JP2007187542A - Liquid level indicator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid level indicator capable of appropriately indicating liquid level position contained in vessels. <P>SOLUTION: The liquid level indicator 1 includes a body section 10, a float 20, a mobile member 30, a mobile section supporting member 40, a rotating member 50 rotating with moving of the mobile member 30 in engaged condition to vertical direction, and a displaying section 60 consisting of a guide section 61 and a scale section 62. Since the vertical motion of the float 20 is convertible to rotational motion of the rotating member 50, the guide section 61 can be pivoted in a nearly horizontal plane geared with rotation of the rotating member 50. Thereby, since the displaying section 60 can be prepared on the upper part of the body section 10, for example, even under a condition that operator is required to do visual check the displaying section 60 from above the high pressure gas container, the liquid level position can be checked appropriately within the high pressure gas container. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid level gauge that detects a liquid level position of a liquid contained in a container having an opening in an upper portion such as a high-pressure gas cylinder.

  Conventionally, a liquid level display device that detects a liquid level position of a liquid contained in a high-pressure gas container is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, a remaining amount display device for displaying the remaining amount of liquid in the gas container is integrally assembled to the side of the gas extraction valve fixed to the base of the high pressure gas container. It is.
Specifically, the remaining amount display device includes a display unit that displays the remaining amount in the gas container by moving the display unit up and down, and an operation unit that operates the display unit. The operating portion includes an operating rod sliding hole drilled vertically in the valve body, an operating rod slidably inserted into the operating rod sliding hole, and a spring through the operating rod with a spring. And a columnar weight (float) suspended from the cylinder. Further, an operation piece made of a magnet is attached to the upper end of the operation rod, and the display tool is made of a magnetic material so as to be interlocked with the vertical movement of the operation piece.

  In such a remaining amount display device, when the amount of liquid in the gas container is large, the operating rod is positioned upward due to the buoyancy of the weight, and the display tool in the display unit is also positioned upward. . On the other hand, when the liquid level in the gas container is lowered due to the use of gas, the buoyancy of the weight decreases, and the operating rod descends to a position where the weight obtained by subtracting the buoyancy from the weight of the weight and the elastic force of the spring balances. To do. Thereby, the display tool in a display part comes to be located below. In this way, the remaining amount display device can display the remaining amount of liquid in the gas container by the display tool that moves up and down in conjunction with the vertical movement of the weight.

No. 2-28320 (see pages 2 to 4 and FIGS. 1 and 2)

  However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the remaining amount display device is provided on the side of the valve, and the liquid level position in the gas container is displayed by a display that moves up and down. The operator may not be able to visually recognize the position of the display tool unless facing the side of the valve. That is, for example, in a situation where a high-pressure gas container is installed in a small space and the operator is forced to look at the display unit from above the valve without standing next to the valve, the operator moves the display tool up and down. May not be visible from above the valve, and the liquid level in the gas container may not be confirmed.

  An object of this invention is to provide the liquid level meter which can indicate suitably the liquid level position of the liquid accommodated in the container in view of the above problems.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a liquid level gauge for detecting a liquid level position of a liquid contained in a container having an opening at an upper portion, and is attached to the opening of the container to be inside the container. A main body that seals the liquid, and is located inside the container of the main body, is immersed in the liquid accommodated inside the container, and moves up and down as the liquid level changes in the vertical direction. A float, a moving member connected to the float and moving in the vertical direction in conjunction with the float, and a longitudinal shape substantially extending in the vertical direction, the upper end side of the longitudinal shape being inside the container in the main body A moving part supporting member that is fixed and supports the moving member in a state in which the moving member is movable in the vertical direction on the lower end side of the longitudinal shape, and a rotating shaft that extends substantially along the vertical direction, the upper end side of the container in the main body part Can be rotated inward A rotating member that is pivotally supported and that is engaged with the moving member at the lower end side and moves up and down with the moving member engaged, and rotates around the rotating shaft, and the main body portion And a display unit provided with a pointer part that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating member, and a scale part that is indicated by the pointer part and indicates the liquid level position. Is a liquid level gauge characterized by

According to this invention, since the vertical movement of the float can be converted into the rotational movement of the rotating member, the pointer portion can be rotated in a substantially horizontal plane in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating member. For this reason, since it becomes possible to provide a display part in the upper part of a main-body part, for example, the container which attached the liquid level gauge of this invention is installed in a narrow space, and an operator visually observes a display part from the upper direction of a container. Even in a situation where it is unavoidable, the position of the liquid level in the container can be confirmed satisfactorily. Therefore, the liquid level gauge of the present invention can suitably indicate the liquid level position of the liquid stored in the container.
Also, for the purpose of making the display portion visible from above the container, for example, without adopting a large-scale configuration that captures the vertical movement of the float as an electrical signal with a position sensor or the like and digitally displays it. The object can be achieved by a simple mechanism that converts the vertical movement of the float into the rotational movement of the rotating member. Therefore, the liquid level gauge can be operated without providing a drive source for the operation of the liquid level gauge, and the liquid level gauge itself can be easily designed and manufactured.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the liquid level gauge according to the first aspect, the lower end side of the rotating member is formed in a spiral shape in which both longitudinal ends of the rectangular plate are twisted at a predetermined twist angle. The moving member is formed in a rod shape whose axial direction is substantially along the vertical direction, the lower end side of the rod shape is connected to the float, and the upper end side of the rod shape is engaged with the lower end side of the rotating member The engaging member is formed in a longitudinal plate shape extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the moving member, and one end side in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal plate is an upper end of the moving member. A straight cut portion substantially extending in the longitudinal direction is formed on the other longitudinal end of the longitudinal plate, and the lower end side of the rotating member is engaged with the cut portion. It is a liquid level meter characterized by this.

According to the present invention, the vertical movement of the float can be converted into the rotational movement of the rotating member with a simple configuration in which the engaging member of the moving member is engaged with the lower end side of the rotating member formed in a spiral shape. . Further, by adopting such a configuration, it is sufficient that the length of the lower end side of the rotating member is equal to the stroke of the vertical movement of the float, so that the rotating member can be made small. Furthermore, for example, the lower end side of the rotating member can be formed simply by twisting both ends in the longitudinal direction of a metal rectangular plate at a predetermined twist angle, so that the manufacturing can be easily performed. And since the engaging member moves in the vertical direction in such a way as to sandwich both surfaces on the lower end side of the rotating member, no extra force other than the vertical component acts on the lower end side of the rotating member, and the rotating member It can be rotated well without causing shaft shake. Thereby, since the lower end part of a rotating member can be made into a free end, it can be set as the simple structure which does not require the bearing etc. which pivotally support the lower end part of a rotating member.
In addition, if the length dimension of a notch part is made larger than the width dimension of the plate-shaped body which comprises a rotation member, the rotation state of a rotation member can be made more stable. Further, if the lower end side of the rotating member is formed by increasing the twist angle of the plate-like body, the amount of rotation of the rotating member can be further increased, so that the measurement accuracy of the liquid level can be further improved.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the liquid level gauge according to the second aspect, the moving part supporting member includes a compression spring that is provided with an axial direction substantially along the vertical direction and elastically supports the moving member. It is a liquid level meter characterized by having.

According to the present invention, the elastic force of the compression spring can be applied to the float in the same direction as the direction of the buoyancy acting on the float, so the weight of the float is added to the buoyancy and the elastic force of the compression spring. As a result, the float is positioned at a position where it balances with the applied force, and the amount of movement of the float in the vertical direction can be adjusted within a suitable range.
In particular, the use of the compression spring eliminates the need for initial correction work when the level gauge is attached to the container.
That is, as described in Patent Document 1, in the conventional configuration in which a float is suspended by a tension spring, an elastic force acts on the tension spring in the contraction direction even in an initial state where no external force is applied to the tension spring. For this reason, in the initial state where the liquid surface position in the container is high, the liquid surface position is somewhat lowered unless the force obtained by subtracting the buoyancy from the weight of the float is greater than the contraction force of the tension spring in the initial state. The float does not move downward. Thereby, when the liquid level position is gradually lowered from the initial state where the liquid level position in the container is high, the liquid level gauge cannot detect the fluctuation of the liquid level position. Therefore, in the conventional configuration, when the liquid level gauge is attached to the container, the float force is taken into consideration in consideration of the contraction force of the tension spring in the initial state and the buoyancy that the liquid contained in the container exerts on the float. It was necessary to carry out an initial correction work for sequentially adjusting the mounting position (vertical position) with respect to the moving member.
In this regard, since the compression spring does not exert elastic force in the initial state where no external force is applied, the float follows this even when the liquid level in the container gradually decreases from the initial high level. And move downward. For this reason, the liquid level gauge can preferably detect the fluctuation of the liquid level position in the initial state without performing the above-described initial correction work. Therefore, the operability of the liquid level gauge can be improved, and the work burden when the operator attaches the liquid level gauge to the container can be reduced.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid level gauge according to the third aspect, the moving part supporting member is formed in a cylindrical shape whose axial direction is substantially along the vertical direction, and the compression spring is formed inside the cylindrical shape. And a cylindrical member for supporting the lower end side of the compression spring. The compression spring is inserted into the inner peripheral side, and the upper end of the compression member is inserted into the upper end of the compression spring. A side opening of the cylindrical member that is elastically supported and opposed to the rotating member is formed with a linear opening window that extends substantially in the vertical direction, and the engaging member is an upper end of the moving member. It is a liquid level gauge which is attached to a part and engages with the lower end side of the rotating member through the opening window from the inside of the cylindrical member.

  According to the present invention, the urging force from the compression spring can be reliably applied to the float in the same direction as the buoyancy from the liquid with a simple structure, and the engagement member and the rotating member can be favorably provided. An engaged state can be obtained. Therefore, a liquid level gauge capable of suitably detecting the liquid level position in the container can be manufactured at low cost.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid level gauge according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the display portion is an upper case portion formed of a transparent resin material in a substantially cup shape with a downward opening. And a lower case portion that is formed in a plate shape with a resin material, the pointer portion and the scale portion are disposed at the center portion of the upper end surface, and the lower end surface is attached to the upper end surface of the main body portion. The lower end portion of the upper case portion and the outer peripheral edge portion of the upper end surface of the lower case portion are joined by welding, and a sealed space is formed inside the upper case portion and the lower case portion. It is a characteristic level gauge.

According to the present invention, for example, when a liquid level gauge is attached to a high pressure gas cylinder and a valve for taking out the high pressure gas in the cylinder to the outside is provided in the main body of the liquid level gauge, when the high pressure gas is taken in and out at high speed, It is possible to prevent the frost from being generated and the display unit from functioning.
Here, conventionally, in the configuration in which the high pressure gas cylinder valve and the liquid level gauge are integrated as described above, when the high pressure gas is taken in / out at a high speed, the vicinity where the gas flow path of the valve is formed is rapidly There was a problem that the moisture in the outside air adhered to the main body and frost was generated. In particular, when the gas flow path is formed in the vicinity of the display unit in the liquid level gauge and the outside air enters the space where the pointer unit is provided, the operating end side of the pointer unit is frozen and does not operate, There has been a problem that the liquid level in the high pressure gas cylinder cannot be indicated.
In this regard, in the present invention, the upper case portion and the lower case portion are welded, and the space where the pointer portion is provided is a sealed space, so that outside air does not enter and high-pressure gas is taken in and taken out at high speed. Even if the operation end side of the pointer portion is not frozen by frost, the pointer portion can be suitably operated. Therefore, the display unit can be made to function well, and the liquid level position in the high-pressure gas cylinder can be well indicated.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid level gauge according to the fifth aspect of the invention, the main body portion includes a rotation in which the upper end side of the rotating member is accommodated along the vertical direction from the lower end surface to the upper side. A member housing hole is formed, a first magnetic member is attached to the upper end of the rotating member, and the first end of the pointer portion is separated from the upper surface of the main body by the first magnetic member. The liquid level gauge is characterized in that a second magnetic member is provided at a position facing the magnetic member.
According to this invention, when the rotating member rotates with the vertical movement of the float, the second magnetic member can be rotated together with the first magnetic member. For this reason, even if it does not connect a rotation member and a pointer part directly, a pointer part can be rotated in the state where the internal space of the upper case part and lower case part in a display part was sealed. Therefore, a good turning state of the pointer portion can be obtained, and the liquid level position in the high pressure gas cylinder can be well indicated.

  A seventh aspect of the present invention is the liquid level gauge according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the main body, the float, the moving member, the moving member supporting member, and the rotating member are each made of metal. The liquid level gauge is characterized in that the float is formed in a solid bar shape along the vertical direction.

According to this invention, since all the members on the side exposed to the internal space of the container are all made of metal, each member can be easily formed by conventional metal processing, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
In addition, since the float is formed in a solid rod shape, for example, even when a liquid level gauge is attached to a high-pressure gas cylinder, the float is not crushed by the high-pressure gas inside the cylinder, and the float is moved along with the fluctuation of the liquid level position. Can be suitably moved up and down.
In particular, such a float is preferably made of aluminum. In this case, since the rigidity of aluminum is relatively low, the float can be easily processed, and since the aluminum oxide film on the float surface has high corrosion resistance, the float can be prevented from being corroded by the liquid contained in the container. In addition, since aluminum has a small specific gravity, sufficient float is given to the float formed in the shape of a solid shaft from the liquid inside the container, and the float is surely moved up and down as the liquid level changes. Can do.

And in this invention, since each member by the side exposed to the internal space of a container is all metal, For example, a liquid level gauge is used for the high pressure gas cylinder used for foodstuffs, such as a gas cylinder for beer servers. Is attached, the gas extracted from the high pressure gas cylinder is not adversely affected even if it is taken into the human body.
Here, conventionally, many of the constituent members of the liquid level gauge, in particular, those in which the float is formed of a resin material, in such a configuration, the resin component that becomes so-called environmental hormones from the float to the high-pressure gas inside the cylinder May be eluted, and when the extracted gas is taken into the human body, resinous components such as float accumulate in the human body as environmental hormones, which may have an adverse effect.

The invention according to claim 8 is the liquid level gauge according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the container is a high-pressure gas cylinder.
The liquid level gauge of the present invention can suitably function when attached to a high-pressure gas cylinder, and can well indicate the liquid level position of the liquid filled in the high-pressure gas container.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in this embodiment, although the structure which attached the liquid level gauge of this invention with respect to the high pressure gas cylinder is illustrated, it has not only a high pressure gas cylinder but an opening part, for example, a gas cylinder for a via server, a fire extinguisher, etc. The present invention can be applied to any container that contains liquid inside.
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a structure in which a liquid level gauge according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to a high-pressure gas cylinder.

[Configuration of liquid level gauge]
In FIG. 1, a high-pressure gas cylinder 100 to which a liquid level gauge 1 according to this embodiment is attached contains a liquid LQ such as high-pressure carbon dioxide gas for food inside, and a circular hole whose axial direction is substantially along the vertical direction at the top. It has a certain base 101 (opening).
The liquid level gauge 1 is a device that detects the liquid level position of the liquid LQ stored in the high-pressure gas cylinder 100. The level gauge 1 has a structure integrated with a valve (not shown) having a gas flow path A that communicates the inside and outside of the high-pressure gas cylinder 100, and the liquid LQ is contained in the high-pressure gas cylinder 100. In addition, the liquid LQ in the high-pressure gas cylinder 100 can be vaporized and taken out. In addition, the gas flow path A is typically shown in drawing, and a shape and arrangement | positioning are not restricted to what was illustrated.
Such a liquid level gauge 1 includes a main body unit 10, a float 20, a moving member 30, a moving unit support member 40, a rotating member 50, and a display unit 60.

  Next, a specific configuration of the liquid level gauge 1 will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a specific structure of the liquid level gauge according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main body 10 is attached to the base 101 of the high-pressure gas cylinder 100 to seal the inside of the high-pressure gas cylinder 100.
Specifically, the main body portion 10 is formed of a metal material such as stainless steel, and has a substantially cylindrical large diameter portion 11 having a large diameter at the upper portion, and a series of coaxial shapes below the large diameter portion 11. It is comprised from the substantially cylindrical small diameter part 12 which is formed in this and becomes a small diameter. The side surface of the small-diameter portion 12 is a tapered surface that decreases in diameter toward the lower end, and a male screw 13 is formed on the tapered surface and is screwed into the base 101.
And the screw hole 14 is formed in the lower end surface part of the small diameter part 12 along the up-down direction, and the moving part support member 40 is attached to this screw hole 14. As shown in FIG.
In parallel with the screw hole 14, a rotating member accommodation hole 15 is formed in the vertical direction from the lower end surface of the small diameter portion 12 to the middle of the large diameter portion 11. Inside the rotary member housing hole 15, a bearing portion 16 that pivotally supports the upper end side of the rotary member 50, a cylindrical member 17 provided below the bearing portion 16, and a lower side of the cylindrical member 17 A substantially cylindrical stopper portion 18 that is provided and fixes the bearing portion 16 and the cylindrical member 17 is fitted. The upper end side of the rotating member 50 is accommodated inside the bearing portion 16, the cylindrical member 17, and the stopper portion 18.

  The float 20 is formed in a solid round bar shape in the vertical direction with a metal member such as aluminum, and is positioned inside the high-pressure gas cylinder 100 of the main body 10. The float 20 is immersed in the liquid LQ accommodated in the high-pressure gas cylinder 100 and moves up and down as the liquid level changes in the vertical direction. A screw hole 21 into which the lower end side of the moving member 30 is screwed is formed in the upper end portion of the float 20 along the vertical direction.

The moving member 30 is connected to the float 20 and moves in the vertical direction in conjunction with the float 20.
Specifically, the moving member 30 is formed of a metal material such as stainless steel in the shape of a solid round bar whose axial direction is substantially along the vertical direction. A male screw 31 is formed on the lower end side of the moving member 30 and is screwed into the screw hole 21 of the float 20. Further, the upper end side of the moving member 30 has a small diameter to form a step (not shown), and an engaging member 32 is provided here.
The engagement member 32 is formed in a longitudinal plate shape extending in a substantially horizontal direction, and one end side (left end side in FIG. 2) of the longitudinal plate shape is in contact with the step of the moving member 30. It is fixed with a nut 33. Further, a linear notch (not shown) that substantially extends in the longitudinal direction is formed on the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the engaging member 32 (right end side in FIG. 2). It is substantially U-shaped as viewed, and engages with the cut-out portion in a state in which a later-described spiral body 51 of the rotating member 50 is inserted. The engagement member 32 is provided so that a slight gap is formed between the cut portion and the spiral body 51 in a state where the spiral body 51 is inserted into the cut portion. The engaging member 32 engages with the spiral body 51 so that it can move smoothly up and down.

The moving part support member 40 is formed in a longitudinal shape substantially along the vertical direction, the upper end side of the longitudinal shape is fixed inside the high-pressure gas cylinder 100 in the main body part 10, and the moving member 30 is moved in the vertical direction on the lower end side of the longitudinal shape. Support in a movable state.
Specifically, the moving portion support member 40 includes a cylindrical member 41, a connecting member 42 that is connected to the upper end portion of the cylindrical member 41 and is fixed to the main body portion 10, and an inner periphery of the lower end portion of the cylindrical member 41. The stopper part 43 provided in the side and the compression spring 44 supported by the upper end part of the stopper part 43 in the inner peripheral side of the cylindrical member 41 are provided.

The cylindrical member 41 is formed of a metal material such as stainless steel in a cylindrical shape whose axial direction is substantially along the vertical direction. A linear opening window 41 </ b> A that substantially extends in the vertical direction is formed at a portion of the side surface of the cylindrical member 41 that faces the rotating member 50.
The connecting member 42 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel and has a substantially cylindrical shape whose axial direction is substantially along the vertical direction. A male screw 42 </ b> A is formed on the upper end side of the connecting member 42, and the male screw 42 </ b> A is screwed into the screw hole 14 in the main body 10. The lower end side of the connecting member 42 has a small diameter, is inserted into the inner periphery of the upper end side of the cylindrical member 41, and is fixed to the cylindrical member 41 with a locking piece 42B.
The stopper portion 43 is formed of a metal material such as stainless steel in a substantially cylindrical shape whose axial direction is substantially along the vertical direction, and is fitted and fixed to the inner peripheral side of the lower end portion of the cylindrical member 41.
The compression spring 44 is a coil spring formed of an elastic metal material such as stainless steel, and is supported on the upper end portion of the stopper portion 43 in a state where the axial direction is substantially along the vertical direction. The moving member 30 is inserted into the inner peripheral side of the compression spring 44, and the engagement member 32 of the moving member 30 is brought into contact with the upper end portion of the compression spring 44, whereby the float 20 and the moving member 30 are moved to the moving portion. The support member 40 is elastically supported. In this state, the engaging member 32 is engaged with the lower end side of the rotating member 50 from the inside of the cylindrical member 41 through the opening window 41A.

  The rotary member 50 includes a spiral helix 51 whose axial direction is substantially along the vertical direction, a rotary shaft member 52 connected to the upper end side of the helix 51, and a first attached to the top of the rotary shaft member 52. And a magnetic member 53.

  The spiral body 51 is formed in a spiral shape in which a longitudinal end of the rectangular plate-shaped body is twisted at a predetermined twist angle by a metal material such as stainless steel. As described above, the engaging member 32 is engaged with the spiral body 51. The length of the spiral 51 is slightly longer than the vertical stroke of the float 20. The lower end side of the spiral body 51 is a free end so as not to be immersed in the liquid LQ in the high pressure gas cylinder 100.

  The rotating shaft member 52 is formed of a metal material such as stainless steel in a substantially round bar shape whose axial direction is substantially along the vertical direction, and the upper end portion of the spiral body 51 is coaxially attached to the lower end side thereof. Further, the upper end side of the rotating shaft member 52 is housed in the rotating member housing hole 15 in the main body portion 10, and the upper end portion of the rotating shaft member 52 is rotatably supported by the bearing portion 16.

Thereby, the rotation member 50 becomes a state having a rotation axis substantially along the vertical direction, and moves around the rotation axis by moving in the vertical direction with the moving member 30 engaged. Yes.
The spiral body 51 shown in FIG. 2 has a plate-like body with a twist angle of about 180 degrees, but the amount of rotation of the rotating member 50 can be arbitrarily adjusted by changing the twist angle. If the angle is further increased, the amount of rotation of the rotating member 50 can be further increased. Moreover, if the length dimension of the said notch part in the engaging member 32 is made larger than the width dimension of the plate-shaped body which comprises the helical body 51, it will become possible to make the rotation state of the rotation member 50 more stable. Become.

Next, the display part 60 is demonstrated based on drawing. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a specific structure of the liquid level gauge according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the display unit 60 is provided on the upper portion of the main body unit 10, and rotates with the rotation of the rotating member 50. The scale part 62 which shows a surface position, the upper case part 63, and the lower case part 64 are provided.

On the proximal end side of the pointer portion 61, a rotating shaft member that pivotally supports the pointer portion 61 so as to be rotatable in a horizontal plane at a position facing the first magnetic member 53 across the upper surface portion of the large-diameter portion 11. 65 is provided. A second magnetic member 66 is embedded in the rotation shaft member 65.
Accordingly, when the first magnetic member 53 is rotated by the rotation of the rotating member 50, the second magnetic member 66 is rotated in the same direction in a non-contact state with the first magnetic member 53. Then, the pointer portion 61 and the scale portion 62 can indicate between the uppermost position and the lowermost position of the liquid level of the liquid LQ accommodated in the high-pressure gas cylinder 100.

The upper case portion 63 is formed of a transparent resin material in a substantially cup shape with a lower opening.
The lower case portion 64 is formed in a plate shape with a resin material, the pointer portion 61 and the scale portion 62 are disposed at the center portion of the upper end surface, and the lower end surface is a fixing means 64A such as a screw on the upper end surface of the main body portion 10. It is attached with. A groove portion 64 </ b> B is formed in the outer peripheral edge portion of the upper end surface of the lower case portion 64. In a state in which the lower end portion of the upper case portion 63 is fitted in the groove portion 64B, the upper case portion 63 and the lower case portion 64 are joined by ultrasonic welding, and thereby the inside of the upper case portion and the lower case portion is connected. It is in a sealed state.

[Operation of level gauge]
Next, the operation of the level gauge 1 configured as described above will be described.
First, the liquid level gauge 1 is attached to the base 101 while the liquid LQ is introduced into the high pressure gas cylinder 100, or the high pressure gas cylinder 100 is connected via the gas flow path A with the liquid level gauge 1 attached to the base 101. The liquid LQ is taken into the interior of the container.

  In this state, only the float 20 is immersed in the liquid LQ, and the float 20 is located on the upper side due to the buoyancy of the liquid LQ, and the moving member 30 is also raised to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line B in FIG. is doing. At this time, the pointer portion 61 rotates to a position indicated by a two-dot chain line 61A in FIG. 3 to indicate the maximum value in the scale portion 62.

Next, the valve is opened and gas is taken out from the gas flow path A. When the liquid surface position of the liquid LQ is lowered, the float 20 and the moving member 30 follow and move downward. Then, when the engaging member 32 is engaged with the spiral body 51 and moves downward, the rotating member 50 rotates. When the first magnetic member 53 is rotated by the rotating member 50, the second magnetic member 66 is rotated in the same direction in a non-contact state with the first magnetic member 53, and the pointer portion 61 is the maximum value in the scale portion 62. Indicates a predetermined value between 0 and the lowest value.
Finally, when all the liquid LQ in the high-pressure gas cylinder 100 is taken out, the float 20 and the moving member 30 are lowered to the lowest position. Rotate to indicate the lowest value on the scale 62.

[Effects of Embodiment]
As described above, according to the liquid level gauge 1 according to the above embodiment, the following operational effects can be achieved.

(1) The liquid level gauge 1 includes a main body 10 attached to the base 101 of the high-pressure gas cylinder 100, a float 20 that moves up and down in accordance with a change in the liquid surface position of the liquid LQ, and a moving member connected to the float 20. 30, a moving part support member 40 that supports the moving member 30 in a state in which the moving member 30 can move in the vertical direction, a rotating member 50 that rotates by moving in the vertical direction with the moving member 30 engaged, and the main body part 10. And a display portion 60 including a pointer portion 61 and a scale portion 62 that rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating member 50.
Thereby, since the vertical movement of the float 20 can be converted into the rotational movement of the rotating member 50, the pointer portion 61 can be rotated in a substantially horizontal plane in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating member 50. For this reason, since it becomes possible to provide the display part 60 in the upper part of the main-body part 10, even if the operator has to look at the display part 60 from the upper side of the high-pressure gas cylinder 100, for example, the high pressure is satisfactorily high. The liquid level position in the gas cylinder 100 can be confirmed. Therefore, the liquid level gauge 1 of the present invention can suitably indicate the liquid level position of the liquid stored in the high pressure gas cylinder 100. Further, the liquid level gauge 1 can be operated without providing a drive source for the operation of the liquid level gauge 1, and the design and manufacture of the liquid level gauge 1 itself can be facilitated.

(2) The spiral body 51 is formed in a spiral shape in which both ends in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular plate body are twisted at a predetermined twist angle. The moving member 30 is formed in a substantially round bar shape whose axial direction is substantially along the vertical direction, the lower end side thereof is connected to the float 20, and the engaging member 32 that engages the spiral body 51 is provided on the upper end side thereof. . The engaging member 32 is formed in a longitudinal plate shape extending in a substantially horizontal direction, one end side in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the upper end side of the moving member 30, and a linear notch substantially along the longitudinal direction is provided on the other end side in the longitudinal direction. A part is formed and engaged in a state in which the spiral body 51 is inserted into the cut part.
In this way, the vertical movement of the float 20 can be converted into the rotational movement of the rotating member 50 with a simple configuration in which the engaging member 32 is engaged with the helical body 51. Further, by adopting such a configuration, it is sufficient that the length of the spiral body 51 is equal to the stroke of the vertical movement of the float 20, so that the rotating member 50 can be made small.
Moreover, since the lower end side of the rotation member 50 can be formed only by twisting both ends in the longitudinal direction of the metal rectangular plate at a predetermined twist angle, manufacturing can be easily performed. And since the engaging member 32 moves in the up-down direction in such a way as to sandwich both surfaces on the lower end side of the rotating member 50, no extra force other than the up-down direction component acts on the lower end side of the rotating member 50, The rotating member 50 can be rotated well without causing the shaft to shake. Thereby, since the lower end part of the rotation member 50 can be made into a free end, it can be set as the simple structure which does not require the bearing etc. which pivotally support the lower end part of the rotation member 50.
In addition, if the length dimension of a notch part is made larger than the width dimension of the plate-shaped body which comprises the spiral 51, the rotation state of the rotation member 50 can be made more stable. Further, if the helical body 51 is formed by increasing the twist angle of the plate-like body, the amount of rotation of the rotating member 50 can be further increased, so that the measurement accuracy of the liquid surface position can be further improved.

(3) The moving part support member 40 includes a compression spring 44 that is provided with the axial direction substantially along the vertical direction and elastically supports the moving member 30.
As a result, the elastic force of the compression spring 44 can be applied to the float 20 in the same direction as the acting direction of the buoyancy force on the float 20, so that the amount of movement of the float 20 in the vertical direction is adjusted within a suitable range. it can. In particular, the use of the compression spring 44 eliminates the need for initial correction work when the level gauge 1 is attached to the high-pressure gas cylinder 100. Therefore, the operability of the liquid level gauge 1 can be improved, and the work load when the operator attaches the liquid level gauge 1 to the high-pressure gas cylinder 100 can be reduced.

(4) The moving part support member 40 includes a cylindrical member 41 that accommodates the compression spring 44 therein and supports the lower end side of the compression spring 44. In the compression spring 44, the moving member 30 is inserted on the inner peripheral side, and the upper end side of the moving member 30 is elastically supported by the upper end portion of the compression spring 44. On the side surface of the cylindrical member 41, a linear opening window 41A that is substantially along the vertical direction is formed. The engaging member 32 is attached to the upper end portion of the moving member 30 and engages with the spiral body 51 from the inside of the tubular member 41 through the opening window 41A.
Thereby, with a simple structure, the urging force from the compression spring 44 can be reliably applied to the float 20 in the same direction as the buoyancy from the liquid LQ, and the engagement member 32 and the spiral body 51 are good. Can be obtained. Therefore, the liquid level gauge 1 that can suitably detect the liquid level position in the high-pressure gas cylinder 100 can be manufactured at low cost.

(5) The display unit 60 is formed of a transparent resin material in a substantially cup shape with a lower opening, and is formed in a plate shape with a resin material. A lower case portion 64 having a lower end surface attached to the upper end surface of the main body portion 10 is provided. The lower end portion of the upper case portion 63 and the outer peripheral edge portion of the upper end surface of the lower case portion 64 are joined by ultrasonic welding, and the upper case portion 63 and the lower case portion 64 form a sealed space inside. .
Thereby, when opening a valve | bulb and taking in and taking out high-pressure gas at high speed, it can prevent that frost generate | occur | produces and the display part 60 stops functioning. Moreover, since the upper case part 63 and the lower case part 64 can be joined by a conventional general ultrasonic welding method, the joining method is simple, and the internal space between the upper case part 63 and the lower case part 64 Can be securely sealed. Therefore, the display unit 60 that functions well can be manufactured at low cost, and the liquid level position in the high-pressure gas cylinder 100 can be indicated well.

(6) The main body 10 is provided with a rotating member storage hole 15 in which the rotating shaft member 52 is stored along the vertical direction from the lower end surface to the upper side. A first magnetic member 53 is attached to the upper end portion of the rotating member 50. On the proximal end side of the pointer portion 61, a second magnetic member 66 is provided at a position facing the first magnetic member 53 across the upper surface portion of the main body portion 10.
Thereby, when the rotation member 50 rotates with the vertical movement of the float 20, the second magnetic member 66 can be rotated together with the first magnetic member 53. For this reason, even if it does not connect the rotation member 50 and the pointer part 61 directly, the pointer part 61 is rotated in the state which sealed the internal space of the upper case part 63 and the lower case part 64 in the display part 60. be able to. Therefore, a good rotation state of the pointer portion 61 is obtained, and the liquid level position in the high pressure gas cylinder can be well indicated.

(7) The main body part 10, the float 20, the moving member 30, the moving part support member 40, and the rotating member 50 are each made of metal, and the float 20 is formed in a solid round bar shape along the vertical direction.
As described above, since each member exposed to the internal space of the high-pressure gas cylinder 100 is made of metal, each member can be easily formed by conventional metal processing, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced. And when the gas taken out from the high-pressure gas cylinder 100 is used for food, even if the gas is taken into the human body, there is no adverse effect.
In addition, since the float 20 is formed in a solid round bar shape, the float 20 can be suitably moved up and down with the change in the liquid level position without being crushed by the high pressure gas inside the high pressure gas cylinder 100. it can.
In particular, since the float 20 is made of aluminum, the float 20 can be easily processed, and the float 20 can be prevented from being corroded by the liquid LQ inside the high-pressure gas cylinder 100. Further, since aluminum has a small specific gravity, a sufficient buoyancy is imparted from the liquid LQ inside the high-pressure gas cylinder 100 to the float 20 formed in a solid shaft shape, and the float 20 is surely attached as the liquid level changes. Can be moved up and down.

(8) The moving member 30 is formed in a round bar shape whose axial direction is substantially along the vertical direction, and the lower end side of the moving member 30 is screwed to the upper end portion of the float 20.
For this reason, the firm connection state of the moving member 30 and the float 20 is obtained. As a result, even if the high pressure gas cylinder 100 falls while the level gauge 1 is attached to the high pressure gas cylinder 100, the connecting portion between the moving member 30 and the float 20 is broken and the float 20 falls into the high pressure gas cylinder 100. Can be prevented. Further, since the float 20 can be moved up and down without being shaken, the liquid surface position can be detected reliably, and it is not necessary to provide a mechanism for preventing the shake in particular in the high-pressure gas cylinder 100. Further, processing such as forming the male screw 31 at the lower end of the moving member 30 can be facilitated. Therefore, the liquid level meter 1 is strong, can reliably detect the liquid level position, and can be easily manufactured.

(9) The liquid level gauge 1 has a structure integrated with a valve having a gas flow path A that communicates the inside and outside of the high-pressure gas cylinder 100.
As described above, since the liquid LQ in the high-pressure gas cylinder 100 can be vaporized and taken out, the liquid level meter 1 can use the liquid LQ and can detect the remaining amount of the liquid LQ. it can.

[Modification of Embodiment]
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications, improvements, and the like within the scope that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the spiral body 51 is formed in a spiral shape in which both ends in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular plate body are twisted at a predetermined twist angle, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the spiral body 51 may have any shape as long as the vertical movement of the float 20 can be converted into the rotational movement of the rotary member 50. For example, the lower end side of the rotary member 50 is formed in a cylindrical shape whose axial direction is along the vertical direction. And it is good also as a structure which formed the helical groove | channel in this cylindrical outer peripheral surface. In this case, the vertical movement of the float can be converted into the rotational movement of the rotating member by engaging the engaging claw as the engaging member 32 with the spiral groove, as in the above embodiment.

  Moreover, it is good also as a structure which makes the spiral body 51 the shape which has several spiral part, and engages a some engagement member with each spiral part. In such a case, since a plurality of engaging members are engaged, a stable rotational state can be obtained.

It is the sectional side view which showed the structure which attached the liquid level gauge which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention with respect to the high pressure gas cylinder. It is the sectional side view which showed the specific structure of the liquid level meter which concerns on the said embodiment. It is the top view which showed the specific structure of the liquid level meter which concerns on the said embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Level gauge 10 ... Main-body part 15 ... Rotating member accommodation hole 20 ... Float 30 ... Moving member 32 ... Engaging member 40 ... Moving part support member 41 ... Cylindrical member 41A ... Opening window 44 ... Compression spring 50 ... Rotating member 51 ... Helical body (lower end of rotating member)
53 ... 1st magnetic member 60 ... Display part 61 ... Pointer part 62 ... Scale part 63 ... Upper case part 64 ... Lower case part 66 ... 2nd magnetic member 100 ... High pressure gas cylinder (container)
101 ... base (opening)
LQ ... Liquid

Claims (8)

A liquid level gauge for detecting a liquid level position of a liquid contained in a container having an opening at the top,
A main body attached to the opening of the container and sealing the inside of the container;
A float that is located inside the container of the main body, is immersed in the liquid accommodated inside the container, and moves in a vertical direction along with a change in the liquid surface position in the vertical direction;
A moving member connected to the float and moving in the vertical direction in conjunction with the float;
The upper end of the main body is fixed to the inner side of the container, and the moving member is supported by the lower end of the main body so as to be movable in the vertical direction. A moving part support member;
It has a rotation axis substantially along the vertical direction, the upper end side is rotatably supported inside the container in the main body, and the moving member is engaged with the lower end side, and the moving member is engaged. A rotating member that rotates about the rotation axis by moving up and down in a state;
A pointer portion provided on an upper portion of the main body portion and rotated in conjunction with rotation of the rotating member; and a display portion including a scale portion that is instructed by the pointer portion and indicates the liquid level position. A liquid level gauge characterized by comprising. The liquid level meter according to claim 1,
The lower end side of the rotating member is formed in a spiral shape in a state in which both ends in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular plate body are twisted at a predetermined twist angle,
The moving member is formed in a rod shape whose axial direction is substantially along the vertical direction, the rod-like lower end side is connected to the float, and the rod-like upper end side is engaged with the lower end side of the rotating member. Is provided,
The engaging member is formed in a longitudinal plate shape extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the moving member, and one end side in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal plate shape is fixed to the upper end side of the moving member, and the longitudinal plate shape A liquid level gauge characterized in that a linear notch along the longitudinal direction is formed on the other end in the longitudinal direction, and the lower end of the rotating member is engaged with the notch. In the liquid level gauge according to claim 2,
The liquid level gauge, wherein the moving part support member includes a compression spring that is provided substantially along the vertical direction in the axial direction and elastically supports the moving member. In the liquid level gauge according to claim 3,
The moving part support member includes a cylindrical member that is formed in a cylindrical shape whose axial direction is substantially along the vertical direction, accommodates the compression spring inside the cylindrical shape, and supports the lower end side of the compression spring. ,
In the compression spring, the moving member is inserted on the inner peripheral side, and the upper end side of the moving member is elastically supported by the upper end portion of the compression spring,
A linear opening window that substantially extends in the vertical direction is formed at a portion of the side surface of the cylindrical member that faces the rotating member.
The engagement member is attached to an upper end portion of the moving member, and engages with a lower end side of the rotating member from the inside of the cylindrical member through the opening window. In the liquid level gauge according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The display unit
An upper case portion formed in a substantially cup shape with a lower opening in a transparent resin material;
It is formed in a plate shape with a resin material, the pointer part and the scale part are disposed in the center part of the upper end surface, and the lower case part includes a lower case part attached to the upper end face of the main body part,
The lower end portion of the upper case portion and the outer peripheral edge portion of the upper end surface of the lower case portion are joined by welding, and a sealed space is formed inside the upper case portion and the lower case portion. Level gauge. The liquid level meter according to claim 5,
The main body is provided with a rotating member storage hole for storing the upper end side of the rotating member along the vertical direction from the lower end surface to the upper side,
A first magnetic member is attached to the upper end of the rotating member,
A liquid level gauge, wherein a second magnetic member is provided on a base end side of the pointer portion at a position facing the first magnetic member across an upper surface portion of the main body portion. In the liquid level gauge according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The main body part, the float, the moving member, the moving part support member and the rotating member are each made of metal,
The float is formed in the shape of a solid bar along the vertical direction. In the liquid level gauge according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The liquid level gauge, wherein the container is a high-pressure gas cylinder.

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