An unattended gas valve control actuator

Abstract

This invention provides an unattended gas valve control actuator, comprising an inverted L-shaped housing. The upper part of the longitudinal compartment of the housing houses a clutch device, and the lower part houses a drive motor. The transverse compartment houses a bridge gear and a valve stem sleeve for driving the gas valve stem. This invention adopts a side-drive structure, reducing the overall height of the actuator and making it easier to install in confined valve wells. The clutch mechanism allows for easy switching to manual operation with just a push-pull lever, enabling more convenient handling of system failures or other emergencies. The invention includes a rotation sensor that measures the number of rotations of the bridge gear to determine the valve's opening degree, ensuring precise valve control. Using a hydraulic motor as the drive motor eliminates the need for high-voltage, high-current input, preventing electrical sparks during operation and eliminating the risk of explosion, thus improving safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of gas transmission control technology, and in particular to an unattended gas valve control actuator. Background Technology

[0002] A gas valve is a new type of safety device for gas pipeline engineering. It is used to cut off, connect, and regulate gas in the pipeline, possessing excellent control characteristics and sealing performance. It is suitable for pipelines carrying various gas media, including city gas, liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas, and oxygen. Gas valves are widely used in urban gas supply networks for these media. Driven by various mechanisms such as manual, worm gear, electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, and electro-hydraulic actuators, they can achieve remote control and automated operation.

[0003] The existing gas valve control actuator solution involves directly installing a drive motor at the top of the gas valve to drive the valve stem and control the opening and closing of the gas valve. This method results in the overall height of the actuator being too high. However, the valve wells of gas pipelines in China are generally shallow. The traditional gas valve control actuator solution has the disadvantage of inconvenient installation and is not convenient to switch to manual operation in case of equipment failure or other emergencies. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an unattended gas valve control actuator. In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, a side-drive structure is adopted, which reduces the overall height of the actuator and adds a manual / automatic switching function to ensure effective valve control under various extreme conditions.

[0005] This invention is achieved using the following technical solution:

[0006] An unattended gas valve control actuator includes an inverted L-shaped housing. The upper part of the longitudinal compartment of the housing is equipped with a clutch device, and the lower part is equipped with a drive motor. The transverse compartment of the housing is equipped with a bridge gear and a valve stem bushing for driving the gas valve stem.

[0007] The clutch mechanism includes upward-facing main drive shaft end face teeth, drive gear, and disengagement mechanism;

[0008] The lower end face of the drive gear and the end face of the main drive shaft are engaged or disengaged through a separation mechanism. The separation mechanism includes a control lever, an eccentric wheel, a pressure rod, a clutch fork, and a return spring. The control lever is located outside the housing, with its root on the eccentric wheel. The eccentric wheel is located at the top of the housing. The pressure rod is located inside the housing and directly below the eccentric wheel, with its upper end in contact with the eccentric wheel. The clutch fork is mounted inside the housing via a pin, with one end extending below the drive gear and the other end extending below the pressure rod.

[0009] The output shaft of the drive motor is connected to the end face gear of the main drive shaft. The bridge gear is set between the drive gear and the valve stem bushing. The valve stem bushing is nested with a bushing gear. The bridge gear meshes with the drive gear and the bushing gear respectively.

[0010] The upper end of the valve stem sleeve is provided with a rotating shaft, which protrudes outside the housing.

[0011] Preferably, a return spring is provided below the end of the clutch fork near the lower pressure rod.

[0012] Preferably, a compression spring is provided at the upper end of the drive gear.

[0013] Preferably, a rotation sensor is provided at the bridge gear to determine the opening degree of the valve by acquiring the number of rotations of the bridge gear.

[0014] Preferably, the drive motor is a hydraulic motor, which has no high voltage and high current input, and will not generate electric sparks during operation, thus eliminating the risk of deflagration and improving safety.

[0015] Furthermore, the clutch shift fork is composed of pressure plates and lifting claws respectively placed on both sides of the pin shaft. The pressure plates extend below the lower pressure rod, and there are two lifting claws arranged side by side, extending below the drive gear. The two lifting claws and the pressure plates form a U-shaped structure. The two lifting claws can extend from both sides of the teeth on the end face of the main drive shaft to the bottom of the drive gear, so that the two contact points of the clutch shift fork and the drive gear can be on the same straight line as the center of the bottom circle of the drive gear. This ensures that when the clutch shift fork applies an upward lifting force to the drive gear, it is more balanced and stable.

[0016] Furthermore, an air extractor is installed at the end of the transverse box away from the longitudinal box of the housing. The air inlet of the air extractor is located on the bottom surface of the transverse box of the housing, and the air outlet is located on the top surface of the transverse box of the housing. It can draw air from the valve well to the outside of the well through pipeline connection. By installing a gas leak sensor outside the well, the gas leak situation in the well can be monitored and early warning can be achieved. This avoids the drawback of the traditional method of placing the sensor inside the well, which is caused by abnormal sensor data due to harsh environmental factors such as humidity or flooding.

[0017] The working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0018] The gas valve control actuator of the present invention adopts an inverted L-shaped box structure. The drive motor is set in the longitudinal box and drives the valve stem sleeve to rotate through the end face teeth of the main drive shaft, the drive gear and the bridge gear, thereby driving the gas valve stem to rotate to perform valve closing or opening operations.

[0019] When manual operation is required, pushing or pulling the control lever causes the distal end of the eccentric wheel to contact the lower pressure rod. The lower pressure rod then applies downward pressure to the clutch fork's pressure plate, causing the clutch fork to flip along the pin. The clutch fork's lifting pawl pushes the drive gear upward, disengaging the drive gear from the main drive shaft's end face teeth. At this point, the gas valve stem can be manually rotated by turning the rotating shaft at the upper end of the valve stem sleeve to open or close the valve. Conversely, pushing or pulling the control lever causes the proximal end of the eccentric wheel to contact the lower pressure rod. The lower pressure rod releases pressure on the pressure plate, and under the action of the return spring, the clutch fork flips in the opposite direction along the pin. The lifting pawl disengages from the drive gear, releasing the pushing force on the drive gear. Under its own weight and the action of the lower pressure spring, the drive gear moves downward and re-engages with the main drive shaft's end face teeth. Unattended remote control of the gas valve can then be achieved by remotely controlling the drive motor.

[0020] The beneficial technical effects of this invention are:

[0021] (1) The present invention provides an unattended gas valve control actuator, which adopts an inverted L-shaped box structure. The drive motor is set in the longitudinal box and drives the valve stem bushing located at the far end of the transverse box to rotate through the drive gear and transmission gear, thereby driving the gas valve stem to rotate to perform valve closing or opening operations. The side-drive structure reduces the overall height of the actuator, thus making it easier to install in a narrow valve well.

[0022] (2) By setting up a clutch mechanism, the present invention can be easily switched to manual operation with just push-pull rod operation, which can more conveniently deal with system failures or other emergencies.

[0023] (3) The present invention is equipped with a rotation sensor, which can determine the opening degree of the valve by acquiring the number of rotations of the bridge gear, thus providing a guarantee for achieving precise valve control;

[0024] (4) The present invention uses a hydraulic motor as the drive motor. There is no high voltage and high current input, and no electric sparks are generated during the operation, thus eliminating the risk of deflagration and improving safety.

[0025] (5) By setting up an air pump, the air in the valve well can be drawn out of the well through pipeline connection. By setting up a gas leak sensor outside the well, the gas leak situation in the well can be monitored and warned, thus avoiding the disadvantages of the traditional method of setting up the sensor in the well, which is caused by environmental factors such as humidity or flooding, resulting in sensor failure or abnormal data. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure under remote control mode of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2This is a cross-sectional view of the invention under remote control mode;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention in manual control mode;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention in manual control mode;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the clutch device of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The following description of the embodiments will help the public better understand the present invention. However, the specific embodiments provided by the applicant should not and should not be regarded as a limitation on the technical solution of the present invention. Any changes to the definition of components or technical features and / or formal but not substantive changes to the overall structure should be regarded as the scope of protection defined by the technical solution of the present invention.

[0032] This embodiment

[0033] This embodiment provides an unattended gas valve control actuator, the structure of which is as follows: Figure 1-5 As shown, it includes an inverted L-shaped housing 1. The upper part of the longitudinal housing 1 is equipped with a clutch device 2, and the lower part is equipped with a drive motor 3. The transverse housing 1 is equipped with a bridge gear 4 and a valve stem bushing 5 for driving the gas valve stem.

[0034] The clutch device 2 includes an upward-facing main drive shaft end face tooth 6, a drive gear 7, and a disengagement mechanism 8;

[0035] The lower end face of the drive gear 7 meshes with the end face teeth 6 of the main drive shaft through the driven end face teeth 20; the separation mechanism 8 includes a control lever 9, an eccentric wheel 10, a pressing rod 11, and a clutch fork 12. The control lever 9 is located outside the housing 1, with its root on the eccentric wheel 10. The eccentric wheel 10 is located at the top of the housing 1. The pressing rod 11 is located inside the housing 1 and directly below the eccentric wheel 10, with its upper end in contact with the eccentric wheel 10; the clutch fork 12 is mounted inside the housing 1 through a pin 13, with one end extending below the drive gear 7 and the other end extending below the pressing rod 11.

[0036] A rotating shaft 14 is provided at the upper end of the valve stem sleeve 5, and the rotating shaft 14 protrudes outside the housing 1.

[0037] A return spring 15 is provided below the end of the clutch fork 12 near the lower pressure rod 11.

[0038] A compression spring 16 is provided at the upper end of the drive gear 7.

[0039] A rotation sensor 17 is installed at the bridge gear 4. The opening degree of the valve is determined by acquiring the number of rotations of the bridge gear 4.

[0040] The drive motor 3 is a hydraulic motor, which has no high voltage and high current input, and will not generate electric sparks during operation, thus eliminating the risk of explosion and improving safety.

[0041] The clutch fork 12 is composed of a pressure plate 18 and a lifting claw 19 respectively placed on both sides of the pin shaft 13. The pressure plate 18 extends below the lower pressure rod 11. There are two lifting claws 19 arranged side by side, extending below the drive gear 7. The two lifting claws 19 and the pressure plate 18 form a U-shaped structure. The two lifting claws 19 can extend from both sides of the end face tooth 6 of the main drive shaft to the bottom of the drive gear 7, so that the two contact points of the clutch fork 12 and the drive gear 7 can be on the same straight line as the center of the bottom surface of the drive gear 7. This ensures that when the clutch fork 12 applies an upward lifting force to the drive gear 7, it is more balanced and stable.

[0042] An air extractor 21 is installed at the end of the transverse box of the housing 1 away from the longitudinal box. The air inlet of the air extractor 21 is located on the bottom surface of the transverse box of the housing 1, and the air outlet is located on the top surface of the transverse box of the housing 1. It can draw air from the valve well to the outside of the well through pipeline connection. By installing a gas leak sensor outside the well, the gas leak situation in the well can be monitored and warned. This avoids the disadvantages of the traditional method of setting the sensor inside the well, which is caused by abnormal sensor data due to harsh environmental factors such as humidity or flooding.

[0043] The working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0044] The gas valve control actuator of the present invention adopts an inverted L-shaped box structure. The drive motor is set in the longitudinal box and drives the valve stem sleeve to rotate through the end face teeth of the main drive shaft, the drive gear and the bridge gear, thereby driving the gas valve stem to rotate to perform valve closing or opening operations.

[0045] When manual operation is required, pushing or pulling the control lever causes the distal end of the eccentric wheel to contact the lower pressure rod. The lower pressure rod then applies downward pressure to the clutch fork's pressure plate, causing the clutch fork to flip along the pin. The clutch fork's lifting pawl pushes the drive gear upward, disengaging the drive gear from the main drive shaft's end face teeth. At this point, the gas valve stem can be manually rotated by turning the rotating shaft at the upper end of the valve stem sleeve to open or close the valve. Conversely, pushing or pulling the control lever causes the proximal end of the eccentric wheel to contact the lower pressure rod. The lower pressure rod releases pressure on the pressure plate, and under the action of the return spring, the clutch fork flips in the opposite direction along the pin. The lifting pawl disengages from the drive gear, releasing the pushing force on the drive gear. Under its own weight and the action of the lower pressure spring, the drive gear moves downward and re-engages with the main drive shaft's end face teeth. Unattended remote control of the gas valve can then be achieved by remotely controlling the drive motor.

[0046] The beneficial technical effects of this invention are:

[0047] (1) The present invention provides an unattended gas valve control actuator, which adopts an inverted L-shaped box structure. The drive motor is set in the longitudinal box and drives the valve stem bushing located at the far end of the transverse box to rotate through the drive gear and transmission gear, thereby driving the gas valve stem to rotate to perform valve closing or opening operations. The side-drive structure reduces the overall height of the actuator, thus making it easier to install in a narrow valve well.

[0048] (2) By setting up a clutch mechanism, the present invention can be easily switched to manual operation with just push-pull rod operation, which can more conveniently deal with system failures or other emergencies.

[0049] (3) The present invention is equipped with a rotation sensor, which can determine the opening degree of the valve by acquiring the number of rotations of the bridge gear, thus providing a guarantee for achieving precise valve control;

[0050] (4) The present invention uses a hydraulic motor as the drive motor. There is no high voltage and high current input, and no electric sparks are generated during the operation, thus eliminating the risk of deflagration and improving safety.

[0051] (5) By setting up an air pump, the air in the valve well can be drawn out of the well through pipeline connection. By setting up a gas leak sensor outside the well, the gas leak situation in the well can be monitored and warned, thus avoiding the disadvantages of the traditional method of setting up the sensor in the well, which is caused by environmental factors such as humidity or flooding, resulting in sensor failure or abnormal data.

[0052] Of course, the present invention may have other various embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various corresponding changes and modifications according to the present invention, but these corresponding changes and modifications should all fall within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An unattended gas valve control actuator, comprising an inverted L-shaped housing, a clutch device located at the upper part of the longitudinal compartment of the housing, a drive motor located at the lower part, and a bridge gear and a valve stem sleeve for driving the gas valve stem located in the transverse compartment of the housing. The clutch device includes an upward-facing main drive shaft end face gear, a drive gear, and a disengagement mechanism. A sleeve gear is nested on the valve stem sleeve. The mechanism is characterized in that: The lower end face of the drive gear and the end face of the main drive shaft are engaged or disengaged through a separation mechanism. The separation mechanism includes a control lever, an eccentric wheel, a pressure rod, a clutch fork, and a return spring. The control lever is located outside the housing, with its root on the eccentric wheel. The eccentric wheel is located at the top of the housing. The pressure rod is located inside the housing and directly below the eccentric wheel, with its upper end in contact with the eccentric wheel. The clutch fork is mounted inside the housing via a pin, with one end extending below the drive gear and the other end extending below the pressure rod. The output shaft of the drive motor is connected to the end face gear of the main drive shaft, and the bridge gear meshes with the drive gear and the bushing gear respectively. A rotating shaft is provided at the upper end of the valve stem sleeve, and the rotating shaft protrudes outside the housing; The drive motor is a hydraulic motor; The clutch shift fork consists of pressure plates and lifting claws placed on both sides of the pin shaft. The pressure plates extend to below the lower pressure rod, and there are two lifting claws arranged side by side, extending to below the drive gear. An air extractor is installed at the end of the transverse box away from the longitudinal box. The air inlet of the air extractor is located on the bottom surface of the transverse box, and the air outlet is located on the top surface of the transverse box.

2. The unattended gas valve control actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: A return spring is provided below the end of the clutch fork near the lower lever.

3. The unattended gas valve control actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: A compression spring is provided at the upper end of the drive gear.

4. The unattended gas valve control actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: A rotation sensor is installed at the bridge gear to determine the degree of valve opening or closing by acquiring the number of rotations of the bridge gear.

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