JP2006133849A - Gas shut off apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To drive a shut off valve to be closed, when a battery voltage is abruptly decreased to a voltage at which a shut off valve is inoperable, by detecting the above decrease in voltage, thereby securing safety. <P>SOLUTION: When the voltage of a battery 4 decreases down to the voltage at which a shut off valve 3 is inoperable, gas is shut off by driving the shut off valve 3 by the charge of a capacitor 11 which has been charged in a control voltage supply portion 7. Thus, the gas use when the shut off valve is inoperable due to the decrease in voltage of the battery 4 is stopped, and thereby the safety in gas use is improved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas shut-off device designed for safety in use of gas.

  In a conventional gas shut-off device, a gas shut-off unit that shuts off the gas passage, a gas flow rate detector that detects the gas flow rate, and a shut-off output signal to the gas shut-off unit when this gas flow rate detector detects an abnormal flow rate. A first control mode for closing and closing the gas passage, a return operation portion for opening and returning the closed gas passage, a display portion for displaying an operating state, a plurality of switchable power supplies, and a power supply voltage. A voltage detection unit that detects every predetermined time; and a second control mode that sends a cutoff output signal to the gas cutoff unit and closes the gas passage if a voltage equal to or lower than the predetermined voltage is detected by the voltage detection unit; After the second control mode is executed, the control unit includes a third control mode that switches a plurality of switchable power sources (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 3 shows an example of such a fly. Reference numeral 21 denotes a gas flow rate detection unit. When the abnormal flow rate is detected for an abnormal long time, the gas cutoff unit 23 is closed by the first control mode 22a of the control unit 22. And close the gas passage (not shown).

  In addition, the voltage detection unit 25 detects the voltage of the power source 24 made of a battery at the same cycle every predetermined time. If it is detected that the voltage of the power source 24 is lower than the predetermined voltage, the gas is shut off. Before reaching the operation limit of the unit 23, a cutoff output signal is sent to the gas cutoff unit 23 by the second control mode 22b, the gas cutoff unit 23 is closed, and the gas passage is closed.

  Furthermore, the closed gas passage is opened by operating the return operation unit 26 that opens and returns the closed gas passage in the second control mode 22b. At the time of opening, after the second control mode 22b is executed, the third control mode 22 for switching the plurality of switchable power sources 24a and 24b is set.

  As a result, when the voltage of the power supply 24 is detected next time, the voltage detection unit 25 does not detect that the voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage, and it is avoided that the gas passage is closed by the operation of the gas blocking unit 23. .

Further, when the second control mode 22b and the third control mode 22c are executed, the communication unit 27 that can communicate with the outside and the display unit 28 that informs the user of the use state are respectively used. Outputs that is being executed.
JP 2001-228006 A

  However, the configuration of the conventional gas shut-off device has a problem that the shut-off valve cannot be driven and the gas cannot be shut off if the battery voltage drops to a voltage at which the shut-off valve cannot be driven by a predetermined timing of battery voltage detection.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and when the voltage of the battery drops to a voltage at which the shut-off valve cannot be driven, the shut-off valve is driven by the electric charge charged in the control voltage supply unit. Thus, the gas is shut off, the use of the gas in a state where the shut-off valve cannot be driven due to the voltage drop of the battery is stopped, and the safety in using the gas can be improved.

  The present invention measures a shutoff valve provided in a gas flow path of a gas meter, a battery for supplying driving power to the shutoff valve, a gas flow rate passing through the gas flow path, and if the gas flow rate is abnormal A control unit that outputs a shut-off signal; a shut-off valve drive unit that drives the shut-off valve by the shut-off signal to close the gas flow path; and a control voltage supply unit that supplies power to the control unit using the battery as a power source And a battery voltage detection unit that detects a power supply voltage supplied to the control unit and outputs a cutoff signal when the voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage, to a voltage at which the voltage of the battery drops and the cutoff valve cannot be driven When the voltage drops, the gas is shut off by driving the shut-off valve with the charge charged in the control voltage supply unit, and the gas usage is stopped when the shut-off valve cannot be driven due to the battery voltage drop. Improved It is.

  The gas shut-off device of the present invention shuts off the gas by driving the shut-off valve with the charge charged in the control voltage supply unit when the voltage of the battery drops to a voltage at which the shut-off valve cannot be driven. It is possible to stop the use of the gas when the shut-off valve cannot be driven due to the voltage drop, thereby improving the safety in using the gas.

  The first invention measures a shutoff valve provided in a gas flow path of a gas meter, a battery that supplies driving power for the shutoff valve, a gas flow rate passing through the gas flow path, and the gas flow rate is abnormal. If there is a control unit that outputs a shut-off signal, a shut-off valve drive unit that drives the shut-off valve by the shut-off signal to close the gas flow path, and a control voltage that supplies power to the control unit using the battery as a power source It is characterized by comprising a supply unit and a battery voltage detection unit that detects the voltage of the battery and outputs a cut-off signal when the voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage.

  According to the above configuration, when the voltage of the battery is lowered to a voltage at which the shut-off valve cannot be driven, gas is shut off by driving the shut-off valve with the charge charged in the control voltage supply unit, and the voltage of the battery The use of gas in a state where the shut-off valve cannot be driven due to the decrease can be stopped, and the safety in using the gas can be improved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in particular, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the control voltage supply unit limits the supply current when the power supply voltage of the control unit is reduced, thereby suppressing the consumption of the electric charge charged in the control voltage supply unit. It is characterized by relieving the decrease of

  According to the above configuration, when the voltage of the battery is lower than the control power supply voltage, the charge charged in the control voltage supply unit is consumed by the control unit, so that the control power supply voltage is also reduced. By limiting the current in the control voltage supply unit, it is possible to prevent a significant drop in the control power supply voltage and secure the shut-off valve drive voltage.

  And the gas is shut off by driving the shut-off valve with the electric charge charged in the control voltage supply unit, the gas use is stopped in the state where the shut-off valve cannot be driven due to the voltage drop of the battery, and the safety in using the gas is increased. Can be improved.

  The third aspect of the invention is a communication unit that transmits a call signal through a communication line and contacts a center in charge of security work, particularly when the battery voltage detection unit detects that the voltage of the battery has dropped in the first invention. It is characterized by comprising.

  According to the above configuration, when the voltage of the battery drops to a voltage at which the shut-off valve cannot be driven, the battery voltage drop is detected, gas is shut off by driving the shut-off valve, and the voltage of the battery cannot drive the shut-off valve Gas use can be stopped immediately and the gas monitoring center can be contacted as soon as possible to replace the gas meter. This can improve the safety of gas use and improve the convenience for gas users. .

(Embodiment 1)
In FIG. 1, a shutoff valve 3 provided in the gas flow path 2 of the gas meter 1, a battery 4 for supplying driving power to the shutoff valve 3, and a gas flow rate passing through the gas flow path 2 are measured, and a gas is measured. If the flow rate is abnormal, the control unit 5 that outputs a shut-off signal a, the shut-off valve 3 that drives the shut-off valve 3 by the shut-off signal a and closes the gas flow path 2, and the battery 4 as a power source A control voltage supply unit 7 for supplying power to the unit 5; a voltage detection unit 8 for detecting the voltage of the battery 3 supplied to the control voltage supply unit 7; It is comprised with the communication part 10 which notifies the generation | occurrence | production of a voltage drop to the center 9 which takes charge of security work at the time of the voltage drop detection by the detection part 8.

  FIG. 2 shows a specific circuit configuration. When the voltage of the battery 4 falls below the drivable voltage of the control unit 5, the voltage is supplied for a certain period of time due to the charge accumulated in the capacitor 11. The part 5 can operate.

  The fixed time is determined by the constant of the capacitor 11 and the current consumption of the control unit 5. The diode 12 regulates the direction of the discharge current of the capacitor 11, and the resistor 13 is a current regulating resistor. The resistor 14 is an inrush current limiting resistor to the capacitor 11.

  When the voltage of the battery 4 decreases to a predetermined voltage or lower, the voltage for driving the shutoff valve 3 cannot be secured, and the shutoff valve 3 cannot be driven. At this time, the voltage detection unit 8 operates the transistor 15, and the transistor 16 is operated by the electric charge accumulated in the capacitor 11, whereby the cutoff valve driving unit 6 drives the cutoff valve 3 and closes the gas flow path 2. .

  In this way, when the voltage of the battery 4 decreases and the voltage drops to a voltage at which the shut-off valve 3 cannot be driven, the gas is shut off by driving the shut-off valve 3 with the charge charged in the control voltage supply unit 7, The use of gas in a state where the shutoff valve 3 cannot be driven due to the voltage drop of the battery 4 can be stopped, and the safety in using the gas can be improved.

  Further, when the voltage of the battery 4 is lower than the control power supply voltage, the electric charge charged in the control voltage supply unit 7 is consumed by the control unit 5 and the control power supply voltage is also reduced. By limiting the current in the control voltage supply unit 7, it is possible to prevent a significant decrease in the control power supply voltage and to secure the drive voltage of the shutoff valve 3.

  Then, the shutoff valve 3 is driven by the electric charge charged in the control voltage supply unit 7 to shut off the gas, and the use of the gas when the shutoff valve cannot be driven due to the voltage drop of the battery 4 is stopped. Safety can be improved.

  Furthermore, since the gas meter 1 can be replaced as soon as possible by contacting the center 9, the safety in using the gas can be improved and the convenience of the gas user can be improved.

  The gas shut-off device according to the present invention can be applied to a use related to a gas shut-off device for ensuring safety in use of gas when using gas after a gas meter.

The block diagram of the gas cutoff device in Embodiment 1 of this invention Circuit diagram of the gas shut-off device Configuration diagram of conventional gas shut-off device

Explanation of symbols

1 Gas meter 2 Gas flow path
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Shut-off valve 4 Battery 5 Control part 6 Shut-off valve drive part 7 Control voltage supply part 8 Voltage detection part 9 Center 10 Communication part

Claims (3)

Measures the shutoff valve provided in the gas flow path of the gas meter, the battery supplying the drive power for the shutoff valve, the gas flow rate passing through the gas flow path, and outputs the shutoff signal if the gas flow rate is abnormal A control unit that drives the shut-off valve by the shut-off signal to close the gas flow path, a control voltage supply unit that supplies power to the control unit using the battery as a power source, and a voltage of the battery A gas shut-off device comprising a battery voltage detector that detects and outputs a shut-off signal when the voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage. 2. The gas cutoff device according to claim 1, wherein the control voltage supply unit limits the supply current when the power supply voltage of the control unit is reduced, and alleviates the decrease of the control power supply voltage. The gas shut-off device according to claim 1, wherein when the voltage drop is detected by the battery voltage detection unit, the center is in charge of the security service via the communication unit.

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