Fuel gas management device
By employing a low-power design and a mechanical linkage structure, the gas management device solves the problems of rapid power consumption and aging of existing gas alarms, enabling on-demand detection and low-power standby, thereby improving the reliability of gas safety management and user trust.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NING XIA KAI TIAN GAS DEV CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
Smart Images
Figure CN224286845U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of gas safety management devices, specifically to a gas management device. Background Technology
[0002] Natural gas, as a highly efficient and clean fossil energy source, is widely used in residential and industrial production. However, natural gas (mainly composed of methane) is flammable and explosive. Leaks can accumulate in confined spaces, easily igniting fires or explosions upon contact with open flames. Incomplete combustion produces carbon monoxide (CO), which is colorless and odorless; inhalation can lead to poisoning and even death. Therefore, ensuring the safe use of natural gas is a critical issue concerning people's lives and property and public safety.
[0003] Traditional gas safety management relies primarily on regular manual inspections, user vigilance, and basic mechanical safety devices (such as stove flameout protection). However, these methods have significant limitations and are often outdated. Manual inspections cannot provide real-time monitoring, user vigilance is greatly affected by fatigue and negligence, and mechanical devices only function under specific conditions (such as accidental flameout), lacking proactive monitoring and early warning capabilities for more common risk sources such as pipeline leaks, valve malfunctions, and CO produced by incomplete combustion. In recent years, with accelerated urbanization and increased residential density, the number of gas users has surged. The combination of factors, including lagging renovation of aging pipelines, insufficient user safety knowledge, and aging equipment, has resulted in a persistent risk of gas safety accidents.
[0004] Currently, the mainstream household gas safety equipment consists of continuously operating independent alarms. These rely on built-in gas sensors (such as catalytic combustion, semiconductor, or electrochemical types) to continuously monitor ambient gas concentrations, triggering local audible and visual alarms when thresholds are exceeded. While these devices effectively manage gas appliance safety, several long-standing and unresolved issues severely limit their reliability and user trust. First, because sensors and circuits require 24-hour uninterrupted power, for battery-powered portable alarms or those installed in locations inconvenient for power connection, the battery will eventually deplete, leading to complete device failure. If users fail to replace the batteries in time, the device becomes useless. Second, sensors suffer from significant aging issues—all types of gas sensors have a limited lifespan (typically 3-5 years). With prolonged use, their sensitivity decreases (increasing the risk of missed alarms) or their zero-point drift / interference sensitivity increases (increasing the risk of false alarms). Frequent false alarms not only severely disrupt users' daily lives but also cause them to lose trust in the devices. Furthermore, existing alarms operate entirely in a passive manner in response to changes in ambient gas concentration. When users are away from home and have concerns about gas safety at home (such as being unsure if the valve is closed properly), they cannot use remote commands to actively request the device to take action to quickly confirm the safety of the current environment. Utility Model Content
[0005] This utility model aims to provide a gas management device to solve the technical problems of existing gas alarms, such as continuous power consumption, rapid aging, and inability to actively detect on demand. It has a simple and reliable structure, can perform remote gas detection on demand, and can optimize device energy consumption to achieve more effective gas safety management.
[0006] The basic solution provided by this utility model is as follows: a gas management device, including a protective shell, and a gas sensor module, an electromagnet, a reset mechanism, a communication component, and a power supply component disposed in the protective shell; the positive terminal of the power supply component is connected to the power supply terminal of the communication component; the output pin of the communication component is connected to the coil of the electromagnet; the negative terminal of the power supply component is directly connected to the common GND terminal and extends to the GND terminals of the communication component, the electromagnet, and the gas sensor module;
[0007] The reset mechanism includes a movable armature and a reset spring for resetting the movable armature; the movable armature is provided with a first conductive contact, and the electromagnet is provided with a second conductive contact; the first conductive contact is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply component; the second conductive contact is connected to the power supply terminal of the gas sensor module; when the coil of the electromagnet is energized, the electromagnet attracts the movable armature, and the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact make contact and conduct electricity.
[0008] Furthermore, the movable armature is positioned above the electromagnet; the movable armature includes a lever arm and an armature mounted on the lever arm; one end of the lever arm is connected to a return spring; the armature is positioned opposite the electromagnet.
[0009] Furthermore, the lever arm has an installation groove; the armature is embedded in the installation groove; the first conductive contact is disposed on the lever arm and is located around the armature.
[0010] Furthermore, both the first and second conductive contacts are made of elastic copper sheets and have alloy bumps on them.
[0011] Furthermore, the fulcrum of the lever arm is hinged to the inner wall of the protective shell via a bearing.
[0012] Furthermore, the communication component is a Bluetooth module or a wireless communication module.
[0013] Furthermore, the gas sensor module integrates a buzzer drive circuit; a buzzer is connected in the buzzer drive circuit; the positive terminal of the buzzer is connected to the alarm output terminal of the gas sensor module, and the negative terminal of the buzzer is connected to the common GND terminal.
[0014] Furthermore, the buzzer is an active buzzer.
[0015] Furthermore, the protective shell is provided with an openable front door panel.
[0016] The working principle and advantages of this utility model are as follows:
[0017] This utility model discloses a gas management device with a simple and reliable structure. It can remotely detect gas as needed, optimize energy consumption, and achieve more effective gas safety management. The key features are:
[0018] This gas management device employs a low-power design. Under normal conditions, only the communication component is in listening mode, while the gas sensor module is powered off due to the separation of the first and second conductive contacts, resulting in extremely low energy consumption. When a user sends a signal to the communication component, the component outputs a brief drive current to generate a magnetic field in the electromagnet. This magnetic field attracts the movable armature, causing the lever arm to move and contact the first and second conductive contacts, thus powering on the gas sensor module. The module then begins preheating and detecting the gas concentration. If the concentration exceeds the limit during detection, the built-in buzzer drive circuit directly triggers an alarm. When detection ends or the concentration returns to normal, the communication component stops outputting current, the electromagnet's magnetic field disappears, the reset spring pulls the lever arm and armature back to their original positions, the first and second conductive contacts separate, the gas sensor module is powered off, and the device returns to standby mode, awaiting the next instruction.
[0019] This device utilizes a series of mechanical linkages—miniature electromagnet drive, mechanical lever / lever transmission, spring reset, and physical contact switching—to convert remote Bluetooth signals into a "hard switch" operation on the gas sensor's power supply. Its simple and reliable structure allows users to remotely trigger single detections, enabling proactive, on-demand monitoring. Under normal conditions, the gas sensor is completely powered off, with only the communication components operating in a microampere-level listening state. This results in extremely low overall standby power consumption, with an estimated battery life of over 3 years, significantly reducing the risk of device failure due to battery depletion and avoiding false alarms / missed alarms caused by accelerated aging or drift of the sensor due to prolonged power supply. Furthermore, users can remotely trigger a highly reliable detection anytime, anywhere. This "on-demand activation" mode not only enhances the user's sense of control and timeliness regarding safety conditions but also ensures that each detection action is explicitly initiated by the user, significantly improving the reliability and acceptability of alarm results. Attached Figure Description
[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the device structure of an embodiment of the gas management device of this utility model;
[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the protective shell of an embodiment of the gas management device of this utility model.
[0022] The markings in the accompanying drawings include: armature 1, lever arm 2, bearing 3, electromagnet 4, first conductive contact 5, and second conductive contact 6. Detailed Implementation
[0023] The following detailed explanation illustrates the specific implementation methods:
[0024] The basic implementation examples are as follows: Figure 1 As shown: A gas management device includes a protective housing, and a gas sensor module, an electromagnet 4, a reset mechanism, a communication component and a power supply component disposed in the protective housing.
[0025] The positive terminal of the power supply component is connected to the power supply terminal of the communication component; the output pin of the communication component is connected to the coil of the electromagnet 4; the negative terminal of the power supply component is directly connected to the common GND terminal and extends to the GND terminals of the communication component, the electromagnet 4, and the gas sensor module. Specifically, the power supply component uses an existing low-power lithium battery, which can meet the requirements for long standby time.
[0026] like Figure 2 As shown, the reset mechanism includes a movable armature 1 and a reset spring for resetting the movable armature 1; the movable armature 1 is provided with a first conductive contact 5, and the electromagnet 4 is provided with a second conductive contact 6; the first conductive contact 5 is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply component; the second conductive contact 6 is connected to the power supply terminal of the gas sensor module; when the coil of the electromagnet 4 is energized, the electromagnet 4 attracts the movable armature 1, and the first conductive contact 5 and the second conductive contact 6 make contact and conduct electricity.
[0027] Specifically, the movable armature 1 is located above the electromagnet 4; the movable armature 1 includes a lever arm 2 and an armature 1 disposed on the lever arm 2; one end of the lever arm 2 is connected to a return spring; the armature 1 is positioned opposite to the electromagnet 4.
[0028] In this embodiment, the lever arm 2 has a mounting groove; the armature 1 is embedded in the mounting groove; the first conductive contact 5 is disposed on the lever arm 2 and around the armature 1. The surface of the armature 1 embedded in the mounting groove is flush with or slightly higher than the surface of the lever arm 2 (in this embodiment, slightly higher than the surface of the lever arm 2 by 1cm to 2cm), so that after the armature 1 is attracted to the electromagnet, the first conductive contact 5 and the second conductive contact 6 can make stable contact, ensuring the reliability of contact conductivity.
[0029] Both the first conductive contact 5 and the second conductive contact 6 are made of elastic copper sheets and have alloy bumps on them. When the first conductive contact 5 and the second conductive contact 6 come into contact, the alloy bumps are also connected accordingly.
[0030] The lever arm 2 is hinged to the inner wall of the protective shell at its fulcrum via a bearing 3. Specifically, a mounting bracket is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the protective shell, and the bearing 3 is fixed to the mounting bracket, allowing the lever arm 2 to rotate around its fulcrum.
[0031] The communication component is a Bluetooth module or a wireless communication module. In this embodiment, an existing wireless communication module, such as a WiFi communication module, is selected.
[0032] In this embodiment, the gas sensor module uses an existing gas sensor module with alarm function, such as a semiconductor sensor (e.g., the MQ-4 sensor with a basic circuit board), which has low power consumption and fast response speed, meeting short-term detection requirements. Furthermore, the gas sensor module integrates a buzzer driver circuit; a buzzer is connected to the buzzer driver circuit; the positive terminal of the buzzer is connected to the alarm output terminal of the gas sensor module, and the negative terminal of the buzzer is connected to the common GND terminal. The buzzer is an existing active buzzer with a built-in oscillation circuit, requiring only a DC voltage to produce sound.
[0033] The protective shell is equipped with an openable front panel. The front panel is connected to the protective shell by a hinge. The front panel facilitates user inspection and repair of the internal components of the device and makes it easy to replace the power supply components.
[0034] In practical applications, this gas management device should be installed near the gas equipment to be monitored. For gases lighter than air (such as methane), install it 30cm below the ceiling; for gases heavier than air (such as propane), install it 30cm above the ground so that the gas sensor module can detect the gas environment. During installation, expansion screws or double-sided tape can be used to fix the protective housing to a wall or other fixed object, ensuring horizontal installation. Optionally, it can be paired with a communication component, such as pairing the user's mobile terminal (such as a mobile phone) with a Bluetooth module or wireless communication module, to allow the user to transmit control signals to the communication component.
[0035] Under normal circumstances, this gas management device is in a normal standby state, with only the communication component continuously powered by the positive terminal of the power supply component (power consumption is extremely low, typically ≤10μA), while the other circuits (gas sensor module, electromagnet 4) are powered off. At this time, the reset mechanism is in the initial state, that is, the lever arm 2 remains in the initial position, no current flows through the electromagnet 4, the movable armature 1 is not attracted, the armature 1 and the electromagnet 4 maintain a certain distance, the first conductive contact 5 and the second conductive contact 6 are physically separated, and the power circuit of the gas sensor module is disconnected.
[0036] When a user transmits a signal to the communication component (e.g., by sending a "start detection" command via a mobile terminal, transmitted to the gas management device via Bluetooth protocol (such as BLE 5.0) or wireless communication protocol), the communication component receives the command and generates a drive current. The current flows through the coil of the electromagnet 4, generating a magnetic field that attracts the movable armature 1. Under the action of the magnetic force, the movable armature 1 moves towards the electromagnet 4. During this process, the armature 1 drives the lever arm 2 to rotate around its fulcrum, overcoming the resistance of the return spring. The first conductive contact 5 on the lever arm 2 moves with the lever arm 2 and makes close contact with the second conductive contact 6. The positive terminal of the power supply component is connected to the power supply terminal of the gas sensor module through the first conductive contact 5 and the second conductive contact 6, and the gas sensor module begins to receive power.
[0037] The gas sensor module begins detecting the gas conditions in the environment. If a semiconductor sensor is used in this embodiment, it needs to preheat for 30-60 seconds (its heating wire heats up to 200-400℃). Then, the resistance value changes according to the amount of gas adsorbed. The internal circuitry of the sensor module (such as an operational amplifier) converts the resistance / voltage signal into a concentration value. The hardware comparator of the sensor module compares the detected value with a preset threshold (such as the lower explosive limit of methane, 25% LEL) to determine if it exceeds the limit (this part is prior art and will not be described in detail). If it exceeds the limit, the alarm output terminal of the gas sensor module outputs a signal, triggering the buzzer drive circuit to activate the buzzer alarm.
[0038] When no detection is needed, the user can send a signal to the communication component (e.g., send a "stop detection" command via a mobile terminal, transmitted to the gas management device via Bluetooth protocol (such as BLE 5.0) or wireless communication protocol). The communication component receives the command and cuts off the drive current. The magnetic field of electromagnet 4 disappears, armature 1 is released, and lever arm 2 is reset to its initial position by the resistance of the reset spring; the first conductive contact 5 separates from the second conductive contact 6, the gas sensor module is powered off, and stops working. The entire gas management device returns to its normal standby state.
[0039] Preferably, a timer can also be connected to the circuit where the gas sensor module is located, and the duration of the timer can be set to 2 to 3 minutes. When the time is up, the timer will automatically send a "stop detection" signal to the communication component.
[0040] This embodiment provides a gas management device that can solve the technical problems of existing gas alarms, such as continuous power consumption, rapid aging, and inability to actively detect on demand. It has a simple and reliable structure, can perform remote gas detection on demand, and can optimize device energy consumption to achieve more effective gas safety management.
[0041] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of this utility model. Commonly known structures and characteristics are not described in detail here. Those skilled in the art are aware of all common technical knowledge in the field prior to the application date or priority date, are knowledgeable of all existing technologies in that field, and possess the ability to apply conventional experimental methods prior to that date. Therefore, those skilled in the art can, based on the guidance provided in this application, improve and implement this solution in conjunction with their own capabilities. Typical known structures or methods should not be obstacles for those skilled in the art to implement this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the structure of this utility model. These modifications and improvements should also be considered within the scope of protection of this utility model, and will not affect the effectiveness of the implementation of this utility model or the practicality of the patent.
Claims
1. A gas management device, characterized in that, The device includes a protective housing, and a gas sensor module, an electromagnet, a reset mechanism, a communication component, and a power supply component disposed within the protective housing; the positive terminal of the power supply component is connected to the power supply terminal of the communication component; the output pin of the communication component is connected to the coil of the electromagnet; the negative terminal of the power supply component is directly connected to the common GND terminal and extends to the GND terminals of the communication component, the electromagnet, and the gas sensor module. The reset mechanism includes a movable armature and a reset spring for resetting the movable armature; the movable armature is provided with a first conductive contact, and the electromagnet is provided with a second conductive contact; the first conductive contact is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply component; the second conductive contact is connected to the power supply terminal of the gas sensor module; when the coil of the electromagnet is energized, the electromagnet attracts the movable armature, and the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact make contact and conduct electricity.
2. A gas management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable armature is positioned above the electromagnet; the movable armature includes a lever arm and an armature mounted on the lever arm; one end of the lever arm is connected to a return spring; the armature is positioned opposite the electromagnet.
3. A gas management device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lever arm has a mounting groove; the armature is embedded in the mounting groove; the first conductive contact is provided on the lever arm and is located around the armature.
4. A gas management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first and second conductive contacts are made of elastic copper sheets and have alloy bumps on them.
5. A gas management device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fulcrum of the lever arm is hinged to the inner wall of the protective shell via a bearing.
6. A gas management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication component is a Bluetooth module or a wireless communication module.
7. A gas management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas sensor module integrates a buzzer drive circuit; a buzzer is connected in the buzzer drive circuit; the positive terminal of the buzzer is connected to the alarm output terminal of the gas sensor module, and the negative terminal of the buzzer is connected to the common GND terminal.
8. A gas management device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The buzzer is an active buzzer.
9. A gas management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective shell is equipped with an openable front panel.