JPS59120816A - Apparatus for detecting liquid amount - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to measure a liquid amount at a place spaced apart from a tank, to make measurement safe and to prevent the flooding of a liquid or the empty operation of a pump, by providing a liquid amount detecting part to the float in the tank while providing a liquid amount display part to the outside of the tank. CONSTITUTION:A guide member 2 is arranged in an up-and-down direction within a tank 1 and a float 4 is attached to the guide member 2 in a freely up-and- down movable manner while a liquid amount detecting part 5 is provided in the float 4 and permitted to cooperate with the liquid amount display part 15 provided to the outside of the tank 1. As a result, the liquid amount in the tank can be confirmed in the outside of the tank 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a liquid level detection device for a tank in a tank truck or the like.

Conventionally, as a liquid level detection device, one is known in which, for example, a glass tube is attached to the outer wall of the tank (=Jt) and the lower end of the glass tube is connected to the inside of the tank. Especially if the contents of the tank are dangerous substances such as flammable liquids, there is a risk that breakage of the glass tube will lead to a serious accident.

In addition, in view of the above-mentioned risks, a method of detecting the liquid volume by inserting a measuring stick into the tank is generally often adopted, but the operation is complicated. Moreover, both the glass tube method and the measuring rod method have the disadvantage that the liquid volume cannot be measured at a location far from the tank.

In view of these points, the present invention provides a guide member arranged in the vertical direction in the tank, a float attached to the guide part 4N so as to be movable downwards -L, and a liquid amount detecting section provided inside the float. The present invention provides a liquid amount detecting device in which the liquid amount detecting section is linked to a liquid amount display section provided outside the tank, so that the amount of liquid inside the tank can be known from outside the tank.

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

In this embodiment, a guide tube 2 is fixed vertically inside a tank 1 of a tank-row IJ vehicle, a measuring stick is inserted into the inside of the guide tube 2, and a float 4 is fitted around the outer periphery. The detection unit 5 is arranged and installed 7.

The guide tube 2 is a metal cylindrical body fixed vertically inside the tank 1, and has two slits 6 facing each other across almost its entire length, and a plurality of slits 6 on the outer wall. Idrails 7 are arranged vertically in parallel. Further, the guide tube 2 is appropriately grounded (not shown) to remove static electricity.

The measuring rod is a rod-shaped body inserted into the inside of the guide tube 2, and although the illustrated one has an L-shaped cross section, it is not necessarily limited to this. A plurality of through holes 8 are formed in the measuring rod 3 so as to face the slits 6 of the guide tube 2 at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction.

Flow 1-4 is a translucent plastic box-like body with a guide hole 4a in the center that allows the guide tube 2 to pass through, and moves along the guide rail 7 to -C-L"1'. obtain.

The detection unit 5 includes a light projecting element 9 disposed inside the float 4,
The pixel elements 9 and 1° are connected to a light emitting element 11 which is suitably installed outside the tank 1, and an optical fiber 12. I
connected by s. Light emitting element? , J-light receiving elements 10 are opposed to each other so as to sandwich the through hole 8 of the measuring rod 6 through the slit 6 of the guide tube 2. The optical fibers 12,13 are provided with a corrosion-resistant coating.

The light emitting element 11 is connected to a control unit 14 using a microcomputer outside the tank 1,
The control section 14 is connected to a liquid amount display section 15 and an alarm section 16.

Next, to explain the operation of the above embodiment, the float 4 is as follows.
It is located at the liquid level inside the tank 1, and moves downward by -1 along the guide cylinder 2 in response to fluctuations in the liquid level.

In the detection unit 5, the light beam emitted from the light emitting element 11, for example, a laser beam, is transmitted through an optical fiber 12, a light emitting element -f''-9,
It reaches the light receiving element 10 via the slit 6 of the guide tube 2 and the through hole 8 of the measuring rod 6. If the through hole 8 does not face the light projecting element 9, the light beam will be blocked by the measuring rod 6. The light beam intermittent signal thus generated returns to the light emitting element 11 via the light receiving element 10 and the optical fiber 16, where it is converted into an electrical signal and input to the control unit 14. The control unit 14 counts the number of times the light beam is interrupted, and the display unit 15 displays the amount of liquid according to the number of times the light beam is interrupted. In addition, the alarm unit 16
For example, when the tank is full, an alarm is emitted by a lamp, buzzer, sound, etc.

Therefore, in the above structure, since only the optical shield is disposed inside the tank, there is no risk of fire even if the liquid is a dangerous substance that is easily flammable. Further, since the guide tube 2 is grounded, there is no possibility of electricity being accumulated due to friction with the float 4, and there is no fear of sparks occurring due to discharge. Also, through hole 8
By increasing the number of , it is possible to increase the measurement accuracy very easily.

Note 1. In the above embodiment, the guide tube 2 is provided with slots and holes, and the measuring rod is provided with through holes 8, but the measuring rod 6 may be omitted by providing through holes in the guide tube 2 at predetermined intervals. . Also,
Although the entire float 4 is made of transparent plastic, only the portion through which light passes may be made of a transparent material such as glass.

As described above, according to the present invention, the liquid level detection unit is provided on the float that moves downward along the guide inside the tank, and the liquid level display unit is provided outside the tank. Since the liquid level can be measured at a location far away from the tank, it is possible to safely measure even if the liquid is a dangerous substance. An excellent effect can be obtained in that the pump can be prevented from running dry.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings illustrate embodiments of the present invention (~, Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the liquid leakage detection device, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the liquid leakage detection device, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken from A--
The A-line sectional view and FIG. 3 are control system diagrams. 1... Tank, 2... Guide cylinder, 6...
...Measuring rod, 4...Float, 5...
...Detection section, 14-...Control section, 15...
・Display section

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A guide member extending downward -L is fixedly installed inside the tank, a float is installed on the guide member so as to be movable downward, and a liquid level detecting section is installed inside the float. 2. A liquid amount detecting device, characterized in that the liquid amount detecting section is connected to a liquid amount display section provided outside the tank.