JPH02283980A - Wax thermo-actuator and gas safe breaker with wax thermo-actuator incorporated - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable high speed response by forming a fin or a sort of projection similar to said fin within the inner surface of a temperature sensing container to which wax is enclosed. CONSTITUTION:When wax 4 is in temperature lower than its transformation one, the wax is in a condition contracted in semi-solid, a piston 9 is pushed into the back part of a sleeve 47 by a spring. When a heater 15 is energized, heat is transferred to a heat sensing container 44 and a projection 45 in a pin form so that the wax 4 is heated so as to be liquefied while being expanded. Accompanied with which, the heat sensing container 44 is increased in inner pressure so that the piston 9 in the sleeve 47 is thereby pushed out. The wax 4 can be quickly heated up by the use of a metallic fin 45, in addition, since the fin 45 has a large contacting area with the wax 4, the fin accelerates heat transfer. Response speeds can thereby be made high. By this constitution, a high speed response gas safe breaker can thereby be obtained when a wax thermo-actuator as set forth heare-in above is used for resetting a breaker valve.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a quick-response wax thermoactuator and a gas safety shutoff device using a wax thermoactuator.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a wax thermoactuator of this type has a structure as shown in FIG. 6, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-8772. That is, the wax thermoactuator consists of a heat-sensitive part 1 and an actuating part 2. The heat-sensitive part 1 is made of a metal material with good thermal conductivity and has a cylindrical shape with a bottom. A wax thermoactuator is composed of a case 3 made of a metal material with good thermal conductivity and a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and a wax 4 packed in the inner cavity of the case 3. and a diaphragm 6 provided in the opening 5 of the case 3 to seal the wax 4, and an actuating part 2 is provided at the end of the case 3 on the opening 5 side.
A holding cylinder part 8 having an enlarged diameter for holding the base end of the cylinder 7 is integrally and continuously formed. Further, the actuating section 2 includes the aforementioned cylinder 7 whose base end is held in the holding cylinder section 8 provided in the case 3, and the inner cavity of the cylinder 7.
g A piston 9 fitted and inserted so as to be freely movable, a fluorine-based synthetic resin plate 10 and a rubber piston 11 fitted into the inner cavity of the cylinder 7 so as to abut against the inner end surface of the piston 9, and a base of the inner cavity of the cylinder 7. A semi-solid fluid 13 is sealed in a chamber 12 formed by expanding the diameter of the end part, and the wax 4 sealed in the case 3 of the heat sensitive part 1 expands in volume due to rising temperature. By pushing out the diaphragm 6, the fluid 13 sealed in the chamber 12 is pushed out to the piston 9.
It operates to push out. Then, the extruded piston 9 is drawn into the cylinder 7 by the pressure applied to the piston 9 by a spring (not shown) as the wax 4 contracts due to the temperature drop and the pressure for extruding the piston 9 disappears.

The bottom part t of the case 3 of the heat sensitive part 1 is integrally formed with a heater holding part 14 formed in a cylindrical shape with an open bottom, made of a metal material. In the inner cavity of the heater holding part 14, a heater 15 consisting of a positive temperature coefficient thermistor formed in a plate shape is placed, with the inner surface of the heater 15 directly in contact with the outer surface of the bottom plate 16 of the case 3, and an electrode plate on the outer surface. The insulating material 18 is placed in contact with the outer surface of the electrode plate 17, and the insulating material 7 is placed in contact with the outer surface of the electrode plate 17.
By bending the outer peripheral edge of the opening edge of the heater holding part 14 and crimping it, the heater 15 is integrally held at the bottom end of the heat sensitive part 10 case 3.

As described above, the heater 15 is configured to be enclosed in the narrow heater holding part 14 that is integrally or integrally continuous with the case 3 of the heat sensitive part 1, and leakage heats up when the heater 15 is energized. In some cases, most of the heat was directly conducted to the case 3 of the heat-sensitive section 1 and heated the wax 4 sealed inside the case 3, thereby obtaining a quick response. .

In addition, various safety devices have been used in the past in order to prevent gas accidents, which have a high risk of causing a catastrophe if they occur. In recent years, gas safety shut-off devices that detect abnormal gas usage, gas leaks, etc., and shut off gas have been attracting attention. In particular, due to its advantages such as ease of gas piping and low price,
There is an increasing demand for a gas safety shutoff device that is configured to have a shutoff valve installed inside a gas meter that can shut off the flow of gas in the event of an abnormality.

Conventionally, this type of gas safety shutoff device has been developed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 57
-140981 publication and Utility Model Application Publication No. 141875/1986
As shown in the publication, the configuration was roughly as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

That is, as shown in FIG. 7, a gas meter 20 has a built-in gas flow rate measuring means 21, and based on a signal from this measuring means 21, a shutoff determination section 22 having a microcomputer shuts off the gas flow rate when it satisfies a predetermined condition. Output a signal. Upon receiving this cutoff signal, a cutoff valve 24 serving as a cutoff device provided in the gas flow path 23 operates to close the gas flow path. Further, the cutoff determination unit 22 receives a signal from an abnormality sensor 25 such as an earthquake detector or a gas leak alarm, and outputs a cutoff signal to cut off the flow path when a predetermined condition is satisfied. In addition, the power source that supplies power to the cutoff determination unit 22 and the cutoff valve 24 is
Since the lithium battery 26 built into the gas meter 20 is used, the cutoff valve 24 is generally a self-holding solenoid valve that does not require electric power to maintain its open state. Further, the cutoff valve return means 27 is configured to face the cutoff valve 24 as shown in FIG. In FIG. 8, 28 is the case body of the gas meter 20, 29 is a gas inlet, and 30 is a flow port communicating with the valve chamber. And the inlet 29
A movable valve seat 32 is provided inside a partition wall 31 that partitions the flow port 30 and the flow port 30 . Further, a valve body 33 of a self-holding shutoff valve 24 is provided opposite the movable valve seat 32 . The self-holding shutoff valve 24 includes a coil 35 surrounding the plunger 34, a yoke 36 provided around the outer periphery of the coil 35, and a magnet 37 provided at the bottom of the yoke 36.

The valve body 33 is attached to the tip of the plunger 34, and the valve body 33 is urged toward the movable valve seat 32 by a spring 38. When the coil 35 is not energized, the plunger 34 is moved by the spring 38.
Overcoming the force, the valve body 33 is attracted and held by the magnet 37, and the valve body 33 is separated from the movable valve seat 32 and is in the open state. However, when the coil 35 is momentarily energized and a reverse magnetic field is applied, the spring 38 is restored. The force presses the valve body 33 against the movable valve seat 32 to maintain the valve closed state.

On the other hand, on the front part of the case body 28 of the gas meter 20 facing the cutoff valve 24, there is a cutoff valve manual return means 39 for manually returning the valve body 33 of the cutoff valve 24 to the open state.
is configured. This shutoff valve manual return means 39 is provided with the movable valve seat 32 fixed to a bushing rod 40, and normally the movable valve seat 32 is urged against the front end of the partition wall 31 by a spring 41. . When you want to restore the shut-off valve 24 and open the gas flow path, remove the cap 42 and push the reset button 43 deep by hand.Then, the bushing rod 40 and movable valve seat 32 are pushed deep, and the valve is shut off at the same time. The valve body 33 and plunge 34 of the valve 24 are also pushed inwards. As a result, the shutoff valve 24
A plunger 34 is attracted and held by a magnet 37.

After that, when you release the return button 43, the movable valve seat 32
is returned to the front by the spring 41, so that the valve is held open.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the wax thermoactuator having the conventional structure as described above, even though the response speed has been increased, it has not yet reached the point where a sufficiently satisfactory response can be obtained.

In other words, during heating, the bottom plate 16 of the case 3 of the heat-sensitive section 1 is heated by the heater 15, and when that heat is transferred to the wax 4, the heat is transferred relatively quickly inside the case 3 made of metal material to the inner wall of the case 3. However, since the heat transfer from the part of the wax 4 in contact with the inner wall of the case 3 to the center of the wax 4 is slow, it takes a long time for the piston 9 to complete its full stroke. . therefore,
As a result, the response speed until the piston 9 completes its full stroke was not fast enough.

On the other hand, in the conventional gas safety shut-off device as described above, if you shut off the shut-off valve 5 for safety before going out or going to bed, you must go to the place where the gas meter 20 is installed and close the cap every time you return home or wake up. 42 and manual reset by pushing the reset button 43 by hand, which is a problem.

In other words, instead of manual return using the return button 43, if the cutoff valve 24 itself were to energize the coil 35 and use the generated electromagnetic force to attract the plunger 34 and return by itself, the gas meter 20 Since the stroke of the valve body 33 is large in terms of pressure loss in the flow path, the coil 35 must be made very large and a large current must be passed to obtain suction force to restore the gas meter 20.
A built-in shutoff valve 24 that can be electrically reset has not been put into practical use.

Therefore, the first object of the present invention is to obtain a wax thermoactuator with a high-speed response that is practically satisfactory.

The second purpose is to provide a shutoff valve return means that returns the shutoff valve to the open state of the gas flow path, in addition to the shutoff valve, so that the gas meter can be returned to the gas flow path without having to go to the installation location and manually return it. To provide a gas safety shutoff device which can cope with so-called remote restoration, can be restored in a quick response time, and always operates on the safe side even if a power failure occurs during restoration.

The third object is to prevent damage to the shutoff valve and the heater even if the electric return means of the shutoff valve return means outputs a return force that greatly exceeds the force required to return the shutoff valve. The object of the present invention is to obtain a gas safety shutoff device with a quick recovery time.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above-mentioned first object, the present invention provides a heat-sensitive container filled with wax, an elastic sleeve that deforms under the pressure of the wax, and a heat-sensitive container inserted into the elastic sleeve. The wax thermoactuator has a piston having a cylindrical shape, and has fins or protrusions similar to the fins formed on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive container.

Further, in order to achieve the second object, the present invention includes a self-holding shutoff valve that can shut off the gas flow path, and a signal from a means for measuring the amount of gas flowing through the gas flow path. The cutoff valve includes a cutoff determination unit that determines whether or not to shut off and generates a cutoff signal to the cutoff valve, and a cutoff valve return means that returns the cutoff valve to a state in which the gas flow path is opened. The return means is a wax thermoactuator that has fins or protrusions similar to the fins formed on the inner surface of a heat-sensitive container filled with wax, and biases the cutoff valve in the direction of returning by heating from a heater provided on the outer surface of the heat-sensitive container. and a gas safety shutoff device comprising a biasing means for biasing the wax thermoactuator in a direction opposite to the return direction.

Further, in order to achieve the third object, the present invention includes a self-holding shutoff valve that can shut off the gas flow path, and a signal from a means for measuring the amount of gas flowing through the gas flow path. A cutoff determination unit that determines whether or not to cut off the cutoff valve and generates a cutoff signal to the cutoff valve; and a flange part on the outside of the heat-sensitive container filled with wax that returns the cutoff valve to a state that cuts through the gas flow path. a wax thermoactuator that biases the cutoff valve in a direction to return the cutoff valve by heating a heater provided on the bottom surface of the heat-sensitive container; and biasing means that biases the wax thermoactuator in a direction opposite to the return direction. , the gas safety shut-off device is configured such that the collar portion is provided with an elastic member that biases the wax thermoactuator toward a locking portion on a side closer to the shut-off valve.

Function: With the above structure, the wax thermoactuator of the present invention has the structure described above. When the heat-sensitive container is first heated from the outside by a heater, warm air, hot water, etc., the heat is transferred from the outside of the heat-sensitive container to the plurality of layers formed on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive container. is quickly transmitted to the end of the fin-like protrusion. This is because the heat-sensitive container is made of a metal material with good thermal conductivity. Moreover, the wax sealed in the heat-sensitive container is
Naturally, it is in direct contact with the inner wall surface of the heat-sensitive container and the fin-like protrusions, and heat is transferred from the inner wall surface and the fin-like protrusions to the wax. Therefore, unlike the conventional case in which heat is transferred from the inner wall surface of the case 3 of the heat sensitive part 1 through the wax, heat is transferred directly to the inside of the wax using fins made of metal material to heat the wax. , the entire wax can be heated quickly. Moreover, not only can the fins directly transfer heat into the wax, but the surface area of the fin-like protrusions on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive container increases the contact area with the wax, which speeds up heat transfer. It acts on

Due to these effects, the time required for heating the entire wax is shortened, and as a result, a wax thermoactuator with a fast response speed can be obtained. In addition, not only during heating but also during cooling, the fin-like protrusions act to quickly transfer the heat inside the wax to the outside of the heat-sensitive container and cool it quickly. The above action provides a wax thermoactuator that responds quickly both during heating and cooling.

Further, in the gas safety shutoff device of the present invention, with the above configuration, the shutoff determination section first determines whether or not there is an unsafe state based on the signal from the measuring means for the amount of gas flowing through the gas flow path, and when it is determined that there is an abnormality. Battery power shuts off the shutoff valve. When returning the cut-off shutoff valve, the cutoff valve returning means for returning the cutoff valve includes a fin-shaped protrusion formed on the inner surface of a heat-sensitive container filled with wax, and a heater provided on the outer surface of the heat-sensitive container. a wax thermoactuator that biases the cutoff valve in the direction of returning the cutoff valve by heating the valve, and a biasing means that biases the wax thermoactuator in the opposite direction to the reset, so that when the heater is energized, the wax thermoactuator is activated. is heated and generates a thrust force on the piston of the wax thermoactuator in the direction of returning the cutoff valve, and as a result, the cutoff valve acts to be electrically returned by the wax thermoactuator. In other words, it is possible to restore the gas meter without having to go to the installation location and manually restore the gas meter, making it possible to support so-called remote restoration. Further, when the power supply to the heater is stopped, the wax thermoactuator is cooled and returned to its original state by the biasing means that biases the wax thermoactuator in the opposite direction to the return direction. In other words, the shutoff valve always operates to be in a state where it can shut off when the power supply to the heater is stopped, either during the return or after the return is completed. In other words, it can function on the safe side by being able to shut off the shutoff valve in the event of a power outage failure or the like to the shutoff valve return means. However, due to the action and effect of the fin-shaped protrusions formed on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive container filled with wax, the response time from the start of energization to the heater to the return of the shutoff valve, and the response time from the start of energization to the heater to the return of the shutoff valve, and the return of the piston to its original state after energization to the heater is stopped. It is possible to obtain a gas safety shut-off device that can respond quickly in both the response time to return to the position in a short time.

Further, a wax thermoactuator is provided, in which a flange is formed on the outside of a heat-sensitive container in which wax is sealed, and the wax thermoactuator is biased in a direction to return the cutoff valve by heating a heater provided on the bottom surface of the heat-sensitive container; Since the flange is provided with a biasing means for biasing in the opposite direction to the return and an elastic member for biasing the wax thermoactuator toward the locking portion on the side closer to the shutoff valve, the wax thermoactuator is biased toward the shutoff. The elastic member that biases the locking portion on the side closer to the valve is designed to prevent the wax thermoactuator from outputting a return force that greatly exceeds the force required to return the shutoff valve due to excessive heating of the heater, etc. In such a case, the thrust generated after the shutoff valve is reset acts to compress the elastic member that biases the wax thermoactuator toward the locking portion. In other words, a force greater than the biasing force of the elastic member does not act on the shutoff valve.

Therefore, even if the wax thermoactuator outputs a return force that greatly exceeds the force required to return the cutoff valve as described above, damage to the cutoff valve can be prevented. Further, since the flange of the heat-sensitive container receives the force acting on the elastic member, no force such as a reaction force for return or an urging force to the locking portion is applied to the heater. Therefore, damage such as cracking of the heater can be prevented. Furthermore, since the configuration requires only the elastic member and the locking portion to press the flange of the heat-sensitive container against the locking portion with an elastic member and bring it into direct contact with the heat-sensitive container, heat is applied to the locking portion and the elastic member. By using a material with poor conductivity, it is possible to insulate the heat generated when heating the heater and prevent it from escaping to other unnecessary places.
As a result, heat can be effectively and quickly transferred to the wax, resulting in a gas safety shutoff device with quick response.

Embodiment Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings.

In FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, wax 4 is sealed in a bottomed, substantially cylindrical heat-sensitive container 44. As shown in FIG. A plurality of fin-like protrusions 45 are integrally formed on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive container 44.

The heat-sensitive container 44 is made of copper, which has good thermal conductivity. Further, a flange portion 46 is formed on the outside near the upper end of the heat-sensitive container 44, and the seal portion of the rubber elastic sleeve 47 and the brass cover 49 are tightened and fixed together in the flange portion 46. The elastic sleeve 47, which is caulked in shape, has an elongated bag shape into which a stainless steel piston 9 is inserted. Also,
A disk-shaped ceramic heater 15 is joined to the bottom of the outer surface of the heat-sensitive container 44 by brazing. A sealing material 50 made of fluorine-based synthetic resin is provided between the cover 49 and the elastic sleeve 47.
It has a structure with

Next, the operation of the configuration of this embodiment will be explained. First, when the wax 4 is lower than its transformation temperature, the wax 4 is in a semi-solid state as shown in FIG. 1, and the piston 9 is pushed deep into the sleeve 47 by a spring (not shown). . In the case of this embodiment, the wax 4 used has a transformation temperature of about 70°C. In other words, when the temperature becomes higher than 70° C., the wax 4 liquefies and its volume expands suddenly. When the heater 15 is energized, the heater 15
The heat is conducted inside the heat-sensitive container 44 and is transmitted to the tip of the fin-like protrusion 45. Then, the portion of the wax 4 that is in contact with the inner wall of the heat-sensitive container 44 and the fin-like projections 45 is heated and begins to liquefy, and the heat is sequentially conducted to the entire wax 4, causing the entire wax to liquefy and expand. Along with this liquefaction expansion, the heat-sensitive container 4
4 becomes high, and this internal pressure acts on the sleeve 47.

The pressure exerted by the wax 4 on the sleeve 47 pushes out the piston 9 inserted into the sleeve 47, resulting in the state shown in FIG.

When heated with heater 15 as described above, wax 4
The time it takes for the whole to liquefy and expand is completed in a short time. Since the fin-like projections 45 are formed inside the heat-sensitive container 44, the heat is quickly transmitted from the outside of the heat-sensitive container 44 to the ends of the plurality of fin-like projections 45 formed on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive container 44. This is because the heat-sensitive container 44 is made of a metal material with good thermal conductivity. Moreover, the wax 4 sealed in the heat-sensitive container 44 is naturally in direct contact with the inner wall surface of the heat-sensitive container 44 and the fin-like protrusions 45, and heat is transferred from the inner wall surface and the fin-like protrusions 45 to the wax 4. Therefore, unlike the conventional case where heat is transferred from the inner wall surface of the case 3 of the heat sensitive section 1 through the wax, the heat is transferred directly to the inside of the wax 4 through the fins 45 formed of a metal material. 4, the entire wax 4 can be heated quickly. Moreover, the fin 4 towards the inside of the wax 4
Not only can heat be directly transferred through the heat-sensitive container 44, but also the surface area of the fin-shaped protrusions 45 on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive container 44 increases the contact area with the wax 4, which acts to speed up heat transfer.

Due to these effects, the time required for heating the entire wax 4 is shortened, and as a result, a wax thermoactuator with a fast response speed can be obtained. Furthermore, when the power supply to the heater 15 is stopped, the fin-like protrusion 4
5, the heat inside the wax 4 is quickly transferred to the outside of the heat-sensitive container 44 and cooled quickly, and when the wax 4 is cooled, it changes from a liquid to its original semi-solid state again and contracts in volume. Then, the piston 9 is moved to the sleeve 47 by the spring (not shown).
It is pushed deep into the body and returns to the state shown in Figure 1. As described above, the fin-like protrusions 45 transmit the heat inside the wax 4 to the outside of the heat-sensitive container 44 not only during heating but also during cooling, so that the entire wax 4 is cooled quickly. . The above action provides a wax thermoactuator that responds quickly both during heating and cooling.

In the above embodiment, the fin-like protrusions 45 are formed in the shape of radial fins as shown in FIG. 3, but they may be formed in the shape of a plurality of cylindrical protrusions.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention relating to a gas safety shutoff device will be described based on the accompanying drawings. Figure 4.

In FIG. 5, a gas meter 20 has a built-in measuring mechanism 21 for measuring the gas flow rate and a metering means 21 consisting of a quantity sensor. When the gas flow rate satisfies a predetermined condition, a cutoff signal is output. Upon receiving this cutoff signal, a self-holding cutoff valve 24 that is capable of blocking the gas flow path 23 operates to close the gas flow path 4. In this case, the shutoff power for shutting off the shutoff valve 24 is supplied to a lithium battery 2 built in the gas meter 20 together with the shutoff determining section 22.
Supplied from 6. The lithium battery 26 also supplies power for operating the cutoff determination section 22 having a microcomputer. In FIG. 5, the shutoff valve 24
2 is a sectional view showing a portion of a gas meter 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a shutoff valve return means 27 and the like are assembled. That is, 28 is a case body of the gas meter 20, 29 is a gas inlet, and 30 is a communication port communicating with the valve chamber. A fixed valve seat 51 is provided on the partition wall 31 that partitions the inflow port 29 and the flow port 30. Further, a self-holding shutoff valve 24 is provided opposite the fixed valve seat 51. This self-holding shutoff valve 24 is composed of a coil 35 surrounding a plunger 34, a yoke 36 provided around the outer periphery of the coil 35, and a magnet 37 provided at the bottom of the yoke 36. A valve body 33 facing the fixed valve seat 51 is attached to the tip of the plunger 34, and the valve body 33 is urged toward the fixed valve seat 51 by a spring 38. When the coil 35 is de-energized, the plunger 34 overcomes the spring 410 and magnet 3
7, the valve body 33 is separated from the fixed valve seat 51 and is in an open state. However, when the coil 35 is momentarily energized and a reverse magnetic field is applied, the restoring force of the spring 38 causes the valve body 33 to move away from the fixed valve seat 51. Fixed valve seat 51
The valve is kept in a closed state by being in pressure contact with the valve.

On the other hand, a cutoff valve return means 27 for returning the valve body 33 of the cutoff valve 24 to the open state is provided at the front of the gas meter 200 case body 28 facing the cutoff valve 24. This cutoff valve return means 27 is provided with a movable valve seat 32 fixed to a bushing rod 40 inside the fixed valve 1A151.
2 is retracted in front of the fixed valve seat 51 and stopped.

When the shutoff valve 24 is turned on, when a return signal is issued from the remote controller 52, the heater 15 is energized from a power source 53 separate from the battery 26, and the wax 4 inside the wax thermoactuator 54 is heated. When the wax 4 is heated and expands, the piston 9 is pushed out, and the tip of the piston 9 pushes the end face of the bushing rod 40 deep, and at the same time pushes the movable valve seat 32 deep, pushing the valve body 33 of the cutoff valve 24 into the movable valve seat 32. is pushed open, and the plunger 34 of the shutoff valve 24
is attracted and held by the magnet 37, and the valve is kept open. When the wax thermoactuator 54 returns the cutoff valve 24 and stops energizing the heater 15, the heater 1
5 and the wax thermoactuator 54 are cooled, the wax 4 contracts, and the wax thermoactuator 54 is returned to its original state, that is, the state shown in FIG. .

In other words, the movable valve seat 32 stops at a position slightly retracted from the fixed valve seat 51, which is the same as before the operation. The spring seat 56 is a component that receives the biasing force of the biasing means 55 and transmits it to the piston 9 of the wax thermoactuator 54. Further, the wax thermoactuator 54 has a locking portion 34 on the inner surface.
The actuator case 57 is inserted into a cylindrical actuator case 57 and is urged in the direction of the cutoff valve 24 by an elastic member 58. Further, the actuator case 57 has a threaded portion 59 which is detachably formed to be screwed to the shutoff valve manual return means 39 into which the movable valve seat 32, the oil rod 40, the spring 41, etc. are inserted. Also, the shutoff valve return element F9
Reference numeral 27 denotes a manual return means 3 which not only enables remote return by activating the electric return means from the remote control 52, but also enables manual return of the cutoff valve 24 from the front of the gas meter 20.
9 is the composition.

Further, a return signal when the shutoff valve 24 is reset is fed back to the microcomputer of the shutoff determining section 22, so that the return can be recognized. Further, information on the gas meter 20 is transmitted from the microcomputer of the cutoff determination section 22 to the remote control 52. For example, the reason for the shutoff, the amount of gas used, the open/closed state of the shutoff valve 24, etc. can be displayed on the LCD display section 60 of the remote control 52 as necessary. The remote control operation unit 61 also includes a display switch 62 for displaying various information about the gas meter 20, a remote cutoff switch 63 for manually cutting off the cutoff valve 24 from the remote controller 52, a remote return switch 64 for remotely returning the cutoff valve 24, and the like. . Furthermore, the remote control 52 is connected to a lithium battery 2 built in the gas meter 20.
The other power source 53 supplied to the remote controller 52 is configured to use a lithium battery, a commercial power source, or both. Remote return switch 6 of remote control 52
When the shutoff valve 24 is returned to the remote IM state in step 4, power from this separate power supply 53 is applied to the shutoff valve return means 27 to return the cutoff valve 24 to the remote IM state.

Next, the operation of the configuration of this embodiment will be explained. First, in normal use, the coil 35 of the self-holding solenoid type cutoff valve 24 of the gas meter 20 is not energized, and the plunger 34 of the cutoff valve 24 is connected to the valve body 33.
The magnet 37 overcomes the biasing force of the spring 38 that biases the valve in the closing direction, and the valve is held in the open state by attraction.

Therefore, the gas flows through each part of the gas passage 23, the cutoff valve 24, and the metering means 21, and the flow rate signal detected by the metering means 21 is manually inputted to the cutoff determination section 22. In this way, under normal usage conditions, a flow rate signal that can be considered to indicate that the predetermined maximum gas flow rate has been exceeded or that the predetermined continuous usage time of the gas appliance in use has been exceeded is manually transmitted from the flow rate sensor of the metering means 21 to the cutoff determination unit 22. In this case, the cutoff determination unit 22 determines that there is a dangerous abnormal state, and acts to apply power to cut off the cutoff valve 24 from the battery 26 built in the gas meter 20. Then, the solenoid coil 35 of the cutoff valve 24 is instantaneously energized, generating a magnetic field in the opposite direction to the magnetic field of the self-holding magnet 37, and the plunger 34 is released from being attracted and held by the magnet 37. Therefore, the spring 38
The urging force causes the valve body 33 to close the valve seat 51, and the flow of gas is blocked. This makes it possible to prevent gas leakage in the event of an abnormality. In addition, in the case of an abnormal shutoff as described above, a signal indicating the reason for the shutoff is transmitted from the shutoff determining section 22 to the remote controller 52 and displayed on the display section 60, allowing the gas user to take appropriate countermeasures. In addition, by pressing the remote cutoff switch 63 of the remote controller 52, the cutoff valve 24 of the gas meter 20 can be manually shut off remotely. Therefore, by shutting off the power using the remote control 52 before going to bed or going out, gas accidents can be almost completely prevented at night or while you are away. At the same time, you can get great peace of mind by eliminating the worry of gas accidents at night or while you are away. In addition, when you shut off the gas meter 20 before going out and return home, or when you wake up the next morning after shutting off the gas meter 20 the night before, you can use a remote controller installed indoors without having to go to the installation location of the gas meter 20 and manually reset the shutoff valve 24. 52, the wax thermoactuator 54 is driven, the piston 9 pushes the bushing rod 40 and the movable valve seat 32 deep, and the movable valve seat 32 pushes open the valve body 33 of the cutoff valve 24. The plunger 34 of the cutoff valve 24 is attracted and held by the magnet 37, so that the valve can be kept open. This wax thermoactuator 54 has a fin-shaped protrusion 45 formed on the inner surface of a heat-sensitive container 44 in which wax 4 is sealed, and is attached in the direction of returning the cutoff valve 24 by heating from a heater 15 provided on the outer surface of the heat-sensitive container 44. the wax thermoactuator 54 that acts
Said above! Since it is provided with a biasing means 55 that biases in the opposite direction to fi, when the heater 15 is energized, the wax thermoactuator 54 is heated, and a thrust is generated in the piston 9 of the wax thermoactuator 54 in the direction of returning the cutoff valve 24. As a result, the cutoff valve 24 operates to be electrically reset by the wax thermoactuator 54. In other words, you don't have to go to the gas meter installation location and return to Manual II! This allows for so-called remote recovery. Wax thermo actuator 54
When the shutoff valve 24 is reset, a reset signal is sent to the remote controller 52 to stop energizing the heater 15, and the energizing means 5
5, the piston 9 is retracted, as shown in FIG.
Movable valve 1! ! ! 32 returns to the same position as before actuation, slightly retracted from the fixed valve seat 51. Furthermore, when the power supply to the heater 15 is stopped, the wax thermoactuator 5
4 is cooled and returned to its original state by a biasing means 55 that biases the wax thermoactuator 54 in the opposite direction to the above-mentioned return. In other words, the shutoff valve 24 always operates to be in a state where it can be shut off when the power supply to the heater 15 is stopped, either during the return or after the return is completed. That is, it can function on the safe side by being able to shut off the shutoff valve in the event of a power outage failure or the like to the shutoff valve return means 27. In addition, due to the action and effect of the fin-shaped protrusions 45 formed on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive container 44 containing the wax 4, the response time from the start of energization to the heater 15 to the return of the cutoff valve 24 and the energization to the heater 15 are stopped. It is possible to obtain a gas safety shutoff device that can quickly respond in a short time until the piston 9 returns to its original position.

Further, a flange portion 46 is formed on the outside of the heat-sensitive container 44 in which wax 4 is sealed, and a heater 1 is provided on the bottom surface of the heat-sensitive container 44.
5, a wax thermoactuator 54 that biases the cutoff valve 24 in the direction of returning the cutoff valve 24 through heating; a biasing means 55 that biases the wax thermoactuator 54 in the opposite direction to the return; Since the elastic member 58 that biases the locking portion 65 on the side closer to the cutoff valve 24 is attached to the collar portion 46, the elastic member 58 that biases the wax thermoactuator 54 against the locking portion 65 on the side closer to the cutoff valve 24 is If the wax thermoactuator 54 outputs a return force that greatly exceeds the force necessary to return the cutoff valve 24 due to excessive heating of the heater, etc., the thrust generated after the cutoff valve 24 is returned will be reduced. acts to compress the elastic member 58 that biases the waxer actuator 54 against the locking portion 65. In other words, a force greater than the biasing force of the elastic member 58 does not act on the shutoff valve 24 . Therefore, as mentioned above,
Even if the wax thermoactuator 54 outputs a return force that greatly exceeds the force required to return the cutoff valve 24, damage to the cutoff valve 24 can be prevented. Furthermore, since the flange 46 of the heat-sensitive container 44 is configured to receive the force acting on the elastic member 58, the heater 15 receives a reaction force for returning and a locking portion 6 on the inner surface of the actuator case 57.
It does not exert any force such as biasing force on 5. Therefore, damage such as cracking of the tar 15 can be prevented. Furthermore, the flange 46 of the heat-sensitive container 44 is
Since only the elastic member 58 and the locking part 65 are pressed against the locking part 65 by the locking part 8 and brought into direct contact with the heat-sensitive container 44, it is necessary to use a material with poor thermal conductivity for the locking part 65 and the elastic member 58. By this, it is possible to insulate the heat generated when the heater is heated and prevent it from escaping to other unnecessary places.As a result, the heat can be efficiently and quickly transferred to the wax 4, and a gas safety shutoff device with quick response can be obtained. It is.

Furthermore, it has a cutoff valve manual return means 39 for returning the cutoff valve 24 to the state in which the gas flow path 23 is opened.
By providing a wax thermoactuator 54t that biases the motor in the direction of restoring 4, when power cannot be supplied to the wax thermoactuator 54, which is an electric restoring means, due to a dead battery, a power outage, or other malfunction, etc. However, it is possible to manually return the cutoff valve 24 using the cutoff valve manual return means 39 by removing the removably configured electric return means.

Due to the above action, if you shut off the shutoff valve 24 for safety before going out or going to bed, you will not have to go to the installation location of the gas meter 20 and manually reset it each time you return home or wake up. Even without,
For example, the shutoff valve return means 27 can be operated from the remote controller 52 at any time.
It is possible to cope with so-called remote return in which the cutoff valve 24 is remotely returned to the state in which the gas flow path 23 is opened by operating the gas flow path 23, thereby eliminating the trouble of return. Furthermore, since remote recovery is possible, it is not troublesome to shut off and recover each time. Therefore, more safety and security can be obtained. Moreover, when the remote control 52 is used to remotely reset the shutoff valve, the shutoff valve is reset using power from a power source 53 that is separate from the battery 26, rather than the power from the battery 26 that supplies power to function the shutoff determination section 22 of the gas meter 20. Since the device 27 is configured to operate, even if the shutoff valve 24 is shut off every day before going to bed or going out and the device is remotely reset each time, no burden will be placed on the battery 26. Therefore, while monitoring the gas flow rate signal of the gas meter 20, the shutoff determination unit 22
without shortening the life of the battery 26, which serves to electrically back up the function of shutting off the shutoff valve 24.
The gas safety shutoff function can be maintained for a specified number of years. Further, the metering means 21, the cutoff determination section 22, the cutoff valve 24, and the battery 26 are integrally constructed in the gas meter 20, the cutoff determination section 22 is operated by the battery 26, and the power source 53 of the remote control 52 is Therefore, even if the power supply 53 of the remote controller 52 is out of power, there is no problem at all with the function of determining an abnormality based on the gas flow rate signal and safely shutting off the gas, resulting in a highly reliable gas safety shutoff device. In addition, the power supply 5 of the remote control 52
By using a lithium battery in 3, gas meter 2
Signals from 0, for example, information such as the amount of gas used and the reason for abnormal shutoff can be backed up and saved in the event of a power outage.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention includes a heat-sensitive container filled with wax, an elastic sleeve that deforms under the pressure of the wax, and a piston inserted into the elastic sleeve.
Due to the structure of the wax thermoactuator in which fins or protrusions similar to the fins are formed on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive container, when the heat-sensitive container is first heated from the outside by a heater, hot air, hot water, etc., the heat is transferred from the outside of the heat-sensitive container. Heat is quickly transmitted to the ends of the plurality of fin-shaped protrusions formed on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive container, and the wax is heated by being transmitted through the fins formed deep into the wax, so that the entire wax can be heated quickly. . Moreover, not only can the fins directly transfer heat into the wax, but the surface area of the fin-like protrusions on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive container increases the contact area with the wax, which speeds up heat transfer. Therefore, the time required for heating the entire wax is shortened, and as a result, a wax thermoactuator with a fast response speed can be obtained. Moreover, not only during heating but also during cooling, the fin-like protrusions dissipate the heat inside the wax.
Since the heat is quickly transferred to the outside of the heat-sensitive container and is quickly cooled,
A wax thermoactuator that responds quickly both during heating and cooling can be obtained.

Further, in the gas safety shutoff device of the present invention, when the shutoff valve is reset, the shutoff valve return means for returning the shutoff valve is formed with a fin-shaped protrusion on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive container filled with wax. , comprising a wax thermoactuator that biases the cutoff valve in a direction to return it by heating a heater provided on the outer surface of the heat-sensitive container, and a biasing means that biases the wax thermoactuator in a direction opposite to the return direction. Therefore, when the heater is energized, the wax thermoactuator is heated, and a thrust is generated on the piston of the wax thermoactuator in the direction of returning the cutoff valve.As a result, the cutoff valve is electrically reset by the wax thermoactuator. Therefore, it is possible to restore the gas meter without having to go to the installation location and manually restore the gas meter, making it possible to respond to so-called remote restoration.

Furthermore, when the power supply to the heater is stopped, the wax thermoactuator is cooled down and returned to its original state by the biasing means that biases the wax thermoactuator in the opposite direction to the return. In this case, the shutoff valve operates so that it can be shut off whenever the power supply to the heater is stopped.

In other words, it can function on the safe side by being able to shut off the shutoff valve in the event of a power outage failure or the like to the shutoff valve return means. In addition, due to the action and effect of the fin-shaped protrusions formed on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive container filled with wax, the response time from the start of energization to the heater to the return of the shutoff valve, and the response time of the piston to its original position after energization to the heater is stopped. The response time to return to
A gas safety shutoff device that can be quickly responded to in a short period of time can be obtained.

Further, a wax thermoactuator is provided, in which a flange is formed on the outside of a heat-sensitive container in which wax is sealed, and the wax thermoactuator is biased in a direction to return the cutoff valve by heating a heater provided on the bottom surface of the heat-sensitive container; Since the flange is provided with a biasing means for biasing in the opposite direction to the return and an elastic member for biasing the wax thermoactuator toward the locking portion on the side closer to the shutoff valve, the wax thermoactuator is biased toward the shutoff. The elastic member that biases the locking portion on the side closer to the valve is designed to prevent the wax thermoactuator from outputting a return force that greatly exceeds the force required to return the shutoff valve due to excessive heating of the heater, etc. In such a case, the thrust generated after the shutoff valve is returned acts to compress the elastic member that biases the wax thermoactuator toward the locking portion.
A force greater than the biasing force of the elastic member does not act on the shutoff valve. Therefore, even if the wax thermoactuator outputs a return force that greatly exceeds the force required to return the cutoff valve as described above, damage to the cutoff valve can be prevented. Further, since the flange of the heat-sensitive container receives the force acting on the elastic member, no force such as a reaction force for return or an urging force to the locking portion is applied to the heater. Therefore, damage such as cracking of the heater can be prevented. Furthermore, since the structure requires only the elastic member and the locking portion to push the flange of the heat-sensitive container against the locking portion by an elastic member and bring it into direct contact with the heat-sensitive container, the locking portion and the elastic member By using a material with poor thermal conductivity, it is possible to insulate the heat generated by the heater and prevent it from escaping to other unnecessary places.As a result, the heat can be efficiently and quickly transferred to the wax, resulting in a quick response. A gas safety shutoff device is obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are front sectional views of a wax thermoactuator showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view of the same wax thermoactuator shown in FIG. 1, and FIG.
Figure 5 is a system configuration diagram of the gas safety shutoff device, Figure 5 is a structural sectional view of the main parts of the gas safety shutoff device, Figure 6 is a front sectional view of a conventional wax thermoactuator, and Figure 7 is a conventional gas safety shutoff device. A system configuration diagram of a safety shutoff device, FIG. 8 is a structural sectional view of a conventional gas safety shutoff device. 4... Wax, 9... Piston, 15... Heater, 21... Measuring means, 22... Cutoff determination section, 2
3... Gas flow path, 24... Shutoff valve, 26... Battery, 27... Shutoff valve return means, 44... Heat-sensitive container, 4
5... Fin-shaped projection, 46... Flange portion, 47... Elastic body sleeve, 54... Wax thermoactuator, 55... Biasing means, 58... Elastic member, 65...
...Locking part. Name of agent: Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano (1 person) Wax piston handle (P) fin-like protrusion Ichimonichi-- Shutoff valve + v ') Sumish ten glare force means Elastic strike 1 man i upper meter t +B @ 1ITPJ t m Nozujta road α pre-meeting t:P!

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) It has a heat-sensitive container filled with wax, an elastic sleeve that deforms under the pressure of the wax, and a piston inserted into the elastic sleeve, and a fin or similar to the fin is provided on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive container. Wax thermo actuator with protrusions. (2) Determine whether or not the gas flow path should be shut off based on a signal from a self-holding shutoff valve capable of shutting off the gas flow path and a means for measuring the amount of gas flowing through the gas flow path, and shut off the gas flow path. The cutoff valve has a cutoff determination section that generates a cutoff signal to the valve, and a cutoff valve return means that returns the cutoff valve to a state in which the gas flow path is opened, and the cutoff valve return means includes a heat-sensitive container containing wax. A wax thermoactuator having a fin or a protrusion similar to the fin formed on the inner surface and biasing the cutoff valve in a direction to return the cutoff valve by heating a heater provided on the outer surface of the heat-sensitive container; A gas safety shutoff device using a wax thermoactuator consisting of biasing means that biases in the direction. (3) Determine whether or not the gas flow path should be shut off based on a signal from a self-holding shutoff valve that can shut off the gas flow path and a means for measuring the amount of gas flowing through the gas flow path, and shut off the gas flow path. The cutoff valve has a cutoff determination section that generates a cutoff signal to the valve, and a cutoff valve return means that returns the cutoff valve to a state in which the gas flow path is opened, and the cutoff valve return means includes a heat-sensitive container containing wax. A wax thermoactuator having a flange formed on the outside and biasing the cutoff valve in a direction to return the cutoff valve by heating from a heater provided on the bottom surface of the heat-sensitive container; and a wax thermoactuator biasing the wax thermoactuator in a direction opposite to the return. A gas safety shutoff device using a wax thermoactuator, the flange being provided with a biasing means and an elastic member that biases the wax thermoactuator toward a locking portion on a side closer to the shutoff valve.