JP2016017541A - Valve manifold - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a valve manifold showing a high production efficiency, superior sanitary state and having a superior maintenance work at a mechanism in which milk is filled and supplied from a tank to a charging device (a milk pack) and fluid is sent from a plurality of supply sources to a plurality of supply delivery sites.SOLUTION: This invention relates to a valve manifold in which the first group of pipe passages composed of one or more first pipe passages and the second group of pipe passages composed of one or more second pipe passages are connected via valves and fluid is sent from any one of one or more supply sources connected to any one of the first pipe passages to any one of one or more supply delivery sites connected to the second pipe passage. Each of the valves has (1) first position allowing flow in the first pipe passage and (2) second position allowing flow from the first pipe passage to one side of the second pipe passage (where one side is meant as one side divided by the valve in the second pipe passage having the valve installed therein).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a valve manifold.

  A mechanism for sending fluid from a plurality of sources to a plurality of destinations is required in various fields. For example, this is the case where milk is supplied from a plurality of tanks to a plurality of filling devices (thus filling the milk pack with milk).

  For example, as shown in FIG. 1, such a mechanism has a matrix of pipelines from a plurality of supply sources A, B, C, and D and a plurality of supply destinations a, b, c, and d. This can be realized by connecting and providing a valve at a position corresponding to each intersection. For example, when the fluid is sent from the supply source B to the supply destination b in FIG. 1, the fluid may be sent through 2, 6, 7, and 8.

  However, such a matrix-like valve arrangement mechanism (valve manifold) is actually configured as shown in FIG. That is, a valve mechanism is provided at a position connecting the vertical pipe and the horizontal pipe, and the flow direction of the fluid is switched between vertical and horizontal in each valve.

  Therefore, referring to FIG. 1, when the fluid is sent from B to b, the valves at positions 2, 10, and 14 allow the flow in the vertical direction, and the valve at the position 6 allows the flow in the horizontal direction. Further, the valves at positions 5, 7, and 8 allow horizontal distribution.

  As a result, the fluid flows into the pipe that is not sent to the intended supply destination in both the horizontal header and the vertical header. That is, in this example, fluid flows into the entire B vertical header and the horizontal header b.

  Therefore, a large amount of fluid that is not sent to the supply destination is held in the pipe, and a loss of fluid product occurs. Further, for example, air also remains in the non-supply-side flow path in the horizontal header, and this may enter a final supply destination (a milk pack in the above example), resulting in a defective product. In addition, CIP (Cleaning In Place) is necessary after a certain amount of production is finished. However, since fluid enters the pipes that are not originally used for fluid supply, the CIP is necessary and continuous production is also possible. Have difficulty. The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a valve manifold that is highly productive and hygienic.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following valve manifold.
[1] A first pipe line group including one or more first pipe lines and a second pipe line group including one or more second pipe lines are connected via a valve, and the first pipe line In a valve manifold for sending fluid from one of one or more sources connected to any of the above to one of one or more destinations connected to the second conduit, each of the two valves Valve seal part
(1) One valve seal allows only flow in the first pipe line (2) Another valve seal allows one side of the second pipe line from the first pipe line (where one A side of the second pipe line where the valve is installed means one side divided by the valve).
[2] A first pipe group consisting of one or more first pipe lines and a second pipe group consisting of one or more second pipe lines are connected via a valve, and the first pipe line In a valve manifold for sending fluid from any one or more sources connected to any of the one or more destinations connected to the second conduit, ) A first position allowing only flow in the first conduit; and (2) one side of the second conduit from the first conduit (where one side is the valve A valve manifold having a second position allowing flow to one side separated by the valve in the installed second line.
[3]
(a) It is installed in an obliquely inserted manner in the second conduit, has a sealing ring structure or a narrow portion inside the insertion portion into the second conduit, and further A generally cylindrical housing having an inflow side opening and an outflow side opening forming part of the first conduit, provided above the retaining ring structure or narrow portion; and
(b) having a stem that has a valve body part at the tip and in the middle thereof, and is provided so as to be axially movable in the length direction of the cylinder in the housing;
In the first position, an intermediate valve body portion of the stem is in close contact with the sealing ring structure or the narrow portion, thereby forming only a flow path from the inflow side opening to the outflow side opening. ,
In the second position, the valve body portion at the distal end of the stem closes the second conduit, so that one side of the second conduit (non-occluded side) from the opening on the inflow side. The valve manifold according to [1], wherein the valve manifold is allowed to flow through.
[4] In any one of [1] to [3], further including a second valve (group) for opening and closing the flow in the first pipe line at or near the installation position of each valve. The valve manifold as described.
[5] The valve manifold according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the first pipe group is provided vertically and the second pipe group is provided horizontally.

  According to the valve manifold of the present invention, the fluid flows only through the path connecting the one supply source to the target supply destination, so that the CIP of the path is performed immediately after the supply from the one supply source is completed (dispensed). However, supply from other sources is possible, and continuous production of filled products (for example, packed milk) is possible. Further, the cost can be reduced because the range of CIP does not unnecessarily expand. Furthermore, since the amount of fluid (hold amount) that is not sent to the supply destination and is retained in the pipeline is minimized, product loss is small. Furthermore, since there is a very low possibility that the air in the pipeline will be mixed into the filled product (for example, packed milk), the defective product rate can be reduced.

Schematic showing the principle of the valve manifold. The typical perspective view which shows the actual form of the conventional valve manifold. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a first form of a valve manifold according to the present invention. FIG. The typical perspective view which shows the 2nd form of the valve manifold by this invention. The typical external view of the valve structure used suitably with the valve manifold by this invention. The schematic diagram which shows typically the state of the 1st position of the valve structure used suitably with the valve manifold by this invention. The schematic diagram which shows typically the state of the 2nd position of the valve structure used suitably with the valve manifold by this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The valve manifold of the present invention is connected via a valve to a first pipe line group consisting of one or more first pipe lines and a second pipe line group consisting of one or more second pipe lines. Each of the one or more sources connected to any one of the one conduits, in each of the valve manifolds for sending fluid to any one or more destinations connected to the second conduit; The valve has two valve seals,
(1) One valve seal allows only flow in the first pipe line (2) Another valve seal allows one side of the second pipe line from the first pipe line (where one This side permits the flow to one side separated by the valve in the second pipe line where the valve is installed.
Any one of the first pipelines is connected via a valve to a first pipeline group comprising one or more first pipelines and a second pipeline group comprising one or more second pipelines. In a valve manifold for sending fluid from any one or more sources connected to any one of one or more destinations connected to the second conduit, each of the valves is (1) the first A first position that allows only the flow in one pipe line; and (2) one side of the second pipe line from the first pipe line (where one side is the position of the valve). In the second conduit, it has a second position that allows flow to one side separated by the valve).

  For example, in FIG. 1, the one or more first pipelines are pipelines shown in the vertical direction in the drawing. The one or more second pipelines are pipelines shown in the horizontal direction in the drawing. These positional relationships typically form a vertical and horizontal matrix, most typically a spatially vertical conduit and a horizontal conduit, but are not necessarily orthogonal as in FIG. Alternatively, the whole may not form a vertical plane.

Each valve is provided at a connection position between the first pipe line and the second pipe line.
The first position allowing only the flow in the first pipe line in each valve is, for example, the position in the valve structure allowing the flow from 6 to 14 in the case of the valve at the position 10 in FIG. is there.

  One side of the second pipe line from the first pipe line (here, one side means one side divided by the valve in the second pipe line where the valve is installed) The second position allowing the flow to the position is, for example, a position in the valve structure that allows the flow from 6 at least in the direction of 11 in the horizontal direction if the valve is at the position 10 in FIG. .

The valve in the present invention is preferably
(a) It is installed in an obliquely inserted manner in the second conduit, has a sealing ring structure or a narrow portion inside the insertion portion into the second conduit, and further A generally cylindrical housing having an inflow side opening and an outflow side opening forming part of the first conduit, provided above the retaining ring structure or narrow portion; and
(b) having a stem that has a valve body part at the tip and in the middle thereof, and is provided so as to be axially movable in the length direction of the cylinder in the housing;
In the first position, an intermediate valve body portion of the stem is in close contact with the sealing ring structure or the narrow portion, thereby forming only a flow path from the inflow side opening to the outflow side opening. ,
In the second position, the valve body portion at the distal end of the stem closes the second conduit, so that one side of the second conduit (non-occluded side) from the opening on the inflow side. Is allowed to be distributed.

The valve structure will be described later in detail, but the function of the valve manifold will be described with reference to FIG. 3. When the valve structure is inserted obliquely into the horizontal pipe in FIG. 3 (however, the cylinder in the horizontal pipe is a cylinder). It is the valve that is provided with substantially no wall. In this figure, it is assumed that fluid is supplied from the second vertical line from the left.
In the uppermost row, the second valve from the left also schematically shows the internal structure, but here, a stem having a huge portion at the tip and in the middle is visible in the cylindrical housing. The enormous part functions as a valve body. At the position shown in the figure, the middle enormous portion is in contact with and closely contacted with the sealing ring structure inside the cylinder, and as a result, the fluid sent from the back of the paper surface flows through the valve. In these figures, the diameter between the valve body parts is smaller and the valve body part is a huge part, but the valve body part at the tip is the second pipe (horizontal pipe). The intermediate valve body portion only needs to be in close contact with the sealing ring structure or the narrow portion, and the diameter between the valve body portions is not restricted as long as the condition is satisfied. May be.

  In the figure, the first pipe provided in the vertical direction is provided alternately with the back and the front with respect to the surface formed by the horizontal pipe (second pipe), and passes through the valve. The fluid that has flowed into the flow flows into the valves in the second row from the top.

  In the valve in the second row from the top, the enormous portion at the tip of the stem is in contact with and in contact with the inside of the horizontal pipe (second pipe) obliquely. Will not flow. Further, at this position, the enormous portion in the middle of the stem is not in contact with the sealing ring structure inside the cylinder, so that the fluid that has flowed into the valve from the front passes through the inside of the valve (the second pipe) In the pipeline), it only circulates on the right side. That is, the valve body allows fluid to flow in the horizontal direction, and at the same time, fluid flow to the left side of the valve body in the figure is avoided. As a result, fluid does not flow on the left side and product loss occurs, and left air does not enter the right side. In addition, when the supply from the supply source is completed, the CIP of the horizontal piping is possible immediately.

  FIG. 4 shows a mode in which a second valve (group) for opening and closing the flow in the first pipe line (vertical pipe line in the figure) is further provided. In this example, the flow in the first pipe line (vertical pipe line in the figure) is closed by the second valve provided in the back of the second row in FIG. Therefore, unlike FIG. 3, the fluid does not flow downward, and the fluid flows only to the target supply destination on the right in the second row. Therefore, when the supply from the supply source is completed, the CIP can be immediately performed on all the pipes in contact with the fluid.

  An outline of the above-described valve structure is shown in FIG. 5 and below (note that since the “second valve” described with reference to FIG. 4 is a general valve, any open / close valve can be used).

  As shown in FIG. 5, this valve has a generally cylindrical housing that is installed in an obliquely inserted manner in the second conduit. The upper part is provided with an opening on the inflow side and an opening on the outflow side that communicate with the inside and constitute a part of the first pipe line. Although only one of them is visible in FIG. 5, the opening on the inflow side and the opening on the outflow side are not particularly distinguished.

  As shown in FIGS. 6-7, the stem is provided in the inside so that axial movement is possible in the length direction of a cylinder, This stem has a huge part (valve body) in the front-end | tip and the middle. In addition, the cylinder has a sealing ring structure inside the opening portion on the inflow side and below the opening portion on the outflow side, which is above the insertion portion into the second conduit. In the first position shown in FIG. 4, only the flow path from the inflow side opening to the outflow side opening is formed by the middle enormous portion of the stem being in close contact with the sealing ring structure. Further, in the second position shown in FIG. 6, the enormous portion at the tip of the stem closes the second conduit (the horizontal conduit in the drawing), and thus the second portion is opened from the opening on the inflow side. Allowed to flow to one side (non-blocking side; right side in the figure) and from the inflow side to the outflow side. In these figures, the diameter between the valve body parts is smaller and the valve body part is a huge part, but the valve body part at the tip is the second pipe (horizontal pipe). The intermediate valve body portion only needs to be in close contact with the sealing ring structure or the narrow portion, and the diameter between the valve body portions is not restricted as long as the condition is satisfied. May be.

As a result, the above-described effects of the present invention are brought about.
In addition, generally known structures and materials can be used for portions not specifically described in the present invention. For example, the cylinder has a cylinder lid and a driving device. Further, the sealing ring may be a combination of an inward protruding portion and an O-ring. Structurally, a valve is formed by inserting a stem into the upper part of the cylinder via an O-ring.

  As for the structure of the driving device, it may be a structure having a spring or the like inside or a manual type structure as long as it has a function of rotating the stem at the first position and the second position. It may be an electromagnetic drive function. In addition, since each member has excellent chemical resistance and little impurities are eluted, fluororesins such as polytetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter referred to as PTFE) and tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (hereinafter referred to as PFA) are used. Although it is preferably used, it may be other plastics such as polyvinyl chloride or polypropylene, or metal, and is not particularly limited. The O-ring is preferably made of a fluororesin such as PTFE or PFA, but may be rubber or metal as long as the purpose of use permits, and is not particularly limited.

  The valve manifold of the present invention is useful as a mechanism for sending fluid from a plurality of sources to a plurality of destinations, and can be used in the food industry and other various industries.

Claims (5)

Any one of the first pipelines is connected via a valve to a first pipeline group comprising one or more first pipelines and a second pipeline group comprising one or more second pipelines. A valve manifold for delivering fluid from one of one or more sources connected to one of one or more destinations connected to the second line, each valve having two valve seals Part
(1) One valve seal allows only flow in the first pipe line (2) Another valve seal allows one side of the second pipe line from the first pipe line (where one A side of the second pipe line where the valve is installed means one side divided by the valve). Any one of the first pipelines is connected via a valve to a first pipeline group comprising one or more first pipelines and a second pipeline group comprising one or more second pipelines. In a valve manifold for sending fluid from any one or more sources connected to any one of one or more destinations connected to the second conduit, each of the valves is (1) the first A first position that allows only the flow in one pipe line; and (2) one side of the second pipe line from the first pipe line (where one side is the position of the valve). A valve manifold having a second position allowing flow to the second line (referring to one side separated by the valve). Each of the valves
(a) It is installed in an obliquely inserted manner in the second conduit, has a sealing ring structure or a narrow portion inside the insertion portion into the second conduit, and further A generally cylindrical housing having an inflow side opening and an outflow side opening forming part of the first conduit, provided above the retaining ring structure or narrow portion; and
(b) having a stem that has a valve body part at the tip and in the middle thereof, and is provided so as to be axially movable in the length direction of the cylinder in the housing;
In the first position, an intermediate valve body portion of the stem is in close contact with the sealing ring structure or the narrow portion, thereby forming only a flow path from the inflow side opening to the outflow side opening. ,
In the second position, the valve body portion at the distal end of the stem closes the second conduit, so that one side of the second conduit (non-occluded side) from the opening on the inflow side. The valve manifold according to claim 1, wherein the valve manifold is allowed to flow through. The valve manifold according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a second valve (group) for opening and closing the flow in the first pipe line at or near the installation position of each valve. The valve manifold according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first pipe line group is provided vertically and the second pipe line group is provided horizontally.