between the mobile piston (18) and the O-ring (19), but so that it does not impede the subsequent movement of the mobile end (21), due care being taken to ensure that the electroflux element remains electrically isolated from the O-ring (19). An electric current being circulated by the circuit board (4) through said electroflux element will cause the softening thereof, allowing movement of the mobile piston (18) and therefore of the mobile end (21).

IPC Classes  ?

• A62C 3/16 - Fire prevention, containment or extinguishing specially adapted for particular objects or places in electrical installations, e.g. cableways
• A62C 35/13 - Permanently-installed equipment with containers for delivering the extinguishing substance controlled by a signal from the danger zone with a finite supply of extinguishing material
• A62C 37/48 - Thermally sensitive initiators

Abstract

The invention relates to a fire-fighting device including a casing (2) provided with holes (2a) and housing a capsule (3) containing an extinguishing agent, as well as a thermo-actuator (6) with a compressed spring (7) terminating in a metal tip (8) and surrounded by a thermoflux (9). The capsule (3) is provided with at least one contact point (5) that is eroded upon generation of an electric arc as a result of a collision with the metal tip (8) of the spring (7) when the latter is released following the melting of the thermoflux (9) under abnormal conditions. The capsule (3) is separated from the casing (2) by means of supporting elements (4). The invention also includes current-limiting fuses (10) which, in the event of a short circuit, enable the device to be reset. The invention further includes an optical/acoustic indicator (11) actuated by another thermo-actuator (12) that operates identically to the above-mentioned thermo-actuator (6).

IPC Classes  ?

• A62C 3/16 - Fire prevention, containment or extinguishing specially adapted for particular objects or places in electrical installations, e.g. cableways
• A62C 35/11 - Permanently-installed equipment with containers for delivering the extinguishing substance controlled by a signal from the danger zone
• A62C 35/02 - Permanently-installed equipment with containers for delivering the extinguishing substance
• A62C 37/48 - Thermally sensitive initiators
• G08B 17/00 - Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion