JP2000240897A - High-pressure liquefied gas container valve - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately measure liquid level in a container, in correspondence with bulk delivery without the need for applying additional treatment on a high-pressure liquefied gas container. SOLUTION: A sensor-containing space 37 opened in a down state is formed in the lower part of a valve body 21 and parallel with a gas flow passage 27c. A ultrasonic sensor 14 is contained in the sensor containing space 37, in a state of being supported by a pressure pad 40 and situated integrally with the valve body 21. The pressure pad 40 is pressed in the inlet of the sensor containing space 37 via an elastic member 42. Furthermore, the ultrasonic sensor 41 is connected to a measuring and computing part 44 via a lead wire 43. The measuring and computing part 44 is mounted in a case 45, together with a display part 46 and a communication part 47 made into an integral piece to constitute an electrical accessory unit 25. The electrical accessory unit 25 is mounted on a valve body 21 with screws and the like and integrally mounted on a valve body 21 and the measuring and computing part 44 and a display part 46 are also integrally mounted on the valve body 21.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention can be applied to a high-pressure liquefied gas container for storing a liquefied gas such as liquefied petroleum gas.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a valve for a high-pressure liquefied gas container which is attached to the mouth of such a high-pressure liquefied gas container and opens and closes a gas flow path.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a high-pressure liquefied gas container such as a propane gas cylinder has not been provided with a liquid level gauge.
For this reason, the remaining amount of gas in the container is estimated from the weight of the gas container, the amount of gas used, the period of use, and the like, and when the gas is exhausted or reduced, the gas is replaced with a new container that fully stores the gas.

[0003]

However, under the recent deregulation, so-called bulk delivery, in which gas is carried by a tank trolley or the like and filled in containers on site, is being recognized.

[0004] Then, since the high-pressure liquefied gas container is not provided with a liquid level gauge, the remaining gas amount in the container cannot be accurately grasped.
It is not known how much gas can be filled in the container. There is a problem that overfilling is dangerous and underfilling is inefficient.

Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a high-pressure liquefied gas container with a liquid level gauge. However, to install the level gauge,
There has been a problem that additional processing has to be performed on a portion of the container including the existing container where the liquid level gauge is to be mounted, and there has been a problem that the cost increases.

An object of the present invention is to enable accurate measurement of the liquid level in a high-pressure liquefied gas container without having to perform additional processing on the container, corresponding to bulk delivery.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a valve for a high-pressure liquefied gas container which is attached to an opening of a high-pressure liquefied gas container and opens and closes a gas flow path. A sensor for detecting the liquid level of the liquefied gas to be accommodated in a non-contact manner is provided integrally with the valve body.

[0008] In the first aspect of the present invention,
A sensor provided integrally with the valve body detects the level of the liquefied gas in the gas container through the mouth of the high-pressure liquefied gas container.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the valve for a high-pressure liquefied gas container according to the first aspect, at least a measurement signal is output to a sensor or a liquid level of the liquefied gas is calculated from an output value of the sensor. Measurement / calculation unit and a display unit for displaying the calculation result are also provided integrally with the valve body.
It is characterized by the following.

In the invention according to claim 2,
In response to the measurement signal from the measurement / calculation unit, the sensor detects the level of the liquefied gas contained in the gas container with a sensor, calculates the liquid level from the output value with the measurement / calculation unit, and displays the calculation result on the display unit. indicate.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the valve for a high-pressure liquefied gas container according to the second aspect, the measurement / arithmetic unit and the display unit are attached to a common member to be integrated. I do.

In the invention according to claim 3,
The measurement / calculation unit and the display unit are integrated and attached to the valve body.

[0013] The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to claims 1, 2,
Alternatively, in the high-pressure liquefied gas container valve according to 3, the ultrasonic sensor is used as a sensor.

In the invention according to claim 4,
Ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the sensor, and the liquid level is detected from the time when the liquefied gas is reflected and returned on the liquid level.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the valve for a high-pressure liquefied gas container according to the fourth aspect, a sensor housing space is formed in the valve body, the sensor is housed therein, and the sensor is housed therein through an elastic member. It is characterized by being supported.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the valve for a high-pressure liquefied gas container according to the fifth aspect, a pressure receiving plate is press-fitted into an inlet of the sensor storage space via an elastic member, and the sensor is supported by the pressure receiving plate. It is characterized by that.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which a valve according to the present invention is mounted on a high-pressure liquefied gas container. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a high-pressure liquefied gas container, and reference numeral 20 denotes a valve according to the present invention.

The high-pressure liquefied gas container 10 stores therein a liquefied gas 12 such as a liquefied petroleum gas liquefied by applying a high pressure, and has an opening 13 shown schematically at the center of the top. A valve 20 is attached to the mouth 13.

The valve 20 includes a handle 22 at the upper part of the valve body 21 in the figure, a gas inlet / outlet part 23 on the right side in the figure, a safety valve 24 on the left side in the figure, and an electrical unit 2 described later in detail on the near side in the figure.
5 is provided.

FIG. 2 shows a vertical cross section of the valve 20 in the direction of the arrow along the line AA in FIG. The valve body 21 is formed into a tubular shape as shown in FIG. 2 by casting, for example. Then, a first step portion a and a second step portion b upward are provided in the middle, a through hole 27 penetrating in the vertical direction is opened, and a mounting hole 27a of the uppermost step having a threaded portion on the inner periphery is provided. , Middle-diameter valve storage hole 2
7b and a small-diameter gas passage 27c at the bottom.

A valve seat c is provided on the second step portion b, and an inlet / outlet 28 leading to the gas inlet / outlet portion 23 of FIG. 1 is formed on the peripheral wall of the valve housing hole 27b in a direction perpendicular to the through hole 27. Open.

Then, the mounting ring 30 is screwed into the mounting hole 27a from above. At the center of the mounting ring 30,
The valve shaft 31 is screwed. At the lower end of the valve shaft 31,
The slide member 32 is fitted and connected. The slide member 32 is connected to the valve housing hole 2 via an O-ring 33 provided on the outer periphery.
7b, which is hermetically housed in a valve body 3b and has a valve body 3 made of an elastic body on the lower surface.
4 is held opposite the valve seat c.

On the other hand, at the upper end of the valve shaft 31, a mounting screw 35 is provided.
The handle 22 also shown in FIG.

Now, a sensor housing space 37 is formed in the valve body 21 so as to be opened downward and parallel to the gas flow path 27c. A communication hole 38 is formed from the top inner wall of the sensor storage space 37 to the outside.

An ultrasonic sensor 41, which is supported by a pressure receiving plate 40 and detects the liquid surface 12a of the liquefied gas 12 accommodated in the high-pressure liquefied gas container 10 in a non-contact manner, is accommodated in the sensor accommodating space 37. , Provided integrally with the valve body 21. The pressure receiving plate 40 is provided at the entrance of the sensor storage space 37 with an O-ring-shaped elastic member 4 made of natural rubber, resin rubber, or the like.
The ultrasonic sensor 41 is elastically supported in the sensor storage space 37 through the elastic member 42 by press-fitting through the elastic member 42.

The ultrasonic sensor 41 pulls out the lead wire 43 through the communication hole 38 to the outside, and the ultrasonic sensor 4
1 is connected to a measurement / calculation unit 44 that outputs a measurement signal and calculates the liquid level of the liquefied gas from the output value of the ultrasonic sensor 41. The measurement / arithmetic unit 44 is mounted in a case 45. Inside the case 45, together with the measurement / calculation unit 44,
A display unit 46 for displaying the calculation result and a communication unit 47 for communicating with, for example, a centralized monitoring panel are also attached. As a result, they are collectively integrated to constitute the above-described electrical unit 25 shown in FIG. Note that the lead wire 48 of the communication section 47 is drawn out from the hole 45 a of the case 45.

Then, the case 45 is attached to the valve body 21 with screws or the like. Thus, the measurement / calculation unit 44, the display unit 46, and the communication unit 47 are provided integrally with the ultrasonic sensor 41 in the valve body 21.

The valve 20 constructed as described above is attached to the mouth 13 of the high-pressure liquefied gas container 10 as shown in FIG. When not in use, the handle 22 is turned in one direction, the valve shaft 31 is screwed in, the slide member 32 is moved downward, and the valve body 34 is moved.
Is pressed against the valve seat c, and the gas flow path 27
Close c.

On the other hand, in use, the handle 22 is turned in the other direction, the valve shaft 31 is screwed up, the slide member 32 is moved upward, and the pressing of the valve body 34 against the valve seat c is released.
As shown in the figure, the gas flow path 27c leading to the entrance 28 is opened, and the gas in the gas container 10 can be discharged to the outside through the entrance 28, and the gas can be charged into the gas container 10 through the entrance 28. And

When measuring the liquid level of the liquefied gas 12 contained in the high-pressure liquefied gas container 10, an ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the ultrasonic sensor 41 based on a signal from the measurement / operation unit 44,
The liquid surface 12a of the liquefied gas 12 is reflected from the liquid surface 12a and returns from the liquid surface 12a through the opening 13 of the high-pressure liquefied gas container 10.
a is detected, the liquid level is calculated by the measurement / calculation unit 44 from the output value, and the calculation result is displayed on the display unit 46. Also,
The calculation result of the measurement / calculation unit 44 is sent to a centralized monitoring panel or the like by the communication unit 47.

By the way, in the above-described example, the ultrasonic sensor 41 is used as the sensor. However, for example, an infrared sensor or the like can be used instead of the ultrasonic sensor 41. When an infrared sensor is used in place of the ultrasonic sensor 41 in the structure as shown in the illustrated example, the pressure receiving plate 40 needs to be made of a transparent member such as a resin material so that light can be transmitted.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, the sensor provided integrally with the valve body detects the liquid level of the liquefied gas in the gas container through the mouth of the high-pressure liquefied gas container.
By eliminating the need for additional processing on the high-pressure liquefied gas container, for example, it is possible to accurately measure the liquid level simply by replacing the valve without performing additional processing on the existing container, and to cope with bulk delivery at low cost.

Further, since no additional processing is performed on the high-pressure liquefied gas container, a welded portion can be eliminated, the price can be reduced, and bulk delivery can be performed without fear of impairing airtightness.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, at least the measurement / calculation unit and the display unit are provided integrally with the sensor in the valve body. Can be facilitated.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the measurement / calculation unit and the display unit are attached to a common member and integrated, and they are collectively handled integrally. Mounting to the valve body is facilitated, and reliability can be improved.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, an ultrasonic sensor is used as the sensor, and the liquid level is detected below the time when the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the sensor is reflected on the liquid surface of the liquefied gas and returned. As a result, in addition to the above effects, the liquid level can be measured more accurately without contact.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the sensor housing space is formed in the valve body, and the sensor is housed therein and is elastically supported via an elastic member. The liquid level of the liquefied gas stored in the gas container can be efficiently and accurately measured without hindering the ultrasonic vibration of the liquefied gas.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the pressure receiving plate is press-fitted into the entrance of the sensor housing space via the elastic member, and the sensor is supported by the pressure receiving plate. The liquid level can be accurately measured without hindering the vibration, and at the same time, gas tightness can be reliably prevented by maintaining the airtightness by the elastic member.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which a valve according to the present invention is attached to a high-pressure liquefied gas container.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 High-pressure liquefied gas container 12 Liquefied gas 13 Gas container mouth 20 Valve 21 Valve main body 21a Screw part 22 Handle 23 Gas port 24 Safety valve 25 Electrical unit 27 Through hole 27a Mounting hole 27b Valve storage hole 27c Gas flow path 28 Port 30 Mounting ring 31 Valve shaft 32 Slide member 33 O-ring 34 Valve body 35 Mounting screw 37 Sensor storage space 38 Communication hole 40 Pressure receiving plate 41 Ultrasonic sensor 42 Elastic member 43 Lead wire 44 Measurement / calculation unit 45 Case (common member) 46 Display Unit 47 communication unit 48 lead wire a first step b second step c valve seat

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A high-pressure liquefied gas container valve which is attached to the mouth of a high-pressure liquefied gas container and opens and closes a gas flow path, wherein the sensor detects the liquid level of the liquefied gas contained in the high-pressure liquefied gas container in a non-contact manner. Is a valve for a high-pressure liquefied gas container integrally provided in a valve body. At least a measurement / arithmetic unit for outputting a measurement signal to the sensor or calculating a liquid level of a liquefied gas from an output value of the sensor, and a display unit for displaying the calculation result are also provided by the valve. The high-pressure liquefied gas container valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve is provided integrally with the main body. 3. The high-pressure liquefied gas container valve according to claim 2, wherein the measurement / calculation unit and the display unit are attached to a common member to be integrated. 4. The high-pressure liquefied gas container valve according to claim 1, wherein an ultrasonic sensor is used as the sensor. 5. A sensor housing space is formed in the valve body,
The valve for a high-pressure liquefied gas container according to claim 4, wherein the sensor is housed therein and is elastically supported via an elastic member. 6. The valve for a high-pressure liquefied gas container according to claim 5, wherein a pressure receiving plate is press-fitted into an entrance of the sensor storage space via an elastic member, and the sensor is supported by the pressure receiving plate.