JP7125731B2 - Feeler gauge with sensor and tightening confirmation system using the same - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sensor-equipped feeler gauge for checking the tightening of a joint in which a male thread member and a female thread member are fastened by rotating them relative to each other, and a system for checking the tightening using the same.

In a pipe joint comprising first and second tubular joint members having fluid passages communicating with each other, the joint members are tightened together by appropriate screw means, the screw means being the first and second tubular joint members. Either one of the two joint members is formed with an externally threaded portion, and both joint members are coupled by a cap nut screwed onto the externally threaded portion of the joint member. Also known is a sleeve having no male thread formed thereon, in which both joint members are coupled by a separate male thread member and cap nut (Patent Document 1).

Such pipe joints are very often used in equipment and plants having many pipes, and the work of properly tightening the pipe joints is normally performed in the manufacturing of equipment or on the plant site.

The work of properly tightening the pipe joint is performed based on the specified specifications, and it is necessary for the worker himself or another worker to check whether the pipe joint is properly tightened.

JP 2010-96329 A

As for the work to check whether they are properly tightened, many pipe joints must be checked one by one, which is labor-intensive and may lead to failure to check.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a sensor-equipped feeler gauge and a joint tightening confirmation system using the same, which can easily and without omission confirm that many pipe joints are properly tightened. is.

The present invention (1) is a clearance gauge for checking the tightening of a joint in which a male thread member and a female thread member are fastened by relative rotation, and comprises at least one of a gauge body having a recess at the tip and an opening edge of the recess. and a second sensor provided at the base end portion of the recess, wherein the opening width of the recess is larger than the diameter of the external thread portion of the external thread member, and the In the sensor-equipped feeler gauge, the thickness of the gauge body is smaller than the maximum allowable distance between the male thread member and the opposing female thread member.

When the male threaded member and the female threaded member for tightening the joint are rotated relative to each other, the distance between the male threaded member and the female threaded member facing each other narrows, and when the distance falls below a certain value, it is determined that the necessary tightening has been performed.

By setting the thickness of the sensor-equipped feeler gauge to a certain upper limit thickness for judging that appropriate tightening has been performed, if the tightening is insufficient, the feeler gauge between the male threaded member and the opposing female threaded member will be detected. enters and reacts with a second sensor provided at the proximal end of the recess.

If the tightening is sufficient, the feeler gauge cannot be inserted between the male threaded member and the opposing female threaded member, and the first sensor provided on one and/or both of the opening edges of the recess reacts. .

Whether or not the joint has been properly tightened can be easily determined based on which sensor provided in the feeler gauge responds.

In the present invention (2), the concave portion has a protrusion on either one of the left and right edges, and the thickness of the protrusion is the minimum allowable thickness between the male thread member and the opposing female thread member. The sensor-equipped feeler gauge according to the present invention (1), characterized in that the distance is greater than the distance.

The thickness of the projecting portion of the present invention (2) is larger than the minimum allowable distance between the externally threaded member and the opposing female threaded member, so that the projecting portion serves as a stop gauge. Therefore, the first sensor does not respond, indicating that the joint is over-tightened.

The present invention (3) is the sensor-equipped feeler gauge according to the present invention (2), characterized in that a third sensor is provided at the tip of the projecting portion.

If the joint is over-tightened, the distance between the male thread member and the opposing female thread member becomes smaller than a certain value, and by setting the thickness of the protruding portion to the upper limit value, the third sensor reacts when the joint is over-tightened. can detect that the joint is over-tightened.

Present invention (4) is the sensor-equipped feeler gauge according to present inventions (1) to (3), wherein the sensor is a strain gauge or a pressure sensor.

By using a strain gauge or a pressure sensor as the sensor-equipped feeler gauge, it is possible to easily extract the strain or pressure generated when the feeler gauge is pressed against the joint as a signal.

The present invention (5) is a system for confirming tightening of a joint having the sensor-equipped feeler gauge according to any one of the present inventions (1) to (4), comprising: a receiver for receiving a signal from the sensor; The tightening confirmation system is characterized by comprising: a determination unit that determines pass/fail based on a received signal; and a storage unit that stores the result determined by the determination unit.

The sensor signal of the sensor-equipped feeler gauge is received by the receiving part of the system, and whether or not the tightening has passed can be easily determined by identifying which sensor sent the received signal.

By storing the discriminated judgment result in the storage unit and collating it with the joints of the equipment and the entire plant, inspection can be easily performed without omission.

The present invention (6) is characterized in that the joint is provided with an electronic tag having joint information, and the signal from the electronic tag is received by the receiving unit . system.

If an electronic tag with information about the joint such as a number, specification, date of manufacture, etc. is attached to each joint installed in a facility or plant, signals from the sensor and the electronic tag can be attached. At the same time, the information on the joints from the equipment and the joints in the entire plant can be collated automatically.

Present invention (7) is the tightening confirmation system according to present invention (6), wherein the electronic tag is an RFID.

By using the RFID, the information on the joint embedded in the RFID can be easily received by the communication unit using wireless communication.

The present invention (8) is the tightening confirmation system according to the present inventions (5) to (7), wherein a warning is issued when the tightening of the joint fails or when there is an omission in the tightening confirmation. be.

A case where tightening of the joint fails is a case where the second sensor or the third sensor reacts and the communication unit detects the signal.

The system of the present invention (8) associates the pass/fail signal with information from an electronic tag such as RFID, and warns that which joints are not sufficiently tightened, which joints have not been tightened, etc. warning can be easily made.

According to the sensor-equipped feeler gauge of the present invention, it is possible to easily check whether or not the joint has been properly tightened without visual inspection.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing Embodiment 1 of a sensor-equipped feeler gauge according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the feeler gauge with sensor according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a general pipe joint before tightening. 4 is a perspective view of the fitting of FIG. 3 after tightening the fitting; FIG. FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram of inspecting a pipe joint with a sensor attached gauge of Example 1 when tightening is insufficient, and FIG. FIG. 5C is a schematic diagram of inspecting with a gauge, and FIG. 5C is a schematic diagram of inspecting a pipe joint that is over-tightened with a sensor-equipped gauge of Example 2; FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of the tightening confirmation system according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flow chart for judging whether or not tightening is acceptable using the sensor-equipped clearance gauge of the first embodiment.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be exemplarily described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, and various manufacturing conditions of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. are merely illustrative examples. For the sake of convenience, the directions of members and the like are sometimes referred to as up, down, left, and right depending on the direction on the drawings, but these do not limit the directions of the members and the like when implementing or using the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sensor-equipped feeler gauge 1 according to the first embodiment has a substantially semicircular notched recess at the tip of the gauge body 10, and the second sensor 22 is located substantially in the center of the base end of the recessed surface 13. , and the second sensor protrudes slightly from the recessed surface 13 .

The first sensor 21 is embedded in the upper right and upper left parts of the opening edge of the recess, the right first sensor 21 slightly protrudes from the right front face 11 , and the left first sensor 21 slightly protrudes from the left front face 12 . Protruding.

In the first embodiment, the concave portion is cut out in a substantially semicircular shape, but it may be cut out in a rectangular shape or the like.

The second sensor 22 is connected to a central signal line 26 passing through a signal line passage (not shown) penetrating inside the gauge body 10, and the central signal line 26 exits from the rear surface (not shown) of the gauge body 10. .

The first sensor 21 on the right side is connected to a right signal line 24 passing through a signal line passage (not shown) penetrating inside the gauge body 10, and the right signal line 24 extends from the right side surface (not shown) of the gauge body 10. out.

The left first sensor 21 is connected to a left signal line 25 passing through a signal line passage (not shown) penetrating inside the gauge body 10 , and the left signal line 25 exits from the left side surface of the gauge body 10 .

A central signal line 26 , a right signal line 24 and a left signal line 25 form a signal line bundle 27 and are connected to a transmitter/receiver 30 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the sensor-equipped feeler gauge 1 according to the second embodiment has a substantially semicircular notched recess at the tip of the gauge body 10, and the second sensor 22 is located substantially in the center of the base end of the recessed surface 13. , and the second sensor protrudes slightly beyond the recessed surface 13 .

A first sensor 21 is embedded in the upper right side of the opening edge of the recess, and the first sensor 21 protrudes slightly from the right front face 11 .

A protrusion 29 is provided on the left edge of the recess, and a third sensor 23 is embedded in the tip of the protrusion 29 .

The signal lines for sending signals from the first sensor 21, the second sensor 22 and the third sensor 23 to the transmitter/receiver 30 are the same as those in the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

The method of embedding the sensor includes a method of providing a recess in the gauge body 10 to which the sensor is attached, placing the sensor in the recess and embedding it using an adhesive or the like, a method of press-fitting the sensor into the recess, and a method of brazing. , by powder metallurgy sintering, but not limited to them.

The first sensor 21, the second sensor 22, and the third sensor 23 embedded in the gauge body 10 are connected to the transmitter/receiver 30 by wire, but are not limited to those that transmit signals by wire. It may be transmitted wirelessly to the transceiver 30 directly from the sensor.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pipe joint 4 before tightening, which is one of the examples of the joint. has 45.

In FIG. 3, since tightening has not yet been performed, the external thread portion 44a of the external thread 44 is exposed and visible.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the state after the male screw 44 and the female screw 45 are relatively rotated and tightened.

The distance between the facing surfaces of the male threaded member 44 and the female threaded member 45 is narrower in FIG. 4 than in FIG.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the pipe joint 4 before tightening (Fig. 5A) and the pipe joint 4 after tightening (Fig. 5B) being inspected using the sensor-equipped feeler gauge 1 of Example 1, and an over-tightened pipe. Fig. 5C shows a schematic diagram of a joint 4 (Fig. 5C) being inspected using the sensor-equipped feeler gauge 1 of Example 2;

In FIG. 5A, since the tightening is insufficient, the distance between the facing surfaces of the male threaded member 44 and the female threaded member 45 is larger than the thickness of the gauge body 10, so that the second sensor 22 of the sensor-equipped feeler gauge 1 and the threaded member 44 are in contact with each other. contacts and the second sensor 22 reacts.

In FIG. 5B, since the tightening is proper, the distance between the facing surfaces of the threaded member 44 and the female threaded member 45 is smaller than the thickness of the gauge body 10, so the first sensor 21 of the sensor-equipped feeler gauge 1 and the threaded member 44 are Upon contact, the first sensor 21 reacts.

In FIG. 5C, since the tightening is too tight, the distance between the facing surfaces of the screw member 44 and the female screw member 45 becomes smaller than the thickness of the projecting portion 29. contacts and the third sensor 23 reacts.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a tightening confirmation system using the clearance gauge 1 with sensor.

One of many pipe joints installed in facilities and plants is illustrated, and the illustrated pipe joint is attached with an RFID 28, which is one of electronic tags in which its identification number is written.

This RFID may be an active type with a built-in battery or a passive type without a built-in battery. If the RFID is of a passive type, power can be supplied to the RFID by radio waves from the transmitter/receiver 30 to power the RFID.

The identification number of the pipe joint 4 is sent from the RFID 28 to the transmitter/receiver 30 by radio, and the identification number is received by the receiving antenna 31 of the receiving section 32 and temporarily stored in the determining section 33 .

Next, a signal from the sensor of the sensor-equipped clearance gauge 1 enters the receiving section 32 via the signal line bundle 27 and is sent to the determining section 33 .

The determination unit 33 determines whether the signal from the sensor-equipped feeler gauge 1 is a pass signal or a rejection signal, and stores the signal in the storage unit 34 in a pair with the identification number.

This paired information can be displayed on the display unit (not shown) of the transceiver 30 for confirmation.

Further, the tightening confirmation system can send this paired information to the transmission unit 35, transmit it to the central control server 38 by transmitting radio waves from the transmission antenna 36 to the Internet network 37.

The centralized control server 38 manages the identification of all joints in facilities and plants, and can immediately detect joints that have been overlooked in inspection or that are not properly tightened, and issue warnings.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of inspection for judging appropriate tightening when the joint is tightened by the sensor-equipped feeler gauge of the first embodiment.

First, the sensor-equipped feeler gauge of Example 1 is pressed against the clearance between the externally threaded members of the joint. (S1)
When the feeler gauge is pressed, the first sensor reacts for a specified time (for example, 1 to 2 seconds) and the second sensor does not react, the second sensor reacts after the first sensor reacts, and the first sensor does not react. Three types of results are detected, that is, the second sensor reacts first. If the first sensor responds and stops responding within a specified time (for example, 1 to 2 seconds), it is not recognized that the inspection has been performed. (S2)
If the first sensor reacts for a specified time (for example, 1 to 2 seconds) and the second sensor does not react, it is judged to have passed the test. If 2 sensors respond, it is judged to be a failure. (S3)
Thereafter, whether the tightening of the joint has passed or failed is recorded in pairs with the joint information identified by the electronic tag. (S4).

1: Gap gauge with sensor
4: Pipe joint 10: Gauge body 11: Right front 12: Left front
13: concave surface 21: first sensor 22: second sensor 23: third sensor 24: right signal line 25: left signal line 26: central signal line 27: signal line bundle 30: transmitter/receiver 31: receiving antenna 32: receiver 33: Determination unit 34: Storage unit 35: Transmission unit 36: Transmission antenna 37: Internet network 38: Central control server 41: First joint member 42: Second joint member 44: Male screw member 44a: Male screw portion 45: female Screw member

Claims (8)

A clearance gauge for checking tightening of a joint in which a male thread member and a female thread member are relatively rotated and fastened,
a gauge body having a recess at its tip;
a first sensor provided on at least one of the opening edges of the recess;
a second sensor provided at the proximal end of the recess;
has
The opening width of the recess is larger than the diameter of the external thread portion of the external thread member,
A sensor-equipped feeler gauge, wherein the thickness of the gauge body is smaller than the maximum allowable distance between the male thread member and the opposing female thread member. Having a protrusion on either one of the left and right edges of the recess,
2. A sensor-equipped feeler gauge according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of said protruding portion is larger than the minimum allowable distance between said externally threaded member and said opposing female threaded member. 3. The sensor-equipped feeler gauge according to claim 2, wherein a third sensor is provided at the tip of the projecting portion. The feeler gauge with sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sensor is a strain gauge or a pressure sensor. A system for checking tightening of a joint having the sensor-equipped feeler gauge according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
a receiver that receives a signal from the sensor;
a determination unit that determines pass/fail based on the signal received from the sensor;
a storage unit that stores the result determined by the determination unit;
A tightening confirmation system, comprising: 6. The tightening confirmation system according to claim 5, wherein an electronic tag having joint information is provided on the joint, and the signal from the electronic tag is received by the receiving unit. 7. The tightening confirmation system according to claim 6, wherein said electronic tag is an RFID. 8. The tightening confirmation system according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein a warning is given when the tightening of the joint fails or when there is a tightening confirmation omission.

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