KR20220078413A - Valve assembly having means for mutually restricting opening/closing of multiple valves - Google Patents

Abstract

A valve assembly capable of reliably restricting the opening and closing of the other valve by opening and closing of one valve is provided. a first valve connected to a first fluid line and having a first on-off knob, and a second valve connected to a second fluid line and having a second on-off knob and installed in parallel with the first valve - first, second A valve assembly comprising: a valve assembly comprising: rotating a valve opening/closing knob to open and close the first and second valves A valve assembly is provided having an opening/closing interference member configured to force or limit rotation of the other of two opening/closing knobs.

Description

VALVE ASSEMBLY HAVING MEANS FOR MUTUALLY RESTRICTING OPENING/CLOSING OF MULTIPLE VALVES

The present invention relates to a valve assembly, and more particularly, to a valve assembly capable of restricting opening and closing between a plurality of valves.

In a facility that supplies and delivers high-pressure or explosive fluid from a pressure tank, it is sometimes necessary to control the flow of the fluid due to the characteristics of the fluid, the purpose of supply, or safety reasons. A valve is used to block or open the flow of a fluid in a conduit through which it flows. For example, in a facility with a plurality of supply conduits, it is necessary to keep at least some conduits always open so that all conduits are not blocked at once, or to manage the opening and closing of a valve so that all conduits are not opened at once. exists

WO 92/13223 discloses that in order to prevent both valves connected to the pressure tank from being closed, a tube communicating between both valves is installed, and the tube is provided with accessory elements such as cams, guiding slots, grooves, and levers. A control device is disclosed. Such a control device requires a large number of parts as well as sophisticated machining. In addition, it can only be converted to a predetermined state to meet a specific purpose, and the design for this also entails considerable complexity.

As described above, there has been a need to achieve a controlled opening and closing between a plurality of valves with a simple structure and low cost, but the prior art did not provide a solution principle such as that of the present invention.

An object of the present invention is to provide a valve assembly in which opening and closing operations of two valves arranged in parallel can be interconnected.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a valve assembly capable of forcing or preventing the opening and closing of one of the two valves arranged in parallel to open and close the other.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to ensure work stability by reliably restricting the opening and closing of the other valve by the opening and closing of one valve.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a valve assembly that can achieve the above object with a simple structure and low cost.

The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

A valve assembly according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes the following aspects and any combination thereof.

One aspect of the present invention is a first valve connected to a first fluid line and having a first on-off knob, and a second valve connected to a second fluid line and having a second on-off knob and installed in parallel with the first valve. A valve assembly comprising - by rotating the first and second valve opening and closing knobs, respectively, opening and closing of the first and second valves is performed; A valve assembly having an opening/closing interference member configured to force or limit rotation of the other of a first opening/closing knob and a second opening/closing knob.

In another aspect of the present invention, the opening/closing interference member is physically connected to the first opening/closing handle and the second opening/closing handle, and when any one of the first opening/closing handle and the second opening/closing handle rotates, the first opening/closing handle and the second opening/closing handle are rotated. 2 A valve assembly configured to forcibly rotate the other of the opening/closing knobs.

In another aspect of the present invention, the opening/closing interference member is pivotally connected to a specific portion of the first opening/closing handle at or near one end thereof, and pivotally connected to a specific portion of the second opening/closing handle near the other end or end thereof, It is a valve assembly made of a rigid material.

Another aspect of the present invention is a valve assembly wherein the opening/closing interference member has a bar shape.

Another aspect of the present invention is a valve assembly in which the first opening/closing knob and the second opening/closing knob are of a vehicle handle type having spoke parts and a rim part.

Another aspect of the present invention is a valve assembly in which the rod-shaped opening/closing interference member is pivotally connected to the rims of the first and second opening/closing knobs of the automobile handle type.

Another aspect of the present invention is that the opening/closing interference member is configured so that when one of the first and second valves is in an open state, the other is in a closed state, and any one of the first and second valves is in a closed state. It is a valve assembly made so that the other one is in an open state when .

Another aspect of the present invention is a valve assembly in which the first valve and the second valve are opened and closed by 90 degree rotation of the first opening/closing knob and the second opening/closing knob, respectively.

In another aspect of the present invention, at least one of the first fluid line and the second fluid line is a valve assembly configured to always allow the flow of a fluid.

Another aspect of the present invention is that the opening/closing interference member includes a first opening/closing interference member mounted to the first valve to rotate together when the first opening/closing knob is rotated, and a second valve to rotating together when the second opening/closing knob is rotated. and a second opening/closing interference member mounted thereon.

In another aspect of the present invention, the first and second opening/closing interference members have a first state in which both the first and second valves are opened, and one of the first and second valves is opened and the other is A valve assembly configured to permit a closed second state, but not a third state in which both the first and second valves are closed.

In another aspect of the present invention, the first and second opening/closing interference members have a first state in which both the first and second valves are closed, and one of the first and second valves is opened and the other is closed. A valve assembly configured to permit a closed second state, but not permit a third state in which both the first and second valves are open.

In another aspect of the present invention, the first and second opening/closing interference members do not interfere with each other when any one of the first opening/closing handle and the second opening/closing handle rotates so as to be switched from the first state to the second state. On the other hand, the valve assembly is configured to prevent the rotation of the other handle to be switched from the second state to the third state, thereby not allowing the transition to the third state.

Another aspect of the present invention is that the transition from the second state to the third state is not permitted includes an opening/closing interference member mounted to the valve in the open position in the second state, and the closed position in the second state. A valve assembly resulting from physical contact with an opening/closing interference member mounted on the valve at

Another aspect of the present invention is a valve assembly wherein the first and second opening/closing interference members have any one of a sectoral shape, a triangular shape, and a dovetail shape.

Another aspect of the present invention is a valve assembly wherein the first opening/closing interference member is integrally formed with the first opening/closing knob, and the second opening/closing interference member is integrally formed with the second opening/closing knob.

Another aspect of the present invention is a valve assembly wherein the first opening/closing knob replaces the first opening/closing interference member, and the second opening/closing knob replaces the second opening/closing interference member.

According to the valve assembly of the present invention, the opening and closing of one valve can force or prevent the opening and closing of the other valve by a simple structure.

In addition, according to the valve assembly of the present invention, desired control of opening and closing of the valve becomes possible by adding a small number of components without replacing the existing valve.

In addition, according to the valve assembly of the present invention, the opening and closing of the other valve by the opening and closing of one valve can be reliably constrained to ensure work stability.

Effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

1A is a conceptual diagram illustrating a conventional valve assembly.
FIG. 1B is a photograph of a conventional valve assembly, with reference numbers of some of the elements shown in FIG. 1A .
2A and 2B are conceptual views of a valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3A to 3C are conceptual views of a valve assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4A to 4C are photographs of products manufactured corresponding to FIGS. 3A to 3C, and reference numerals of some elements shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C are indicated.
5A to 5C are conceptual views of a valve assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The embodiments presented in the accompanying drawings are for a clear understanding of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the following description, components having the same reference numerals in different drawings have similar functions, so unless necessary for the understanding of the present invention, they will not be repeatedly described and well-known components will be briefly described or omitted. It should not be construed as being excluded from the examples.

Throughout the specification, when a component is said to be “connected” with another component, it includes not only a case of 'directly connected' but also a case of 'connected with another component interposed therebetween'. In addition, when a component "includes" a component, it means that other components may be further included, rather than excluding other components, unless otherwise stated.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1a is a conceptual diagram showing a conventional valve assembly, the fluid flows along the conduit (1) in the flow direction (F), it can flow branched into two conduits (2a, 2b). The conduits 2a and 2b are provided with valves 10a and 10b, respectively, and lever-shaped opening/closing knobs 11a and 11b are provided on the valves 10a and 10b. It is shown that the opening/closing knob 11a of one valve 10a is in the open position, and the opening/closing knob 11b of the other valve 10b is in the closed position. With this actuated position of the opening and closing handles 11a, 11b, the fluid will be able to flow through one conduit 2a while not flowing through the other conduit 2b. According to this conventional structure, the opening and closing of one valve does not constrain the opening and closing of the other valve. Therefore, even if one of the two valves is to be operated so that it is always opened, there is a risk that both valves are closed due to an operator's mistake.

Fig. 1B is a photograph of an exemplary conventional valve assembly, showing configurations corresponding to the conduits 1, 2a, 2b, valves 10a, 10b, and opening/closing knobs 11a, 11b shown in Fig. 1a.

2A and 2B are conceptual views of a valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 2a, the fluid flows in the flow direction (F) along the conduit (1), it is configured to flow branched into two conduits (2a, 2b). The conduits 2a and 2b arranged in parallel are provided with valves 10a and 10b, respectively, and opening/closing knobs 12a and 12b are provided on the valves 10a and 10b. The valves 10a and 10b may be any valves configured to be opened or closed by rotating the opening/closing knob by a predetermined angle. For example, it may be a ball valve in which opening or closing is achieved by rotating an opening/closing knob by 90 degrees. Such a valve may also be referred to as an isolation valve, a shut-off valve, or the like. As used herein, when a valve or an opening/closing knob is 'open' or 'closed', it means that the opening/closing knob is in an 'open position' or a 'closed position', respectively. Also, "open" of a valve is used to refer to "fully open" and "closed" to refer to "fully closed".

The opening/closing knobs 12a and 12b may have the same shape as a steering wheel of a car, and may be of a type having rims 13a and 13b and spokes 14a and 14b. This is a preferred form for simple and reliable interlocking of the valve, as will be described later. The rod 15 is connected to a predetermined portion of the rims 13a and 13b of the opening and closing knobs 12a and 12b. The rod 15 may be made of a hard material such as iron, and a connecting portion 16a near one end may be connected to the rim 13a, and a connecting portion 16b near the other end may be connected to the other rim 13b. Due to this, the opening/closing knobs 12a and 12b of both valves 10a and 10b are physically interlocked.

The rod 15 and the rims 13a and 13b of the opening and closing knobs 12a and 12b may be connected to each other so as to be able to pivot with each other, for example, using a pin (not shown) or the like. Accordingly, when rotating the valve opening/closing knob 12a or 12b in the form of a steering wheel in the opening or closing direction, as will be described later, even while the rod 15 forcibly rotates the other opening/closing knob 12b or 12a, The interconnection portions 16a, 16b of the opening/closing handles 12a, 12b can be maintained at their original connection sites without sliding or disengaging on the rims 13a, 13b.

In FIG. 2A , conduit 2a is in a closed state and conduit 2b is in an open state. This is determined by the valves 10a, 10b installed in each conduit. That is, the opening/closing handle 12a provided in the valve 10a provided in the conduit 2a is open, and the opening/closing handle 12b provided in the valve 10b is closed. Reference numerals 3a and 3b schematically indicate a flow direction in which the fluid can flow within the valve.

Referring now to FIG. 2B , the valve 10a is opened by rotating the upper opening/closing handle 12a in the R direction by 90 degrees. It can be seen that the flow direction 3a coincides with the conduit 2a so that the fluid can flow in an open state. According to this rotation, the connection part 16a of the opening/closing handle 12a and the rod 15 is displaced, and in the process, a force is transmitted to the lower opening/closing handle 12b by the rod 15 so that the lower opening/closing handle 12b is opened. It was rotated 90 degrees in the R' direction. As a result, the valve 10b (see Fig. 2A) that was open before the rotation R was executed was closed.

Conversely, when the lower opening/closing handle 12b is rotated in the opposite direction to R' in the state shown in FIG. 2b to open the valve 10b, a force is transmitted through the rod 15 in the same manner as the upper opening/closing handle 12a is R will be rotated in the opposite direction of Due to this, it will be restored to the state shown in FIG. 2A and the upper valve 10a will be closed.

As such, when either one of the two valves is opened, the other is forcibly closed, and conversely, when one is closed, the other is forcibly opened, so that either one of the two valves can be always maintained in an open state.

3A to 3C are conceptual views of a valve assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 3a, the valves (10a, 10b) is provided with a follower (20a, 20b). These followers 20a, 20b are mounted to rotate together with respect to the rotation center of the knobs 11a, 11b when the opening and closing knobs 11a, 11b are rotated in the opening or closing direction. The followers 20a and 20b are respectively displaced during the opening/closing operation of the installed valve, whereas they are configured not to be physically interlocked with the opening/closing operation of the other valve 10b or 10a. The follower (20a, 20b) may be a fan shape.

3A shows a valve assembly in which both valves 10a and 10b are opened as a normal operation mode. In the normal operation mode, the opening/closing knobs 11a, 11b are oriented side by side with the conduits 2a, 2b, and the valves 10a, 10b are closed by rotating the opening/closing knobs 11a, 11b clockwise 90 degrees. .

In the normal operation mode, the followers 20a, 20b are arranged to be located in the space S between both conduits 2a and 2b (or between both valves 10a, 10b). As shown in Fig. 3a, the follower 20a provided in the upper valve 10a is arranged on the right plane when divided into left and right planes based on the rotation center of the opening/closing handle 11a (plan view), and the lower valve The follower 20b provided in the 10b may be arranged on the left plane. More specifically, the follower 20a provided in the upper valve 10a is arranged in the second quadrant when divided into four quadrants based on the rotation center of the opening/closing handle 11a (plan view), and in the lower valve 10b The provided follower 20b may be arranged in the fourth quadrant with respect to the rotation center of the opening/closing handle 11b.

A state in which the valve 10a is closed by rotating the opening/closing knob 11a of the upper valve 10a in the closing direction R1 is shown in FIG. 3B . In this process, the follower 20a is displaced in the space S, and is not interfered with by the other follower 20b. That is, actuating (in this case, closing) of either valve from the normal operation mode is not interfered with.

In order to close the lower valve 10b in this state, the opening/closing knob 11b must be rotated (R2 direction), and the follower 20b provided in the valve 10b is the follower 20a of the upper valve 10a. The rotation of the opening/closing handle 11b is not allowed due to the collision. For this reason, in the state in which the upper valve 10a is closed, it becomes impossible to close the lower valve 10b. That is, when one of the valves is operated from the normal operation mode, the operation of the other valves is limited by the collision of the followers 20a and 20b.

Conversely, a state in which the valve 10b is closed by rotating the opening/closing knob 11b of the lower valve 10b in the closing direction R2 is shown in FIG. 3C . In this process, the follower 20b is displaced in the space S, and is not interfered with by the other follower 20a. That is, actuating (in this case, closing) of either valve from the normal operation mode is not interfered with. In this state, to close the upper valve 10a, the opening/closing knob 11a must be rotated (R1 direction), and the follower 20a provided in the valve 10a is attached to the follower 20b of the lower valve 10b. The rotation of the opening/closing handle 11a due to the collision is not allowed. For this reason, in the state in which the lower valve 10b is closed, it becomes impossible to close the upper valve 10a. That is, when one of the valves is operated from the normal operation mode, the operation of the other valves is limited by the collision of the followers 20a and 20b.

An important point here is that the followers 20a and 20b are i) located in the interspace S when in the normal operation mode, and ii) when either valve is actuated (closed in this case) from the normal operation mode. arrangement such that the followers 20a, 20b do not interfere (ie collide) with each other, and iii) the followers 20a, 20b interfere (ie collide) with each other when one valve is actuated and the other valve is actuated it will be

By the above configuration, both of the two valves (10a, 10b) are prevented from being closed, at least one of the two valves can always maintain an open state.

In this embodiment, the followers 20a, 20b are illustrated in a sectoral shape, but any geometric shape that may result in the above-described results, such as a triangle, a dovetail shape, is also possible.

4A to 4C are photographs of prototypes manufactured corresponding to FIGS. 3A to 3C, and configurations corresponding to the opening and closing handles 11a and 11b and the follower 20a and 20b shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C are shown.

5A to 5C are conceptual views of a valve assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 5a, the valves (10a, 10b) is provided with a follower (20a, 20b). These followers 20a, 20b are mounted to rotate together with respect to the rotation center of the knobs 11a, 11b when the opening and closing knobs 11a, 11b are rotated in the opening or closing direction. The followers 20a and 20b are respectively displaced during the opening/closing operation of the installed valve, whereas they are configured not to be physically interlocked with the opening/closing operation of the other valve 10b or 10a. The follower (20a, 20b) may be a fan shape.

5A shows a valve assembly in which both valves 10a and 10b are closed in a normal operation mode. In the normal operation mode, the opening/closing knobs 11a, 11b are oriented at right angles to the conduits 2a, 2b, and the valves 10a, 10b are opened by rotating the opening/closing knobs 11a, 11b clockwise 90 degrees. do.

In the normal operation mode, the followers 20a, 20b are arranged to be located in the space S between both conduits 2a and 2b (or between both valves 10a, 10b). As shown in Figure 5a, the follower 20a provided in the upper valve 10a is arranged on the right plane when divided into left and right planes based on the rotation center of the opening and closing knob 11a (plan view), the lower valve The follower 20b provided in the 10b may be arranged on the left plane. More specifically, the follower 20a provided in the upper valve 10a is arranged in the second quadrant when divided into four quadrants based on the rotation center of the opening/closing handle 11a (plan view), and in the lower valve 10b The provided follower 20b may be arranged in the fourth quadrant with respect to the rotation center of the opening/closing handle 11b.

A state in which the valve 10a is opened by rotating the opening/closing knob 11a of the upper valve 10a in the opening direction R3 is shown in FIG. 5B . In this process, the follower 20a is displaced in the space S, and is not interfered with by the other follower 20b. That is, the actuation (in this case, opening) of either valve from the normal operation mode is not interfered with.

In this state, to open the lower valve 10b, the opening/closing knob 11b must be rotated (R4 direction), and the follower 20b provided in the valve 10b is attached to the follower 20a of the upper valve 10a. Rotation of the opening/closing handle 11b due to collision is not permitted. For this reason, the lower valve 10b cannot be opened in the state in which the upper valve 10a is opened. That is, when one of the valves is operated from the normal operation mode, the operation of the other valves is limited by the collision of the followers 20a and 20b.

Conversely, a state in which the valve 10b is opened by rotating the opening/closing knob 11b of the lower valve 10b in the opening direction R4 is shown in FIG. 5C . In this process, the follower 20b is displaced in the space S, and is not interfered with by the other follower 20a. That is, the actuation (in this case, opening) of either valve from the normal operation mode is not interfered with.

In this state, to open the upper valve 10a, the opening/closing knob 11a must be rotated (R3 direction), and the follower 20a provided in the valve 10a is attached to the follower 20b of the lower valve 10b. The rotation of the opening/closing handle 11a due to the collision is not allowed. For this reason, the upper valve 10a cannot be opened in the state in which the lower valve 10b is opened. That is, when one of the valves is operated from the normal operation mode, the operation of the other valves is limited by the collision of the followers 20a and 20b.

Likewise, an important point here is that the followers 20a, 20b are i) located in the interspace S when in the normal operating mode, and ii) when either valve is actuated (in this case, open) from the normal operating mode. Followers 20a, 20b do not interfere (ie, collide) with each other, iii) when one valve is actuated and the other valve is actuated, followers 20a, 20b interfere with each other (ie collision) that it is arranged to

According to this embodiment, both of the two valves 10a and 10b are prevented from being opened, and at least one of the two valves can always be kept in a closed state.

Although the followers 20a and 20b are illustrated in a sectoral shape in this embodiment, any geometric shape that may result in the above-described results, such as a triangle, a dovetail shape, is also possible.

By using the valve assembly configured as described above, it is possible to simply control the opening and closing of the valve without introducing a complicated structure such as a cam device. In addition, regardless of the opening/closing order of the two valves, it is possible to reliably restrain the other one even if one is opened first.

As mentioned above, although embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can practice the present invention in other specific forms without changing its technical spirit or essential features. You can understand that there is Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative and not restrictive.

1, 2a, 2b: conduit
3a, 3b: flow direction
10a, 10b: valve
11a, 11b, 12a, 12b: opening and closing knobs
13a, 13b: rim
14a, 14b: spokes
15: load
16a, 16b: connection
20a, 20b: follower

Claims (17)

a first valve connected to a first fluid line and having a first on-off knob, and a second valve connected to a second fluid line and having a second on-off knob and installed in parallel with the first valve - first, second A valve assembly comprising: the first and second valves are respectively opened and closed by rotating the valve opening/closing knob,
An opening/closing interference member configured to force or limit the rotation of the other of the first opening/closing handle and the second opening/closing handle by being displaced according to the rotation of one of the first opening/closing handle and the second opening/closing handle;
valve assembly. The method of claim 1,
The opening/closing interference member,
Physically connected to the first opening and closing knob and the second opening and closing knob,
When any one of the first opening/closing handle and the second opening/closing handle rotates, the other one of the first opening/closing handle and the second opening/closing handle is forcibly rotated.
valve assembly. 3. The method of claim 2,
The opening/closing interference member is pivotally connected to a specific portion of the first opening/closing handle near one end or an end thereof, and pivotally connected to a specific portion of the second opening/closing handle near the other end or end thereof, and is made of a rigid material
valve assembly. 4. The method of claim 3,
That the opening and closing interference member has a bar shape
valve assembly. 5. The method of claim 4,
The first opening/closing handle and the second opening/closing handle are of a vehicle handle type having a spoke part and a rim part
valve assembly. 6. The method of claim 5,
The bar-shaped opening/closing interference member is pivotally connected to the rims of the first and second opening/closing handles of the vehicle handle type
valve assembly. 3. The method of claim 2,
The opening and closing interference member,
so that when one of the first and second valves is open, the other is closed, and when either of the first and second valves is closed, the other is open.
valve assembly. The method of claim 1,
The opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve is made by 90 degree rotation of the first opening/closing handle and the second opening/closing handle, respectively
valve assembly. 3. The method of claim 2,
At least one of the first fluid line and the second fluid line must be configured to allow the flow of the fluid.
valve assembly. The method of claim 1,
The opening/closing interference member,
a first opening/closing interference member mounted to the first valve to rotate together when the first opening/closing knob rotates, and a second opening/closing interference member mounted to the second valve to rotate together when the second opening/closing knob is rotated
valve assembly. 11. The method of claim 10,
The first and second opening/closing interference members are
A first state in which both the first valve and the second valve are open and a second state in which any one of the first valve and the second valve is open and the other one is closed are allowed, but the first valve and the second valve are both open A closed third state is not allowed
valve assembly. 11. The method of claim 10,
The first and second opening/closing interference members are
A first state in which both the first and second valves are closed and a second state in which either one of the first and second valves are open and the other is closed are allowed, wherein both the first valve and the second valve are closed An open third state is configured not to allow
valve assembly. 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12,
The first and second opening/closing interference members are
When any one of the first opening/closing handle and the second opening/closing handle rotates so as to be switched from the first state to the second state, they do not interfere with each other, while the other handle is switched from the second state to the third state. is made such that it does not allow the transition to the third state by preventing it from rotating.
valve assembly. 14. The method of claim 13,
Transition from the second state to the third state is not permitted, the opening/closing interference member mounted to the valve in the open position in the second state and the opening/closing interference member mounted to the valve in the closed position in the second state due to physical contact with the interference member.
valve assembly. 11. The method of claim 10,
The first and second opening/closing interference members have any one of a sectoral shape, a triangular shape, and a dovetail shape.
valve assembly. 11. The method of claim 10,
The first opening/closing interference member is integrally formed with the first opening/closing handle, and the second opening/closing interference member is integrally formed with the second opening/closing handle.
valve assembly. 11. The method of claim 10,
The first opening/closing handle replaces the first opening/closing interference member, and the second opening/closing handle replaces the second opening/closing interference member
valve assembly.

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