US Patent 7117950 Fire suppression system

A vehicular and marine fire suppression system for detecting and suppressing and quenching fires. The vehicular and marine fire suppression system including a first canister, a second canister and an actuation mechanism. The first canister houses a fire suppressing agent and is in fluid communication with a manifold assembly for providing delivery of the fire suppression agent from the first canister to the area to be protected by the fire suppression system. The second canister contains a pressurizing/agitation agent and is in fluid communication with the first canister via a valved actuator assembly. The second canister includes a threaded neck defining an outlet and a pierceable seal disposed about the outlet. The actuator assembly includes a piercing member for rupturing the pierceable seal of the second canister. The piercing member is in active engagement with a piston carried by a squib. Ignition of an explosive agent within the squib is used to drive the piston to an extended position thus causing the piercing member to rupture the pierceable seal of the first canister. State-of-the-art heat/smoke detection circuitry and a programmable logic circuit are provided for detecting a fire and delivering an electrical signal to the squib. A handle member and a linkage in operative engagement with the piercing member is provided for manual actuation of the fire suppression system. Alternatively, an electrically actuated solenoid could be used to actuate the piercing member.