JPH07286932A - Pipeline leak inspection device, pipeline welding assisting device, and method for using same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a leak inspection device which can very easily inspect leaks from a variety of pipelines including those of air-conditioning equipment without requiring labor and time and a method for using the same, and to provide a welding assisting device which prevents dust from attaching to the inside of the pipeline and remaining during welding of the pipeline and a method for using the same. CONSTITUTION:A leak inspection device comprises an automatic pressure regulator 3 connected to a cylinder 1 of inert gas such as nitrogen, a pressure-proof hose 4 made of a flexible material with one end connected to the regulator 3, a pressure gage 7 installed in the appropriate portion of the hose 4, a valve 6 installed between the pressure gage 7 and the automatic pressure regulator 3, and connectors 9a, 11 that can be connected under an airtight state to a pipeline 10 attached to the other end of the pressure proof hose 4. A welding assisting device for the pipeline 10 comprises the automatic pressure regulator 3 connected to the inert gas cylinder 1, the pressure proof hose 4 made of flexible material with one end connected to the automatic pressure regulator 3, and a conical pipe insertion tool attached to the end of the pressure proof hose 4 and having a through hole along its axis.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention particularly relates to a leak inspection apparatus for pipes suitable for inspecting the presence or absence of leaks in pipes for air conditioning work in a building, and welding suitable for welding these pipes. Auxiliary devices and methods of using these devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, when inspecting a pipe for air conditioning of a building for leaks, an automatic pressure regulator is attached to a cylinder of an inert gas such as nitrogen, and the pipe under construction is constructed from this automatic pressure regulator. A temporary pipe was installed, and the cylinder valve was opened and closed to inspect for leaks.

On the other hand, at the time of welding these pipes, the ends of the pipes to be connected are butted against each other, and gas welding is generally performed from the outside using a welding device.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above-described conventional leak inspection method for pipes requires complicated temporary pipes that require labor and time for inspection, and the pipes are multi-system. In this case, it takes much time and labor to make temporary bypass piping or move the heavy gas cylinder to make temporary piping.

Further, in the above-described conventionally known welding method, a large amount of soot and dust are attached and remain in the pipe during welding,
Since these cause clogging of the pipe, there is a problem that the work of removing the soot and dust is complicated.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an inspection device and a method of using the inspection device which can inspect a leak in a pipe very easily without requiring labor and time.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a welding auxiliary device and a method of using the welding auxiliary device which prevent soot and dust from remaining attached to the inside of the pipe when the pipe is welded.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an automatic pressure regulator connected to a cylinder of an inert gas, and a flexibility for connecting one end to this automatic pressure regulator. A pressure hose made of a material, a pressure gauge installed at an appropriate place on the pressure hose, a valve installed between the pressure gauge and the automatic pressure regulator, and attached to the other end of the pressure hose. It is configured with a connecting tool that can be connected to the pipe in an airtight state.

In this case, according to the present invention, the valve installed on the pressure-resistant hose can be detachably connected on the pressure gauge side by a connecting means with an insect pusher.

The present invention also provides an automatic pressure regulator connected to an inert gas cylinder, a pressure resistant hose of flexible material having one end connected to the automatic pressure regulator, and a pressure resistant hose attached to the tip of the pressure resistant hose. And a conical tube inserter having an insertion hole in the axial direction of the central portion thereof.

In any of the above cases, the inert gas may be nitrogen gas.

The present invention further uses the leak inspection device for a pipe as described above, airtightly connecting a pressure-resistant hose to the pipe to be inspected with a connecting tool, and installing a valve on the pressure-resistant hose side in the middle of the pressure-resistant hose. After confirming the closed state, open the valve of the inert gas cylinder to adjust the automatic pressure regulator to the desired pressure, then open the valve on the pressure resistant hose side to seal the inert gas of the desired pressure into the pipe, The valve on the pressure-resistant hose side is closed and left for a certain period of time, and a pressure gauge is used to inspect the pipe for leaks.

The present invention also uses the above-described pipe welding auxiliary device to insert a conical pipe inserter into the open end of the pipe to be welded, and to pass a low-pressure inert gas through this pipe inserter. Welding is carried out while being sent into the pipe to be welded.

[0014]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the automatic pressure regulator keeps the pressure of the inert gas filled in the pipe constant and the valve on the pressure-resistant hose side is closed and left for a certain period of time, there is a leak in the pipe. Since the pressure of the pressure gauge drops,
With this, it is possible to inspect whether or not there is a leak.

In the second aspect, since the inert gas in the inert gas cylinder flows in one direction at a predetermined flow velocity through the pipes which are welded to each other through the pipe inserter, soot is generated. To prevent dust from existing attachment or welding and discharge it toward the outlet.

In claims 3 and 4, since the nitrogen gas is an inert gas, the former one is safe at the time of inspection,
It is possible to prevent the generation of water droplets in the pipe, and the latter can prevent the generation of soot and can send the dust to the outlet of the pipe and discharge it.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the case of leak inspection of piping extending over multiple systems, a large number of pressure gauge hoses on the pressure gauge side are prepared, and after setting, only the pressure gauge hose on the pressure gauge side is directed to the pipe to be inspected. By leaving it, it becomes possible to inspect the presence or absence of leaks in a large number of pipes one after another while keeping the position of the inert gas cylinder as it is.

In claim 6, an automatic pressure regulator is connected to an inert gas (including nitrogen gas) cylinder, a pressure hose having a valve and a pressure gauge is connected to the automatic pressure regulator, and this pressure hose is connected. The leak inspection can be performed only by air-tightly connecting the connecting tool provided at the tip of the pipe to the pipe to be inspected, and there is no need to perform temporary pipe for that purpose, and the inspection device according to claim 5 is a multi-system It is possible to perform a leak inspection by preparing a plurality of pressure gauges and setting them one after another, leaving only the measuring means in the part prior to this pressure gauge, in the case of a leak inspection of piping that extends over a wide range. .

In the present invention, the conical pipe inserter is simply inserted into one of the inlets of the pipe to be welded, and the inert gas (including nitrogen gas) having a predetermined velocity is supplied to the pipe at the welding point at a predetermined flow rate. Can be flushed to.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a leak inspection device for piping, and 1 is a cylinder of an inert gas such as nitrogen gas (N ² ),
The cylinder 1 is connected via a valve 2 to an automatic pressure regulator 3 with a bug on the outlet 3a side. A pressure resistant hose 4 made of a flexible material is provided at the outlet 3a of the automatic pressure regulator.
Of the pressure resistant hose 4 is connected to a hose side valve 6 at one end thereof. A pressure gauge 7 is connected to the insect outlet 6a of the hose-side valve 6 via a connector 8 with an insect push, and a pressure resistant hose 9 made of a flexible material is further connected to the pressure gauge 7. ing. A pipe 10 is attached to the connector 9a with a bug provided at the tip of the pressure-resistant hose 9.
The union 11 with an insect push connected to is attached. In this way, the pressure gauge 7, the pressure-resistant hose 9 and the union 11 constitute the pressure measuring means 12.

Next, the method of using the above-described leak inspection apparatus will be described. The outlet 2a of the valve 2 of the cylinder 1 is described.
The automatic pressure regulator 3 is connected to the side, and this automatic pressure regulator 3
Connect the pressure-resistant hose 4 to the outflow port 3a side of the
Connect through. On the other hand, the thin tube 13 with the nut 13a is airtightly connected to the inlet of the pipe 10 to be inspected, and the nut 1
The connecting tool 9a of the pressure-resistant hose 9 on the measuring means 12 side is connected to 3a via the union 11. Then, the outlet 6a of the hose side valve 6 is connected to the connector 8 on the pressure gauge 7 side to complete the setting. The length of the pressure-resistant hose 9 on the measuring means 12 side is constant, but the length of the other pressure-resistant hose 4 can be appropriately expanded / contracted by another extended pressure-resistant hose, so that the heavy cylinder 1 can be moved upstairs. The leak inspection device can be set in a certain place (for example, on a transportation truck) that is easy to install without moving to another place.

When the setting is completed in this way, make sure that the hose side valve 6 is closed, and check that the cylinder 1
Open the valve 2 and adjust the automatic pressure regulator 3 to the specified pressure. Next, gradually open the valve 6 on the hose side, and if desired, once close the valve 6 at low pressure, check the leak of the inert gas with the pressure gauge 7, and then open the valve 6 again to inactivate the specified pressure. Fill with gas. After confirming the specified pressure with the pressure gauge 7, the hose side valve 6 is removed from the pressure gauge 7, and the blind cap 14 is connected to the connection tool 8 of the pressure gauge 7.
It is attached to the device and left for a specified time to inspect for leakage of inert gas and withstand pressure test. At this time, since the connecting tool 8 has a bug, the inert gas sealed in the pipe 10 side does not leak when the valve 6 is removed.

When the piping has a plurality of systems, the measuring means 12
A plurality of measuring means 12 are prepared, and the measuring means 12 is set in each pipe (not shown) as described above, and then the hose side valves 6 are connected to the pressure gauges 7 of the plurality of measuring means 12 one after another and the inert gas is supplied. After sealing, the blind cap 14 is attached to the inlet of each pressure gauge 7 to perform a leak test and a pressure resistance test.

FIG. 2 shows a case where a leak inspection and a pressure resistance test are performed after the piping for the air conditioning work is completed. In this case, the measuring means 1 is installed in the service pot 16 of the outdoor unit 15 of each air conditioner.
The connection tool 9a on the 7 side is airtightly connected to perform a leak test or a pressure resistance test of the pipe 18, and the other setting methods are the same as those described above.

In this case, since the service pot 16 which replaces the union of the previous embodiment is already installed,
Union is not absolutely necessary. Therefore, the measuring means 17 is composed of the pressure gauge 7 and the pressure resistant hose 9.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a welding assisting device. The components are the same as the above-described leak inspection device except that the structure of the pipe inserter 20 attached to the tip of the pressure resistant hose connected to the pipe is different. Since it is present, explanations other than this tube inserter 20 will be omitted. The same reference symbols indicate the same members as in the previous embodiment.

The detailed structure of the tube inserter 20 is shown in FIGS.
The through hole 20a is provided in the axial direction of the tube inserter 20 having an inverted conical shape, and the male screw portion 20c is provided in the upper portion opposite to the pointed portion 20b.
Is provided.

When using this welding aid, it is inserted and fixed to one end of the pipe 21 connecting the pointed portion 20b of the pipe inserter 20, and the other end of the pipe is left open. After setting the cylinder 1, the pressure-resistant hose 4, and the hose side valve 6 in the same manner as in the above-mentioned embodiment, the valve of the cylinder 1 is opened and the automatic pressure regulator 3 is adjusted to the designated pressure, and then the hose side valve 6 is gradually opened. After checking that inert gas is discharged from the other end of the pipe 21, the hose valve 6 is opened to weld the inert gas at a specified pressure (0.5 kgf to 1.0 kgf) to the pipe 21. Welding is performed while flowing into the interior. In addition, 22 is a welding point.

In the above embodiments, the case of piping for air conditioning work has been described. However, the leak inspection device and welding auxiliary device according to the present invention leak leaks of various pipes such as gas and water other than the pipe for air conditioning work. It can be applied and used as it is for inspection and withstand voltage inspection.

[0030]

According to the present invention, when a flexible pressure hose is extended from a cylinder placed at a fixed position on the ground, leakage of piping in what kind of building and what place is caused. The inspection and the pressure resistance inspection can also be performed, which does not require much manpower and time.

According to the present invention, since the inert gas having a predetermined flow velocity flows in the pipe to be welded, it is possible to prevent the generation of soot and cool the welded part, and to prevent the pipe from being clogged. It is possible to prevent it in advance and accelerate the welding work.

According to the third aspect and the fourth aspect, it is possible to prevent oxidation in the pipe and adhesion of water droplets, and since it is an inert gas, the safety in handling is high.

According to the present invention, in the case of a pipe extending over multiple systems, only the measuring means is left for each pipe and only one set of the cylinder and the hose side valve is prepared. It is possible to perform a leak test and a breakdown voltage test.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the setting can be completed in a short time without manpower being required without moving the heavy cylinder upstairs, and the leak inspection and the pressure resistance inspection are also easy.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the leak inspection device can be used together with the device, and the utility of the device can be increased, and at the same time, anyone can easily handle it without requiring manpower and time. As a result, soot can be prevented from remaining, and especially in the case of nitrogen gas, the cooling effect can be enhanced to speed up the welding operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a leak inspection device for piping according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining another usage example of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a welding auxiliary device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a connector of the welding auxiliary device shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the connector of FIG.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 cylinder 2 valve 3 automatic pressure regulator 4 pressure resistant hose 5 connector 6 hose side valve 7 pressure gauge 8 connector 9 pressure resistant hose 10 piping 11 union 12 measuring means 13 thin tube 13a nut 20 pipe inserter 21 piping

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An automatic pressure regulator connected to an inert gas cylinder, a pressure resistant hose of flexible material having one end connected to the automatic pressure regulator, and a pressure resistant hose installed at an appropriate position. A pressure gauge, a valve installed between the pressure gauge and the automatic pressure regulator, and a connecting tool that is airtightly connectable to a pipe attached to the other end of the pressure resistant hose. Characteristic pipe leak inspection device. 2. An automatic pressure regulator connected to an inert gas cylinder, a pressure resistant hose of flexible material having one end connected to the automatic pressure regulator, and a central portion attached to the tip of this pressure hose. A pipe welding auxiliary device, comprising: a conical pipe inserter having an insertion hole in the axial direction. 3. The pipe leak inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inert gas is nitrogen gas. 4. The pipe welding auxiliary device according to claim 2, wherein the inert gas is nitrogen gas. 5. The leak inspection device for a pipe according to claim 1, wherein the valve installed on the pressure-resistant hose is detachably connected to the pressure gauge side by a connecting means with a worm. 6. A pressure-resistant hose side, wherein the pressure-resistant hose is airtightly connected to the pipe to be inspected by using the inspection device according to claim 1, 3 or 5, and a connecting tool is used. After confirming the closed state of the valve, open the valve of the inert gas cylinder and adjust the automatic pressure regulator to the desired pressure, then open the valve on the pressure-resistant hose side and insert the inert gas of the desired pressure into the pipe. The method for using the inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the inspection device is sealed, the valve on the pressure-resistant hose side is closed, and the pipe is inspected for leaks in the pipe by a pressure gauge after leaving for a certain period of time. 7. The welding auxiliary device according to claim 2, wherein a conical pipe inserter is inserted into an open end of a pipe to be welded, a valve of a cylinder is opened, and an automatic pressure regulator is used. The method of using the welding auxiliary equipment according to claim 2, wherein the welding is performed while feeding the adjusted low-pressure inert gas into the pipe to be welded.