FR2499293A1 - Buried enclosure for protection of flow counter - comprises moulded plastic box with tubular columns protruding into ground for heat extraction - Google Patents

Abstract

A rigid box (1) of moulded plastic material has an open top and a partially open base (2). The openings (3a,3b) in the base accept the flow (4a) and return (4b) pipes made of plastic material. The pipes support shut off and drain off valves (8). The flow counter (6) is located between the valves together with a pressure reducer (9). Two tubular plastic columns (12) protrude from collars in the box base into the gound to provide an anchor and also to extract heat from the ground. This heat is transferred to the box to prevent freezing of the pipes and counter. The box is covered by a rigid removable lid (14) of one or more materials to provide resistance to corrosion and ageing. This lid is centered by the peripheral rim of the box.

Description

 The present invention relates to the means used to provide protection in the ground, meters for measuring the flow rate of fluid flowing in distribution pipes.

The technical field is that of the devices used to ensure the protection of such meters against sudden temperature variations and, more particularly, against the risk of freezing.

 The object of the invention relates to meters intended to measure, more specifically, the flow of water withdrawn from a main distribution pipe.

 In this application, the invention relates to measuring stations which are located outside a room or a building in which the withdrawal point or points are located.

 In order to protect such meters against the risk of frost, it is known to provide in the ground a cubicle or a box with a rigid wall. The compartment or buried volume, thus delimited, is intended to contain a counter which is only accessible from a surface opening closed by a removable cover or panel. Generally, such boxes or cubicles have a depth of between 50 cm and 100 cm.

 Such means are not satisfactory because they do not, in general, make it possible to assume the function assigned to them and, moreover, have a certain number of drawbacks of a practical nature.

 When the temperature drops and stays well below 0 C, the difference in level existing generally between the ground surface and the meter inside the cubicle, is not sufficient to guarantee the latter against frost . It is therefore necessary to use a removable adaptation to protect the meter from the risk of freezing. In general, a layer or mass of abundant or insulating material must be provided to at least partially fill the internal volume delimited by the cubicle and thus ensure more effective protection of the meter.

 This represents a constraint for the user who has no practical means of effectively controlling the mattress of protective materials which he has placed inside the cubicle and cannot, therefore, determine to what lower value below from 0 effective protection is provided by this means.

 Among the practical disadvantages, it should be noted that assembly, maintenance and repair operations can only be carried out with difficulty and with difficulty, given the lack of available space and the situation below of the technical bodies which must to be approached. In addition, such work can only be carried out by adopting uncomfortable static positions which increase the fatigue of the personnel responsible for performing them.

 Another drawback resides in the fact that the personnel responsible for reading the indications carried by the counter must also adopt an uncomfortable position in order to approach the display dial sufficiently after having carried out an opening and possible release operation when, for example, a protective mattress occupies the internal volume of the cubicle or the box.

 To resolve these various problems, it has been proposed to place the meters in chambers or housings situated above the surface of the ground, planning to carry them out in such a way as to confer effective protection against freezing.

 In order for such a result to be achieved, it is necessary to use special technical means to impart suitable thermal insulation to the internal chamber in which the meter and its accessories are arranged. If this is technically possible, the housing then has a fairly large external shape and the major problem that arises is that of the possibility of implantation respecting the aesthetic conditions of the environment.

 Apart from the above drawbacks1 it should be noted that such devices have an external shape similar to that of a terminal. It is sometimes difficult or impossible to envisage the establishment of such a terminal on a property or on landscaped land, given the unsightly aspect that results.

 The object of the invention is to provide a solution to the above problem by providing means suitable for ensuring effective protection of a buried meter and, nevertheless, allowing an easy battery to facilitate reading operations, repair, maintenance or exchange.

 An additional object of the invention is to propose means suitable for avoiding the joining of the top or cover of the cubicle by the formation of ice from retention water, rain or runoff, capable of remaining between the cover and the body of the device.

 Yet another object of the invention is to provide means which make it possible to easily and practically lock and lock the access cover of the cubicle relative to the body of the latter while maintaining said cover in the plane of the ground level.

Another object of the invention is to provide a practical and effective solution for the connection between the latter and the fluid supply and return pipes.
A further object of the invention is to provide means which make it possible to simultaneously ensure good implantation in the ground as well as recovery and transfer of heat from the lower layers towards the useful volume in which the counter and its accessories.

To achieve the above, the buried cabinet is characterized in that
- the hollow body is formed by a rigid box
open at its upper part, comprising at its
lower part a partial bottom delimiting at
- at least one passing light for at least one
fluid circulation line and at least
a communication opening between the volume
internal it delimits and the surrounding environment,
- the removable top is formed by a flat plate
adaptable on the open upper part of the
box and comprising, from its lower face
superior, a sheath or a sheath in material. iso-
lante, having an open lower base, sen
significantly complementary to the box in which
it enters the closed position of the die plate
limiting, inside said box, a cam-
containment bre of a counter-access unit
evenings connected to at least the pipeline.

 Various other characteristics will emerge from the description below made with reference to the appended drawings which show, by way of nonlimiting examples, embodiments of the invention.

 Fig. I is a partially cutaway elevation of the subject of the invention.

 Fig. 2 is a cross section taken along line II-II of FIG. 1.

 Fig. 3 is a top view taken substantially along line III-III of FIG. 1.

 Figs. 4 and 5 are partial cross sections taken respectively along lines IV-IV and V-V of FIG. 3.

 Figs. I and 2 show that the box, for the protection of a buried meter for measuring the flow rate of a fluid, comprises a hollow body 1 produced in the form of a rigid box, delimiting a volume V. Box I has a open top and bottom 2 at least partial. The rigid box I can be produced in many different ways and, preferably, in the form of a substantially parallelepipedal body of molded plastic. Preferably, the box I has, in cross section, related to the horizontal plane, a rectangular shape.

 The rigid box I is intended to be completely buried in the ground, so that its open upper part is flush with the level S of the latter.

 The bottom 2 comprises, as also appears in FIGS.

4 and 5, at least one lumen 3 intended for the passage of a pipe 4 for supplying or returning liquid fluid. Preferably, the bottom 2 comprises two openings 3a and 3b reserved for the passage of two pipes or tubes 4a-4b located at the bottom of the excavation in the ground
S. The lights 3a and 3b are provided so that their alignment is pa parallel to or included in the longitudinal median plane of the box 1.

 In general, the pipes 4a and 4b are made of relatively rigid plastic and their mechanical strength, increased in this case by the relatively weak axial measurement inside the volume V, is used to support a counter 6 connected to said pipes. 4a and 4b. The counter 6 is, for example, associated with stop and drain valves 8 and with a pressure reducer 9. The counter assembly 6 accessories 9 is thus aligned in the direction of the length of the useful volume section of the box.

 The bottom 2 also has at least one opening 10 intended to communicate the volume V with the surrounding environment in which the box I is installed. The openings 10 thus represent exchange means making it possible to take calories from the lower layers of the soil. Preferably, the bottom 2 has two openings 10 made in the form of collars 11 for the possible adaptation of two tubular columns 12, in particular, made of plastic. Columns 12 represent implantation and anchoring elements in the deep layers of the ground as well as vertical exchange chimneys establishing communication between the volume V and said layers. For this purpose, columns 12 are open at both ends to promote the removal of calories and their transfer towards volume V.

 The columns 12 can be independent of the box 1 to facilitate storage and transport and, in this case, they are attached, during installation, by interlocking and / or gluing. The columns can also be brought back initially to form a unitary element with the box.

 The open upper part of the box] is associated with a removable top 14. The top 14 comprises a rigid plate 15 which can be made of one or more materials having good resistance to corrosion, aging and mechanical stresses. The plate 15 is adapted to the open upper part of the box 1 by means 16 for centering, nesting and support. These means 16 comprise, for example, a peripheral flange 17 bordered by a flange 18 formed by the box 1 to delimit a peripheral rebate.

 The plate 15 is extended, from its lower face isba, by a sheath or sheath 19 of insulating material whose shape is complementary to that of the box 1 so as to be easily nestable therein. The sheath or sheath 19 can be made of many materials and, for example, of polyurethane foam. The sheath or sheath 19 comprises, a transverse wall 20 covering the lower face 15a of the plate 15, having a constant thickness and a rigid tubular envelope 21 extending from the transverse wall 20. Preferably, the sheath comprises externally a skin or coating 22 of a compact nature to offer greater mechanical resistance than that of the foam. The rigid envelope 21 has a lower base 23 open and has a height equal to the depth of the box 11. In the closed position of the box from above 14, as shown in the drawings, the open base 23 of the envelope is substantially in contact with the bottom 2.

 According to a characteristic of the invention, the box 1 and the sheath 19 are made relatively to allow to remain, between their respective walls facing each other in the nesting position, at least one vertical passage 24 extending over the entire height included between the bottom 2 and the means 16. The passage 24 can be made by providing ribs or grooves from the casing 21 or the box 1. The passage 24 can also be formed by a peripheral gap resulting from an angle undercut imparted to the outer surface of the casing 21 relative to the internal face of the casing and, in such a case, the means 16 assume the centering of the casing 21 in the casing. The passage 24 may also result from local conformations 25 presented by the box 1 to also play the role of centering means of the casing 21. These conformations 25 may also come from a molding of the wall of the box in order to make it include successive steps, increasing its resistance and facilitating the implantation and / or anchoring. The above means can be provided independently or in combination with the centering means 16. In all cases, the passages 24 are delimited to the bottom 2 which has holes 26 for communication with the surrounding medium.

 The top 14 is also associated with retractable means 27 for gripping and locking relative to the flange 17 and the flange 18. These means 27 comprise, as appears more particularly in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, a bar or rod 28 forming, in its central part, an open ring or eyelet 29 extending by two opposite branches 30. The branches 30 are arranged in an open groove 31 formed in the upper surface of the plate 15, for example, along the transverse median axis. The branches 30 have end portions 30a intended to engage in holes 32 provided in the flange -18. FIG. 3 shows that the groove 31 communicates, in its central part, with a cavity 33 in which the ring or the eyelet 29 can be disposed flat by rotation of the branches 30 on their axis.

 In this position illustrated by the drawings, the means 27 are retracted inside the cavity 33 and the groove 31, so that the top 14 does not have any projection capable of being the cause of a bodily accident or hinder, if necessary, the sliding, displacement or rolling of any machine.

 When it is desired to open the top 14, the ring 29 is subjected to a pivoting in the direction of the arrow f1 to be brought into a vertical plane perpendicular to the plate 15. In this position, the branches 30 can be subjected, by elastic deformation of the ring or of the eyelet 29, to a retraction in the direction of the arrows f2 (fig. 3), so as to release the end portions 30a from the corresponding holes 32.

 After unlocking as said above, the ring 29 returns the branches 30 to their stable position by elastic restitution and then constitutes a gripping and lifting means.

 A reverse operation makes it possible to place the top 14 in the closed position illustrated by the drawings.

 Figs. 1 and 2 show that the object of the invention represents a box making it possible to ensure effective protection of a buried counter and accessories assembly. In fact, the sheath or sheath 19 establishes, in its nesting or embedding position inside the box, a lining of the wall of the box and of the top, forming an effective insulating barrier protecting the inside of the box against lowering the temperature.

that the surrounding environment might know. The sheath 19 also has the result, in its nesting position, of significantly reducing the volume V by delimiting a chamber C corresponding just to the confinement necessary for the counter and accessories assembly. The chamber C is thus more easily reheated by the calories taken from the deep layers of the soil by the openings 11. I, a sheath 19 also forms for these calories an insulating barrier opposing the loss.

 On the other hand> when the top 14 is open, the sheath or fur is released from the box 1. The counter-accessories assembly is then included in the volume V which. allows easy access for assembly, maintenance or repair operations.

 Another advantage is that the sheath 19 forms a peripheral and upper barrier for the counteraccessory assembly. It thus becomes possible to place this assembly close to the ground S, which facilitates the above operations as well as the consumption readings.

 Another advantage is due to the presence of one or more steps 24 which allow either a flow of rain or condensation water from the means 16, or a circulation of calories in the direction of these means. This results in a lesser risk of freezing of stagnant water at the level of the means 16 and, consequently, greater ease of opening of the top 14 during periods of low outside temperature.

 According to another arrangement of the invention, provision is made for ensuring a firm and resistant connection between the pipes 4a and 4b and the bottom 2, so that the box can constitute a unitary assembly which can be delivered fully equipped.

In such a case, the pipes 4a and 4b, specific to the box, are formed by sections of pipe provided, externally at the bottom 2, with connectors 34 allowing the connection with pipes 35 established at the bottom of the excavation.

 The invention is not limited to the examples described and shown, since various modifications can be made thereto without departing from its scope.

Claims (11)

CLAIMS:  1 - Buried box for the protection of a fluid flow meter, of the type comprising a buried hollow body and a removable top, characterized in that  - the hollow body is formed by a rigid box  (1) open at its upper part and comprising,  at its lower part, a partial bottom (2)  limiting at least one passage light (3a) for  at least one pipe (4a) for circulation of  fluid and at least one communication opening (10)  cation between the internal volume it delimits and  the surrounding environment,  - the removable top (14) is formed by a plate  (15) flat adaptable on the upper part  open from the box and comprising, from its  underside, a sheath or sheath (19) in  insulating material having a lower base  open, substantially complementary to the box  in which it enters in the closed position of the  plate, delimiting, inside said cais  sound, an assembly containment chamber (C)  accessory counter (6-8) connected to at least the  pipeline.  2 - Box according to claim 1, characterized in that the box (1) and the sheath or sheath (19) of the top (14) coo each other by means provided to allow a vertical passage to remain between their facing faces ( 24) at least local.  3 - Box according to claim 2, characterized in that the box (1) comprises at its base holes (26) communicating the surrounding medium and the vertical passage (24) which it cleans with the sheath or sheath above.  4 - Box according to claim 2, characterized in that the means, provided to leave a vertical passage (24) between the box (1) and the sheath or sheath (19) of the top (14), are formed by means (16) for centering the top on the box.  5 - Box according to claim 2, characterized in that the means, provided for leaving a vertical passage (24) between the box (1) and the sheath or sheath (19) of the top (14), are formed by projections local (25) presented by the inner face of the box (1) to cooperate with the outer face of the sheath or sheath.  6 - Box according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the top (14) consists of a plate (15) whose lower face 15a is extended by a sheath or sheath (19) of insulating material comprising a transverse wall (20) covering the underside of the top and a rigid envelope (21) of tubular shape open at the base and extending from said wall.  7 - Box according to claim 6, characterized in that the envelope (21) of the sheath or sheath (19) has a decreasing thickness from the transverse wall to the base.  8 - Box according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the envelope (21) of the sheath or sheath (19) has a resistant outer skin cooperating in local contact with the internal surface of the box.  9 - Box according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the box (1) has an open upper part forming means (26) for centering and nesting the top and in that the latter comprises, from from its top, retractable means (27) for gripping and locking.  10 - Box according to claim 9, characterized in that the means (16) for centering and nesting of the top communicate with the vertical passage.  11 - Box according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottom (2) of the box (1) is extended by at least one tubular element (12) open at the ends forming an implantation column and heat transfer between the surrounding medium and the internal volume of the box.