Flow control device

Abstract

To provide a flow control device in which a flow control element can be installed so as to partition holes from other holes without excessively enlarging a housing or the flow control element, even when the outer diameter of a fluid pipe or other fluid pipes is large.SOLUTION: A flow control device 1 comprises: a housing 3 having side cylindrical portions 6, 6' that are sealingly attached along an axis T0 of a fluid pipe 2, and a main cylindrical portion 5 extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the side cylindrical portions 6, 6'; and a plug 4 inserted into the main cylindrical portion 5. The main cylindrical portion 5 of the housing 3 has, at least on a peripheral wall 5a, a pair of holes 6a, 6a' communicating with the side cylindrical portions 6, 6', and a hole 11a of a connection portion 11 connected to a bypass pipe 9. The plug 4 has packing 43 that partitions one hole 6a of the pair of holes 6a, 6a' from the other hole 6a'. The main cylindrical portion 5 is positioned eccentrically relative to the side cylindrical portions 6, 6' toward the hole 11a side with respect to a center axis T2 of the side cylindrical portions 6, 6'.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flow control device comprising a housing having a side body portion hermetically attached along the central axis of a fluid pipe and a main body portion extending in a direction approximately perpendicular to the side body portion, and a flow control device inserted into the main body portion of the housing at a cut point in the fluid pipe. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, when performing repairs on a portion of an existing fluid pipe, a flow control device is provided at a predetermined location in the fluid flow path, and the flow control device includes a housing having a side body that is hermetically attached along the central axis of the fluid pipe and a main body that extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the side body, and a flow control device that is inserted into the cut location of the fluid pipe within the main body of the housing, and the flow of the fluid is controlled by temporarily stopping the flow of fluids such as water or gas, or by changing the flow path to a branch pipe or the like connected to the fluid pipe.

[0003] One example of this type of flow control device is one in which, inside a main body having a pair of holes communicating with side body sections and other holes connected to branch pipes (other fluid pipes) formed in the peripheral wall, the fluid pipe is cut in a continuous flow state, and a fluid control device is inserted into the cut part of the fluid pipe inside the main body to partition the inside of the main body, allowing the flow path to be changed to the branch pipe connected to the other holes (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 59-196795 (pages 7-10, Figure 1) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the flow control device described in Patent Document 1, when the fluid control device is inserted into the main body, one of the two side edges of the fluid control device abuts against a seal seat provided between a pair of holes in the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall of the main body, and the other abuts against a seal seat provided between a pair of holes and another hole in the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall of the housing. However, if the outer diameter of the fluid pipe or branch pipe is larger than the main body of the housing, the distance between the pair of holes in the peripheral wall of the main body and another hole becomes small, making it difficult to secure space for installing the seal seat. To address this issue, increasing the size of the housing could be considered, but this would not only require extensive installation work but also require an increased size of the fluid control device, resulting in increased manufacturing costs.

[0006] The present invention has been made with an eye on such problems, and aims to provide a flow control device that can be installed to separate a hole from another hole, even when the outer diameter of the fluid pipe or other fluid pipe is large, without making the housing or the fluid control device larger than necessary. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the flow restrictor of the present invention comprises: A flow control device comprising: a housing having a side body portion attached in a sealed manner along the axis of a fluid pipe and a main body portion extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the side body portion; and a flow control device inserted into a cut portion of the fluid pipe within the main body portion of the housing, the main body has at least a pair of holes communicating with the side body and another hole connected to another fluid pipe in a peripheral wall; the fluid control unit has a seal portion that separates one of the pair of holes from the other hole, The main body is characterized in that it is provided at a position eccentric to the other hole side with respect to the central axis of the side body. According to this feature, the main body of the housing is attached at a position eccentric to the other hole portion side relative to the central axis of the side body portion which is attached along the pipe axis of the fluid pipe, so that a large space can be secured between the hole portion and the other hole portion in the peripheral wall of the housing to place the seal portion of the fluid control. Therefore, even if the diameter of the fluid pipe or other fluid pipes is large, it is possible to install the fluid control without making the housing or the fluid control larger than necessary.

[0008] The main body is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and is characterized in that a hole saw can be disposed therein, the hole saw being rotatable about a rotation axis that is substantially concentric with the central axis of the main body. According to this feature, the cut end of the fluid pipe is formed along the peripheral wall of the main body, so that the fluid regulator can be installed in alignment with the center position of the housing.

[0009] A seal seat that abuts against the seal portion of the fluid control valve is provided on the inner surface of the bottom wall of the main body, extending radially from the center of the main body. This feature makes it easy to arrange the seal seat on the inner bottom surface of the main body, and allows the main body to be designed and manufactured accurately and easily.

[0010] The housing has a split structure that is split along the central axis of the side body portion. According to this feature, a portion of the side body section and a portion of the main body section can be configured as an integral, separate member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] (a) is a schematic plan view showing a state in which a flow control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on an existing fluid pipe and a newly installed bypass pipe is connected in communication with it; (b) is a schematic plan view showing a state in which the existing fluid pipe has been cut; and (c) is a schematic plan view showing a state in which a flow control device has been installed on the primary and secondary sides of a specific area. [Figure 2] FIG. 2(a) is a plan view showing the flow restrictor, and FIG. 2(b) is a partially cutaway front view. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 1A is a partially cutaway plan view showing the housing, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the housing. [Figure 5] FIG. 4( a ) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing the housing. [Figure 7] FIG. 1(a) is a plan view showing the plug, and FIG. [Figure 8] 1A is a schematic diagram showing the process of cutting a fluid pipe using a cutting device, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing the process of inserting a plug using an insertion device. [Figure 9] 1A is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a housing as a conventional example, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a flow restrictor as an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway front view showing a flow restrictor device as a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 11] 11 is a side view showing the internal structure of the flow restrictor of FIG. 10. [Example]

[0012] A flow control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. In the following description, the upper side of Figure 1 will be referred to as the rear of the flow control device, the lower side as the front, the left side as the left, and the right side as the right. The white arrows in Figure 1 indicate the direction in which fluid flows down through the pipe.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, for example, when configuring a bypass flow path that bypasses a specific area W in order to remove or repair a fluid pipe 2 in the specific area W in a flow path made up of an existing fluid pipe 2, first, as shown in Figure 1(a), housings 3, 3 of a flow control device 1, 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention are installed in a pipe section on the primary side (upstream side) of the specific area W and in a pipe section on the secondary side (downstream side) of the specific area W, and these housings 3, 3 are connected to each other by a bypass pipe 9. Next, as shown in Figure 1(b), the fluid pipes 2 inside each housing 3, 3 are cut in a state where the flow is not interrupted. Then, by inserting plugs 4,4 (see Figure 7) described below into the cut points of the fluid pipe 2 inside each housing 3,3 to stop the water flow, the fluid inside the fluid pipe 2 will flow from the flow control device 1 installed on the primary side of the specific area W into the bypass pipe 9, bypass the specific area W, and then flow down into the fluid pipe 2 from the flow control device 1 installed on the secondary side, as shown by the white arrow in Figure 1(c), so that only the specific area W can be cut off from water.

[0014] Thereafter, the drain port 13 (see FIG. 4) provided on the flow control device 1, 1 is opened to discharge the fluid in the fluid pipe 2 in the specific area W to the outside, thereby making it possible to remove or repair the fluid pipe 2. In this way, it is possible to cut off the water supply to only the specific area W while keeping the flow path uninterrupted.

[0015] In this embodiment, the fluid in the fluid pipe 2 is tap water. However, it may be, for example, industrial water, agricultural water, sewage, or other liquids other than water, or it may be gas or a gas-liquid mixture. The fluid pipe 2 is a ductile cast iron pipe formed into a straight pipe with a generally circular cross section. In this embodiment, the fluid pipe 2 is disposed generally horizontally. The fluid pipe according to the present invention may also be made of other metals, such as cast iron or steel, or concrete, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, or polyolefin. Furthermore, the inner surface of the fluid pipe may be coated with an epoxy resin layer, mortar, plating, or the like, or may be powder coated with an appropriate material.

[0016] 2(a), (b) and 3, the flow control device 1,1 is mainly composed of a housing 3 that hermetically fits over a predetermined portion of the fluid pipe 2, and a plug 4 that acts as a fluid regulator and is inserted into the housing 3 and can change the flow path by blocking water from entering the fluid pipe 2. Note that since the flow control devices 1,1 are configured in the same way, the following description will focus on the flow control device 1 installed on the upstream side of the specific area W, and will omit a description of the flow control device 1 installed on the secondary side of the specific area W.

[0017] [Case] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , the casing 3 is mainly composed of a main body 5 made of steel and formed into a cylindrical shape with an open top; cylindrical side body sections 6, 6′ that protrude from the left and right sides of the peripheral wall 5a of the main body 5 in a left-right direction perpendicular to the central axis T1 of the main body 5 that faces the up-down direction and are capable of covering the fluid pipe 2; a cylindrical connecting section 11 that protrudes from the front side of the peripheral wall 5a of the main body 5 forward, perpendicular to the central axis T1 of the main body 5, and is capable of connecting a bypass pipe 9; and a bottom section 7 that closes the lower opening of the main body 5.

[0018] 2(a) and 2(b), the housing 3 has a split T-shaped structure that is divided into two parts, upper and lower, along the central axis T2 of the side barrels 6, 6', as a split T-shaped pipe consisting of an upper housing 3a and a lower housing 3b. Specifically, the lower housing 3b is formed by integrating the lower parts of the main barrel 5, the side barrels 6, 6', and the connecting part 11 into a roughly T-shape in front view, and is capable of covering the lower part of the fluid pipe 2. The upper housing 3a is formed by integrating the upper parts of the main barrel 5, the side barrels 6, 6', and the connecting part 11 into a roughly inverted T-shape in front view, and is capable of covering the upper part of the fluid pipe 2. By connecting the lower housing 3b and the upper housing 3a, they are attached in a sealed manner so as to cover predetermined parts of the fluid pipe 2 from above and below. The ends of the side barrels 6, 6' in the tube axis direction are sealed and fitted externally, and the housing 3 is fixed to the fluid pipe 2 by press rings 10, 10.

[0019] Furthermore, the housing 3 may be divided, for example, in the front-rear direction, or may be divided into a predetermined number of three or more parts. Also, in this embodiment, the lower housing 3b and the upper housing 3a are joined in a sealed state by a plurality of fastening members (not shown) composed of bolts and nuts, but welding or the like may also be used. In addition, although each part constituting the housing 3 and the like is welded to each other, it is not limited to being welded and integrated with each other as in this embodiment, and may be integrally formed by casting or the like.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4(b), on the left and right sides of the peripheral wall 5a of the main body 5, a pair of holes 6a, 6a' communicating with the side bodies 6, 6' are formed, and on the front side of the peripheral wall 5a, a hole 11a communicating with the connection portion 11 to which the bypass pipe 9 is connected is formed. The inner diameter dimensions L2 of the side bodies 6, 6' and the holes 6a, 6a' are substantially the same as the outer diameter dimension L1 of the fluid pipe 2 (L2≈L1), and the inner diameter dimension L3 of the connection portion 11 and the hole 11a is slightly smaller than the inner diameter dimension L2 of the side bodies 6, 6' and the holes 6a, 6a' (L3<L2). Also, the inner diameter dimension L5 of the main body 5 of the housing 3 is larger than the outer diameter dimension L1 of the fluid pipe 2 (L5>L1).

[0021] The main body 5 has a central axis T1 facing in the vertical direction, the side bodies 6, 6' have a central axis T2 facing in the horizontal direction, and the connection portion 11 has a central axis T3 facing in the front-rear direction that is substantially orthogonal to the central axis T1 facing in the vertical direction and the central axis T2 facing in the horizontal direction.

[0022] Also, the main body 5 is provided at a position eccentric to the hole 11a side (front side) of the connection portion 11 with respect to the side bodies 6, 6'. That is, since the central axis T1 of the main body 5 is eccentric to the hole 11a side (front side) of the connection portion 11 with respect to the central axis T2 of the side bodies 6, 6', it does not intersect the central axis T2 of the side bodies 6, 6'. Also, the central axis T3 of the connection portion 11 is substantially orthogonal to both the central axis T1 of the main body 5 and the central axis T2 of the side bodies 6, 6', and extends at the same height position as the central axis T2.

[0023] As shown in Figure 4(a), a seat 8 made of steel is protruded from the inner surface of the casing 3 as a seal seat that receives the plug 4 inserted from the top opening of the casing 3. As shown in Figures 4(b) and 5, the seat 8 is composed of a horizontal seat 8a protruding from the upper surface of the bottom 7 of the casing 3, which is circular in plan view, and vertical seat portions 8b, 8b that are connected to the front and rear ends of the horizontal seat 8a, protrude from the inner surface of the peripheral wall 5a of the main body 5, and extend upward.

[0024] 4(b), the horizontal seat portion 8a of the seat 8 extends radially from the diagonally front right side to the diagonally rear left side in plan view so as to divide the interior of the main body 5 into a primary side and a secondary side of the flow path, and is formed in a generally V-shape in plan view. The front end of the horizontal seat portion 8a and the vertical seat portion 8b extending upward from the front end are disposed in an area E1 between the secondary-side hole 6a' and hole 11a in the peripheral wall 5a of the main body 5, and the rear end of the horizontal seat portion 8a and the vertical seat portion 8b extending upward from the rear end are disposed near the primary-side hole 6a in an area E2 between the primary-side hole 6a and the secondary-side hole 6a' in the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 5a.

[0025] The vertical seat portions 8b, 8b are positioned slightly away from the hole portions 6a, 6a' in the regions E1, E2, and as shown in Figure 4(b), are positioned so that the horizontal seat portion 8a does not overlap with the end portions 2H, 2T formed by cutting the fluid pipes 2, 2 in a plan view.

[0026] Furthermore, the vertical seat portions 8b, 8b do not face each other across the center position of the main body section 5, and the horizontal seat portion 8a is formed to pass through the center position of the main body section 5 in a plan view and bend slightly at that center position so as to be connected to these vertical seat portions 8b, 8b. In other words, the horizontal seat portion 8a extends from the center position of the main body section 5 toward the front and rear regions E1, E2 of the peripheral wall 5a, and therefore can be formed to extend in a direction approximately perpendicular to the vertical seat portions 8b, 8b.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4(b), a pair of guide portions 14, 14 that guide the plug 4 downward is provided on the upper and lower sides of the vertical seats 8b, 8b on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 5a, circumferentially sandwiching the vertical seats 8b. The guide portions 14, 14 protrude radially inward beyond the abutment surfaces 8c of the vertical seats 8b, and extend vertically along the vertical seats 8b at positions slightly spaced circumferentially from the vertical seats 8b. In addition, openable and closable drain ports 13, 13 are formed on the primary and secondary sides of the horizontal seat portion 8a in the bottom 7, straddling the horizontal seat portion 8a. When opened, these ports allow wastewater, chips, and the like inside the main body 5 to be discharged.

[0028] As shown in Figure 6, the top surface of the main body section 5 is open, and a flange 3e is formed around the periphery of the opening, protruding in the radially outward direction. Below the flange 3e on the inner peripheral surface, a seal seat 26 is provided that hermetically abuts along the outer peripheral surface of a lid portion 42 (see Figure 7(b)), which will be described later, of the plug 4. More specifically, the seal seat 26 is made of steel and welded to the upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the main body section 5, and is attached in an annular shape around the inner peripheral surface of the main body section 5 in the circumferential direction. The abutting surface of the seal seat 26 is an inclined surface that gradually slopes downward toward the inner diameter.

[0029] Furthermore, a plurality of cylindrical portions 27 projecting outward in the circumferential direction are formed above the seal seat 26 on the lower outer peripheral surface of the main body 5 (see FIG. 2(a)). A threaded hole is formed inside each cylindrical portion 27, and a fixing pin 28 is screwed into the threaded hole in a radially sealed manner. The fixing pin 28 can be rotated around its axis from the outside of the cylindrical portion 27 with a tool or the like to retract the tip of the fixing pin 28 into the cylindrical portion 27, thereby allowing the plug 4 to be inserted, or the tip of the fixing pin 28 can be projected into the main body 5 and brought into contact with the upper surface of the lid portion 42, thereby fixing the plug 4 (see FIG. 2(b)). The tip of the fixing pin 28 is tapered toward the inner diameter side.

[0030] [plug] As shown in Figures 7(a) and (b), the plug 4 is formed in a generally trapezoidal shape in side view and mainly comprises a plate-like partition wall portion 41 arranged to divide the inside of the main body portion 5, and a disk-shaped lid portion 42 fixed generally horizontally to the upper part of the partition wall portion 41 and closing the top opening of the main body portion 5.

[0031] A gasket 43 is provided in a groove (not shown) extending from the lower end surface 41a of the partition wall 41 to the front and rear side end surfaces 41b, 41b, and a gasket 44 is fitted in a groove (not shown) extending circumferentially in the peripheral end surface 42f of the lid portion 42. These gaskets 43, 44 are integrally formed so as to be continuous, and extend along the end faces of the plug 4 (the lower end surface 41a of the partition wall 41, the side end surfaces 41b, 41b, and the peripheral end surface 42f of the lid portion 42). The lower end surface 41a of the partition wall 41 is slightly bent at the center in the longitudinal direction so as to fit along the horizontal seat portion 8a.

[0032] 9(b), the flow path switching surface 41c of the plug 4 is curved so as to substantially connect to the inner surface of the fluid pipe 2 cut with the cutter 72 along the pipe axis T0 and the inner surface of the connecting portion 11 along the central axis T3. That is, when the flow path switching surface 41c is installed inside the housing 3, it forms a concave curved surface having a recess that curves in the downstream direction of the fluid in the pipe from upstream to downstream. This makes it difficult for turbulence to occur in the flow of the fluid flowing downstream inside the pipe, and fluid resistance is therefore less likely to occur. Therefore, the load on the plug 4 due to turbulence of the fluid is small, the sealing performance of the plug 4 can be maintained for a long period of time, and fluid pressure loss can be suppressed.

[0033] Furthermore, the partition wall portion 41 is formed to fit between the front and rear vertical seat portions 8b, 8b, so that when the plug 4 is installed inside the housing 3, the inside of the main body portion 5 is divided into left and right portions in a plan view by the partition wall portion 41, and the upper opening of the housing 3 is closed by the lid portion 42.

[0034] [Plug insertion process] Next, the process of inserting the plug 4 into the housing 3 in an uninterrupted flow state will be described with reference to FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b).

[0035] First, as shown in FIG. 8( a), the side trunk sections 6, 6′ are hermetically attached along the pipe axis T0 of the fluid pipe 2, thereby hermetically covering predetermined portions of the fluid pipe 2 with the housing 3. Then, the gate valve device 50 is hermetically connected to the upper opening of the main trunk section 5. This connection results in the central axis T2 of the side trunk sections 6, 6′ substantially coinciding with the pipe axis T0 of the fluid pipe 2. The gate valve device 50 includes a cylindrical valve box 50a that extends vertically through the valve box 50a, a valve cover 50b that protrudes rightward from the valve box 50a and is connected to the valve box 50a via a communication port (not shown) formed on its inner circumferential surface, a valve disc 50c that is disposed between the valve box 50a and the valve cover 50b and is capable of moving substantially horizontally, and a valve seat (not shown) that serves as a valve seat for receiving the valve disc 50c. A seal member (not shown) for the valve disc 50c can be tightly fitted to the seat (not shown).

[0036] The valve box 50a is hermetically connected via a seal member (not shown) to the open end (opening) on ​​the upper side of the main body 5. Furthermore, the end of a valve stem (not shown) that is threadedly engaged with the valve element 50c inside the valve lid 50b protrudes from the tip of the valve lid 50b, and an operating handle (not shown) is provided at the end of this valve stem, so that the interior of the housing 3 can be opened and closed by rotating the operating handle to move the valve element 50c between the valve box 50a and the valve lid 50b.

[0037] Next, a cutting device 70 is hermetically connected to the upper open end of the valve box 50a. The cutting device 70 is mainly composed of a mounting flange tube 71, a cutter 72 for cutting the fluid pipe 2, a drive motor 74 for rotating the cutter 72 within the mounting flange tube 71, and an advancing / retracting mechanism 73 for moving the cutter 72 up and down. The cutter 72 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter L6 that is larger than the outer diameter L1 of the fluid pipe 2 (L6 > L1), and is composed of a hole saw 72a with a cutting blade that runs along the circumferential direction at its lower end, and a center drill 72b that is disposed coaxially with a rotation axis 72c of the hole saw 72a and protrudes beyond the cutting blade.

[0038] The cutter 72 is arranged so that the central axis of the center drill 72b is concentric with the central axis T1 of the main body 5 of the housing 3, and is inserted into the main body 5 from the upper open end and can advance to a position where it penetrates at least the pipe wall of the fluid pipe 2.

[0039] Next, the cutter 72 is rotated about the rotation axis 72c by the drive motor 74 of the cutting device 70, and the cutter 72 is advanced downward by the advance / retract mechanism 73, thereby cutting the fluid pipe 2 without interrupting the flow. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the central axis T1 of the main body section 5 is eccentric toward the hole 11a relative to the central axis T2 of the side body sections 6, 6'. Therefore, the cutter 72 also rotates about the central axis T1 of the main body section 5. The fluid pipe 2 is cut into a circular shape centered on the central axis T1, and the cut fluid pipe 2 has end portions 2H, 2T that are concavely curved in a plan view. Because the outer diameter L6 of the cutter 72 is larger than the outer diameter L1 of the fluid pipe 2, the fluid pipe 2 is completely cut, i.e., divided in the pipe axial direction, even though the central axis T1 of the main body section 5 is eccentric toward the hole 11a relative to the central axis T2 of the side body sections 6, 6'. The eccentric dimension is set to an appropriate eccentricity amount that allows the fluid pipe 2 to be completely cut by the cutter 72 and also ensures a space for the vertical seat portion 8b.

[0040] When the fluid pipe 2 is cut by the cutter 72, a cut piece (not shown) separated from between the ends 2H, 2T (see FIG. 8(b)) of the fluid pipe 2 is held in the hole saw 72a. Thereafter, the advance / retract mechanism 73 retracts the cutter 72 together with the cut piece (not shown) into the inside of the mounting flange tube 71, and the valve body 50c of the gate valve device 50 is moved toward the valve box 50a, closing the inside of the housing 3.

[0041] Some of the foreign matter such as chips generated by cutting is discharged by water pressure together with the fluid in the pipe from drain ports 13, 13 (see Figure 4) provided at the bottom of the housing 3, but the remainder gradually sinks due to gravity over time, falling and remaining at the bottom 7 of the housing 3. After the mounting flange tube 71 is removed from the valve box 50a and the cutting device 70 is removed, the foreign matter that has accumulated at the bottom 7 of the housing 3 is discharged to the outside by a discharge device (not shown) attached to the valve box 50a.

[0042] Next, a plug installation process is performed in which a plug 4 serving as a fluid regulator is installed in the housing 3. As shown in FIG. 8(b), first, with the gate valve device 50 closed, a cylindrical member 90a is hermetically connected to the upper side of the valve box 50a. Next, a hole (not shown) formed in the upper part of the housing 3 is connected to a hole (not shown) formed in the lower part of the cylindrical member 90a with a connecting pipe (not shown) to communicate the interior of the housing 3 with the interior of the cylindrical member 90a. The housing 3 is filled with fluid while air is vented through an air vent valve (not shown) provided at the top of the cylindrical member 90a. After confirming that the air has been vented from the cylindrical member 90a, the air vent valve (not shown) is closed. Next, with the interior of the housing 3 and the interior of the cylindrical member 90a at approximately the same pressure, the valve element 50c is opened, and the drive mechanism 90b of the insertion device 90 is operated to lower the plug 4.

[0043] The plug 4 that has entered the housing 3 is smoothly inserted downward by the guide portions 14, 14 with the partition wall portion 41, and almost simultaneously with the packing 43 at the lower end of the partition wall portion 41 being pressed against the horizontal seat portion 8a, the front and rear packings 43, 43 are pressed against the vertical seat portions 8b, 8b, and the packing 44 of the lid portion 42 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the seal seat portion 26. In this way, when the plug 4 is installed in a predetermined position, the upper opening of the housing 3 is hermetically closed by the lid portion 42, and the partition wall portion 41 separates the ends 2H, 2T of the fluid pipe 2 inside the housing 3 to seal off water (see FIG. 2(b)).

[0044] After the plug 4 is installed in a predetermined installation position, as shown in Figure 2(b), the multiple fixing pins 28 arranged in the circumferential direction of the main body 5 are advanced toward the inner diameter side of the main body 5 and brought into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the lid portion 42. As a result, the lid portion 42 is locked by the fixing pins 28, restricting upward movement of the lid portion 42 and holding it in a predetermined installation position, thereby preventing the plug 4 from coming off the casing 3.

[0045] Thereafter, as shown in Figure 8(b), the air vent valve (not shown) provided on the cylindrical member 90a is opened, and it is confirmed that the gaskets 43, 44 of the plug 4 are watertight, and then the insertion device 90 and the gate valve device 50 are removed from the housing 3.

[0046] Then, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the main body lid 30 is placed on top of the housing 3 from above the lid portion 42, and the flange 3e of the main body 5 and the main body lid 30 are fastened together with a plurality of fastening members 95 consisting of bolts and nuts to form a sealed connection, thereby completing the installation of the plug 4.

[0047] By installing the plug 4 so as to separate the interior of the housing 3, the fluid is separated into the primary side and secondary side of the plug 4, as shown in Figure 9(b), and the fluid on the primary side of the plug 4 inside the housing 3 can flow out from the hole 11a to the connection part 11.

[0048] 9(a) is a conventional housing 3A that is hermetically sealed to the fluid pipe 2 so that the central axis T1 of the main body 5, which faces in the up-down direction, is perpendicular to the central axis T2 of the side body portions 6, 6', which faces in the left-right direction. In this housing 3A, if the inner diameter dimension L2 of the holes 6a, 6a' is larger than the radial dimension of the inner diameter dimension L5 of the main body 5 (L2 > L5 ÷ 2) and the inner diameter dimension L3 of the hole 11a of the connection portion 11 is close to the inner diameter dimension L2 of the holes 6a, 6a' of the side body portions 6, 6', the areas E1A, E1A between the holes 6a, 6a' and the hole 11a in the peripheral wall 5a become small, making it difficult to secure space for disposing the vertical seat portion 8b. Furthermore, as shown in the enlarged view of Figure 9(a), even if the vertical seat portion 8b can be placed, part of the end portion 2T of the cut fluid pipe 2 will be inserted above the vertical seat portion 8b, making it difficult to place the partition wall portion 41.

[0049] In this case, by reducing the inner diameter L3 of the connecting portion 11 to make it smaller, the circumferential length of the regions E1A, E1A between the holes 6a, 6a' and the hole 11a in the peripheral wall 5a increases, but the reduced inner diameter L3 of the bypass pipe 9 causes pressure loss in the detouring flow path. Furthermore, if the connecting portion 11 and the hole 11a are moved closer to either the holes 6a, 6a', the circumferential lengths of the left and right regions E1A, E1A will differ, making it difficult to use the same housing 3 on the primary side and secondary side of the specific area W.

[0050] Furthermore, by increasing the inner diameter dimension L5 of the main body 5 and making it larger, the circumferential length of the regions E1A, E1A between the holes 6a, 6a' and the hole 11a in the peripheral wall 5a increases. However, this not only makes the installation work for the housing 3 more complex, but also requires increasing the size of not only the housing 3 but also the plug 4, resulting in problems of increased manufacturing costs.

[0051] 9(b), by providing the main body 5 at a position eccentric to the side body portions 6, 6' toward the hole 11a of the connecting portion 11 with respect to the central axis T2 of the side body portions 6, 6', it is possible to increase the circumferential length of the region E1 in the peripheral wall 5a between the holes 6a, 6a' and the hole 11a without reducing the inner diameter dimension L3 of the connecting portion 11 or unnecessarily increasing the size of the casing 3 or the plug 4. This makes it possible to ensure space for arranging the vertical seat portion 8b, and also to separate the vertical seat portion 8b from the hole 6a' as shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 9(b), allowing the partition wall portion 41 to be positioned so as not to come into contact with the end portion 2T of the fluid pipe 2.

[0052] [Actions and Effects] As described above, the flow control device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a casing 3 having side barrel sections 6, 6′ attached in a sealed manner along the axis T0 of the fluid pipe 2 and a main barrel section 5 extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the side barrel sections 6, 6′; and a plug 4 acting as a fluid control device inserted between the ends 2H, 2T of the fluid pipe 2 within the main barrel section 5 of the casing 3. The main barrel section 5 of the casing 3 has, in at least the peripheral wall 5a, a pair of holes 6a, 6a′ that communicate with the side barrel sections 6, 6′, and a hole 11a of a connection section 11 that is connected to a bypass pipe 9 serving as another fluid pipe. The plug 4 has a packing 43 acting as a seal that separates one hole 6a of the pair of holes 6a, 6a′ from the other hole 6a′. The main barrel section 5 is disposed eccentrically with respect to the side barrel sections 6, 6′ toward the hole 11a with respect to the central axis T2 of the side barrel sections 6, 6′.

[0053] According to this, the main body 5 of the casing 3 is attached at a position eccentric to the hole 11a side relative to the central axis T2 of the side body parts 6, 6' which are attached along the pipe axis T0 of the fluid pipe 2, and therefore a large area E1 for arranging the gasket 43 of the plug 4 can be secured between the holes 6a, 6a' in the peripheral wall 5a of the casing 3 and the other hole 11a. Therefore, even if the outer diameter dimensions of the fluid pipe 2 or the bypass pipe 9 are large, it is possible to install the plug 4 without making the casing 3 or the plug 4 larger than necessary.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example has been given in which the inner diameter L3 of the connecting part 11 is formed slightly smaller than the inner diameter L2 of the side body sections 6, 6', but by making the inner diameter L3 of the connecting part 11 approximately the same as the inner diameter L2 of the side body sections 6, 6', it is possible to suppress pressure loss in the bypass pipe 9 and to connect side body sections 6, 6' and the connecting part 11, which have larger inner diameters than the main body section 5. In other words, by making the inner diameter L3 of the connecting part 11 approximately the same as the inner diameter L2 of the side body sections 6, 6', it is possible to suppress pressure loss in the bypass pipe 9 and to make the main body section 5 as small as possible.

[0055] Furthermore, in the present invention, the inner diameter dimension L3 of the connection portion 11 may be formed to be smaller than the inner diameter dimension L2 of the side barrel portions 6, 6' (L3 < L2), may be formed to be approximately the same size as the inner diameter dimension L2 of the side barrel portions 6, 6' (L3 ≒ L2), or may be formed to be larger than the inner diameter dimension L2 of the side barrel portions 6, 6' (L3 > L2). In any of these cases, the same operations and effects as those of the present invention can be achieved.

[0056] Also, when the inner diameter dimension L3 of the connection portion 11 is formed to have a different dimension from the inner diameter dimension L2 of the side barrel portions 6, 6', the plug 4 is arranged such that the flow path switching surface 41c is substantially connected to at least one of the inner surface of the connection portion 11 along the central axis T3 and the inner surface of the fluid pipe 2 cut by the cutter 72 along the pipe axis T0, thereby suppressing the pressure loss of the fluid.

[0057] In addition, the main body portion 5 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and a hole saw 72a that can rotate about a rotation axis substantially concentric with the central axis T1 of the main body portion 5 is disposed inside. As a result, the end portions 2H, 2T of the fluid pipe 2 are formed in an arc shape along the peripheral wall 5a of the main body portion 5 (see FIG. 9(b)), making it easier to install the plug 4 at the center position of the housing 3.

[0058] Moreover, a horizontal seat portion 8a against which the packing 43 of the plug 4 abuts is extended in the radial direction from the center of the main body portion 5 on the upper surface of the bottom portion 7 of the main body portion 5. This makes it easy to dispose the horizontal seat portion 8a on the upper surface of the bottom portion 7 of the main body portion 5, and enables the design and manufacture of the main body portion 5 to be performed accurately and easily.

[0059] In more detail, when the inner diameter dimension L2 of the side body sections 6, 6' and the inner diameter dimension L3 of the connecting section 11 are small relative to the inner diameter dimension L5 of the main body section 5, the circumferential length of region E1 becomes relatively large, making it possible to arrange the vertical seats 8b, 8b opposite each other across the central axis T1 of the main body section 5. However, when the inner diameter dimension L2 of the side body sections 6, 6' and the inner diameter dimension L3 of the connecting section 11 are large relative to the inner diameter dimension L5 of the main body section 5, it becomes difficult to arrange the vertical seats 8b, 8b opposite each other across the central axis T1 of the main body section 5. Even in such cases, however, the horizontal seat 8a extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the vertical seats 8b, 8b. By forming the lower end surface 41a of the partition wall section 41 of the plug 4 along the horizontal seat 8a, the packings 43 on the side end surfaces 41b, 41b of the partition wall section 41 can be pressed against the vertical seats 8b in a direction approximately perpendicular to them, thereby improving the sealing effect.

[0060] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the housing 3 has a split structure in which it is split into upper and lower parts along the central axis T2 of the side body sections 6, 6′, so that a portion of the side body sections 6, 6′ and a portion of the main body section 5 can be configured as an integral split member.

[0061] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0062] For example, in the above embodiment, a plug 4 (stopcock) is used as an example of a fluid control device capable of controlling the flow of a fluid, but the present invention is not limited to this. The fluid control device may be a valve body such as a gate valve, a switching valve, or a butterfly valve that can open and close a flow path. Furthermore, the gate valve may have a partition wall portion 41, or may be formed by providing a valve body in the partition wall portion 41 that can switch the flow path. Furthermore, the partition wall portion 41 is not limited to having a curved flow path switching surface 41c as in the above embodiment, but may have a flat flow path switching surface.

[0063] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example of a sealing portion for the fluid control is given in which gaskets 43, 43 are provided on the side end faces 41b, 41b of the plug 4, which is the valve body. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the case of a switching valve in which the fluid control is capable of switching the flow path by means of a valve box and a valve body rotatably accommodated in the valve box, as in the flow control device 1A as a modified example shown in Figures 10 and 11, a sealing portion provided on the valve box may separate one of a pair of holes from the other hole.

[0064] A flow control device 1A as a modified example will be specifically described below with reference to Figures 10 and 11. In Figures 10 and 11, the same configurations and parts as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0065] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the switching valve 80 serving as a fluid control device in the flow control device 1A mainly comprises a valve box 81 disposed within the main body 5 of the housing 3, a valve element 82 rotatably mounted within the valve box 81, rotating shafts 83a and 83b facing in the vertical direction and rotatably supporting the upper and lower parts of the valve element 82 relative to the valve box 81, and a drive unit 84 capable of driving the rotating shafts 83a and 83b.

[0066] The valve box 81 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter L5 (see FIG. 4(b)) of the main body 5 of the casing 3 and the outer diameter L6 (see FIG. 4(b)) of the hole saw 72a, and is arranged concentrically with the main body 5. The rotation shafts 83a, 83b are arranged rotatably about their axes concentric with the central axis T1 of the main body 5 and the central axis of the valve box 81, and are therefore eccentric toward the hole 11a with respect to the central axis T2 of the side bodies 6, 6'.

[0067] As shown in Fig. 11, openings 81c, 81d, and 81e are formed in the peripheral wall 81a of the valve box 81 at positions corresponding to the holes 6a, 6a', and 11a, respectively, and the valve element 82 can selectively close each of the openings 81c, 81d, and 81e. In Fig. 11, when the opening 81c is closed by the valve element 82, the other openings 81d and 81e are opened, and a flow path is formed by the connection part 11 and the secondary-side fluid pipe 2.

[0068] Furthermore, a plurality of vertically extending protrusions 85a, 85b, and 85c are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 81a of the valve box 81 to protrude radially outward. A packing 86 serving as a seal is provided on the tip surface of each of the protrusions 85a, 85b, and 85c, and is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 81a. The protrusion 85a is disposed between the holes 6a and 11a, the protrusion 85b is disposed between the holes 6a' and 11a, and the protrusion 85c is disposed between the holes 6a and 6a', thereby separating the main body 5 and the valve box 81 by the protrusions 85a, 85b, and 85c.

[0069] Thus, in the case of the switching valve 80, the packings 86 serving as sealing parts provided on the tip surfaces of the protrusions 85a, 85b of the valve box 81 are disposed between the holes 6a, 11a and between the holes 6a', 11a in the peripheral wall 81a, respectively, but because the main body 5 is disposed at a position eccentric to the hole 11a side of the central axis T2 of the side bodies 6, 6', the packings 86 on the tip surfaces of the protrusions 85a, 85b can be brought into close contact with the regions E1, E1.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the side body portions 6, 6' are tubular and attached in a sealed manner so as to cover the fluid pipe 2 along the pipe axis T0 of the fluid pipe 2, but the present invention is not limited to this and the side body portions 6, 6' may be formed as a connecting pipe or the like having a socket or outlet to which the end of the fluid pipe 2 can be connected. The axial length of the side body portions 6, 6' is arbitrary and can be changed in various ways.

[0071] In addition, in the above embodiment, as an example of another fluid pipe, a form in which a bypass pipe 9 that forms a detour flow path for a specific area W and a connection part 11 connected to the bypass pipe 9 are applied is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a branch pipe or the like that extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the fluid pipe 2 may also be applied.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the hole 11a of the connection part 11 is used as the other hole connected to the other fluid pipe, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a separate hole connected to the other fluid pipe may be formed in a position facing the hole 11a in the peripheral wall 5a of the main body part 5. In other words, two or more other holes may be formed in the main body part 5.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the central axis T2 of the side barrel sections 6, 6', which approximately coincides with the pipe axis T0 of the fluid pipe 2, extends in the left-right direction, the central axis T1 of the main barrel section 5 extends in the up-down direction, and the central axis T3 of the connecting section 11 extends in the front-to-rear direction; however, as long as the central axis T1 of the main barrel section 5 is offset toward the connecting section 11 with respect to the central axis T2 of the side barrel sections 6, 6', the orientation of each of the central axes T1 to T3 may be arbitrary; for example, the central axis T1 of the main barrel section 5 may extend in the front-to-rear direction, and the central axis T3 of the connecting section 11 may extend in the up-to-down direction.

[0074] In addition, in the above embodiment, the central axis T3 of the connecting part 11 is illustrated as being substantially perpendicular to the central axis T1 of the main body part 5, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the central axis T3 of the connecting part 11 may be eccentric to either the upper or lower side of the hole 6a, 6a' with respect to the central axis T1 of the main body part 5. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the central axis T3 of the connecting part 11 is illustrated as being substantially perpendicular to the central axis T2 of the side body parts 6, 6', but the present invention is not limited to this, and the central axis T3 of the connecting part 11 may be eccentric to either the upper or lower side with respect to the central axis T2 of the side body parts 6, 6'.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the main body 5 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape and is capable of accommodating therein a hole saw 72a that can rotate about a rotation axis that is generally concentric with the central axis T1 of the main body 5. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the main body may have any shape, including a rectangular cylindrical shape. Furthermore, the rotation axis 72c of the hole saw 72a may be eccentric with respect to the central axis T1 of the main body 5. Furthermore, the fluid pipe 2 may be cut with a cutting device other than a hole saw (for example, a chain cutter).

[0076] In addition, in the above embodiment, the cutting process of the fluid pipe 2 and the installation process of the plug 4 as a fluid regulator into the housing 3 are performed under uninterrupted flow conditions, but the cutting process and the installation process may also be performed under water-cut conditions.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the housing 3 is exemplified as having a divided structure divided into upper and lower halves, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as long as it is possible to cut a predetermined portion of the fluid pipe in a water outage state, and then insert the side body part of the housing into the cut end of the fluid pipe and attach it in a sealed state, it does not necessarily have to have a divided structure like the above embodiment.

[0078] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the horizontal seat 8a and vertical seat 8b, 8b serving as the seal seats against which the seal portion of the fluid regulator abuts are exemplified as being formed so as to protrude inward from the upper surface of the bottom 7 of the main body 5 or the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 5a, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the seal seats do not necessarily have to protrude from the inner surface of the main body. They may also be recessed into the inner surface of the main body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1,1A flow control device 2 Fluid tube 2H,2T end 3,3A housing 3a Upper housing 3b Lower housing 4 Plug (fluid control) 5 Main fuselage 5a Peripheral wall 6,6' side body 6a,6a' Hole 8 Seat area 8a Side seat (seal seat) 8b Vertical seat part 8c Contact surface 9 Bypass pipe (other fluid pipe) 11 Connection 11a Hole (other hole) 26 Seal seat 30 Main body lid 41 Partition wall 41a Lower end surface 41b Side end face 41c Flow path switching surface 42 Lid 42f Peripheral end surface 43, 44 Packing (sealing part) 50 Gate valve device 70 Cutting device 72a hole saw 80 Switching valve (fluid control) 81 Valve box 81a Peripheral wall 82 Valve body 85a~85c protrusion 86 Packing (sealing part) 90 Insertion Device E1,E2 area E1A area T0 tube shaft T1~T3 center axis

Claims

1. A flow control device comprising: a housing having a side body portion attached in a sealed manner along the axis of a fluid pipe and a main body portion extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the side body portion; and a flow control device inserted into a cut portion of the fluid pipe within the main body portion of the housing, the main body has at least a pair of holes communicating with the side body and another hole connected to another fluid pipe in a peripheral wall; the fluid control unit has a seal portion that separates one of the pair of holes from the other hole, A flow restrictor device characterized in that the main body portion is provided at a position eccentric to the side body portion toward the other hole portion with respect to a central axis of the side body portion.

2. 2. The flow restrictor device according to claim 1, wherein the main body is formed in a generally cylindrical shape and is capable of accommodating therein a hole saw that can rotate about a rotation axis that is generally concentric with the central axis of the main body.

3. 3. The flow control device according to claim 1, wherein a seal seat that abuts against the seal portion of the flow control device is provided on the inner surface of the bottom wall of the main body, extending radially from the center of the main body.

4. The flow restrictor device according to claim 1 , wherein the housing has a divided structure that is divided along the central axis of the side body portion.

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