JPH10332046A - Supporter for gas meter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a supporter whereby even in the case of using a flexible gas pipe as the gas pipe, a gas meter can be supported, and the gas meter can be adjusted so as to be placed horizontal. SOLUTION: A supporter 1 is constituted by a strut 2 and a support plate 3. As the strut 2, a strut with the inside formed cylindrical to serve as a gas passage is used, this strut is vertically provided in the ground surface J. In the support plate 3, an upstream/downstream support pipe 4, 5 are provided. An inflow side end part 41 of the upstream support pipe 4 is connected to an upper end part of the strut 2 through a turn connection mechanism 6 three- dimensionally turnably and fixable. In the inside of the turn connection mechanism 6, a communication path connecting the gas passage and inside the upstream support pipe 4 is formed. To an outflow side end part 42 of the upstream support pipe 4, an introducing side connection pipe part Ma of a gas meter M is connected. To an inflow side end part 51 of the downstream support pipe 5, a draw out side connection pipe part Mc of the gas meter M is connected, and to an outflow side end part 52, a flexible pipe 7 is connected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a support device for supporting a gas meter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, households using city gas are provided with gas meters for detecting the amount of gas used. Conventionally, as shown in FIG. Supported by the gas pipes G ₁ and G ₂ . That is, the gas pipe G ₁ is erected on the ground J,
Inlet side end portion of the gas valve V to the upper end and the supporting tube B ₁ which is screwed secured by tapered threads, straight tube S which is screwed secured by tapered thread on the outlet side end portion of the gas valve V
_1, the tapered thread on the upper end of the straight tube S ₁ is made of a screwed fixed U-shaped tube U ₁ Tokyo, support tube B ₁ represents not the gas supply pipe laid in the ground (shown ), And the U-shaped tube U ₁ is connected to a gas inlet (not shown) of the gas meter M. On the other hand, the gas pipe G ₂ is fixed to the support pipe B ₂ erected on the ground, a straight pipe S ₂ screwed to the support pipe B ₂ with a taper screw, and screwed to the straight pipe S ₂ with a taper screw. U-tube U ₂
And the support pipe B ₂ is a household gas pipe (not shown)
It is connected to, U-shaped tube U ₂ is connected to the gas outlet of the gas meter M (not shown).

[0003]

In recent years, flexible gas pipes have been frequently used as gas pipes, and this flexible gas pipe is used in place of the iron gas pipes G ₁ and G _2. Is desired. However, since the flexible gas pipe is flexible, it cannot support the gas meter M. Therefore, the gas pipe G ₁ ,
Can not be used a flexible gas pipe instead of G _2. Therefore, development of a support device for supporting the gas meter M has been demanded. In addition, the supporting device is required to be able to support the gas meter M horizontally because the gas meter M has a built-in seismic sensor and the like and needs to be installed horizontally.

[0004] In the above conventional support structure by two gas pipes G _1, G _2, as well as vertically by concatenating the gas pipe G _1, G ₂ through a bracket B _R to the wall W of a house, The gas meters G are adjusted to be horizontal by adjusting the screwing lengths of the tapered thread portions of the respective gas pipes G ₁ and G ₂ as appropriate to make the heights of the gas pipes G ₁ and G ₂ uniform. Was. However, in this adjusting method, it is difficult to vertically set the gas pipes G ₁ and G ₂ without the wall W, and it is difficult to make the gas meter M horizontal. Moreover, the gas pipe G ₁ ,
Or connecting the G ₂ to a wall W, it is necessary to adjust the engagement length of each part of the gas pipe G _1, G _2, there is a problem that requires a great deal of effort to level the gas meter M .

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to meet the above-mentioned demand, the invention according to claim 1 is a support device for supporting a gas meter having a gas inlet and a gas outlet. A support member, a gas passage is formed inside the apparatus main body, and the support member has an upstream-side support pipe connected to an inlet of the gas meter to support the gas meter at an outflow-side end; Side end portions are connected to the outlet of the gas meter, and downstream support tubes for supporting the gas meter are provided, respectively, between the inflow end portion of the upstream support tube and the outflow end portion of the downstream support tube. Either one and the device main body are provided with a rotation connection mechanism that connects them three-dimensionally rotatably and fixably,
A communication path for communicating the gas passage of the apparatus main body with the one of the above-mentioned apparatus main bodies is formed inside the rotation connection mechanism.

In this case, it is desirable to provide a gas stopper at the middle of the upstream support pipe so as to communicate and cut off between the inflow side end and the outflow side end. In addition, if the rotation connection mechanism is provided between the apparatus main body and the inflow side end of the upstream support pipe, the rotation connection mechanism may be connected between the apparatus main body and the inflow side end of the upstream support pipe. Fixed to one or the other,
A spherical member that is three-dimensionally rotatable relative to the other, and a nut whose one end is three-dimensionally rotatable outside the spherical member and whose other end is screwed to the other. On the other side and the inner peripheral surface of the nut, when the nut is tightened, the spherical member is sandwiched by being in annular contact with the outer peripheral surface of the other side and the one side of the spherical member, thereby forming the spherical member. A configuration in which first and second contact portions fixed to the other side are formed, and a communication hole as the communication path is formed in the spherical member can be adopted. The same applies to the case where the device is provided between the apparatus main body and the outflow-side end of the downstream-side support tube. Further, when the rotation connection mechanism is provided between the apparatus main body and the inflow end of the upstream support pipe, a flexible gas pipe is connected to the outflow end of the downstream support pipe. Preferably, when the rotating connection mechanism is provided between the apparatus body and the outflow end of the downstream support tube, a flexible gas pipe is provided at the inflow end of the upstream support tube. It is desirable to connect.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 show a gas meter support device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view thereof, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof. First, the schematic configuration of the support device 1 will be described. The support device 1 includes a column (device main body) 2 and a support plate (support member) 3. The support plate 3 is provided with an upstream support pipe 4 and a downstream support pipe 5. The support plate 3 is supported by the support column 2 via a rotation connection mechanism 6 provided between the upper end of the support column 2 and the upstream support tube 5, while the gas meter is supported via the support tubes 4 and 5. M is supported.

Next, the support device 1 will be described in detail. The support column 2 is formed as a straight cylinder of stainless steel or other metal, and stands upright on the ground G. The support 2 may have any shape as long as it has a strength capable of supporting the gas meter M. Moreover, the support | pillar 2 may fix a base end part to the wall of a house, etc., without standing on the ground G, and may make it bend a middle part at right angle and make a front-end | tip part turn upward or downward.
The inside of the column 2 is a gas passage 21 (see FIG. 4), and the lower end of the gas passage 22 is connected to a gas supply pipe (not shown) buried underground. On the other hand, the upper end of the gas passage 21 is, as described later,
And is connected to the upstream end 41 of the upstream support pipe 4 via the.

The support plate 3 is cast,
In this embodiment, the support plate 3 is formed as a long flat plate on the left and right, but the shape of the support plate 3 is arbitrary. 1, the upstream support pipe 4 is disposed on the left side of the support plate 3 in FIG. 1, and the downstream support pipe 5 is disposed on the right side.

The upstream support pipe 4 is fixed to the support plate 3 with screws B. As shown in FIG. 3, the inflow-side end 41 and the outflow-side end 42 of the upstream-side support pipe 4 are all directed downward, and the inflow-side end 41 is supported by a post via a rotary connecting mechanism 6 described later. 2 is connected to the upper end portion so as to be three-dimensionally rotatable. On the other hand, the outflow end 42 of the upstream support pipe 4 is
They are connected and fixed together by cap nut N ₁ on the introduction side connection pipe portion Ma of the gas meter M. Thereby, the inside of the upstream support pipe 4 is connected to the gas inlet Mb of the gas meter M,
Gas is introduced into the gas meter M from the column 2 via the upstream support tube 4, and the gas meter M is supported by the upstream support tube 4.

A gas stopper 43 is provided at an intermediate portion of the upstream support pipe 4. The gas stopper 43 is provided with a valve body 45 rotatably provided in a valve insertion hole 44 formed inside the upstream support pipe 4, and is opened and closed by rotating the valve body 45 with a handle 46. It has become so. The state shown in FIG. 3 is the closed state, and when the handle 46 is turned by about 90 ° from this state, the state is opened and the inflow side and the outflow side inside the upstream support pipe 4 communicate with each other.

The downstream support pipe 5 is provided integrally with the support plate 3. That is, it is cast integrally with the support plate 3. As shown in FIG. 5, the downstream support pipe 5 has an inflow end 51 and an outflow end 52, all of which are directed downward. Inflow-side end portion 51 is connected and fixed to the discharge side connecting pipe portion Mc of the meter M by cap nut N _2. Thereby, the inside of the downstream support pipe 5 is connected to the gas outlet Md of the gas meter M, and the gas that has passed through the gas meter M flows into the support pipe 5, and the gas meter M is supported by the downstream support pipe 5. I have. On the other hand, one end of the flexible gas pipe 7 is connected to the outflow end 52 of the downstream support pipe 5 via a joint C. Here, the outflow side end 52 of the downstream side support pipe 5 is
Although located behind the inflow side end 51, the inflow side end 5
1 protrudes rightward in FIG. 1 so as to be visible from the front side. Thus, a wrench or the like can be easily hooked on the spanner hook 52a of the outflow side end 52, and the joint C can be easily connected to the outflow side end 52. The flexible gas pipe 7
Is connected to a domestic gas pipe (not shown).

A projecting portion 53 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate portion of the downstream support tube 5, and an inspection hole 54 reaching the inside of the support tube 5 is formed on the tip surface of the projecting portion 53. The inspection hole 54 is used for measuring a gas pressure or the like. By extrapolating a gas pipe (not shown) of a pressure gauge to the projection 53, a part of the gas flowing through the support pipe 5 is removed. The pressure is introduced into the pressure gauge through the inspection hole 54. In addition, a stopper 55 is detachably screwed and fixed to the inspection hole 54, and the inspection hole 54 is closed except during the inspection.

The rotation connection mechanism 6 is for connecting the support plate 3 to the support column 2 via the upstream support pipe 4 so as to be three-dimensionally rotatable. The rotation connection mechanism 6 is configured as follows. I have. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, a spherical member 61 is fixed to the inflow side end 41 of the support tube 4. The spherical member 61 includes a spherical portion 61a and a spherical portion 61a.
And an external thread 61 b protruding upward from the upper end. The external thread 61 b is fixed to the upstream support pipe 4 by screwing the external thread 61 b into the inflow side end 41. Spherical member 6
1 may be fixed to the column 2 by screwing the male screw portion 61b to the upper end of the column 2.

Outside the spherical portion 61a of the spherical member 61, an upper end of a nut 62 is externally inserted so as to be three-dimensionally rotatable. An upper portion of the inner peripheral surface of the nut 62 is formed with a tapered surface (second contact portion) 62a that tapers upward. The tapered surface 62a is in contact with the spherical portion 61a at a portion slightly above the central portion in the vertical direction.
Therefore, the nut 62 can be three-dimensionally rotated with respect to the spherical member 61 unless the tapered surface 62a is strongly pressed against the spherical portion 61a. A female screw portion 62b is formed at an intermediate portion of the inner peripheral surface of the nut 62. When the spherical member 61 is fixed to the upper end of the column 2, the nut 62 may be turned upside down so that the tapered surface 62a contacts the lower part of the spherical portion 61a.

On the other hand, at the upper end of the inner peripheral surface of the column 2,
A ring-shaped packing (first contact portion) 63 is mounted. The packing 63 is made of relatively hard rubber or the like, and is slightly in contact with the spherical portion 61a below the central portion in the vertical direction. Therefore, unless the packing 63 is strongly pressed against the ball portion 61a, the packing 63 can rotate three-dimensionally relative to the ball portion 61a, and the support column 2 and the spherical member 61 can also rotate three-dimensionally. When the spherical member 61 is provided on the column 2, the packing 63 is provided on the inflow side end 41 of the support tube 4.

An external thread 64 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper end of the support column 2. When the spherical member 61 is provided on the support column 2, the male screw portion 64 is used as the inflow side end portion 41.
Is provided. The female screw portion 62b of the nut 62 is screwed into the male screw portion 64, and when the nut 62 is tightened,
The tapered surface 62a of the nut 62 and the packing 63 are
1a is clamped, and the spherical member 61 is fixed to the column 2. Thereby, the upstream support pipe 4 is fixed to the column 2, and the support plate 3 is fixed to the column 2. Of course, when the nut 62 is loosened, the ball portion 61a can be three-dimensionally rotated against the frictional resistance acting between the packing 63 (the column 2) and the nut 62.

The inflow end 41 of the upstream support tube 4
Is located behind the outflow side end portion 42, but is shifted to the right side in FIG. 1 with respect to the inflow side end portion 42, and is arranged so as to be visible from the front. Therefore, the nut 62 can be easily rotated by a spanner or the like. The male screw portion 64 is covered by the lower end of the nut 62, thereby improving the aesthetic appearance and preventing the male screw portion 64 from being rusted by rainwater.

The spherical member 61 has a spherical portion 6
A communication hole (communication passage) 61c penetrating vertically through 1a and the male screw portion 61b is formed. The communication hole 61c allows the gas passage 21 of the support column 22 to communicate with the inside of the upstream support pipe 4. Thus, the rotation connection mechanism 6
Is not only rotatably connected to the column 2 and the upstream support pipe 4 but also connects the inside thereof,
When the nut 62 is tightened, the tapered surface 62 a
a and the packing 63 come into contact with the support column 2 and the ball portion 61 a, so that there is no risk of gas leaking from the rotary connection mechanism 6.

When the gas meter M is adjusted to be horizontal in the support device 1 having the above-described structure, the nut 62 is first loosened. Thereby, the ball portion 61a and the packing 63
The upstream support tube 4 and, consequently, the support plate 3 can be turned three-dimensionally against the frictional resistance between the upstream support tube 4 and the tapered surface 62a. After that, the support plate 3 is rotated in the front, rear, left, and right directions, and the gas meter M is made horizontal. When the gas meter M is horizontal, the nut 62 is tightened, and the support plate 3 is fixed to the column 2.

The flexible gas pipe 7 is
After the gas meter M is leveled, it may be connected to the support pipe 5.
There is a risk that the gas meter M will move when the connection is made.
Therefore, it is desirable to perform horizontal adjustment of the gas meter M with the flexible gas pipe 7 connected to the support pipe 5.

As described above, in the support device 1 of the present invention, the support plate 3 is provided on the support column 2 via the rotation connection mechanism 6 so as to be three-dimensionally rotatable. Since the gas meter M is supported through the flexible gas pipe 7 as a gas pipe connected to the gas meter M,
Can be used to support and fix the gas meter M. Moreover, the gas meter can be supported horizontally. Further, since the column 2 is used as an upstream gas pipe for supplying gas to the gas meter M, the gas meter M
There is no need to connect a special gas pipe upstream of the pipe. Therefore, the cost and labor required for piping can be reduced by that much.

Further, in the support device 1 of this embodiment,
Since the gas stopper 43 is provided in the upstream support pipe 4,
There is no need to provide a separate gas stopper. Therefore, labor for connecting the gas stopper can be reduced.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed. For example, in the above embodiment, the inflow end 41 of the upstream support pipe 4 is connected to the support 2, but the outflow end 52 of the downstream support pipe 5 of the support 2 is connected to the support 2. You may. Of course, in such a case, the column 2 and the downstream column 5
A rotary connecting mechanism 6 is provided between the end portion 52 and the outlet 52, and a household gas pipe is connected to the lower end portion of the gas passage 21 of the column 2. A gas pipe connected to the main plug side is connected to the inflow end 41 of the upstream support pipe 4. It is desirable to use a flexible gas pipe as the gas pipe. In the above-described embodiment, the packing 63 as the first contact portion is provided at the upper end of the support 2.
The first contact portion may be formed directly on the upper end of the first contact portion.

[0025]

As described above, according to the first to eighth aspects of the present invention, the gas meter can be supported and fixed even when a flexible gas pipe is used as the gas pipe.
Moreover, the gas meter can be supported horizontally. Further, since an upstream gas pipe to be connected to the gas meter is not required, the effect that the cost and labor required for the pipe can be reduced correspondingly is obtained. In particular, according to the second aspect of the present invention, since it is not necessary to separately install a gas plug, the operation of connecting the gas plug is not required, and the effect that the labor can be reduced correspondingly is obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially omitted front view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 1;

6A and 6B show a conventional method of supporting a gas meter, FIG. 6A is a front view thereof, and FIG. 6B is a side view thereof.

[Explanation of symbols]

 M Gas meter Mb Inlet Md Outlet 1 Support device 2 Column (device main body) 3 Support plate (support member) 4 Upstream support pipe 5 Downstream support pipe 6 Rotating connection mechanism 7 Flexible gas pipe 21 Gas passage 41 Inflow end Part 42 Outflow side end 43 Gas plug 51 Inflow side end 52 Inflow side end 61 Spherical member 61c Communication hole (communication passage) 62 Nut 62a Tapered surface (second contact part) 63 Packing (first contact part)

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A supporting device for supporting a gas meter having a gas inlet and a gas outlet, comprising a device main body and a supporting member, wherein a gas passage is formed inside the device main body. The support member includes an upstream support pipe having an outflow-side end connected to the inlet of the gas meter and supporting the gas meter, and a downstream support having an inflow-side end connected to the outlet of the gas meter and supporting the gas meter. Pipes are provided, and one of the inflow-side end of the upstream support pipe and the outflow-side end of the downstream support pipe, and the apparatus main body are three-dimensionally rotated. A rotatable connecting mechanism is provided for connecting the rotatable and fixable, and a communication path is formed inside the rotatable connecting mechanism for connecting the gas passage of the apparatus main body to the one of the above. Gas meter support device . 2. The gas stopper according to claim 1, wherein a gas stopper is provided at an intermediate portion of the upstream support pipe so as to communicate and cut off between an inflow end and an outflow end. Gas meter support device. 3. The gas meter support device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation connection mechanism is provided between the device main body and an inflow end of the upstream support tube. . 4. A spherical member, wherein the rotation connection mechanism is fixed to one of the apparatus main body and the inflow side end of the upstream support pipe, and is three-dimensionally rotatable relative to the other. And a nut whose one end is three-dimensionally rotatable outside the spherical member, and the other end of which is screwed to the other. The other end and an inner peripheral surface of the nut have a nut. The first and second contact portions for fixing the spherical member to the other side are formed by clamping the spherical member in contact with the outer peripheral surfaces of the other side and the one side of the spherical member in a ring shape when tightening the spherical member. 4. The gas meter supporting device according to claim 3, wherein a communication hole as the communication path is formed in the spherical member. 5. The gas meter support device according to claim 3, wherein a flexible gas pipe is connected to an outflow end of the downstream support tube. 6. The gas meter support device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary connection mechanism is provided between the device main body and an outflow end of the downstream support tube. . 7. A spherical member, wherein the rotation connection mechanism is fixed to one of the apparatus main body and an outflow-side end of the downstream support tube, and is three-dimensionally rotatable relative to the other. And a nut whose one end is three-dimensionally rotatable outside the spherical member, and the other end of which is screwed to the other. The other end and an inner peripheral surface of the nut have a nut. The first and second contact portions for fixing the spherical member to the other side are formed by clamping the spherical member in contact with the outer peripheral surfaces of the other side and the one side of the spherical member in a ring shape when tightening the spherical member. 7. The gas meter supporting device according to claim 6, wherein a communication hole as the communication path is formed in the spherical member. 8. The gas meter support device according to claim 6, wherein a flexible gas pipe is connected to an inflow end of the upstream support tube.