JP7118621B2 - Fluid control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fluid control device having an information acquisition mechanism.

Conventionally, fluid control devices such as gate valves installed in water pipes made of metal such as iron and blocking the flow of water inside the water pipe and fire hydrants that release water inside the water pipe to the outside are known ( For example, see Patent Document 1). Normally, water taken from rivers and dams is treated at water treatment plants and sent to water distribution plants as clean water. The clean water sent to the water distribution station is pumped through the water pipes, more specifically, the water pipes for distributing the clean water to the surroundings of the supply destinations such as households, and the water supply pipes branched from the water pipes. supplied to When a part of a water pipe is damaged or when the water pipe has deteriorated, water pipe work is carried out to repair or replace the water pipe.

10A and 10B are schematic diagrams used to explain the water pipe work to replace the water pipe, FIG. 10A is a diagram showing the water pipe before the water pipe work is performed, ) is a diagram showing the water pipe when the water pipe construction is being carried out, and FIG. 10(c) is a diagram showing the water pipe after the water pipe construction is carried out.

The water pipes of FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b) comprise water pipes 101, 102 and 103, and the water pipes 101 and 102 and the water pipes 102 and 103 are connected by connecting portions 104 and 105, respectively. Water flows from the water pipe 101 toward the water pipe 103 inside the water pipes 101 , 102 , 103 . Furthermore, the water pipe 101 has a gate valve 106 on the upstream side (hereinafter simply referred to as "upstream side") with respect to the direction in which water flows from the connection portion 104, and a fire hydrant 107 on the upstream side of the gate valve 106. . The water pipe 102 also has a fire hydrant 108 between the connections 104 and 105 . Furthermore, the water pipe 103 has a gate valve 109 on the downstream side (hereinafter simply referred to as "downstream side") of the connection portion 105 with respect to the direction in which water flows, and a fire hydrant 110 on the downstream side of the gate valve 109. .

When a damaged portion X occurs in the water pipe 102 (Fig. 10(b)), first, the operator of the water pipe construction operates the gate valves 106 and 109 to close the water pipes 101 and 103 (Fig. 10(b) )), stopping the flow of water into the water pipe 102 . Next, the person performing the water pipe construction replaces the water pipe 102 with a new water pipe 111 and connects the new water pipe 111 to the water pipes 101 and 103 at the connection portions 104 and 105 . After that, the operator of the water pipe construction operates the gate valves 106 and 109 to open the water pipes 101 and 103 (FIG. 10(c)), and finishes the construction.

By the way, when the gate valves 106 and 109 are operated to open the water pipes 101 and 103 after the water pipe construction is finished, water becomes suspended due to rust inside the water pipes. Therefore, usually, after connecting the new water pipe 111 to the water pipes 101 and 103, the person who carries out the water pipe construction first operates the gate valve 106 on the upstream side to open the water pipe 101, and the fire hydrant 108 After the muddy water is discharged, the downstream gate valve 109 is operated to open the water pipe 103 .

JP 2009-61441 A

However, in order to stably supply tap water, a plurality of water pipes are buried underground, and the water pipes are connected to each other to form a complex network of underground pipes. Therefore, when a plurality of water pipe works are carried out within a predetermined area, a plurality of gate valves and fire hydrants are operated, and the pressure inside the water pipes forming a complicated pipeline network changes. As a result, water flowing in a predetermined direction may flow in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction.

Therefore, in order to discharge the suspended water to the outside of the water pipe after the completion of the water pipe construction, the operator of the water pipe construction operates one of the gate valves (for example, the gate valve 106) to remove the suspended water. to the outside of the water pipe, and then operate the other gate valve (for example, the gate valve 109). Direction may change. In this case, the suspended water is not discharged outside the water pipe unless the other gate valve is operated. In addition, as a result of the water pipe work operator operating one of the sluice valves, the direction of water flow inside the water pipe changes based on the execution of the water pipe work, and the other sluice valve must be operated. You may understand. In this case, if the person carrying out the water pipe work operates one of the sluice valves once to open the water pipe, and then operates the other sluice valve while the water pipe remains open, the water will flow inside the water pipe. The opportunity to drain running, suspended water out of the water pipe is lost. In other words, it is not possible to easily recognize the direction of water flowing inside the water pipe.

In addition, the water pressure may be measured in order to check whether the water flowing inside the water pipe is flowing properly, and the water pressure is usually measured by connecting a pressure gauge to a nearby fire hydrant. . In other words, it is not possible to easily recognize the water quality such as the pressure of the water flowing inside the water pipe.

That is, conventionally, there has been a problem that information about water flowing inside a water pipe cannot be easily obtained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid control device that can easily acquire information about water flowing inside a water pipe.

In order to achieve the above object, a fluid control device according to claim 1 is a fluid control device connected to a conduit through which a fluid passes, comprising a contact means for contacting the fluid and a rotatable contact means for contacting the fluid. a support means for supporting the fluid, a contact means for contacting the contact means rotated based on the fluid, and a direction in which the fluid flows through the pipe according to the contact of the contact means against the contact means. and determining means for determining , wherein the fluid control device has a valve body for blocking the flow of the fluid, the valve body is connected to a valve shaft, and the valve shaft contacts the abutment means. characterized by

In order to achieve the above object, a fluid control device according to claim 3 is a fluid control device connected to a conduit through which fluid passes, wherein the wall of the conduit is provided with a supply means for supplying light; light receiving means for receiving the supplied light provided at a position facing the supply means on the wall of the conduit; and light receiving means provided in the conduit for flow of the fluid and a determination means for determining the flow direction of the fluid or whether the flow of the fluid has stopped based on whether or not the light receiving means has received the light from the supply means. characterized by

In order to achieve the above object, a fluid control device according to claim 4 is a fluid control device connected to a pipeline through which a fluid passes, comprising: a valve body for blocking the flow of the fluid; It comprises a contact portion that contacts when the pipeline is completely opened, and holding means that holds a sensor for acquiring information on the fluid, and the valve body is in contact with the contact portion. The sensor is characterized in that it is in contact with the fluid when not in use.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the information regarding the water which flows through the inside of a water pipe can be acquired easily.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure for demonstrating the gate valve as a fluid control apparatus based on the 1st Embodiment of this invention, Fig.1 (a) is a front view of a gate valve, FIG.1(b) is FIG. It is a side view of the gate valve of (a). FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a packing box in the gate valve of FIG. 1; It is a fragmentary sectional view used in order to demonstrate the internal structure around a lid|cover and a packing box in FIG.1(b). It is a figure for demonstrating the information acquisition mechanism attached to the through-hole in FIG.1(b). 5 is a diagram for explaining a first modification of the information acquisition mechanism of FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a modification of the information acquisition mechanism of FIG. 5; FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a second modification of the information acquisition mechanism of FIG. 4; FIG. FIG. 8A is a diagram for explaining a gate valve as a fluid control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8A(a) is a side view of the gate valve, and FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the packing box in the gate valve of (a). FIG. 8B is a partial cross-sectional view of the periphery of the through hole used for explaining the through hole in FIG. 8A; FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an information acquisition mechanism attached to a through hole provided in a gate valve as a fluid control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 10(a) is a schematic diagram used to explain water pipe construction for repairing or replacing a water pipe; is a diagram showing the water pipe when the water pipe construction is being carried out, and FIG. 10(c) is a diagram showing the water pipe after the water pipe construction is carried out.

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a gate valve 1 as a fluid control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1(a) is a front view of the gate valve 1, and FIG. b) is a side view of the gate valve 1 of FIG. 1(a).

The gate valve 1 shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) includes a valve body 2, a lid 3, a packing box 4, and an operation part 5, and the packing box 4 is fitted to the valve body 2 and the operation part 5. They are arranged so as to face each other with the lid 3 interposed therebetween. The gate valve 1 is also connected to water pipes 50a and 50b. The gate valve 1 may be provided with an opening meter 6 for checking the opening of a valve element connected to a valve stem 7, which will be described later. is arranged so as to intervene between

The valve body 2 has an upper opening 2 e , a left opening 2 a and a right opening 2 b , and the upper opening 2 e is connected to the lid 3 . The left opening 2a is connected to the water pipe 50a, the right opening 2b is connected to the water pipe 50b, and the water (fluid) flowing inside the water pipe 50a sequentially passes through the left opening 2a and the right opening 2b. Then, the water moves to the water pipe 50b, or the water flowing inside the water pipe 50b sequentially passes through the right side opening 2b and the left side opening 2a and moves to the water pipe 50a. Further, the valve body 2 has a side wall portion 2c, and the side wall portion 2c has a through hole 8a passing through the side wall portion 2c. Information about the water pipes 50a and 50b is stored in the through-hole 8a, for example, the direction in which water flows in the water pipes 50a and 50b (hereinafter referred to as "water flow direction"), turbidity, pressure, residual chlorine concentration, An information acquisition mechanism 10 (FIG. 4) for acquiring information such as the presence or absence of foreign matter is attached.

The lid 3 is connected to the upper opening 2e of the valve body 2 and has a cylindrical member 3b connected to the valve body 2, the cylindrical member 3b having a lower opening 3d corresponding to the upper opening 2e. By the way, the gate valve 1 has a valve body 35 , and one end of the valve body 35 is connected to the valve stem 7 . The lid 3 has an upper opening 3f that faces the lower opening 3d and through which the valve stem 7 is inserted. A gap 3e is formed therebetween (FIG. 3). The valve body 35 moves between the valve body 2 and the lid 3, and when the outer edge of the valve body 35 abuts against the inner wall of the valve body 2, it blocks the flow of water inside the valve body 2, so that the water flows to the left side. It is not possible to move between the opening 2a and the right opening 2b relative to each other. On the other hand, when the valve body 35 moves from the valve body 2 to the lid 3 and comes into contact with the valve body contact surface 3a (FIG. 3) provided inside the lid 3, the movement of the valve body 35 stops and the water pipe is closed. 50a and 50b are completely opened. When the valve body 35 is in contact with the valve body contact surface 3a, water does not move toward the packing box 4 even if the insides of the valve body 2 and the lid 3 are filled with water.

2 is a perspective view showing the packing box 4 in the gate valve 1 of FIG. 1. FIG.

The packing box 4 has a U-shape consisting of a long member 4d and short members 4e and 4f, has a through hole 4b passing through the center of the long member 4d, and is attached to the cylindrical member 3b. When the packing box 4 is attached to the cylindrical member 3b, the through hole 4b and the upper opening 3f communicate with each other. The elongated member 4d has a side wall portion 4a, and when the packing box 4 is attached to the cylindrical member 3b, the side wall portion 4a extends from the edge of the elongated member 4d to the valve body 35 of the valve box 2 and the lid 3. protrude in the direction of movement between

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view used to explain the internal structure around the lid 3 and the packing box 4 in FIG. 1(b).

The packing box 4 of FIG. 3 has an annular sealing material 4c inside thereof, and the sealing material 4c is arranged in the center of the through hole 4b. By the way, one end of the valve body 35 that moves between the valve body 2 and the lid 3 is connected to the valve stem 7, and the valve stem 7 is inserted through the through hole 4b and the upper opening 3f. There is a gap 3e between the valve stem 7 and the upper opening 3f, and a gap 4g between the valve stem 7 and the through hole 4b. When the inside of the valve body 2 and the lid 3 is filled with water and the valve body 35 is separated from the valve body contact surface 3a, water passes through the valve body contact surface 3a and enters the gap 3e, and then Penetrate the gap 4g. At this time, since the sealing material 4c is in close contact with the valve stem 7 so as to surround the valve stem 7, water entering the gap 4g is stopped by the sealing material 4c.

Returning to FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), one end of the valve stem 7 inserted through the packing box 4 is connected to the valve body 35, and the other end of the valve stem 7 is connected to the operating portion 5. A cap 5a is attached to the operating portion 5 for improving the operability of the operating portion 5 by the user. When the user holds the cap 5a and rotates it around the valve stem 7, the valve element 35 connected to one end of the valve stem 7 moves between the valve body 2 and the lid 3, opening the water pipes 50a and 50b. or cut off. Thus, when the water pipes 50a and 50b are open, the water flowing through the water pipe 50a moves to the water pipe 50b, or the water flowing through the water pipe 50b moves to the water pipe 50a. Further, when the water pipes 50a and 50b are blocked, the water flowing through the water pipes 50a and 50b is stopped by the gate valve 1.例文帳に追加When the opening meter 6 is arranged between the packing box 4 and the operation unit 5, the user can check the scale (not shown) of the opening meter 6 when rotating the cap 5a.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the information acquisition mechanism 10 attached to the through hole 8a in FIG. 1(b). In this embodiment, it is assumed that the information acquired by the information acquisition mechanism 10 is the flow direction of water flowing through the water pipes 50a and 50b.

The information acquisition mechanism 10 of FIG. 4 includes a control unit 11 (determination means), a plate member 12 (contact means), a cylinder member 13, a filling resin 14, a strain gauge sensor 21 (detection means), and an electric cable 22. A member 13 is fitted into a through hole 8a provided in the side wall portion 2c of the valve body 2. As shown in FIG. The plate member 12 is, for example, a plate-like member made of metal and having a predetermined thickness. One end of the plate member 12 is disposed inside the cylindrical member 13, and the other end connects the right opening 2b and the left opening 2a. The other end of the plate member 12 is arranged inside the pipeline 2d and contacts water when water flows through the pipeline 2d. The plate member 12 is a member that deforms when it comes into contact with water, and a pair of strain gauge sensors 21 (detection means) are attached to the plate member 12 for detecting the amount of deformation of the plate member 12 when the plate member 12 is deformed. It is In this embodiment, a pair of strain gauge sensors 21 are attached so as to sandwich the plate member 12 , and the respective strain gauge sensors 21 face each other with the plate member 12 interposed therebetween. Each strain gauge sensor 21 is connected via an electric cable 22 to the control section 11 arranged outside the gate valve 1 . Based on the amount of deformation of the plate member 12, the control unit 11 determines the flow direction of water flowing through the water pipes 50a and 50b (pipe line 2d).

The interior of the cylindrical member 13 is filled with a filling resin 14 , and a portion of the plate member 12 , the pair of strain gauge sensors 21 , and a portion of the electric cable 22 are embedded in the filling resin 14 . This prevents water from leaking from the periphery of the through hole 8a.

The water pipes 50a and 50b are opened by positioning the valve body 35 of the gate valve 1 on the lid 3, and the water flows in the direction from the left opening 2a to the right opening 2b (direction of arrow W in FIG. 4). When water is flowing, the other end of the plate member 12 protruding inside the conduit 2d comes into contact with the water and is slightly deformed toward the right opening 2b. When deformation of the other end of the plate member 12 occurs, each strain gauge sensor 21 detects the strain of the plate member 12, the detected strain is converted into an electric signal by each strain gauge sensor 21, and the converted electric signal is It is transmitted to the control unit 11 via the electric cable 22 . The control unit 11 determines the information regarding the strain of the plate member 12 based on the received electric signal, and determines the flow direction of the water flowing inside the conduit 2d. After that, the controller 11 displays the determined flow direction of the water flowing inside the conduit 2d on an external output device (not shown) connected to the controller 11, for example.

According to the gate valve 1 of the first embodiment, the plate member 12 arranged inside the pipeline 2d is deformed, the strain that is information about the deformation is detected, and the pipeline is deformed according to the detected strain. Since the direction of water flowing inside 2d is determined, for example, even if the pressure of water flowing inside a water pipe that forms a complicated pipeline network changes and the direction of water flow inside the water pipe changes, , it is possible to easily obtain information about the direction of water flow inside the water pipe. As a result, when a person carrying out water pipe construction wants to immediately grasp the direction of water flow inside the water pipe, it is possible to obtain simple and accurate information on the direction of water flow. It is possible to improve the work efficiency of workers. A pair of strain gauge sensors 21 for detecting the strain of the plate member 12 are arranged so as to sandwich the plate member 12 . As a result, even if one strain gauge sensor 21 fails and does not detect the water flow direction, the other strain gauge sensor 21 detects the water flow direction, reducing the risk that the water flow direction will not be detected. can do.

The information acquisition mechanism 10 of the present embodiment detects the flow direction of the water flowing inside the pipeline 2d. information on the water quality of

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a first modification of the information acquisition mechanism 10 of FIG.

FIG. 5 shows an information acquisition mechanism 20 as a first modified example of the information acquisition mechanism 10 of FIG. It differs from the information acquisition mechanism 10 in that the pair of strain gauge sensors 21 in the information acquisition mechanism 10 are replaced with different sensors. Hereinafter, descriptions of duplicate configurations and actions will be omitted, and different configurations and actions will be described.

The cylinder member 13 of the information acquisition mechanism 20 has a support shaft 16a (support means) protruding from its inner wall in a direction orthogonal to the water flow direction (arrow W in FIG. 5). The plate member 12 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 16a and rotates around the support shaft 16a. The information acquisition mechanism 20 also has a pair of pressure sensors 25a and 25b (abutment means). It is attached at a position where the end portion 12a of the plate member 12 comes into contact when it rotates to the center. The pressure sensors 25a and 25b are connected to the controller 11 by electric cables 26a and 26b, respectively.

Specifically, when water flows in the direction of arrow W in FIG. 5, the end portion 12b of the plate member 12 is pressed in the direction of arrow W, and the plate member 12 rotates around the support shaft 16a. As a result, the end portion 12a of the plate member 12 comes into contact with the pressure sensor 25a. The pressure-sensitive sensor 25a contacted by the plate member 12 transmits the impact generated by the contact of the plate member 12 to the control unit 11 as an electric signal. The controller 11 receives the electric signal from the pressure sensor 25a, determines that the direction of water flow in the conduit 2d is the direction of the arrow W, and displays the flow direction inside the water pipes 50a and 50b on the external output device. .

According to the information acquisition mechanism 20 of this modified example, the same effect as the information acquisition mechanism 10 can be obtained. In this modified example, a pair of pressure sensors 25a and 25b are used to detect the contact of the plate member 12, but instead of this, a microswitch may be used. Further, in this modification, it is assumed that the pair of pressure sensors 25a and 25b are attached to the inner wall of the cylindrical member 13 recessed from the through hole 8a. There are cases where the hole 8a is not provided. In this case, the pressure sensors 25a and 25b may be provided on the inner wall of the through hole 4b along the water flow direction. Specifically, when the pressure sensor 25a is attached to the water pipe 50a side of the inner wall of the through hole 4b and the pressure sensor 25b is attached to the water pipe 50b side of the inner wall of the through hole 4b, the gate valve 1 When the valve body 35 comes into contact with the water flowing through the pipe 2d from the water pipe 50a to the water pipe 50b, the valve body 35 is pressed in the direction of water flow, the valve stem 7 (valve shaft) is slightly tilted, and the inner wall of the through hole 4b is pushed. contact the pressure sensor 25b attached to the . Thereafter, the direction of water flow is determined in the same manner as in the information acquisition mechanism 20, and displayed on the external output device. As a result, even if the gate valve 1 is already installed in the ground and does not have the through hole 8a, it is possible to add a mechanism for easily acquiring information about the direction of water flow. can.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a modification of the information acquisition mechanism 20 of FIG.

FIG. 6 shows an information acquisition mechanism 30 as a modified example of the information acquisition mechanism 20 of FIG. It is different from the information acquisition mechanism 20 in that the pair of pressure sensors 25a and 25b of 20 are replaced with different sensors and the filling resin 14 is not used. Hereinafter, descriptions of duplicate configurations and actions will be omitted, and different configurations and actions will be described.

The plate member 12 of the information acquisition mechanism 30 has an end portion 12a that does not contact the water flowing inside the pipeline 2d and an end portion 12b that contacts the water flowing inside the pipeline 2d. It has a spherical support 16b, and the ends 12a, 12b and the spherical support 16b are integrally constructed. The spherical support 16b has a support shaft 16a passing through the spherical support 16b, and the support shaft 16a passes through the center of the spherical support 16b and penetrates the plate member 12 in a direction perpendicular to it. Further, the support shaft 16a penetrates the spherical support 16b in a direction orthogonal to the water flow direction when the plate member 12 is installed in the through hole 8a. Both ends of the support shaft 16a passing through the spherical support 16b protrude from the spherical support 16b.

The through-hole 8a has a through-hole spherical surface 9 corresponding to the spherical surface of the spherical support 16b. At this time, a sealing layer 17a is interposed between the spherical support 16b and the spherical surface 9 of the through hole. The seal layer 17a may be made of, for example, a resin material such as Teflon (registered trademark), and the spherical support 16b is interposed between the spherical support 16b and the spherical surface 9 of the through hole so that the spherical support 16b slides on the seal layer 17a. . The through hole 8a has around it engaging portions (not shown) with which both ends of the support shaft 16a protruding from the spherical support 16b are engaged. When both ends of the support shaft 16a are engaged with the engaging portions, the plate member 12 rotates around the support shaft 16a according to the direction of water flow.

A portion of the spherical support 16b that is not fitted into the through hole 8a protrudes from the outer surface of the valve body 2 to the outside of the valve body 2. As shown in FIG. A cylindrical member 13 is connected to a portion of the spherical support 16b protruding outside the valve body 2. As shown in FIG. A sealing layer 17b is interposed between the spherical support 16b and the cylindrical member 13. As shown in FIG. The sealing layer 17b may be made of, for example, a resin material such as Teflon (registered trademark). By being interposed between the spherical support 16b and the cylindrical member 13, the spherical support 16b slides on the sealing layer 17b.

The inner wall of the cylindrical member 13 is provided with electrodes 27a and 27b, and the electrodes 27a and 27b come into contact with the end portion 12a of the plate member 12 when the plate member 12 rotates around the support shaft 16a in accordance with the direction of water flow. installed in position. The electrodes 27a and 27b are connected to the controller 11 via electrical cables 28a and 28b, respectively. Further, the end portion 12a is connected to a power source (not shown), and power is supplied to the end portion 12a from the power source. Further, the end portion 12a is connected to the control portion 11 via an electric cable 28c. When the end portion 12a contacts the electrodes 27a and 27b, the end portion 12a and the electrodes 27a and 27b are energized and an electrical signal is transmitted to the control section 11. FIG.

Specifically, when water flows in the direction of arrow W in FIG. 6, the end 12b of plate member 12 in contact with water is pressed in the direction of arrow W, and plate member 12 rotates around support shaft 16a. move. As a result, the end portion 12a of the plate member 12 comes into contact with the electrode 27a. When the end portion 12a comes into contact with the electrode 27a, the end portion 12a and the electrode 27a are energized, and the energization is transmitted to the control section 11 as an electric signal. The controller 11 receives an electric signal indicating that the end portion 12a and the electrode 27a are energized, determines that the direction of water flow in the conduit 2d is the direction of the arrow W, and outputs to the external output device Display the internal flow direction.

According to the information acquisition mechanism 30 of this modified example, the same effect as the information acquisition mechanism 20 can be obtained.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a second modification of the information acquisition mechanism 10 of FIG.

FIG. 7 shows an information acquisition mechanism 40 as a second modified example of the information acquisition mechanism 10 of FIG. It differs from the information acquisition mechanism 10 in that the pair of strain gauge sensors 21 in the information acquisition mechanism 10 are replaced with optical fiber sensors. Hereinafter, descriptions of duplicate configurations and actions will be omitted, and different configurations and actions will be described.

The information acquisition mechanism 40 of FIG. 7 detects deformation of the plate member 12 by replacing the pair of strain gauge sensors 21 of the information acquisition mechanism 10 with optical fiber sensors 23 . The optical fiber sensor 23 is attached to the plate member 12 inside the tubular member 13 , and the optical fiber sensor 23 is connected to the control section 11 via the optical fiber cable 24 .

By the way, the optical fiber sensor 23 has a diffraction grating that decomposes the light supplied inside the optical fiber sensor 23 into a plurality of lights, and the wavelength of the light emitted from the diffraction grating (hereinafter referred to as "emission wavelength"). ) is measured as a physical quantity. An optical fiber sensor 23 is connected to the plate member 12, and when the plate member 12 is deformed, the emission wavelength changes according to the deformation of the plate member 12, and the optical fiber sensor 23 is related to the emission wavelength obtained before and after the deformation of the plate member 12. Information is sent to the control unit 11 . The controller 11 receives information about the emission wavelength and determines specific changes in the plate member 12 based on the change in emission wavelength.

Specifically, when water flows in the direction of arrow W in FIG. 7, the end 12b of plate member 12 in contact with water is pressed in the direction of arrow W, and plate member 12 is deformed. The optical fiber sensor 23 acquires emission wavelengths before and after deformation of the plate member 12 and transmits them to the control unit 11 . The control unit 11 receives the emission wavelengths before and after the deformation of the plate member 12, determines the deformation of the plate member 12 based on the transition of the emission wavelength, and determines that the water flow direction of the pipe 2d is the direction of the arrow W. . After that, the control unit 11 displays the flow directions inside the water pipes 50a and 50b on the external output device.

According to the information acquisition mechanism 40 of this modified example, the same effect as the information acquisition mechanism 10 can be obtained. Further, the optical fiber sensor 23 only needs a light source for supplying light inside, and does not require electric power. Therefore, even if water pipe construction or the like is carried out in a place where there is no power supply, the optical fiber sensor 23 can be used to easily detect the direction of water flow inside the water pipe. Although the optical fiber sensor 23 is attached to the plate member 12 in the information acquisition mechanism 40 , a pair of optical fiber sensors may be attached so as to sandwich the plate member 12 .

Next, a second embodiment of the invention will be described.

The second embodiment of the present invention is basically the same as the first embodiment described above in terms of its configuration and operation, and the side wall portion 2c of the valve box 2 does not have the through hole 8a, and the packing box 4 differs from the first embodiment of the present invention in that the side wall portion 4a of is provided with a through hole. Hereinafter, descriptions of duplicate configurations and actions will be omitted, and different configurations and actions will be described.

FIG. 8A is a diagram for explaining a gate valve 80 as a fluid control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8A(a) is a side view of the gate valve 80, and FIG. b) is a perspective view of the packing box 84 in the gate valve 80 of FIG. 8A(a).

The gate valve 80 of FIG. 8A does not have a through hole in the side wall portion 2c of the valve box 2, but has a through hole 8b (holding means) in the center of the side wall portion 4a of the packing box 84 so as to communicate with the gap 4g ( Figure 8B). The side wall portion 4a may have a plurality of through holes 8b. A sensor is inserted into the through-hole 8b to acquire information regarding, for example, the turbidity, pressure, residual chlorine concentration, or presence of foreign matter in the water pipe. Further, the sensor inserted into the through hole 8b is connected to the control unit via an electric cable, for example, and when the sensor acquires information from the water, it converts the information into an electric signal and transmits it to the control unit. . The control unit that has received the electric signal from the sensor determines the information acquired by the sensor based on the electric signal, and displays the determination result on, for example, an external output device (not shown) connected to the control unit.

Specifically, when information about the turbidity of water is required, first, the turbidity of the water is measured in the through hole 8b while the valve body 35 of the gate valve 80 is separated from the valve body contact surface 3a (contact portion). Insert a sensor to get information about the degree. As a result, water enters the gap 4g between the valve stem 7 and the through hole 4b. Since the through-hole 8b and the gap 4g communicate with each other, the tip of the sensor inserted into the through-hole 8b is positioned in the gap 4g, and the water contacts the sensor inserted into the through-hole 8b. When water contacts the sensor, the sensor acquires information about the turbidity of the water, converts the information into an electrical signal, and transmits it to the controller. Upon receiving the electric signal from the sensor, the controller determines the turbidity of the water obtained by the sensor based on the electric signal, and displays the result on an external output device (not shown).

According to the gate valve 80 of the second embodiment, the through hole 8b communicating with the gap 4g is provided in the center of the side wall portion 4a of the packing box 84. As shown in FIG. For example, when the sensor is inserted into the through hole 8b while the valve body 35 of the gate valve 80 is in contact with the valve body contact surface 3a, the tip of the sensor is installed in the gap 4g. After that, when the valve element 35 of the gate valve 80 moves slightly from the lid 3 to the valve box 2, water enters the gap 4g and contacts the sensor. can be obtained easily.

Further, the side wall portion 4a may have a plurality of through holes 8b. Accordingly, a sensor that acquires information on the turbidity of water and a sensor that acquires information on the pressure of water, for example, are inserted into each through hole 8b, so that information on different waters can be acquired at the same time.

Next, a third embodiment of the invention will be described.

The third embodiment of the present invention has basically the same structure and operation as the first embodiment described above, and the side wall portion 2c of the valve body 2 has not only the through hole 8a but also a further through hole. It differs from the first embodiment of the present invention in that it has Hereinafter, descriptions of duplicate configurations and actions will be omitted, and different configurations and actions will be described.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the information acquisition mechanism 60 attached to the through holes 8a and 8c provided in the gate valve 90 as the fluid control device according to the third embodiment of the invention.

The valve body 2 of the gate valve 90 of FIG. 9 has through holes 8a and 8c extending through the side wall portion 2c. The through holes 8a and 8c face each other across the center line of the valve body 2 connecting the center of the left opening 2a and the center of the right opening 2b. A cylindrical member 13 is inserted into the through hole 8a, and light emitting members 91 and 92 (supplying means) for emitting infrared rays are attached to the inner surface of the cylindrical member 13, for example. A cylindrical member 93 is recessed into the through hole 8c, and light receiving members 94 and 95 (light receiving means) for receiving light emitted by the light emitting members 91 and 92 are attached to the inner surface of the cylindrical member 93 .

The light emitting members 91, 92 and the light receiving members 94, 95 are connected to electric cables 96, 97, 98, 99, respectively, and the electric cables 96, 97, 98, 99 are connected to the control section 11 (discrimination means). The light-emitting members 91 and 92 transmit an electric signal indicating that they are emitting light to the control unit 11, and when the light-receiving members 94 and 95 receive the light emitted by the light-emitting members 91 and 92, they control this as an electric signal. Send to part 11.

For example, when water flows in the direction of arrow W in FIG. As a result, the light receiving member 94 receives the light emitted by the light emitting member 91, but the light receiving member 95 does not receive the light because the plate member 12 blocks the light emitted from the light emitting member 92. FIG. Therefore, the light-emitting members 91 and 92 transmit an electrical signal indicating that they are emitting light to the control section 11, and the light-receiving member 94 transmits an electrical signal indicating that the light-emitting member 91 has received the light emitted from the light-emitting member 91 to the control section 11. Send. At this time, the light receiving member 95 does not transmit an electric signal to the control section 11 . Based on the fact that the light emitting members 91 and 92 emit light and only the light receiving member 94 receives light, the control unit 11 determines that the direction of water flow in the conduit 2d is the direction of the arrow W, and outputs the water supply signal to the external output device. The direction of flow inside the tubes 50a, 50b is indicated.

By the way, when the control unit 11 receives an electrical signal indicating that the light receiving members 94 and 95 have received the light emitted from the light emitting members 91 and 92, it determines that water is not flowing inside the conduit 2d. .

Although the present invention has been described using the above-described embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

1 Gate valve 2 Valve box 2c Side wall 3 Lid 3a Valve body contact surface 4 Packing box 7 Valve stems 8a, 8c Through hole 8b Through holes 10, 20, 30, 40, 60 Information acquisition mechanism 11 Control unit 12 Plate member 12a End 16a Support shaft 16b Spherical support 21 Strain gauge sensor 23 Optical fiber sensors 25a, 25b Pressure sensors 27a, 27b Switches 50a, 50b Water pipes 91, 92 Light emitting members 94, 95 Light receiving members

Claims (6)

A fluid control device connected to a conduit through which a fluid passes,
contact means for contacting the fluid;
a support means for rotatably supporting the contact means;
an abutment means with which the contact means rotated based on the fluid abuts;
determining means for determining a direction in which the fluid flows through the conduit according to contact of the contact means with the contact means ;
The fluid control device has a valve body that blocks the flow of the fluid,
A fluid control device , wherein the valve body is connected to a valve shaft, and the valve shaft is in contact with the contact means . 2. A fluid control device according to claim 1 , wherein said abutment means is a pressure sensor, an electrode, or a switch. A fluid control device connected to a conduit through which a fluid passes,
supply means provided on the wall of the conduit for supplying light to the fluid;
a light-receiving means provided at a position facing the supply means on the wall of the duct for receiving the supplied light;
a follower provided in the conduit for following the flow of the fluid;
determining means for determining the flow direction of the fluid or whether the flow of the fluid has stopped based on whether or not the light receiving means has received the light from the supply means. . A fluid control device connected to a conduit through which a fluid passes,
a valve body that blocks the flow of the fluid;
a contact portion that contacts when the valve body completely opens the pipeline;
holding means for holding a sensor for acquiring information on the fluid;
A fluid control device, wherein the sensor is in contact with the fluid when the valve body is not in contact with the contact portion. 5. A fluid control device according to claim 4 , comprising a plurality of said holding means. 6. The fluid control device according to claim 4 , wherein the information on the fluid acquired by the sensor is turbidity, pressure, residual chlorine concentration, or presence or absence of foreign matter.

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