Lockable latch

Abstract

To provide a device which can lock a position of a valve, and can make a grip non-removable from the valve at the locked position.SOLUTION: A device for locking a turning grip of a valve, preferably, a rotary valve, more suitably, in particular, a ball valve or a butterfly valve comprises: the grip for operating a block mechanism of the valve; a lock ring which can be arranged at a valve housing support body for an operation device so as to be relatively non-turnable; and an adapter which can be arranged positionally fixably and separatably at a drive pin of the block mechanism. The adapter and the grip are re-separably connected to each other, the grip is arranged with a non-turnable slide ring which is movable in an axial line direction, the slide ring is movable to a locked position or an open position in the axial line direction, a turning motion of the grip is locked at the locked position of the slide ring, and the grip become non-removable from the valve depending on a position of the slide ring at the locked position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for locking the rotating grip of a valve, preferably a rotary valve, particularly preferably a ball valve or a butterfly valve, comprising a grip for operating the shut-off mechanism of the valve, a locking ring that can be arranged non-rotatably relative to the valve housing support for the operating device, and an adapter that can be positioned and detachably arranged on the drive pin of the shut-off mechanism, wherein the adapter and the grip are detachably coupled to each other.

Background Art

[0002] Rotary valves, particularly butterfly valves, usually have a lever consisting of two parts. This lever tilts from the locking teeth during operation, thereby enabling the flap to be rotated within the housing. Thereafter, when the lever is no longer operated, the teeth provided on the lever mesh again with the teeth provided on the housing or a rigid disk, thereby locking the butterfly valve in this position. Such levers are generally suitable for large butterfly valves and cannot be used for small, compact valves. Furthermore, such levers are generally rigidly coupled to the rotation axis of the flap.

[0003] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0261280 discloses a ball valve comprising a grip and an additionally attachable locking element. The locking element can be attached at any arbitrary position of the ball valve and prevents a change in the opening degree of the valve. In this case, in addition to the additional effort required to attach the locking element, the locking element is also formed as a separate element and thus tends to be lost, which is also a drawback. Furthermore, due to the absence of the locking mechanism, the lever itself may also be lost.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to propose a device that can lock the position of a valve, and in the locked position, the grip cannot be removed from the valve. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This problem is solved by the present invention, which provides a non-rotatable slide ring on the grip that is movable axially relative to the grip, the slide ring being movable axially to an obstructed position or an open position, and locking the rotational movement of the grip in the obstructed position, and the position of the slide ring in the obstructed position makes it impossible to remove the grip from the valve.

[0006] The apparatus according to the present invention for locking a valve's rotating grip is preferably related to a rotary valve. This includes a valve having a rotatable shut-off mechanism, which is operated via a pivot shaft, typically rotatable 90 to 180 degrees, and which pivot shaft is usually positioned perpendicular to or slightly inclined with respect to the flow direction. Suitable valves in which the apparatus according to the present invention for locking a rotating grip is used include ball valves or butterfly valves. The apparatus according to the present invention for locking a rotating grip is provided with a grip for operating the valve's shut-off mechanism. This grip preferably has a neck and a grip body. Furthermore, the apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a locking ring, which can be positioned relative to a valve housing support for the operating device in a non-rotatable manner. The locking ring is preferably positioned in a shape-connective manner on the housing support. Furthermore, it is advantageous that the locking ring is coded (kodiert), so that the locking ring can be attached to the housing in only one position. The apparatus according to the present invention is further provided with an adapter, which is used for extending a pin and is formed to be positioned on the drive pin of the shut-off mechanism. The adapter is positioned on the drive pin in a position-fixed and re-detachable manner. The drive pin of the shut-off mechanism may, of course, be formed by the end of a consistently extending pivot shaft. The grip and adapter are also re-detachably coupled. Preferably, the adapter and grip are coupled to each other in a tool-free re-detachable manner. To achieve the function of locking in the locked position and the function of a non-removable grip, the device according to the present invention has a slide ring, which is positioned on the grip, preferably on the neck of the grip. The slide ring is movable axially along the grip, parallel to the pivot shaft of the valve, between a blocked position and an open position. In the blocked position, the slide ring obstructs the grip, so the slide ring is no longer rotatable, thereby locking the position of the shut-off mechanism. Furthermore, in this position of the slide ring, the grip cannot be removed from the valve or pulled off axially along the pivot shaft.

[0007] Preferably, in the inhibited position of the slide ring, the teeth of the slide ring mesh with the teeth of the locking ring, and the teeth of the slide ring mesh with each other, ensuring that the rotational movement of the grip is locked. When the slide ring moves to the open position, the teeth of the slide ring and the teeth of the locking ring are no longer meshed with each other, and the grip becomes rotatable again.

[0008] It was found that a preferred embodiment is when the teeth of the slide ring are arranged in the region of the slide ring facing the locking ring, and the slide ring engages with the teeth of the locking ring in the obstructing position. Because the teeth are arranged in at least the region below the slide ring, and the teeth of the locking ring have a small width, only a few strokes are required to disengage the slide ring from the teeth of the locking ring.

[0009] In one preferred embodiment, the adapter has a positioning element that removably positions the adapter on the drive pin. The adapter is removably positioned on the valve's drive pin and is fixed in position both axially and radially. In this case, for radial positioning, preferably, a shape connection is present between the adapter and the drive pin. For axial positioning, an elastically formed positioning element is used. The positioning element is positioned on the adapter and engages with a notch provided on the drive pin when fitted onto the drive pin, thereby removably positioning the adapter.

[0010] It is advantageous for the grip to have a positioning element that repositions the grip to the adapter in a detachable manner. The positioning element provided on the grip is elastically formed and engages with a notch or recess when the grip is fitted onto the adapter, thereby fixing the grip in an axial position. Preferably, the pin of the adapter and the housing of the grip into which the pin is pressed have a shape connection, thereby fixing the pin of the adapter and the housing of the grip to each other in a radial direction.

[0011] Preferably, the fixed-position element is locked by a sliding ring at the obstructing position so that the grip cannot be removed from the valve. The position of the sliding ring at the obstructing position obstructs the fixed-position element, and it can no longer be elastically deformed because the fixed-position element is obstructed by the sliding ring. For this reason, it is advantageous to have a support tongue on the sliding ring. This support tongue is positioned concentrically with respect to the fixed-position element and offset outward, thereby obstructing the flexibility of the fixed-position element.

[0012] It has been found to be advantageous for the position-retaining element to be formed as a snap-fitting portion. This allows for elastic snap-fitting into a notch or recess and enables the connection to be released again. Here, when the slide ring is in an obstructing position, the possibility of snapping or elastic outward pivoting of the position-retaining element is suppressed. Preferably, the position-retaining element is obstructed by a support tongue provided on the slide ring.

[0013] Preferably, the teeth are arranged on the inner diameter of the slide ring and the outer diameter of the locking ring. It has also been found to be advantageous if the teeth on the locking ring extend over at least one-quarter of the entire circumference of the locking ring, and the teeth on the slide ring are formed by at least one tooth. The opposite configuration is also conceivable.

[0014] It was found that a further advantageous embodiment is when multiple teeth are arranged in the inner diameter of the slide ring, preferably at regular intervals.

[0015] It is advantageous if the locking ring has markings to indicate the degree of valve opening.

[0016] Preferably, the slide ring is moved axially downward in the obstructed position and axially upward in the open position. That is, the slide ring is positioned downward in the obstructed position and upward at the neck of the grip in the open position.

[0017] It is advantageous that the slide ring is formed to be able to close in the obstructed position. This ensures that the slide ring cannot be operated by an unauthorized person. To this end, it is advantageous that the slide ring has an eyelet or some kind of hook for attaching a safety lock to the slide ring, which makes it impossible to move the slide ring to the open position.

[0018] Preferably, the grip, adapter, locking ring, and slide ring, which are elements of the apparatus according to the present invention, are all re-separable from one another by simple interlocking and are re-separable from the valve. No other mounting elements are required.

[0019] All possible configurations can be freely combined with one another.

[0020] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] This is a three-dimensional diagram of a valve equipped with the device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an exploded view of the apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 3]This is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus according to the present invention at the inhibition position. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus according to the present invention in the open position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a ball valve equipped with a device 1 according to the present invention for locking the rotation grip of the valve 2, or a shut-off mechanism for the valve 2. Device 1 according to the present invention is equipped with a grip 3 for operating the shut-off mechanism. Furthermore, device 1 according to the present invention has a locking ring 4 that is geometrically connected to the valve housing 5. This locking ring 4 is located on a valve housing support 6 used to house the operating device. The locking ring 4 is attached simply by slip-on, and no separate mounting means are required. The locking ring 4 has an indicator. This allows the locking ring 4 to be assembled in only one position. Furthermore, device 1 according to the present invention is equipped with an adapter 7, which is clearly visible in Figures 3 and 4. This adapter 7 is located on the drive pin 8 of the valve 2. A geometric connection is used for radial position fixing between the adapter 7 and the drive pin 8. That is, the drive pin 8 is geometrically connected to a recess 9 provided in the adapter 7. A position fixing element 10 is used for axial position fixing that is re-separable. The position-fixing element 10 is preferably formed as a snap-fit. Figure 4 clearly shows how the position-fixing element 10 protrudes into the notch 11 provided in the drive pin 8. This is also clearly visible in Figures 3 and 4. The grip 3 is also detachably connected to the adapter 7 by the same position-fixing element 12. Here again, a snap-fit ​​is preferably achieved. Figure 3 clearly shows the slide ring 13 shown in the obstruction position, which is included in the device 1 according to the present invention. This slide ring 13 is located on the grip 3 and is movable in the axial direction. The slide ring 13 is located on the neck 14 of the grip 3 and can be moved from below in the obstruction position to the open position located above, as seen in Figure 4. The device 1 according to the present invention, comprising the grip 3, adapter 7, locking ring 4 and slide ring 13 as elements, is all connected to each other by simple fitting and attached to the valve 2. No further mounting elements are required. In the obstruction position, the teeth 16 of the slide ring 13 engage with the teeth 15 of the locking ring 4.This inhibits the rotational movement of the grip 3 or locks the position of the valve 2 and the shut-off mechanism of the valve 2. Further, the sliding ring 13 inhibits the position fixing elements 10, 12. This becomes clearly evident from FIG. 3. The position fixing elements 10, 12 can no longer be elastically deformed or moved for a short time by the support tongue 17 that inhibits the degrees of freedom of movement of these position fixing elements 10, 12. As a result, the grip 3 and the adapter 7 cannot be removed from the valve 2. Thus, the snap connection is inhibited by the sliding ring 13.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a tooth row 15 provided on the locking ring 4. This tooth row 15 surrounds at least 1 / 4 of the entire circumference of the locking ring 4, and preferably surrounds the entire circumference. In FIG. 2, a tooth row 16 provided on the inner diameter portion of the sliding ring 13 can be recognized. This tooth row 16 has at least one tooth, and is preferably formed of a plurality of regularly spaced teeth.

[0024] Preferably, the locking ring 4 has a scale 18 indicating the degree of the opening of the valve 2.

[0025] In FIG. 3, it is preferably recognized that the sliding ring has a tongue or eyelet 19, or the tongue provided on the sliding ring 13 forms an eyelet together with the grip 3, whereby a safety lock is provided here. As a result, at the inhibited position, it is ensured that an unauthorized person cannot move the sliding ring 13 to the open position, adjust the valve 2, or remove the grip 3 from the valve 2.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0026] 1 Device 2 Valve 3 Grip 4 Locking ring 5 Valve housing 6 Valve housing support 7 Adapter 8 drive pins 9 recesses 10 Position fixing elements 11 Notches 12 Position fixing elements 13 Slide ring 14 neck 15. Teeth of the locking ring 16. Slide rings on the dentition 17 Support tongue piece 18 divisions 19 Tongue / Eyelet

Claims

1. A device (1) for locking the rotating grip of a valve (2), preferably a rotary valve, and more preferably a ball valve or butterfly valve, comprising: a grip (3) for operating the shut-off mechanism of the valve (2); a locking ring (4) that can be positioned so as not to rotate relative to a valve housing support (6) for the operating device; and an adapter (7) that can be positioned and re-separable on a drive pin (8) of the shut-off mechanism, wherein the adapter (7) and the grip (3) are re-separable from each other, in the device (1), The device (1) is characterized in that a non-rotatable slide ring (13) that is movable in the axial direction is disposed on the grip (3), the slide ring (13) is movable in the axial direction to an obstructed position or an open position, the rotational movement of the grip (3) is locked in the obstructed position of the slide ring (13), and the grip (3) cannot be removed from the valve (2) depending on the position of the slide ring (13) in the obstructed position.

2. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, at the obstructing position of the slide ring (13), the teeth (16) provided on the slide ring (13) mesh with the teeth (15) provided on the locking ring (4), and the teeth (15, 16) together ensure the locking of the rotational movement of the grip (3).

3. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the teeth (16) provided on the slide ring (13) are arranged in a region of the slide ring (13) facing the locking ring (4), and the slide ring (13) engages with the teeth (15) provided on the locking ring (4) in the obstructing position to lock the grip.

4. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the adapter (7) has a position fixing element (10) that fixes the adapter (7) in a position so as to be re-detachable from the drive pin (8).

5. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the grip (3) has a position fixing element (12) that fixes the grip (3) in a position so as to be re-detachable from the adapter (7).

6. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the position fixing elements (10, 12) are locked by the slide ring (13) in the obstructing position so that the grip (3) cannot be removed from the valve (2).

7. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the position fixing elements (10, 12) are formed as snap joints.

8. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the tooth row (16) is arranged in the inner diameter portion of the slide ring (13), and the tooth row (15) is arranged in the outer diameter portion of the locking ring (4).

9. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking ring (4) is provided with a scale (18) for determining the degree of opening of the valve (2).

10. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the slide ring (13) is moved downward in the axial direction in the obstruction position and upward in the axial direction in the open position.

11. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the slide ring (13) is formed to be closable.

Images