Description FIRE EXTINGUISHER

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a fire extinguisher, and more particularly, to a fire extinguisher, wherein a safety pin of the fire extinguisher can be rapidly and easily removed in case of emergency such as a fire so as to perform fire extinguishing. Background Art

[2] Generally, the fire extinguisher comprises a fire extinguisher body 1 with fire- extinguishing chemicals filled therein, and a fire extinguisher head 2 including a spring-loaded press pin 2a for use in spraying the fire-extinguishing chemicals filled in the fire extinguisher body 1 and a pressure gauge 2b for indicating inner pressure, as shown in Fig. 1. Here, the fire extinguisher head 2 is provided with a handle 3 including upper and lower handle members 3a and 3b that push down the press pin 2a to allow the fire-extinguishing chemicals filled in the fire extinguisher body 1 to be sprayed to the outside.

[3] Since the upper handle member 3a of the handle 3 is hingedly coupled to a leading end of the lower handle member 3b fixedly installed at the fire extinguisher head 2, pressing the upper handle member 3a causes the press pin 2a to be pushed down, so that the fire-extinguishing chemicals filled in the fire extinguisher body 1 can be sprayed to the outside.

[4] Therefore, a safety pin 4 formed with a ring 4a is engaged at a predetermined position where the upper and lower handle members 3a and 3b abut on each other, so that the handle 3 is not operated in a normal state other than a case where a fire occurs. In the prior art, the safety pin 4 is configured not to come off from the handle 3 by inserting a metal ring 6 around a leading end of the safety pin 4 and pressing the metal ring 6 using an additional pressing tool (not shown) in the state where the safety pin 4 is coupled to the handle 3.

[5] If a fire occurs, a user carries the fire extinguisher and quickly moves to a place suitable for extinguishing the fire, and then removes the safety pin of the fire extinguisher and performs fire-extinguishing work.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[6] However, in the prior art, the safety pin is configured such that it is not removed while a user grasps the handle of the fire extinguisher with his/her hand but is easily removed in a state where the fire extinguisher is put down on a floor. Thus, it is inconvenient to perform fire-extinguishing work. Particularly, it is most important to

early extinguish a fire when a fire occurs. Nevertheless, the safety pin does not easily come off in case of emergency, thereby causing a problem in which a fire cannot be early extinguished.

Technical Solution [7] The present invention is conceived to solve the problems in the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide a fire extinguisher, wherein a safety pin of the fire extinguisher can be rapidly and easily removed in case of emergency such as a fire so as to perform fire extinguishing. [8] According to the present invention for achieving the object, there is provided a fire extinguisher, including a fire extinguisher body with fire-extinguishing chemicals filled therein, a fire extinguisher head provided on the fire extinguisher body, a lower handle member fixed to the fire extinguisher head, and an upper handle member hingedly and pivotably coupled to the lower handle member, which comprises a safety pin vertically penetrating through the upper and lower handle members, and a spacer member that is interposed between the upper and lower handle members and fixed by the safety pin and comes off upon removal of the safety pin. [9] Particularly, the spacer member preferably has an inner hollow through which the safety pin penetrates, so that the spacer member is fixed. [10] Further, the spacer member may be formed of one or more divided pieces. More preferably, in the case where the spacer member is formed of the plurality of pieces, the pieces of the spacer member take the shape of a ring with rounded ends or a sphere in order to minimize contact areas of the respective pieces.

Brief Description of the Drawings [11] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[12] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional fire extinguisher;

[13] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a fire extinguisher according to the present invention; [14] Fig. 3a illustrates a spacer member shown in Fig. 2, and Figs. 3b and 3c show different embodiments thereof; and [15] Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a use state of the fire extinguisher according to the present invention.

Mode for the Invention [16] Hereinafter, the constitution and operation of a fire extinguisher according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [17] Referring to Fig. 2, the fire extinguisher of the present invention comprises a fire

extinguisher body 10 with fire-extinguishing chemicals filled therein, and a fire extinguisher head 20 including a spring-loaded press pin 20a serving as a valve for controlling spraying of the fire-extinguishing chemicals filled in the fire extinguisher body 10 and a pressure gauge (not shown) for indicating inner pressure. Here, the fire extinguisher head 20 is provided with a handle 30 including upper and lower handle members 30a and 30b that push down the press pin 20a to allow the fire-extinguishing chemicals filled in the fire extinguisher body 10 to be sprayed to the outside.

[18] Since the upper handle member 30a of the handle 30 is hingedly coupled to a leading end of the lower handle member 30b fixedly installed at the fire extinguisher head 20, pressing the upper handle member 30a causes the press pin 20a to be pushed down, so that the fire-extinguishing chemicals filled in the fire extinguisher body 10 can be sprayed to the outside.

[19] Moreover, the fire extinguisher of the present invention further comprises a spacer member 50 and a safety pin 40, which prevent the fire-extinguishing chemicals from being sprayed when the fire extinguisher is stored, i.e., the fire extinguisher is not used.

[20] The constitutions of the spacer member 50 and the safety pin 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 3a. The spacer member 50 in the form of a hollow cylinder is interposed between the upper and lower handle members 30a and 30b. The spacer member 50 prevents the upper and lower handle members 30a and 30b from being pressed when the fire extinguisher is stored, thereby preventing spraying of the fire- extinguishing chemicals. In addition, the safety pin 40 is installed to vertically penetrate through the upper and lower handle members 30a and 30b and the spacer member 50, thereby fixing the spacer member 50.

[21] More specifically, guide holes 31 are formed in the upper and lower handle members 30a and 30b on a vertical line passing therethrough such that the holes conform to the sectional shape of the safety pin 40, such as a circle or rectangle. As for the positions of the guide holes, the holes are effectively formed at positions corresponding to 1/3 of the length of the handle members from the fire extinguisher head 20 so as to allow a user to easily grasp the handle 30, although the holes may be formed at different positions.

[22] Further, the safety pin 40 has a ring 40a formed at a side thereof, and has such a length that it can protrude to a certain extent beyond a bottom surface of the lower handle member 30b upon insertion thereof into the guide holes 31 of the handle 30.

[23] Figs. 3b and 3c show other embodiments of the spacer member. Fig. 3b shows a spacer member 50' formed of four pieces obtained by dividing the cylindrical spacer member 50 shown in Fig. 3a. Particularly, it can be seen that the respective pieces of the spacer member 50' thus formed have rounded ends. Moreover, it can be seen from Fig. 3c that four pieces of a spacer member 50" take the shape of a sphere rather than a

cylinder.

[24] Forming the spacer member out of a plurality of divided pieces as shown in Figs.

3b and 3c is to allow the spacer members 50' and 50" to easily come off upon removal of the safety pin 40. Particularly, in the case of formation into the plurality of divided pieces, rounding the ends of the pieces of the spacer member or forming the pieces of the spacer member in a spherical shape is to minimize contact areas of the respective pieces of the spacer member, thereby allowing the spacer member to easily come off. Therefore, it will be apparent that any other shapes can also be applied so far as this object is achieved.

[25] The operation of the fire extinguisher according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5.

[26] If a fire occurs, a user removes the safety pin 40 from the upper and lower handle members 30a and 30b of the fire extinguisher as shown in Fig. 4. As soon as the safety pin 40 is removed as such, the secured spacer member 50' will come off between the upper and lower handle members 30a and 30b.

[27] In the state where the spacer member 50' has come off as such, the upper handle member 30a is pressed down as shown in Fig. 5 to spray the fire-extinguishing chemicals contained in the fire extinguisher body.

[28] According to the present invention, there is an advantage in that a safety pin of a fire extinguisher can be easily removed in case of emergency such as a fire.

[29] Particularly, there is another advantage in that a spacer member is formed of a plurality of divided pieces and contact areas of the respective pieces are minimized, thereby allowing fire-extinguishing chemicals to be rapidly sprayed.