JP2002061799A - Valve protector for gas container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a valve protector capable of easily conveying a portable type gas container. SOLUTION: In an approximately cylindrical valve protector 30 removably mounted in a manner to surround a valve part 14 of the gas container 10, the valve protector is featured that it is provided with a first handle 40 situated at the upper part of the protector and a second handle 48 is situated at the lower part of the valve protector in addition to the first handle and this constitution easily lifts up the gas container. Namely, the second handle is grasped and in a case of the second handle serving as a fulcrum, since the gas container is brought into an inclination state, the gas container is separated away from a floor even with an arm extended and can be easily carried.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a valve protector for protecting a valve portion of a portable gas container called a gas cylinder or a gas cylinder.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a medical field, oxygen gas is used for various purposes. Oxygen gas may be filled into a small gas container for the purpose of individually supplying it to a patient, and may be carried to the patient and used.

[0003] Many of the gas containers used in such applications have a small size of 3.4 L. Conventionally, generally, it has been frequently carried out to grasp a valve portion, lift it up, and hang it to a desired position.

[0004] However, the valve section is not designed to be grasped by a human hand, and thus, it is actually difficult to grasp the valve section and transport the gas container. Further, if the gas container is accidentally knocked down, the valve section may be damaged.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 4, a cylindrical device called a valve protector 1, which is attached to a gas container 10 so as to surround a valve, has been developed. This conventional valve protector 1
A handle 2 is formed at the upper end of the gas container 10 so that a user can hold the handle 2 and carry the gas container 10.

[0006]

However, in the gas container 10 of 3.4 L size which is usually used in medical sites and the like, the valve portion is located at the waist of a woman having an average height. Therefore, when the conventional valve protector 1 as described above is attached, the handle 2 is higher than the position of the woman's waist.

When trying to transport the 3.4 L size gas container 10 with one hand using such a valve protector 1, it is necessary to bend the arm as shown in FIG. 4 so as not to drag on the floor. is there. However, carrying the gas container 10 in such a posture tends to be tired, and it is particularly difficult for a woman without strength.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a main object thereof is to provide a valve protector capable of easily transporting a small portable gas container.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a substantially cylindrical valve protector which is detachably mounted so as to surround a valve portion of a gas container. A first handle;
And a second handle provided at a lower portion thereof.

In addition to the conventional first handle, a second handle
By installing the handle at the bottom of the valve protector,
The gas container can be easily lifted. That is,
Depending on the height and the like of the user, one or both of the first and second handles can be held. In addition, when the second handle is gripped and used as a fulcrum, the gas container is in an inclined state. For example, in the case of a gas container of 3.4 L size, the gas container remains on the floor even when the arm is extended. And can be easily carried (see FIG. 3).

It is preferable to provide a third handle having a hook function below the valve protector.
This third handle has the same function as the second handle. In addition, since the gas container has a hook function, the gas container can be hooked on a bed frame or the like, and the gas container can be more reliably prevented from falling as compared with a case where the gas container is simply placed on the floor. In addition, the third handle has a large amount of outward projection in order to exert the hook function, but this can prevent rolling when the gas container is laid on its side.

[0012] Incidentally. A third handle with a large protrusion may be pivotally attached to the valve protector.
This can be made compact when stored, which is preferable.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 show an embodiment of a valve protector according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a mounting method thereof, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one mode of use. The gas container 10 used in the illustrated embodiment is a medical 3.4 L size filled with oxygen gas, and has a relatively large diameter called a tapered neck ring at the upper end of the gas container 10. A large neck portion 12 is formed. A valve 14 is attached to the neck 12. A flow setting selection knob 16 is provided at the top of the valve 14.
A gas outlet valve 18, a pressure gauge 20, and a flow rate setting outlet nozzle 22 are provided on one side of the valve 14, and a gas filling port 24 is provided on the other side.
Are arranged.

The gas container 1 provided with such a valve 14
0 valve protector 30 according to the invention used for
Has a substantially cylindrical shape as shown in FIG.
0 neck 12 and valve 14 (collectively, "valve 1
4 ") is coaxially surrounded to cover them. This valve protector 30 comprises two halves 30 that can be split along a longitudinal axis, as shown in FIG.
a and 30b, which are detachable from the gas container 10. These halves (hereinafter, one is referred to as a "first half 30a" and the other is referred to as a "second half 30b") are preferably molded from a hard plastic.

The side of the first half 30a has a valve 14
In order that a gas pipe (not shown) can be connected to the gas outlet valve 18 and the flow setting outlet nozzle 22 from outside, and the pressure gauge 20 can be observed from outside, the through hole 32 is formed. Is provided. From this through hole 32, the gas outlet valve 1
Since the projections 8 and the like protrude, an enclosure 34 is provided around the through hole 32 to protect them.

A through hole 36 for connecting a gas pipe (not shown) to the gas filling port 24 is formed in the side surface of the second half 30b. An enclosure 38 for protecting the gas filling port 24 is also provided around the through hole 36. A first handle 40 for carrying the gas container 10 integrally with the valve protector 30 is formed at the upper end of the second half 30b. This handle 40 is also provided in a conventional valve protector.

At the lower portion of the inner surface of the first half 30a and the second half 30b, a groove 42 formed in a shape complementary to the neck 12 of the gas container 10 is formed in the circumferential direction. The first and second halves 30a and 30b are fitted together so that the neck 12 of the gas container 10 fits into the groove 42, and the two are fastened with the bolts 44 and the nuts 46, so that the valve protector 30 is gas-tight. It can be securely attached to the container 10.

At the lower end of the first half 30a, a second handle 48 for carrying is integrally formed. The second handle 48 is formed so as to extend outward and downward from the substantially cylindrical side surface of the valve protector 30, and the user holds the second handle 48 by gripping the lower edge of the handle 48.

Further, a third end is also provided at the lower end of the second half 30b.
Handle 50 is provided. The third handle 30 is
Preferably, it is pivotally mounted to the second half 30b by bolts and nuts 52. This handle 50
Functions as a hook as described later, and is dimensioned so as to protrude outward from the outer peripheral surface of the gas container 10 when pulled out.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 54 denotes an area for disposing an oscillating chip (not shown) for oscillating information of the gas container 10 to which the valve protector 30 is attached. The information of the gas container 10 can be known by a bar code seal or the like. However, if the information is attached to the surface of the gas container 10, the bar code seal or the like may be damaged or may not be readable due to dirt. Therefore, the oscillation chip can be arranged inside the valve protector 30 to prevent the oscillation chip from being damaged and to reliably obtain information on the gas container 10 and the like.

The operation of the valve protector according to the present invention in such a configuration will be described.

First, the valve protector 30 of the illustrated embodiment covers the entire valve portion 14 of the gas container 10. Therefore, when the gas container 10 falls down or an object approaches the valve portion 14, The valve section 14 can be protected.

When the gas container 10 is used lying on the floor, the valve protector 30 can prevent the gas container 10 from rolling. That is, when the third handle 50 provided at the lower portion of the valve protector 30 is pulled out, the tip of the handle 50 projects outward from the outer peripheral surface of the gas container 10. Movement is prevented.

When carrying the gas container 10 using the valve protector 30, it is effective to use the second handle 48. 3.4 setting the valve protector 30
When attached to the L-sized gas container 10, the second handle 48 is at a position lower than the waist of a woman of average height. In a posture in which the arm is straight down, the second handle 4
8 is higher than the fingertip position of the hand, so that the second handle 4
After grasping the gas container 8, it is necessary to bend the arm slightly to lift the gas container 10 from the floor, but the fulcrum is at the neck 1 of the gas container 10.
Since the gas container 10 is lower than 2, when the gas container 10 is slightly separated from the floor surface, the gas container 10 is inclined as shown in FIG. In this state, the gas container 10 is separated from the floor surface even if the arm is returned to the posture in which the arm is straightened, so that the gas container 10 can be transported very easily. During this transportation, the first handle 40 can be grasped with the other hand to assist. The third
The height position of the handle 50 is substantially the same as that of the second handle 48.
The same effect as in the case of the handle 48 can be obtained. Further, it goes without saying that any of the first to third handles 40, 48, 50 may be used depending on the height difference and the usability of the individual.

Further, the third handle 50 can be pulled out and hooked to, for example, a bed frame 60 as shown in FIG. Conventionally, a gas container 1
In the case where oxygen gas is supplied by disposing 0, since the gas container 10 was merely set up on the floor surface, there was a risk of falling over, but the third handle 50 of the valve protector 30 was thus removed. By using the gas container 10 as a hook, the gas container 10 can be easily fixed, and the overturn can be greatly reduced.

The third handle 50 is connected to the bed frame 60.
When the gas container 10 is hooked, the entire gas container 10 needs to be lifted high. In such a case, the gas container 10 can be easily lifted because the first and second handles 40 and 48 can be held by both hands. Can be hung on the frame 60.

Since the third handle 50 can be folded toward the gas container 10, the third handle 50 is folded when the gas container 10 is stored.
It is preferable to make the whole compact (see FIG. 3).

Since the oxygen gas from the gas container 10 is dry, when supplying the oxygen gas to the patient, the oxygen gas from the gas container 10 is humidified with water (not shown).
After passing through to the patient is often sent. Therefore, it is preferable that the humidifier is disposed near the gas container 10, and the valve protector 30 of the present embodiment is formed with the groove 62 for attaching the humidifier.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

For example, the basic shape of the valve protector is appropriately changed depending on the form of the valve section.

In the above embodiment, the third handle 5
0 is pivotable, but may be formed integrally with the valve protector. The position and shape of the handle are not limited to those in the above embodiment, and a flare-shaped handle may be provided along the entire periphery of the lower edge of the valve protector. Also, the second handle may have a hook function, and depending on the purpose of use, either the second handle or the third handle may be omitted.

Further, for medical use filled with oxygen gas.
Although the example applied to the gas container of 4L size was described,
The type and contents of the gas container are not limited to the above embodiment.

[0034]

As described above, by using the valve protector according to the present invention, it is possible to easily carry a gas container, and even a woman like a medical institution has to carry a heavy gas container. It is particularly effective in places where it cannot be obtained.

Further, when a handle having a hook function is provided, the gas container can be easily fixed, and there is also an effect that a fall can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a valve protector according to the present invention is attached to a gas container.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one mode of use of the valve protector of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a state where the valve protector of FIG. 1 is held.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a state where a conventional valve protector is held.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... gas container, 12 ... neck part (valve part), 14 ... valve (valve part), 30 ... valve protector, 40 ... 1st handle, 42 ... groove | channel, 48 ... 2nd handle, 50 ... 3rd handle , 54: oscillation chip mounting area, 60: bed preme.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A substantially cylindrical valve protector which is detachably mounted so as to surround a valve portion of a gas container, wherein a first handle provided on an upper portion thereof and a second handle provided on a lower portion thereof. A valve protector for a gas container, comprising: 2. The valve protector according to claim 1, wherein a third handle having a hook function is provided at a lower portion. 3. A substantially cylindrical valve protector detachably mounted so as to surround a valve portion of a gas container, comprising a first handle provided at an upper portion thereof, and a hook function provided at a lower portion thereof. And a third handle having the same. 4. The gas container valve protector according to claim 2, wherein the third handle is provided so as to be pivotable.