JP2004019853A - Opening indicating device for rotary valve - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an opening indicating device capable of infallibly confirming full closing and/or full opening of a rotary valve with a simple mechanism and besides, facilitating handling without hinderance even during piping of the rotary valve and its following operation. <P>SOLUTION: A magnet is fixed to a part of a lever to rotate the valve element of the rotary valve, and a fixing plate or an opening indicating board is fixed at the valve element flange of the rotary valve. Switches are situated subordinately along in one or plurality of spots on the fixing plate or the opening indicating board in the vicinity of a passage through which the magnet is moved along with rotation of the lever, and as a result of the switch being sensitive to the magnet, a circuit is opened and closed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention relates to a rotary valve opening instruction device. More specifically, the present invention relates to an opening degree indicating device for a rotary valve such as a butterfly valve or a ball valve, which reliably notifies that a valve body has reached a predetermined opening degree.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, a rotary valve such as a butterfly valve or a ball valve does not have a torque seal structure. Therefore, the more the valve body is closed, the more the seal is not completed. In other words, the rotary valve has a position seal structure, and is fully closed at one predetermined position and fully opened at another predetermined position. Therefore, when handling a rotary valve, it is necessary to know precisely the position where the valve element is fully closed or fully open, or the state where it is fully closed or fully open.
[0003]
Generally, a rotary valve is opened and closed only within an angle range of about 90 degrees. That is, the valve element of the rotary valve is fully opened when rotated by an angle of about 90 degrees from the fully closed position, and can be rotated from the fully closed position to the fully open position. It cannot be closed or pivoted beyond the fully open position.
[0004]
In a small rotary valve, a lever-type driving device is additionally provided to rotate the valve body within the above-described angle range. The lever type driving device is fixed to the fixing plate fixed to the flange of the valve main body of the rotary valve, the opening degree indicating plate or both, and the valve shaft of the rotary valve protruding into the flange, and the valve shaft is turned by 90 degrees. And a lever that rotates within the range of the angle. 1 and 2 show an example of a conventional lever type driving device together with a butterfly valve. FIG. 1 is a plan view and FIG. 2 is a front view.
[0005]
In the butterfly valve shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fixing plate and the opening degree indicating plate are fixed to the flange located at the upper end of the valve body with bolts. Further, a lever is fixed to the valve shaft protruding into the flange by a bolt, and the lever rotates to rotate the valve shaft while keeping its longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the fixing plate and the opening degree indicating plate. To open and close the valve.
[0006]
1 and 2, a valve body rotation preventing mechanism is additionally provided in order to prevent the valve body from accidentally rotating. The rotation preventing mechanism includes an uneven portion provided on the outer periphery of the fixed plate, and a fixed bar that advances or retreats toward the fixed plate and fits into the uneven portion or escapes from the uneven portion. In order to move the fixed bar forward or backward, a grip is attached to the lower side of the lever, and the grip is biased by a spring so that the end is lowered.
[0007]
In FIG. 2, when the grip is gripped together with the lever and the end of the grip is moved in the direction of arrow A, the grip rotates about the rotation axis and moves the fixed bar in the direction of arrow B. At this time, the fixing bar moves from the state (a) shown in FIG. 3 to the state (b) and escapes from the unevenness of the fixing plate. Thus, the lever can be rotated around the valve shaft. Thereafter, when the grip is released, the grip is urged by the spring and rotates in the direction opposite to the arrow A, the fixing bar is fitted into the unevenness of the fixing plate, and the lever cannot rotate.
[0008]
The lever-type drive device described above is effective in preventing the valve body from shifting from the opening when the valve body reaches a predetermined opening, but is suitable for confirming that the predetermined opening has been reached. Absent. Therefore, an opening degree indicating mechanism is additionally provided to the lever type driving device. The simplest one of the opening indicating mechanisms is an opening indicating plate provided with a scale as shown in FIG. The opening degree indicating plate of FIG. 1 is for confirming the opening degree by the scale indicated by the tip of the lever. However, the reading of the scale by visual inspection has a large individual difference and therefore a large error, so that it is not possible to rely on it.
[0009]
Therefore, as an alternative, an opening degree instructing mechanism using a limit switch is used. 4 and 5 show a butterfly valve provided with such an opening degree indicating mechanism when fully closed, in which FIG. 4 is a plan view and FIG. 5 is a front view. When fully closed, the lever is in contact with the contact rotor (1) located below in FIG. 4, which activates the limit switch (1) to generate a signal. Therefore, it can be confirmed from this signal that the butterfly valve is in the fully closed state.
[0010]
When the lever rotates counterclockwise from the state shown in FIG. 4 and the lever moves away from the contact rotor (1), the signal from the limit switch (1) stops. When the lever further rotates and rotates 90 degrees from the state of FIG. 4, the lever comes into contact with the contact rotor (2) shown in the upper left of FIG. Then, the limit switch (2) operates and emits another signal. Thus, it is confirmed that the butterfly valve has been fully opened.
[0011]
The opening degree indicating mechanism using the limit switches as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is convenient for surely knowing the opening degree of the valve body, but has another disadvantage. The disadvantage is that, as is clear from FIGS. 4 and 5, the limit switch is large and the limit switch mounting plate needs to be greatly extended in order to mount the limit switch. The device travels significantly around the valve. Therefore, when the rotary valve is installed, the protrusion hinders the piping, and when the rotary valve is used, it hinders the operation. Therefore, there has been a demand for the emergence of a valve body opening degree indicating mechanism which does not have such a defect.
[0012]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been created in response to the aforementioned requirements. That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to confirm that the rotary valve is fully closed and / or fully opened by a simple mechanism without error, and furthermore, there is no hindrance at the time of piping of the rotary valve and at the time of subsequent operation, so that the opening is easy to handle. It is intended to provide a degree indicating device.
[0013]
[Means for solving the problem]
The present inventor has found that it is appropriate to use a combination of a magnet and a switch that is sensitive to the proximity of the magnet to solve the above-described problem. In addition, the inventor has found that it is suitable to place the magnet as a part of a lever. Further, the inventor can use the switch for checking whether the drive device is in a fully closed state and a fully open state, as well as for checking when the drive device is at an arbitrary opening degree. It has been found to be advantageous. The present invention has been completed based on such findings.
[0014]
According to the present invention, a fixed plate or an opening indicating plate fixed to a valve body flange of a rotary valve and a valve shaft of a rotary valve protruding in the flange are rotated within a 90-degree angle range. In a rotary valve driving device comprising a lever, a magnet is fixed to a part of the lever, and a switch is attached at one or more positions on a fixed plate or an opening degree indicating plate in proximity to a passage through which the magnet passes, It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotary valve opening indicating device, wherein a switch opens and closes a circuit in response to the magnet.
[0015]
In the present invention, the magnet is fixed to a part of the lever constituting the driving device. The fixing position is preferably near the tip of the lever, that is, near the end opposite to the grip of the lever. The magnet may be a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. For fixing the magnet, it is preferable to make a hole in the lever and insert the magnet in the hole to expose the end of the magnet. When the lever and the components around the lever are made of an iron-based metal such as a casting, it is preferable to surround and fix the magnet with a synthetic resin or an aluminum-based metal so as not to reduce the magnetic force. It is preferable to use an adhesive for fixing.
[0016]
According to the present invention, when the lever rotates, a switch is provided at an appropriate position on the fixing plate or the opening degree indicating plate in proximity to the passage through which the magnet fixed to the lever passes. The appropriate position is a position on the fixed plate or the opening indicating plate occupied by the magnet when the rotary valve is at a specific opening. The position is usually the position occupied by the magnet when the rotary valve is in the fully closed or fully open state, but in addition, for example, the position occupied by the magnet when the rotary valve is opened by an angle of 70 degrees. There may be.
[0017]
The switch used in the present invention needs to be magnet sensitive. A switch that is sensitive to a magnet is, for example, a switch that has a function of opening the circuit while the magnet is far away, but closing the circuit when the magnet approaches. It is made, for example, by placing the ends of two lead wires made of ferromagnetic material in parallel at a distance as shown in FIG. 6, sealing this with a glass tube, and filling the tube with an inert gas. It is a thing.
[0018]
In the switch shown in FIG. 6, when there is no magnet nearby, the two lead wires X and Y are separated at the contact point as shown in FIG. I have. However, when the magnet approaches the switch, the lead wires X and Y are magnetized as shown in (b), and the contact portions become poles different from each other. Therefore, the lead wires X and Y come into contact with each other at the contact portion, and the circuit is closed. Thus, the switch is opened and closed by the magnet. Such switches are commercially available. In the present invention, such a commercially available switch can be used.
[0019]
The above-mentioned switch is fixed on a fixed plate or an opening degree indicating plate constituting the driving device. As shown in FIG. 7, the switch is fixed by, for example, supporting both ends of the switch with support pieces P and Q and fixing the switch by screwing on the opening indicating plate. 7A is a plan view, FIG. 7B is a front view, and FIG. 7C is a side view. The support piece P can be fixed by placing one end of the switch on the upper side and fixing it with screws from below, but the support piece Q is only holding the other end of the switch in a square frame. It is designed to be supported in a state.
[0020]
An example of the opening indicating device made according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 8 and 9 show a state in which the opening degree indicating device of the present invention is attached to a butterfly valve in a fully closed state. FIG. 8 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 9 is a front view thereof.
[0021]
8 and 9, the fixing plate and the opening degree indicating plate are fixed to the flange of the butterfly valve by bolts. Further, a lever is fixed to a valve shaft protruding into the flange by a bolt. Therefore, when the lever is rotated, the valve element is rotated, but the lever can be rotated within a 90-degree angle range by the stopper. In addition, the rotation of the lever is stopped when the fixed bar moved forward and backward by the grip enters the unevenness provided on the outer periphery of the fixed plate, and can be rotated when the fixed bar escapes from the unevenness.
[0022]
8 and 9, the magnet is attached to the tip of the lever. The magnet is placed in an aluminum tube, fitted into the hole formed in the lever together with the tube, exposing both ends. The gap between the lever and the cylinder is fixed by an adhesive.
[0023]
8 and 9, the switch 2 is provided below the position where the magnet of the lever is located when the butterfly valve is in the fully closed state. The switch 2 is fixed with screws on the opening indicating plate by a support piece as shown in FIG. Since the switch 2 is close to the magnet attached to the lever in the state shown in FIG. 9, the circuit is closed. Thus, switch 2 issues a signal to indicate that the butterfly valve is fully closed.
[0024]
In the opening indicating devices shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the switch 1 is additionally provided at another position on the opening indicating plate. The switch 1 is fixed below the position occupied by the magnet attached to the lever when the lever rotates counterclockwise from the state of FIG. 8 by 90 degrees and the butterfly valve is fully opened. The fixing is performed by a support piece, similarly to the switch 2. Thus, when the butterfly valve is fully open, switch 1 closes the circuit in response to the magnet and issues another signal to signal that the butterfly valve is fully open.
[0025]
Thus, according to the opening indicating device shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, when the butterfly valve is fully closed and fully opened, the signal originating from the switch is displayed on the remote indicating board via, for example, a terminal box. Thus, even in a remote place, it is possible to reliably know that both states have been reached.
[0026]
FIG. 10 is the same as the opening degree indicating device shown in FIG. 8, except that a switch 3 is additionally provided between the switch 1 and the switch 2 in FIG. The switch 3 emits a signal in response to the magnet when the butterfly valve reaches an intermediate state between the fully closed state and the fully opened state. Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to reliably know when the butterfly valve reaches the intermediate specific opening.
[0027]
8 to 10, the magnet is provided slightly away from the tip of the lever, but the magnet may be provided at the true tip of the lever as shown in FIG.
[0028]
In the present invention, a switch in which various elements are further incorporated in the switch shown in FIG. 6 can be used as a switch sensitive to the magnet. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, a switch in which a light emitting diode and a zener diode (constant voltage diode) are added can be used. When the one shown in FIG. 12 is used, a switch in the circuit closes the circuit, and at the same time, the light emitting diode emits light in a limited red, green, yellow or the like. Therefore, by this light emission, it is possible to more reliably know that the rotary valve has reached the predetermined opening.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the magnet is fixed to a part of the lever that is fixed to the valve shaft of the rotary valve and rotates the valve shaft within an angle range of 90 degrees. Will rotate. In addition, a switch is provided on one or more of the fixed plates or the opening indicating plate fixed to the valve body flange, which are adjacent to the passage through which the magnet passes. Close to. Since the switch opens and closes the circuit in response to the magnet, the switch always opens and closes the circuit in response to the magnet as the lever rotates. Therefore, if a signal is issued at the same time when the circuit is closed, it is possible to reliably know that the rotary valve has reached a specific opening degree. Therefore, for example, when the rotary valve is in the fully closed or fully open state, a switch is attached to a position on the fixed plate or the opening degree indicating plate where the lever magnet is located, so that the rotary valve is in the fully closed or fully open state. Can be surely known. Further, even when the degree of opening is intermediate between the fully closed state and the fully opened state, it is possible to know exactly in exactly the same manner.
[0030]
Moreover, according to the present invention, the lever can be provided as an opening indicating device simply by attaching a magnet to the fixing plate or the opening indicating plate, so that the installation of the device is easy and inexpensive. Because of this, the economic effect is great. Further, the magnet can be provided in a hole formed in the lever, and the switch can be provided in the gap between the fixed plate or the opening degree indicating plate and the lever. No significant business trips. Therefore, the opening degree indicating device does not hinder addition or operation, and the entire device can be easily visually recognized from the outside. The present invention provides such benefits.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a butterfly valve provided with a conventional opening degree indicating device.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the conventional butterfly valve with the opening degree indicating device shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a valve body rotation preventing mechanism in the opening degree indicating device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a butterfly valve provided with another conventional opening indicating device.
FIG. 5 is a front view of a butterfly valve provided with another conventional opening indicating device shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a switch that can be used in the present invention.
7 (a) is a plan view, FIG. 7 (b) is a front view, and FIG. 7 (c) is a side view.
FIG. 8 is a plan view of a butterfly valve provided with the opening degree indicating device according to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a front view of the butterfly valve provided with the opening indicating device according to the present invention shown in FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a plan view of a butterfly valve provided with another opening indicating device according to the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a plan view of a butterfly valve provided with still another opening degree indicating device according to the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a structural diagram of another switch that can be used in the present invention.

Claims (5)

It consists of a fixed plate or opening indication plate fixed to the valve body flange of the rotary valve, and a lever fixed to the valve shaft of the rotary valve protruding into the flange and rotating the valve shaft within a 90-degree angle range. In the rotary valve driving device, a magnet is fixed to a part of the lever, and a switch is provided at one or more positions on a fixed plate or an opening degree indication plate in proximity to a passage of the magnet, and the switch is provided with the magnet. A circuit for opening and closing the circuit in response to the pressure. The opening indicating device for a rotary valve according to claim 1, wherein a switch is provided at a position occupied by the magnet on the fixed plate or the opening indicating plate when the rotary valve is fully closed. 3. The opening indicating device for a rotary valve according to claim 1, wherein a switch is provided at a position occupied by the magnet on the fixed plate or the opening indicating plate when the rotary valve is fully opened. 4. A switch according to claim 1, wherein a switch is provided at a position occupied by the magnet on the fixed plate or the opening indicating plate when the rotary valve is at a specific opening between the fully closed position and the fully opened position. The rotation degree opening indication device according to any one of the above items. The rotary valve opening indicating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a switch incorporating a light emitting diode is used.

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