FR3042584A1 - RDI GAS DISTRIBUTION BLOCK WITH AGENCY INDICATOR DEVICE IN THE CENTER OF THE WORKING WHEEL - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an integrated gas expansion valve (8) or RDI block comprising at least one internal gas passage (16, 17), a gas expansion system (18) arranged on said at least one internal passage of gas (16, 17), an indicator device (3) and an operator operable rotary wheel (4) controlling the gas flow downstream of said gas expansion system (18). The indicator device (3) is arranged in the rotary wheel (4). A gas distribution assembly comprising a gas container (1), such as a gas cylinder, and such an RDI block (8) attached to said gas container (1), preferably a protective shroud (2) is arranged around said gas container (1) valve block (8). Use of such an assembly for storing or dispensing a gas or gas mixture, in particular a gas or gas mixture selected from oxygen, air, N2O / O2, He / O2 and NO / nitrogen.

Description

The invention relates to a valve block with an integrated pressure reducer or RDI comprising a pressure indicator device, such as a manometer, or a range, that is to say, a quantity of residual gas, arranged in the center of the rotating flywheel serving to control the gas outlet, and a gas distribution assembly, in particular of medical gas, comprising a gas container, such as a gas cylinder, such a valve block and preferably a protective cowling arranged around the valve block usable for storing and distribute gas, including medical gas.

Industrial and medical gases are commonly packaged in gas containers, typically gas cylinders, also called "bottles" or "cylinders", equipped with a valve block, with or without built-in regulator, namely a simple tap type open / closed or an integrated pressure regulator valve, also called RDI, to control the flow and pressure of the gas delivered.

In order to protect this valve block, it is common to arrange at the level of the neck of the gas bottle and around said valve block, a protective cover forming a protective shell around said valve block. Such a cowling is commonly called "hat".

Moreover, to allow the bottle / cap / tap assembly to be hooked to a support, such as a hospital bed bar, a stretcher, a rod or support for attaching an emergency vehicle, for example a SAMU unit or the like, it is customary to arrange on the cap, a fixed attachment system or mobile, including pivoting.

Cowlings of this type are described in particular by the documents EP-A-629812, DE-A-10057469, US-A-2004/020793 and EP-A-2586481.

In order to control the pressure of the gas within the container or the gas autonomy of the container, that is to say the amount of residual gas in the container, a pressure indicator device, such as a pressure gauge, or a pressure gauge is used. autonomy whose measurement is connected to one of the gas passages passing through the valve block.

Furthermore, to control the flow rate of the delivered gas, that is to say allow or prohibit the flow and the gas outlet of said valve block, is arranged on the valve block, a control member, such as a pivoting lever or a rotary flywheel, acting on internal control organs to the valve block.

However, because of the use of a protective cowling surrounding the valve block and the arrangement of the various indicators and control members around the valve, it can be difficult or not easy for the user to operate the rotary wheel and / or to read the indications displayed by the device indicating pressure or autonomy.

In fact, because of the size of the steering wheel and that of the manometer, which is opposed to the need for compactness of the complete block RDI, it is generally forced to favor one of the two elements, that is to say either the manometer or the steering wheel.

In view of this, the problem is to improve simultaneous access by the user, reading the pressure indicator and the operation of the rotating wheel controlling the flow of gas, particularly when equips a valve block protected by a protective cover, while allowing an easy maneuver of this rotary wheel.

In other words, the invention proposes to facilitate accessibility to both the manometer and the steering wheel, reducing the overall size that these elements generate on an RDI block.

The solution of the invention is then an integrated gas expansion valve block, also called "RDI block" or simply "RDI", comprising at least one internal gas passage, a gas expansion system arranged on said at least one an internal gas passage, an indicator device and a rotary handwheel, operable by an operator, controlling the flow of gas downstream of said gas expansion system, characterized in that the indicator device is arranged in the rotary wheel.

Depending on the case, the RDI block of the invention may comprise one or more of the following technical characteristics: the indicator device is arranged in the center of the rotary wheel. the indicator device is arranged coaxially with the rotary wheel. - The indicator device is a pressure indicating device, user selected flow or gas autonomy. the indicator device comprises a dial or an electronic display screen. - The indicator device is fixed and the rotating wheel is movable in rotation relative to the indicator device, that is to say angularly around said indicator. - the indicating device is a needle manometer or an electronic manometer. - The rotating wheel has a general shape of ring. the indicator device has a general disk shape. - The rotary wheel acts on a flow control system so as to control or adjust the flow of gas, typically low pressure gas, downstream of said gas expansion system. the flow control system comprises a rotary disc perforated with orifices of different diameters, for example of increasing diameters, so as to control the flow of gas by passing it through a orifice of given diameter corresponding to a flow rate; of desired gas. The rotating disc also comprises a closed position, that is to say not including a hole (disk "full"), so as to interrupt the flow of gas flow when the wheel controls the rotating disc in position shutter. it further comprises a gas outlet connection in fluid communication with said at least one internal gas passage. - The gas expansion system comprises a relief valve cooperating with a valve seat. the gas outlet connection comprises a gas outlet orifice, typically of low pressure gas which has been expanded within the integrated expansion system. it further comprises a filling connection in fluid communication with said at least one internal gas passage. The filling connector serves to fill the container with gas when said container is empty. said at least one internal gas passage branched in the valve body in several gas passages. it comprises a body of metal or metal alloy traversed by several internal passages of gas, typically stainless steel, copper or a copper alloy, for example brass. - The RDI block comprises a fixing connection, preferably threaded, for fixing the RDI block to a gas cylinder neck, preferably by screwing. - The RDI block comprises a fixing connection comprising a gas inlet fluid communication port with said at least one internal gas passage. one or more internal gas passages are obtained by drilling the valve body. - The indicator device and the rotating wheel are positioned at the periphery of the body of the valve block. alternatively, the indicator device and the rotating flywheel are positioned on the top of the body of the valve block, that is to say opposite to the fixing connection of the valve block serving to fix the RDI block to a neck of bottle gas. - The axis of the indicator device forms an angle between 0 and 90 ° with the axis of the body of the valve block, that is to say also with the axis of the bottle when the valve is fixed to the neck of a bottle of gas. The invention also relates to a gas distribution assembly comprising a gas container, in particular a gas cylinder, and a valve block attached to said gas container, characterized in that the valve block is as described above, preferably a protective cowling is arranged around said valve block.

As the case may be, the assembly of the invention may comprise one or more of the following technical characteristics: it furthermore comprises a carrying handle fixed to the hood. - It further comprises a hooking device. - The attachment device is pivotable, that is to say that it is angularly movable between several positions comprising a rest position in which it is folded to the contact or quasi-contact of the body of the cowling and a position of hooking in which it is completely unfolded to allow attachment of the assembly to a support, preferably a tubular support, such as a hospital bed bar, a rod or the like. - the gas container is a gas cylinder. A gas cylinder typically has an ogival shape, that is a cylindrical body with a neck carrying the outlet of the bottle, which fluidly communicates with its internal volume where the gas is stored. the device indicating autonomy, that is to say the contents of the bottle, is a needle device indicating the pressure of the gas or digital indicating an estimate of the duration of use of the gas corresponding to the quantity of gas residual in the bottle. the device indicating the contents of the bottle is preferably an electronic device that calculates and displays a gas autonomy expressed in units of time, volume or pressure. the device for indicating the pressure or the content of the bottle is fixed to the valve block so as to make it possible to measure the gas pressure, typically of high pressure gas, acting within a gas passage passing through said valve block . - The cowling is made of polymer material or metal or metal alloy. - The cowling is made of polymer material, preferably plastic. - The cowling is plastic material selected from PVC, PE, PET, PP, PMMA, PU, PA. .. The plastic material can be loaded or reinforced, that is to say added fiber for example. - The carrying handle connected to the cowling via one or more support posts. - the rotary wheel and the indicator device are flush with the front of the cowling. - The carrying handle and / or the support or amounts are formed of a rigid material selected from polymers and metals or metal alloys. - The carrying handle is generally longiforme. Typically, its length is between 5 and 20 cm, preferably between 6 and 15 cm. - The carrying handle overcomes the casing body. - The carrying handle is horizontal or almost horizontal and perpendicular to the tax rollover. - The gas cylinder has a size between 10 and 150 cm. - the gas cylinder contains from 0.5 to 20 liters (capacity in water equivalent). - The gas cylinder has a hollow cylindrical body. - The gas cylinder comprises a neck carrying a gas outlet port at which the valve block is fixed. the gas bottle contains a gas or gas mixture chosen from oxygen, air, a N 2 O / O 2 mixture, a He / CL mixture, a NO / nitrogen mixture or any other gas or gaseous mixture. the bottle is made of steel, an aluminum alloy or a composite material or a combination of several of these materials. the bottle contains a gas at a pressure of up to about 350 bar. The invention further relates to a use of a gas distribution assembly according to the invention for storing or dispensing a gas or gas mixture, preferably a gas or medical gas mixture. Preferably, the gas or gas mixture is chosen from oxygen, air, N 2 O / O 2, He / O 2, NO / nitrogen. The invention will now be better understood thanks to the following detailed description, given by way of illustration but without limitation. with reference to the appended figures in which: - Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a cylinder / valve block / cowl assembly according to the invention, and - Figures 2 and 3 show a diagram of a sectional view of two embodiments of a valve block according to the invention.

FIG. 1 schematizes an embodiment of a rigid protective cover 2, commonly called a "cap", fitted to a gas container 1, here a gas bottle, itself equipped with a valve block 8 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) for controlling the distribution of the gas, in particular the flow rate and possibly the pressure of the gas.

The valve block 8 is itself fixed, typically by screwing, on the neck of the gas cylinder 1. The cowling 2 is arranged around the valve block 8, namely a valve with or without built-in expansion valve, preferably with built-in trigger (or RDI).

The gas cylinder 1 typically has a cylindrical steel body and a size between 10 and 150 cm, and a capacity of 0.5 to 20 liters (in water equivalent) within its interior volume for receiving and storing gas under liquid and / or gaseous form.

The cowling 2 protects the valve block 8 against shocks, the valve block 8 is integrated pressure reducer, i.e. RDI, or without built-in regulator. To do this, the cowling 2 comprises a cowling body 12 forming a protective shell around an internal volume sized to receive the valve block 8.

The fixing around the valve block 8 on the neck of the gas bottle 1 is generally by screwing at the neck 10 of the bottle 1 carrying the outlet orifice of the bottle 1.

The body 12 of the cowling 1 is typically made of a material of the polymer and / or metal type, preferably made of plastic material, such as PVC, PE, PET, PP, PMMA, PU, PA ... Similarly, the support posts can be formed of a plastic material, such as the body 12 of the cowling 2, but also of aluminum alloy or any other metallic material. They can be attached to the handle 5 by screwing or welding, for example, or formed in one piece.

The protective casing 1 has openings 15,7 giving access to the elements of the valve block 8, in particular to a gas outlet connection 6, a filling connection (not visible), pressure indicator 3 ... In particular, a first opening 15 is arranged at the front wall 2a, also called the upper part, of the protective casing 2, within which is housed a pressure indicating device 3, such as a needle or electronic manometer, or content of the bottle, that is to say the gas autonomy of the bottle 1, and a rotating wheel 4 controlling the flow of gas passing through the valve block 8.

The indicator device 3 is arranged in the rotary wheel 4, that is to say in the center of said rotary wheel 4, as visible in FIG. 1.

More specifically, the valve block 8 comprises a rotary wheel 4, which is positioned on the front side 2a of the body 12 of the cowling 2, which wheel 4 is manipulable by a user to control the flow of gas delivered.

According to the invention, the rotary wheel 4 is arranged around the indicator device 3, such as a manometer for example, being rotatable around the latter 3. Preferably, the indicator device 3 and the rotary wheel 4 are coaxial, that is to say that the indicator device 3 is housed in the center of the rotary wheel 4.

Advantageously, the rotary wheel 4 has a general shape of a ring, that is to say a ring, and the indicator device 3 has a general disk shape, as shown schematically in FIG.

Furthermore, preferably, the axis of the pressure indicator device 4 and the axis of the bottle 1 form an angle between 0 ° and 90 °, for example about 80 to 90 °, as shown in Figure 1.

Furthermore, the cowling 2 comprises a second opening 7 arranged at the periphery of the cowling 2, that is to say laterally or at the front of the cowling 2 (see FIG 1) giving access to a gas outlet fitting 6 of the valve block 8. The connector 6 does not necessarily exceed the cowling 2, that is to say that it can project outwards or not relative to the outer surface of the cowling 2. It allows the gas to be withdrawn stored in the bottle 1 via a conduit, eg a hose, to be connected to this connection 6.

As already mentioned, according to the present invention, the pressure indicating device 3, such as a manometer, or autonomy is arranged in the rotary wheel 4, that is to say in the center of said rotary wheel 4 so that the rotating wheel 4 is rotatable relative to the indicator device 3, which allows the user to easily maneuver the rotating wheel 4 controlling the gas flow while having a direct view of the dial or the display screen of the device indicator 3.

This also allows less constrain the positioning of the two components, that is to say the manometer 3 and the steering wheel 4, and therefore makes the two more accessible. The steering wheel 4 also serves to protect the manometer 3 when positioning the gauge 3 slightly set back a part of the wheel 4 which is then a little projecting.

The indicator device 3 is, in turn, fixed to the body of the valve block 8 located in the internal volume of the body 12 of the cowling 2, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

An arrangement of the indicator device 3 on the front of the cowling 2, as illustrated in FIG. 1, with its vertical reading glass or preferably slightly inclined with respect to the axis of the bottle 1, makes it easier to read pressure or to autonomy delivered by the indicator device 3, in particular when the cowling 2 is surmounted by a carrying handle 5.

Furthermore, the valve block 8 also comprises a filling connector for introducing gas into the bottle 1 when it is empty or almost empty, this filling connector being housed in a third opening of the cowling 2, located on the back cover of the cowling 2.

In addition, the protective cowling 2 is preferably provided with a carrying handle 5 and / or a pivoting hook 9.

The carrying handle 5 is designed to be handled by a user. It is formed of a rigid material, such as a polymer or a metal or metal alloy, and is carried by one or more support posts 14 mechanically connecting the body 12 of the cowling to the carrying handle 5, as illustrated in FIG. The carrying handle 5 is generally arranged horizontally, that is to say perpendicularly or almost perpendicular to the vertical axis of the bottle 1 and the cowling 2. The carrying handle 5 has an elongated shape, that it is rectilinear or curved, typically a length less than 20 cm, typically 6 to 15 cm. The one or both support posts 14 are fixed at one or both ends of the carrying handle 5 so as to allow a user to easily transport the cap / tap / bottle assembly by means of said carrying handle 5.

Advantageously, in order to allow the hooking or stowage of the bottle / valve block / cowling assembly to a support, such as a hospital bed or stretcher bar, the cowling 2 comprises, preferably on the side of its face. rear, an attachment device 9 designed to pivot between a fully folded position, called "rest", that is to say the position adopted by the attachment device 9 when folded in contact or almost contact body 12 of the cowling 2, and a fully unfolded position called "hooking", that is to say the position adopted by the attachment device 9 when unfolded and can be hooked to a support, such as a bed rail or the like. The hooking device 9 pivots at a given angle about a pivot axis carried by the body 12 of the cowling 2.

Furthermore, Figures 2 and 3 show a diagram (sectional view) of two different embodiments of a valve block 8, namely here a RDI, equipping a cylinder / valve block / cowl assembly according to the invention.

More specifically, the body 11 of the RDI 8 is made of metal or metal alloy, in particular a copper alloy such as brass or the like. The RDI 8 is fixed by screwing its threaded inlet fitting 13 to the neck 10 of the bottle 1.

An internal gas passage 16 makes it possible to bring the gas at high pressure, that is to say having not undergone pressure reduction, from the bottle 1 to the pressure gauge 3 which is arranged in the center of the rotary wheel. 4.

The internal passage 16 further comprises a branch for conveying the gas under high pressure to the expansion system 18 of the RDI 8 in which is made the pressure reduction of the gas, to a lower pressure, c that is, less than the high pressure of the gas from the bottle 1.

The expansion system 18 is conventional and comprises for example an expansion valve, a spring and a valve seat.

The gas from the expansion system 18 is then conveyed by a low-pressure gas passage 17 to the outlet connection 6 through which the gas can be withdrawn, that is to say recovered in a conduit, such a flexible pipe.

The gas outlet through the outlet fitting 6 is controlled by the rotary handwheel 4 which cooperates with a flow control system 19 arranged on the low-pressure gas passage 17, that is to say downstream of the control system. trigger 18 and upstream of the outlet fitting 6.

The flow control system 19 comprises for example a mobile or fixed disc, in which orifices of different diameters make it possible to regulate the flow rate of gas passing therethrough. In fact, the control wheel makes the flow of gas coincide with the orifice corresponding to the selected flow rate.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the pressure gauge 3 and the user-operated rotary wheel 4 are located at the periphery 20 of the RDI block 8 so as to be positioned on the front facade 12 of the cowling 2, that is, ie on the lateral periphery of the cowling 2, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. In this case, the axis of the pressure gauge 3 and the rotary wheel 4 forms an angle between 30 ° and 90 ° with the axis of the gas cylinder equipped with RDI 8.

The embodiment of FIG. 3 is similar to that of FIG. 2, with the exception of the positioning of the pressure gauge 3 and the rotary handwheel 4 which are here located on the top 21 of the RDI block 8. In this case, the pressure gauge 3 and the rotary wheel 4 are positioned on the top of the cowling 2 (not shown), that is to say opposite the carrying handle 5.

A gas cylinder 1 equipped with a cowling 2 with pressure indicating device or autonomy 3 and rotating wheel 4 according to the invention is particularly suitable for use in a medical environment, in particular it is suitable for the storage of any gas or mixture medical gaseous, in particular oxygen, air, N2O / O2, He / Ch, NO / nitrogen or other.

Claims (16)

claims An integrated gas expansion valve block (8) comprising at least one internal gas passage (16, 17), a gas expansion system (18) arranged on said at least one internal gas passage (16, 17) , an indicator device (3) and an operator operable rotary handwheel (4) controlling the gas flow downstream of said gas expansion system (18), characterized in that the indicating device (3) is arranged in the rotary wheel (4). 2. Block according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the indicator device (3) is arranged in the center of the rotary wheel (4). 3. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the indicating device (3) is arranged coaxially with the rotary wheel (4). 4. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the indicating device (3) is a pressure indicating device, flow rate selected by the user or gas autonomy. 5. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the indicating device (3) comprises a dial or an electronic display screen. 6. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the indicator device (3) is fixed and the rotary wheel (4) is rotatable relative to the indicator device (3). Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the indicating device (3) is a needle gauge or an electronic manometer. 8. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotary wheel (4) has a general shape of a ring. 9. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the indicator device (4) has a general shape of disk. 10. Block according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it further comprises a gas outlet connector (6) and a filling connector in fluid communication with said at least one internal gas passage (16, 17). 11. Block according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises a body (11) of metal or metal alloy traversed by a plurality of internal gas passages (16, 17). 12. Block according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the indicator device (3) and the rotary wheel (4) are positioned at the periphery of the body (11) of the valve block (8) or on the top of the body (11) of the valve block (8). 13. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the axis of the indicator device (4) forms an angle between 0 and 90 ° with the axis of the body (11) of the valve block (8). A gas distribution assembly comprising a gas container (1), in particular a gas cylinder, and a valve block (8) attached to said gas container (1), characterized in that the valve block (8) is according to one of the preceding claims, preferably a protective cover (2) is arranged around said valve block (8). 15. Gas distribution assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that it further comprises: - a carrying handle (5) fixed to the cowling (2), and - an attachment device (9), preferably a hooking device (9) pivoting. 16. Use of an assembly according to one of claims 14 or 15 for storing or dispensing a gas or gas mixture, in particular a gas or gas mixture selected from oxygen, air, N2O / O2, He / 02 and NO /nitrogen.