JPH0737831B2 - Remote reset device for gas meter - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for remotely returning to an open state when a shutoff valve of a gas meter with a shutoff valve is in a closed state.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art By attaching a shutoff valve to a gas meter, the gas meter shuts off the gas in the event of an abnormality such as an earthquake, a gas pressure drop, or an excessive gas flow rate, thereby preventing a major accident. The gas meter with a shutoff valve has an upper housing 1 of the gas meter shown in FIG. 9 when the shutoff valve 2 is closed.
The shutoff valve 2 is opened when the return shaft 4 provided in the projecting part is projected and the return shaft 4 is pressed.

In the upper housing 1 of the gas meter shown in FIG. 9, a shutoff valve 2 is built in, and gas enters the gas meter main body 3 from the inlet portion 20 through the shutoff valve 2 and the outlet portion 24 after metering is measured. After that, the gas is supplied to a gas consuming device (not shown). The shutoff valve 2 operates integrally with the return shaft 4 as described above.

Conventionally, when the shut-off valve 2 is shut off in an abnormal condition such as an earthquake, the return shaft cap 67 is removed and the return shaft 4 is pressed in the direction of arrow 5 to return the shut-off valve 2 to the open state. Was. The return shaft cap 67 is attached to the upper housing 1 with the screw 33, and the packing 69 is attached to the screw 3.
It is fitted in 3 to protect the return shaft 4 from dust and moisture. Further, in order to prevent the cap 67 from being lost, a holding piece 68
Is integrally molded with the packing 69 and fitted into the cap 67. In this case, the operator had to go near the gas meter for the return operation, and a ladder or the like was needed when the gas meter was at a high place.

By improving this, as shown in FIG. 10, the return shaft cap 67 is removed, and the support body 7 of the return shaft lever 6 is attached to the screw 33. The drive lever 8 is mounted displaceably around a pin 9 provided on the support 7.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the return lever 6. Drive lever 8
By pushing up the push-up portion 10 of the above from the bottom in the direction of arrow 12 using the rod 11, the driving body 13 of the drive lever 8 is moved in the direction of arrow 16 and the return shaft is pushed in the direction of arrow 5. The shutoff valve 2 was returned to the open state. Further, instead of pushing up the push-up portion 10 with the rod 11, the cord 15 is connected to the cord connecting hole 14 of the drive lever 8 and the cord 15 is pulled to drive the drive body 13.
May be moved in the direction of arrow 16.

[0006]

However, the mechanism of the return lever 6 cannot be hermetically sealed, and dust and moisture enter through the gap, which makes the return shaft 4 difficult to move. When pushing up the push-up portion 10 with the rod 11, it is necessary to go to the bottom of the gas meter, and when using the cord 15, a pulley (not shown) can be used to operate at a certain distance. However, there were problems such as the need to manage pulleys and strings.

An object of the present invention is to, when the shut-off valve of the gas meter with shut-off valve shuts off, restore and open the shut-off valve by an operation switch provided at an operation location apart from the gas meter.

[0008]

According to the present invention, a shutoff valve is provided in the gas passage of a gas meter, the shutoff valve projects a return shaft when the valve is closed, and the shutoff valve is opened by pressing the return shaft. In a return device for a gas meter with a shut-off valve, which is capable of moving, a drive member provided movably in the displacement direction of the return shaft and having cushioning members on both sides near the return shaft, a motor and a deceleration Means for driving the drive member reciprocally in the displacement direction by the output of the motor, a first position that allows the return shaft to project when the shutoff valve is shut off, and a pressing force of the return shaft. Limiting means for limiting the amount of displacement of the drive member between the shut-off valve and the second position for opening the shut-off valve, a power supply for supplying drive power to the motor, a return switch, and when the return switch is operated, Second drive member When the drive member reaches the second position by supplying electric power to the motor so as to move to the position, the buffer member provided on the return shaft side of the collar portion hits the limiting means on the second position side. It is detected that the load current supplied to the motor increases due to the contact, power is supplied so as to reverse the rotation direction of the motor, and when the drive member returns to the first position, the return shaft of the collar portion The buffer member provided on the opposite side detects that the load current supplied to the motor is increased by coming into contact with the limiting means at the first position,
A remote resetting device for a gas meter, comprising: a controller for stopping power supply to a motor.

Further, in the invention, it is characterized in that the driving member is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape having a shaft hole in an axial direction.

[0010]

According to the present invention, the return shaft cap of the gas meter is removed, the main body of the remote return device of the present invention is attached thereto with a dial screw as shown in FIG. 2, the motor is electrically wired, and the kitchen is operated. Attach a return switch to the location and connect to the power supply.

When the shutoff valve is closed, check to make sure that there is no danger of opening the shutoff valve,
The shutoff valve can be opened by pressing the return switch at the operating point.

Further, according to the present invention, it is preferable that the driving member is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, which allows the driver to be provided in the hollow space of the driving member when the remote operation cannot be performed due to a failure of a power source or a controller. It can be pressed and returned directly by hand by inserting such as.

[0013]

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a sectional view for explaining the operation of a remote reset device main body 17 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the remote reset device main body 17 is attached to an upper housing 1 of a gas meter. It is a perspective view shown.

The remote reset device for a gas meter according to the present invention comprises a remote reset device main body 17, a reset switch 61 described later,
It comprises a power source 63 and a controller 57. The remote recovery device body 17 is installed on the front surface of the upper housing 1 of the gas meter 18. Gas is supplied from the inlet portion 20 of the gas meter 18, guided to the gas meter main body 3 through the shutoff valve 2 provided in the upper housing 1, and the gas is measured in the gas meter main body. Displayed by. The gas that has passed through the gas meter body 3 is supplied from the outlet 24 to consumer equipment (not shown).

The main body 17 of the remote reset device is a gas meter 18
The return shaft cap 67 on the front surface of the upper housing 1 is removed, and the screw 33 is fixed by screwing the return shaft cap 67 to the inner screw of the tubular portion 31 of the connection ring 30.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the remote recovery device body 17. The shutoff valve 2 has a return shaft 4, and when the shutoff valve 2 shuts off in an abnormal condition such as an earthquake, the return shaft 4 projects as shown in FIG. 1. At this time, the remote recovery device body 1
The drive member 26 of No. 7 is in the first position shown in FIG. 1 so as to allow the displacement of the return shaft 4 to the protruding position. In order to return the shutoff valve 2 to the open state, the drive member 26 is displaced to the second position indicated by the imaginary line 26a in FIG. 1, whereby the return shaft 4 is pressed and returned, and the shutoff valve 2 is opened. Put in a state. The return shaft 4 and the shutoff valve 2 maintain their states even after the pressure is removed. The drive member 26 returns to the first position shown in FIG. 1 after returning the return shaft 4, and thus the shutoff valve 2.

The remote reset device main body 17 is made of a synthetic resin base 27, and a synthetic resin cover 28 covering the base 27.
Have. An insertion hole 29 is formed in the base body 27, and the screw 33 of the return shaft 4 is inserted therein. On the inner side of the base body 27, there is a snap ring 32, which allows the connecting ring 30 to rotate freely but does not come off from the base body 27. Inner threads are engraved on the cylindrical portion 31 of the connection ring 30, and the screw 33 and the inner screw of the cylindrical portion 31 are screwed together to
The remote recovery device body 17 is integrally and detachably mounted on the upper housing 1 of the gas meter 18.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the base 27, and FIG. 6 is a mounting plate 3.
5 is a perspective view of FIG. The base 27 is attached to the open end of the cover 28 with four bolts 34. The base 27 has a pair of guide members 36 and 37 each having a substantially half-circumferential surface. A long hole 38 is formed in the one guide member 36 along the axial direction thereof.

A metal mounting plate 35 is fixed to the ends of the guide members 36 and 37 by four bolts 40. A notch 41 is formed in the mounting plate 35, and an annular groove 43 of a synthetic resin support piece 42 is fitted into the notch 41. A metal nut member 44 is fitted to the support piece 42,
The nut member 44 is fixed, and the metal gear 45 is attached to the nut member 44.
Is fixed. The metal driving member 26 is screwed into the inner screw of the nut member 44, and the flange portion 47 of the driving member 26 is
The stopper 48 is projected and fixed in the radial direction. The stopper 48 fits into the elongated hole 38 provided in the guide member 36, whereby the stopper 48 contacts one end 38a and the other end 38b of the elongated hole 38. A cushioning member 49 made of an elastic material such as rubber is fixed to the end of the collar portion 47 on the return shaft 4 side, and a cushioning member made of the same material is also provided on the surface on the opposite side of the collar portion 47. 50 is fixed.

The synthetic resin gear 52 meshing with the metal gear 45 is rotatably provided on the mounting plate 35, and the power of the motor 53 is reduced by the speed reducer 54 to drive the synthetic resin gear 52 to rotate. . The motor 53 is, for example, a 6V DC motor, and can rotate in the forward and reverse directions depending on the direction of the current. The motor 53, the metal gear 45, the synthetic resin gear 52, and the nut member 44 form a driving means.

The drive member 26 has a shaft hole 5 extending in the axial direction.
5, the shaft hole 55 faces the return shaft 4, and the outer diameter of the return shaft 4 is smaller than the outer diameter of the drive member 26 and larger than its inner diameter. On the surface 25 of the cover 28 on the opposite side of the base 27, a circular convex portion is formed at a position where the drive member 26 is present, and the cap 21 is detachably screwed to the circular convex portion.

A flat surface 42a is formed on a part of the outer periphery of the support piece 42 made of synthetic resin, and the flat surface 42a is brought into contact with the inner surface of the cover 28 to prevent the support piece 42 from rotating. .

FIG. 7 is a connection diagram showing the electrical construction of an embodiment of the present invention.

The motor 53 provided in the remote recovery device main body 17 is connected to the controller 57 via two electric wires 56. A return switch 61 is provided in a room 60 where a gas consuming device is provided, such as a kitchen, and the return switch 61 is provided.
When is operated, its output is given to the motor 53 via the controller 57. The return switch 61 is provided with the shutoff valve 21.
Is operated when returning to the open state.

The return shaft 4 is of such a size that it can be pushed in with a finger, and is decelerated by the speed reducer 54 to be pressed and moved by the drive member 26. Therefore, the motor 53 may be a small DC 6 V or so. . Therefore, the power source 63 may be a dry battery or a commercial AC power source that is step-down rectified, 65 is a changeover switch for converting its polarity, and 64 is a load current detecting means.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the controller 57 in one embodiment of the present invention.

The drive member 26 is in the first position shown in FIG. When an earthquake occurs, the pressure drops, or the flow rate becomes excessive, the shutoff valve 2 shuts off, and the return shaft 4 projects as shown in FIG. When such an abnormality occurs, the gas consuming equipment is inspected, and after confirming that there is no abnormality, the recovery operation is started.

At step n2, the return switch 61 of the room 60 in which a gas consuming device such as a kitchen is installed is operated. At step n3, the motor 53 is rotated in the forward direction. In step n4, the current detecting means 64 provided in the controller 57 determines whether or not the load current i sent to the motor 53 exceeds a predetermined current value i1. When the motor 53 is rotated in the forward direction, the synthetic resin gear 52 and the metal gear 45 are rotated via the speed reducer 54 of FIG. 1, and the nut member 44 is further rotated. The drive member 26 has a stopper 48 fixed to the drive member 26 in the long hole 3
Since it is fitted in 8, it does not rotate, and arrow 65
Is displaced in the direction of, and thereby the return shaft 4 is pressed. The drive member 26 and the return shaft 4 move in the direction of arrow 65, and the drive member 26 is in the second position (the position shown by the phantom line in FIG. 1).
Then, the return shaft 4 returns and the shutoff valve 2 is opened. However, since electric power is still being supplied to the motor 53, in the drive member 26, the buffer member 49 on the return shaft 4 side of the flange portion 47 is the return shaft 4 and the mounting screw 33, and the stopper 48 is the end portion 38b of the elongated hole 38. The cushioning member 49 is compressed by being strongly pressed against. At this time, the load current i of the motor 53 increases and exceeds the first discrimination current i1. As a result, the process moves to step n5, temporarily stops the motor 53,
Further, in step n6, the direction of the electric current sent to the motor 53 is reversed by the switch 65, whereby the motor 53 is rotated in the reverse direction and the drive member 26 is displaced downward in FIG. In step n7, the current detection means 64 provided in the controller 57 determines whether or not the load current i sent to the motor 53 exceeds a predetermined current value i2. When the drive member 26 returns to the first position, the stopper 4
8 contacts the end portion 38a of the long hole 38, and the cushioning member 50 on the side of the flange portion 47 opposite to the return shaft 4 is strongly pressed against the support piece 42 to compress the cushioning member 50. At this time, the load current i of the motor 53 increases and the second discrimination current i
More than 2. As a result, the process moves to step n8 and the motor 53 is stopped. In this way, the shutoff valve 2 is shut off in the event of an abnormality such as the occurrence of an earthquake next time, and the return shaft 4 is allowed to project and displace. In this way, the return shaft 4 and the mounting screw 33 of the shutoff valve 2 in the open state constitute the limiting means on the second position side, and the support piece 42 constitutes the limiting means on the first position side.

Since the simple operation as described above is performed, the processing circuit 59 realized by the microcomputer responds to the outputs from the return switch 61 and the load current detecting means 64 by switching the changeover switch 65 to the motor. It is possible to switch the normal rotation, reverse rotation, and stop of 53. When the device cannot be operated remotely due to a failure of the controller 57, a disconnection of a connecting cable between the controller 57 and the remote recovery device main body 17, etc., the cap 21 of the main body 17 is removed and placed in a hollow drive member. It is possible to return to the valve open state by inserting a driver, pencil, disposable chopsticks, etc. and pushing the return shaft by hand.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention, in a gas meter with a shutoff valve, in the event of an abnormality such as an earthquake, the shutoff valve that has been shut off can be easily restored from the remote operation room by operating the restoration switch. After the shutoff valve returns, the motor current is detected, the motor is rotated in the reverse direction, the drive member is returned to the original first position, and the return to the first position is detected by detecting the motor current. It is operated by the controller to stop the return shaft so that the return shaft can project and close the shutoff valve when an abnormal situation such as an earthquake occurs again. This eliminates the need for a position detecting means such as a limit switch for detecting the position of the driving member, and requires only two electric wires to connect to the motor to supply electric power to the motor. In this way, the wiring can be simplified, and particularly when the present invention is used as a gas meter for city gas for general household use, it is important to reduce the number of lines and simplify the configuration. .

Further, according to the present invention, since the driving member is hollow, when the power source or the controller fails, the cap is removed, a driver or the like is inserted into the hollow portion of the driving member, and the return shaft is directly pressed to shut it off. The valve can also be returned to the open state.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an operation of a remote recovery device body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a remote reset device is attached to an upper housing of a gas meter.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the remote recovery device body.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a base body.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a mounting plate.

FIG. 7 is an electrical connection diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the controller according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an upper housing of the gas meter with a shutoff valve.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view for explaining a conventional technique.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a return shaft lever used in the prior art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Shut-off valve 4 Return shaft 17 Remote return device body 26 Drive member 53 Motor 54 Reducer 56 Electric wire 57 Controller 61 Return switch 63 Power supply 64 Load current detection means

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Gen Onoda Gen 2 1-3 Shimura, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo Inside Kinmon Mfg. Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kaichi Tomoda 4-7 Nishiiwata, Higashi Osaka, Osaka No. 31 Incorporated company Kinmen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in Kansai Research Center (56) Reference JP-A-2-275188 (JP, A)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A shut-off valve provided with a shut-off valve in the middle of a gas passage of a gas meter, the shut-off valve projecting a return shaft when the shut-off valve is closed, and the shut-off valve can be opened by pressing the return shaft. In a return device of a gas meter with a built-in motor, a drive member is provided which is provided so as to be movable in the displacement direction of a return shaft and has a buffer member on both sides, a drive member provided near the return shaft, a motor and a speed reducer. Drive means for reciprocally driving the drive member in its displacement direction by the output of the first position, and a first position that allows the return shaft to project when the shutoff valve shuts off.
A limiter that limits the amount of displacement of the drive member between the second position where the shutoff valve is opened by pressing the return shaft, a power supply that supplies drive power to the motor, a return switch, and a return switch. When actuated, electric power is supplied to the motor so as to move the drive member to the second position, and when the drive member reaches the second position, the buffer member provided on the return shaft side of the collar portion is , It is detected that the load current supplied to the motor increases due to the contact with the limiting means on the second position side, the power is supplied so as to reverse the rotation direction of the motor, and the drive member is driven by the first member. When returning to the position, the buffer member provided on the side opposite to the return shaft of the collar portion detects that the load current supplied to the motor increases due to contact with the limiting means at the first position, And a controller to stop the power supply to the The remote resetting device of the gas meter, wherein the door. 2. The driving member has a hollow cylindrical shape having a shaft hole in the axial direction.
Remote resetting device for the described gas meter.