FIRE PROTECTION DEVICE FOR ELECTRICALS APPLIANCE CONTAINING OF THE FLAMMABLE COMPONENTS.

The present invention relates to a fire protection device for electrical appliances comprising combustible components or subject to overheating.

In the construction of electrical appliances, domestic or not, such as washing machine, the clothes dryer, dishwasher, refrigerators, etc, is in a wide use of components which may be flammable or fire accidentally if they are overheated, or if left under load for a long period of time. This increases the risk of fire which may have their origin in the programmer device timer machines, in the engine, in the resistors or electric cables, or defects or false manoeuvres and which, in addition to damage the apparatus, can be the cause of the spread of fire in the environment.

It is intended to eliminate these risks and providing devices device ability to intervene automatically and to extinguish any fire starting at birth.

To this end, the invention relates to a fire protection device for electrical appliances comprising portions flammable, as washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and refrigerators, which device comprises at least a tank of fire-extinguishing substance, for automatically opening in the presence of flames and/or when the temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold, for debiting directly or indirectly the fire-extinguishing substance on the protected portions, located near the flammable parts or being provided with channels which extend to these flammable parts.

In a first embodiment, the reservoir of fire extinguishing agents is cellular and provided with a perforated bottom, and the holes of the base are normally closed by a film that melts or ruptures at a predetermined temperature, to let out the fire-extinguishing substance.

In a second embodiment, the container has the form of a bomb under pressure and it is provided with pipes normally closed and capable of rupture at a predetermined temperature threshold.

Two embodiments of the invention will be now described by way of non-limiting example facing the accompanying drawings, on which,

figure 1 is a view of a substance reservoir burst fire may be secured to a portion of an apparatus to be protected;

figure 2 shows the substance reservoir anti-.

fire fixed in position of introduction;

figure 3 is an enlarged section of the Figure 2 tank; and

figure 4 schematically shows a apparatus, consisting of a washing machine and which comprises another embodiment of the fire fighting device.

The device according to Figures 1 to 3 comprises at least a reservoir 10 to be mounted on the members of the device to be protected which are the more prone to undergo overheating and catching fire, or in the vicinity of these elements, and comprises a substance fire or flame retardant 11.

The reservoir 10 containing the fire-extinguishing substance 11 is cellular, and it may be mounted within the upper deck 2, or against a wall or against the tank or other any means of a washing machine, a dishwasher, etc... The reservoir 10 has a plurality of cells 13 provided with holes 14 which are closed at the origin by a fragile film 15, for its being destroyed in the presence of flame or in the presence of a temperature above a predetermined threshold. The fire-extinguishing substance 11 in the cells 13 while the holes 14 the bottom are closed, after which, the cells is closed by means of a second film or a top sheet 16 which acts as, for example also in the form of intermediate support and for mounting the container to the interested component 12 (see Figure 2).

The fire-extinguishing substance can be of the type generally used in the extinguishers and it is arranged in the cells in the free state or, alternatively, it is enclosed in micro-balls. In all cases, it remains retained in the cells as long as the temperature of the environment in which it is placed does not exceed the predetermined limit, and as long as the film 15 or envelope remains intact.

Instead, as soon as it is manifest over-temperature conditions or inflammable, which can give rise to the fire within the protected apparatus, the film envelope 15 is destroyed, unmasking in the holes 14 to allow the fire-extinguishing substance to distribute and immediately extinguish the fire.

The reservoir 10 is preferably a honeycomb structure, to provide a more even distribution and secure the fire-extinguishing substance, even if some of the holes in the bottom were to be obstructed.

The embodiment shown in Figure 4 uses at least a reservoir 21 having the form of a pressure bomb which is adapted to be secured to the interior of the device to be protected and which contains a fire-extinguishing substance of the type generally used in the extinguishers, and equipped with one or more pipe (s) distribution 22 normally closed (s).

Said ducts 22 extend to parts

of the apparatus which are subject to undergo overheating or catching fire, as the electrical devices, the resistors, the motor, the flammable components, etc... On one side, the fire-extinguishing substance contained in the reservoir or in the can 21 is at least slightly pressurized and, on the other hand, the distribution conduits 22 are made of a material to be fused for breaking or opening the conduits when the latter are licked by flame or when the environmental temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold.

In this way, in this case also, as soon as it is manifest over-temperature conditions or inflammable that could give rise to a fire within the protected apparatus, the tube (s) 22 breaks (s) and, by opening, it (s) distribute) automatically the fire-extinguishing substance to extinguish as soon the development of a possible fire.