JPH05203135A - Device for indicating cylinder replacement time - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accurately indicate when to replace a gas cylinder with the new one by a method wherein a decrease in the contents of the gas cylinder is detected by variation in load on a spring and a means for indicating such a decrease is actuated by a switch. CONSTITUTION:When a residue of liquefied gas in a gas cylinder B has become poor to decrease its weight below a predetermined value, a detecting spring 4 senses this condition to actuate a load receiving member 3 to cause the switching action of a switch 5. In this way an indicating means 6 comes in operation to show the sign of lack of gas residue by both coloration and voicing or either alone. By this method, a signal can be accurately given for the cylinder replacement time during use of a gas appliance.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cylinder replacement time notification device for use in a cylinder replaceable gas appliance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A gas appliance such as a gas stove, which is used by mounting a small gas container called a gas cylinder or a cartridge on the appliance body, does not require a gas pipe, and is portable enough to be used outdoors. However, a wide variety of products are commercially available.

However, since it is difficult to confirm the remaining amount in the container, the fuel may run out during use. For that reason, the time that can be burned is described in the container, but the actual situation is that there is almost no effect because it is necessary to measure and record the time.
There is also a problem that the burning time varies depending on the temperature, altitude and other usage conditions.

In the case of a large cylinder, a pressure gauge is attached to know the remaining amount. But attaching such an instrument to a small gas appliance is impractical,
No effective measures have been taken yet.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to replace a small gas cylinder used in a gas cylinder replaceable gas appliance when the gas appliance is in use. In addition, it is to be able to notify accurately.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a housing portion 2 for a gas cylinder B in an instrument body 1 and attaches the gas cylinder B to the housing portion 2 so as to contact the lower portion of the cylinder. A load receiving member 3 capable of bearing a load is movably attached to the instrument main body 1 to detect the weight of the gas filled in the gas cylinder, and when the weight becomes lighter, the elastic force pushes up the gas cylinder B to act on the remaining amount. The detection spring 4 is attached between the instrument body 1 and the load receiving member 3, and when the load receiving member 3 pushes up the gas cylinder B by the action of the detection spring 4, the switch 5 is engaged and switched to the switch 5. 3 or at a position engageable with the detection spring 4 and further provided at the instrument body 1 with an informing means 6 which is operated by the switch 5 to inform the decrease of the remaining amount by light or sound. Cormorants are those which took measures.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1
The gas appliance shown in Fig. 2 is a small gas stove for desktop use, and the vertically long gas cylinder B is set in the housing 2 provided inside the side of the appliance body 1, and the gas is adjusted by the governor 14. After being pressed, it is supplied to the burner 15.

A floor 7 on which a gas cylinder B is laid in the accommodation section 2
Is provided, and in this state, the front end of the gas cylinder B is connected to the governor 14, and the rear end b of the gas cylinder B projects to the rear of the floor 7. The floor 7 is made of a material having good thermal conductivity, and is connected to a heat source 16 near the burner 15 by a heat pipe 17 to prevent the gas cylinder B from being supercooled during use.

The load receiving member 3 has a rear end portion b of the gas cylinder B, and an inverted C-shaped contact portion 8 which is in stable contact with the gas cylinder B so as to lift it. It is movably attached (Fig. 3). Reference numeral 18 denotes a support shaft that pivotally supports the front end portion 9 thereof (FIG. 2).

The latter half of the load receiving member 3 stands up,
The member 3 is substantially L-shaped, and its upper end extends in the direction of the switch 5 installed at the rear part of the main body to form an operation end 21 capable of switching operation of the switch operator 20.

The detection spring 4 is stretched between the load receiving member 3 and the main body side spring stopper 22 above the load receiving member 3, and when the weight of the gas cylinder B becomes smaller than a set value, the rear end portion b of the gas cylinder B. Can be pushed up. That is, when the weight of the gas cylinder B is lighter than the set value, the detection spring 4 pushes up the rear end of the cylinder and has a spring force of such strength that the operator 20 of the switch 5 can be switched by the pushing force.

When light is used as the notification means 6, it can be constructed simply by having the power source 23 and the light emitting member 10. However, the example notification circuit shows that the gas cylinder B is correctly mounted by color. It also has a display circuit (Fig. 3). The lighting switch 11 for actuating the different color light emitting member 10 'of the display circuit is provided at a position to be pushed in the mounting direction by the ring-shaped flange f provided at the tip of the gas cylinder B (FIG. 4). .. Reference numeral 40 is a magnet, which magnetically holds the flange f.

Reference numeral 26 is a connecting shaft pushed by the flange f, and 27 is a holding portion for the coaxial 26, which is provided at the lower end of the governor 14. 28 is a lever for controlling the pushing of the connecting shaft 26, and has a passage opening 25 for passing the connecting shaft 26 when the knob shaft 29 attached to the knob shaft 29 of the governor 14 is in the "disappearing" position, Prevents incorrect installation of the cylinder. Reference numeral 30 is a knob for operating the knob shaft 29, and reference numerals 31 and 32 are indexes indicating the "erase" position (FIG. 5).

A sound or voice such as a buzzer can be used as the notification means 6. In the case of voice, a central control unit (CPU) operated by the switch 5, L for voice recording / playback
A desired sound is emitted from the speaker 12 through a voicing notification circuit including SI, a fixed storage device (ROM) for sound, and the like.

As a notification mode, words such as "the amount of gas has decreased" or "please replace the cylinder" are suitable. In addition, add a message such as "Please set the cylinder with the notch upward. Please read the precautions carefully before using it correctly." To prevent the wrong mounting of the cylinder. You can

In each figure, 31 is a soup holder having Gotoku 32,
Reference numeral 33 is an opening / closing lid of the housing portion 2, 34 is an operating device portion such as voice notification means, and 35 is a main switch.
6 may be shared and omitted. 37 is a discharge needle and 38 is a discharge circuit.

In the gas stove having such a structure, the opening / closing lid 33 is opened, the gas cylinder B is laid in the housing chamber 2 in a correct posture, the lid 32 is closed, and the tip nozzle part n is inserted into the receiving port 39 of the governor 14. The gas cylinder B is properly set, the knob 30 is operated to supply the gas to the burner 15, and the gas is ignited for use.

When the amount of the liquefied gas filled in the gas cylinder B is sufficient, the load bearing member 3 is pushed downward by the weight of the gas and the detection spring 4 is extended, so that the switch 5 is not switched. , Gas appliances can be used, but when the remaining amount of gas becomes low and the weight falls below a set weight, the detection spring 4 senses this and at the same time the load receiving member 3 switches the switch 5 The means 6 is activated and has a function of notifying that the remaining amount is low by coloring and / or uttering.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to replace the small gas cylinder used in the cylinder replaceable gas appliance with
Since the notification is given during use, it is possible to realize that there is no spare after it has been used up and the situation in which the gas appliance cannot be used occurs. In particular, according to the present invention, the decrease in the internal capacity of the gas cylinder B is detected by the change in the load of the spring 4, and the switch 5 for activating the notification means 6 is switched. It can be easily implemented by various modifications, and has a feature that it is easy to understand because it draws the user's attention by means of either or both of light and sound.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a gas appliance incorporating an alarm device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the same device.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the same.

FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the vicinity of the governor.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway front view around the picking portion.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A housing 2 for a gas cylinder B is provided in the instrument body 1, and a load receiving member 3 which is in contact with the lower portion of the cylinder and can bear a load is mounted on the instrument body 1 while the housing 2 is fitted with the gas cylinder B. Attached to the instrument body 1 and the load receiving member 3 to detect the weight of the gas filled in the gas cylinder and to act to push up the gas cylinder B by elasticity when the weight becomes lighter. A switch 5 which is mounted between the load receiving member 3 and the detection spring 4 and which is switched by engaging the load receiving member 3 when the load cylinder 3 pushes up the gas cylinder B by the action of the detection spring 4, is further provided. A device for informing the cylinder replacement time, which is provided with an informing means 6 which is operated by the switch 5 to inform the reduction of the remaining amount by light or sound. 2. The gas cylinder B is laid vertically on the floor 7 of the housing portion 2, and a contact portion 8 for contacting the cylinder end portion b is provided on the load receiving member 3, and the load receiving member 3 has one end portion 9. The cylinder replacement time notification device according to claim 1, wherein the cylinder replacement time is pivotally supported by the instrument body, and the other end is suspended by the detection spring 4. 3. The cylinder replacement time notification device according to claim 1, wherein the notification means 6 is light, and the light emitting member 10 therefor is operated by the switch 5. 4. The notifying means 6 is colored, and a lighting switch 11 for operating the light emitting member 10 by mounting the gas cylinder B in the housing 2 is provided close to the housing 2, and 4. The cylinder replacement time notification device according to claim 3, wherein the color of the light emitting member 10 is changed by the switch 5 operated by the action. 5. The cylinder replacement time notification device according to claim 1, wherein the notification means 6 is a sound, and the sounding member 12 for that purpose is activated by the switch 5. 6. The notifying means 6 is a voice, and a word meaning that the remaining amount of the gas cylinder has become small or the replacement time has come from the sounding member 12 by the switch 5 operated by the action of the detection spring 4. 6. The cylinder replacement time notification device according to claim 5, which is configured to emit.