JPH01261593A - Connector for supplying liquid and electric power - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To connect liquid supply openings and electrodes respectively with each other so that they are rotatable about the liquid supply opening by providing the liquid supply opening disposed near a connection end portion and the cylindrical or ring-shaped electrodes concentrically surrounding the liquid supply opening as a center. CONSTITUTION:A gas conduit 7 as a liquid supply opening is disposed at the center of a connection end portion 5 of a gas-electricity connector 1. Concentric grooves 9, 11 are provided with cylindrical electrodes 13 and 15. At the center of a connected end portion 24 of a main valve 2 of gas and electricity, a gas supply opening 28 is provided into which a gas conduit 7 provided at the gas- electricity connector 1 is to be inserted. Slidably projecting pin-shaped electrodes 30, 32 are provided at the radial positions corresponding to those of the cylindrical electrodes 13 and 15 centered on the gas supply opening 28.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a connection device for simultaneously supplying a fluid, i.e. a gas, a liquid, a powder or a mixture thereof, and electrical power.

[Background Art] In recent years, with the spread of microcomputer control technology, microcomputer-controlled gas rice cookers, microcomputer-controlled fully automatic washing machines, and the like have been commercialized. It is necessary to simultaneously supply power and fluids such as gas and water to these devices, and conventionally, power and fluid have been supplied independently.

Therefore, when using these devices, connection to a power source and connection to a fluid supply source are required, resulting in a problem of poor operability. In addition, in condominiums, apartments, etc., fully automatic washing machines are often installed in the washroom.
The water supply and power outlet are also shared when using the Hedora Toy ear, washing your face, and brushing your teeth, so you will have to put it on and take it off frequently. For this reason, there is a problem in that it tends to cause incomplete operations, such as, for example, operating the device while only connecting the power source and forgetting to connect it to the water supply.

Therefore, as connection devices for supplying gas and electricity at the same time, for example, those described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 198674/1982 and those described in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 24488/1988 have been proposed. The connectors described in both of these publications fit a gas pipe and a pin electrode arranged at a predetermined position into a fitting hole at a predetermined position of an object to be connected.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Therefore, when connecting the connecting devices described in these publications to objects to be connected, it is necessary to maintain the relative positions of the electrodes and gas pipes at specified positions, and the operator must I had to check some of them. Particularly, as mentioned above, when it is necessary to frequently attach and detach the connectors as in the case of a fully automatic washing machine, there is a problem of extremely inconvenience and poor operability. Therefore, it has been desired to invent a connector that can simultaneously supply fluid and electric power and has good operability.

Structure of the Invention The present invention employs the following structure for the purpose of solving the above problems.

[Means for Solving the Problems] That is, the gist of the present invention is to provide a connection device capable of simultaneously supplying fluid and electric power, comprising: a fluid supply port provided at a connection end; By providing a cylindrical or ring-shaped electrode that surrounds the fluid supply port concentrically around the fluid supply port, the fluid supply port and the electrodes can be connected to each other with respect to the connected object at the connection end. A connecting device for fluid and power supply, characterized in that it can be connected rotatably around the fluid supply port.

[Function] By adopting the above-mentioned configuration, the connecting tool of the present invention connects the fluid supply ports to the object to be connected, so that it can be rotated in any rotational position around the fluid supply port in a cylindrical or The ring-shaped electrode is electrically connected to an electrode disposed at a predetermined position on the object to be connected. As a result, the fluid supply port and the electrode are connected regardless of their relative connection positions, and fluid and power can be supplied simultaneously.

[Example] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4(b) show a gas/electrical connector 1 as a fluid and power supply connection device and a gas/electrical main valve 2 as a connected body according to the first embodiment.

The gas/electrical connector 1 consists of a main body 3 made of electrically insulating material, for example synthetic resin, whose outer peripheral surface has been treated to prevent slipping, and a metallic gas conduit 7 as a fluid supply port is provided at the center of the connecting end 5. It is arranged so that a part of it protrudes. Also,
The connecting end 5 is provided with concentric ring grooves 9 and 11 having different radii around the gas conduit 7, and a cylindrical electrode 13.15 is disposed within each ring groove 9°11. There is.

Immediately after the connecting end portion 5, an engaging portion 5 consisting of a ring-shaped circumferential groove is formed.
a, and the gas conduit 7 has a plurality of inflow notches 7 at its tip.
Equipped with a.

In addition, the gas conduit 7 and the cylindrical electrodes 13 and 15 are shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, they are also arranged concentrically inside the main body 3 with the gas conduit 7 as the center. A flexible gas/electricity supply cable 17 is integrally formed at the other end of the main body 3. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 (b), the gas/electricity supply cable 17 is installed inside a cable body 19 made of electrically insulating synthetic rubber or the like, with a gas supply path 7b continuous with the gas conduit 7 as the center. Cylindrical electrodes 13.15 are arranged concentrically.

On the other hand, the gas/electric main valve 2 is as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.
It consists of a main stopper body 22 made of electrically insulating synthetic resin,
Two engagement levers 26a and 26b are provided on the connected end 24 side.
are pivotally supported at opposing positions on the outer periphery of the main body 22. Further, a gas supply port 2B is provided at the center of the connected end portion 24, into which the gas conduit 7 provided in the gas/electrical connector 1 described above is fitted and inserted. - Cylindrical electrode 13 provided on the electrical connector 1
．． A slidably protruding pin-shaped electrode 30, 32 is provided at a radial position corresponding to 15.

The gas supply port 28 has a hole 34 inside.

The ball 34 is biased by a spring 36 and the connected end 24
A locking ring 38 made of white metal, for example, on the side
The gas supply port 2B is closed by contacting the gas supply port 2B. The gas supply port 28 is opened when the gas conduit 7 presses and moves the ball 34 against the spring 36 when the gas/electrical connector 1 is connected. Further, a metal gas supply pipe 40 that is continuous with the gas supply port 28 is provided at the end opposite to the connected end 24, and a screw 42 is threaded on the protruding end thereof. , Gas/electric main valve 2 is connected to the gas main (not shown)
can be screwed on. It should be noted that a hexagonal nut 44 is provided on the main body 2 side of the screw 42 for convenience during the screwing process.

The pin-shaped electrode 30.32 is inserted into a cylindrical hole 46.48 provided in the main body 22 and open toward the connected end 24 so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the cylinder. Moreover, the pin-shaped electrodes 30.32 have a locking collar 30a at the end inside the holes 46, 48,
32a, and the connected end 2 is provided with springs 30b and 32b.
It is biased towards the 4th side. Note that the holes 46 and 48 are provided with locking step portions 46a and 48a on the connected end portion 24 side to prevent the pin-shaped electrodes 30.32 from falling out of the holes 46.48. Furthermore, each pin-shaped electrode 30.32
Connected to the electric wires 50 and 52 disposed inside, the electric wire 50
．． 52 can be supplied with power from a power source (not shown) via a power cord 54 protruding from a predetermined position on the outer periphery of the main body 22 and a power outlet 56 provided at the tip.

The engagement levers 26a and 26b are provided in grooves 58a and 58b provided at opposing positions on the outer periphery of the main body 22 on the connected end 24 side.
It is rotatably supported inside by support shafts 60a and 60b. The engagement levers 26a and 26b protrude beyond the connected end portion 24 by a predetermined distance. The protruding end is rounded and has engaging claws 62a and 62b protruding inward to rotatably engage with the engaging portion 5a of the gas/electrical connector 1 and the gas conduit 7. Furthermore, the engagement levers 26a and 26b have recesses 64a and 64b on the inside of the other end.

Springs 66a and 66b are fitted into 64b.

The springs 66a, 66b swing and urge the engagement levers 26a, 26b in the engagement direction about the support shafts 60a, 60b.

Next, the connection between the gas/electrical connector 1 and the gas/electrical main valve 2 will be explained.

First, the gas/electrical main valve 2 is screwed into a gas discharge port of a gas main pipe (not shown) via a screw 42. At this time, by providing the hexagonal nut 1 with 44, it can be reliably tightened with a spanner or the like. Next, the power outlet 56 is connected to a power source (not shown).

In this way, the gas/electricity main valve 2 is in a state where it can supply gas and electricity at the same time.

Next, connect the gas/electricity connector 1 provided at the end of the gas/electricity supply cable 17 configured as described above connected to a microcomputer-controlled gas rice cooker (not shown) to the gas/electricity main valve 2.
Connect to. First, the gas conduit 7 is inserted into the gas supply port 28 . When the gas/electrical connector 1 is then pressed in the axial direction, the pin-shaped electrodes 30, 32 enter the ring grooves 9, 11.

The ring grooves 9 and 11 and the pin-shaped electrodes 30 and 32 are connected to the gas conduit 7 which is coaxial with each other by connecting the gas pipes described above.
Since they are provided at the same radial position from the central axis of the gas supply port 28, the gas/electrical connector 1 can be inserted reliably no matter what relative rotational position the gas/electrical connector 1 is in with respect to the gas/electrical main valve 2. Roughly, when the gas/electrical connector 1 is pressed, the pin-shaped electrodes 30.32 come into contact with the cylindrical electrodes 13.15, and electricity can be supplied. After this, the pin-shaped electrodes 30 and 32 are compressed by further pressing and the springs 30b and 32b are compressed.
is pushed into the cavity 46° 48 while maintaining the above-mentioned contact state.

On the other hand, the gas conduit 7 is inserted into the locking ring 38 while maintaining close contact with the ball 34, and eventually comes into contact with the ball 34 and starts to move and press the ball 34 against the spring 36. When the ball 34 moves from the contact position with the locking ring 38, the inlet notch 7
It becomes possible to conduct gas through a.

During this time, when the rounded portions of the protruding ends of the engaging levers 26a, 26b come into contact with the edge of the connecting end 5, the engaging levers 26a, 26b are pressed and swung outward about the support shafts 60a, 60b.

Thereafter, when the gas/electrical connector 1 is further pressed and the connecting end 5 and the connected end 24 come into contact, the engagement lever 26
a, 26b are released from the above-mentioned outward pressing and swinging, and are swung inward by the urging force of springs 66a, 66b to a position where the engaging claws 62a, 62b engage with the engaging portion 5a.

In this way, the gas/electrical connector 1 presses the gas/electrical main valve 2 by fitting the gas conduit 7 and the gas supply port 28 to the cylindrical electrode 13 regardless of the relative rotational position.
15 and the bottle-shaped electrodes 30, 32 can be brought into reliable contact. In addition, the action of the engagement levers 26a, 26b ensures that the gas/electrical connector 1 and the gas/electrical main valve 2 are automatically and reliably engaged when the connection is completed, so that there is no fear that the two may become disconnected. As a result, it was possible to connect with a single touch, and it was also possible to supply both gas and electricity with a single connection, greatly improving operability.

In addition, when connecting, the projecting length of the gas conduit 7 and the locking ring 38 are adjusted so that the gas conduit 7 releases the contact state between the ball 34 and the locking ring 38 after the electrodes first come into contact with each other.
It is preferable for safety to adjust the depth of the electrode so that spark generation occurs before the gas supply port 28 is opened. Of course, even without such adjustment, it is easy to ensure sufficient sealing between the gas conduit 7 and the locking ring 28 using known sealing techniques, and there is no problem in terms of safety.

In general, the gas/electricity supply cable 17 also has a cylindrical electrode 13.
Since the cable 15 has a multilayer structure, the gas supply path 7b is less likely to be crushed even if a person steps on the cable 17, which has the effect of improving safety.

Next, a second embodiment will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 5, the gas/electrical connector 1 of the second embodiment
01, the gas/electrical main valve 102 has almost the same configuration as the first embodiment, and the difference is that the gas/electrical connector 1
Pin-shaped electrodes 230 and 232 are provided on the connection end 105 on the 01 side, and a concentric ring groove 209 is provided on the connected end 124 on the gas/electricity valve 102 side with the gas supply port 128 as the center.
．． 2'11 is provided, and ring-shaped electrodes 213 and 215 are provided within the ring grooves 209 and 211. Components similar to those in the first embodiment are illustrated with 100 added to the numbers in FIG. 5, and their description will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the connected end 224 corresponds to the connecting end described in the claims, and the connected object is the gas/electrical connector 101.

According to this embodiment, since the electrode on the power supply side is recessed from the end, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, it is safer against electric shock and the like.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these in any way, and various embodiments can be adopted without departing from the gist thereof.

For example, the electrode may be ring-shaped at the connection end of both the connector and the object to be connected. Further, in place of the inflow notch 7a, an inflow hole may be provided at a predetermined position from the end of the gas conduit 7. Further, instead of using a cylindrical electrode, the gas/electricity supply cable may simply have an electric wire buried or integrally formed on the outer periphery, and the electric wire may be simply buried within the connector except at the connecting end. Incidentally, the electrode may have one layer, and another layer may be used for grounding, or, of course, it may have three layers and may supply three-phase alternating current.

Furthermore, in addition to gas, liquids, other gases, powders, and mixtures thereof may be supplied as the fluid.For example, by supplying water and providing a ground as well as an electrode, a fully automatic washing machine can be manufactured. Conventionally, it was necessary to connect three things: water supply, power supply, and ground, but by using this method, these can be connected with one connector. In particular, the water pipe can be used as a ground as well, making it extremely effective. be effective. Roughly,
Other insulating materials such as ceramics may be used for both the connector 1 and the main plug 2. In particular, by making the engaging claws 62a, 62b and the engaging portion 5a made of ceramic or having a surface ceramic coating, the connector 1 and the main plug 2 can be It has the effect of being easy to move in the direction of rotation, and being resistant to heat even when placed near gas appliances. Similarly, locking ring 3
8. The ball 34 and the like may be made of ceramics to reduce weight.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As described in detail, the present invention allows fluid and power to be supplied through a single connector in a single connection operation. In addition, when attaching and detaching the electrode, it can be connected at any rotational position around the fluid supply port, regardless of the relative connection position of the electrode with the object to be connected, and operability has been significantly improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 to 4 (b) show the first embodiment, and Figure 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a gas/electrical connector as a connecting tool;
Fig. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a gas/electrical main valve as a connected object, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view when they are connected, Fig. 4 (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A, Fig. 4 (B) is the same <B-8 sectional view. Moreover, FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connection tool of the second embodiment and the object to be connected at the time of connection. 1... Gas/electrical connector (connecting tool) 2... Gas/electrical main valve (connected object) 5... Connection end 7...
Gas conduit (fluid supply port> 13.15... Cylindrical electrode 17... Gas/electricity supply cable 101... Gas/electrical connector (connected object) 102... Gas/electricity main plug connection tool) 124...Connected end (connection end)
128...Gas supply port (fluid supply port>213゜2
15...Ring-shaped electrode chrysanthemum 4mu 7f genome 4 β7 tcono

Claims (1)

[Claims] A connection device capable of simultaneously supplying fluid and power, comprising: a fluid supply port provided at a connection end; and a concentric circle centered on the fluid supply port provided at the connection end. By providing a cylindrical or ring-shaped electrode surrounding the fluid supply port, at the connection end, the fluid supply port and the electrodes can be rotatably connected to the object to be connected, centering on the fluid supply port. A fluid and power supply connection device characterized by: