Inflation indicator

Abstract

The utility model belongs to mechanical measuring equipment technical field especially relates to a kind of expansion indicators.A kind of expansion indicators, including: pointer sleeve, the pipe wall of the pointer sleeve is equipped with the guide slot extending along axial direction;And pointer assembly, movably sleeve joint in the inside of the pointer sleeve;The guide pin of the sliding fit of the guide slot is equipped on the pointer assembly;Wherein, the slot edge of the guide slot is also equipped with the positioning gap being communicated with it, the guide pin can be moved into the positioning gap from the guide slot selectively by the axial pulling and radial rotation of the pointer assembly, to hang and lock the pointer assembly in the lifting position of non-measurement state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of mechanical measuring equipment technology, and in particular relates to an expansion indicator. Background Technology

[0002] Expansion indicators are critical safety monitoring devices widely used in thermal power, petrochemical, and other fields. They are primarily used to measure the thermal expansion displacement of large heat-receiving equipment such as boilers, steam drums, and high-temperature, high-pressure pipelines in real time during start-up, shutdown, and operation. Because these devices undergo significant physical expansion and contraction under large temperature changes, if expansion is obstructed or uneven, it will generate enormous thermal stress, leading to equipment deformation, cracking, or even serious safety accidents. Therefore, accurately monitoring the displacement using expansion indicators plays an indispensable role in ensuring equipment safety, guiding operational adjustments, and preventing malfunctions.

[0003] Currently, most expansion indicators commonly used in the industry employ a mechanical pointer structure. These indicators typically include a fixed scale base and a pointer assembly connected to the expansion point of the device under test. The pointer assembly moves on the scale base as the device expands, thus indicating displacement. However, these traditional expansion indicators have revealed several inherent defects during long-term use: Firstly, their pointer tips are often sharp, needle-like or conical, resulting in direct sliding friction with the scale base surface during measurement. This hard contact not only scratches the scale base, causing blurred scale lines and difficulty in reading, but also causes severe wear on the pointer tip itself, affecting measurement accuracy and necessitating frequent component replacement. Secondly, the pointer's guidance within the guide sleeve is relatively simple, often relying on clearance fit. This is prone to jamming and jumping due to excessively small clearances or foreign object intrusion, or wobbling due to excessively large clearances. Both situations severely affect the stability and reliability of the measurement results. Thirdly, its structural design did not take into account the maintenance needs in non-measuring states. The pointer head always remains in contact with the scale base, which not only aggravates accidental wear during standby, but also brings great inconvenience to the maintenance work such as inspection, calibration and cleaning of the equipment, often requiring complex disassembly, which is time-consuming and laborious.

[0004] Therefore, how to design a new type of expansion indicator that can effectively reduce wear between the indicator component and the scale reference surface while ensuring measurement accuracy, avoid pointer jamming or shaking during guidance, and provide a convenient and reliable way to temporarily separate the measuring component from the scale reference surface to simplify maintenance operations and extend the service life of the equipment has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the above-mentioned shortcomings and provide an expansion indicator.

[0006] An expansion indicator, comprising:

[0007] A pointer sleeve, wherein an axially extending guide groove is formed on the wall of the pointer sleeve; and

[0008] A pointer assembly is movably fitted inside the pointer sleeve; the pointer assembly is provided with a guide pin that slides with the guide groove;

[0009] The guide groove has a positioning notch that communicates with it. The guide pin can be selectively moved from the guide groove into the positioning notch by the axial lifting and radial rotation of the pointer assembly, so as to suspend and lock the pointer assembly in the lifted position when it is not measuring.

[0010] Furthermore, the guide groove is a vertical long groove that runs longitudinally through the wall of the pointer sleeve, and is used to restrict the pointer assembly to move only in the axial direction during the measurement process.

[0011] Furthermore, the positioning notch is an L-shaped or J-shaped notch extending horizontally from the edge of the vertical long groove; when the guide pin moves into the positioning notch, the pointer assembly is supported by the horizontal groove edge of the positioning notch under the action of gravity, so that the pointer assembly is suspended and locked.

[0012] Furthermore, the pointer component is a one-piece structure, and the pointer component includes:

[0013] The pointer rod is movably fitted inside the pointer sleeve;

[0014] The handle is fixedly connected to the top of the pointer rod to facilitate the operator's lifting and rotation operations;

[0015] The pointer head is fixedly connected to the bottom of the pointer rod;

[0016] Furthermore, the guide pin is fixedly connected to the pointer rod and extends out in its radial direction.

[0017] Furthermore, the pointer head has a tapered structure, and a ball bearing is rotatably mounted at the tip of the pointer head; the ball bearing is used to form a rolling contact with the surface of the scale base.

[0018] Furthermore, the expansion indicator also includes a sleeve fixing assembly, which has a clamping block for clamping and locking the pointer sleeve.

[0019] Furthermore, the sleeve fixing assembly also includes a mounting bracket and a connecting block, wherein the clamping block is fastened to the mounting bracket via the connecting block; the mounting bracket is used to connect to an external device under test.

[0020] Furthermore, the mounting bracket includes a bending portion for adapting to different installation positions and distances.

[0021] Furthermore, the expansion indicator also includes a scale base disposed below the pointer assembly, the scale base being used to read the displacement value of the pointer assembly.

[0022] Furthermore, the surface of the scale base is provided with mutually perpendicular and orthogonal horizontal and vertical scale lines, forming a Cartesian coordinate system, which is used to measure the displacement of the pointer assembly in a two-dimensional plane.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0024] This invention provides an expansion indicator. By creating a guide groove on the pointer sleeve and sliding it with a guide pin on the pointer assembly, a stable and reliable guide is provided for the reciprocating motion of the pointer assembly. This effectively avoids the jamming or shaking caused by improper clearance in traditional indicators, significantly improving the stability and accuracy of measurements. A positioning notch is created on the edge of the guide groove, allowing the operator to reliably suspend and lock the pointer assembly in a non-measuring position completely separated from the scale base through a simple "lift-rotate" operation. This not only fundamentally eliminates wear caused by accidental contact between the pointer head and the scale base during equipment downtime or maintenance, effectively extending the service life of the core components, but also greatly simplifies equipment calibration, cleaning, and other maintenance work. No complex disassembly is required, making operation extremely convenient and significantly improving equipment maintenance efficiency and overall reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is an isometric view of the expansion indicator.

[0027] Figure 2 This is the main view of the expansion indicator.

[0028] Figure 3 Side view of the expansion indicator.

[0029] Figure 4 Top view of the expansion indicator.

[0030] Reference numerals: 100, expansion indicator; 110, pointer sleeve; 111, guide groove; 112, positioning notch; 120, pointer assembly; 121, pointer rod; 122, handle; 123, pointer head; 124, ball bearing; 130, guide pin; 140, sleeve fixing assembly; 141, clamping block; 142, mounting bracket; 1421, bending part; 143, connecting block; 150, scale base. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The described embodiments should not be regarded as limitations on this utility model. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0032] In the following description, references to "some embodiments" refer to a subset of all possible embodiments; however, it is understood that "some embodiments" may be the same or different subsets of all possible embodiments and may be combined with each other without conflict. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the embodiments of this utility model have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments of this utility model belong. The terminology used in the embodiments of this utility model is for the purpose of describing the embodiments of this utility model only and is not intended to limit the utility model.

[0033] Those skilled in the art should understand that, in the following description of the embodiments of this utility model, the sequence of numbers does not imply the order of execution. Some or all steps may be executed in parallel or sequentially. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this utility model.

[0034] The terminology used in the embodiments of this utility model is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the utility model. The singular forms "a" and "the" as used in the embodiments of this utility model and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0036] This embodiment provides an expansion indicator 100, including:

[0037] A pointer sleeve 110, wherein a guide groove 111 extending axially is formed on the wall of the pointer sleeve 110; and

[0038] The pointer assembly 120 is movably sleeved inside the pointer sleeve 110; the pointer assembly 120 is provided with a guide pin 130 that slides with the guide groove 111;

[0039] The guide groove 111 has a positioning notch 112 communicating with it. The guide pin 130 can be selectively moved from the guide groove 111 into the positioning notch 112 by the axial lifting and radial rotation of the pointer assembly 120, so as to suspend and lock the pointer assembly 120 in the lifted position when it is not measuring.

[0040] Please refer to Figures 1-2. This embodiment provides an expansion indicator 100, which mainly includes a pointer sleeve 110, a pointer assembly 120, a sleeve fixing assembly 140, and a scale base 150.

[0041] The expansion indicator 100 of this embodiment has a core structure including a hollow pointer sleeve 110 and a pointer assembly 120 movably fitted inside it. The pointer sleeve 110 has a guide groove 111 extending axially along its wall, while the pointer assembly 120 has a guide pin 130 that slides into the guide groove 111. This structure provides stable and reliable guidance for the movement of the pointer assembly 120, effectively avoiding jamming or shaking problems caused by improper clearance fit in the prior art, and significantly improving the stability and accuracy of the measurement. Furthermore, the guide groove 111 has a positioning notch 112 communicating with it. The guide pin 130 can selectively move from the guide groove 111 into the positioning notch 112 through axial lifting and radial rotation of the pointer assembly 120, thereby suspending and locking the pointer assembly 120 in the lifted position when not measuring. This structure allows the operator to reliably suspend and lock the pointer assembly 120 in a non-measuring position completely separated from the scale base 150 through a simple "pull-rotate" compound operation. This structural design not only fundamentally eliminates accidental wear and tear on the equipment when it is not in operation, extending the service life of the core components, but also greatly simplifies maintenance work such as calibration and cleaning, making operation extremely convenient.

[0042] In some embodiments, the guide groove 111 is a vertical long groove that runs longitudinally through the wall of the pointer sleeve 110, and is used to restrict the pointer assembly 120 to move only in the axial direction during the measurement process.

[0043] In some embodiments, the positioning notch 112 is an L-shaped or J-shaped notch extending horizontally from the edge of the vertical long groove; when the guide pin 130 moves into the positioning notch 112, the pointer assembly 120 is supported by the horizontal groove edge of the positioning notch 112 under the action of gravity, so that the pointer assembly 120 is suspended and locked.

[0044] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the guide groove 111 is a long, vertical groove running longitudinally through the wall of the pointer sleeve 110. During measurement, the guide pin 130 slides up and down within this groove. This guiding mechanism ensures that the pointer assembly 120 can only move along its axial direction, avoiding unnecessary rotation or shaking, thus guaranteeing the uniqueness of the measurement direction and eliminating measurement errors caused by pointer rotation or shaking. The positioning notch 112 is an L-shaped or J-shaped notch extending horizontally from the upper edge of the vertical groove. When it is necessary to suspend and lock the pointer assembly 120, the operator lifts the guide pin 130 to the edge of the groove and rotates it into the positioning notch 112. Under its own weight, the pointer assembly 120's guide pin 130 is firmly supported by the horizontal edge of the positioning notch 112, thus achieving reliable suspension and locking. This mechanical self-locking method has a simple structure and reliable operation, achieving stable suspension of the pointer assembly 120 without any additional locking components.

[0045] In some embodiments, the pointer component 120 is a one-piece structure, and the pointer component 120 includes:

[0046] The pointer rod 121 is movably fitted inside the pointer sleeve 110;

[0047] The handle 122 is fixedly connected to the top of the pointer rod 121 to facilitate the operator to perform lifting and rotation operations;

[0048] The pointer head 123 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the pointer rod 121;

[0049] Furthermore, the guide pin 130 is fixedly connected to the pointer rod 121 and extends out in its radial direction.

[0050] In some embodiments, the pointer head 123 has a tapered structure, and a ball bearing 124 is rotatably mounted at the tip of the pointer head 123; the ball bearing 124 is used to form a rolling contact with the surface of the scale base 150.

[0051] As shown in the figure, the pointer assembly 120 is preferably an integral structure, comprising, from top to bottom: a handle 122, which is located at the top of the pointer assembly 120 for easy lifting and rotation by the operator; a pointer rod 121, which serves as the main body of the pointer assembly 120 and is movably fitted inside the pointer sleeve 110; and a pointer head 123, which is fixedly connected to the bottom of the pointer rod 121. A guide pin 130 is fixedly connected to the middle of the pointer rod 121 and extends radially to engage with the guide groove 111. Specifically, the pointer head 123 has a conical structure, and a ball bearing 124 is rotatably mounted at the tip of the conical structure. During measurement, this ball bearing 124 forms rolling contact with the surface of the scale base 150. This design replaces traditional sliding friction with rolling friction, changing the contact form from surface or line contact to point contact. This effectively prevents the surface of the scale base 150 from being scratched, ensuring that the scale is clear and readable for a long time, and also prevents the pointer tip 123 from becoming dull, thus maintaining high measurement accuracy and sensitivity throughout its entire service life.

[0052] In some embodiments, the expansion indicator 100 further includes a sleeve fixing assembly 140, which is provided with a clamping block 141 for clamping and locking the pointer sleeve 110.

[0053] In some embodiments, the sleeve fixing assembly 140 further includes a mounting bracket 142 and a connecting block 143, wherein the clamping block 141 is fastened to the mounting bracket 142 via the connecting block 143; the mounting bracket 142 is used to connect to an external device under test.

[0054] In some embodiments, the mounting bracket 142 includes a bending portion 1421, which is used to adapt to different installation positions and distances.

[0055] The expansion indicator 100 provided in this embodiment also includes a sleeve fixing assembly 140 for securely mounting the entire device onto the device under test. The sleeve fixing assembly 140 includes a clamping block 141 with clamping holes for clamping and locking the pointer sleeve 110, ensuring that the pointer sleeve 110 remains stationary during measurement. The sleeve fixing assembly 140 also includes a mounting bracket 142 and a connecting block 143. The clamping block 141 is securely connected to the mounting bracket 142 via the connecting block 143. The mounting bracket 142 is used for final connection and fixation to the expansion measuring point of the external device under test (such as the boiler body). To adapt to complex installation environments, the mounting bracket 142 also includes at least one bending portion 1421, whose curved geometry can flexibly adapt to different installation positions and distances. This modular fixing and mounting mechanism is robust, reliable in connection, and ensures the stability of the measurement reference; at the same time, the design of the bending portion 1421 gives the device good environmental adaptability, facilitating flexible installation in various complex industrial environments.

[0056] In some embodiments, the expansion indicator 100 further includes a scale base 150 disposed below the pointer assembly 120, the scale base 150 being used to read the displacement value of the pointer assembly 120.

[0057] In some embodiments, the surface of the scale base 150 is provided with mutually perpendicular and orthogonal horizontal scale lines and vertical scale lines, forming a Cartesian coordinate system for measuring the displacement of the pointer assembly 120 in a two-dimensional plane.

[0058] The expansion indicator 100 provided in this embodiment also includes a scale base 150, which is horizontally positioned below the pointer assembly 120. The operator obtains the displacement value by reading the position of the pointer head 123 on the scale base 150. To achieve two-dimensional measurement, the surface of the scale base 150 is provided with mutually perpendicular and orthogonal horizontal and vertical scale lines. These scale lines together form a Cartesian coordinate system, enabling the operator to accurately measure and record the displacement of the pointer assembly 120 in a two-dimensional plane. These scale lines together form an intuitive Cartesian coordinate system, allowing the operator to not only measure expansion in a single direction but also accurately measure and record the composite displacement of the device in a two-dimensional plane, thereby providing more comprehensive and detailed data support for device condition analysis.

[0059] The working process of this utility model is as follows: In the measurement state, the mounting bracket 142 is fixed on the equipment, the pointer assembly 120 moves with the expansion of the equipment, the guide pin 130 slides in the guide groove 111, and the ball 124 rolls on the scale base 150 to indicate the displacement. When maintenance is required or the equipment is stopped, the operator holds the handle 122, lifts it upward, and slightly rotates the pointer assembly 120 so that the guide pin 130 is engaged in the positioning notch 112, thereby suspending the pointer assembly 120. At this time, the pointer head 123 (ball 124) is completely separated from the surface of the scale base 150, which facilitates cleaning, calibration, and other work, while avoiding unnecessary wear.

[0060] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An expansion indicator, characterized in that, include: A pointer sleeve, wherein an axially extending guide groove is formed on the wall of the pointer sleeve; and A pointer assembly is movably fitted inside the pointer sleeve; the pointer assembly is provided with a guide pin that slides with the guide groove; The guide groove has a positioning notch that communicates with it. The guide pin can be selectively moved from the guide groove into the positioning notch by the axial lifting and radial rotation of the pointer assembly, so as to suspend and lock the pointer assembly in the lifted position when it is not measuring.

2. The expansion indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide groove is a vertical long groove that runs longitudinally through the wall of the pointer sleeve, and is used to restrict the pointer assembly to move only in the axial direction during the measurement process.

3. The expansion indicator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The positioning notch is an L-shaped or J-shaped notch extending horizontally from the edge of the vertical long groove; when the guide pin moves into the positioning notch, the pointer assembly is supported by the horizontal groove edge of the positioning notch under the action of gravity, so that the pointer assembly is suspended and locked.

4. The expansion indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pointer component is a one-piece structure, and the pointer component includes: The pointer rod is movably fitted inside the pointer sleeve; The handle is fixedly connected to the top of the pointer rod to facilitate the operator's lifting and rotation operations; The pointer head is fixedly connected to the bottom of the pointer rod; Furthermore, the guide pin is fixedly connected to the pointer rod and extends out in its radial direction.

5. The expansion indicator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The pointer head has a tapered structure, and a ball bearing is rotatably mounted at the tip of the pointer head; the ball bearing is used to form a rolling contact with the surface of the scale base.

6. The expansion indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The expansion indicator also includes a sleeve fixing assembly, which includes a clamping block for clamping and locking the pointer sleeve.

7. The expansion indicator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The sleeve fixing assembly further includes a mounting bracket and a connecting block, wherein the clamping block is fastened to the mounting bracket via the connecting block; the mounting bracket is used to connect to an external device under test.

8. The expansion indicator according to claim 7, characterized in that, The mounting bracket includes a bending portion, which is used to adapt to different installation positions and distances.

9. The expansion indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The expansion indicator also includes a scale base disposed below the pointer assembly, the scale base being used to read the displacement value of the pointer assembly.

10. The expansion indicator according to claim 9, characterized in that, The surface of the scale base is provided with mutually perpendicular and orthogonal horizontal and vertical scale lines, forming a Cartesian coordinate system, which is used to measure the displacement of the pointer assembly in a two-dimensional plane.

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