US 12,168,151 B2
In-rack fire protection sprinkler system including at least one unitary horizontal barrier that covers racks of adjoining racks and at least one rack level fire protection sprinkler disposed below the at least one horizontal barrier
Thomas Multer, Liberty, SC (US); and Oliver Pahila, Liberty, SC (US)
Assigned to The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. Inc., Liberty, SC (US)
Filed by The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. Inc., Liberty, SC (US)
Filed on Jun. 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/345,129.
Application 15/446,722 is a division of application No. 14/379,483, granted, now 10,272,274, issued on Apr. 30, 2019, previously published as PCT/US2013/054213, filed on Aug. 8, 2013.
Application 18/345,129 is a continuation of application No. 18/151,565, filed on Jan. 9, 2023, granted, now 11,786,767.
Application 18/151,565 is a continuation of application No. 16/520,474, filed on Jul. 24, 2019, granted, now 11,571,593, issued on Feb. 7, 2023.
Application 16/520,474 is a continuation of application No. 15/446,722, filed on Mar. 1, 2017, granted, now 10,369,391, issued on Aug. 6, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/709,714, filed on Oct. 4, 2012.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/681,999, filed on Aug. 10, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2023/0338758 A1, Oct. 26, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A62C 35/68 (2006.01); A62C 3/00 (2006.01); A62C 3/06 (2006.01); A62C 35/58 (2006.01)
CPC A62C 3/002 (2013.01) [A62C 3/06 (2013.01); A62C 35/58 (2013.01); A62C 35/68 (2013.01)] 29 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rack and fire protection sprinkler system comprising:
(A) a first plurality of adjoining racks having a vertical flue space provided between a pair of adjacent racks of the first plurality of adjoining racks;
(B) a second plurality of adjoining racks having a vertical flue space provided between a pair of adjacent racks of the second plurality of adjoining racks, the second plurality of adjoining racks being spaced from the first plurality of adjoining racks by an aisle width;
(C) at least one first unitary horizontal barrier that covers (i) a rack, of the first plurality of adjoining racks, (ii) another rack, of the first plurality of adjoining racks, that is adjacent to the rack, and (iii) the vertical flue space between the rack and the other rack, of the first plurality of adjoining racks, the at least one unitary first horizontal barrier being provided at a first predetermined height, having a predetermined width, and having a depth that is at least equal to a sum of (i) a depth of the rack, of the first plurality of racks, (ii) a depth of the other rack, of the first plurality of racks, and (iii) a depth of the vertical flue;
(D) at least one second unitary horizontal barrier that covers (i) a rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, (ii) another rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, that is adjacent to the rack, and (iii) the vertical flue space between the rack and the other rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, the at least one second horizontal barrier being provided at a second predetermined height, having a predetermined width, and a depth that is at least equal to a sum of (i) a depth of the rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, (ii) a depth of the other rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, and (iii) a depth of the vertical flue; and
(E) a fire protection sprinkler system for the protection of the commodities stored on the first plurality of adjoining racks and the second plurality of adjoining racks, the fire protection sprinkler system comprising:
(a) a first fluid supply conduit, associated with the first plurality of adjoining racks, configured to deliver a fire protection fluid received from a fire protection fluid source;
(b) at least one first rack level fire protection sprinkler connected to the first fluid supply conduit, the at least one first rack level sprinkler (i) being disposed in the vertical flue space below the at least one unitary first horizontal barrier, and (ii) being vertically spaced from the commodities stored on the rack and the other rack, of the first plurality of adjoining racks, covered by the at least one unitary first horizontal barrier;
(c) at least one ceiling level fire protection sprinkler provided above the at least one unitary first horizontal barrier;
(d) a second fluid supply conduit, associated with the second plurality of adjoining racks, configured to deliver the fire protection fluid received from the fire protection fluid source; and
(e) at least one second rack level fire protection sprinkler connected to the second fluid supply conduit associated with the second plurality of adjoining racks, the at least one second rack level sprinkler (i) being disposed below the at least one second horizontal barrier, and being vertically spaced from the commodities stored on the rack and the other rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, covered by the at least one second unitary horizontal barrier.