Identifier for fluids inside pipes

Abstract

The present invention provides a fluid identification device for pipes that is highly visible and easy to install when fixing pipes using U-bolts. [Solution] The pipe fluid identification tool 1 according to the present invention is formed in the shape of a strip, with a gripping portion 4 on the base end and a bolt insertion portion 5 on the tip end. The bolt insertion portion 5 is configured to have a notch 6 into which the straight portion 3 of the U-bolt 2 is inserted laterally, and a pair of locking claws 7, 7 are provided on the opening edge of the notch 6 so as to face each other. The pipe fluid identification tool 1 is configured so that the bolt insertion portion 5 is elastically deformable along the out-of-plane direction, and the locking claws 7, 7 can be locked or unlocked to the circumferential surface of the straight portion 3, thereby allowing it to be detachably attached to the U-bolt 2, and is configured to have an appearance associated with the type of fluid in the pipe fixed by the U-bolt 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention mainly relates to a device for identifying fluid in a pipe that is attached near the pipes of air conditioning equipment and water supply and drainage equipment.

Background Art

[0002] In air conditioning and water supply and drainage, it is necessary to handle various types of fluids in order to operate these equipment. Fluids related to air conditioning include chilled water, chilled and warm water, warm water, cooling water, etc. Fluids related to water supply and drainage include makeup water, feed water, hot water supply, miscellaneous water, fire fighting water, etc.

[0003] These fluids flow through the building through pipes. In order to efficiently perform pipe construction and maintenance inspections, it is necessary to identify the type of fluid for each pipe. When the pipes are complexly intertwined, it is also important to be easily distinguishable so as not to be confused with other pipes.

[0004] Therefore, display identification stickers used by sticking on pipes and pipe identification sheets used by winding around pipes are known. According to these display identification stickers and pipe identification sheets, by sticking or winding for each pipe, the type of fluid flowing through each pipe can be grasped at a glance (Patent Document 1, Non-Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Non-Patent Documents

[0006]

Non-Patent Document 1

[0007] In this case, the identification sticker described in Patent Document 1 peels off after being applied, and the pipe identification sheet described in Non-Patent Document 1 requires wrapping it around the pipe and then overlapping and bonding its edges together, which is time-consuming.

[0008] Therefore, the applicant has developed a new device for identifying fluids inside pipes (Patent Document 2).

[0009] In this pipe fluid identification device, the pipe support suspension bolt is inserted into the inner space of the cylindrical member through a slit, and the cylindrical member is held in place by the pipe support suspension bolt by the restoring force from its expanded diameter state. As a result, the installation work on the pipe support suspension bolt is completed instantly, and there is no risk of it falling off after installation. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently achieve a state in which the type of fluid in the pipe can be identified, and to reliably maintain this identifiable state.

[0010] However, the above-mentioned fluid identification device for piping was designed on the premise that the piping was suspended using pipe support suspension bolts, which presented a problem as it could not be applied when the piping was fixed to a frame with U-bolts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] This invention has been made in consideration of the circumstances described above, and aims to provide a device for identifying the fluid inside a pipe that is highly visible and easy to install when fixing the pipe using a U-bolt.

[0012] To achieve the above objective, the pipe fluid identification device according to the present invention, as described in claim 1, is formed in a strip shape from an elastic material, and has a gripping portion on the base end and a bolt insertion portion on the tip end, the bolt insertion portion is configured with a notch into which the straight portion of a U-bolt is inserted laterally, and a pair of locking claws provided opposite each other at the opening edge of the notch are locked or unlocked to the circumferential surface of the straight portion by the elastic deformation of the bolt insertion portion, thereby allowing the pipe fluid identification device to be detachably attached to the U-bolt, and is configured to have an appearance associated with the type of fluid in the pipe fixed by the U-bolt.

[0013] Furthermore, the identification device for fluids inside pipes according to the present invention has the aforementioned appearance represented by color.

[0014] Furthermore, the identification device for fluid inside a pipe according to the present invention has an appearance that is determined by the shape or number of openings provided in the gripping portion.

[0015] Furthermore, the pipe fluid identification device according to the present invention has the opening dimensions of the notch indicated on the gripping portion in a manner that corresponds to the thickness of the U-bolt.

[0016] The pipe fluid identification device according to the present invention has a bolt insertion portion at its tip, and the straight portion of a U-bolt is inserted laterally into a notch formed in the bolt insertion portion, allowing the device to be detachably attached to the U-bolt. Furthermore, it is configured to have an appearance associated with the type of fluid in the pipe fixed by the U-bolt. Therefore, when fixing pipes to a frame or the like using a U-bolt, the device can be attached to the U-bolt with simple operation and high visibility, while allowing the type of fluid in the pipe to be confirmed at a glance during construction and maintenance inspections. Additionally, when installing pipes, there is no risk of accidentally connecting to the wrong pipe, and during maintenance inspections of equipment including pipes, the work efficiency can be improved.

[0017] To attach the identifier for the fluid in the pipe according to the present invention to the straight part of the U-bolt, while holding the gripping part provided on the proximal end side, it may be pushed onto the U-bolt so that the straight part of the U-bolt fits into the notch of the bolt insertion part provided on the distal end side.

[0018] By doing so, in the above-described pushing operation, the bolt insertion part is elastically deformed and the notch is opened. The straight part of the U-bolt fits into the notch, and due to the return of the elastic deformation, a pair of locking claws are locked to the peripheral surface of the straight part, and the attachment to the U-bolt is completed.

[0019] On the other hand, when removing, hold the gripping part provided on the proximal end side and pull to elastically deform the bolt insertion part to release the locking of the pair of locking claws locked to the peripheral surface of the U-bolt, and the straight part of the U-bolt inserted into the notch of the bolt insertion part may be removed from the notch.

[0020] To configure so as to have an appearance associated with the fluid type of the pipe fixed by the U-bolt means that, in order to be able to identify the fluid type flowing through the pipe, differences in appearance according to the fluid type are imparted in whole or in part, particularly to the gripping part. For example, configurations can be adopted in which those having different overall lengths, overall widths or overall shapes are prepared and the fluid type of the pipe is assigned to each.

[0021] Here, if the above-described appearance is configured as a color, or the shape or number of openings provided in the gripping part, it can be easily visually recognized even from a distant location, so that the fluid type of the pipe becomes easier to confirm.

[0022] As long as the color functions as an identification means, achromatic colors (gray scale) with a chroma of zero are also included, but from the viewpoint of enhancing the identification function, a configuration with a chromatic color is desirable.

[0023] The identifier for the fluid in the pipe according to the present invention may be appropriately sorted and stored according to the thickness of the U-bolt inserted through the opening dimension (inner diameter) of the notch. However, if the opening dimension of the notch is displayed on the gripping portion in a form corresponding to the thickness of the U-bolt, it is possible to appropriately and quickly prepare a U-bolt that fits the thickness of the U-bolt.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] Perspective view showing the identifier 1 for the fluid in the pipe according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a view showing the identifier 1 for the fluid in the pipe, (a) is a front view, and (b) is a view seen in the direction of arrow A-A. [Figure 3] Overall perspective view showing the state of attaching the identifier 1 for the fluid in the pipe to the straight portion 3 of the U-bolt 2. [Figure 4] It is a view showing the state of attaching the identifier 1 for the fluid in the pipe to the straight portion 3 of the U-bolt 2, (a) is a view showing the attachment procedure, and (b) is a view showing the state after attachment. [Figure 5] Overall perspective view showing the state of attaching the identifier 1 for the fluid in the pipe to the U-bolt 51 of a different configuration. [Figure 6] Side view showing the state of attaching the identifier 1 for the fluid in the pipe to the U-bolt 51 as well. [Figure 7] Front view showing the identifier for the fluid in the pipe according to the modified example. [Figure 8] Overall perspective view showing the identifier for the fluid in the pipe according to another modified example. [Figure 9] Overall perspective view showing the identifier for the fluid in the pipe according to yet another modified example.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the identifier for the fluid in the pipe according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the identifier ① for the fluid in the pipe according to this embodiment, FIG. 2 is also a front view and a view seen in the direction of arrow, and FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view including the U-bolt ②.

[0027] As shown in these figures, the fluid identification device 1 inside the pipe is formed in the shape of a strip, with a gripping portion 4 on the base end and a bolt insertion portion 5 on the tip end.

[0028] The bolt insertion portion 5 is constructed by forming a notch 6 into which the straight portion 3 of the U-bolt 2 is inserted laterally, and a pair of locking claws 7, 7 are provided on the opening edge of the notch 6 so as to face each other.

[0029] The fluid identification device 1 inside the pipe is made of an elastic material such as polypropylene, and as shown in Figure 2(b), the bolt insertion portion 5 is configured to be elastically deformable in the out-of-plane direction, and the locking claws 7, 7 are locked to or unlocked from the circumferential surface of the straight portion 3, so that it can be detachably attached to the U-bolt 2.

[0030] The fluid identification device 1 inside the piping is configured to have an appearance associated with the type of fluid in the piping 11 fixed with U-bolts 2, and in this embodiment, this appearance is represented by color.

[0031] From the perspective of enhancing the ability to distinguish colors, it is desirable to use chromatic colors.

[0032] For example, the colors could be blue for cold water, yellow-green for hot and cold water, yellow-red for hot water, navy blue for cooling water, green for replenishment water, light red-purple for hot water supply, light blue for water supply, and red for fire extinguishing.

[0033] To identify the type of fluid flowing through the piping 11 fixed by the U-bolt 2, the fluid identification device 1 is attached to the U-bolt. In advance, as shown in Figure 3, the piping 11 is placed on the mounting frame 12, the U-bolt 2 is positioned so as to straddle the piping, the male threads 14, 14 are inserted through the bolt holes 15, 15 provided in the mounting frame 12, and nuts 13, 13 are screwed onto the male threads to fix the piping 11 to the mounting frame 12.

[0034] Next, the fluid identification device 1 inside the pipe is attached to the straight section 3 of the U-bolt 2. When doing so, the gripping part 4 provided on the base end is held by hand, and as shown in Figure 4(a), the entire device is tilted relative to the U-bolt 2, and the notch 6 of the bolt insertion part 5 is pushed towards the U-bolt 2.

[0035] In this manner, the bolt insertion portion 5 undergoes elastic deformation in the out-of-plane direction, and in the case shown in the figure, the locking claws 7, 7 bend to opposite sides, widening the gap between the locking claws 7, 7 and opening the notch 6. As a result, the straight portion 3 of the U-bolt 2 fits into the notch, and the locking claws 7, 7 are locked to the circumferential surface of the straight portion due to the return of the elastic deformation. The fluid identification device 1 inside the pipe is then attached to the straight portion 3 of the U-bolt 2, as shown in Figure (b).

[0036] Furthermore, when reattaching or removing the fluid identification device 1 inside the piping, the entire device is tilted, and the gripping part 4 is held by hand and pulled, causing the locking claws 7, 7 of the bolt insertion part 5 to elastically deform out of plane and in opposite directions, thereby releasing the locking to the circumferential surface of the straight part 3, and the straight part can then be removed from the notch 6 of the bolt insertion part 5.

[0037] As described above, the pipe fluid identification device 1 according to this embodiment is provided with a bolt insertion portion 5 at its tip, and the straight portion 3 of the U-bolt 2 can be inserted laterally into a notch 6 formed in the bolt insertion portion, allowing it to be detachably attached to the U-bolt. Furthermore, it is configured to have an appearance associated with the type of fluid in the pipe 11 fixed by the U-bolt 2. Therefore, when fixing the pipe 11 to the mounting frame 12 using the U-bolt 2, it can be attached to the U-bolt with simple operation and high visibility, while allowing the type of fluid in the pipe 11 to be confirmed at a glance during construction and maintenance inspections. Additionally, when installing the pipe 11, there is no risk of accidentally connecting it to the wrong pipe, and the workability of maintenance inspections of equipment including the pipes can be improved.

[0038] In this embodiment, the fluid identification device 1 inside the pipe is attached to the mounting side of the pipe 11. However, if the object to be attached is not a U-bolt 2 made only of metal as in this embodiment, but rather a U-bolt 51 as shown in Figures 5 and 6, in which the load transmission part 54 made of thermoplastic elastomer or the like is covered with a metal U-bolt body 52 except for the male threaded parts 53, 53, and the male threaded end parts 55, 55 of the load transmission part abut against the mounting frame 12 to prevent excessive tightening by the nut 13, then the portion of the male threaded part 53 that is on the opposite side from the pipe 11 and extends from the nut 13 may be made straight, and the device may be attached to this straight portion.

[0039] Furthermore, the fluid identification device 1 installed in this manner can be prevented from falling off due to its own weight or vibration by, if necessary, placing a suitable bolt cap (not shown) over the tip of the male threaded portion 53.

[0040] Furthermore, although not specifically mentioned in this embodiment, if the indicator 71 representing the opening dimensions (inner diameter) of the notch 6 is configured to correspond to the thickness of the U-bolt 2, and in the example shown in Figure 7, the indicator "W1 / 2" is displayed on the gripping portion 4, then a pipe fluid identification device 1 that matches the thickness of the U-bolt 2 can be prepared appropriately and quickly.

[0041] Furthermore, although not specifically mentioned in this embodiment, if a non-slip surface 81 with irregularities is provided on the gripping portion 4 as shown in Figure 8, it becomes less likely to slip when the gripping portion is held by hand, thereby improving the ease of installation.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the appearance of the pipe 11 is associated with the type of fluid, but it is sufficient that the type of fluid flowing through the pipe 11 can be identified by its differences in appearance. In addition to color, the shape or number of openings may be used instead.

[0043] Figure 9 shows an example in which multiple circular openings 91 are provided on the gripping part 4. By providing different numbers of circular openings, it is possible to distinguish between different types of fluids, such as using one circular opening 91 for cold water, two for hot and cold water, and three for hot water.

[0044] Furthermore, this modified version incorporates the aforementioned anti-slip properties, thus improving ease of installation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1. Identifier for fluids inside piping 2.51 U-bolt 3. Straight section 4 Grip part 5 Bolt insertion section 6 Notches 7,7 Locking claws 11 Piping< / url>

Claims

1. A pipe fluid identification device, formed in a strip shape from an elastic material, having a gripping portion at the base end and a bolt insertion portion at the tip end, wherein the bolt insertion portion is configured with a notch into which the straight portion of a U-bolt is laterally inserted, and a pair of locking claws provided opposite each other at the opening edge of the notch are locked or unlocked to the circumferential surface of the straight portion by the elastic deformation of the bolt insertion portion, thereby allowing the device to be detachably attached to the U-bolt, wherein the device is configured to have an appearance associated with the type of fluid in the pipe fixed by the U-bolt.

2. The identification device for fluid inside a pipe according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned appearance is colored.

3. The identification device for fluid inside a pipe according to claim 1, wherein the external appearance is the shape or number of openings provided in the gripping portion.

4. The pipe fluid identification device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the opening dimensions of the notch are indicated on the gripping portion in a manner corresponding to the thickness of the U-bolt.

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