Stopcock and water meter unit
The remotely operable stopcock system addresses inefficiencies in manual water meter operations by using a ceramic-based actuator for reduced friction and power consumption, enabling efficient automated water supply management.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2022117750
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-07-25
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-31
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-07-25
AI Technical Summary
Existing water meter systems require manual operation to close the stopcock when residents leave, necessitating staff dispatch, which is inefficient and costly.
A remotely operable stopcock system with an actuator part and wireless communication, allowing for remote control of the stopcock via a control unit and battery-powered mechanism, using ceramic components to reduce friction and power requirements.
Enables remote operation of the stopcock, reducing operational costs and increasing efficiency by allowing automated water supply management, with ceramic components minimizing friction and power consumption.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a stop valve that allows water to be stopped remotely.The present invention also relates to a water meter unit that allows water to be stopped remotely. [Background technology]
[0002] When a water meter is installed between a primary piping and a secondary piping that have been laid in advance, a water meter unit that includes a water meter and a valve device installed on both sides of the water meter is used. Patent Document 1 describes a water meter unit that is installed midway through a water pipe that draws tap water from a distribution pipe to a building such as a house. The meter unit in the document includes a water meter, a stop valve connected to the primary side of the water meter, and a check valve connected to the secondary side of the water meter. The stop valve and the check valve are fixed to a base with a predetermined interval between them. The water meter is not fixed to the base, and is detachably connected to the stop valve and the check valve. The primary piping is connected to the stop valve, and the secondary piping is connected to the check valve. The water meter unit in Patent Document 1 is buried in the ground.
[0003] Patent Document 2 describes a meter unit that detects the flow rate of water used by each unit in an apartment building. The meter unit in Patent Document 2 includes a water meter, a primary meter holding member that holds the primary side of the water meter, a pressure reducing valve connected to the primary side of the primary meter holding member, and a stop valve connected to the primary side of the pressure reducing valve. The water meter unit also includes a secondary meter holding member that holds the secondary side of the water meter. The secondary meter holding member includes a check valve. The primary meter holding member and the secondary meter holding member are attached to a base with a predetermined gap between them. The water meter is not fixed to the base, and is detachably connected to the primary meter holding member and the secondary meter holding member. The water meter unit in Patent Document 2 is installed in a pipe shaft of an apartment building.
[0004] A stop valve used in a water meter unit is described in Patent Document 3. The stop valve described in Patent Document 1 is a ball stop valve. The ball stop valve includes a water passage extending linearly, a valve chamber provided in the middle of the water passage, two annular valve seats arranged coaxially with the water passage in the valve chamber, a ball valve body accommodated in the valve chamber while being sandwiched between the two valve seats, and a valve rod connected to the valve body. The valve rod extends in a direction perpendicular to the water passage. The ball valve body is made of metal and includes a communication passage that passes through the center in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the valve rod. When an operator who operates the stop valve rotates the valve rod by 90 degrees, the ball valve body rotates between a water passage position where the communication passage communicates with the water passage and a water stop position where the communication passage does not communicate with the water passage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-93226 [Patent Document 2] Registered Utility Model No. 3195103 [Patent Document 3] JP 2004-68980 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0006] When residents of a house or apartment move out, the water company closes the stop valve located upstream of the water meter to stop water from flowing through the meter. Therefore, the water company must dispatch personnel to the location of the stop valve to close the stop valve.
[0007] In view of the above, the object of this example is to provide a water stop valve that can be opened and closed remotely. Another object of the present invention is to provide a water meter unit that can remotely open and close a flow path passing through a water meter. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the stop valve of this example has a stop valve section and an actuator section, and the stop valve section has a housing having a main body section including a primary side pipe section having a primary side flow path, a secondary side pipe section having a secondary side flow path, and an internal flow path that connects the primary side flow path and the secondary side flow path, and a protruding section that is rotatably supported by the housing and protrudes into the internal flow path and an exposed section that is exposed to the outside of the housing. of and a valve body connected to the protruding portion and rotating with rotation of the spindle to open and close the internal flow path, the actuator unit includes an adapter connected to the exposed portion in a relatively non-rotatable manner, a drive mechanism including a drive source and configured to drive the adapter to rotate about an axis of the spindle, a rotation angle position detector that detects a rotation angle position of the adapter about the axis, a control unit that drives and controls the drive source, a wireless communication unit that connects an external device and the control unit so as to be able to communicate with each other, and a housing. Fixed to the ring 、 a case that accommodates the drive mechanism, the rotation angle position detector, the control unit, and the adapter, The rotational angle position detector has a rotary switch member that rotates integrally with the adapter, a first fixed switch unit that contacts the rotary switch member to output a first signal when the adapter is located at a first rotational angle position where the valve body is located at a closed position that closes the internal flow path, and a second fixed switch unit that contacts the rotary switch member to output a second signal when the adapter is located at a second rotational angle position where the valve body is located at an open position that opens the internal flow path, and the control unit is characterized in that when a water stop command is input from the external device via the wireless communication unit, the control unit drives the drive source to rotate the adapter when the first signal is not detected, and stops the drive source to place the valve body in the closed position when the first signal is detected.
[0009] The stopcock of this example includes a stopcock section and an actuator section. The stopcock section includes a flow path in a housing, which includes a primary flow path, an internal flow path, and a secondary flow path, and includes a valve body that opens and closes the internal flow path. The valve body is connected to a spindle supported by the housing, and rotates with the rotation of the spindle to open and close the flow path. Meanwhile, the actuator section includes an adapter connected to the spindle, a drive mechanism that rotates the adapter, a control section that drives and controls the drive source of the drive mechanism, and a wireless communication section that connects the control section to an external device so that the control section can communicate with the external device. When a water stop command is input from the external device via the wireless communication section, the control section drives the drive source to rotate the adapter connected to the spindle, thereby closing the flow path of the stopcock section. Therefore, it is possible to operate the stopcock remotely. In addition, the actuator section includes a rotation angle position detector that detects the rotation angle position of the adapter, and the control section places the valve body in the closed position based on the output from the rotation angle position detector. Therefore, the actuator section can reliably place the valve body in the closed position. In addition, the present invention can detect a first rotation angle position of the adapter where the valve is located in the closed position and a second rotation angle position of the adapter where the valve is located in the open position by utilizing mechanical contact between the rotary switch member and two fixed rotary switch members. Therefore, it is possible to physically detect whether the adapter connected to the spindle is in the first rotation angle position or the second rotation angle position.
[0010] Here, the stop valve section can adopt a ball stop valve structure. However, in a ball stop valve, a metal ball valve body slides against two resin or rubber valve seats when opening and closing the flow path. Therefore, a relatively large force is required to open and close a ball stop valve. Therefore, when the ball stop valve structure is adopted for the stop valve section, a relatively large power is required for the drive source of the drive mechanism that rotates the valve body. For this reason, when the ball stop valve structure is adopted for the stop valve section, there is a problem that the actuator section is likely to become large in size and the power consumption of the drive source is likely to increase.
[0011] In contrast, in this example, the stopcock portion includes a fixing member that is fixed within the internal flow path and in surface contact with the valve body, the fixing member includes a sealing portion that seals the internal flow path, and an opening portion provided in a portion of the sealing portion in a circumferential direction about the axis line, and the valve body overlaps with the opening portion to seal the opening portion when the valve body is disposed at the closed position, and is at a rotation angle position different from the closed position. The above When the valve is placed in the open position, the opening is fully open, and the valve body and the fixed member can be made of ceramic. In this way, the stopcock opens and closes the internal flow path by an opening and closing mechanism including a ceramic fixed member and a ceramic valve body that rubs against the fixed member, thereby allowing water to pass and stopping water. That is, the valve body is rotated by rotating the spindle, and the opening of the fixed member is opened and closed by the valve body. Here, the fixed member and the valve body are made of ceramic and have high hardness. Therefore, friction when the valve body rubs against the fixed member can be reduced compared to when a metal valve body rubs against two valve seats made of resin or rubber. Therefore, a metal ball valve body and two valve seats made of resin or rubber can be opened and closed by an opening mechanism including a ceramic ball valve body and a ceramic valve body that rubs against the fixed member. The stopcock portion can be opened and closed with less force than when the flow path is opened and closed with a ball stopcock structure equipped with a seat. In addition, since the fixing member and the valve body are made of ceramic, they are less likely to adhere to each other than when they are made of metal, and even if they do adhere to each other, the frictional force due to adhesion is smaller than when they are made of metal. Therefore, the stopcock portion can be opened and closed with less force than when the fixing member and the valve body are made of metal. Furthermore, since the fixing member and the valve body are made of ceramic, wear on the fixing member and the valve body can be prevented or suppressed compared to when they are made of resin. Therefore, it is easy to ensure the life of the stopcock portion.
[0012] In this example, the primary pipe section has an upstream pipe section at its upstream end in the water flow direction that extends in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the spindle, the secondary pipe section has a downstream pipe section at its downstream end in the water flow direction that is coaxial with the upstream pipe section, and the internal flow path extends in the axial direction. In this way, the stop valve section has coaxial upstream and downstream pipe sections, and therefore the stop valve of this example can be easily installed in place of a conventional stop valve.
[0014] In this example, when a water flow command is input from the external device via the wireless communication unit, the control unit can drive the drive source to rotate the adapter when the second signal is not detected, and stop the drive source when the second signal is detected. In this way, the stop valve can be brought into a water flowing state by remote control.
[0015] In this example, the control unit may transmit the output from the rotation angle position detector to the external device when an inquiry command is input from the external device via the wireless communication unit. In this way, it is possible to remotely know whether the stop valve is in a water-passing or water-stopped state. Furthermore, if it is found by the inquiry that the valve body is not in the closed or open position, the valve body can be placed in the closed or open position by transmitting a water-stop command or a water-passing command to the stop valve.
[0016] In this example, the actuator unit is Inside the case In addition, a battery that supplies power to the drive source can be provided. In this way, the stop valve can be installed regardless of whether or not there is an AC power source. Therefore, the stop valve can be easily installed outdoors or underground.
[0017] In this example, the case is placed over the water stop valve portion so as to cover the exposed portion from one side in the axial direction and is removably fixed to the housing, and the adapter is The actuator part can be detachably fitted to the stop valve part from one side in the axial direction. In this way, the actuator part is detachable from the stop valve part. Here, when the actuator part is removed from the stop valve part, the exposed part of the spindle is exposed to the outside from the housing of the stop valve part. Therefore, the stop valve part can be opened and closed manually by manually operating the exposed part.
[0018] Next, the present invention is characterized in that a water meter unit installed between a primary side piping and a secondary side piping has piping passing through a water meter, the piping comprising a primary side piping section to which the primary side piping is connected on one side of the water meter, and a secondary side piping section to which the secondary side piping is connected on the other side of the water meter, the primary side piping section comprising the above-mentioned stop valve, and the secondary side piping section comprising a stop valve.
[0019] In this way, the flow of water to the water meter can be stopped by remotely operating the stop valve. Effect of the Invention
[0020] According to this example, the stop valve can be opened and closed remotely. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a water meter unit to which the present invention is applied. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3]FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the stopcock portion as viewed from the actuator portion side. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the stopcock portion as viewed from the opposite side to the actuator portion. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the stop valve portion as viewed from the actuator portion side. [Figure 7] 4 is an exploded perspective view of the stop valve portion as viewed from the opposite side to the actuator portion. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an actuator unit. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a control system of the stop valve. [Figure 11] 11 is an explanatory diagram of the mounting operation for mounting the actuator unit to the stop valve unit. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] (Water meter unit) Fig. 1 is a side view of a water meter unit to which the present invention is applied. The water meter unit 1 shown in Fig. 1 is installed in the pipe shaft of an apartment building. The water meter unit 1 is installed between the primary piping 2, which is laid from the main water pipe to the pipe shaft, and the secondary piping 3, which is connected to the water pipes drawn into each unit of the apartment building.
[0023] The water meter unit 1 has piping 5 through which a water meter 4 passes. The water meter 4 includes an inflow pipe 6 having an inlet through which water flows in, an outflow pipe 7 having an outlet for water, and a meter body 8 that measures the water flowing in through the inflow pipe 6 and causes the water to flow out to the outflow pipe 7. The inflow pipe 6 and the outflow pipe 7 are coaxial and extend horizontally.
[0024] The piping 5 includes a primary piping section 11 to which the primary piping 2 is connected on one side of the water meter 4, and a secondary piping section 12 to which the secondary piping 3 is connected on the other side of the water meter 4. The water meter unit 1 also includes a base 13 extending below the water meter 4 in the extension direction of the inlet pipe 6 and the outlet pipe 7. The base 13 has a first support section 14 that supports the primary piping section 11, and a second support section 15 that supports the secondary piping 3 at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the primary piping section 11. Water flows from the primary piping 2 through the primary piping section 11, the water meter 4, and the secondary piping section 12 in this order to the secondary piping 3.
[0025] The primary side piping section 11 includes a stop valve 17, a pressure reducing valve 18, and a pipe joint 19, in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the water flow direction S. The primary side piping 2 is connected to the primary side of the stop valve 17. The pressure reducing valve 18 is a general type. The pipe joint 19 includes a crimp pipe joint section 21 connected to the inlet pipe 6 of the water meter 4, and an elbow section 22 that curves upward from the side of the crimp pipe joint section 21 opposite to the water meter 4. The crimp pipe joint section 21 includes a pipe section 23 extending horizontally, a slide pipe 24 inserted inside the pipe section 23, and an operation section 25 for moving the slide pipe 24 forward and backward. The slide pipe 24 can be moved forward and backward in the horizontal direction by a screw mechanism (not shown) configured between the pipe section 23 and the slide pipe 24. The slide pipe 24 includes a crimp section 24a that is crimped horizontally to the inlet pipe 6 of the water meter 4. The pipe portion 23 is fixed to the first support portion 14 of the base 13. The stopcock 17 will be described in detail later.
[0026] The secondary piping portion 12 is provided with a check valve 28. The check valve 28 has a receiving portion 28a that is in close contact with the outflow pipe 7 of the water meter 4. The check valve 28 is fixed to the second support portion 15 of the base 13. The secondary piping 3 is connected to the check valve 28. Here, the water meter 4 is disposed between the pipe joint 19 and the check valve 28. In addition, the water meter 4 is placed in a state where it is sandwiched between the pipe joint 19 and the check valve 28 by moving the slide tube 24 toward the check valve 28 by operating the operating portion 25. The water meter 4 is not fixed to the base 13, and is detachably connected to the pipe joint 19 and the check valve 28.
[0027] (Stop valve) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the stop valve 17. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the stop valve 17. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the stop valve section 31 as viewed from the actuator section 32 side. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the stop valve section 31 as viewed from the opposite side to the actuator section 32. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the stop valve section 31 as viewed from the actuator section 32 side. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the stop valve section 31 as viewed from the opposite side to the actuator section 32. As shown in FIG. 2, the stop valve 17 has the stop valve section 31 and the actuator section 32 superimposed on the stop valve section 31.
[0028] (Water stop valve section) The stopcock unit 31 includes a housing 33 and a spindle 34 that penetrates the housing 33 from inside to outside and extends toward the actuator unit 32. The housing 33 includes a primary pipe unit 35, a secondary pipe unit 36, and a main body unit 37 located between the primary pipe unit 35 and the secondary pipe unit 36. The primary pipe unit 35 includes an upstream pipe portion 41 and an upstream extension portion 42, in this order, from the upstream side to the downstream side of the water flow direction S. The upstream pipe portion 41 extends linearly. The upstream extension portion 42 curves from a portion of the upstream pipe portion 41 close to the main body unit 37 toward the opposite side to the actuator unit 32 and continues to the bottom portion of the main body unit 37. The secondary pipe unit 36 extends linearly, and the secondary pipe unit 36 and the upstream pipe unit 41 are coaxial. The pipe axis of the upstream pipe section 41 and the pipe axis of the secondary pipe section 36 are perpendicular to the axis of the spindle 34 .
[0029] In the following description, the direction in which the pipe axis of the upstream pipe section 41 and the pipe axis of the secondary pipe section 36 extend is defined as the X-axis direction, and the axial direction of the spindle 34 is defined as the Z-axis direction. The X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction are perpendicular to each other. The side of the primary pipe section 35 in the X-axis direction is defined as the X1 direction, and the side of the secondary pipe section 36 in the X-axis direction is defined as the X2 direction. Furthermore, the side in the Z-axis direction where the stopcock section 31 is located is defined as the Z1 direction, and the side where the actuator section 32 is located is defined as the Z2 direction. The Z2 direction is the direction in which the spindle 34 protrudes from the housing 33.
[0030] As shown in Fig. 3, the primary side pipe section 35 has a primary side flow passage 35a therein. The primary side flow passage 35a extends linearly in the X-axis direction along the shapes of the upstream side pipe section 41 and the upstream side extension section 42, and then curves in the Z1 direction to reach the Z1 direction side of the main body section 37. The secondary side pipe section 36 has a secondary side flow passage 36a therein. The secondary side flow passage 36a extends linearly in the X-axis direction. The main body 37 has an internal flow passage 39 that connects the primary side flow passage 35a and the secondary side flow passage 36a. The internal flow passage 39 extends in the Z-axis direction. The primary side flow passage 35a connects to the internal flow passage 39 from the Z1 direction side. The secondary side flow passage 36a connects to a portion of the internal flow passage 39 on the Z2 direction side. Here, the spindle 34 has a protruding portion 45 that protrudes into the internal flow passage 39. The protruding portion 45 is a portion of the spindle 34 on the Z1 direction side. An opening and closing mechanism 50 is housed in the internal flow passage 39.
[0031] Here, the housing 33 has a partition wall portion 51 extending in the Z-axis direction and partitioning the internal flow passage 39. The partition wall portion 51 has a primary partition wall portion 52 (see FIG. 5) separating the primary flow passage 35a from the internal flow passage 39 and a secondary partition wall portion 53 (see FIG. 4) separating the internal flow passage 39 from the secondary flow passage 36a at positions facing each other in the X-axis direction. The secondary partition wall portion 53 has a circular opening 54 that communicates the internal flow passage 39 with the secondary flow passage 36a. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the housing 33 has an annular protrusion 55 protruding from the lower end portion of the partition wall portion 51 toward the inner periphery. The central hole of the annular protrusion 55 is coaxial with the spindle 34. The annular protrusion 55 is located at the boundary between the primary flow passage 35a and the internal flow passage 39.
[0032] Next, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the housing 33 is composed of two members, a main body member 57 and a cover member 58. Both the main body member 57 and the cover member 58 are bronze castings. As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5, the main body member 57 has the primary side pipe portion 35, the secondary side pipe portion 36, and a portion of the main body portion 37 on the Z1 direction side. The primary side flow path 35a, the internal flow path 39, the secondary side flow path 36a, the partition wall portion 51, and the annular protrusion portion 55 are formed inside the main body member 57. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the main body member 57 has a flange portion 59 at the end in the Z2 direction, in which the opening 39a at the end in the Z2 direction of the internal flow path 39 is exposed in the center. The outer diameter shape of the flange portion 59 is generally square.
[0033] As shown in FIG. 6, the cover member 58 includes a plate portion 61 having a square shape when viewed from the Z-axis direction, and a tube portion 62 protruding from the center of the plate portion 61 in the X2 direction. The plate portion 61 is overlapped with the flange portion 59 of the main body member 57 from the Z2 direction side. The tube portion 62 includes a large diameter portion 64 having an outer diameter dimension larger than other portions in the middle of the Z-axis direction. The large diameter portion 64 has an oval shape when viewed from the Z-axis direction. That is, the large diameter portion 64 includes two arc portions 65 having an outer peripheral surface of an arc protruding to the outer periphery side, and a connecting portion 66 connecting the two arc portions 65. The arc portions 65 are provided at positions spaced 180° apart around the axis. The connecting portions 66 include outer peripheral surfaces 66a that are parallel to each other across the axis L. Each arc portion 65 includes a notch portion 65a that is cut out from the outer periphery side and the Z1 direction.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 7, the cover member 58 includes an annular protrusion 68, an arc-shaped protrusion 69 provided on the inner circumferential side of the annular protrusion 68, and a circular recess 70 provided on the inner circumferential side of the arc-shaped protrusion 69 on the surface of the plate portion 61 opposite to the tube portion 62. The tube portion 62, the annular protrusion 68, the arc-shaped protrusion 69, and the circular recess 70 are coaxial. The annular protrusion 68 includes notched grooves 71 recessed upward at four positions in the circumferential direction. The notched grooves 71 cross the annular protrusion 68 in the radial direction. The arc-shaped protrusions 69 are provided within an angular range of 270° around the axis L. A central hole 62a of the tube portion 62 opens at the center of the circular recess 70.
[0035] The cover member 58 is placed on the main body member 57 from above. As shown in Fig. 3, when the cover member 58 is placed on the main body member 57, the plate portion 61 is overlapped with the flange portion 59 of the main body member 57, and the annular protrusion 68 of the cover member 58 is fitted into the Z2-direction opening 39a of the internal flow path 39. The cover member 58 is fastened to the main body member 57 by bolts that pass through the four corners of the plate portion 61 and the flange portion 59 from the plate portion 61 side, and nuts that are screwed onto the bolts from the flange portion 59 side. The bolts and nuts are not shown. When the cover member 58 is fastened to the main body member 57, the cover member 58 forms a part of the inner wall of the internal flow path 39.
[0036] 3 and 4, the opening / closing mechanism 50 includes a circular fixed disk 75 (fixed member) whose outer circumferential edge is placed on the annular protrusion 55 and fitted into the inner circumferential side of the partition wall portion 51, a circular rotating disk 76 (valve body) overlapped in the Z2 direction of the fixed disk 75, and a circular connecting disk 77 for connecting the rotating disk 76 and the spindle 34. Also, the opening / closing mechanism 50 includes a frame member 80 for restricting the rotation of the fixed disk 75, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The fixed disk 75, the rotating disk 76, and the connecting disk 77 are arranged coaxially with the spindle 34.
[0037] The fixed disk 75 is made of ceramic. As shown in FIG. 6, the surface of the fixed disk 75 in the Z2 direction is a smooth surface perpendicular to the axis L of the spindle 34. The fixed disk 75 includes a sealing portion 75a that seals the internal flow path 39, and two openings 75b provided in a part of the sealing portion 75a in the circumferential direction around the axis L. When viewed from the Z axis direction, each opening 75b is a fan shape that spreads toward the outer periphery. Each opening 75b is formed within an angular range of 90° or less. The two openings 75b are spaced 180° apart around the axis L. The outer periphery of the surface of the fixed disk 75 in the Z2 direction is provided with four notches 75c in the circumferential direction. The four notches 75c are provided at equal angular intervals. Each notch 75c opens in the Z2 direction and radially outward.
[0038] The rotating disk 76 is made of ceramic. The rotating disk 76 has a smaller diameter than the fixed disk 75. As shown in FIG. 7, the surface of the rotating disk 76 on the Z1 side is a smooth surface perpendicular to the axis L of the spindle 34. The surface of the rotating disk 76 on the Z1 side is in surface contact with the surface of the fixed disk 75 on the Z2 side. The rotating disk 76 has a disk portion 76a and two communication ports 76b penetrating the disk portion 76a in the Z-axis direction. The two communication ports 76b are spaced apart by 180° around the axis L. Each communication port 76b has a fan shape when viewed from the Z-axis direction. When viewed from the Z-axis direction, the opening 75b of the fixed disk 75 and the communication ports 76b of the rotating disk 76 have the same shape. As shown in FIG. 6, the outer periphery of the surface of the rotating disk 76 on the Z2 side is provided with notches 76c at three locations in the circumferential direction. The three cutout portions 76c open in the Z2 direction and radially outward.
[0039] Here, when the rotating disk 76 is placed in a predetermined closed position, the two communication ports 76b overlap with the blocking portions 75a of the fixed disk 75. This blocks the internal flow path 39. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, when the rotating disk 76 is placed in an open position, which is a rotation angle position different from the closed position, the two communication ports 76b overlap with the two openings 75b of the fixed disk 75. This causes the internal flow path 39 to be in a fully open state in which water can flow. The closed position and the open position are separated by 90° around the axis L.
[0040] The connecting disk 77 is made of resin. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the connecting disk 77 has the same outer diameter as the rotating disk 76. The connecting disk 77 has a disk portion 77a and two communication ports 77b penetrating the disk portion 77a in the Z-axis direction. The two communication ports 77b are spaced apart by 180° around the axis L. When viewed from the Z-axis direction, each communication port 77b has the same shape as the communication port 77b of the rotating disk 76. As shown in Fig. 6, the connecting disk 77 has a rectangular recess 77c in the center of its surface on the Z2 direction side.
[0041] 7, the connecting disk 77 has three protrusions 77d on the outer periphery of the surface on the side facing the Z1 direction. The connecting disks 77 are stacked in the Z2 direction of the rotating disk 76 with the three protrusions 77d inserted into the three cutouts 76c of the rotating disk 76. When the connecting disk 77 is stacked on the rotating disk 76, the communication openings 77b of the connecting disk 77 and the communication openings 76b of the rotating disk 76 overlap and communicate with each other in the Z axis direction. When the connecting disk 77 is stacked on the rotating disk 76, the connecting disk 77 and the communication openings 76b of the rotating disk 76 overlap and communicate with each other in the Z axis direction. That is, they rotate together.
[0042] The frame member 80 is made of resin or stainless steel. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the frame member 80 includes an annular frame 81 and four extension frames 82 extending from the annular frame 81 to the outer periphery. Each of the four extension frames 82 includes a first extension portion 83 extending radially outward from the annular frame 81 and a second extension portion 84 extending in the Z1 direction from an end portion on the outer periphery side of the first extension portion 83. As shown in Fig. 5, the arc-shaped protrusion 69 of the cover member 58 is inserted into the inner periphery side of the annular frame 81. The outer periphery side end portions of the first extension portions 83 of the four extension frames 82 are fitted into the four notch grooves 71 of the annular protrusion 68, and the Z1 direction end portions of the second extension portions 84 are fitted into the notch portions 75c of the fixed disk 75 from the Z2 direction side. As a result, the frame-shaped member 80 restricts the fixed disk 75 from rotating within the housing 33 .
[0043] The spindle 34 is made of metal. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the spindle 34 includes, in order from the Z1 direction side toward the Z2 direction, a connection fitting portion 85 having a rectangular planar shape, a rod-shaped portion 86 extending in the Z2 direction from the connection fitting portion 85, a large-diameter shaft portion 87 having an outer diameter larger than that of the rod-shaped portion 86, a small-diameter shaft portion 88 having an outer diameter larger than that of the rod-shaped portion 86 and smaller than that of the large-diameter shaft portion 87, and a protrusion 89 provided on the tip surface of the small-diameter shaft portion 88. As shown in Fig. 3, the connection fitting portion 85 and the rod-shaped portion 86 are protrusions 45 protruding into the internal flow path 39. The connection fitting portion 85 fits into the recess 77c of the connection disk 77. As shown in Figs. 4, 6, and 7, the large-diameter shaft portion 87 is provided with a protrusion 90 protruding radially outward. 6 and 7, the small diameter shaft portion 88 is provided with annular grooves 91 surrounding the axis L at two positions spaced apart in the Z-axis direction. An O-ring (not shown) is attached to each of the annular grooves 91. The protrusion 89 traverses the center of the end face of the small diameter shaft portion 88 in the Z2 direction.
[0044] 3 and 4, the cylindrical portion 62 and the circular recess 70 of the cover member 58 form a support portion 95 that rotatably supports the spindle 34. That is, the spindle 34 is rotatably supported by the cover member 58 in a state in which the small diameter shaft portion 88, equipped with an O-ring, is inserted into the central hole 62a of the cylindrical portion 62 and the Z2 direction side portion of the large diameter shaft portion 87 is inserted into the circular recess 70. When the spindle 34 is supported by the cover member 58, the ridges 89 are exposed to the outside from the cylindrical portion 62. That is, the ridges 89 are exposed portions of the spindle 34 that are exposed to the outside from the housing 33.
[0045] The arc-shaped protrusion 69 is a stopper portion that defines the rotation angle range of the spindle 34. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the spindle 34 is supported by the support portion 95 so that the protrusion 90 is located between the open ends of the arc-shaped protrusion 69. As a result, the spindle 34 rotates between a first rotation angle position where the protrusion 90 abuts against one end of the arc-shaped protrusion 69 and a second rotation angle position where the protrusion 90 abuts against the other end of the arc-shaped protrusion 69. In this example, the arc-shaped protrusion 69 is provided over an angle range of 270°, so that the spindle 34 can rotate within an angle range of 90°. At the first rotation angle position where the protrusion 90 abuts against one end of the arc-shaped protrusion 69, the rotating disk 76 connected to the spindle 34 is disposed in a closed position. At the second rotation angle position where the projection 90 abuts against the other end of the arc-shaped protrusion 69, the rotary disk 76 connected to the spindle 34 is disposed in the open position.
[0046] (Actuator section) Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the internal structure of the actuator unit. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a control system for the actuator unit. As shown in Fig. 2, the actuator unit 32 includes a case 100 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case main body 101 and a cylindrical case protrusion 102 protruding in the Z1 direction from the case main body 101. As shown in Fig. 8, the case main body 101 includes a bottom plate 105 that defines the end in the Z1 direction, a ceiling plate 106 that faces the bottom plate 105 in the Z-axis direction, and four panels that connect the bottom plate 105 and the ceiling plate 106. The bottom plate 105 has a side plate 107 and a through hole 108 at its center. The case protrusion 102 extends in the Z1 direction from the center of the bottom plate 105. The case protrusion 102 surrounds the through hole 108. The case 100 is placed over the stop valve part 31 so as to cover the protrusion 89 of the spindle 34 from the Z2 direction side. When the case 100 is placed over the stop valve part 31, the tube part 62 of the stop valve part 31 is inserted into the case protrusion 102.
[0047] An adapter 110 that can be fitted to the protrusion 89 of the spindle 34 from the Z2 direction side is accommodated inside the case 100. The adapter 110 passes through a through hole 108 in a bottom plate 105 of the case 100 in the Z axis direction. As a result, the adapter 110 includes a fitting portion 111 located on the inside of the case protrusion 102 and an extension portion 112 located on the inside of the case main body 101. The fitting portion 111 has a recess 111a on its end surface in the Z1 direction into which the protrusion 89 of the spindle 34 fits. The fitting portion 111 also has a large-diameter portion at its end portion in the Z1 direction, the outer diameter of which is larger than that of the extension portion 112. As a result, the fitting portion 111 has a step portion 111b on its outer circumferential surface that has an annular surface facing the Z2 direction. When the case 100 is placed on the stopcock portion 31 from one side in the Z axis direction, the recess 111a fits into the protrusion 89 of the spindle 34 from the Z2 direction side. As a result, the adapter 110 is connected to the protrusion 89 of the spindle 34 so as not to rotate relative to it.
[0048] The case body 101 accommodates a drive mechanism 115 that rotates the adapter 110 around the axis L. The drive mechanism 115 is a geared motor that includes a motor 116 as a drive source and a gear train (not shown) that transmits the rotation of the motor 116 to the adapter 110. The case body 101 is also provided with a rotation angle position detector 120 that detects the rotation angle position of the adapter 110. As shown in FIG. 9, the rotation angle position detector 120 includes a rotation switch member 121 that is fixed to the extension portion 112 of the adapter 110 and extends from the adapter 110 to the outer periphery, and a first fixed switch portion 122 and a second fixed switch portion 123 that are disposed on the outer periphery of the extension portion 112 of the adapter 110. The first fixed switch portion 122 and the second fixed switch portion 123 extend from the bottom plate 105 in the Z2 direction. The first fixed switch portion 122 and the second fixed switch portion 123 are disposed on the outer circumferential side of the adapter 110 at positions spaced apart by 90°.
[0049] Here, the rotary switch member 121 rotates integrally with the adapter 110. The rotary switch member 121 is disposed within an angle range of 90° between the first fixed switch portion 122 and the second fixed switch portion 123. The rotary switch member 121 abuts against the first fixed switch portion 122 when the adapter 110 rotates about the axis L and is disposed at a first rotation angle position. The first fixed switch portion 122 outputs a first signal when the rotary switch member 121 abuts against it. The rotary switch member 121 abuts against the second fixed switch portion 123 when the adapter 110 rotates about the axis L and is disposed at a second rotation angle position. The second fixed switch portion 123 outputs a second signal when the rotary switch member 121 abuts against it. The rotary switch member 121 may be formed integrally with the adapter 110.
[0050] The case main body 101 also houses a control system that drives and controls the stopcock unit 31. As shown in FIG. 10, the control system is configured around a control unit 130 having a CPU. A first fixed switch unit 122 and a second fixed switch unit 123 are connected to the input side of the control unit 130. That is, a first signal from the first fixed switch unit 122 and a second signal from the second fixed switch unit 123 are input to the control unit 130. A motor 116 of the drive mechanism 115 is connected to the output side of the control unit 130. That is, the control unit 130 drives and controls the motor 116. A wireless communication unit 131 that connects an external device and the control unit 130 so that they can communicate with each other is also connected to the control unit 130. The wireless communication unit 131 may, for example, Wireless communication is performed according to standards such as LoRa or NB-IoT. As shown in Fig. 8, the control unit 130 and the wireless communication unit 131 are provided on a board 132 fixed to the inside of the case main body 101. The motor 116, the first fixed switch unit 122, and the second fixed switch unit 123 are electrically connected to the board 132.
[0051] The case body 101 also contains a battery 134. The battery 134 supplies power via the board 132 to the control unit 130, the wireless communication unit 131, the motor 116, the first fixed switch unit 122, and the second fixed switch unit 123.
[0052] Here, when a water stop command is input from an external device via the wireless communication unit 131, the control unit 130 drives the motor 116 in the forward direction to rotate the adapter 110, and places the rotary disk 76 in a closed position where the rotary disk 76 blocks the internal flow path 39 based on the output from the rotation angle position detector 120. In this example, when a water stop command is input from an external device via the wireless communication unit 131, the control unit 130 detects the rotation angle position of the adapter 110. That is, the control unit 130 supplies power to the first fixed switch unit 122 and the second fixed switch unit 123 to detect which of the first signal and the second signal is output. Then, when the first signal is not detected, the control unit 130 drives the motor 116 in the forward direction to rotate the adapter 110. Thereafter, when the first signal is output from the first fixed switch unit 122, the control unit 130 stops the motor 116. As a result, the adapter 110 is placed in a first rotation angle position around the axis line L. When the adapter 110 is disposed in the first angular position, the rotating disk 76 connected to the adapter 110 via the spindle 34 is disposed in a closed position blocking the internal flow passage 39 .
[0053] Furthermore, when a water flow command is input from an external device via the wireless communication unit 131, the control unit 130 drives the motor 116 in the reverse direction to rotate the adapter 110, and places the rotating disk 76 in a closed position where the rotating disk 76 opens the internal flow path 39 based on the output from the rotation angle position detector 120. In this example, when a water stop command is input from an external device via the wireless communication unit 131, the control unit 130 detects the rotation angle position of the adapter 110 (rotating disk 76). That is, the control unit 130 supplies power to the first fixed switch unit 122 and the second fixed switch unit 123 to detect whether the first signal or the second signal is output. Then, when the second signal is not detected, the control unit 130 drives the motor 116 in the reverse direction to rotate the adapter 110. Thereafter, when the second signal is output from the second fixed switch unit 123, the control unit 130 stops the motor 116. As a result, the adapter 110 is placed in a second rotation angle position around the axis L. When the adapter 110 is placed in the second rotational angle position, the rotating disk 76 connected to the adapter 110 via the spindle 34 is placed in an open position that opens the internal flow passage 39 .
[0054] Furthermore, when an inquiry command is input from an external device via the wireless communication unit 131, the control unit 130 transmits the output from the rotation angle position detector 120 to the external device. More specifically, when an inquiry command is input from an external device via the wireless communication unit 131, the control unit 130 supplies power to the first fixed switch unit 122 and the second fixed switch unit 123 and detects whether the first signal or the second signal is output. Then, the control unit 130 transmits the detected signal to the external device via the wireless communication unit 131.
[0055] 8, the case 100 is provided with a fixing mechanism 135 for detachably fixing the actuator part 32 to the stopcock part 31. The fixing mechanism 135 is provided with a coil spring 136 arranged inside the case protrusion 102, a ring 137 arranged in the Z1 direction of the coil spring 136, and a pair of locking projections 138 protruding inward from the end part of the case protrusion 102 in the Z1 direction. The coil spring 136 is arranged in the Z2 direction of the step part 111b in the fitting part 111. When viewed from the Z axis direction, the annular groove of the step part 111b and the coil spring 136 are , overlap. Ring 137 is engaged with an annular groove provided on the inner circumferential surface of case protrusion 102. A part of the inner circumferential side of ring 137 protrudes inward from the annular groove to restrict coil spring 136 from falling in the Z1 direction. A pair of engaging projections 138 protrude inward from positions 180° apart on the inner circumferential surface of case protrusion 102.
[0056] When attaching the actuator part 32 to the stop valve part 31, the actuator part 32 is placed over the stop valve part 31 from the Z2 direction side, and the tubular part 62 of the stop valve part 31 is inserted into the case projection 102 of the actuator part 32. During insertion, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the pair of locking projections 138 of the case projection 102 are positioned on the sides of the connection part 66 of the tubular part 62. The position where the pair of locking projections 138 of the case projection 102 are positioned on the sides of the connection part 66 of the tubular part 62 is referred to as the insertion angle position of the actuator part 32. Then, the adapter 110 of the actuator part 32 is fitted onto the protrusion 89 of the spindle 34 from the Z2 direction side.
[0057] Thereafter, when the actuator unit 32 is pushed toward the stopcock unit 31, the coil spring 136 arranged on the inside of the case projection 102 is sandwiched between the bottom plate 105 of the case body 101 and the step 111b of the adapter 110 and compressed. Thereafter, the actuator unit 32 is rotated 90° in the forward direction from the insertion angle position. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the locking projection 138 of the case 100 is inserted from the circumferential direction into the notch 65a of the arc portion 65 of the large diameter portion 64. The locking projection 138 of the case 100 is inserted from the circumferential direction into the notch 65a of the arc portion 65 of the large diameter portion 64. The position where the locking projection 138 of the case 100 is inserted into the notch 65a is referred to as the mounting angle position of the actuator unit 32.
[0058] When the actuator part 32 is stopped being pushed in the mounting angle position, the case 100 is biased in the Z2 direction by the shape restoring force of the coil spring 136. Therefore, the locking projection 138 of the case 100 is locked to the arc part 65 from the Z1 direction side. Therefore, the actuator part 32 is fixed to the stop valve part 31 with the adapter 110 and the spindle 34 connected non-rotatably.
[0059] In this example, before the actuator unit 32 is attached to the stop valve unit 31, the rotating disk 76 (valve body) of the stop valve unit 31 is positioned in the closed position. Meanwhile, the adapter 110 of the actuator unit 32 is positioned in the second rotational angle position. In this state, when the actuator unit 32 is placed in the insertion angle position and placed over the stop valve unit 31, the adapter 110 of the actuator unit 32 fits into the ridge 89 of the spindle 34.
[0060] Here, when the actuator unit 32 is rotated 90° toward the mounting angle position, the adapter 110, which is not driven by the drive mechanism 115, rotates 90° together with the case 100. Therefore, the spindle 34, which is connected to the adapter 110 so as not to rotate relative to it, also rotates 90° together with the case 100. Therefore, when the actuator unit 32 is mounted on the stop valve unit 31, the rotating disk 76 of the stop valve unit 31 is disposed in the open position. In other words, when the actuator unit 32 is mounted on the stop valve unit 31, the stop valve 17 is in a water-passing state.
[0061] Next, when removing the actuator unit 32 from the stop valve unit 31, the above procedure is reversed. First, before removing the actuator unit 32 from the stop valve unit 31, the actuator unit 32 is disposed in the mounting angle position. The rotating disc 76 of the stop valve unit 31 is disposed in the open position. Meanwhile, the adapter 110 of the actuator unit 32 is disposed in the second rotation angle position.
[0062] When removing the actuator unit 32 from the stop valve unit 31, the actuator unit 32 is rotated 90° in the opposite direction while being pushed toward the stop valve unit 31 from the mounting angle position. This places the actuator part 32 in the insertion angle position, releasing the engagement between the locking projection 138 of the case 100 and the arcuate part 65 of the stop valve part 31. Thereafter, the actuator part 32 is moved away from the stop valve part 31 in the Z2 direction.
[0063] Here, when the actuator unit 32 in the mounting angle position is rotated 90° in the reverse direction, the adapter 110, which is not driven by the drive mechanism 115, rotates 90° in the reverse direction together with the case 100. Therefore, the spindle 34, which is connected to the adapter 110 so as not to rotate relative to it, also rotates 90° in the reverse direction together with the case 100. Therefore, when the actuator unit 32 is removed from the stop valve unit 31, the rotating disk 76 of the stop valve unit 31 is disposed in the closed position. In other words, when the actuator unit 32 is removed from the stop valve unit 31, the stop valve 17 is in a water-stopping state.
[0064] Furthermore, when the actuator part 32 is moved away from the stop valve part 31 in the Z2 direction, the protrusion 89 of the spindle 34 of the stop valve part 31 is exposed to the outside from the housing 33. Therefore, an operator who removes the actuator part 32 from the stop valve part 31 can access the protrusion 89 of the spindle 34 from the outside. Therefore, the operator can manually open and close the stop valve part 31 by operating the protrusion 89.
[0065] (operation) When a resident moves out of a room in the condominium, the water supplier transmits a water stop command to the stop valve 17 of the water meter unit 1, which is disposed in the middle of the water distribution path from the main water pipe to the room of the resident. That is, the water supplier transmits the water stop command from a management device capable of communicating with the same standard as the wireless communication unit 131. When the stop valve 17 receives the water stop command, it drives the motor 116 of the actuator unit 32 to rotate the adapter 110, and places the rotating disk 76 in a closed position where the rotating disk 76 closes the internal flow path 39 based on the output from the rotation angle position detector 120. This completes the water stop operation. Also, when a new resident moves into a room in the condominium, the water supplier transmits a water turn-on command from the management device to the stop valve 17 of the water meter unit 1, which is disposed in the middle of the water distribution path from the main water pipe to the room of the resident. When the stopcock 17 receives the water flow command, it drives the motor 116 of the actuator unit 32 to rotate the adapter 110, and based on the output from the rotation angle position detector 120, it places the rotating disk 76 in the closed position where the rotating disk 76 opens the internal flow path 39. This completes the water flow operation.
[0066] Furthermore, when the water utility wishes to check the water flow or water stop status for a specific unit in an apartment building, the water utility sends an inquiry command from the management device to the stop valve 17 of the water meter unit 1 that is placed midway along the water distribution route from the main water pipe to the specific unit. When the stop valve 17 receives the inquiry command, it sends a first signal or a second signal. Therefore, the water utility can know whether the stop valve 17 of the water meter unit 1 is in a water stop state or a water flow state based on the signal that the management device receives from the stop valve 17. Furthermore, if the management device does not receive the first signal or the second signal within a predetermined time after sending the inquiry command, the water utility can know that the stop valve 17 is in a half-open state, for example.
[0067] (Action and effect) The stop valve 17 of this example comprises a stop valve section 31 and an actuator section 32. The stop valve section 31 comprises a flow path consisting of a primary flow path 35a, an internal flow path 39 and a secondary flow path 36a within a housing 33, and also comprises a rotating disk 76 that opens and closes the internal flow path 39. The rotating disk 76 is connected to a spindle 34 supported by the housing 33, and rotates with the rotation of the spindle 34 to open and close the flow path. Meanwhile, the actuator section 32 comprises an adaptor 110 connected to the spindle 34, a drive mechanism 115 that rotates the adaptor 110, a control section 130 that drives and controls the drive source of the drive mechanism 115, and a controller 130 that communicates between the control section 130 and external devices. The control unit 130 includes a wireless communication unit 131 that is wirelessly connected to the spindle 34 and can communicate with the control unit 130. When a water stop command is input from an external device via the wireless communication unit 131, the control unit 130 drives the drive source to rotate the adapter 110 connected to the spindle 34 and close the flow path of the stop valve unit 31. Therefore, the stop valve 17 can be operated remotely. The actuator unit 32 also includes a rotation angle position detector 120 that detects the rotation angle position of the adapter 110, and the control unit 130 places the rotating disk 76 in a closed position where the rotating disk 76 blocks the internal flow path 39 based on the output from the rotation angle position detector 120. Therefore, the actuator unit 32 can reliably place the rotating disk 76 in the closed position.
[0068] Here, the structure of the ball stop valve 17 can be used for the stop valve section 31. However, in the ball stop valve 17, a metal valve body slides against two valve seats made of resin or rubber when opening and closing the flow path. Therefore, a relatively large force is required to open and close the ball stop valve 17. Therefore, when the structure of the ball stop valve 17 is used for the stop valve section 31, a relatively large power is required for the drive source of the drive mechanism 115 that rotates the rotary disk 76. For this reason, when the structure of the ball stop valve 17 is used for the stop valve section 31, there is a problem that the actuator section 32 is likely to become large in size and the power consumption of the drive source is likely to increase.
[0069] In contrast, in this example, the stopcock section 31 opens and closes the internal flow path 39 by an opening / closing mechanism 50 including a ceramic fixed disk 75 and a ceramic rotating disk 76 that rubs against the fixed disk 75, thereby passing and stopping water. That is, the spindle 34 is rotated to rotate the rotating disk 76, and the opening 75b of the fixed disk 75 is opened and closed by the rotating disk 76. Here, the fixed disk 75 and the rotating disk 76 are made of ceramic and have high hardness. Therefore, compared to a case where a metal valve body rubs against two resin or rubber valve seats as in a ball stopcock, friction when the rotating disk 76 rubs against the fixed disk 75 can be reduced. Therefore, compared to a case where the flow path is opened and closed by the structure of the ball stopcock 17, the stopcock section 31 can be opened and closed with a small force. In addition, since the fixed disk 75 and the rotating disk 76 are made of ceramic, they are less likely to adhere to each other than when they are made of metal, and even if they do adhere to each other, the frictional force due to the adhesion is smaller than when they are made of metal. Therefore, the stop valve unit 31 can be opened and closed with less force than when the fixed disk 75 and the rotating disk 76 are made of metal. Furthermore, because the fixed disk 75 and the rotating disk 76 are made of ceramic, wear of the fixed disk 75 and the rotating disk 76 can be prevented or suppressed compared to when they are made of resin. This makes it easier to ensure the life of the stop valve unit 31.
[0070] In this example, the primary side pipe section 35 has an upstream side pipe section 41 extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis L of the spindle 34 at its upstream end in the water flow direction, and the secondary side pipe section 36 has a downstream side pipe section 43 coaxial with the upstream side pipe section 41 at its downstream end in the water flow direction. The internal flow path 39 extends in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, the stop valve 17 of this example can be easily installed in place of a conventional stop valve 17.
[0071] In this example, the rotation angle position detector 120 includes a rotary switch member 121 that rotates together with the adapter 110, a first fixed switch unit 122 that contacts the rotary switch member 121 to output a first signal when the adapter 110 is located at a first rotation angle position where the rotary disk 76 is located at a closed position, and a second fixed switch unit 123 that contacts the rotary switch member 121 to output a second signal when the adapter 110 is located at a second rotation angle position where the rotary disk 76 is located at an open position. When a water stop command is input, the control unit 130 drives the drive source to rotate the adapter 110 when the first signal is not detected, and stops the drive source when the first signal is detected. Thus, the first rotation angle position of the adapter 110 where the rotary disk 76 is located at the closed position and the second rotation angle position of the adapter 110 where the rotary disk 76 is located at the open position are detected by the rotary switch member 121 and the two fixed switch units 122, 123. This can be detected by utilizing the mechanical contact of the adapter 110 connected to the spindle 34. Therefore, it can be physically detected that the adapter 110 connected to the spindle 34 is in the first rotation angle position or the second rotation angle position. Therefore, even if the stop valve 17 is operated remotely, the stop valve 17 can be reliably brought to a water stopping state or a water passing state.
[0072] In this example, the actuator unit 32 includes a battery 134 that supplies power to the drive source within the housing 33. Therefore, the stop valve 17 can be installed regardless of the presence or absence of an AC power source. This makes it easy to install the stop valve 17.
[0073] In this example, the case 100 is placed over the stop valve unit 31 so as to cover the protrusion 89 from one side in the Z-axis direction, and the adapter 110 is detachably fitted onto the protrusion 89 from one side in the Z-axis direction. Thus, the actuator unit 32 is detachable from the stop valve unit 31. Here, when the actuator unit 32 is removed from the stop valve unit 31, the protrusion 89 of the spindle 34 is exposed to the outside from the housing 33 of the stop valve unit 31. Therefore, by manually operating the protrusion 89, the stop valve 17 can be manually opened and closed.
[0074] Moreover, this example is a water meter unit 1 installed between a primary side pipe 2 and a secondary side pipe 3, and has a pipe 5 passing through a water meter 4. The pipe 5 includes a primary side pipe section 11 to which the primary side pipe 2 is connected on one side of the water meter 4, and a secondary side pipe section 12 to which the secondary side pipe 3 is connected on the other side of the water meter 4. The primary side pipe section 11 includes a stop valve 17, and the primary side pipe section 11 also includes a stop valve 17. Therefore, it is possible to provide a water meter unit 1 that opens and closes the flow path passing through the water meter 4 by remotely operating the stop valve 17.
[0075] (Modification) The water meter unit 1 may not include the pressure reducing valve 18. That is, in the water meter unit 1, the primary side piping section 11 located on the primary side of the water meter 4 may include a stop valve 17 and a pipe joint 19, in this order, from the upstream side to the downstream side of the water flow direction S, and the secondary side piping section 12 located on the secondary side of the water meter 4 may include a check valve 28. The water meter unit 1 may be installed midway along a water pipe that draws tap water from a distribution pipe to a structure such as a house, and buried underground.
[0077] The stop valve unit 31 may have a structure similar to that of a general ball stop valve 17. If the structure of the ball stop valve 17 is adopted for the stop valve unit 31, a relatively large power is required for the drive source of the drive mechanism 115 that rotates the rotary disk 76. The size of the actuator section 32 is likely to increase compared to the above example. Also, in the actuator section 32, the power consumption of the motor 116 is likely to increase. [Explanation of symbols]
[0078] 1...water meter unit, 2...primary side piping, 3...secondary side piping, 4...water meter, 5...piping, 6...inlet pipe, 7...outlet pipe, 8...meter body, 11...primary side piping section, 12...secondary side piping section, 13...base, 14...first support section, 15...second support section, 17...stop valve, 18...pressure reducing valve, 19...pipe joint, 21...crimped pipe joint section, 22...elbow section, 23...pipe section, 24...slide tube, 24a...crimped section, 27...operation section, 28...check valve, 28a...receiving section, 31...stop valve section, 32...actuator section 32, 33...housing, 34...spindle, 35...primary side Pipe portion, 35a...primary side flow path, 36...secondary side pipe portion, 36a...secondary side flow path, 37...main body portion, 39...internal flow path, 39a...opening, 41...upstream side pipe portion, 42...upstream side extension portion, 43...downstream side pipe portion, 45...projection portion, 50...opening / closing mechanism, 51...partition wall portion, 52...primary side partition wall portion, 53...secondary side partition wall portion, 54...opening, 55...annular protrusion portion, 57...main body member, 58...cover member, 59...flange portion, 61...plate portion, 62...tubular portion, 62a...center hole, 64...large diameter portion, 65...arc portion, 65a...cutout portion, 66...connection portion, 66a...outer periphery, 68...annular protrusion portion, 69...arc-shaped protrusion portion , 70...circular recess, 71...notched groove, 75...fixed disk (fixed member), 75a...closing portion, 75b...opening, 75c...notched portion, 76...rotating disk (valve body), 76a...disk portion, 76b...communicating port, 76c...notched portion, 77...connecting disk, 77a...disk portion, 77b...communicating port, 77c...recess, 77d...projection, 80...frame-shaped member, 81...annular frame, 82...extension frame, 83...first extension portion, 84...second extension portion, 85...connection fitting portion, 86...rod-shaped portion, 87...large diameter shaft portion, 88...small diameter shaft portion, 89...projection (exposed portion), 90...projection, 91...annular groove, 95...support portion, 100...case, 101...case main body portion, 102...case protrusion portion, 105...bottom plate, 106...ceiling plate, 107...side plate, 108...through hole, 110...adapter, 111...fitting portion, 111a...recess, 111b...step portion, 112...extension portion, 115...driving mechanism, 116...motor, 120...rotation angle position detector, 121...rotation switch member, 122...first fixed switch portion, 123...second fixed switch portion, 130...control portion, 131...wireless communication portion, 132...substrate, 134...battery, 135...fixing mechanism, 136...coil spring, 137...ring, 138...locking protrusion
Claims
1. The water stop valve portion and the actuator portion are provided. The stopcock unit comprises: a housing having a main body portion including a primary-side pipe portion having a primary-side flow path, a secondary-side pipe portion having a secondary-side flow path, and an internal flow path that connects the primary-side flow path and the secondary-side flow path; a spindle rotatably supported by the housing and including a protruding portion that protrudes into the internal flow path and an exposed portion that is exposed to the outside of the housing; and a valve body that is connected to the protruding portion and rotates with the rotation of the spindle to open and close the internal flow path. the actuator unit comprises: an adapter connected to the exposed portion so as not to rotate relative to the exposed portion; a drive mechanism having a drive source and rotatably driving the adapter about the axis of the spindle; a rotation angle position detector that detects a rotation angle position of the adapter about the axis; a control unit that drives and controls the drive source; a wireless communication unit that communicatively connects an external device and the control unit; and a case that is fixed to the housing and accommodates the drive mechanism, the rotation angle position detector, the control unit, and the adapter; the rotational angle position detector includes a rotary switch member that rotates integrally with the adapter, a first fixed switch unit that contacts the rotary switch member to output a first signal when the adapter is positioned at a first rotational angle position where the valve body is positioned at a closed position that closes the internal flow path, and a second fixed switch unit that contacts the rotary switch member to output a second signal when the adapter is positioned at a second rotational angle position where the valve body is positioned at an open position that opens the internal flow path, The control unit, when a water stop command is input from the external device via the wireless communication unit, drives the drive source to rotate the adapter when the first signal is not detected, and stops the drive source and positions the valve body in the closed position when the first signal is detected.
2. The water stop valve portion includes a fixing member that is fixed within the internal flow path and is in surface contact with the valve body, The fixing member includes a sealing portion that seals the internal flow path, and an opening portion provided in a portion of the sealing portion in a circumferential direction around the axis, the valve body overlaps with the opening and closes the opening when disposed at the closed position, and fully opens the opening when disposed at the open position, which is a rotation angle position different from the closed position; 2. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve body and the fixing member are made of ceramic. Water stop valve.
3. the primary side pipe portion includes an upstream side pipe portion extending in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the spindle at an upstream end portion in a water flow direction, the secondary-side pipe portion includes a downstream-side pipe portion coaxial with the upstream-side pipe portion at a downstream end portion in the flow direction, The stop valve according to claim 2 , wherein the internal flow passage extends in the axial direction.
4. The stopcock valve of claim 1, characterized in that when a water flow command is input from the external device via the wireless communication unit, the control unit drives the drive source to rotate the adapter when the second signal is not detected, and stops the drive source when the second signal is detected.
5. The stop valve according to claim 1, characterized in that when an inquiry command is input from the external device via the wireless communication unit, the control unit transmits an output from the rotation angle position detector to the external device.
6. The stop valve according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator unit includes a battery disposed within the case for supplying power to the driving source.
7. The case is fitted over the water stop valve portion so as to cover the exposed portion from one side in the axial direction and is removably fixed to the housing, The stop valve according to claim 1, wherein the adapter is detachably fitted into the exposed portion from one side in the axial direction.
8. A water meter unit installed between a primary piping and a secondary piping, Piping through the water meter, A base for supporting the piping; the piping includes a primary piping portion to which the primary piping is connected on one side of the water meter, and a secondary piping portion to which the secondary piping is connected on the other side of the water meter, The base includes a first support portion that supports the primary piping portion and a second support portion that supports the secondary piping portion, The primary side piping portion includes the stop valve according to claim 1, The water meter unit according to claim 1, wherein the secondary piping portion is provided with a check valve.
Citation Information
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