ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 12 -- United States Patent no. 12,702,881, issued on Aug. 11.
"Concealed sprinkler cover" was invented by Peter Yeadon (New York).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A sprinkler cover apparatus conceals sprinkler heads using temperature-responsive materials that release the cover when exposed to a set temperature, allowing unobstructed water flow. The apparatus is an imperceptible component of the ceiling or wall. Embodiments include single- and multi-piece designs, mounted to the ceiling or sprinkler head housing. Some embodiments do not contact the sprinkler head directly. Actuation is achieved via materials like shape-memory polymers (SMPs), shape-memory alloys (SMAs), liqu...