JP4465392B2 - Coupler and gas or liquid supply device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a coupler and a gas or liquid supply device, and more particularly to a novel improvement for allowing hydrogen and the like to be taken in and out with a simple configuration by a male coupler section and a female coupler section having a valve opening / closing mechanism. .

Conventionally, as this type of coupler, for example, in the field of using a hydrogen storage alloy (MH) capable of storing hydrogen compactly at a low pressure as a hydrogen source of a hydrogen utilization device typified by a fuel cell, Like conventional pressure vessels, couplers used in other fields have been employed.
For example, Patent Document 1 is a coupler mechanism having a socket and a plug for a general-purpose fluid, and has a structure that can be easily locked and sealed by inserting the socket into the plug. In addition, when the socket and the plug alone have a sealing mechanism, the sealing mechanism is released only after the both are combined, and a flow path for fluid flow can be secured.
Further, in Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3, Patent Document 4, and the like, there is a valve used for a lighter. This is because a valve is opened when a lighter is used, and a separate ignition function is provided in the container. It ignites the solvent for combustion.
Further, in Patent Document 5, Patent Document 6, and the like, a fuel inlet and outlet valve for the lighter are provided, and fuel can be taken in and out by this valve.

JP 2004-353833 A JP 2002-81649 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-21529 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-300081 JP 2004-293952 A Japanese Patent No. 2613137

Conventionally used couplers have been configured as described above, and therefore have the following problems.
Conventionally, the coupler of Patent Document 1 that has been adopted in a hydrogen storage container has not only a seal mechanism but also a lock mechanism, so that the structure is complicated, and the hydrogen storage container has been gradually required to be downsized. It has become difficult to reduce the size. Furthermore, since the male part and the female part have different structures, the manufacturing cost is high. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a hydrogen supply system capable of taking in and out hydrogen with a small and simplified hydrogen storage container.
In particular, in a hydrogen storage container, if hydrogen leaks when the hydrogen is taken in and out, there is a possibility that it may lead to a serious disaster depending on the concentration, and a system that does not leak hydrogen is required.
In particular, in a hydrogen storage container incorporating a hydrogen storage alloy, the alloy itself is in powder form, so that powder may enter the system and clog the system itself.

A coupler according to the present invention is a container containing a hydrogen storage alloy or gas or liquid, a male coupler portion attached to the surface side of the container and having a self-sealing male open / close valve mechanism by spring biasing; A female coupler part that is detachably provided on the male coupler part and has a spring-biased self-sealing female type opening / closing valve mechanism, and a coupler that is provided on the container and has a screw part on the outer periphery thereof. A male holding portion in which the male coupler portion is provided, a connecting portion in which the female coupler portion is provided on the surface side, and a concave cylindrical shape provided on the surface side and a first female-type holder having a threaded portion on the inner periphery without the said by screw coupling of the threaded portions in the male coupler portion and the female coupler portion is coupled Luke flop la, before Symbol Open / close bar for male type The outer periphery of the mechanism provided male accommodating cylinder, the position and protrudes Rutotomoni have female accommodating cylinder is provided, before Symbol axis of the first female holding portion on the outer periphery of the female opening and closing valve mechanism And an O-ring provided on the outer periphery of the female cylinder in which the female-type opening / closing valve mechanism is provided, and when the male-type holding portion and the first female-type holding portion are screwed together, the O-ring is The structure is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the male holding part, and the female cylinder and the first female holding part of the connecting part are integrated to form a second female holding part, The outer periphery of the female on-off valve mechanism is configured to be in contact with the inner hole of the connection part, and when the hydrogen storage alloy is built in the container, at one end of the male coupler part, A filter having fine pores smaller than the particles of the hydrogen storage alloy is provided. In addition, the filter is configured by caulking, and the male-type coupler unit and the female-type coupler unit have the same or similar structure and the self-sealing type by spring biasing. A gas or liquid supply device according to the present invention is configured to have an open / close valve mechanism, and the gas or liquid supply / removal is performed by the male coupler unit and the female coupler unit of the coupler according to claim 1. It is.

Since the coupler and the gas or liquid supply device according to the present invention are configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained.
Namely, a container containing a hydrogen storage alloy, a male holding part having a male coupler part attached to the surface side of the container and having a self-sealing male open / close valve mechanism by spring bias, and a female coupler A female holding portion having a portion, and the male coupler portion is provided on the surface side of the container via the male holding portion, and each holding portion is screw-coupled. Unlike the one-touch type coupler, the structure is simple, and it is possible to have a function of taking in and out hydrogen etc. corresponding to the miniaturization of the container.
In addition, since the male coupler unit is detachably provided with a female coupler unit having a self-sealing type female open / close valve mechanism with a spring bias of the same or similar structure as the male type, a supply system for hydrogen, etc. Can be easily configured at low cost.
The female coupler part is equipped with an O-ring and connection part that seals the container side when it is attached to and detached from the male coupler, thus simplifying the supply system of hydrogen and the like while preventing gas leakage such as hydrogen Can be configured.
In addition, a filter having pores finer than the particles of the hydrogen storage alloy is provided at one end of the male coupler, thereby preventing the hydrogen storage alloy powder from flowing into the hydrogen supply system. be able to.
Further, an inexpensive and high-performance system for taking in and out of hydrogen and the like can be obtained by the male coupler section and the female coupler section of the coupler according to claim 1.

  In the present invention, male and female coupler parts having an open / close valve mechanism are detachable using a male holding part and a female holding part that can be screw-coupled to each other. It is an object of the present invention to provide a coupler and a supply device for hydrogen and the like that enable the above.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a coupler and a gas or liquid supply apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a coupler 3 in which a male coupler unit 1 and a female coupler unit 2 according to the present invention are connected in a male-female fitting type. The male coupler unit 1 includes a compression spring 5. It is constituted by a male-type opening / closing valve mechanism 6 that operates by urging.

The male open / close valve mechanism 6 is provided in a male cylinder 8 having an O-ring 7 on its outer periphery so as to freely enter and exit, and a male valve 12 having a seal 9 on the outer periphery, and a seat for the male cylinder 8. The spring 5 is provided between an end 11 a of the lid 11 and the male valve 12.
Therefore, when the male valve 12 moves in the axial direction against the spring 5 or by the spring force, the seal 9 moves and the hole 13 opens and closes to open and close the male open / close valve mechanism 6. The male valve 12 is configured to be opened and closed. A filter 40 having a finer filter performance than the hydrogen storage alloy particles, that is, a fine hole (not shown), is provided on the outer surface of the end 11a of the seat lid 11.

The self-sealing type female open / close valve mechanism 30 by the spring bias of the female coupler unit 2 is provided in a female cylinder 21 having O-rings 20 and 27 on the outer periphery, and a seal 22 is provided on the outer periphery. The female valve 24 is provided, and the spring 26 provided between the end 25 a of the seat cover 25 of the female cylinder 21 and the female valve 24.
Therefore, when the female valve 24 moves in the axial direction against the spring 26 or by the spring force, the seal 22 moves and the female hole 28 opens and closes, so that the female open / close valve is opened. The mechanism 30 is configured to be opened and closed.
Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the female coupler unit 2 has, for example, a surface 80 a that is the axial center position of the first female holding unit 41 having a cylindrical shape whose overall shape is a concave shape in the connection unit 80. The male coupler portion 1 is provided on the surface 4b of the convex male holding portion 4 attached to the tip of the hydrogen storage container 90, and is provided in a screwed manner by the screw portion 80b. 4 is fixed and detachable through screw connection by a screw part 4a provided on the outer periphery of the screw 4 and a screw part 41a formed on the inner periphery of the first female holding part 41. Since the coupler 3 in FIG. 1 is in the coupled state, the valve mechanisms 6 and 30 of the coupler units 1 and 2 are in the open state.
3 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention in which a part of the female coupler section 2 of FIG. 8 is changed, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the screw connection state of FIG. A second female holding part 41b obtained by integrating the female cylinder 21 in the female coupler part 2 and the first female holding part 41 in the connecting part 80, and the second female type. The O-ring 20 provided on the outer periphery of the protruding cylindrical projection 41A protruding from the surface 80a axis of the holding portion 41b, and the female-type opening / closing valve mechanism 30 provided in the inner hole 80A of the connection portion 80. The connection portion 80 is configured so that the screw portion 80b and the seal 27 in FIG. 8 are unnecessary. The outer periphery 30a of the female-type opening / closing valve mechanism 30 is in contact with the inner hole 80A of the connection portion 80. Further, when the screw portions 4 a and 41 a of the male holding portion 4 and the second female holding portion 41 b are screwed together, the O-ring 20 is in contact with the inner peripheral surface 4 A of the male holding portion 4. Accordingly, the cost is reduced by reducing the number of parts, and there is no possibility that hydrogen or the like leaks from the vicinity of the surface 80a of the first female holding part 41 by eliminating the screw part 80b.

FIG. 4 shows a case where the above-described male coupler unit 1 is mounted on the surface 50a of the rectangular hydrogen storage container 50 in which hydrogen is stored, and the hydrogen in the hydrogen storage container 50 is exposed to the outside. It is the structure used for supplying.
5 and 6 show the male coupler on the surface 60a of a cylindrical container 60 (for example, a capacity equivalent to a known spray can) other than the rectangular hydrogen storage container 50 of FIG. The state where the part 1 is attached and the female coupler part 2 is attached to the filling nozzle 70 is shown.

Accordingly, when the female coupler portion 2 of the filling nozzle 70 is connected to the male coupler portion 1 of the container 60 in FIGS. 5 and 6 in the above-described state, as shown in FIG. The seal 22 of the 30 female valve 24 moves to open the hole 28, the seal 9 of the male valve 12 of the male open / close valve mechanism 6 moves to open the hole 13, and the inside of the container 60 Hydrogen passes through the filter 40 from the male opening / closing valve mechanism 6 through the conduction ports 14 and 29, and then through the female opening / closing valve mechanism 30 to the pipe 71 of the filling nozzle 70 from the hole in the end 25 a of the seat lid 25. Then, hydrogen is supplied to the outside. In addition, contrary to the above, the container 60 can be filled with hydrogen. 5 shows the container 60 and the filling nozzle 70 in a separated state, and FIG. 6 shows the combined state.
Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, in a state where the filling nozzle 70 is coupled to the container 60, hydrogen can be taken in and out of the container 60.
FIG. 7 shows a state in which the filter 40 is directly attached to the end portion 11a of the male coupler unit 1. The male open / close valve mechanism 6 has a spring 5 extending so that the male hole 13 is closed. It shows that the valve 12 is closed.
1 is attached to the seat cover 11 by caulking. When attached by adhesion as in the filter 40 shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 7, there is a concern that the adhesive may permeate into the filter and the permeation amount of the filter may be attenuated, and the amount cannot be controlled. It is not necessary and it is easy to secure the amount of hydrogen permeation.
Moreover, since the male type | mold holding | maintenance part 4 and each female type | mold holding | maintenance part 41 or 41b shown by FIG. 8 or FIG. In the configuration of FIG. 8, when the male holding part 4 and the first female holding part 41 are screwed as shown in FIG. 2, the O-ring 20 contacts the inner peripheral surface 4 </ b> A of the male holding part 4. It is a configuration.
Further, since the following components in the male coupler unit 1 and the female coupler unit 2 use components having the same or similar structure, they can be manufactured at low cost.
Same structure 5 and 26: Spring 7 and 27: O-ring 9 and 22: Seal Similar structure 8 and 21: Cylindrical body 11 and 25: Seat cover (The same structure is possible except for claim 3)
12 and 24: Valve

It is sectional drawing which shows supply apparatuses, such as a coupler and hydrogen, by this invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the coupled state of FIG. 3. It is an expanded sectional view which shows another use structure of each coupler part of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the square-shaped hydrogen storage container equipped with the male coupler part of FIG. It is an expansion exploded sectional view of the gas or liquid supply device of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the coupling | bonding state of FIG. It is another example of attachment of the filter to a male type coupler part. It is sectional drawing of the non-bonding state which shows the form of the coupler part of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Male type coupler part 2 Female type coupler part 3 Coupler 4 Male type holding part 4a Screw part 4b Surface 4A Inner peripheral surface 5 Spring 6 Opening / closing valve mechanism for male type 7 O ring 8 Male cylinder 9 Seal 11 Seat lid 11a end Part 12 Male valve 13 Male hole 14 Male conduction port 20 O-ring 21 Female cylinder 22 Seal 24 Female valve 25 Seat cover 25a End 26 Spring 27 O-ring 28 Female hole 29 Female conduction port 30 Female Mold opening / closing valve mechanism 30a Outer circumference 40 Filter 41 Female mold holding part 41a Screw part 41b Female mold holding part (integrated with a female cylinder)
41A cylindrical protrusion 50 hydrogen storage container 50a surface 60 container 60a surface 70 filling nozzle 71 pipe 80 connection part 80a surface 80b screw part 80A inner hole 90 container

Claims (6)

A male coupler having a container (90) containing a hydrogen storage alloy or gas or liquid, and a self-sealing male open / close valve mechanism (6) attached to the surface of the container (90) and biased by a spring Part (1),
In the coupler comprising the female coupler part (2), which is detachably provided on the male coupler part (1), and has a self-sealing type female open / close valve mechanism (30) by spring biasing, and
A male holding portion (4) provided on the container (90) and having a threaded portion (4a) on the outer periphery thereof, forming a convex shape, and having the male coupler portion (1) provided therein, and the female coupler portion (2) is a first female having a connecting portion (80) provided on the surface (80a) side and a concave cylindrical shape provided on the surface (80a) side and having a threaded portion (41a) on the inner periphery. with mold holding portion (41), wherein the threaded portions (4a, 41a) by a screw coupling of, in the male coupler portion (1) and the female coupler portion (2) is coupling Luke flop la, outer peripheral male accommodating cylinder (8) is provided in the prior Symbol male-off valve mechanism (6), female accommodating cylinder (21) is provided on the outer periphery of the female opening and closing valve mechanism (30) Tei Rutotomoni, provided on the outer periphery of the front Symbol first female holder the female accommodating cylinder that internally provided the located projecting to the axis the female opening and closing valve mechanism (30) (41) (21) With an O-ring (20)
In the screw connection state of the male holding part (4) and the first female holding part (41), the O-ring (20) is in contact with the inner peripheral surface (4A) of the male holding part (4). features and be Luke plastic. The female cylinder (21) and the first female holding part (41) of the connecting part (80) are integrated to form a second female holding part (41b), and the female open / close valve is formed. mechanism (30) the outer periphery of (30a) the claims 1 Symbol mounting coupler, characterized in that in contact with the inner bore (80A) of said connecting portion (80). When the hydrogen storage alloy is built in the container (90), a filter (40) having fine pores smaller than the particles of the hydrogen storage alloy is provided at one end of the male coupler (1). claim 1 or 2 SL placing the coupler, characterized in that it is. 3. Symbol mounting of the coupler, wherein the filter (40) is provided by crimping. Any of the claims 1, characterized in that the male coupler portion (1) and the female coupler portion (2) having a self-sealing-off valve mechanism by the spring biasing of the same or similar structure 4 Coupler.   A gas or liquid supply device, wherein the male coupler section (1) and the female coupler section (2) of the coupler according to claim 1 are configured to take in and out gas or liquid.

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