FR2504639A1 - COMPRESSED GAS SAVING DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

The device consists of a body (1) provided with means for connection to an installation, comprises a first channel (4) provided with a valve (5) returned onto a seat (6) by an elastic return member (7), the strength of whose effect can be adjusted by means of a control member (8), and a second channel (9) arranged as a bypass on the first channel (4) in order to short-circuit the valve (5) and equipped with a non-return valve (10), the through direction of the first channel (4) being opposite the through direction of the second channel (6); the control member (8) comprises a means (11) for indicating its adjustment position, forming an immediately noticeable visual indication with respect to the external surface of the body (1). Application to pneumatic equipment.

Description

 Compressed gas saver.

 It is known that in order to save compressed gas, it is particularly necessary to reduce the working pressure applied to each device of an installation.

 This function is generally ensured in a device close to the distributor (either a fitting, or an element disposed between the distributor and an exhaust distribution supply base, or in any other attached appliance) and associated with a non-return valve in parallel to allow the free escape of gas contained in the device.

 It is also known that the achievement of a saving of compressed gas implies an education of the user who, at least at the beginning, must go through various constraints and various information which any economizer must impose and carry. It is therefore necessary to visualize the air saving that is achieved. It is also necessary, at least at first, to prevent the economiser setting from being changed. Finally, it is desirable to provide an accessory making it possible to identify a setting which has been considered optimal for the operation of the installation. A compressed gas saver must therefore be provided with means making it possible to easily inform its user about its setting state, to verify, in relation to a "calibration" in service, the quality of the adjustment, and to prohibit access to this adjustment by an unqualified person.

 I1 must also allow, in the current state of the market, an installation or incorporation in existing installations without disturbances thanks to manual operating means which will allow variations of adjustment by any user and which can then be deleted when the device will have been adopted.

 To this end, the invention therefore relates to a compressed gas saving device constituted by a body provided with means for connection to an installation, comprising a first channel provided with a valve returned to a seat by an elastic return member, the effect is of adjustable intensity by means of a control member and a second channel disposed in bypass on said first channel to short-circuit the aforementioned valve and equipped with a non-return valve, the passing direction of the first channel being opposite in the passing direction of the second channel.

 According to a main characteristic of the invention, the above-mentioned control member comprises a means indicating its adjustment position forming a visual indicator which can be immediately identified with respect to the external surface of the above-mentioned body.

 Preferably, the aforesaid control member is constituted by an element adjustable relative to the body and to said seat, one end of which projects out from said body and constitutes said visual indicator.

 While said element is screwed into said body, said end comprises means for its rotary operation constituted by a polygonal recess coaxial with said element and a removable disengageable button constituted by a polygonal coupling part capable of being snapped by one from its ends in the above-mentioned recess and by a drive part of this coupling part which, in a first position, is free to rotate relative to said coupling part and in a second position, is coupled to said coupling part, the aforesaid first position being maintained by means of an elastic member disposed between the two parts.

 In addition, the aforementioned control member is equipped with an element for blocking its access, preferably constituted by a cover to break the obstruction of said polygonal recess, snapped into a groove in the recess provided for this purpose. This groove will advantageously be that of snap-fastening of the manual operating button.

 Finally, the visual indicator being constituted by a stack of washers concentric with said control member, free to rotate on this member and of different colors, the abovementioned body being cylindrical around this control member and a locating surface being carried by a sleeve mounted in braked rotation on said cylindrical part of the body, this sleeve includes at least one recall of said colors in the same order as that of the washers in the stack, the size of the surface portion allocated to each color being indicative of the importance of the savings made, while next to this reminder the sleeve has a marking surface.

 The invention will be better understood during the description given below by way of indicative and non-limiting example which will make it possible to identify the advantages and the secondary characteristics thereof.

Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a device according to the invention,
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the operating means of the device according to the invention,
- Figures 3 to 6 illustrate several alternative embodiments of the means for blocking access to the adjustment of the device.

 Referring first to Figure 1, there is shown a compressed gas saving device comprising a body 1 provided with connection means to an installation (these means not being shown) so that an internal conduit 2 is connected to the outlet of a distributor while a conduit 3 is connected to a user device (a jack for example). Between the two conduits 2 and 3 extend a first connecting channel 4 provided with a valve 5 returned to its seat 6 by a spring 7 whose effect is of adjustable intensity for example by means of a control 8 screwed into the body, and a second channel 9 provided with a non-return valve 10 so that the flow direction of the fluid in the second channel 9 is opposite to that in the first channel 4.

 The control member 8 comprises an indicator means 11 forming a visual indicator of its position of adjustment therefore of the value of the gas saving achieved. This indicator means is in fact constituted by an extreme part of the member 8 carrying at its periphery a plurality of washers (here four lla to lld) free to rotate around the member 8. This stack of washers, the colors of which are different, protrudes more or less from the body 1 of the device depending on whether the member 8 is less or more screwed into the body and therefore that the spring 7 is less or more compressed with consequently a saving all the more important as the projection is lower.

 In the vicinity of the visual indicator 11, a surface 12 has been placed, here constituted by a cylindrical sleeve mounted with braked rotation on the body 1 carrying a reminder of the colors of the washers lla to lld. This reminder of colors 12a to 12d is carried out so that the surface occupied by the color is significant of the importance of the savings made. Thus, for example, if only the washer 11a of the indicator 11 protrudes from the body 1, the savings achieved are large. The corresponding color 12a is the one to which the largest area has been assigned. Opposite this color scale 12a, 12d, the sleeve has a marking surface 13. This surface is intended to be marked by a sign 13a opposite the color corresponding to the last visible washer when an adjustment has been made. We can thus identify at least one optimal adjustment of the device that we can easily find after an adjustment. The sleeve may include two or three marking possibilities for successive adjustments, hence the number 1 assigned to the first of these.

 Variants of these tracking means can be provided. Thus, the sleeve 12 may include a cover from which a detachable tab can be removed, leaving only the color concerned to appear by the optimal adjustment. The means described above constitute an extremely simple element of verification of the device which can be useful. We see for example on the device, in the state of Figure 1, on the one hand, that the saving is minimal or even zero and that, on the other hand, the device is not in its state optimal functioning as indicated by the reference 13a.

 There is therefore reason to intervene to correct.

 The means for intervening on the state of the device are shown in Figure 2. This figure shows some of the elements already described with the same references.

The adjusting member 8 is provided at its upper part with a polygonal recess 14 (here hexagonal) into which a hexagon wrench can enter.

It can therefore be seen that the operation (screwing or unscrewing of the member 8 in the body 1) can only be carried out by means of this tool. By hand, it is impossible to rotate the member 8 because the washers 11a to 11d are freely rotating.

 It can also be provided that the maneuver can be carried out by means of a manual control bolt 15 which has a polygonal drive part 16 capable of being snapped and stopped axially in the recess 14 by means of a cooperating rod 17 with a groove 14a and a groove 16a respectively provided in the recess and the part 16.

 At the upper end of the part 16 a knurled button 18 is mounted for rotation on an axis 19 and has a polygonal recess 20. A spring 21 keeps the button 18 spaced from the part 16 so that the polygonal recess 20 is not not in touch with part 16.

 On the other hand, if the button 18 is pressed, the spring 21 is compressed and the recess 20 and the part 16 are engaged, the button sliding axially on the axis 19. It is therefore possible to maneuver the member 8, while avoiding by the uncoupling provisions, that an untimely operation of the button 18 has an action on the adjustment.

 The axial connection produced by means of the rod 17 between the member 8 and the button 15 can be broken by exerting a tensile force on the button. The latter can therefore be deleted.

 Finally, in order to further reduce the risks of the device being adjusted, access to the recess 14 can be condemned. FIGS. 3 to 6 illustrate some means of locking.

 In FIG. 3, this means consists of a cap 22 which covers the end of the body 1 from which the member 8 protrudes. This cap is transparent and also covers the sleeve 12 which also makes it possible to protect the marking which it door. Force-fitted onto the sleeve, it can only be removed by being broken.

 In Figure 4, the locking means is a plug 23 snapped into the recess 14 by means of a rod and the groove 14a. This plug does not protrude hora from the recess and has a central thread 23a for screwing a threaded extraction rod.

 In Figure 5, the closure of the recess 14 is achieved by a metal cap 24 braced on a hooking means provided at the entrance to the recess. Its extraction requires its permanent deformation by means of a tool.

 Finally in Figure 6 there is shown a plastic plug 25 resiliently snapped into the recess 14 by means of a peripheral bead 25a cooperating with the groove 14a.

An upper membrane 25b must be perforated to remove the plug.

 The compressed air or gas saving device according to the invention has the means necessary for the product to meet the needs of a new market which requires for its growth an "education" of the users.

 The invention finds an interesting application in the field of pneumatic devices.

 It is not limited to the description which has just been given, but on the contrary covers all the variants which could be made to it without departing from its scope or its spirit.

Claims (10)

1. Compressed gas saving device constituted by a body (1) provided with means for connection to an installation, comprising a first channel (4) provided with a valve (5) returned to a seat (6) by an elastic member ( 7) booster whose effect is of adjustable intensity by means of a control member (8). and a second channel (9) disposed as a bypass on said first channel (4) for short-circuiting the aforementioned valve (5) and equipped with a non-return valve (10), the passing direction of the first channel (4) being opposite to the passing direction of the second channel (9), characterized in that the above-mentioned control member (8) comprises a means indicating (11) of its adjustment position forming an immediately visible visual indicator relative to the external surface of the body (1) above. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the above-mentioned control member (8) is constituted by an element adjustable relative to the body (1) and to said seat (6), one end (11) of which protrudes from said body and constitutes said visual witness. 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that said element (8) is screwed into said body and in that said end comprises means for its maneuver in rotation constituted at least by a polygonal recess (14) coaxial with said element. 4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the above-mentioned maneuvering means further comprise a detachable disengageable button (15) constituted by a polygonal coupling part (16) capable of being snapped in at one of its ends in the aforementioned recess (14) and by a drive part (18) of this coupling part (16) which, in a first position, is free to rotate relative to said coupling part (16) and , in a second position, is coupled to said coupling part (16), the aforesaid first position being maintained by means of an elastic member (21) disposed between the two parts. 5. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the control member (8) is equipped with an element (22, 23 24, 25) for blocking its access. 6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that said locking element consists of a cover (25) of obstruction, to break, snapped into a groove (14a) of the recess provided for this purpose. 7. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that said locking element consists of a plug (23) snapped into a groove (14a) of the recess provided for this purpose and provided with a threaded orifice (23a) d 'extraction. 8. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that said element consists of a cap (22) transparent to break coupled to the body of the device around the above visual indicator. 9. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the part of the body 1 situated in the vicinity of said visual indicator comprises a surface (12) for locating at least one position for adjusting the device. 10. Device according to claim 9> characterized in that the visual indicator being constituted by a stack of concentric washers (lla to lld) to said control member (8) free to rotate on this member and of different colors, the aforementioned body being cylindrical around this control member and said locating surface (12) being carried by a sleeve mounted with braked rotation on said cylindrical part of the body, this sleeve comprises at least one reminder (12a to 12d) of said colors in the same order as that of the washers in the stack, the importance of the portion of surface allocated to each color being indicative of the importance of the economy achieved, while next to this reminder the sleeve has a marking surface (13) .