JP2024008581A - pressure regulator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a pressure regulator that is compact, can be used in a saved space and can reduce a risk of an accident caused by a contact risk.SOLUTION: A pressure regulator 1 includes: an inlet joint 40 for causing primary side gas supplied from a gas container to flow into an inflow direction; a pressure regulating section 10 extending in the longitudinal direction, having a side surface to which first connection end 40b of the first joint 40 is connected and regulating pressure of the primary side gas to pressure of secondary side gas; and an outlet joint 50 for causing the secondary side gas to flow out to an outflow direction different from the inflow direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a pressure regulator.

Conventional pressure regulators for fuel gas containers containing acetylene gas, LPG, etc. are used, for example, to reduce the pressure of the primary gas contained in the gas container and supplied from a valve etc. so that it becomes secondary gas. Pressure regulators are known.

In addition, such pressure regulators generally include a primary pressure gauge installed on the primary gas to check the remaining amount of gas contained in the gas container, and a secondary pressure gauge installed on the primary gas to reduce the pressure of the primary gas. A secondary side pressure gauge is provided to check the gas pressure in order to adjust the pressure of the side gas, and the user can visually check the respective pressures of the primary side gas and the secondary side gas. (For example, see Patent Document 1).

Furthermore, a pressure regulator is known in which an opening/closing means for supplying gas and a pressure regulating section for regulating the pressure of the supplied gas are integrally provided with a valve of a gas container (see, for example, Patent Document 2). According to this pressure regulator, it is described that the number of connection points of the gas supply path is reduced.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-263595 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-205497

However, since a pressure regulator equipped with a pressure gauge as shown in Patent Document 1 requires a display section for visual observation, the overall size of the pressure regulator tends to become large. Such a large pressure regulator as a whole will protrude from the outer diameter of the gas container when attached to the gas container. Therefore, in small-scale facilities such as laboratories, veterinary hospitals, and pet shops, it is necessary to secure extra space for installation. In addition, if the pressure regulator protrudes from the outside diameter of the gas container, the user may hit it against a wall of a building, or the user may catch clothing or the like and cause the gas container to fall over. There was a risk that it would be damaged and cause an accident. A pressure regulator provided integrally with the valve of the gas container as in Patent Document 2 can be made smaller than the pressure regulator in Patent Document 1, but it costs less because a pressure regulator must be prepared for each gas container. There was a problem with the surface.

The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pressure regulator that is compact and can be used in a space-saving manner, and can reduce the risk of accidents due to the risk of contact.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
The pressure regulator according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an inlet joint through which primary gas supplied from a gas container flows in an inflow direction, and a first connection of the inlet joint extending in the longitudinal direction and provided on a side surface. The apparatus includes a pressure adjusting part whose ends are connected and which adjusts the pressure of the primary gas to the pressure of the secondary gas, and an outlet joint which discharges the secondary gas in an outflow direction different from the inflow direction.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the pressure regulator which concerns on this invention, the pressure regulator which can be used compactly and space-savingly, and can reduce the risk of an accident resulting from the risk of contact can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a pressure regulator according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the pressure regulator and a gas container connected to the pressure regulator. It is a sectional view showing the same pressure regulator typically. FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing the pressure regulator. It is a perspective view which expanded the same pressure regulator. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the pressure regulator seen from above. It is a typical front view of the pressure regulator concerning a second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing the pressure regulator. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the pressure regulator seen from above. It is a figure which shows the other modification of the same pressure regulator. It is a figure which shows the other modification of the same pressure regulator. It is a typical front view of the pressure regulator concerning a third embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the pressure regulator. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the pressure regulator seen from above. It is a typical front view of the pressure regulator concerning a fourth embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the pressure regulator. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the pressure regulator seen from above. It is a figure which shows the other modification of the same pressure regulator. It is a figure which shows the other modification of the same pressure regulator. It is a figure which shows the other modification of the same pressure regulator.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. Furthermore, in the embodiments and modified examples described below, mutually corresponding configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions of overlapping parts may be omitted. Furthermore, in the following explanation, expressions indicating relative or absolute arrangement, such as "parallel", "orthogonal", "centered", "coaxial", etc., do not only strictly refer to such arrangement, but also refer to tolerances. It also represents a state in which the objects are relatively displaced at an angle or distance that allows the same function to be obtained.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a pressure regulator 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the pressure regulator 1 and the gas container 100 connected to the pressure regulator 1.
First, the gas container 100 connected to the pressure regulator 1 will be explained.

Here, in the following description of the pressure regulator 1 and the gas container 100, the vertical direction is referred to as the up-down direction Z. In the vertical direction Z, the upper side is referred to as upper side Z1, and the lower side is referred to as lower side Z2. Further, the direction that is perpendicular to the up-down direction Z and in which the pressure regulator 1 and the gas container 100 are arranged is defined as the left-right direction X. In the left-right direction X, the left side where the gas port 103a (see FIG. 2) of the valve 103 of the gas container 100 connected to the pressure regulator 1 is located is defined as the left side X1, and the side opposite to the left side X1 is defined as the right side X2. Further, a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction Z and the left-right direction X is defined as the width direction Y. A surface along the left-right direction X and the width direction Y is a horizontal surface (hereinafter simply referred to as a horizontal surface).

[Gas container 100]
In this embodiment, the gas container 100 is filled with, for example, high pressure gas. Here, high-pressure gas refers to compressed gases in general, such as compressed nitrogen gas, compressed oxygen gas, or compressed argon gas, and general liquefied gases, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied nitrogen gas, or liquefied oxygen. It is a general term for. As shown in FIG. 1 or 2, the gas container 100 has a central axis O1 in the vertical direction Z, and includes a body 101 on the lower side Z2 and a gas supply section 102 on the upper side Z1.

The body 101 accommodates gas therein. Here, the gas accommodated in the body 101 is primary gas before the pressure is adjusted by the pressure regulator 1. The body portion 101 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom, with the central axis O1 as the central axis. The upper side surface of the upper side Z1 of the body part 101 is formed into a smooth curved surface toward the central axis O1, and is connected to the gas supply part 102. The body portion 101 has an outer diameter L1 in the width direction Y. In this embodiment, the gas container 100 uses a 47L actual volume type that is generally used as a high-pressure gas container, and the outer diameter L1 is, for example, about 23.2 cm.

The gas supply unit 102 supplies primary gas to the pressure regulator 1, as shown in FIG. The gas supply section 102 is accommodated within the outer diameter L1 of the body section 101 (see FIG. 6). The gas supply unit 102 includes a valve 103 on the upper side Z1 of the body 101 that can be operated manually or automatically, and by operating this valve 103, the gas stored in the body 101 is released from the gas port 103a of the valve 103. The primary side gas is supplied to the pressure regulator 1. Like the body 101, the valve 103 is attached to the upper side Z1 of the body 101 with the central axis O1 as the central axis. A protector 104 is attached around the valve 103.

The protector 104 is arranged from the upper side Z1 toward the upper side of the body 101 so as to cover the valve 103. The protector 104 protects the valve 103 from colliding with the floor or the like when the gas container 100 falls. As shown in FIG. 2, the side surface of the protector 104 is provided with a side hole 104a so as not to interfere with the protector 104 when the inlet joint 40 of the pressure regulator 1 is attached to the gas port 103a of the valve 103.

[Pressure regulator 1]
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the pressure regulator 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing the pressure regulator 1.
The pressure regulator 1 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape that extends in the longitudinal direction and has a central axis O2 in the longitudinal direction. Here, the longitudinal direction corresponds to the vertical direction Z in this embodiment. Therefore, the vertical direction Z is also referred to as the longitudinal direction Z. As shown in FIG. 4, the central axis O2 overlaps the central axis O1 when viewed from the left-right direction X. The pressure regulator 1 is a pressure regulator using a conventionally known diaphragm. As shown in FIG. 1, the pressure regulator 1 includes a pressure regulator 10, an inlet joint 40, and an outlet joint 50. Note that the pressure regulator 1 is not limited to a pressure regulator using a diaphragm.

[Pressure adjustment section 10]
The pressure regulator 10 is a main body portion of the pressure regulator 1. The pressure adjustment unit 10 adjusts the pressure of the primary gas supplied from the gas container 100 to the pressure of the secondary gas. The pressure adjustment part 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with a center axis O2 extending in the up-down direction (longitudinal direction) Z as seen from the upper side Z1 in the up-down direction (longitudinal direction) Z. The pressure regulator 10 is connected to a gas container 100 via an inlet joint 40, as shown in FIG. The pressure adjustment unit 10 is attached to the left side X1 of the gas container 100 where the gas port 103a is arranged when viewed from the width direction Y. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the pressure adjustment section 10 includes a casing 20, a diaphragm 11, a pressure adjustment spring 12, a valve fixed section 13, a valve movable section 14, a primary side display section 15, and an adjustment section. A handle 30 is provided.

[Casing 20]
The casing 20 is a part that forms a side surface of the substantially cylindrical pressure adjustment part 10 whose longitudinal axis is the central axis (longitudinal axis) O2. The casing 20 includes a deformable portion 21 (see FIG. 4), a pressure chamber 22, an adjustment spring chamber 25, and a female screw portion 26.

As shown in FIG. 4, the deformed portion 21 is formed by cutting out a portion of the side surface of the casing 20 in a J-shape. It is preferable that the deformable portion 21 has a slope (draft angle) in the vertical direction Z on the side surface. With this configuration, the pressure regulator 1 can smoothly release the molded product from the mold during manufacturing. As shown in FIG. 5, the deformed portion 21 forms a deformed portion bottom surface 21a along a horizontal plane on the lower side Z2 in the up-down direction Z. A portion of the deformed portion bottom surface 21a is provided with a safety valve 21b. The safety valve 21b is provided in order to ensure safety by allowing gas to be released from the pressure regulator 1 when the pressure regulator 1 reaches an abnormal pressure due to a blockage failure or the like.

The pressure chamber 22 is a space connected to the inlet joint 40 and the outlet joint 50. The pressure chamber 22 includes a primary chamber 23 and a secondary chamber 24, as shown in FIG.

The primary chamber 23 is provided in the internal space of the casing 20 of the pressure adjustment section 10. The primary chamber 23 is communicated with the inlet joint 40, and the primary gas flows into the primary chamber 23 from the inlet joint 40 via the inlet path 23a.

The secondary chamber 24 is provided in the internal space of the casing 20 of the pressure adjustment section 10. The secondary chamber 24 is communicated with an outlet joint 50, and the secondary gas flows out from the secondary chamber 24 to the outlet joint 50 via the outlet path 24a.

The adjustment spring chamber 25 is provided on the lower side Z2 of the pressure chamber 22. The adjustment spring chamber 25 is partitioned by a diaphragm 11.

The female screw portion 26 is formed at the bottom of the lower side Z2. As shown in FIG. 2, the female threaded portion 26 passes through the bottom in the vertical direction Z and is screwed into a threaded portion 32 of an adjustment handle 30, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the casing 20 includes an indicator 20a on a part of the side surface. The indicator 20a corresponds to a scale 34a of the secondary display section 34 of the adjustment handle 30, which will be described later.

[Diaphragm 11]
The diaphragm (diaphragm) 11 is formed in a sheet shape having a front surface on the upper side Z1 and a back surface on the lower side Z2, and partitions the pressure chamber 22 and the adjustment spring chamber 25. As the diaphragm 11, a conventionally known diaphragm can be used.

[Pressure adjustment spring 12]
The pressure regulating spring 12 is provided in the regulating spring chamber 25 so as to be biased in the vertical direction Z. The pressure regulating spring 12 includes a large spring plate 12a on the upper side Z1 in the vertical direction Z, and a small spring plate 12b on the lower side Z2 in the vertical direction Z. The large spring plate 12a comes into contact with the back surface of the diaphragm 11.

[Valve fixing part 13]
The valve fixing part 13 is arranged between a primary chamber 23 and a secondary chamber 24 formed in the internal space of the casing 20 . A first depression 131 connected to the primary chamber 23 and a second depression 132 connected to the secondary chamber 24 are formed in the valve fixing portion 13 . Note that the first depression 131 and the second depression 132 are internal spaces formed in the valve fixing part 13. Between the first recess 131 and the second recess 132, a gas passage 133 is formed along the vertical direction Z and narrow in the width direction Y. The valve fixed part 13 includes a valve seat 13a on a surface that comes into contact with a valve movable part 14, which will be described later.

[Valve movable part 14]
The valve movable part 14 adjusts the flow rate of the primary gas by opening and closing. The valve movable portion 14 includes a stem 141 extending in the vertical direction Z through the gas passage 133, a valve body 142 provided on the upper side Z1 of the stem 141 in the vertical direction Z, and a valve body 142 provided on the upper side Z1 of the valve body 142. A spring 144 is provided.

The valve body 142 is provided on the upper side Z1 in the vertical direction Z, which is the distal end side of the stem 141, and is a valve body having a shape such as a columnar shape, a conical shape, a spherical shape, or a square shape. The valve body 142 contacts the valve seat 13a of the valve fixing portion 13 at the upper side Z1.

[Primary side display section 15]
The primary display section 15 is provided on the upper side Z1 in the vertical direction Z in the pressure adjustment section 10. The primary side display section 15 displays the pressure of the primary gas contained in the gas container 100. The primary side display section 15 can display the pressure detected by a primary side gas pressure gauge (not shown). A conventionally known pressure gauge can be used as the primary side gas pressure gauge. In addition, the primary side display part 15 may be provided in the pressure adjustment part 10 at the lower side Z2 of the up-down direction Z.

The primary display section 15 has different colors, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The primary side display section 15 is displayed in different colors such as red, yellow, and blue from the upper side Z1 to the lower side Z2, for example, and the higher the pressure of the primary side gas is, the more blue is displayed so that the gas pressure can be confirmed. In addition, the lower the pressure of the primary side gas is, the more red it is displayed, allowing you to check the gas pressure. However, the primary display section 15 is not limited to color, and may be provided with, for example, a scale.

[Adjustment handle 30]
The adjustment handle 30 opens and closes the valve movable section 14 to adjust the secondary pressure. The adjustment handle 30 is fitted so as to close the lower side Z2 of the casing 20, as shown in FIG. The adjustment handle 30 is formed in the shape of a cap with an opening on the upper side Z1. The adjustment handle 30 rotates in the rotation direction J about the central axis O2. The adjustment handle 30 includes a handle body 31 and a threaded portion 32.

[Handle body 31]
The handle body 31 is a part that rotates the threaded part 32 in order to open and close the valve movable part 14 and adjust the pressure in the secondary chamber 24 of the pressure chamber 22. The handle body 31 can adjust the generated load by adjusting the amount of compression of the pressure adjustment spring 12, and can adjust the pressure of the secondary gas. As shown in FIG. 2, the handle body 31 includes a grip rotation section 33 and a secondary display section 34 on the side surface. The grip rotation part 33 has a plurality of circular recesses 33a. The recessed portion 33a is designed so that the handle body 31 can be easily grasped using the fingers of a user's hand (not shown) when rotating the handle body 31 in the rotational direction J. Further, on the upper side Z1 of the grip rotating section 33, a secondary side display section 34 that displays the pressure of the secondary gas is provided.

The secondary display section 34 is provided on the lower side (one side) Z2 of the pressure adjustment section 10 in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction) Z. The secondary side display section 34 is provided on the opposite side of the primary side display section 15, which is provided on the upper side Z1 in the vertical direction Z, in the pressure adjustment section 10. The secondary side display section 34 can display the adjusted pressure of the secondary side gas when adjusting the primary side gas to the secondary side gas. As shown in FIG. 2, a scale 34a is attached to the secondary display section 34 along the rotation direction J. Since the scale 34a is integrally formed with the handle body 31, the scale 34a itself also rotates as the adjustment handle 30 rotates. On the scale 34a, the adjustment pressure according to the rotation angle of the adjustment handle 30 is displayed. The user can easily set the adjustment pressure by checking the scale 34a. The scale 34a is used to set conditions such as, for example, the lead of a screw formed on the threaded portion 32 (to be described later), the load caused by the pressure adjustment spring 12, the area of each pressure receiving part in the pressure adjustment section 10, and the pressure of the primary gas. It can be determined by calculation or experiment. Note that the secondary display section 34 may be provided on the upper side (the other side) Z1 of the pressure adjustment section 10 in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction) Z.

Before use, the handle body 31 is installed, for example, with the indicator 20a provided on the casing 20 side aligned with the 0 scale displayed on the scale 34a. Then, the user rotates the grip rotation unit 33 using the fingers of the user's hand to adjust the pressure so that the desired position (pressure) of the scale 34a matches the indicator 20a. With the above configuration, the user can adjust the pressure of the secondary gas using the secondary display section 34 while checking the scale 34a.

[Threaded part 32]
The threaded portion 32 is fixed to the handle body 31 and rotates together with the handle body 31. The threaded portion 32 is screwed into a female threaded portion 26 formed at the bottom of the casing 20 . Further, the tip of the threaded portion 32 provided on the upper side Z1 is brought into contact with the lower side Z2 of the small spring plate 12b.

The threaded portion 32 rotates in the rotational direction J and moves in the vertical direction Z. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, for example, when the handle body 31 is rotated to the first rotation side J1 on one side in the rotation direction J, the threaded portion 32 rotates the entire thread portion 32 to the first rotation side. Move to the upper side Z1 while rotating to J1. When the handle body 31 is rotated to the second rotation side J2 on the other side in the rotation direction J, the threaded portion 32 moves to the lower side Z2 while rotating the entire screw portion 32 to the second rotation side J2. However, the combination of the direction of rotation J and the movement of the threaded portion 32 in the vertical direction Z is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 3, the threaded portion 32 opens and closes the valve movable portion 14 via the pressure regulating spring 12 and the diaphragm 11 by pushing or pulling the small spring plate 12b by moving in the vertical direction Z. Adjust the pressure of the secondary gas. Note that the handle body 31 and the threaded portion 32 may be integrally formed.

In addition, the pressure adjustment unit 10 is installed so that the small spring plate 12b does not rotate within the adjustment spring chamber 25, and is also configured to prevent the threaded portion 32 from coming off from the adjustment spring chamber 25 to the outside of the casing 20. In the above, the threaded portion 32 may be provided on the small spring plate 12b instead of being provided on the casing 20. As a result, the adjustment handle 30 does not move in the vertical direction Z due to the rotational operation of the adjustment handle 30, and the space occupied by the operation section can be suppressed, thereby improving operability.

In this embodiment, the threaded portion 32 uses a multi-thread thread. Multi-thread screws are a general term for screws whose lead (the distance traveled in the axial direction of the screw when going around the shaft along the helical winding) is equal to an integral multiple of 2 or more of the pitch. By using a multi-thread screw, the threaded portion 32 can quickly move in the vertical direction Z with a small amount of rotation when the adjustment handle 30 is operated.

[Inlet joint 40]
The inlet joint 40 connects the gas port 103a of the valve 103 of the gas container 100 and the pressure regulator 10, as shown in FIG. The inlet joint 40 is a part that serves as an inlet for feeding primary gas into the pressure chamber 22 of the pressure adjustment section 10. The inlet joint 40 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape having a first longitudinal axis N1 in the inflow direction, and the primary gas supplied from the gas container 100 flows into the inlet joint 40 in the inflow direction.

Here, in this embodiment, the inflow direction corresponds to the left-right direction X, as shown in FIG. Therefore, in the following description, the left-right direction X will also be referred to as the inflow direction X. However, the inflow direction does not have to match the left-right direction X.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inlet joint 40 includes an inlet 40a at one end on the right side X2 in the inflow direction X, into which the primary gas supplied from the gas container 100 flows. The inlet joint 40 also includes a first connection end 40b connected to the pressure adjustment section 10 at the end on the left side X1 in the inflow direction X. The first connecting end 40b of the inlet joint 40 communicates with the primary chamber 23 of the pressure chamber 22 via the inlet path 23a of the casing 20. The inlet joint 40 forms a primary side gas path (first pipe line) 40c along the inflow direction X with the first longitudinal axis N1 as the longitudinal axis in the internal space from the inlet 40a to the first connection end 40b. . The primary gas supplied from the gas container 100 flows into the inlet 40a of the inlet joint 40 in the inflow direction X, passes through the primary gas path 40c, and then flows in the inflow direction It is fed into the inlet path 23a of the casing 20 of the pressure regulator 10.

[Outlet joint 50]
FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the pressure regulator 1.
As shown in FIG. 5, the outlet joint 50 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having a second longitudinal axis N2 in the outflow direction A, and is connected to the pressure adjustment section 10. The outlet joint 50 is a part that serves as an outlet through which the secondary gas flows out from the pressure chamber 22 (see FIG. 3) of the pressure adjustment section 10. The secondary gas discharged from the pressure adjustment section 10 flows into the outlet joint 50 in the discharge direction A.

The outflow direction A is a direction different from the inflow direction X in this embodiment. Moreover, the outflow direction A is inclined with respect to the vertical direction (longitudinal direction) Z, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the outlet joint 50 is connected to the pressure adjustment section 10 at one end of one side (second connection end side) A1 in the outflow direction A, and the secondary side gas flowing out from the pressure adjustment section 10 is fed into the outlet joint 50. A second connecting end 50b is provided. The second connection end 50b of the outlet joint 50 communicates with the secondary chamber 24 of the pressure chamber 22 via the outlet path 24a of the casing 20. Further, the outlet joint 50 is provided with an outlet 50a at the end on the other side A2 in the outflow direction A. The outlet joint 50 forms a secondary gas path (second pipe path) 50c along the outflow direction A with the second longitudinal axis N2 as the longitudinal axis in the internal space from the second connection end 50b to the outflow port 50a. There is. The secondary side gas passes through the outlet path 24a of the casing 20 of the pressure adjustment unit 10, is sent to the second connection end 50b of the outlet joint 50 in the outflow direction A, passes through the secondary side gas path 50c, and then flows into the downstream side. It flows out in the outflow direction A from the outlet 50a.

Next, the structure of the pressure regulator 1 will be explained. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the pressure regulator 1 viewed from the upper side Z1.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first connection end 40b of the inlet joint 40 of the pressure regulator 1 is connected to the side surface of the casing 20 of the pressure regulator 10. At this time, the connection position between the first connection end 40b and the peripheral edge 20b of the side surface of the casing 20 is defined as a first position P1. In this embodiment, the first position P1 is defined by a straight line Q1 connecting the center of the gas container 100 passing through the central axis O1 and the center of the pressure regulator 1 passing through the central axis O2, and the peripheral edge 20b of the side surface of the casing 20. This is the position where they intersect when viewed from the upper side Z1. Further, the second connection end 50b of the outlet joint 50 of the pressure regulator 1 is connected to a side surface of the casing 20 of the pressure regulator 10 at a position different from the first position P1. At this time, the connection position between the second connection end 50b and the peripheral edge 20b of the side surface of the casing 20 is defined as a second position P2. The second position P2 does not intersect with the straight line Q1 when viewed from the upper side Z1. That is, the second connection end 50b is located at the second connection end of the inlet joint 40 with respect to the central axis (longitudinal axis) O2 of the pressure adjustment section 10 when viewed from the vertical direction (longitudinal direction) Z on the side surface of the casing 20 of the pressure adjustment section 10. One connection end 40b is connected at a position asymmetrical to the first position P1 connected.

The outlet joint 50 of the pressure regulator 1 is not arranged on an extension of the straight line Q1. By not arranging the outlet joint 50 on an extension of the straight line Q1, the pressure regulator 1 can prevent the gas from jumping out from the outside diameter L1 of the gas container 100 when viewed from the upper side Z1 when it is attached to the gas container 100. The entire pressure regulator 1 can be accommodated within the outer diameter L1 of the container 100.

(effect)
Next, the operation of the pressure regulator 1 will be explained.

A user supplies primary gas to the pressure regulator 1 by manually or automatically operating the valve 103 of the gas container 100. The supplied primary gas first flows into the inlet port 40a of the inlet joint 40 in the inflow direction X. The primary gas passes through the primary gas path 40c and is sent in the inflow direction X from the first connection end 40b to the inlet path 23a of the casing 20 of the pressure adjustment section 10.

The primary gas passes through the inlet path 23a and is sent into the primary chamber 23 under high pressure. The valve body 142 of the valve movable part 14 is pushed by the spring 144 and closes the valve seat 13a of the valve fixed part 13.

Next, the user rotates the handle body 31 of the adjustment handle 30 in the rotation direction J. Then, the threaded portion 32 rotates in the rotational direction J and moves in the vertical direction Z. When the handle body 31 is rotated to the first rotation side J1 on one side in the rotation direction J, the threaded portion 32 moves to the upper side Z1 while rotating the entire screw portion 32 to the first rotation side J1. Then, the threaded portion 32 compresses the pressure regulating spring 12 by a predetermined amount via the small spring plate 12b, and the compressive force pushes the diaphragm 11 into the secondary chamber 24 side via the pressure regulating spring 12. At this time, the user can adjust the pressure of the secondary gas using the secondary side display section 34 while checking the scale 34a.

When the diaphragm 11 is pushed into the secondary chamber 24 side, the stem 141 and the valve body 142 of the valve movable section 14 connected to the diaphragm 11 move in conjunction with each other to move upward Z1 relative to the spring 144. When the valve body 142 is separated from the valve seat 13a of the valve fixing part 13 to release the valve seat 13a, the gas passage 133 provided between the first recess 131 and the second recess 132 penetrates therethrough. When the gas passage 133 penetrates, the primary gas enters the secondary chamber 24 from the primary chamber 23 through the gas passage 133, and pushes the diaphragm 11 down to the lower side Z2.

When the pressure in the secondary chamber 24 increases, the force pushing up the diaphragm 11 balances the compressive force of the pressure regulating spring 12, and the valve body 142 is pressed against the valve seat 13a, causing gas to flow from the primary chamber 23 to the secondary chamber 24. The flow stops and the pressure in the secondary chamber 24 stabilizes. The primary gas becomes a low pressure secondary gas.

The secondary gas is sent from the secondary chamber 24 to the outlet joint 50 from the outflow direction A via the outlet path 24a. The secondary gas passes through the secondary gas path 50c and flows out from the outlet 50a. In this way, the pressure regulator 1 of this embodiment can adjust the pressure from the primary side gas to the secondary side gas.

In this embodiment, the pressure regulator 1 includes an outlet joint 50 that allows the secondary gas to flow out in an outflow direction A that is different from an inflow direction X. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a compact pressure regulator 1 with a small overall outer diameter, and the user can effectively utilize the space even if the gas container using the pressure regulator 1 is placed in a small space. be able to.

In the present embodiment, the second connection end 50b of the outlet joint 50 of the pressure regulator 1 is located at the center of the pressure regulator 10 when viewed from the vertical direction (longitudinal direction) Z on the side surface of the casing 20 of the pressure regulator 10. The first connecting end 40b of the inlet joint 40 is connected at a position asymmetrical to the first position P1 connected to the axis (longitudinal axis) O2. Then, when the outlet joint 50 of the pressure regulator 1 is attached to the gas container 100, it becomes difficult to pop out from within the outer diameter L1 of the gas container 100 when viewed from the upper side Z1. Therefore, the length of the pressure regulator 1 in the left-right direction X can be made small so that the entire pressure regulator 1 can be accommodated within the outer diameter L1 of the gas container 100. Moreover, the pressure regulator 1 can reduce the risk of accidents caused by contact with people or objects.

Further, in this embodiment, the outflow direction A is inclined with respect to the vertical direction (longitudinal direction) Z. Therefore, the user can easily attach to the pressure regulator 1 equipment, devices, etc. that feed the secondary gas flowing out from the outlet joint 50.

Further, in this embodiment, the threaded portion 32 of the adjustment handle 30 uses a multi-thread thread. Therefore, the threaded portion 32 can largely change the movement in the vertical direction Z with a small number of rotations while the movement range in the vertical direction Z is limited. In addition, by using a multi-thread screw, the threaded portion 32 not only improves operability compared to conventional screws, but also reduces the pressure increase and instantaneous pressure effect when the valve movable portion 14 of the pressure regulator 1 is closed. It is possible to suppress flow characteristics such as

Moreover, the adjustment handle 30 of the pressure regulator 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a scale 34a of a secondary side display section 34 that displays the pressure of the secondary side gas on the side surface. Therefore, the valve movable portion 14 can be opened and closed using the adjustment handle 30 to display the adjusted pressure, and the pressure can be checked compactly without using a large pressure gauge such as a Bourdon tube type pressure gauge. Further, since the scale 34a is formed together with the movable adjustment handle 30, it is possible to reduce costs and the number of parts. Furthermore, since the pressure regulator 1 of this embodiment can visually display the pressure using the scale 34a, even when it is attached to a new gas container 100, the same value as the value displayed by the set scale 34a is displayed. By setting it to , the pressure amount can be easily reset.

In addition, the primary side display section 15 of the present embodiment is provided on the upper side Z1 on the opposite side to the secondary side display section 34 provided on the lower side (one side) Z2 in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction) Z in the pressure adjustment section 10. It is prepared for. Therefore, the pressure regulator 1 does not form any caught portions in the width direction Y or the left-right direction X that would otherwise occur due to an accident due to a fall, thereby reducing the risk of an accident. In addition, when the secondary side display part 34 is provided in the upper side (other side) Z1 of the up-down direction Z in the pressure adjustment part 10, the primary side display part 15 may be provided in the lower side Z2.

Further, in this embodiment, a deformed portion 21 is provided, which is a J-shaped cutout in the side surface of the casing 20. Therefore, the entire volume of the pressure regulator 1 can be reduced and the entire pressure regulator 1 can be formed compactly.

Although the first embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes may be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention. . Moreover, the components shown in the above-mentioned embodiment and the modified examples shown below can be configured by appropriately combining them.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. In the following description, components that are common to those already described will be given the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted. Note that the following embodiments are all different in pressure regulator from the first embodiment. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic front view of a pressure regulator 1A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a side view schematically showing the pressure regulator 1A. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the pressure regulator 1A viewed from the upper side Z1.
The pressure regulator 1A is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape that extends in the longitudinal direction B and has a central axis (longitudinal axis) O3 in the longitudinal direction B. The longitudinal direction B is inclined in the width direction Y as shown in FIG. 8 with respect to the vertical direction Z to such an extent that the outlet joint 50A is hidden by the casing 20 when viewed from the upper side Z1, as shown in FIG. It is the direction. The pressure regulator 1A includes a pressure regulator 10A, an inlet joint 40, and an outlet joint 50A. The inlet joint 40 is the same as that in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

The pressure adjustment part 10A is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with a central axis O3 extending in the longitudinal direction B as the central axis. The pressure adjustment section 10A differs from the pressure adjustment section 10 of the first embodiment in the positions of at least the primary side display section and the adjustment handle.

Compared to the first embodiment, the primary display section 15A is provided on the side opposite to the primary display section 15 of the first embodiment in the vertical direction Z. Specifically, the primary display section 15A is provided on the lower side Z2 of the pressure adjustment section 10A when viewed from the left-right direction X.

Moreover, the secondary side display part 34A of the adjustment handle 30A is provided on the upper side Z1, which is the opposite side of the primary side display part 15A, which is provided on the lower side Z2 in the vertical direction Z, in the pressure adjustment part 10A.

As shown in FIG. 8, the outlet joint 50A has a second connection end 50Ab connected to the pressure adjustment part 10A with the outflow direction C as the second longitudinal axis NA2. In this embodiment, the outflow direction C is inclined with respect to the width direction Y and the vertical direction Z, and is parallel to the plane formed by the width direction Y and the vertical direction Z. The outlet joint 50A forms a secondary gas path (second conduit) 50Ac along the outflow direction C with the second longitudinal axis NA2 as the longitudinal axis in the internal space from the second connection end 50Ab to the outflow port 50Aa. There is. Here, as shown in FIG. 9, in the pressure adjustment part 10A, the first longitudinal axis N1 of the primary gas path (first pipe line) 40c of the inlet joint 40 and the secondary gas path 50Ac of the outlet joint 50A are connected to each other. In this embodiment, the angle R formed by the second longitudinal axis NA2 is set to 90 degrees. Note that although the angle R may not be 90 degrees, it is preferable that the angle R is within 90 degrees.

In this embodiment, the pressure regulator 1A extends in a longitudinal direction B that is inclined in the width direction Y with respect to the vertical direction Z. Then, the primary side display section 15A provided on the adjustment handle 30 of the pressure regulator 1A becomes easier for the user to visually confirm.

Further, in this embodiment, the angle R formed by the first longitudinal axis N1 and the second longitudinal axis NA2 is set to about 90 degrees. Therefore, the pressure regulator 1A can be made more compact by incorporating the outlet joint 50A into the outer diameter L1 of the gas container 100.

Although the second embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes may be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention. . Moreover, the components shown in the above-mentioned embodiment and the modified examples shown below can be configured by appropriately combining them.

(Modification 1)
For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the pressure regulator 1B may include deformable parts 21 on both sides of the left-right direction X in the casing 20B of the pressure regulator 10B. In this case, the entire volume of the pressure regulator 10B can be further reduced, and the pressure regulator 10B can be used in a more space-saving manner.

(Modification 2)
Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the pressure adjustment section 10C of the pressure regulator 1C has a plurality of protrusions 33b on the grip rotation section 33 provided on the handle body 31C of the adjustment handle 30C. may have. With this configuration, when the user grips the grip rotation part 33 of the adjustment handle 30 and rotates it in the rotation direction J, the convex part 33b prevents the user's fingers from slipping, and the user can accurately adjust the pressure.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14. In the following description, components that are common to those already described will be given the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted. Note that the following embodiments are different from the first embodiment and the second embodiment in the pressure adjustment section. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences between the first embodiment and the second embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a schematic front view of a pressure regulator 1D according to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of the pressure regulator 1D. FIG. 14 is a plan view of the pressure regulator 1D viewed from the upper side Z1.
The pressure regulator 1D is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape that extends in the longitudinal direction B and has a central axis O3 in the longitudinal direction B, similarly to the second embodiment. The pressure regulator 1D includes a pressure regulator 10D, an inlet joint 40, and an outlet joint 50. The inlet joint 40 and the outlet joint 50 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, so their description will be omitted.

The pressure adjustment part 10D is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with a central axis O3 extending in the longitudinal direction B as the central axis. The pressure adjustment unit 10D includes a primary side pressure gauge (primary side display unit) 16 that is different from the primary side display unit 15 as compared to the first embodiment. Further, the pressure adjustment section 10D includes a secondary side pressure gauge (secondary side display section) 17, which is different from the secondary side display section 34, on the adjustment handle 30D.

The primary side pressure gauge (primary side display section) 16 is a conventionally known pressure gauge such as a Bourdon tube pressure gauge. The primary side pressure gauge 16 is attached to the side surface of the casing 20D of the pressure adjustment section 10D. The primary pressure gauge 16 has a primary pressure display surface 16a facing toward one side A1 in the outflow direction A. The primary pressure display surface 16a is inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z so as to face the upper side Z1.

The secondary side pressure gauge (secondary side display section) 17 measures and displays the pressure of the secondary side gas. The secondary side pressure gauge 17 is a conventionally known pressure gauge such as a Bourdon tube pressure gauge. The secondary side pressure gauge 17 is attached to the side surface of the casing 20D of the pressure adjustment section 10D at a lower side Z2 than the primary side pressure gauge 16. The secondary pressure gauge 17, like the primary pressure gauge 16, has a secondary pressure display surface 17a facing toward one side A1 in the outflow direction A. The secondary pressure display surface 17a is inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z so as to face the upper side Z1.

The positions at which the primary side pressure gauge 16 and the secondary side pressure gauge 17 are attached to the side surface of the casing 20D are not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. attached to the opposite side.

In this embodiment, a primary side pressure gauge 16 and a secondary side pressure gauge 17 attached to the side surface of the casing 20D are provided in the outflow direction A inclined with respect to the width direction Y. Therefore, the pressure regulator 1D can be made small so that the entire pressure regulator 1D can be accommodated within the outer diameter L1 of the gas container 100. Further, the pressure regulator 1 can reduce the risk of accidents caused by contact with people or objects, similarly to the above-described embodiments.

In addition, in this embodiment, although the pressure adjustment part 10D is not equipped with the secondary side display part 34 of 1st embodiment, it may be equipped with the secondary side display part 34 similarly to the above-mentioned embodiment. In this case, the pressure adjustment unit 10D is equipped with the secondary side display unit 34, so that the pressure adjusted by the adjustment handle 30D can be checked, and the secondary side pressure gauge 17 further shows the pressure adjusted by the adjustment handle 30D. The pressure of the next gas can be measured and displayed.

Although the third embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes may be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention. . Furthermore, the constituent elements shown in the above-described embodiment and the modified examples shown below can be configured by appropriately combining them.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 to 17. In the following description, components that are common to those already described will be given the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted. In addition, the following embodiments are different from the above-mentioned embodiments in the pressure adjustment section. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the above-described embodiments.

FIG. 15 is a schematic front view of a pressure regulator 1F according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 16 is a schematic side view of the pressure regulator 1F. FIG. 17 is a plan view of the pressure regulator 1F viewed from the upper side Z1.
The pressure regulator 1F is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape that extends in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction) Z and has a central axis O2 in the vertical direction Z. The pressure regulator 1F includes a pressure regulator 10F, an inlet joint 40, and an outlet joint 50.

The pressure adjustment part 10F is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with a central axis O2 extending in the vertical direction Z as the central axis. The pressure adjustment section 10F is different from the pressure adjustment section 10D of the third embodiment in a deformation section, a primary pressure gauge, and a secondary pressure gauge. The pressure adjustment section 10F further includes an orifice 18 (see FIG. 16), and a flow rate display section 19 (see FIG. 15) on the adjustment handle 30F.

Compared to the above-described embodiment, the deformable portion 21F included in the pressure adjustment portion 10F is formed so that the cross section of the portion where the side surface of the casing 20F is cut out is U-shaped when viewed from the upper side Z1, as shown in FIG. has been done. In this case, the entire volume of the pressure adjustment section 10F can be further reduced compared to the above-described embodiment.

The primary side pressure gauge (primary side display section) 16F is attached to the side surface of the casing 20F of the pressure adjustment section 10F, and has a primary side pressure display surface 16Fa parallel to the plane formed by the outflow direction A and the vertical direction Z. There is. Further, the secondary side pressure gauge (secondary side display section) 17F is attached to the side surface of the casing 20F of the pressure adjustment section 10F at a lower side Z2 than the primary side pressure gauge 16F, and the secondary side pressure display surface 17Fa is set in the outflow direction. It is provided parallel to the plane formed by A and the vertical direction Z. The primary side pressure display surface 16Fa and the secondary side pressure display surface 17Fa are not inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z compared to the third embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 16, the orifice 18 is provided at a second connection end 50b that is a connection portion between the casing 20F of the pressure adjustment section 10F and the outlet joint 50. The orifice 18 penetrates in the outflow direction A at the center and includes an orifice hole 18a set to a predetermined size, and controls the flow rate of the secondary gas. The orifice 18 only needs to be provided in a space where the secondary gas is accommodated; for example, the orifice 18 may be provided in the outlet path 24a of the casing 20F, or it may be provided in the secondary gas path 50c of the outlet joint 50. may be prepared for.

The flow rate display section 19, as shown in FIG. 15, displays a flow rate according to the pressure to be adjusted. Here, the flow rate can be calculated based on the area of the hole diameter of the orifice hole 18a through which the secondary gas passes and the pressure before and after the orifice 18. The flow rate display section 19 includes a flow rate scale 19a. The flow rate scale 19a is scaled according to the relationship with the pressure adjusted by the adjustment handle 30. That is, the flow rate display section 19 can be used in place of the secondary pressure display section 34 of the above-described embodiment. With this configuration, the user adjusts the opening/closing of the valve movable section 14 by adjusting the flow rate scale 19a to the indicator 20a using the adjustment handle 30 while checking the flow rate scale 19a of the flow rate display section 19 so as to obtain a predetermined flow rate. be able to.

Although the fourth embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like may be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention. . Moreover, the components shown in the above-mentioned embodiment and the modified examples shown below can be configured by appropriately combining them.

(Modification 3)
For example, as shown in FIG. 18, compared to the pressure regulator 1F of the fourth embodiment, the pressure regulator 1G has an adjustment handle 30G similar to the adjustment handle 30C of the pressure adjustment section 10C shown in the fourth modification. The grip rotation part 33G may have a plurality of convex parts 33b. Also in this case, the pressure regulator 1G has the same effect as described above.

(Modification 4)
For example, as shown in FIG. 19, the pressure regulator 1H includes a primary pressure gauge 16 and a secondary pressure gauge 17H that are different in size compared to the pressure regulator 1D of the third embodiment. You can. Further, the directions in which the primary pressure display surface 16a of the primary pressure gauge and the secondary pressure display surface of the secondary pressure gauge face are not particularly limited, and may face in the width direction Y, for example.

(Modification 5)
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 20, for example, the pressure regulator 1J is different from the pressure regulator 1F of the fourth embodiment in that the adjustment handle 30J of the pressure adjustment part 10J is in the vertical direction Z. It may be provided on the upper side Z1, which is the side opposite to 30F.

The pressure regulator of the present invention can be used for various purposes such as industrial use, ceramic use, medical use, bulk use, simple gas use, and primary medium pressure supply use. Further, the pressure regulator of the present invention is not limited to the gas container described in this embodiment, and may be used in various conventionally known gas containers. Furthermore, the size of the gas container is not particularly limited, and any size gas container can be used.

In any of the above embodiments, the pressure regulator according to the present invention can provide a pressure regulator that is compact and can be used in a space-saving manner, and can reduce the risk of accidents due to the risk of contact.

According to the pressure regulator according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pressure regulator that is compact and can be used in a space-saving manner, and can reduce the risk of accidents due to the risk of contact, so that it can be used industrially.

100 Gas container 101 Body 102 Gas supply section 103 Valve 104 Protector 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1J Pressure regulator 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10F, 10J Pressure adjustment section 11 Diaphragm 12 Pressure regulating spring 12a Large spring plate 12b Small spring plate 13 Valve fixed part 13a Valve seat 14 Valve movable part 15, 15A Primary display part 16, 16F Primary side pressure gauge (primary side display part)
17, 17F, 17H Secondary pressure gauge (secondary side display)
18 Orifice 19 Flow rate display section 20, 20B, 20D, 20F Casing 21, 21F Deformation section 22 Pressure chamber 23 Primary chamber 24 Secondary chamber 25 Adjustment spring chamber 30, 30A, 30C, 30D, 30F, 30G, 30J Adjustment handle 31, 31C Handle main body 32 Threaded parts 33, 33G Gripping rotation parts 34, 34A Secondary side display part 34a Scale 40 Inlet joint 40a Inflow port 40b First connection end 50, 50A Outlet joint 50a Outflow port 50b Second connection end A, C Outflow Direction A1 One side (second connection end side)
A2 Other side B Longitudinal direction J Rotation direction L1 Outer diameter N1 First longitudinal axis N2, NA2 Second longitudinal axis P1 First position P2 Second position X Left-right direction (inflow direction)
X1 Left side X2 Right side Y Width direction Z Vertical direction (longitudinal direction)

Claims (9)

an inlet joint through which the primary gas supplied from the gas container flows in the inflow direction;
a pressure adjustment part that extends in the longitudinal direction, has a side surface connected to a first connection end of the inlet joint, and adjusts the pressure of the primary gas to the pressure of the secondary gas;
an outlet joint that allows the secondary side gas to flow out in an outflow direction different from the inflow direction;
Equipped with a pressure regulator. The outlet fitting has a second connection end connected to the side surface of the pressure adjustment part,
The second connection end is connected to a position asymmetrical to a position where the first connection end of the inlet joint is connected with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pressure adjustment part when viewed from the longitudinal direction. pressure regulator. The inlet joint has a first pipe line along the inflow direction,
The outlet joint has a second pipe line along the outflow direction,
The pressure regulator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the angle between the first longitudinal axis of the first pipe line and the second longitudinal axis of the second pipe line is within 90 degrees. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the outflow direction is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction. The pressure adjustment unit includes a pressure chamber that communicates with the inlet joint and the outlet joint, a valve body that restricts the inflow of the primary gas into the pressure chamber, and a threaded portion that adjusts the pressure of the secondary gas. with an adjustable handle;
The pressure regulator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the threaded portion is a multithread thread that is rotated by the adjustment handle to adjust the pressure of the secondary gas. The pressure regulator according to claim 5, wherein the adjustment handle includes a secondary side display section that displays the pressure of the secondary gas on the side surface. The pressure regulator according to claim 6, wherein the secondary side display section is provided on one side or the other side of the pressure regulation section in the longitudinal direction. The pressure regulator according to claim 7, wherein the pressure regulator further includes a primary side display unit that displays the pressure of the primary gas. The pressure regulator according to claim 8, wherein the primary side display section is provided on a side opposite to the secondary side display section provided on one side or the other side in the longitudinal direction in the pressure adjustment section.

Images