JP7626396B2 - Fire hose coupling release tool and release method using same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tool for releasing a fire hose coupling and a method for releasing the coupling using the tool.

Fire hoses used in firefighting operations are equipped with connecting fittings at their ends, and are configured so that multiple fire hoses can be connected and separated by connecting and disconnecting the connecting fittings. Connecting fittings are disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. Connecting fittings have the same structure regardless of male or female, from the perspective of speed and reliability of firefighting operations.

The connecting fittings have multiple protrusions and fittings arranged around the circumference of the end. When connecting the connecting fittings, the protrusions and fittings of one connecting fitting are fitted into the protrusions and fittings of the other connecting fitting, and the tip surfaces are abutted against each other.

Furthermore, each protrusion has a convex portion and a concave portion extending in the circumferential direction of the connecting fitting. When each connecting fitting is rotated (twisted) in the circumferential direction while the tip faces of each connecting fitting are in contact with each other, the convex portion and the concave portion provided on the protrusion of each connecting fitting are fitted together, so that each connecting fitting cannot move in the axial direction.

The connecting fittings also have a stopper portion for maintaining the connected state. The stopper portion is configured to restrict rotation so that the connecting fittings, whose tip faces are abutted against each other, do not rotate in the circumferential direction in the opposite direction (are not twisted). The stopper portion is configured to be movable between a locked position and an unlocked position in the fitting engagement portion of the connecting fitting. The stopper portion is normally biased to the locked position by a biasing member such as a spring.

When the stopper portion is placed in the locked position, the protrusion that is fitted into the fitting portion cannot move, and the connecting fitting is configured not to rotate in the reverse direction (not to twist). This allows the convex and concave portions on the protrusion to fit together, maintaining each connecting fitting in a state where it cannot move in the axial direction, making it impossible for the connecting fitting to be released, and as a result, preventing the fire hose from being separated.

On the other hand, when the stopper portion is placed in the unlocked position, the protrusion engaged with the engagement portion becomes movable, causing the connecting fitting to rotate in the opposite direction (twist). This separates the convex and concave portions on the protrusion, allowing each connecting fitting to move in the axial direction, and the connecting fittings can be released from their connection, which allows the fire hose to be separated.

As described above, when separating the fire hose, the stopper part, which has been biased to the locked position by the biasing member, must be placed in the unlocked position, and the connecting fitting must be rotated in the opposite direction (twisted) while the stopper part is in the unlocked position. This requires two people to carry out the work, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-119577

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a tool for releasing a fire hose coupling and a method for releasing the coupling using the tool, so that one person can easily and quickly release the coupling.

In order to solve the above problems, the fire hose fitting disconnecting tool of the present invention has a pair of shafts that are positioned on each connected fitting when disconnecting the fittings of a fire hose. The fire hose fitting disconnecting tool has a support part that supports the pair of shafts, a locking part for locking the stopper part of the fitting, and a lever part for rotating one shaft part around the other shaft part.

By using the fire hose fitting release tool of the present invention, one person can easily and quickly release the fitting and separate the fire hose.

Moreover, preferably, the support portion and the lever portion are made of a metal member that is integrally formed.

It is desirable that the lever portion extend perpendicular to an imaginary line connecting the pair of shaft portions.

Furthermore, the locking portion may be configured with a curved shape formed between the support portion and the lever portion.

As a method for releasing the coupling of the coupling fitting according to the present invention, it is preferable to use the fire hose coupling releasing tool described above to release the coupling fitting.

The fire hose fitting release tool and release method of the present invention allow one person to easily and quickly release the fitting.

FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the coupling fittings separated. FIG. 4A is a side view of the stopper portion, FIG. 4B is a view taken along an arrow B in FIG. 4A, and FIG. 4C is a view taken along an arrow C in FIG. 4A. FIG. 6A and 6B show a fire hose coupling release tool, with FIG. 6A being a side view and FIG. 6B being a front view. 13 is a side view illustrating a method for releasing the coupling of the coupling fittings. FIG.

The following describes one embodiment of a fire hose coupling release jig (hereinafter, simply referred to as the "jig") and a release method using the same, based on the drawings.

<Connecting fittings>
The connector 2 of the fire hose H will be described with reference to FIGS.
The connecting fitting 2 is attached to the tip of the fire hose H, and two fire hoses H are configured to be connected and separated via the connecting fitting 2. The connecting fitting 2 is made of a metal member and has a cylindrical main body 20 having approximately the same diameter as the diameter of the fire hose H.

The connecting fitting 2 has a number of protrusions 22, which are integrally provided on the main body 20. The protrusions 22 are configured to protrude in the axial direction 2a from the tip surface 200 of the main body 20 and protrude in the radial direction 2b from the circumferential surface 201 of the main body 20, and are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction 2c of the main body 20. To allow the operator to work safely when holding and connecting the connecting fitting 2, the protrusions 22 are configured with inclined surfaces so that the tip and base ends of the rectangular parallelepiped do not become sharp.

The connecting fitting 2 also has a plurality of fittings 23, which are formed between the protrusions 22 provided on the main body 20 and are composed of the opposing end edges 220 of the adjacent protrusions 22 and the peripheral surface 201 of the main body 20. Therefore, the fittings 23 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction 2c of the main body 20.

The width of the mating portion 23 (the distance between each protrusion 22) is configured to be wider than the width of the protrusion 22, and when each connecting fitting 2 is connected, the protrusion 22 of one connecting fitting 2 is fitted into the mating portion 23 of the other connecting fitting 2.

The connecting fitting 2 also has multiple protrusions 24. The protrusions 24 are configured in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, protruding from the end edge portion 220 on one side of the protrusion 22 in the circumferential direction 2c of the main body portion 20, and protruding from the peripheral surface portion 201 of the main body portion 20 in the radial direction 2b, and are configured not to protrude from the tip surface portion 200 of the main body portion 20 in the axial direction 2a. Therefore, one protrusion 24 is provided on each protrusion 22.

The connecting fitting 2 has a plurality of recesses 25. The recesses 25 are formed in each protrusion 22, and as described below, are configured in a rectangular parallelepiped shape so that the protrusion 24 of one connecting fitting 2 fits into the recess 25 of the other connecting fitting 2. Therefore, one recess 25 is provided for each protrusion 22.

The convex portion 24 and the concave portion 25 are provided on one end edge portion 220 of the protrusion portion 22. The convex portion 24 and the concave portion 25 are configured in a shape that allows them to fit together when each connecting fitting 2 is connected.

When the connecting fittings 2 are connected, the protrusion 22 of one connecting fitting 2 is fitted into the fitting portion 23 of the other connecting fitting 2, and the tip surface portion 200 of each connecting fitting 2 comes into contact. The connecting fittings 2 are then rotated (twisted) forward in the circumferential direction 2c, and the convex portion 24 of one connecting fitting 2 is fitted into the concave portion 25 of the other connecting fitting 2, and the convex portion 24 of the other connecting fitting 2 is fitted into the concave portion 25 of the one connecting fitting 2. As a result, the convex portion 24 and the concave portion 25 are caught, preventing the connected connecting fittings 2 from moving in the axial direction 2a.

Here, rotating the connecting fitting 2 forward in the circumferential direction 2c means rotating in the direction in which the convex portion 24 and the concave portion 25 of the connecting fitting 2 are fitted together (direction R1 in FIG. 5), while rotating the connecting fitting 2 backward in the circumferential direction 2c means rotating in the direction in which the convex portion 24 and the concave portion 25 of the connecting fitting 2 are separated from each other (direction R2 in FIG. 5).

<Stopper part>
The stopper portion 26 will be described with reference to FIGS.
When the connected connecting fittings 2 are rotated (twisted) in the circumferential direction 2c, the projections 24 and recesses 25 of the connecting fittings 2 are disengaged, and the connected connecting fittings 2 become movable in the axial direction 2a and are separated. Therefore, to prevent the connected connecting fittings 2 from being separated, the connecting fittings 2 are provided with stopper portions 26, which are configured to restrict the connected connecting fittings 2 from being rotated (twisted) in the circumferential direction 2c. In this embodiment, one stopper portion 26 is provided on each connecting fitting 2.

As shown in FIG. 4, the stopper portion 26 is provided on the protrusion 22 and is configured to protrude from the end edge portion 220 of the protrusion 22 opposite the end edge portion 220 of the protrusion 22 on which the convex portion 24 is provided. The stopper portion 26 is equipped with a rotating shaft portion 260 having a torsion spring as a biasing member. Therefore, the stopper portion 26 is configured to be movable between a locked position (solid line in FIG. 4) and an unlocked position (two-dot chain line in FIG. 4) by rotating around the rotating shaft portion 260. The stopper portion 26 is normally biased by the torsion spring of the rotating shaft portion 260 to be disposed in the locked position.

The stopper portion 26 is made of an L-shaped metal member (FIG. 4A) and includes an abutment portion 261 and a base portion 262 connected to the abutment portion 261, and a rotation shaft portion 260 is provided on the base portion 262. The abutment portion 261 protrudes from the edge portion 220 of the protrusion portion 22, while the base portion 262 is configured not to protrude from the edge portion 220 of the protrusion portion 22.

The stopper portion 26 moves between a locked position (solid line in FIG. 4) and an unlocked position (double-dashed line in FIG. 4) as the base portion 262 rotates around the rotating shaft portion 26. The stopper portion 26 of one connecting fitting 2 is positioned so that the abutment portion 261 abuts against the protrusion portion 22 of the other connecting fitting 2 in the locked position, and is positioned so that the abutment portion 261 does not abut against the protrusion portion 22 of the other connecting fitting 2 in the unlocked position.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the abutment portion 261 is formed of a curved surface that is curved in an arc shape on the circumferential surface portion 201 side of the main body portion 20, and when the connecting fittings 2 are connected, the protrusion portion 22 of one connecting fitting 2 abuts against the curved surface of the abutment portion 261 of the stopper portion 26 provided on the other connecting fitting 2, thereby allowing the stopper portion 26 to be smoothly moved to the unlocked position while resisting the biasing force of the torsion spring of the rotating shaft portion 260 of the stopper portion 26, and the protrusion portion 22 of one connecting fitting 2 can be fitted into the fitting portion 23 of the other connecting fitting 2. Thereafter, the connecting fitting 2 is rotated (twisted) in the forward direction (direction R1 in FIG. 5), and the stopper portion 26 returns to the locked position.

As described below, when the stopper portion 26 is placed in the locked position, the abutment portion 261 protrudes from the end surface portion 200 of the protrusion portion 22 and is placed in the fitting portion 23. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the protrusion portion 22' of the other connecting fitting 2' fitted into the fitting portion 23 of one connecting fitting 2 comes into contact with the abutment portion 261 of the stopper portion 26, and the connecting fitting 2 is restricted from rotating in the reverse direction (direction R2 in FIG. 5) (twisting).

On the other hand, when the stopper portion 26 is placed in the unlocked position, the abutment portion 261 is separated from the protrusion portion 22 and is not placed in the fitting portion 23. This means that the protrusion portion 22 of one connecting fitting 2 fitted into the fitting portion 23 of the other connecting fitting 2 does not abut against the abutment portion 261 of the stopper portion 26, and the connecting fitting 2 is configured to rotate (twist) in the reverse direction (direction R2 in Figure 5).

<Fire hose coupling release tool>
The fire hose coupling releasing jig 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
The jig 1 has a pair of shafts 11, 11' that are positioned on each connecting fitting 2 when the connecting fittings 2 are released. In this embodiment, the positioning portion 27 that positions the shafts 11, 11' is configured as a notch 27 ( FIG. 5 ) formed in the protrusion 22, and the shafts 11, 11' are positioned by being fitted into the notch 27. The notch 27 is configured so that the end edge portion 220 of the protrusion 22 opposite the stopper portion 26 is cut out and recessed. The shafts 11, 11' are configured from metal members such as bolts.

The jig 1 includes a support portion 13 that supports each of the shaft portions 11, 11', and a lever portion 14 that is connected to the support portion 13. In this embodiment, the support portion 13 and the lever portion 14 are made of an integrally formed metal member, which allows for a rational design of the support portion 13 and the lever portion 14, making them easy to manufacture and reducing manufacturing costs.

The lever portion 14 extends in a direction 14a perpendicular to the imaginary line 11a connecting the pair of shaft portions 11, 11'. As a result, as described below, when the connecting fitting 2 is released from the connection, one shaft portion 11 is rotated around the other shaft portion 11'. At that time, one shaft portion 11 serves as a fulcrum and the other shaft portion 11' serves as a point of action, so that the rotational force from the lever portion 14 is effectively transmitted to the shaft portions 11, 11'.

The jig 1 is equipped with a locking portion 15 that locks the stopper portion 26 of the connecting fitting 2 and holds it in the unlocked position. In this embodiment, the locking portion 15 is made up of a portion where the support portion 13 and the lever portion 14 are connected, and is adapted to lock the stopper portion 26 at this portion. The width W1 of the support portion 13 is configured to be larger than the width W2 of the lever portion 14, and the locking portion 15 is formed at the portion where the support portion 13 and the lever portion 14 are connected. The locking portion 15 is configured in a curved shape, so that while the lever portion 14 is being rotated, the stopper portion 26 can move smoothly while being locked to the locking portion 15.

<How to release the connecting fitting 2>
A method for releasing the fittings 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. In Fig. 7, in order to make it easy to understand the positional relationship between the fittings 2, 2' and the jig 1, the jig 1 is represented by a two-dot chain line and the fittings 2, 2' are represented by a solid line.

As shown in FIG. 7, the operator positions the pair of shafts 11, 11' of the jig 1 on the positioning portions 27, 27' of the connected fittings 2, 2'. The positioning portions 27, 27' are provided on the protrusions 22, 22' having stopper portions 26, 26', and are composed of notches 27, 27' formed by cutting out the edge portions 220 of the protrusions 22, 22'.

The notches 27, 27' are formed by cutting out the edge 220 of the protrusion 22, 22' opposite to the edge 220 of the protrusion 22, 22' on which the stopper 26, 26' is provided. Therefore, when the connecting fittings 2, 2' are connected and the protrusions 22, 22' of each connecting fitting 2, 2' are abutted against each other, the opening of the notch 27 provided in the protrusion 22 of one connecting fitting 2 faces the edge 220 of the protrusion 22' of the other connecting fitting 2'. Then, the pair of shafts 11, 11' of the jig 1 are fitted into the notches 27, 27' of the respective connecting fittings 2, 2'. At this time, the jig 1 is disposed in the first position 1A.

The operator also uses one hand to move the stopper portion 26 of one of the connecting fittings 2 from the locked position to the unlocked position. Then, the operator hooks and engages the stopper portion 26 with the engaging portion 15 of the jig 1 held in the other hand, thereby holding the stopper portion 26 in the unlocked position even if the torsion spring of the rotating shaft portion 260 tries to return the stopper portion 26 to the locked position. This allows the operator to release one hand from the stopper portion 26 of one of the connecting fittings 2 while maintaining the stopper portion 26 in the unlocked position.

Then, with one hand, the operator moves the stopper portion 26' of the other connecting fitting 2' from the locked position to the unlocked position. At this time, the stopper portion 26 of one connecting fitting 2 is held in the unlocked position by the engaging portion 15 of the jig 1 that the operator is holding with the other hand. As a result, the stopper portions 26, 26' of both connecting fittings 2, 2' are placed in the unlocked position.

In this state, the operator uses the other hand to rotate the lever portion 14 of the jig 1 around one of the shaft portions 11 of the jig 1 so that the jig 1 moves from the first position 1A to the second position 1B. At this time, by rotating the jig 1 in a direction toward the stopper portion 26 held by the locking portion 15 of the jig 1, the jig 1 can be moved from the first position 1A to the second position 1B while maintaining the stopper portion 26 in the unlocked position.

As a result, one shaft portion 11 of the jig 1 serves as a fulcrum, and the other shaft portion 11' of the jig 1 serves as a point of application, so that the shaft portion 11 presses the protrusion portion 22' through the opening of the notch portion 27 of the protrusion portion 22, and the shaft portion 11' presses the protrusion portion 22 through the opening of the notch portion 27' of the protrusion portion 22'. In this way, with the stopper portions 26, 26' maintained in the unlocked position, the shaft portions 11, 11' press the protrusion portions 22, 22', causing the connecting fittings 2, 2' to rotate in the reverse direction (direction R2 in FIG. 5) (twist), causing the convex portions 24 to separate from the concave portions 25, and allowing the connecting fittings 2, 2' to move in the axial direction 2a, allowing the fire hose H to be separated.

In this way, the operator holds the lever portion 14 of the jig 1 with one hand and positions the pair of shaft portions 11, 11' on each of the connected connecting fittings 2, 2' while holding the stopper portion 26 in the locked position with the engaging portion 15 of the jig 1. Then, the operator places the stopper portion 26 in the unlocked position with the other hand and rotates the lever portion 14 held in one hand so that the one shaft portion 11' rotates around the other shaft portion 11. As a result, the connecting fittings 2, 2' can be rotated (twisted) in the reverse direction (direction R2 in Figure 5) while the stopper portions 26, 26' are maintained in the unlocked position, so that the connecting fittings 2, 2' can be easily and quickly released by one person to separate the fire hose H.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the configuration of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, the following modifications are also possible.

In this embodiment, the stopper portion 26 is configured as a rotation mechanism in which the abutment portion 261 is biased by a torsion spring, but may also be configured as a sliding mechanism in which the abutment portion 261 is slidable and biased by a coil spring, for example.

The locking portion 15 of the fire hose coupling release jig 1 may be configured to be capable of locking the stopper portion 26, and may be configured, for example, as a protrusion protruding from the support portion 13 or the lever portion 14, so as to reduce the possibility that the stopper portion 26 will come off the locking portion 15 when the lever portion 14 is rotated.

The support part 13 and lever part 14 of the fire hose coupling release jig 1 may be constructed of separate parts, and may be configured, for example, so that the lever part 14 can be attached and detached from the support part 13 so that it can be easily rotated.

The lever portion 14 can be extended in any direction relative to the pair of shaft portions 11, 11' depending on the position of the stopper portion 26, for example, to make it easier to engage the stopper portion 26.

In this embodiment, the fire hose coupling release jig 1 has a pair of shafts 11, 11' that are cylindrical, but this shape is not necessary and it is sufficient that one shaft can rotate around the other shaft, so for example, the tip may be hemispherical and the entire structure may be spherical.

In this embodiment, when the pair of shafts of the fire hose fitting release jig 1 are positioned on each fitting 2, 2', they are fitted into the notches 27, 27' provided on the protrusions 22, 22' of the fittings 2, 2', but they may also be recesses or protrusions provided on the main body 20, 20' of the fittings 2, 2', for example.

Next, we will explain the effects of the present invention.

The fire hose fitting disconnecting tool of the present invention has a pair of shafts that are positioned on each of the connected fittings when disconnecting the fittings. The tool also has a support section that supports the pair of shafts, a locking section for locking the stopper section of the fitting, and a lever section for rotating one shaft around the other shaft.

Therefore, the operator holds the lever part with one hand and positions the pair of shaft parts on each of the connected connecting fittings while locking the stopper part with the locking part. Then, with the other hand, the operator can put the other stopper part in the unlocked position and hold the stopper part in the unlocked position with the locking part. In this state, the operator rotates the lever part held with one hand so that one shaft part rotates around the other shaft part. As a result, the connecting fittings can be rotated in the opposite direction (twisted) while keeping the two stopper parts unlocked, so that one person can easily and quickly release the connecting fittings and separate the fire hose.

In addition, at this time, the other hand is free to use, so even if there are two stopper parts on the connected fasteners, one stopper part can be held in the unlocked position by the locking part of the jig, and the other stopper part can be maintained in the unlocked position with the other hand, allowing one person to release the connection of the fasteners.

It is also desirable that the jig be made of a metal member in which the support and lever parts are integrally formed. By forming the support and lever parts integrally from a metal member, it is possible to achieve a rational design, and it is easy to manufacture, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

In addition, when one shaft part rotates around the other shaft part, one shaft part serves as the fulcrum and the other shaft part serves as the point of application, so it is desirable that the lever part extends perpendicular to the imaginary line connecting the pair of shaft parts so that the rotational force from the lever part is effectively transmitted to the shaft parts.

In addition, the locking portion is configured with a curved shape formed between the support portion and the lever portion, so when the lever portion is rotated, the stopper portion and the locking portion can move smoothly while remaining locked together.

By using the fire hose disconnecting tool of the present invention to disconnect the connecting fittings, one person can easily and quickly disconnect the connecting fittings and separate the fire hose.

1 Fire hose coupling release jig 11, 11' Shaft portion 13 Support portion 14 Lever portion 15 Locking portion 2, 2' Coupling fittings 26, 26' Stopper portion H Fire hose

Claims (5)

A pair of shaft portions that are positioned on each of the connected fittings when the fittings of the fire hose are released from each other;
A support portion that supports the pair of shaft portions;
a locking portion for locking the stopper portion of the connecting fitting;
and a lever portion for rotating one of the shaft portions around the other shaft portion. 2. The fire hose coupling release tool according to claim 1, wherein the support portion and the lever portion are made of a metal member that is integrally formed. 3. The fire hose coupling releasing tool according to claim 1, wherein the lever portion extends in a direction perpendicular to an imaginary line connecting the pair of shaft portions. The fire hose coupling release tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the locking portion is configured with a curved shape formed between the support portion and the lever portion. A method for releasing a fire hose fitting by using a fire hose fitting releasing tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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