Fire extinguisher

Abstract

The fire extinguisher of the present invention includes a container housing a fire inhibiting material which may automatically discharge its fire inhibiting contents in response to a fire. In one exemplary embodiment, the fire inhibiting material is pressurized within the container and the container is structured and arranged to discharge its fire inhibiting contents in a predetermined direction. Also, a method is provided for constructing a container for holding fire inhibiting contents under pressure and a method and apparatus for effectively and efficiently filling and pressurizing the container with fire inhibiting material, forming a container structured and arranged to expel the fire inhibiting material contained therein in a predefined direction in response to a fire.

1 . A fire extinguisher, comprising: 
 a container including a wall having a first thickness and defining an interior cavity, and a discharge window formed as a substantial area of said wall, said discharge window having a second thickness which is less than said first thickness; and    a quantity of fire inhibiting substance contained within said interior cavity, said fire inhibiting substance expandable at an elevated temperature to discharge through said discharge window along a focused direction substantially defined by said discharge window.    
   
   
       2 . The fire extinguisher of  claim 1 , wherein said discharge window includes an outer perimeter having a substantially rectangular shape.  
   
   
       3 . The fire extinguisher of  claim 1 , wherein said wall is tubular in shape and includes first and second ends.  
   
   
       4 . The fire extinguisher of  claim 3 , including a fitting having an exterior surface including at least one groove, said fitting received within one of said first and second ends with at least a portion of said wall received within said groove.  
   
   
       5 . The fire extinguisher of  claim 4 , including a collar received over said wall and said fitting, said wall captured between said fitting exterior surface and said collar.  
   
   
       6 . The fire extinguisher of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a pair of fittings each having an exterior surface including a groove, said fittings respectively received at least partially within first and second open ends of said container with at least a portion of said wall pressed into said each of said grooves; and    a pair of collars respectively received over at least a portion of said wall and said fittings, at least portions of said wall captured between said fittings and said collars.    
   
   
       7 . A fire extinguisher, comprising: 
 a container including a wall defining an interior cavity;    a first fitting having an exterior surface including a groove, said first fitting received at least partially within an open first end of said container with at least a portion of said wall pressed into said groove; and    a quantity of fire inhibiting substance contained within said tube, said fire inhibiting substance expandable at an elevated temperature to discharge from said container.    
   
   
       8 . The fire extinguisher of  claim 7 , wherein said container includes a discharge window formed within said wall, said fire inhibiting substance expandable at an elevated temperature to discharge through said discharge window along a focused direction substantially defined by said discharge window.  
   
   
       9 . The fire extinguisher of  claim 8 , wherein said discharge window is formed as a substantial area of said wall, said discharge window including a substantially rectangular outer perimeter.  
   
   
       10 . The fire extinguisher of  claim 7 , wherein said wall is tubular in shape and includes first and second ends.  
   
   
       11 . The fire extinguisher of  claim 7 , including a collar received over at least a portion of said wall and said fitting, a least a portion of said wall captured between said fitting exterior surface and said collar.  
   
   
       12 . The fire extinguisher of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 a second fitting having an exterior surface including a groove, said second fitting received at least partially within an open second end of said container with at least a portion of said wall pressed into said groove; and    a pair of collars respectively received over at least portions of said wall and first and second fittings, at least portions of said wall respectively captured between said first and second fittings and said collars.    
   
   
       13 . A method of sealing a container, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a container having a wall defining an interior cavity, and a fitting having an exterior surface including at least one groove;    positioning the fitting within an open end of the container at least partially within the interior cavity;    deforming the wall to press at least a portion of the wall into the groove.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the wall is tubular.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising the additional step of fitting a collar over at least a portion of the wall and the fitting to capture at least a portion of the wall between the collar and the fitting.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said deforming step further comprises deforming at least a portion of the wall into an expansion area of the fitting.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising the additional step of filling the interior cavity with a quantity of fire inhibiting substance.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the container includes a discharge window formed as a substantial area of the wall, the discharge window having a reduced thickness relative to a remainder of the wall.