Interior state viewing device

Abstract

To provide an interior state viewing device which enables a user to determine whether a fluid passing through the interior is a gas or a liquid easily.SOLUTION: A fluid flowing from an inlet 31 of a sight glass 1 flows out from an outlet 34 along an arrow 91 direction, and thus the fluid causes a ball 9 disposed in a floating space 7 to float. A user can check a state of flow of the fluid by viewing floating of the ball 9 from a center opening 55 of a body lid 5 through a glass 2. An annular irregular pattern 20 is formed on a lower surface 2b of the glass 2 by frosted glass processing. When the fluid in the floating space 7 is steam, the irregular pattern 20 appears in a manner that the user can view. On the other hand, when the floating space 7 is filled with drainage, and the drain penetrates into recesses of the irregular pattern 20, irregular reflection of light is inhibited and the irregular pattern 20 is rarely viewed from an upper part of the glass 2 to allow a user to determine that the fluid is drainage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The internal state visual recognition device according to the present application relates to the configuration of an internal state visual recognition device capable of visually recognizing the state of a gas or liquid passing through the inside from the outside.

Background Art

[0002] Industrial plants may have piping systems installed, and such piping systems transfer steam generated by a boiler to devices at various locations within the industrial plant. The steam in the piping condenses as it transfers heat and as the steam is used in various devices, generating drain (condensed water).

[0003] Such drain generated within the piping hinders steam transfer, and thus is automatically drained by a steam trap installed in the piping system. However, the drainage of the drain may be delayed due to malfunction of the steam trap or the like, and it is necessary to appropriately check for the retention of the drain. Also, as part of the management of the piping system, it may be necessary to check the flow state of the fluid (steam or drain) within the piping.

[0004] For this reason, a sight glass is connected and provided in the piping as an internal state visual recognition device. The sight glass visually recognizes the inside of the piping through the glass surface and is used for checking the operation of the steam trap and other operating states of the piping system.

[0005] As such a sight glass, there is an internally visible valve disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. Steam or drain flows in from an inlet 14 formed in a valve housing 1 of this internally visible valve. Then, the inflowing steam or drain lifts a ball valve element 11 from a valve seat 13 and flows out from a valve hole 12 to an outlet 15. When checking such a flow of steam or drain, the outer cylinder 6 is rotated to align a window hole 5 with a window hole 3 of an inner cylinder 4. Then, the floating of the ball valve element 11 is confirmed through the window hole 5 and the window hole 3, and the flow of steam or drain is checked.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, the technique disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 has a problem that it is impossible to easily determine whether the fluid passing through the inside is steam or drain. That is, by visually observing the floating of the spherical valve element 11 through the window hole 5 of the outer cylinder 6 and the window hole 3 of the inner cylinder 4, it is possible to confirm that the fluid is flowing. However, especially when the inside is filled with drain, it is not easy to determine whether the floating of the spherical valve element 11 is due to the flow of steam or the flow of drain.

[0008] Therefore, the internal state visual recognition device according to the present application aims to provide an internal state visual recognition device that can easily determine whether the fluid passing through the inside is steam or condensed water (drain) in order to solve these problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The internal state visual recognition device according to the present application a main body through which steam or condensed water of steam as a fluid passes inside, a glass part provided so that the inside can be visually recognized from the outside of the main body part, a concavo-convex display formed on the glass surface located on the inner side of the glass part, and is characterized by comprising

Effects of the Invention

[0010] In the internal state visual recognition device according to the present application, a concavo-convex display is formed on the glass surface located on the inner side of the glass part. Here, the refractive index of the condensed water for light is closer to the refractive index of the glass material constituting the glass part than the refractive index of the steam for light.

[0011] Therefore, when steam is passing through the inside of the main body, diffuse reflection of light occurs due to the uneven display formed on the glass part, and the uneven display can be visually recognized from the outside. On the other hand, when condensed water is passing through the inside of the main body and the condensed water has entered the concave part of the uneven display, the refraction of light in the uneven display is suppressed and the diffuse reflection is suppressed, making it more difficult to visually recognize the uneven display from the outside.

[0012] Therefore, it is possible to easily determine whether the fluid passing through the inside of the main body is steam or condensed water according to the degree of visibility of the uneven display formed on the glass part.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] [Term Explanation in the Embodiment] The main terms shown in the embodiment respectively correspond to the following elements of the internal state visual recognition device according to the present application.

[0015] Sight glass 1... Internal state visual recognition device Glass 2... Glass part Body 3 and body lid 5... Main body Ball 9... Spherical floating body Uneven pattern 20... Uneven display Steam, drain... Fluids

[0016] [First Embodiment] The first embodiment of the internal state visual recognition device according to the present application will be described. In this embodiment, the sight glass 1 is taken as an example of the internal state visual recognition device. The sight glass 1 is connected to a piping system for steam transfer installed in an industrial plant, etc., and is used to visually check the state of the fluid (steam or drain) passing through the pipe.

[0017] At the lower part of the body 3 of the sight glass 1, an inlet 31 and an outlet 34 to which pipes are respectively connected are formed coaxially. And the upper part of the body 3 is open in a circular shape, and the recessed part from this opening is configured as the floating space 7. This floating space 7 has a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0018] An inflow passage 32 is formed in the body 3, and the inlet 31 and the floating space 7 communicate with each other through this inflow passage 32. Also, an outflow passage 33 is formed in the body 3, and the floating space 7 and the outlet 34 communicate with each other through this outflow passage 33. That is, the steam or drain flowing in from the inlet 31 flows through the sight glass 1 along the flow path indicated by the arrow 91 direction and flows out from the outlet 34.

[0019] In the floating space 7, a ball 9 having a hollow spherical shape is disposed so as to be freely floating. Normally, the ball 9 is seated on the annular support seat 36 formed at the upper opening of the inflow passage 32 by its own weight. Note that a tapered surface whose inner diameter gradually increases upward is formed around the upper opening of the inflow passage 32, and the outer peripheral curved surface of the ball 9 abuts against this tapered surface so that the ball 9 can be surely seated on the support seat 36.

[0020] And on the upper part of the body 3, a body lid 5 having a circular central opening 55 is screwed and attached with a screw portion 50. Between the upper part of the body 3 and the body lid 5, a transparent glass 2 having a disc shape is provided, and the opening in the upper part of the body 3 is closed by the glass 2. Thus, by looking inside from the side of the upper surface 2a of the glass 2 through the central opening 55 of the body lid 5, the state of the floating space 7 can be visually recognized.

[0021] Note that annular gaskets 51, 52 are arranged above and below the glass 2, and the airtightness of the floating space 7 is maintained. Further, the central axis of the central opening 55 of the body lid 5, the glass 2, the inflow passage 32, and the support seat 36 are arranged to coincide with the center line 10.

[0022] On the lower surface 2b of the glass 2 (the surface facing the floating space 7: glass surface), an uneven pattern 20 is formed by frosted glass processing. Frosted glass processing is a process of forming fine recesses by spraying a sand-like abrasive on the surface of the glass to scrape off the surface, and a fine uneven pattern can be applied to a predetermined surface of the glass. For example, like the uneven pattern 20 shown in FIG. 2, it can be continuously formed along an annular shape so that fine unevenness represents a pattern.

[0023] When checking the flow of the fluid in the pipe, look into the portion of the central opening 55 of the body lid 5 and visually recognize the ball 9 in the floating space 7. The fluid passing through the sight glass 1 flows into the floating space 7 from the inflow passage 32 along the direction of arrow 91, and pushes up and floats the ball 9 that was seated on the support seat 36. By the floating of this ball 9, the state in which the fluid flows can be checked.

[0024] Note that in this embodiment, the uneven pattern 20 is formed in an annular shape along the circular outer edge of the disc-shaped glass 2 and is formed at a location that does not obstruct visual recognition. Therefore, when visually recognizing the ball 9 through the inner circular portion represented by the annular shape, the uneven pattern 20 does not obstruct visual observation. Therefore, the state inside the sight glass 1 can be surely confirmed.

[0025] Here, the refractive index of light of glass is usually about 1.4 to 2.0, and in this embodiment, a glass material with a refractive index close to 1.4 is adopted. On the other hand, the refractive index of light of drain (water) is about 1.3. And the refractive index of light of air is about 1.0, and the refractive index of vapor varies depending on the moisture concentration contained in the vapor, but generally it is a value close to the refractive index of air, 1.0.

[0026] Therefore, when steam is passing through the sight glass 1 and the floating space 7 is filled with steam, as shown in A of FIG. 4, the incident light L1 incident on the glass 2 becomes refracted light L2 in multiple directions by the uneven pattern 20 when passing through the glass 2, and accordingly, scattered light L3 is generated. Thereby, the uneven pattern 20 appears visibly from the upper part of the glass 2, and it is possible to determine that the fluid passing through the sight glass 1 is steam.

[0027] On the other hand, when drain is passing through the sight glass 1 and the entire floating space 7 is filled with drain, the drain enters the concave portions of the uneven pattern 20 formed on the lower surface 2b of the glass 2. As described above, since the refractive index of light of glass and the refractive index of light of drain are relatively close values, as shown in B of FIG. 4, the incident light L1 incident on the glass 2 does not refract greatly by the uneven pattern 20 when passing through the glass 2 and passes through at substantially the same angle.

[0028] Thereby, the specular reflection of light is suppressed, and as shown in FIG. 3, the uneven pattern 20 becomes hardly visible from the upper part of the glass 2. Since the uneven pattern 20 becomes hardly visible, it is possible to determine that the fluid passing through the sight glass 1 and filling the floating space 7 is drain. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the ball 9 appearing through the glass 2 is not shown.

[0029] As described above, when the floating space 7 is filled with vapor, the concavo-convex pattern 20 appears visibly. On the other hand, when the entire floating space 7 is filled with drain, the concavo-convex pattern 20 becomes hardly visible. Therefore, depending on whether the concavo-convex pattern 20 formed on the glass 2 is visible or not, it is possible to easily determine whether the fluid passing through the floating space 7 is vapor or condensed water.

[0030] Incidentally, when the floating space 7 contains drain but is not full, for example, when about half of the drain is in the floating space 7, since the drain does not penetrate into the concave portions of the concavo-convex pattern 20, the concavo-convex pattern 20 appears visibly as it is. However, in this case, since the movement of the water surface of the drain that is about half filled can be visually recognized from the upper part of the glass 2, the internal state can be easily grasped, so there is no particular problem.

[0031] [Other Embodiments] In the foregoing embodiments, examples have been given for each of the internal state visual recognition device, fluid, vapor, condensed water, main body portion, glass portion, concavo-convex display, and spherical floating body. However, these are merely examples, and different configurations can be adopted for each of them.

[0032] That is, for example, in the foregoing embodiments, the sight glass 1 installed in the piping system for vapor transfer is exemplified as the internal state visual recognition device, and an example in which vapor or drain as the fluid passes through the inside has been shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as long as vapor or the like or drain or the like passes through the inside and it is possible to visually recognize the inside from the outside through a glass portion (such as the glass 2), the internal state visual recognition device according to the present application can be applied to other devices.

[0033] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the glass 2 having a disk shape is exemplified as the glass portion. However, a glass having a different shape may be employed. Further, the concavo-convex pattern 20 formed along an annular shape is exemplified as the concavo-convex display. However, as long as the internal fluid is visible, it may be formed in a different shape. For example, instead of a continuous annular shape, a concavo-convex display intermittently represented along an annular shape may be formed. Also, a concavo-convex display may be formed along a shape different from the annular shape, and further, it may be formed so that an irregular concavo-convex pattern appears. Further, the concavo-convex display may be formed at any location on the glass surface as long as it is visible to the naked eye.

[0034] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an example of forming the concavo-convex pattern 20 by grinding the glass is shown. However, a concavo-convex display (such as the concavo-convex pattern 20) may be formed by a method different from the grinding of the glass.

[0035] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the spherical ball 9 freely floating in the floating space 7 in the sight glass 1 is exemplified as the spherical floating body. However, a floating body having a different shape and structure may be arranged. Also, the internal state viewing device according to the present application may be applied to an internal state viewing device (such as the sight glass 1) in which a spherical floating body (such as the ball 9) is not provided.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0036] 1: Sight glass 2: Glass 3: Body 5: Body lid 9: Ball 20: Concavo-convex pattern

Claims

1. A main body through which vapor or condensed water of the vapor as a fluid passes inside; A glass part provided so that the inside can be visually recognized from the outside of the main body part; A concavo-convex display formed on the glass surface located on the inner side of the glass part; An internal state visual recognition device characterized by comprising the above.

2. In the internal state visual recognition device according to Claim 1, A spherical floating body that floats as the fluid passes is provided inside the main body part; The concavo-convex display is formed along an annular shape, and the spherical floating body can be visually recognized through the inner circular part represented by the annular shape. An internal state visual recognition device characterized by the above.

Images