JP2905327B2 - Liquid intrusion prevention device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a conventional water shut-off device in which a liquid is poured into a container, and when the container is filled with a predetermined amount of liquid, the liquid injection needs to be stopped automatically. The present invention relates to a liquid intrusion prevention device used in place of the above.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a liquid is filled in a container, it is necessary to automatically stop the filling when the liquid is filled in the container. As such a stopping means, there is a float type water stop valve. FIG. 8 shows an example of a float type water stop valve, and FIG. 9 shows a liquid collection container using the float type water stop valve of FIG. In the float type water stop valve 8, a float basket 2 is housed inside a frame 1, and a seal member 3 such as a soft urethane foam is loaded in the float basket 2. Frame 1
Is attached so as to fit into the exhaust pipe 5 of the container so that air in the container can be sucked or exhausted from the exhaust port 6. In such a float type water shutoff valve 8, the float basket 2 rises in response to the rise of the liquid level 7, and finally, the sealing material 3 blocks the exhaust port 6 of the exhaust pipe 5, so that Stop the liquid injection. In addition,
In FIG. 9, reference numeral 9 denotes an injection tube.

However, with the float type water stop valve 8, when the liquid injection speed is high or a large amount of bubbles are generated, the float basket 2 does not rise according to the liquid level 7 or the top of the bubbles.
Since the sealing member 3 cannot seal the exhaust port 6, the excessively injected liquid flows out through the exhaust port 6. Further, when a solid suspended matter is contained in the liquid, the suspended matter is sandwiched between the sealing material 3 and the sealing surface of the exhaust port 6 to form a gap, so that the exhaust port 6 may be completely blocked. Can not. If mist or droplets are generated, they may enter the exhaust port 6.

[0004]

Even when bubbles or droplets are generated, or solid suspended matter is present in the liquid,
In order to prevent such intrusion into the exhaust pipe 5, the present inventors have proposed a liquid intrusion prevention device as shown in FIG.
The inventor of the present invention invents a method in which a granular polymer substance 11 which absorbs and swells a liquid is sandwiched between porous supports 12 and 13 having pores which cannot pass through the polymer substance 11 but allow gas to pass through.

The liquid intrusion prevention device having such a configuration is used, for example, by attaching it to a liquid collecting container as shown in FIG. In this liquid collection container, when suction is performed through a suction pipe 16 connected to a suction pump or the like, the container body 1
The inside of the chamber 4 becomes a negative pressure, and the liquid is injected from the injection pipe 15.
The liquid intrusion prevention device 20 is connected to the suction port 17 of the lid 18 of the container.
Between the container body 1 and the suction pipe 16.
4, the liquid level 19 is applied to the liquid intrusion prevention device 20.
When the pressure reaches, the polymer substance 11 absorbs the liquid and swells, and stops the suction by closing the hole of the porous support 12 on the suction port 17 side.

However, if the liquid intrusion prevention device is used in a highly humid state such as injecting a highly volatile liquid or in the rainy season, the polymer substance 11 removes vapor or moisture before the container is filled with liquid. Since the tendency to absorb and swell to eliminate the gap between the polymer substances 11 increases, the suction function may be reduced, and the suction stop function may be activated.
In such a case, the original function of the liquid collection container cannot be sufficiently exhibited.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to prevent a decrease in a suction function due to swelling of a polymer substance under high humidity, but to reduce contact with droplets. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid intrusion prevention device that swells immediately and stops suction.

[0008]

A liquid intrusion prevention device according to the present invention is a liquid intrusion prevention device that automatically closes a passage when a liquid enters a gas passage. It is enclosed in. As the fiber, a fiber composed of a fiber main body and a polymer substance that swells when absorbing a liquid by adhering to the fiber main body; a fiber composed of a polymer substance that swells when absorbing a liquid; or a combination thereof. These fibers may be enclosed not only as a single fiber but also in a cloth form.

Further, the fibers are filled in such an amount that the gaps between the fibers are not extinguished by the vapor but are extinguished by contact with the liquid passing through the passage. The contaminants in the gas may be trapped by adjusting the amount of the filling.

[0010]

The liquid intrusion prevention device of the present invention swells when the fiber absorbs the liquid, so that the gap between the fibers becomes small and disappears. Under the condition that the liquid reaches the liquid intrusion prevention device, such as a rise in the liquid level, the gap between the fibers disappears due to the swelling of the fibers, that is, the state becomes clogged, and the intrusion of the liquid and gas stops. On the other hand, under high humidity, the fibers do not swell to such an extent that the gaps between the fibers disappear, and thus do not become clogged.

Therefore, the liquid injection is not stopped before the liquid is filled in the container together with the high-humidity gas. However, contact with the liquid droplets such as a rise in the liquid level is immediately clogged. By stopping the intrusion of the liquid and gas, the intrusion of the liquid into the downstream piping, the suction pump, and the like is prevented.

[0012]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the configuration of a liquid intrusion prevention device according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, fibers (hereinafter, referred to as water-absorbing fibers) 24 that swell when water is absorbed are sealed in a space (hereinafter, referred to as a sealing portion 23) formed by the casings 21 and 22 in a compressed state. In FIG. 1, 25 and 26 are:
These ribs are formed integrally with the casings 21 and 22 so that the water-absorbing fibers 24 do not protrude into the passage by suction or the like.

The water-absorbing fiber 24 is composed of a fiber main body and a polymer substance attached to the fiber main body. There is no particular limitation on the mode of attachment, and in addition to the case where it adheres to the surface of the fiber main body, for example, the case where the inside of the fiber main body is impregnated, or the case where a polymer substance forms a coating film on the fiber main body, and the like.

As the fiber main body, synthetic fibers such as acrylic fiber, nylon fiber, polyester fiber, polyethylene fiber, polypropylene fiber, polyvinyl chloride fiber and polyvinyl acetate are used. The size is appropriately selected depending on the use location, purpose, and the like of the liquid intrusion prevention device, but a length of about 10 mm or more and a thickness of about 2.6 to 10 denier are preferably used. As the polymer substance adhering to the fiber main body, a polymer substance that swells by absorbing water (hereinafter, referred to as a water-absorbing polymer) is used. Examples of the water-absorbing polymer include sodium polyacrylate, a graft copolymer of starch and polyacrylic acid, a saponified product of a copolymer of vinyl acetate and methyl acrylate, and a copolymer of vinyl acetate and maleic anhydride. Examples include saponified polymers and saponified copolymers of isobutylene and maleic anhydride.

[0015] The water-absorbing fiber having the above structure is
The state changes as shown in FIG. 5 due to the contact with the liquid in the sealing portion 23. FIG. 5A shows a state before liquid absorption, and FIG. 5B shows a state after liquid absorption. As a result of the water-absorbing fibers 24 (particularly, the water-absorbing polymer 31 attached to the fiber main body 30) absorbing water and swelling, the gap between the water-absorbing fibers 24 becomes smaller and disappears.

The amount and density of the water-absorbing fibers 24 enclosed in the enclosing portion 23 are not so large that the gap between the fibers is reduced and clogged even under swelling under high humidity. It is preferable that the amount and density are such as to prevent the intrusion of the liquid in which the gas is dispersed such as. The degree of swelling or the swelling speed of the water-absorbent fibers 24 varies depending on the type, amount of encapsulation, density, etc. of the water-absorbent fibers 24, and is appropriately selected depending on the use conditions of the liquid collection container. The pressure of the liquid that can be stopped depends on the water retention pressure of each water absorbing polymer and the strength of the casing.

When the liquid intrusion prevention device having such a configuration is attached to the suction port 17 of the liquid collection container as shown in FIG. 4, and the liquid is injected, the water-absorbing fibers 24 in the device are raised by the liquid injection. The surface 19 and generated bubbles and the like are swollen by absorbing water, and the gap between the water-absorbing fibers 24 disappears and becomes clogged, so that the suction is stopped. Further, in the liquid intrusion prevention device of the present embodiment, by changing the amount of the water-absorbent fibers 24 and adjusting the size of the gap between the fibers, gas containing contaminants such as dust and bacteria is allowed to pass. In this case, a function of filtering contaminants can be provided.

Further, in the liquid intrusion prevention device having the above structure, after the water-absorbing fiber 24 is compressed and sealed in the casing 22 forming the concave portion of the sealing portion 23, the casing 21 forming the lid of the sealing portion 23 is connected. Therefore, it is easier to manufacture than a configuration in which a polymer substance is sandwiched between porous supports. In the present invention embodiment, using a water-absorbing polymer as the polymer material, but the liquid has been described for the case of water, the liquid intrusion preventing device having the onset bright configuration, type of fiber, or the fiber body It can be applied to various liquids by appropriately selecting the type of polymer substance to be attached.

Further, in this embodiment, the fiber having the structure according to claim 2 is used as the fiber to be enclosed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and is made of a polymer substance which absorbs liquid and swells. A fiber (corresponding to claim 3) or a fiber made of a polymer substance which absorbs liquid and swells;
Combined with the fiber described in (1) (corresponding to claim 4)
May be used. Further, the fibers may be enclosed in a cloth shape such as a nonwoven fabric or a woven fabric.

[Specific Examples] Example 1: Lanseal-F manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.
(Trade name) with a size of 5 denier and a fiber length of 51 mm was used. This water-absorbing fiber is a fiber whose main fiber is an acrylic fiber and whose main fiber is covered with sodium polyacrylate as a water-absorbing polymer. Even if this fiber is left in an atmosphere of 85% relative humidity at 20 ° C. for 48 hours, its weight increases by about 50% (the fiber diameter becomes 1.2%).
(See FIG. 6), but instantaneously (about 1 second) absorbs 13 ml of water per 1 g of fiber (swells about 3.7 times as fiber diameter) under the condition of direct contact with water (see FIG. 6). (See FIG. 7).

Such a water-absorbent fiber is filled into a sealed portion (diameter 15 mm, height 15 mm) of a liquid intrusion prevention device as shown in FIG.
mm), the minimum amount of water that can be stopped is 0.038 g / cm ^{3 in} density and a porosity of 9
It corresponds to 6.8%. In addition, the maximum filling amount that does not cause pressure loss that does not hinder use even under high humidity is
This corresponds to a density of 0.227 g / cm ³ and a porosity of 80.6%. The porosity after injecting water at 40 ° C. for 30 minutes was 94.2% and 78.8, respectively.
%.

A water-absorbing fiber having such properties is prepared by adding a basis weight of 2000 g / m ² , a density of 0.139 g / cm ² ,
It was sealed so as to have a porosity of 88.7%. This filling amount is such that the weight becomes about 14 times after one second of water absorption and the gap between the fibers disappears. And as a liquid intrusion prevention device, a positive pressure or a negative pressure of 600 mmHg (81
It immediately absorbed water and swelled against water of 60 mmH ₂ O) to show a water stopping effect.

Next, this liquid intrusion preventing device, suction pressure - 400mmHg, - 600mmHg, - 760m
The pressure loss when suctioning at mHg was measured. Table 1 shows the pressure loss at each suction pressure and the pressure loss of the liquid collection container itself. Table 1 also shows the pressure loss when the liquid intrusion prevention device was not attached as a blank. Also, attached to the liquid collection container showing a liquid intrusion preventing device in Figure 4, suction pressure - at 400 mmHg, a 40 ° C. water was injected 30 minutes, by measuring the change in the meantime in the pressure loss, examined the effect to water vapor Was. FIG. 3 shows changes in pressure loss. The porosity (%) at the initial stage and after the injection for 30 minutes is also shown in FIG.

Comparative Example 1 In the conventional liquid intrusion prevention device shown in FIG. 2, a nonwoven fabric made of polypropylene having a cloth thickness of 0.1 mm was used as the porous support 12 on the inflow side (the side connected to the container lid), and the outflow side. As the porous support 13 (on the side connected to the suction pump), urethane foam having a thickness of 4.0 mm was used. As the polymer substance 11, sodium polyacrylate having a particle size of 150 to 1000 μm was used. When this water-absorbing polymer is released in an atmosphere of 85% relative humidity at 20 ° C. for 48 hours, the weight becomes 8
0% increase (swell to about 1.2 times as particle size)
However, under the condition of direct contact with moisture, it swells instantaneously by water absorption and swells about 4 times in particle size.

[0025] Such liquid intrusion prevention devices, - 600
showed water stopping effect immediately imbibition for water mmHg (8160mmH ₂ O). Next, this liquid intrusion preventing device, in the same manner as in Example 1, the suction pressure - 40
0mmHg, - 600mmHg, - the pressure loss when sucked by 760 mmHg, and to determine the effect against water vapor. Each result is shown in Table 1 and FIG.

Comparative Example 2 A liquid having the same structure as that of Comparative Example 1 except that a nonwoven fabric made of nylon 6,6 having a cloth thickness of 0.6 mm and subjected to a hydrophobic treatment was used as the porous support 12 on the inflow side. An intrusion prevention device was created. Liquid intrusion preventing device is created, as in Comparative Example 1, - for the water 600mmHg (8160mmH ₂ O) showed a water stopping effect immediately imbibition.

Embodiment 1 Using this liquid intrusion prevention device,
In the same manner as the suction pressure - 400 mmHg, - 600 mm
Hg, - the pressure loss when sucked by 760 mmHg, and to determine the effect against water vapor. The results are shown in Table 1 and FIG.

Example 2 A gas containing dust was passed through the liquid intrusion prevention device prepared in Example 1 at a rate of 1.5 to 2.5 kgf / cm ^{2 at} a rate of 4 l / min. The ability of the liquid intrusion prevention device to remove dust was determined by measuring the percentage of dust. Table 2 shows the dust removal rates corresponding to the particle size of the dust.

Example 3 A dust removing ability was examined in the same manner as in Example 2 except that Lanseal-F having a fiber length of 2.6 denier and a fiber length of 38 mm was used. Table 2 shows the results.

[Evaluation Results]

[0031]

[Table 1]

As can be seen from Table 1, the liquid intrusion prevention device of Example 1 has a comparative example 1 at any suction pressure.
And the pressure loss was smaller than that of the liquid intrusion prevention device of Comparative Example 2. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the pressure loss of the liquid intrusion prevention device of the example hardly changes even if water at 40 ° C. is continuously injected for 30 minutes, and the effect of water vapor on the water stopping effect of the device is recognized. Did not.

On the other hand, despite the fact that the water-absorbing swelling behavior of the water-absorbing polymer substance alone when it came into direct contact with moisture and water was similar to that of the water-absorbing fiber, it was used as a liquid intrusion prevention device (Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example In Example 2), not only the rise in the liquid level but also the humidity was clogged and the pressure loss increased (see FIG. 3). Even when the hydrophobic treatment was applied to the porous support on the inflow side (Comparative Example 2), there was not much difference as compared with the case where no hydrophobic treatment was applied (Comparative Example 1).

[0034]

[Table 2] As can be seen from Table 2, all of the liquid intrusion prevention devices of Examples 2 and 3 were able to remove 90% or more of particles of 0.3 μm or more.

[0035]

As described above, the liquid intrusion prevention device of the present invention has a small loss of suction pressure for liquid injection,
Under high humidity, pressure loss does not increase due to clogging due to swelling of the fiber enclosed in the device. Therefore, it is used when the humidity is high such as during the rainy season, or when the container is fully filled with liquid without clogging even when inhaling vapor or moisture, that is, when the liquid surface is in the liquid intrusion prevention device. Stops liquid injection when it reaches, and exhibits a water stopping effect.

According to the configuration of the liquid intrusion prevention device of the present invention, the water-absorbing fibers are fixed to the enclosing portion without using a conventional sandwiching structure with a porous support. Since it is sufficient to provide the ribs on the surface, the production is easy and the production cost is low. further,
In the liquid intrusion prevention device of the present invention, the function of capturing contaminants such as dust and bacteria can also be imparted by adjusting the amount of enclosed fibers.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a liquid intrusion prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a liquid intrusion prevention device of a comparative example.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the influence of water vapor on the liquid intrusion prevention device of a specific example.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific usage example of the liquid intrusion prevention device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the behavior of a fiber enclosed in the present invention with respect to a liquid.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing a change of a water-absorbing fiber used in a specific example with respect to humidity.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing a change when the water-absorbing fiber used in a specific example comes into contact with a liquid.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a float type water stop valve which is an example of a conventional liquid intrusion prevention device.

9 is a diagram showing a configuration of a liquid collection container to which the float type water stop valve shown in FIG. 8 is attached.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 Casing 22 Casing 23 Enclosure part 24 Water-absorbing fiber 30 Fiber main body 31 Polymer substance 32 Inter-fiber gap

(56) References JP-A-5-84280 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B65D 23/00-25/56 A61M 1/00-1 / 36

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. A liquid intrusion prevention device that automatically closes a passage to prevent liquid from entering a gas passage, wherein fibers that swell when the liquid is absorbed are sealed in the passage. Liquid intrusion prevention device. 2. The liquid intrusion prevention device according to claim 1, wherein the fiber comprises a fiber main body and a polymer substance attached to the fiber main body, and the polymer substance swells when absorbing the liquid. 3. The liquid intrusion prevention device according to claim 1, wherein the fibers are made of a polymer substance that swells when absorbing the liquid. 4. The liquid intrusion prevention device according to claim 1, wherein the fiber comprises a combination of the fiber according to claim 2 and the fiber according to claim 3. 5. The fiber of claim 1, but the gap between the fibers does not disappear at high humidity, characterized in that the amount of only extinguished by contact with a liquid passing through the passage is sealed 5. The liquid intrusion prevention device according to any one of items 4 to 4. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the filled fibers is such that the contaminants in the gas are trapped to prevent the contaminants from entering the passage. A liquid intrusion prevention device according to any one of the above. 7. The liquid intrusion prevention device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fibers are enclosed in a cloth shape.