Pressure reducing valve

Abstract

To provide a pressure reducing valve capable of preventing a pressure reducing mechanism from being loosened relative to a base.SOLUTION: A pressure reducing valve 1 includes: a base unit 2 having an inlet 21 and an outlet 22 for a fluid and partitioned into an inside and an outside by a partition wall 23; and a pressure reducing mechanism 3 that is detachably provided on the base unit 2 and reduces the pressure of the fluid passing through the base unit 2 when the pressure is higher than a set pressure. The base unit 2 has a plug portion 25 attached so as to close a through hole 231 provided so as to penetrate the partition wall 23, and the plug portion 25 is configured to extend in a direction intersecting a direction of removing the pressure reducing mechanism 3 from the base unit 2 while preventing leakage of fluid from the through hole 231 in the partition wall 23, and to engage with the pressure reducing mechanism 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure reducing valve that is provided in a fluid path such as a water pipe and is capable of reducing the pressure of the fluid. [Background technology]

[0002] In some pressure reducing valves, the pressure reducing mechanism part incorporating a mechanism for reducing the pressure of the fluid is detachable from the base part connected to the primary and secondary fluid piping (for example, as described in Patent Document 1). In this configuration, the base part, which is relatively resistant to deterioration, is continuously used, and since it incorporates moving mechanisms such as the diaphragm, valve body, and spring, it is possible to replace only the pressure reducing mechanism part, which often experiences a deterioration in function due to aging, etc., and this is more advantageous than an entirely integrated configuration.

[0003] Here, it is conceivable that the pressure reducing mechanism may be removed from the base or loosened with respect to the base due to tampering or accidental operation, etc. In this case, the fluid may leak to the outside, so there is room for improvement in the structure of the pressure reducing valve. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-205425 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a pressure reducing valve that can prevent a pressure reducing mechanism from being loosened relative to a base. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a pressure reducing valve comprising a base having an inlet and an outlet for a fluid, the inside and outside of which are separated by a partition wall, and a pressure reducing mechanism section which is detachably attached to the base and reduces the pressure of the fluid passing through the base when the pressure is higher than a set pressure, wherein the base has a plug section which is attached to block a through hole which penetrates the partition wall, and the plug section extends in a direction intersecting a direction in which the pressure reducing mechanism section is removed from the base while preventing fluid from leaking from the through hole through the partition wall, and is configured to engage with the pressure reducing mechanism section.

[0007] According to the above-described configuration, the stopper portion is attached to the base portion, so that the pressure reducing mechanism portion is prevented from moving in a direction away from the base portion.

[0008] The plug portion can be moved outward from the partition wall, and the through hole can be made to be in a state in which fluid can pass through it when in the moved state.

[0009] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the through hole can be used, for example, for draining water or for attaching a pressure gauge.

[0010] In addition, the base and the pressure reduction mechanism part can be configured to be screwed together by a combination of female and male threads formed at the respective connection points with their respective counterparts, and the plug part can be configured to extend in a direction intersecting the direction of movement during the screw connection.

[0011] According to the above-described configuration, by simply providing the plug portion at one location, it is possible to prevent movement during screw connection, so that it is possible to effectively prevent the pressure reducing mechanism portion from being loosened relative to the base portion.

[0012] The plug portion may be a screw member that is fixed to the partition wall by being screwed into the through hole.

[0013] According to the above-mentioned configuration, general-purpose screw members (screws, etc.) can be used, which is advantageous in terms of cost. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, the plug prevents the pressure reducing mechanism from moving in a direction that causes the pressure reducing mechanism to separate from the base, thereby making it possible to prevent the pressure reducing mechanism from being loosened relative to the base. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a pressure reducing valve according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the pressure reducing valve as viewed in the direction of fluid flow at the base. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] First, an embodiment of the pressure reducing valve 1 according to the present invention will be described. For convenience, the directions in the following description are expressed in the illustrated directions, but the pressure reducing valve 1 of this embodiment can be used, for example, lying on its side or in an oblique direction at 90 degrees from the illustrated direction, so the directions can change depending on the installation situation. Therefore, the directions are not limited to those in the following description.

[0017] The pressure reducing valve 1 is installed, for example, in a pipe shaft of an apartment building or the like, and is used to supply tap water at an appropriate pressure to each unit. The pressure reducing valve 1 of this embodiment is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and mainly comprises a base 2 and a pressure reducing mechanism 3. The basic configuration of the pressure reducing valve 1 of this embodiment is similar to that of a conventional valve (for example, the valve described in Patent Document 1). Therefore, the basic configuration of the pressure reducing valve 1 will be described only briefly.

[0018] The base 2 has an inlet 21 and an outlet 22 for a fluid such as tap water, and is partitioned into an inside and an outside by a partition 23, through which the fluid flows. The inlet 21 and the outlet 22 are formed with piping threads or the like so that fluid piping (such as a water pipe) can be connected. The base 2 is also provided with a cylindrical portion 24 that opens upward. A female thread 241 is formed around the entire inner circumference near the upper end of the cylindrical portion 24.

[0019] The pressure reducing mechanism 3 is detachably provided on the base 2, and reduces the pressure of the fluid passing through the base 2 when the pressure is higher than the set pressure. The pressure reducing mechanism 3 is arranged so that a part of it enters the internal space of the base 2 when it is attached. In order to attach it to the base 2, a male screw 31 that can be screwed into the female screw 241 of the base 2 is formed on the entire circumference. In the part of the pressure reducing mechanism 3 that enters the base 2, a plurality of inlets 32 that open in the radial direction are formed. In this embodiment, four substantially rectangular inlets 32 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The fluid from the primary side passes from the outside to the inside of the inlet 32, and the fluid can flow up and down in the pressure reducing mechanism 3. A flow path (not shown) is connected above the inlet 32, and this flow path faces a pressure reducing implementation part (not shown) equipped with a spring-supported diaphragm. The pressure reduction section is provided with a valve element 33 provided below a diaphragm or the like, and is equipped with the valve element 33 exposed to the internal space of the base 2 through which the fluid passes from the primary side to the secondary side. When the diaphragm rises, the valve element 33 also rises in conjunction, and the flow path located above this valve element 33 (i.e., the cross-sectional area through which the fluid passes inside the base 2) can be narrowed according to the fluid pressure on the primary side.

[0020] When the pressure of the fluid on the primary side is such that no pressure reduction is required (below the set pressure), all of the fluid that passes through the inlet 32 ​​flows downward toward the secondary side. On the other hand, when the pressure of the fluid on the primary side is high, part of the fluid that passes through the inlet 32 ​​flows upward and reaches the pressure reduction implementation section (specifically, the underside of the diaphragm). In the pressure reduction implementation section, the diaphragm rises according to the balance between the fluid pressure and the biasing force of the spring. This causes the valve body 33 to rise compared to the case of the set pressure, and the pressure loss inside the pressure reduction mechanism section 3 increases. As a result, the pressure of the fluid flowing on the secondary side is reduced.

[0021] In the pressure reducing mechanism 3, below the inlet 32, a flange 34 is formed with a diameter dimension enlarged compared to the portion in the vertical position where the inlet 32 ​​is formed. The flange 34 is provided on the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. Moreover, the projection dimension from the base end of the flange 34 is constant over the entire circumference. This flange 34 separates the primary side from the secondary side when the pressure reducing mechanism 3 is attached to the base 2. Since the shape of the tip part of the flange 34 is a right-angled triangle, the contact surface between the flange 34 and the base 2 is an inclined surface. Moreover, the upper surface of the flange 34 is a horizontal surface. And, an O-ring 35 made of soft resin (rubber, etc.) is provided below the flange 34, and the fluid is prevented from flowing around the flange 34. Therefore, a fluid path through the radial position of the pressure reducing mechanism 3 where pressure reduction is performed is secured.

[0022] In this embodiment, the base 2 and the pressure reducing mechanism 3 are configured to be screwed together by a combination of a female screw 241 and a male screw 31 formed at the respective connection points. The pressure reducing mechanism 3 can be screwed together and released from the base 2 by rotating the entire pressure reducing mechanism 3 around an axis in the vertical direction. In order to prevent fluid from leaking from the threaded portion for screwing (between the female screw 241 and the male screw 31), an O-ring 36 made of soft resin (e.g., rubber) is provided at the contact portion between the base 2 and the pressure reducing mechanism 3. At the joint between the base 2 and the pressure reducing mechanism 3, the O-rings 35 and 36, which are sealing members provided on the pressure reducing mechanism 3, provide sealing properties by tightening the pressure reducing mechanism 3 by hand without using tools to an installation position required for sealing. On the other hand, the base 2 and the pressure reducing mechanism 3 are prevented from coming off by fixing them with a stopper 25 (described later) such as a screw provided on the side of the base 2. This allows the base 2 and the pressure reducing mechanism 3 to be joined together (for example, assembly and maintenance) with only manual tightening force. The sealing members (O-rings 35, 36) may be provided in the base 2 instead of in the pressure reducing mechanism 3.

[0023] The base 2 has a plug portion 25 attached to the partition wall 23. As a portion to which the plug portion 25 is attached, the base 2 is provided with a through hole 231 penetrating the partition wall 23 (see FIG. 2). The plug portion 25 extends in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the pressure reducing mechanism unit 3 is removed from the base 2 (up and down direction) while preventing leakage of fluid from the through hole 231 of the partition wall 23. The plug portion 25 can be moved outward (diametrically outward) from the partition wall 23, more specifically, can be removed from the partition wall 23. The plug portion 25 of this embodiment is a screw member that is fixed to the partition wall 23 by being screwed into the through hole 231. For this reason, the through hole 231 is formed with a thread (female thread) into which a screw member can be screwed. As the screw member, for example, a general-purpose metal screw having a shaft portion with a full thread and a tool engagement portion such as a Phillips groove on the head (see FIG. 1) can be used. Since a general-purpose product can be used, it is advantageous in terms of cost. In this screw member (screw, etc.), the direction in which the shaft extends (axial direction) is along the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 24 in the base 2, and this direction is perpendicular to the direction in which the pressure reducing mechanism portion 3 is removed from the base 2 (up and down direction). In addition, an O-ring 26 made of soft resin (rubber, etc.) is provided between the shaft portion and the head, so that even if the fluid runs down the threads, the fluid does not leak out of the base 2. In addition, the portion of the outer circumferential surface of the partition wall 23 that contacts the head of the plug portion 25 (screw member) is made flat. Note that instead of the O-ring 26, a plastic washer or a flat rubber packing may be provided.

[0024] The plug portion 25 is configured to engage with the pressure reducing mechanism 3 when attached to the partition wall 23. In this embodiment, the tip of the plug portion 25 is located above the flange portion 34 of the pressure reducing mechanism 3 (corresponding to the direction in which the pressure reducing mechanism 3 is removed from the base 2), and there is a slight clearance between the tip (thread) and the upper surface of the flange portion 34 (to accommodate dimensional errors). That is, the tip is located radially inward from the outer circumferential edge of the flange portion 34. Due to the positional relationship between the plug portion 25 and the flange portion 34, the plug portion 25 is attached to the base 2, and the pressure reducing mechanism 3 is prevented from moving in the direction in which it is removed from the base 2 by the plug portion 25 being caught by the flange portion 34 due to abutment. And, by preventing the pressure reducing mechanism 3 from moving in the direction in which it is removed from the base 2, it is possible to suppress the pressure reducing mechanism 3 from being loosened from the base 2. Therefore, the pressure reducing mechanism part 3 cannot be loosened from the base part 2 unless the plug part 25 is moved outward from the base part 2, for example by loosening the plug part 25 from the through hole 231. This makes it possible to prevent the pressure reducing mechanism part 3 from being easily loosened from the base part 2 due to tampering or the like. Moreover, when disassembly of the pressure reducing valve 1 is necessary, disassembly is possible simply by loosening the plug part 25 from the through hole 231, and therefore the maintainability of the pressure reducing valve 1 is also good.

[0025] Since the plug portion 25 is movable (removable) from the partition wall 23, when the plug portion 25 is moved outward (removed) from the partition wall 23, the space formed by the displacement of the plug portion 25 becomes a flow path connecting the inside and outside of the partition wall 23 of the base 2. Since a flow path is thus created by moving the plug portion 25 from the partition wall 23, the through hole 231 can be used, for example, to drain water from inside the pressure reducing valve 1 or to attach a measuring device such as a pressure gauge that is used temporarily.

[0026] A specific example of draining water will be described. During maintenance of the pressure reducing valve 1, the valve provided on the primary side of the pressure reducing valve 1 is closed before disassembly. When the valve is closed, the water pressure sealed inside the pressure reducing valve 1 remains, and if the pressure reducing mechanism 3 is suddenly loosened (because the opening area through which the fluid passes is large), water may suddenly gush out and cause flooding of the surrounding area. As a countermeasure against this phenomenon, first, the plug 25 is loosened, so that the opening area through which the fluid passes is relatively small, and water can be gradually drained from inside the pressure reducing valve 1. For example, by placing a cloth rag there, it is easy to prevent the surrounding area from getting wet, which improves workability during maintenance.

[0027] Furthermore, the plug portion 25 extends in a direction intersecting (in the present embodiment, perpendicular) the direction of movement when the base 2 and the pressure reduction mechanism portion 3 are screwed together. For this reason, for example, it is not necessary to sandwich the pressure reduction mechanism portion 3 from both radial sides, and by simply providing the plug portion 25 at one location on one radial side, it is possible to prevent movement when the pressure reduction mechanism portion 3 is screwed together (specifically, circumferential movement that releases the screw connection between the cylindrical portion 24 in the base 2 and the pressure reduction mechanism portion 3), and therefore it is possible to effectively prevent the pressure reduction mechanism portion 3 from being loosened from the base 2.

[0028] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0029] For example, in the present embodiment, the fluid passed through the pressure reducing valve 1 is tap water, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be any of a variety of liquids.

[0030] In the above embodiment, the base 2 and the pressure reduction mechanism 3 are configured to be screwed together. However, this is not limited thereto, and the pressure reduction mechanism 3 may be configured not to come off from the base 2 by fitting them together or by using a clamp or the like. Even in the case of screw connection, instead of providing a thread on the base 2 and the pressure reduction mechanism 3, a separate screw member (such as a screw) may be attached across the base 2 and the pressure reduction mechanism 3. In this particular case, the screw member for connecting the base 2 and the pressure reduction mechanism 3 may also serve as the stopper 25.

[0031] In addition, the plug portion 25 is a screw member (screw, etc.) in the above embodiment. However, it is not limited to this, and it may be a wedge-shaped member (a member without a thread). In addition, in the case of a screw member, it may be a bolt instead of a screw. In addition, the material of the screw member may be resin or ceramic other than metal. In addition, the thread of the shaft portion may not be a full thread, but may be provided only in a portion that coincides with the portion of the through hole 231 where the thread is provided. In addition, the plug portion 25 may be prevented from loosening by installing a biasing means such as a spring. In addition, in order to prevent leakage of the fluid from the through hole 231, the O-ring 26 is used in the above embodiment, but it is not limited to this, and various packings and gaskets can be used. In addition, when the screw member is made of resin and the screw member itself can prevent leakage of the fluid, it is not necessary to provide a separate part (O-ring 26, etc.) for preventing leakage of the fluid.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the tip of the plug 25 is always in contact with the upper surface of the flange 34 of the pressure reducing mechanism 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the tip may be configured to be separated from the upper surface of the flange 34 and to come into contact with the upper surface when the pressure reducing mechanism 3 is loosened from the base 2 to a certain extent. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 Pressure reducing valve 2 base 3 Pressure reducing mechanism 21 Entrance 22 Exit 23 Bulkhead 231 Through hole 24 Cylindrical section 241 Female thread 25 Plug part 31 Male thread 32 Inlet 33 Valve body 34 Flange

Claims

1. A base having an inlet and an outlet for a fluid and having an inside and an outside separated by a partition; a pressure reducing mechanism that is detachably provided on the base and reduces the pressure of the fluid passing through the base when the pressure is higher than a set pressure, the base portion has a plug portion attached so as to close a through hole provided to penetrate the partition wall, The plug portion is configured to extend in a direction intersecting the direction in which the pressure reducing mechanism portion is removed from the base portion while preventing fluid from leaking from the through hole of the partition, and to engage with the pressure reducing mechanism portion.

2. The plug portion is movable outwardly from the partition, The pressure reducing valve according to claim 1 , wherein the through hole is in the moved state and allows a fluid to pass through the through hole.

3. The base and the pressure reducing mechanism are configured to be screw-connected to each other by a combination of a female screw and a male screw formed at a connection portion of each of the base and the pressure reducing mechanism, The pressure reducing valve according to claim 1 , wherein the plug portion extends in a direction intersecting a direction of movement during the screw connection.

4. The pressure reducing valve according to claim 1 , wherein the plug portion is a screw member that is screwed into the through hole and fixed to the partition wall.

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