JP7535090B2 - Protective cover - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a protective cover.

At power plants, numerous pipes for transporting water and oil are installed outdoors, and these pipes are equipped with valves that open and close the flow paths of the pipes. When valves are exposed to rain and wind for long periods of time, salt and dust can adhere to the narrow parts, causing the paint to peel off and rust to form. When such problems occur, repair work must be carried out, such as repainting, repairing, and replacing the valves, which requires a lot of cost and effort. To solve this problem, it is possible to protect the valves using a cover such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.

CD-ROM of Japanese Utility Model Application No. 4-23529 (Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 5-77352)

The valve cover in Patent Document 1 comprises a base installed on the main pipe, a cylinder placed on the base, and a top cover placed on the cylinder, with each component fixed by bolts. Because of this shape, it can cover even valves that are difficult to cover, with a large tip end and a small base end. However, because it takes time to attach and remove the cover from the valve, there is a problem in that it is not possible to quickly check the valve's status or operate it in an emergency. This problem is not limited to cases where a cover is used to protect a valve, but also exists when protecting other equipment attached to the piping.

The present invention was made based on this background, and aims to provide a protective cover that can be easily attached to and removed from equipment attached to piping.

In order to achieve the above object, the protective cover according to the present invention comprises:
A protective cover for protecting equipment attached to piping,
a cover body formed of a deformable sheet and capable of covering the device through an opening;
a fastening means provided on the opening side of the cover body and fastening the opening toward the device in a state where the cover body is placed over the device;
Equipped with
The cover body comprises a cylindrically formed side portion, a top surface portion joined to the end portion opposite the opening formed by the side portion and covering the end portion opposite the opening, and a communication hole provided between the end portion of the side portion facing the top surface portion and the fastening means, communicating with the inside and outside of the side portion and allowing moisture and water to pass through.

The present invention provides a protective cover that can be easily attached to and removed from equipment attached to piping.

1 is a diagram showing a state in which a protective cover according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to a valve installed vertically. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a protective cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is an enlarged view of the opening side of the protective cover of FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a protective cover according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to a valve that is installed horizontally. 13 is an enlarged view of an opening side of a protective cover according to a modified example of the present invention. FIG.

The protective cover according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent parts are given the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 1, protective cover 1 is a cover that covers equipment attached to piping and protects the equipment from factors that deteriorate the equipment, such as wind, rain, and dust. Equipment attached to piping includes, for example, valves, pipe fittings, and instruments. Below, an example of protecting a valve with a circular handle as equipment attached to piping will be described.

The protective cover 1 comprises a cover body 2 that can be placed over the valve from the opening, a communication hole 3 provided in the cover body 2 that connects the inside and outside of the cover body 2, and a fastening means 4 provided on the opening side of the cover body 2 that fastens the opening of the cover body 2 toward the valve when the cover body 2 is placed over the valve. The protective cover 1 covers at least the valve handle, valve stem, and valve gland, and is configured to be fastened around the valve stem above the valve box connected to the piping.

The cover body 2 is formed from a deformable sheet of transparent material. The transparent sheet is made of a resin material that is impermeable to liquids and gases and has a degree of flexibility that allows the opening to be tightened toward the valve. Because the cover body 2 of the protective cover 1 is formed from a sheet of transparent material, visibility of the valve is ensured even when the protective cover 1 is placed over the valve, and the state of the valve, such as whether the valve is open or closed and whether there is leakage, can be observed during daily inspections and patrol inspections, for example. Furthermore, the cover body 2 does not come into contact with the valve to cause rust, and the valve handle can be operated even when the cover body 2 is attached to the valve.

If the piping is classified as a hazardous material facility, the sheet that constitutes the cover body 2 should be made of a material that is flame-resistant, such as non-flammable or flame-retardant, or a material that has been treated to be flame-retardant. For example, a commercially available flame-retardant sheet can be used. Specifically, a transparent flame-retardant sheet made of polyvinyl chloride resin is suitable. Since it is difficult to join such sheets together by heat fusion, the sheets can be joined together by sewing with thread.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cover body 2 comprises a cylindrical side portion 21 and a disk portion 22 that is joined to one end of the side portion 21 and covers one end of the side portion 21. The side portion 21 has an opening on the side opposite the end to which the disk portion 22 is joined. The disk portion 22 is an example of a top surface portion that covers the side opposite the opening of the side portion 21. The ends of the side portion 21 and the disk portion 22 are sewn together with thread, for example.

The end on the opening side of the side portion 21 is folded back inside the side portion 21 and joined to the inner surface of the side portion 21. This joint is also sewn with thread at both ends. Because the end is folded back, it is possible to reinforce the end that is easily subjected to external forces, and to prevent fingers from coming into contact with the end surface of the end and being injured. In addition, because the end on the opening side of the side portion 21 is folded back inside the side portion 21, it is possible to prevent water and dust from entering the folded-back portion.

The cover body 2 is cylindrically shaped to fit the size and shape of each individual handle. Specifically, the inner diameter of the cylinder that constitutes the side portion 21 is larger than the outer diameter of the handle attached to the target valve. This prevents the cover body 2 from being subjected to excessive force and distortion when attached to the valve. It also prevents the joint between the side portion 21 and the disk portion 22 from coming into contact with the valve, which in turn prevents water seeping out from the joint from coming into contact with the valve. Furthermore, the joint does not overlap with the valve nameplate attached to the top surface of the handle, improving the visibility of the nameplate. The nameplate displays information about the valve, such as the valve's management number, management name, and rotation direction.

The side portion 21 is provided with a plurality of communication holes 3 that are formed to penetrate the side portion 21 and discharge moisture and water from within the cover body 2. Each communication hole 3 is provided between the end of the disk portion 22 and the fastening means 4, and is preferably formed at equal intervals on the same circumference of the side portion 21. As an example, three communication holes 3 are formed on the side portion 21 at intervals of 120° on the same circumference. The diameter of each communication hole 3 is set to a degree that can suppress the inflow of rainwater into the inside while taking into consideration breathability and drainage, and is, for example, in the range of 5 mm to 20 mm, preferably 10 mm. A ring-shaped reinforcing metal fitting is attached to each communication hole 3. Since the protective cover 1 is provided with the communication holes 3, even if fogging due to condensation occurs inside due to changes in the outside temperature, the fogging can be removed by replacing the air inside through the communication holes 3. In addition, by preventing fogging, rust can be suppressed from occurring on the valve.

The fastening means 4 comprises a number of insertion holes 41 arranged on the same circumference along the opening of the cover body 2, and two string-like members 42, both ends of which are exposed to the outside of the cover body 2, inserted into each of the insertion holes 41 so as to be arranged alternately on the outside and inside of the cover body 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the tightening means 4 is configured to grip both ends of each string-like member 42 and tighten the opening of the cover body 2 by pulling both ends to the left and right. The insertion holes 41 are formed on the same circumference of the side portion 21 at equal intervals. As an example, 12 insertion holes 41 are formed on the side portion 21 on the same circumference at intervals of 30°. The diameter of the insertion holes 41 is set to an extent that allows the string-like member 42 to be inserted and removed, for example, 10 mm. The interval between adjacent insertion holes 41 is set taking into consideration the number of insertion holes 41 and the diameter of the side portion 21, for example, 60 mm.

The string-like member 42 is a deformable string-like member, for example, a string or rope. If the piping corresponds to a hazardous material facility, the string-like member 42 is preferably a flame-retardant rope. Each string-like member 42 is inserted into each insertion hole 41 so as to alternate between the outside and inside of the cover body 2. At this time, both string-like members 42 are inserted into the same insertion hole 41 in the same direction.

In addition, both ends of each string-like member 42 are exposed to the outside from insertion holes 41 arranged at positions facing each other in the radial direction of the cover body 2. At this time, both ends of the string-like member 42 are exposed to the outside from each of the adjacent insertion holes 41. Therefore, by pulling both ends of each string-like member 42 to the left and right, the opening of the cover body 2 can be easily tightened. Note that, to prevent the string-like members 42 from falling off the insertion holes 41, both ends of the string-like members 42 may be tied together into a ring shape.

The fastening means 4 further includes stoppers 43 that are detachably attached to both ends of each string-like member 42. The stoppers 43 are devices through which the two ends of the string-like member 42 are movably inserted, and which can lock the two ends at any position. The stoppers 43 are, for example, spring cord stoppers that are fixed to the string-like member 42 by spring pressure. The stoppers 43 attached to each string-like member 42 keep the string-like member 42 fastening the opening of the cover body 2, thereby preventing the protective cover 1 from coming off the valve.

A sheet-like reinforcing member 44 is joined to the side surface 21 of the cover body 2 in a state where it is overlapped on the side surface 21 where each insertion hole 41 is formed. The reinforcing member 44 is formed from the same or equivalent sheet as the cover body 2. The lower end of the reinforcing member 44 is positioned within a range of 50 mm to 200 mm, preferably 100 mm, from the end of the opening side of the side surface 21, compensating for the reduction in strength of the cover body 2 caused by the formation of the insertion holes 41.

The protective cover 1 is configured to fasten the opening of the cover body 2 with the string-like members 42 inserted through the multiple insertion holes 41, so that the opening of the cover body 2 can be quickly fastened or opened. In addition, since there is a gap between the valve and the cover body 2 when the opening of the cover body 2 is fastened, fluid leaking from the valve cannot be contained within the cover body 2, so that signs of leakage can be detected early.
The above is the configuration of the protective cover 1.

The protective cover 1 may be attached to a valve that is installed sideways as shown in FIG. 4. In this case, it is advisable to arrange at least three or more communication holes 3 on the side portion 21 at equal intervals on the same circumference. With this configuration, adjacent communication holes 3 are arranged on the same circumference at intervals of 120° or less, and as a result, at least one communication hole 3 is always arranged facing downward. Therefore, water that has accumulated inside can be discharged from the communication holes 3 regardless of the position of the protective cover 1.

Next, a flow of a manufacturing method for the protective cover 1 according to the embodiment will be described.
First, a rectangular sheet member corresponding to the side portion 21 of the cover body 2 and a circular sheet member corresponding to the disk portion 22 are cut out from a sheet of transparent material.

Next, a long, thin sheet corresponding to the reinforcing member 44 is layered and joined to the rectangular sheet member, and then the communication hole 3 and the insertion hole 41 are opened, and ring-shaped reinforcing metal fittings are attached to the opened communication hole 3 and the insertion hole 41, respectively.

Next, the sheet members are joined together to form the cover body 2. Specifically, the ends of the rectangular sheet members are joined together to form a cylinder, and the end of the circular sheet member is joined to the end of the cylindrical sheet member. The sheet members can be joined by sewing with thread.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, two string-like members 42 are inserted into the insertion holes 41 of the cover body 2, and separate stoppers 43 are attached to both ends of each string-like member 42.
The above is the flow of the manufacturing method of the protective cover 1.

Next, a flow of a method of using the protective cover 1 according to the embodiment will be described.
First, the cover body 2 of the protective cover 1 is placed over the target valve, and the opening of the cover body 2 is tightened around the valve. Specifically, after the cover body 2 is placed over the target valve, the two string-like members 42 are pulled left and right, and in the pulled state, the stoppers 43 are brought close to the cover body 2, thereby tightening the opening of the cover body 2 around the valve. In this state, the valve is protected from rain and wind, and the condition of the valve can be visually checked as necessary.

When attaching a tag to the valve or opening and closing the valve, the opening of the cover body 2 is loosened and the cover body 2 is removed from the valve. Specifically, the stoppers 43 attached to the two string-like members 42 are moved to both ends of the string-like members 42 to greatly widen the opening of the cover body 2, and then the cover body 2 is removed from the valve. After attaching the tag or opening and closing the valve, the protective cover 1 can be put back on the valve.
The above is the flow of how to use the protective cover 1.

As described above, the protective cover 1 according to the embodiment comprises a cover body 2 formed of a deformable sheet that can be placed over a valve from an opening, and a tightening means 4 that is provided on the opening side of the cover body 2 and tightens the opening toward the valve with the cover body 2 placed over the valve. This allows the protective cover 1 to be easily attached and removed from valves that have a shape that is difficult to cover, with a large tip end and a small base end. As a result, the frequency of repair work such as repainting, repairing, and replacing the valve can be reduced, and the frequency of piping equipment shutdowns can also be reduced. In addition, because it can be quickly attached and removed, it can be attached even when the piping falls under a hazardous material facility.

The protective cover 1 according to the embodiment has a simple configuration and is sufficiently lightweight, so that when attached to a valve, it does not affect the earthquake resistance and load resistance of the piping and its supporting structure, and can be used without reinforcing or modifying the piping and its supporting structure.

In addition, in the protective cover 1 according to the embodiment, at least a portion of the cover body 2 is formed from a sheet of transparent material, and the cover body 2 is provided with a communication hole 3 that connects the inside and outside of the cover body 2. This reduces the frequency of fogging due to moisture, and allows the state of the valve to be visually confirmed without removing the protective cover 1.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the following modifications are also possible.

(Modification)
In the above embodiment, the side portion 21 and the disk portion 22 of the cover body 2 are formed of a transparent material, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the disk portion 22 may be formed of a transparent sheet and the side portion 21 may be formed of a non-transparent sheet, or the side portion 21 and the disk portion 22 may be formed of a non-transparent sheet and a window formed of a transparent sheet may be provided in either the side portion 21 or the disk portion 22. Furthermore, if it is not necessary to visually check the state of the valve, the entire cover body 2 may be formed of a non-transparent sheet. For example, a tent fabric having excellent waterproof and flame retardant properties may be used as the non-transparent sheet.

In addition, a colored portion (colored section) may be provided on a part of the cover body 2 to identify the type and state of the valve. The colored section may be realized, for example, by joining a colored sheet to the cover body 2 or by applying paint to the cover body 2. The portion on which the colored section is provided may be, for example, the entirety or part of the reinforcing member 44. The colored section may be a single color or a combination of multiple colors. Examples of the type and state of the valve include the normal open/close state of the valve, identification of valves that are particularly frequently operated, specific precautions, the system, and the type of contained fluid (for example, hydrogen, fluids containing radioactive materials).

In addition, the cover body 2 may be provided with an area where text can be written. For example, the installation date of the valve, the person in charge, and notes may be written in the area where text can be written.

In the above embodiment, the cross section of the cover body 2 is circular, but the present invention is not limited to this. The cross section of the cover body 2 may be a shape other than circular, for example, elliptical or square. The shape of the cover body 2 may also be a roughly spherical shape with an opening formed by cutting out a part of a sphere, or it may be formed into a bag shape by stacking two rectangular sheets of the same shape and joining three sides.

In the above embodiment, the sheet members are joined together by sewing with thread, but the present invention is not limited to this. Depending on the material of the sheets, the sheet members may be joined together by methods such as heat fusion, adhesion with an adhesive, or pressure bonding by pressing. The cover body 2 may also be integrally molded using a molding die.

In the above embodiment, three communication holes 3 are provided in the side portion 21, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the number of communication holes 3 may be one or two, or may be four or more. Furthermore, if it is not necessary to ensure the breathability of the protective cover 1 in an indoor environment where temperature and humidity are controlled, the communication holes 3 may be omitted.

In the above embodiment, the communication holes 3 are formed at equal intervals on the same circumference, but the present invention is not limited to this. Each communication hole 3 may be located at any position on the side surface portion 21, and for example, multiple communication holes 3 may be arranged in a staggered pattern on the side surface portion 21.

In the above embodiment, two string-like members 42 are inserted through multiple insertion holes 41, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, one string-like member 42 may be inserted through multiple insertion holes 41.

In the above embodiment, two string-like members 42 are inserted in the same direction through the same insertion hole 41, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, one string-like member 42 may be inserted through the same insertion hole 41 from the inside to the outside of the cover body 2, and the other string-like member 42 may be inserted through the same insertion hole 41 from the outside to the inside of the cover body 2.

In the above embodiment, the string-like member 42 is inserted through a plurality of insertion holes 41 arranged in a circular pattern on the side surface portion 21 of the cover body 2, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a long and narrow sheet may be arranged to extend in the circumferential direction on the side surface portion 21 of the cover body 2, and both ends of the long and narrow sheet facing each other in the width direction may be joined to the side surface portion 21 to form a space in which the string-like member 42 can be movably accommodated, and both ends of the string-like member 42 may be exposed from the space through the insertion holes 41 provided in the long and narrow sheet.

In the above embodiment, the string-like member 42 is fixed with the stopper 43, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the string-like member 42 may be fixed using a clip. Also, the stopper 43 and locking means such as a clip may be omitted, and the string-like member 42 may be tied in a state where the opening of the cover body 2 is tightened.

In the above embodiment, the reinforcing member 44 is layered and joined to the sheet member corresponding to the side portion 21, the communication hole 3 and the insertion hole 41 are opened, and then the respective sheet members are joined to form the cover body 2 of the protective cover 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the communication hole 3 and the insertion hole 41 may be opened in the side portion 21 after the respective sheet members are joined to form the cover body 2 of the protective cover 1.

In the above embodiment, the protective cover 1 is attached to a valve, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the protective cover 1 may be attached to pipe joints such as flanges and couplers, or to instruments such as pressure gauges and flow meters.

The above embodiments are examples, and the present invention is not limited to these, and various embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention described in the claims. The components described in the embodiments and variations can be freely combined. Furthermore, inventions equivalent to the inventions described in the claims are also included in the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Protective cover 2 Cover body 3 Communication hole 4 Fastening means 21 Side portion 22 Disc portion 41 Insertion hole 42 String-like member 44 Reinforcing member

Claims (9)

A protective cover for protecting equipment attached to piping,
a cover body formed of a deformable sheet and capable of covering the device through an opening;
a fastening means provided on the opening side of the cover body and fastening the opening toward the device in a state where the cover body is placed over the device;
Equipped with
The cover body includes a side portion formed in a cylindrical shape, a top surface portion joined to an end portion opposite the opening formed by the side portion and covering the end portion opposite the opening, and a communication hole provided between the end portion of the side portion on the top surface side and the fastening means, communicating with the inside and outside of the side portion and allowing moisture and water to pass through.
Protective cover. The cover body has three or more communication holes arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference of the side surface of the cover body.
The protective cover of claim 1 . The diameter of the communication hole is 5 mm to 20 mm.
The protective cover of claim 1 . A ring-shaped reinforcing metal fitting is attached to the communication hole.
The protective cover of claim 1 . The end portion of the cover body on the opening side is joined to the inner surface of the side surface portion in a folded-back state toward the inside of the side surface portion.
The protective cover of claim 1 . At least a portion of the cover body is formed from a sheet of transparent material.
A protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The fastening means comprises:
A plurality of insertion holes formed in line along the opening of the cover body;
a string-like member that is inserted into each of the insertion holes so as to be alternately arranged on the outer side and the inner side of the cover body, and both ends of the string-like member are exposed to the outer side of the cover body;
A protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The fastening means comprises a pair of string-like members,
The two ends of each string-like member are exposed to the outside through insertion holes that are arranged at positions facing each other in the cover body.
The protective cover of claim 7 . A sheet-shaped reinforcing member is joined to the cover body in a state where the sheet-shaped reinforcing member is overlapped on the cover body at a portion of the cover body where each insertion hole is formed.
The protective cover of claim 7 .

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