EP1439267A1 - Operating cap with magnetisable tablet for hydraulic actuating member, actuating member, production method - Google Patents

Abstract

The adapter has a bonnet with a squared movable exterior, where the bonnet is made of a non-magnetizable material such as brass. The upper part of the squared movable exterior has a hollow housing, and a metallic pallet is made of a magnetizable material such as a non-rust magnetizable metal. The pallet is arranged and fixed in the hollow housing. Independent claims are also included for the following: (a) a hydraulic control unit (b) a process of design of a stem adapter for hydraulic control unit of water distribution network.

Description

The present invention relates to a hat of prescription with magnetizable disc for organ of hydraulic control. It also concerns an organ order with such a prescription hat. She is intended to be used on taps, valves or other distribution network control devices hydraulics and it relates more particularly to their operating devices, in particular operating squares or prescription. It is applicable in particular in industry manufacturing of said control elements and services water distribution.

Maneuverable hydraulic components, in particular outlet taps, service taps, taps stops, valves or other controlled devices intended at the water distribution must be provided with caps of order, in order to be able to maneuver them.

The top of these prescription hats forms a maneuver square, also called square drive, exterior, male, standard size which is used to install an operating key with a corresponding female square to transmit the movement and the torque required to control the organ concerned. The operating key, also called the service key, is generally called a fountain key. We can find the normalized characteristics of these squares and keys in the standard NF E 29-161 and, as an example of a body hydraulic, connection valves, in the NF standard E 29-163.

In the case of organ prescription hats underground hydraulics maneuverable from the ground, these organs are placed under a key mouth generally placed at the level of the road network, which covers and closes a tube of mouth with key and a tabernacle allowing its maintenance in relation to the hat.

These devices ensure the passage out earth of the operating key once the mouth head open up to the prescription hat so you can maneuver.

Conventionally, these prescription hats are in cast iron, magnetizable material and they are accordingly generally coated with a paint-like coating (epoxy compound for example) for corrosion resistance. The color of the paint affixed to the hats is used for mark the direction of closing the valve and it is not possible to mark the closing direction without differentiate the closure caps on the left or right. In some embodiments, a square is provided female, intaglio, on the upper part of the square male cap maneuver in order to insert and fix it, if necessary, a first end of a maneuvering extension or extension comprising at its second end, which is free, a square for maneuvering the same type as that of the hat. In the absence of extension of a maneuver, a plug, for example in plastic, can be placed in the female square with marking of the direction of closing of the tap, such as impose the standards for tap fittings.

The control of a water distribution network requires to recognize and repair any leaks. This network maintenance is increasingly important and strategic for water distributors, for reasons economical because leakage water is removed, treated but not invoiced, and also for environmental reasons to because of the resulting waste. In addition, leaks can cause significant flood damage slow or not detected leading to destruction related materials, buildings or infrastructure.

This search for leaks presents great difficulties since these networks are underground and it there is no means of visit. The processes used to leak detection and localization implement listening to sounds. Indeed, the noises generated by the leaks are different from normal flow noises. We can measure noise with acoustic monitoring probes different points of the network, differentiate them and locate their origins by measuring the intensity of noise or time of course with acoustic correlation.

Listening can be performed remotely from the network, by surface, by sensitive microphones allowing an approach overall but which is penalized by low sensitivity and bothered by extraneous noise from the environment.

The most effective method is to put in contact acoustic probes on different points of the network. The acoustic conduction of metal parts of organs hydraulic allows very good transmission of noise and precise location of leaks.

In this case, the keyed mouth heads allow access to the prescription caps on which are placed respondents. To facilitate reliable positioning and to guarantee contact of the probe on the metal part the valve by "automatic" positioning, the probes are with contact magnets to fix them by magnetization to hats.

The cast prescription caps on which the probes magnets can attach present however several disadvantages. The foundry process which allows carrying them out does not ensure very reliable odds keeping and relatively large rejects are generated following a impossible fitting of the cap on the tap or of a set too important. In addition, the relative positioning of the hat with respect to the tap may vary and, being given that the hat supports stops most of the time in rotation of the shutter member, the open positions and closed taps are not always properly secured. These positioning errors are very detrimental for the takeover operations which consist in piercing the pressurized lines through valves. In addition, the cast iron requires an anti-corrosion coating of the paint type, which increases the cost of manufacturing the hat.

We also know from document US-5,596,893 a device to secure fire hydrants. This device has internally and is inaccessible for security reasons, a magnetizable element that can be moved, therefore not fixed, by a magnetic field outside between a release position which means that the actuator can rotate but "in a vacuum" and a engagement position which means that the operating member drives the valve opening / closing member.

In order to overcome the disadvantages mentioned while allowing the pursuit of research operations leaks thanks to known acoustic probes, we offer caps which are made of stamped brass and which have means for fixing by magnetization hat probes. This solution allows in addition to enhance the appearance of products without resorting to additional corrosion protection operations. The stamping is preferably carried out hot.

The invention therefore relates to a prescription hat for hydraulic network control unit water distribution, in particular valve or tap, the cap comprising an external operating square (male square) being intended to be actuated in rotation about an axis of rotation by an independent and removable square hollow key type of complementary fountain key coming in covering of the external operating square.

According to the invention, the hat is made of a material not magnetizable, the upper part of the outer square of maneuver comprising a hollow housing open towards the top and a pad in a magnetizable material is disposed and fixed in said housing.

In the context of the invention, the term "no magnetizable "means that the material is not attracted by a magnetic field or insufficiently attracted to it remain stable, a magnet not fixing on said material, an example of such a non-magnetizable material is brass or plastics. The term "magnetizable" means, as opposed to the previous case, that the material is attracted by a magnetic field, a magnet attaching to said material and this, whether there is remanent magnetization or not of the material, an example of such a magnetizable material is a ferromagnetic substance.

• le logement comporte un bord périphérique lamé destiné à la réalisation d'un sertissage,
• la pastille est sertie dans le logement,
• le logement est circulaire,
• la pastille est une rondelle circulaire,
• la pastille comporte au moins un orifice,
  (l'orifice traverse la pastille de part en part)
• la pastille comporte au moins un orifice central,
• la pastille comporte au moins un orifice latéral,
• l'orifice latéral est une encoche sur la périphérie de la pastille,
• la pastille est plate,
• la pastille est bombée,
• la pastille est bombée et la surface supérieure de la pastille présente une zone de surface plane,
  (le terme surface supérieure correspond à la partie de la pastille la plus haute et surélevée du bombement)
• la pastille est bombée et la surface supérieure de la pastille est en dessous du plan général de la surface supérieure du chapeau,
  (en d'autres termes, la pastille ne dépasse pas du chapeau)
• la pastille est bombée et la surface supérieure de la pastille est dans le plan général de la surface supérieure du chapeau, (en d'autres termes, la pastille est affleurante de la partie supérieure du chapeau)
• la pastille est bombée et la surface supérieure de la pastille est au-dessus du plan général de la surface supérieure du chapeau,
  (en d'autres termes, la pastille dépasse du chapeau ou une partie au moins de la surface supérieure de la pastille se trouve au-dessus du point le plus haut du chapeau),
• de préférence, la pastille est bombée et la surface supérieure de la pastille est au-dessus du plan général de la surface supérieure du chapeau,
• le logement de pastille se prolonge dans le chapeau par un carré intérieur en creux (femelle),
• la pastille ayant été retirée, le carré intérieur comporte un prolongateur de manoeuvre inséré rapporté solidarisé au chapeau d'ordonnance, l'extrémité libre dudit prolongateur comportant un carré extérieur destiné à être actionné en rotation par une clé creuse carrée indépendante et amovible de type clé de fontainier complémentaire venant en recouvrement dudit carré extérieur du prolongateur,
• la pastille est circulaire dans un logement circulaire coaxial à l'axe de rotation et le sertissage est disposé en au moins trois zones équidistantes angulairement par rapport à l'axe de rotation,
• le sertissage est disposé en quatre zones équidistantes angulairement par rapport à l'axe de rotation,
• la pastille est magnétisée (en d'autres termes, la pastille est un aimant), l'orientation du champ magnétique de la pastille attirant les aimants des sondes compatibles et repoussant ceux des sondes incompatibles,
• la pastille est obtenue par découpe et emboutissage d'une plaque d'un matériau magnétisable,
• de préférence, le matériau magnétisable ne présente pas d'aimantation résiduelle après avoir été soumis à un champ magnétique statique,
• de préférence, le matériau magnétisable présente une aimantation résiduelle négligeable après avoir été soumis à un champ magnétique statique (c'est-à-dire qu'il ne perturbera pas la fixation ultérieure d'une sonde),
• le chapeau est en métal non magnétisable,
• le chapeau est en laiton,
• le chapeau est en matière plastique,
• le chapeau est en matière plastique renforcée de fibres,
• le chapeau est en matériau composite,
• le chapeau est obtenu par matriçage à chaud avec la matière non magnétisable qui est du laiton,
• la matière non magnétisable du chapeau est du laiton et le matériau magnétisable de la pastille est de l'acier inoxydable magnétisable,
• la pastille est en INOX 330 (Z8C17),
• le chapeau est obtenu par matriçage à chaud avec la matière non magnétisable et la pastille est obtenue par découpe et emboutissage d'une plaque d'un matériau magnétisable,
• la pastille comporte un marquage,
• le marquage de la pastille est réalisé lors de l'emboutissage,
• le marquage indique au moins le sens de rotation du chapeau de l'organe.

In various embodiments of the invention, the following means, taken in isolation or in all their technically possible combinations, are used:

• the housing has a peripheral edge laminated for carrying out a crimping,
• the pellet is crimped into the housing,
• the accommodation is circular,
• the pellet is a circular washer,
• the patch has at least one orifice,
  (the orifice crosses the patch from side to side)
• the patch includes at least one central orifice,
• the patch has at least one lateral orifice,
• the lateral orifice is a notch on the periphery of the patch,
• the patch is flat,
• the pellet is curved,
• the tablet is curved and the upper surface of the tablet has a flat surface area,
  (the term upper surface corresponds to the highest and raised part of the bulge)
• the patch is curved and the upper surface of the patch is below the general plane of the upper surface of the cap,
  (in other words, the patch does not protrude from the cap)
• the patch is curved and the upper surface of the patch is in the general plane of the upper surface of the cap, (in other words, the patch is flush with the upper part of the cap)
• the patch is curved and the upper surface of the patch is above the general plane of the upper surface of the cap,
  (in other words, the patch protrudes from the cap or at least part of the top surface of the patch is above the highest point of the cap),
• preferably, the patch is curved and the upper surface of the patch is above the general plane of the upper surface of the cap,
• the patch housing is extended in the cap by an internal hollow square (female),
• the pellet having been removed, the interior square includes an inserted extension maneuver attached to the prescription cap, the free end of said extension comprising an exterior square intended to be actuated in rotation by an independent and removable square hollow key type key additional fountain covering the said outside square of the extension,
• the disc is circular in a circular housing coaxial with the axis of rotation and the crimping is arranged in at least three zones equidistant angularly with respect to the axis of rotation,
• the crimping is arranged in four zones equidistant angularly with respect to the axis of rotation,
• the pad is magnetized (in other words, the pad is a magnet), the orientation of the magnetic field of the pad attracting the magnets of the compatible probes and repelling those of the incompatible probes,
• the pellet is obtained by cutting and stamping a plate of a magnetizable material,
• preferably, the magnetizable material does not exhibit residual magnetization after being subjected to a static magnetic field,
• preferably, the magnetizable material has negligible residual magnetization after having been subjected to a static magnetic field (that is to say that it will not disturb the subsequent fixing of a probe),
• the hat is made of non-magnetizable metal,
• the hat is made of brass,
• the hat is made of plastic,
• the hat is made of fiber-reinforced plastic,
• the hat is made of composite material,
• the cap is obtained by hot stamping with the non-magnetizable material which is brass,
• the non-magnetizable material of the cap is brass and the magnetizable material of the pellet is magnetizable stainless steel,
• the pad is made of INOX 330 (Z8C17),
• the cap is obtained by hot stamping with the non-magnetizable material and the pellet is obtained by cutting and stamping a plate of a magnetizable material,
• the tablet has a marking,
• the marking of the pellet is carried out during stamping,
• the marking indicates at least the direction of rotation of the organ cap.

The invention also relates to a hydraulic control with a prescription cap.

According to this latest invention, the hat of the organ of order is according to one or more, in combination, of the previous characteristics.

In an alternative embodiment of the command, this one is a tap to take charge on a hydraulic line.

The invention finally relates to a method of making a prescription hat for the control unit water distribution system hydraulics, in particular valve or tap, the cap having an outer square being intended to be actuated in rotation around an axis of rotation by an independent square hollow key and removable as a complementary fountain key type covering the outer operating square.

According to the method, to obtain the hat according to one any of the foregoing features and in all their technically possible combinations, on the one hand, we takes a non-magnetizable material and we make a shape hat with in the upper part of the square maneuvering exterior at least one open recess upward in said non-magnetizable material, on the other part, a pellet is produced in a magnetizable material, and the tablet is placed and fixed in the housing.

In one embodiment of the method, we take a non-magnetizable material which is brass and which works by hot stamping to achieve the shape of cap, and the patch is produced by stamping cutting a sheet of a magnetizable material which is steel stainless magnetizable.

Among the advantages of the invention, the brass hat of the invention has good corrosion resistance while like the metallic pad which is in a stainless steel or INOX sensitive to the static magnetic field of a magnet. INOX is of a particular magnetic shade but common, especially in INOX 330 (Z8C17). The tablet is preferably made by stamping cutting with reduced cost price. The tablet can be marked with stamping to identify the direction of operation of the tap. This marking is carried out during the operations of cutting and stamping the washer, at a cost negligible additional.

The fitting of the patch in the hat by crimping allows disassembly to allow use of the female square with an extension. In order to facilitate disassembly of the patch, a central hole is made in the tablet to be able to slide a disassembly tool into it and leverage. The hole of the metal pad allows, firstly, to position the crimping tool by compared to the pellet and significantly facilitates the implementation, second, to avoid the "pump" phenomenon created by the air trapped under the tablet during installation and crimping of said pellet and, thirdly, as has been indicated, to slide a tool to disassemble this pad easily by exerting leverage. At least one opening can also be provided laterally, as an alternative or not from the central opening.

It is understood that the position characteristics of crimping previously listed are indicative as it is possible to obtain support (resistance to the attraction of magnet) and disassembly possibilities (force to provide for extract the tablet) equivalent with different positions, lengths and number of zones of crimping. The crimping can therefore be complete, i.e. on the whole periphery of the patch or only in certain areas, preferably regularly distributed over the periphery of the patch.

In a preferred embodiment, the tablet is a circular metal washer just like its housing which removes all orientation constraints. The positioning of the pellet is made in a counterbore made in rough stamping or following machining of the cap. The tablet is set in the counterbore (raw or machined) of the brass cap by strikes, classic "industrial" system, with a set cost barely higher than fitting the plug traditional plastic. The crimping of the wafer is preferably carried out on small areas and not on the total circumference thereof, which minimizes the effort necessary crimping while maintaining greater than the attraction forces generated by the magnets probes while allowing disassembly of the washer.

The present invention provides an advantage additional by better positioning on the Magnetic acoustic probe scheduling cap of fixation. Indeed, in the case of a traditional hat in cast iron, the magnet can be fixed on the whole mass metallic and therefore not necessarily on a very flat part. On the contrary, with the pellet which is of reduced size and positioned in an area favorable to good contact probe cap for good wave transmission noise, this risk of defective fixing is eliminated.

Preferably, the metal pellet is curved, which allows to bring its upper surface closer to the top of the cap, thereby improving cap-probe contact and magnetization phenomenon, while preserving the possibility of crimp the disc into the brass cap. Indeed, it is necessary that the height of the tablet is entered and removing the counterbore from the hat to provide a space for material above the washer which can be folded over this and thus ensure its crimping. Likewise, this curved surface towards the top of the patch avoids or limits the accumulation of earth or other foreign debris on the top surface of the hat that could alter the contact between the probe and the prescription cap.

la Figure 1 représentant un chapeau d'ordonnance avec logement à lamage se prolongeant par un carré femelle,

la Figure 2 représentant un chapeau d'ordonnance avec une pastille plate sertie dans le logement,

la Figure 3 représentant un chapeau d'ordonnance avec une pastille bombée sertie dans le logement,

la Figure 4 représentant un chapeau d'ordonnance avec une pastille bombée, avec encoche périphérique, sertie dans le logement,

les Figures 5a et 5b représentants une pastille plate vue de dessus et latéralement respectivement,

les Figures 6a et 6b représentants une pastille bombée vue de dessus et latéralement respectivement,

la Figure 7 représentant une pastille bombée vue de dessus avec une encoche périphérique,

la Figure 8 représentant une pastille bombée vue en coupe axiale et,

la Figure 9 représentant un chapeau d'ordonnance avec une pastille vu en coupe axiale.

The present invention will now be exemplified by the following description of a preferred embodiment and in relation to:

Figure 1 representing a prescription hat with counterbore housing extending by a female square,

Figure 2 showing a prescription cap with a flat patch set in the housing,

FIG. 3 representing a prescription cap with a domed disc set in the housing,

FIG. 4 representing a prescription cap with a domed patch, with peripheral notch, set in the housing,

FIGS. 5a and 5b showing a flat patch seen from above and laterally respectively,

FIGS. 6a and 6b represent a curved tablet seen from above and laterally respectively,

FIG. 7 representing a curved tablet seen from above with a peripheral notch,

FIG. 8 representing a curved pellet seen in axial section and,

Figure 9 showing a prescription hat with a pellet seen in axial section.

The invention is preferably implemented in hydraulic control members of a network of water distribution and in particular in its related part with users.

In Figure 1, a prescription hat 1 with a counterbore housing 3 extending by a female square 4 is seen in perspective. Hat 1 is made of brass. The upper part of the hat 1 forms the operating square 2 exterior, male, which has an upper surface with the recess 3 in circular recess whose plunging edge forms a counterbore. Housing continues down, in the depth of the cap 1 by a female square 4.

The middle part of the hat has a double projection of which the lower 6 bears markers, D and G in this production. In other embodiments, the form of the middle part can be different.

The lower part of the tubular hat cylindrical has a notch whose edges 5 allow to realize rotational stops, the cap being actuated in rotation driving a command a hydraulic member not shown and on which is normally placed the cap, the hydraulic member having a corresponding lug intended to come against one of the stops 5 depending on the open or closed position of the control. In other embodiments, the stop system can be carried out according to other known methods.

The inner part of the hat, not visible on this Figure 1, presents suitable structural characteristics in the drive of the control of the hydraulic member, in generally an axis, and in particular means for fixing the hat with the command of which one sees the orifice 7 threaded intended to receive a locking screw for fixing the bonnet on the order. The command is a square axis with a corner is a cutaway, the opening 7 opening inside the hat on the corner opposite the cut plane.

In this exemplary embodiment comprising a square female, means of fixing a possible extension are preferably designed to fix the extension in the square female, said fastening means having not been shown here to avoid cluttering Figure 1. These fixing means can in particular be a passage threaded for screwing an extension clamp screw or a drilling for the installation of a pin.

Figure 2 corresponds to the prescription hat of the Figure 1 but with a flat pad 10 crimped in the housing 3. The pellet is a washer, the housing being circular. The patch is set in four zones 14 evenly distributed over the periphery of the patch. The patch has an orifice 11 or central hole and a marking 12 direction of rotation. The opening allows, among other things, forcibly extract the tablet in case an extension must be placed in the female square 4.

Figure 3 corresponds to the prescription hat of the Figure 1 but with a 10 'curved disc set in the housing 3. The pellet is a washer, the housing being circular. The patch is set in four zones 14 evenly distributed over the periphery of the patch. The patch has an orifice 11 or central hole and a marking 12 direction of rotation. The orifice allows the force to be extracted tablet if an extension is to be placed in the square female 4. The bulge makes it possible to bring together and even, in the example shown, to go beyond the upper plane of the operating square 2, the pellet being overflowing.

Figure 4 corresponds to the prescription cap of the Figure 3 but with a 10 'curved disc, with notch peripheral 13, crimped in the housing 3. The notch 13 facilitates the extraction by force of the pellet by compared to the use of the central orifice 11.

Figures 5a and 5b respectively represent a flat tablet 10 top view and the same tablet 10 view laterally. The pad which is here a washer has a central hole 11 and a marking 12 of at least the direction of rotation.

Figures 6a and 6b respectively represent a 10 'curved tablet viewed from above and the same tablet convex 10 'seen laterally. The tablet which is here a washer has a central hole 11 and a marking 12 at least the direction of rotation.

The curved tablet seen from above in Figure 7 has a peripheral notch 13 intended to facilitate the extraction of the pellet set in the cap.

The cross section of the curved tablet 10 ′ in FIG. 8 is axial and passes through the central orifice 11. A pattern 12 produced by stamping / punching is visible hollow on the surface top of the pellet.

The axial section in Figure 9 shows the inner and lower part of the cap, the housing 8 of maneuver, not visible in the other figures and which is adapted to receive in fixation the command of the organ hydraulics on which the hat is placed. A way of fixing of the hat to the control is also visible in the form of an orifice 7 for the passage of a locking screw not shown here. In this Figure 9 in section, the housing 8 of the operation at the orifice 7 appears not symmetrical and axial because the cut goes through a cutaway 9 of the housing 8 of the cap 1 corresponding to the cutaway of the maneuver that must come into the accommodation.

The various examples of implementation of the invention are only examples and in no way limitative. In particular we mainly considered a pellet and a housing circular but it is also possible to implement other forms of housing and pellets and, for example, square, hexagonal or other.

Claims (11)

Prescription cap (1) for a hydraulic control member of a water distribution network, in particular a valve or tap, the cap comprising an external square (2) for maneuver being intended to be actuated in rotation about an axis of rotation by an independent and removable square hollow key of the complementary fountain key type covering the outer operating square,
characterized in that the cap is made of a non-magnetizable material, the upper part of the external operating square (2) comprising a recess (3) open upwards and in that a pellet (10,10 ') in a magnetizable material is arranged and fixed in said housing. Prescription cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing has a laminated peripheral edge intended for carrying out crimping and in that the patch (10,10 ') is crimped (14) in the housing. Prescription cap according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the patch (10,10 ') has a central opening. Prescription cap according to claim 1,2 or 3, characterized in that the patch (10 ') is curved. Prescription cap according to Claim 4, characterized in that at least part of the upper surface of the patch is located above the highest point of the cap. Prescription cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pellet housing (3) is extended in the cap by a hollow female square (4). Prescription cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the patch is circular in a circular housing coaxial with the axis of rotation and in that the crimping is arranged in at least three zones equidistant angularly with respect to the axis of rotation. Prescription cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the non-magnetisable material of the cap is brass and in that the magnetisable material of the pellet is magnetisable stainless steel. Hydraulic control member of the water distribution network, in particular a valve or tap, with prescription cap comprising an external operating square intended to be actuated in rotation about an axis of rotation by a square hollow key independent and removable from type of complementary fountain key covering the outer maneuvering square, characterized in that the cap is made of a non-magnetizable material, the upper part of the outer maneuvering square comprising a hollow housing open upwards and in that a tablet in a magnetizable material is arranged fixed in said housing. Method for producing a prescription cap for a hydraulic control member of a water distribution network, in particular a valve or tap, the cap comprising an external operating square being intended to be actuated in rotation about an axis of rotation by an independent and removable square hollow key of the complementary fountain key type covering the outer operating square, characterized in that to obtain the cap according to any one of claims 1 to 8, on the one hand, a non-magnetizable material and a hat shape is produced comprising in the upper part of the external operating square at least one hollow housing open upwards in said non-magnetizable material, on the other hand, a metallic pellet is produced in a magnetizable material , and the pad is placed and fixed in the housing. Method for producing a prescription cap according to claim 10, characterized in that one takes a non-magnetizable material which is brass and that one works by hot stamping to produce the cap shape, and in what the pellet is made by cutting and stamping a sheet of a magnetizable material which is magnetizable stainless steel.

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