Gas Switching Regulator

Abstract

To provide a gas changeover adjuster capable of simultaneously supplying a gas from two systems of gas vessels and performing work without interrupting the gas supply in the case of vessel exchange.SOLUTION: A gas changeover adjuster has three positions of: a usual use position where both a first system opening / closing valve 12a and a second system opening / closing valve 12b are operated and both a gas vessel of a first system and a gas vessel of a second system are set to use-side gas vessels, thereby simultaneously supplying a gas; and a first system receiving position and a second system receiving position where exchange work of the gas vessel of the first system and the gas vessel of the second system to be a closed side can be implemented without stopping the gas supply while closing one of the first system opening / closing valve 12a and the second system opening / closing valve 12b and opening the other of the first system opening / closing valve 12a and the second system opening / closing valve 12b. The gas changeover adjuster can be changed over through the usual use position to the first system receiving position or the second system receiving position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a regulator that reduces the high pressure in a gas container to a constant low pressure suitable for a combustor. More specifically, the present invention relates to a gas switching regulator that connects multiple systems, for example, two systems of gas containers (for example, LP gas containers), and enables switching to a new gas container without interrupting the gas supply. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, when filling and supplying gas into gas containers such as LP gas containers, in order to prevent running out of gas during use, at least two gas containers are installed, one for the container in use and one for the spare, and an automatic gas switching regulator is used to supply gas from only one of the gas containers.

[0003] The automatic gas switching regulator has a function of automatically supplying gas from the spare container when the gas pressure in the use container, which is one of two gas containers, falls below a set pressure, i.e., when the supply pressure cannot be maintained by the use container alone. This allows the use container and the spare container to be switched, and the container that was previously the spare container is used as the use container, while the container that was previously used can be removed (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-46371 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2004-92735 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with conventional automatic gas switching regulators, gas is supplied using both the use container and the reserve container, while only the use container with low gas is replaced, so if both containers are used and then replaced at the same time, there is a risk of running out of gas before the container is replaced. Therefore, conventional gas container delivery and replacement are carried out when the gas in the use container runs out, for example, about once a month, and only the gas container of the system whose gas pressure has fallen below the set pressure must be replaced and used as the reserve container.

[0006] For this reason, even though in recent years it has become possible to use LPWA (Low Power, Long Range Wireless Communication) technology to obtain daily meter readings from gas meters using smartphones and tablets, and to accurately grasp the amount of gas remaining in a gas cylinder, in order to switch to a new gas cylinder without interrupting the gas supply, it is still necessary to replace only the cylinder that is low on gas, which delays the timing of replacing gas cylinders, in other words, hinders the efficiency of delivery operations.

[0007] Furthermore, when gas is supplied from one side at a time as in the conventional usage method, the remaining gas in the supply container becomes almost empty, which increases the concentration of the odorant added to the gas, and there is a risk that a gas smell will be reported even though there is no gas leak.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a gas switching regulator that can supply gas from two gas containers simultaneously and that allows replacement of the containers without interrupting the gas supply. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to achieve this object, the gas switching regulator according to claim 1 comprises a first system receiving chamber for receiving gas from a first system gas container, a second system receiving chamber for receiving gas from a second system gas container, a supply chamber communicating with a gas consuming facility / apparatus, a first system opening / closing valve provided between the first system receiving chamber and the supply chamber for blocking or opening the flow of gas from the first system receiving chamber to the supply chamber, and a second system opening / closing valve provided between the second system receiving chamber and the supply chamber for blocking or opening the flow of gas from the second system receiving chamber to the supply chamber. and a valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism for switching the open / closed state of each of the first-system opening / closing valve and the second-system opening / closing valve, the valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism having two positions: a normal use position in which both the first-system opening / closing valve and the second-system opening / closing valve are operated to set both the gas container of the first system and the gas container of the second system as the gas container on the use side to simultaneously supply gas; and a closing position in which only one of the first-system opening / closing valve and the second-system opening / closing valve is closed to keep the other of the first-system opening / closing valve and the second-system opening / closing valve open without stopping the gas supply. a first-system receiving position and a second-system receiving position at which replacement work can be performed on the gas container of the first system and the gas container of the second system which are to be replaced, and the valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism includes a center rod having a valve stem of each of the first-system on-off valve and the second-system on-off valve, a cam portion which gives a displacement to the valve stem to open or close the valve, and a shaft portion which switches the position of the cam portion relative to the valve stems of the first-system on-off valve and the second-system on-off valve by rotating the cam portion in conjunction with a switching handle, and the cam portion has a normal use position in which it contacts the valve stems of both the first-system on-off valve and the second-system on-off valve simultaneously to operate both the first-system on-off valve and the second-system on-off valve simultaneously, and a first-system receiving position and a second-system receiving position in which it contacts the valve stem of either the first-system on-off valve or the second-system on-off valve to operate it, and is separated from the valve stem of the other valve to maintain a closed valve state without operating it, and the valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism can be switched to the first-system receiving position or the second-system receiving position via the normal use position by rotating the switching handle, It is preferable that the color or symbol indicating that gas is being supplied from both the first and second gas containers, and the color or symbol indicating that gas is being supplied from either the first or second gas container, be displayed in a switched manner as the switch handle is rotated.

[0012] In order to achieve this object, the gas switching regulator according to claim 1 comprises a first system receiving chamber for receiving gas from a first system gas container, a second system receiving chamber for receiving gas from a second system gas container, a supply chamber communicating with a gas consuming facility / apparatus, a first system on-off valve provided between the first system receiving chamber and the supply chamber for blocking or opening the flow of gas from the first system receiving chamber to the supply chamber, and a second system on-off valve provided between the second system receiving chamber and the supply chamber for blocking or opening the flow of gas from the second system receiving chamber to the supply chamber. and a valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism for switching the open / closed state of each of the first-system opening / closing valve and the second-system opening / closing valve. The valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism has a normal use position in which both the first-system opening / closing valve and the second-system opening / closing valve are operated to set both the gas container of the first system and the gas container of the second system as the gas container on the use side to simultaneously supply gas, and a closing position in which only one of the first-system opening / closing valve and the second-system opening / closing valve is closed to keep the other of the first-system opening / closing valve and the second-system opening / closing valve open without stopping the gas supply. and a first-system receiving position and a second-system receiving position at which replacement work can be performed on the gas container of the first system and the gas container of the second system that are to be replaced, and the valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism includes a center rod having a valve stem of each of the first-system on-off valve and the second-system on-off valve, a cam portion that gives a displacement to the valve stem to open or close the valve, and a shaft portion that switches the position of the cam portion relative to the valve stems of the first-system on-off valve and the second-system on-off valve by rotating the cam portion in cooperation with a switching handle, and the cam portion has a normal use position in which it contacts the valve stems of both the first-system on-off valve and the second-system on-off valve simultaneously to operate both the first-system on-off valve and the second-system on-off valve simultaneously, and a first-system receiving position and a second-system receiving position in which it contacts the valve stem of either the first-system on-off valve or the second-system on-off valve to operate them, and is separated from the valve stem of the other valve so as not to operate it and maintain a closed valve state, and can be switched to the first-system receiving position or the second-system receiving position via the normal use position by rotating the switching handle. It is preferable that a fixed symbol indicating the direction of gas flow is displayed on the surface of the switching handle, and the orientation of the symbol changes as the switching handle is rotated, so that the symbol is switched between a symbol indicating that gas is being supplied from gas containers in both the first and second systems, and a symbol indicating that gas is being supplied from a gas container in either the first or second system.

[0013] In addition, it is preferable that a click mechanism be provided between the switching handle and the housing, which provides a tactile sensation when the valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism is switched to one of the three positions.

[0014] Moreover, it is preferable that the gas containers are replaced when the remaining gas in each of the gas containers is in the range of about 10 to 20%.

[0015] Furthermore, the gas supply system according to claim 7 comprises the components according to claims 1 to 5. 4 It is preferable to have a gas switching regulator described in any one of the above and an automatic meter reading system using LPWA (low power, long range wireless communication) technology that can obtain daily meter readings from the gas meter using a smartphone, tablet, etc. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the gas switching regulator described in claim 1, gas containers of two systems connected to the same gas switching regulator can be replaced sequentially and simultaneously (meaning at the same delivery timing) without interrupting the gas supply, which can shorten the delivery work time and delivery distance, i.e., improve the efficiency of the delivery work. In other words, the timing for replacing gas containers can be extended by more than twice as long as before, in other words, the delivery interval can be extended by more than twice as long as before, making the delivery work more efficient.

[0017] Furthermore, by combining this with LPWA (low power, long range wireless communication) technology, daily meter readings from the gas meter can be obtained using a smartphone or tablet to accurately grasp the remaining amount of gas in the container. This makes it possible to replace the container before the odorant concentration increases, preventing problems such as the occurrence of unpleasant odors or running out of gas, while prioritizing the efficiency of delivery operations. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a central vertical cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a gas switching regulator according to the present invention, illustrating a normal use state. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a central vertical cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a gas switching regulator according to the present invention, illustrating a state in which a gas container of one system (second system in the example) is made replaceable. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a central vertical cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a switching handle and a switching joint. [Figure 4] 1A is a plan view showing one embodiment of an indicator in a normal use state, and FIG. 1B is a plan view showing a state when a gas container of one system is replaced. [Diagram 5] 1A is a front view, FIG. 1B is a left side view, FIG. 1C is a bottom view, and FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD, showing one embodiment of a center rod. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 shows one embodiment of a click mechanism configured between a switching handle and a housing, where (A) shows the state immediately before switching to the normal use state, and (B) shows the state after switching to the normal use state. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining the movement of the switching handle and valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism of the gas switching regulator, in which (A) shows the normal use position, (B) shows the second system receiving position, and (C) shows the first system receiving position. [Figure 8] 1A is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the indicator of the gas switching regulator of the present invention, in which (A) shows the normal use position, (B) shows the second system receiving position, and (C) shows the first system receiving position. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a piping diagram showing one embodiment of a gas supply system incorporating a gas switching regulator according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described in detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.

[0020] 1 to 7 show an embodiment of the gas switching regulator according to the present invention. The gas switching regulator 1 according to this embodiment is used in a gas supply system including two gas supply sources, for example, two gas containers (see, for example, FIG. 9). That is, the system is for supplying gas from a plurality of gas containers, and in this embodiment, the plurality of gas containers are divided into two systems, one on the left side and the other on the right side of the gas switching regulator 1. For convenience, the system on the left side of the figure will be called the "first system" and the system on the right side will be called the "second system." It goes without saying that the two systems in this specification are not limited to two gas containers, and include systems in which more than two gas containers are connected via connecting pipes as long as the systems have the same number (in other words, the same capacity).

[0021] The gas switching regulator 1 of this embodiment is set so that both the first system gas container and the second system gas container are simultaneously set as the use-side gas container, and gas is supplied from the two containers at the same time. Only when replacing the gas container, the gas switching regulator 1 has a function of switching between the first system gas container and the second system gas container to shut off one of them and keep the other connected to continue supplying gas.

[0022] The gas switching regulator 1 has a structure in which several chambers, each having two gas receiving ports 7, 8 and one gas supply port 9, are partitioned inside the housing 2. Specifically, the inside of the housing 2 is partitioned into an upper chamber 4 and a lower chamber 5 by upper and lower partition walls 3, and the lower chamber 5 is further partitioned by a lower chamber partition wall 6 into a first system receiving chamber 5a and a second system receiving chamber 5b located on the left and right sides of the lower chamber partition wall 6. This structure prevents the gas inlets, i.e., the first system receiving chamber 5a and the second system receiving chamber 5b, from being independently connected to each other, thereby preventing liquid transfer between the gas containers of both systems.

[0023] Meanwhile, a diaphragm 10 functioning as a movable partition wall is disposed in the upper chamber 4, and the upper chamber 4 is divided into a supply chamber 4a and an atmospheric pressure chamber 4b by this diaphragm 10, and the atmospheric pressure chamber 4b is opened to the atmosphere through an atmospheric pressure port (not shown), so that the supply chamber 4a has a variable volume structure in which the volume changes with the pressure fluctuation of the supply gas. Here, the supply chamber 4a has a gas supply port 9, and supplies the gas that flows into the supply chamber 4a to the gas consuming equipment / device through a pressure reducer (not shown). In addition, the first system receiving chamber 5a has a first system gas receiving port 7, and receives gas from the gas container of the first system. Similarly, the second system receiving chamber 5b has a second system gas receiving port 8, and receives gas from the gas container of the second system.

[0024] Diaphragm 10 has, for example, a flat plate portion at the center and a bellows portion located on the outer periphery of the flat plate portion, and the flat plate portion can move up and down by deformation of the bellows portion. Meanwhile, in atmospheric pressure chamber 4b, pressure adjustment spring 45 made of a compression coil spring is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the inner surface at the upper end of housing 2 and spring receptacle 11 disposed on the upper surface of the flat plate portion of diaphragm 10, and is provided so as to urge the flat plate portion of diaphragm 10 downward via spring receptacle 11. Therefore, the flat plate portion is located at a height position according to the pressure of the gas in supply chamber 4a due to the balance between the pressure of the gas in supply chamber 4a and the urging force of pressure adjustment spring 45. As a result, the volume of supply chamber 4a increases as the pressure increases, and decreases as the pressure decreases.

[0025] Between each of the first-system receiving chamber 5a and the second-system receiving chamber 5b and the supply chamber 4a, two on-off valves, a first-system on-off valve 12a and a second-system on-off valve 12b, are provided to block or open the flow of gas from each of the receiving chambers 5a, 5b to the supply chamber 4a. Each on-off valve 12a, 12b is composed of a valve seat 17a, 17b formed by a through hole 17 provided in the upper and lower partition walls 3, and a valve element 18a, 18b that can be seated on the valve seat 17a, 17b. The valve element 18a, 18b has a valve rod (shaft portion) 13a, 13b and a valve body 14a, 14b, and is supported by compression coil springs 15a, 15b arranged between the valve body 14a, 14b and the bottom wall portion of the housing 2 so as to be constantly urged toward the peripheral portion of the through hole 17 (i.e., the valve seat 17a, 17b). The compression coil springs 15a, 15b are received in support holes 16 drilled in the bottom wall of the housing 2, and are fitted and held in the protrusions at the bottom of the valve bodies 14a, 14b. The valve rods 13a, 13b are protruded from the through holes 17 into the supply chamber 4a, and are pushed down by the cam portion 21 of the center rod 20 to open and close the on-off valves 12a, 12b. That is, when the upper ends of the valve rods 13a, 13b come into contact with the cam portion 21 and the valve rods 13a, 13b are pushed in the direction compressing the compression coil springs 15a, 15b, the valve bodies 14a, 14b are separated from the upper and lower partition walls 3, that is, the valve bodies 14a, 14b closing the through holes 17 are separated from the valve seats 17a, 17b to open the valves, and allow the gas to flow between the corresponding receiving chamber 5a or 5b and the supply chamber 4a.

[0026] The gas switching regulator 1 is provided with a valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism for switching the open / closed state of each of the first system opening / closing valve 12a and the second system opening / closing valve 12b. This valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism has two positions: a normal use position (the state of FIG. 7(A)) in which both the first system opening / closing valve 12a and the second system opening / closing valve 12b are operated to set both the first system gas container 51 and the second system gas container 52 as the use-side gas containers to enable simultaneous gas supply; and a position in which only one of the first system opening / closing valve 12a and the second system opening / closing valve 12b is closed and the other is left open to enable replacement of the gas container without stopping the gas supply, i.e., the first system opening / closing valve 12a. The gas cylinder 52 of the second system can be replaced by closing only the second-system opening / closing valve 12b and leaving the first-system opening / closing valve 12a open, and can be replaced by closing only the second-system opening / closing valve 12b and leaving the first-system opening / closing valve 12a open. The gas cylinder 52 of the second system can be replaced by closing only the second-system opening / closing valve 12b and leaving the first-system opening / closing valve 12a open. The gas cylinder 52 of the second system can be replaced by opening ...

[0027] In this embodiment, the valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism is mainly composed of the valve rods 13a, 13b of the first system opening / closing valve 12a and the second system opening / closing valve 12b, and a center rod 20 equipped with a cam portion 21 that imparts a movement to the valve rods 13a, 13b to open and close the valves, and the first system opening / closing valve 12a and the second system opening / closing valve 12b are switched between opening and closing by rotating the center rod 20, which is linked to a switching handle 31, to switch the position of the cam portion 21 relative to the valve rods 13a, 13b.

[0028] In the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the cam portion 21 has a surface (hereinafter referred to as the reference surface 24) that sandwiches the diaphragm 10 between the spring receiving plate 11 and the cam portion 21, and has a first action surface 25 at a lower height from the reference surface 24, i.e., a relatively small lift amount from the reference surface 24, a second action surface 26 at a higher height from the reference surface 24, i.e., a relatively large lift amount from the reference surface 24, and a transition surface 27 consisting of a slope that smoothly connects them at the end surface. Here, the first action surface 25 and the second action surface 26 are arranged approximately symmetrically with respect to a straight line passing through the centers of the two valve rods 13a, 13b, so that the first action surface 25 is arranged on one area side and the second action surface 26 is arranged on the other area side, and the transition surface 27 is arranged between them, as shown in Fig. 5(C). In this embodiment, the first action surface 25 is formed in a range of, for example, 200° in rotation angle, the second action surface 26 in a range of 80°, and the transition surface 27 therebetween in a range of 40° each (a total of 80°). In other words, the first action surface 25 is in contact with both or one of the two on-off valves, but the second action surface 26 is in a positional relationship in which it is in contact with only one of the two on-off valves.

[0029] Therefore, the cam portion 21 has three positions: a normal use position (for example, the state shown in Figure 7(A)) in which the valve stems 13a, 13b of both the first system opening / closing valve 12a and the second system opening / closing valve 12b are in contact with the first action surface 25 at the same time to operate both the first system opening / closing valve 12a and the second system opening / closing valve 12b at the same time; a first system receiving position (for example, the state shown in Figure 7(C)) in which the second action surface 26 is in contact with the valve stem 13b to open the second system opening / closing valve 12b and the first action surface 25 is separated from the valve stem 13a to keep the first system opening / closing valve 12a closed; and a second system receiving position (for example, the state shown in Figure 7(B)) in which the second action surface 26 is in contact with the valve stem 13a to open the first system opening / closing valve 12a and the first action surface 25 is separated from the valve stem 13b to keep the second system opening / closing valve 12b closed.

[0030] That is, in the normal use position, the position of the diaphragm 10 maintains a balance between the pressure adjustment spring 45 and the gas pressure in the supply chamber 4a, and gas is supplied while both the first-system opening / closing valve 12a and the second-system opening / closing valve 12b are maintained in an open state. Also, in the first-system receiving position, only the valve rod 13b abuts against the second action surface 26 of the cam portion 21 to open the second-system opening / closing valve 12b, and the center rod 20 is relatively pushed up while deforming the diaphragm 10, so that the valve rod 13a is no longer pressed by the first action surface 25 of the cam portion 21, and the valve element 18a is pushed up by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 15a, and the first-system opening / closing valve 12a is closed. In the second-system receiving position, only the valve stem 13a abuts against the second acting surface 26 of the cam portion 21 to open the first-system on-off valve 12a, and the center rod 20 is pushed up relatively, the valve stem 13b is no longer pressed by the first acting surface 25 of the cam portion 21, the valve element 18b is pushed up by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 15a, and the second-system on-off valve 12b is closed. Note that the reference numeral 23 in the figure is a degree stop shaft, which sets the lowering end of the center rod 20 by abutting against the upper and lower partition walls 3, and is designed so that the center rod 20 cannot be pushed down any further.

[0031] The shaft portion 22 of the center rod 20 penetrates the central hole of the diaphragm 10 and extends into the atmospheric pressure chamber 4b, penetrates the support cylinder portion 19 at the upper end of the housing 2, and protrudes toward the switching handle 31 outside the housing 2, and is supported by the diaphragm 10 and the housing 2 so as to be swingable and axially slidable (up and down movable). As a result, the rotation of the center rod 20 switches the positions of the first action surface 25 and the second action surface 26 of the cam portion 21 relative to the valve rods 13a, 13b, and the valve rods 13a, 13b and the center rod 20 itself are raised and lowered. In other words, the center rod 20 advances and retreats relative to the two on-off valves 12a, 12b in accordance with the pressure fluctuations (in other words, volume fluctuations) of the gas in the supply chamber 4a, and is positioned at a position according to the pressure. Then, depending on the rotational position of the center rod 20, the two on-off valves 12a, 12b are selectively opened simultaneously, or one of the on-off valves is opened and the other is closed. Although not shown, a seal member, for example, is installed between the diaphragm 10 and the shaft portion 22 to prevent gas leakage from the supply chamber 4a to the atmospheric pressure chamber 4b. An O-ring 42 is interposed between the housing 2 and the switching joint 30 to seal the gap, preventing water from entering between the housing 2 and the switching joint 30 while allowing the switching joint 30 to rotate.

[0032] The upper part of the housing 2 supports the switching joint 30 and the switching handle 31, which rotate in conjunction with the shaft part 22, so as to be rotatable relative to the housing 2. For example, a cylindrical bearing part 19 is provided at the upper part of the housing 2, and the shaft part of the circular outer circumferential surface of the switching joint 30 is fitted into the bearing part 19 to be rotatably supported. In addition, although not shown, the inside of the shaft part 43 of the switching joint 30 is provided so as to form a cross-sectional shape having a flat part that engages with the non-circular cross-sectional part (hereinafter referred to as the fitting part 28. See FIG. 5(D)) of the shaft part 22 of the center rod 20 in the rotational direction. As a result, the fitting part 28 of the shaft part 22 and the shaft part 43 of the switching joint 31 are combined so as to be non-rotatable relative to each other and movable relative to each other in the axial direction. Therefore, the center rod 20 can move up and down relative to the housing 2 with the advancement and retreat of the flat part, i.e., the up and down movement, caused by the volume fluctuation of the diaphragm 10. In addition, the switching handle 31 is integrated with the switching joint 30 by a claw fitting. When the switching handle 31 is turned, the switching joint 30 and the center rod 20 connected thereto also turn together.

[0033] In this embodiment, the rotation range of the switching handle 31 is restricted to within a range of, for example, 180° by a stopper 46 formed on the housing 2 as shown in FIG. 6, and a first system receiving position is set at one of the stroke ends, a second system receiving position is set at the other, and a normal use position is set at the intermediate position between them, so that the gas container of the first system or the gas container of the second system is always switched via the normal use position at the intermediate position. In this embodiment, a protrusion 47 protruding toward the switching handle 31 is formed at the 90° position in the middle of the swing range and immediately before reaching both stroke ends, and a click mechanism is formed between the protrusion 48 protruding inward from the inner peripheral surface of the switching handle 31 and the protrusion 48 protruding inward, which provides resistance to the hand (provides a tactile feeling) when the protrusion 47 on the inside of the housing 2 side and the protrusion 48 on the outside of the switching handle 31 side overcome the protrusion 47 on the inside of the housing 2 side. This click motion (i.e., a movement that gives a tactile feeling of "click") provides a solid response when opening and closing. Furthermore, a mark 50 is provided on the housing 2 so that the switching handle 31 can be manually returned to its original position, while the switching handle 31 is provided with a mark that serves as a reference for knowing the rotational position of the switching handle 31, such as a tip 49 or a symbol 61 such as an arrow, which makes it visually clear that the switching handle 31 has been returned correctly and provides a tactile sensation in the hand, making the structure one that takes safety into consideration.

[0034] The switching joint 30 supports the switching handle 31 and transmits the movement, i.e., rotation, of the switching handle 31 to the shaft portion 22 of the center rod 20, and as shown in Fig. 3, has a cylindrical portion 43 that rotates together with the shaft portion 22 of the center rod 20 but is slidably fitted thereto independently in the axial direction, a disk-shaped disk portion 34 that engages with the switching handle 30, and a bearing wall portion 39 that has the display 32 swingably mounted thereon as necessary. On the other hand, the disk portion 34 has a plurality of notches 34a on its periphery that engage with the claw portions 35 of the switching handle 31, and is integrated with the switching handle 31 by being engaged with the claw portions 35 of the switching handle 31. Therefore, when the switching handle 31 is rotated, the switching joint 30 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the switching handle 31, rotating the center rod 20 to switch the surface that slides against the valve stems 13a and 13b. In this embodiment, the switching handle 30 and the switching joint 31 are constructed as separate components so that the display 32 can be incorporated therein, but this is not particularly limited, and if the display 32 is not built in, they may be constructed as an integrated structure.

[0035] The display 32 switches what is seen through the display window 33 as the switching joint 30 rotates. In the present embodiment, for example, an L-shaped display panel 37 is rotated around a horizontal axis, so that one of two mutually perpendicular faces is selectively arranged parallel to the display window 33. For example, the display 32 has an L-shaped display panel 37, a torsion spring 38, and a rotating shaft 44 that is fitted into a bearing wall portion 39 of the switching joint 30. One face of the L-shaped display panel 37 is a display face 37a, while the other face is provided with a groove 40 into which the neck portion 36 of the shaft portion 22 is inserted, forming a bifurcated engagement portion 37b. In the present embodiment, the display face 37a of the display panel 37 is provided with marks, such as colors and symbols (including letters), that indicate the states of the first system opening / closing valve 12a and the second system opening / closing valve 12b. For example, the display panel 37 is colored red, and when the switching joint 30 is rotated to the normal use position, the display panel 37 rotates so that the red color can be seen through the display window 33. On the other hand, when the switching joint 30 is rotated to the first system receiving position or the second system receiving position, the display panel 37 rotates around the rotation axis 44 so that the display surface 37a is erected so that the red color cannot be seen through the display window 33, and the background color of the bifurcated engagement portion 37b arranged parallel to the display window 33, for example, a color other than red, such as white or black, can be seen. This allows a visual instantaneous determination of whether the gas container is replaceable or non-replaceable. That is, it can be confirmed as information that can be visually grasped, such as a color, a symbol, or a shape.

[0036] Between the fitting portion 28 and the head 29 of the shaft portion 22, a neck portion 36 is provided which is thinner than the fitting portion 28 and has a circular cross section. The neck portion 36 is engaged with the bifurcated engagement portion 37b of the display panel 37 of the display 32, so that the display 32 swings about the rotation axis 44 in conjunction with the lifting and lowering operation of the shaft portion 22, i.e., the display panel 37 is raised (i.e., the display surface 37a is arranged parallel to the display window 33) or retracted (i.e., the display surface 37a is arranged perpendicular to the display window 33). The head 29 is not limited to a specific shape as long as it is larger than the neck portion 36 and can be caught by the bifurcated engagement portion 37b of the display 32. For example, in the present embodiment, the head 29 is formed to have the same cross-sectional shape and size as the fitting portion 28. Therefore, when the switching joint 30 is rotated in conjunction with the switching handle 31, the surface of the cam portion 21 of the center rod 20 that contacts the valve stems 13a, 13b is switched to the first acting surface 25, and at the same time the center rod 20 is pushed down by the force of the pressure adjustment spring 45, causing the bifurcated engagement portion 37b of the L-shaped panel 37 to catch on the head 29, causing the L-shaped panel 37 to rotate and be raised (the state shown in Figures 1 and 4(A)).

[0037] The torsion spring 38 is positioned so that one end is hooked onto the display panel 37 and the other end is hooked onto the support barrier portion 39 of the switching joint 30 with the coil portion fitted onto the shaft portion 44, and is configured to constantly bias the display panel 37 to rotate in a direction retracting the display panel 37 around the horizontal axis (shaft portion 44) (the state of Figures 2 and 4(B)).

[0038] The indicator window 33 is made of a transparent material (transparent material), such as glass or synthetic resin, and is preferably formed in a shape having a major axis and a minor axis, such as an ellipse or oval, so that the gas flow direction can be instantly read. A symbol indicating the gas flow direction, such as an arrow 61, is additionally written on the outside of the indicator window 33.

[0039] According to the gas switching regulator of the present embodiment configured as described above, during normal use (when not replacing the gas container), as shown in Fig. 7(A), the switching handle 31 is held in the normal use position (center position in the figure). At this time, the cam portion 21 of the center rod 20 interlocked with the switching handle 31 has the second action surface 26 positioned between the two valve rods 13a, 13b (i.e., the two valve rods 13a, 13b are positioned on the first action surface 25). On the other hand, since the diaphragm 10 is constantly pressed down by the spring, the diaphragm 10 is deformed and the center rod is pushed down until the first action surface 25 of the cam abuts against the two valve rods. In other words, the first system opening / closing valve 12a and the second system opening / closing valve 12b are both maintained in an open state by the first action surface 25 of the cam portion 21 abutting against the two valve rods 13a, 13b. Therefore, gas is supplied from the gas containers of the two systems simultaneously (through the first-system receiving chamber 5a and the second-system receiving chamber 5b), and further through the supply chamber 4a, the total consumed amount of gas is supplied to the adjustment chamber side. In other words, by opening the two valves, the first-system opening / closing valve 12a and the second-system opening / closing valve 12b, the gas containers of both the first and second systems are set as the usage side, and gas is supplied simultaneously.

[0040] The gas container replacement work is performed by rotating the switching handle 31 in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction from the normal use position (neutral position). For example, even if one of the gas containers, for example the gas container 52 of the second system, is sealed, the other gas container, for example the gas container 51 of the first system, remains open, so that the gas container 52 of the second system can be replaced with a new gas container without stopping the gas supply (FIG. 7(B): second system receiving position). Similarly, after replacing the gas container 52 of the second system with a new gas container, the switching handle 31 is switched to a position for sealing the gas container 51 of the first system via the normal use position, which is the intermediate position, and then the gas container 51 of the first system is replaced with a new gas container. In this case, the gas container 52 of the second system is opened and maintained in that state before sealing the gas container 51 of the first system by passing through the normal use position, so that the gas container 51 of the first system can be replaced with a new gas container without stopping the gas supply (FIG. 7(C): ​​first system receiving position). Therefore, the gas containers 51, 52 of both the first and second systems can be replaced consecutively (in other words, sequentially) during the same replacement operation without stopping the gas supply.

[0041] That is, the operation of the switching handle 31 is switched to the first or second system side after passing through the normal use position, so that the following cycle is repeated: open both gas containers → close one gas container → open both (i.e., open the closed gas container) → close the other gas container → open both gas containers (i.e., open the closed gas container). This keeps one of the gas containers open at all times, so the gas supply is never cut off. Moreover, since this is done when there is still gas remaining, there is no risk of an unpleasant odor caused by the remaining gas being almost empty (i.e., the concentration of the odorant added to the gas increases, and there is a risk that a report of a gas smell will be made even though there is no gas leak).

[0042] In addition, since the indicator 32 indicates the shut-off gas container, i.e., the replaceable gas container, mistakes in replacement are unlikely to occur. That is, in the case of the gas switching regulator of this embodiment, the gas container to which gas is being supplied can be visually easily identified by the color or symbol of the indicator 32 visible through the indicator window 33. For example, in this embodiment, red indicates that gas is flowing from both sides, and other colors, such as white, indicate that one of the valves is closed, and that the gas container on the system side where the on-off valve is closed is replaceable. In addition, the gas flow can be visually confirmed from the direction of the tip 49 of the switching handle 31 or the direction of the arrow 61 displayed on the top surface of the switching handle 31.

[0043] An example of a gas supply system is shown in Figure 9. In the gas supply system, multiple gas supply sources, for example, a first system gas container 51 and a second system gas container 52, are connected to a first system gas receiving port 7 and a second system gas receiving port 8 of a gas switching regulator 1 via high-pressure hoses 53, respectively, while the gas supply port 9 is piped toward a gas consumption facility via a gas meter 54 that enables automatic meter reading. The gas supply system is further constructed so that a wired or wireless communication device, for example, a wireless device 55 using LPWA (low power long distance wireless communication) technology, can be incorporated to allow daily meter readings from the gas meter to be obtained as needed on a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, or a PC.

[0044] Here, the gas supply system to which the gas switching regulator 1 of this embodiment is applied is set so that both the gas containers 51 and 52 of the first and second systems are set as gas containers on the use side at the same time, and gas is supplied from the containers 51 and 52 of the two systems at the same time. Then, only when replacing the gas container, one of the gas containers 51 of the first system and the gas container 52 of the second system is shut off, and the other is kept in communication to continue supplying gas, and the gas container is switched, i.e., replaced. The gas container is replaced sequentially for both the gas containers of the first and second systems while continuing to supply gas. Therefore, the gas containers of the two systems can be replaced simultaneously in one delivery, which makes it possible to improve the efficiency of the delivery work.

[0045] Gas cylinder replacement can be done by using LPWA (Low Power Long Range Wireless Communication) technology to obtain daily meter readings from the gas meter on a smartphone or tablet, allowing accurate information on the remaining amount of gas in the cylinder. This allows the cylinder to be replaced when the gas in the cylinder has been fully consumed and before the odorant concentration increases, making it possible to prevent problems such as the generation of strange odors and running out of gas while prioritizing the efficiency of delivery operations. For example, there is no particular limit to the timing for replacing gas cylinders, but it is preferable to replace them when there is about 10 to 20% remaining. In this case, the risk of strange odors can be prevented.

[0046] Gas usage can be predicted to some extent, but it is preferable to utilize an automatic meter reading system, for example an automatic meter reading system that uses LPWA (low power long range wireless communication) technology. In this case, the daily meter reading value from the gas meter can be obtained by a smartphone or tablet, so that when it is determined that the remaining gas in the gas cylinder has reached the time for replacement, a gas cylinder can be delivered and the gas cylinder can be replaced. In other words, not only does it reduce the labor required for meter reading, but it is also possible to accurately determine the appropriate replacement time (in other words, the remaining gas amount), making it possible to ensure that gas is consumed without waste and to improve the efficiency of delivery operations.

[0047] The above-mentioned embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the above-mentioned embodiment is applied to a system in which one gas container is connected to each of the first and second systems, that is, a gas supply system in which two gas containers are simply connected by the gas switching regulator of this embodiment, but the present invention is not particularly limited thereto, and it is also possible to connect a plurality of gas containers to each system via a connecting pipe, and to connect two or more gas containers to each system, making it a two-system system. That is, the gas switching regulator of the present invention is effective when connected to at least two systems of gas supply piping that store approximately the same amount of gas. Even in this case, it is possible to replace all gas containers, that is, two or more gas containers, at once in one delivery operation, thereby improving the efficiency of the delivery operation.

[0048] In the case of the gas switching regulator of the above embodiment, the indicator 32 is built into the switching handle 31, but this is not particularly limited, and in some cases, the gas switching regulator may not have the indicator 32 built in. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the switching handle 31 may be provided with a fixed symbol 60 indicating the gas flow direction, and the direction of the symbol 60 may be changed by rotating the switching handle 31. For example, a T-shaped arrow indicating three directions may be provided on the top surface of the switching handle, and the direction of the symbol indicating the gas flow direction may be changed with the rotation of the switching handle 31 to indicate a replaceable gas container. In this case, the direction of the three arrows indicates the open port. For this reason, in the normal use position, as shown in FIG. 8(A), the arrow 60 is arranged in a T shape and points to three ports 7, 8, and 9, and in the second system receiving position, as shown in FIG. 8(B), it points to two ports 7 and 9, and in the first system receiving position, as shown in FIG. 8(C), it points to two ports 8 and 9. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1 Gas switching regulator 2. Housing 4a supply room 5a 1st system reception room 5b 2nd system reception room 12a First system on-off valve 12b Second system on-off valve 13a 1st system opening / closing float 13b Stem of second system on-off valve 20 Center Rod 21 Cam section 22 Shaft section 25 1st action plane 26 Second action plane 27 Transition plane 30 Switching joint 31 Switching handle 32 Display 37 Display Panel 37a Display surface 37b Bifurcated engagement part 47 Protrusion on the housing that constitutes the click mechanism 48 Protrusion on the switching handle that constitutes the click mechanism 49 Pointed end that serves as a reference for determining the rotation position of the switching handle 50 A reference mark for knowing the rotation position of the switching handle 51 Gas cylinder for the first system 52 Second system gas cylinder 54 Gas meter 55 Wireless devices using LPWA (Low Power, Long Distance Wireless Communication) technology 60 Fixed symbol for gas flow direction 61 Fixed symbol for gas flow direction

Claims

1. the gas supply system includes a first-system receiving chamber that receives gas from a gas container of a first system, a second-system receiving chamber that receives gas from a gas container of a second system, a supply chamber that communicates with a gas consuming facility / appliance, a first-system on-off valve that is provided between the first-system receiving chamber and the supply chamber and that blocks or opens the flow of gas from the first-system receiving chamber to the supply chamber, a second-system on-off valve that is provided between the second-system receiving chamber and the supply chamber and that blocks or opens the flow of gas from the second-system receiving chamber to the supply chamber, and a valve on-off adjustment mechanism that switches the open / closed state of each of the first-system on-off valve and the second-system on-off valve, the valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism has three positions: a normal use position in which both the first system opening / closing valve and the second system opening / closing valve are operated to set both the gas container of the first system and the gas container of the second system as a use-side gas container to enable simultaneous gas supply; and a first system receiving position and a second system receiving position in which only one of the first system opening / closing valve and the second system opening / closing valve is closed to enable replacement work of the gas container of the first system and the gas container of the second system to be performed as the closed side without stopping the gas supply, while the other of the first system opening / closing valve and the second system opening / closing valve is left open; and the valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism includes a center rod having a valve rod of each of the first system on-off valve and the second system on-off valve, a cam portion that applies a displacement to the valve rod to open or close the valve, and a shaft portion that switches the position of the cam portion relative to the valve rods of the first system on-off valve and the second system on-off valve by rotating the cam portion in cooperation with a switching handle, the cam portion having the normal use position in which it simultaneously comes into contact with the valve rods of both the first system on-off valve and the second system on-off valve to operate both the first system on-off valve and the second system on-off valve simultaneously, and the first system receiving position and the second system receiving position in which it comes into contact with the valve rod of either the first system on-off valve or the second system on-off valve to operate it, and is separated from the valve rod of the other system on-off valve and does not operate it to maintain a closed valve state, and the cam portion can be switched to the first system receiving position or the second system receiving position via the normal use position by rotating the switching handle. A color or a symbol indicating that gas is being supplied from the gas containers of both the first system and the second system, and a color or a symbol indicating that gas is being supplied from the gas containers of either the first system or the second system are displayed in a switched manner in response to the rotation of the switching handle. A gas switching regulator characterized by:

2. the gas supply system includes a first-system receiving chamber that receives gas from a gas container of a first system, a second-system receiving chamber that receives gas from a gas container of a second system, a supply chamber that communicates with a gas consuming facility / appliance, a first-system on-off valve that is provided between the first-system receiving chamber and the supply chamber and that blocks or opens the flow of gas from the first-system receiving chamber to the supply chamber, a second-system on-off valve that is provided between the second-system receiving chamber and the supply chamber and that blocks or opens the flow of gas from the second-system receiving chamber to the supply chamber, and a valve on-off adjustment mechanism that switches the open / closed state of each of the first-system on-off valve and the second-system on-off valve, the valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism has three positions: a normal use position in which both the first system opening / closing valve and the second system opening / closing valve are operated to set both the gas container of the first system and the gas container of the second system as a use-side gas container to enable simultaneous gas supply; and a first system receiving position and a second system receiving position in which only one of the first system opening / closing valve and the second system opening / closing valve is closed to enable replacement work of the gas container of the first system and the gas container of the second system to be performed as the closed side without stopping the gas supply, while the other of the first system opening / closing valve and the second system opening / closing valve is left open; and the valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism includes a center rod having a valve rod of each of the first system on-off valve and the second system on-off valve, a cam portion that applies a displacement to the valve rod to open or close the valve, and a shaft portion that switches the position of the cam portion relative to the valve rods of the first system on-off valve and the second system on-off valve by rotating the cam portion in cooperation with a switching handle, the cam portion having the normal use position in which it simultaneously comes into contact with the valve rods of both the first system on-off valve and the second system on-off valve to operate both the first system on-off valve and the second system on-off valve simultaneously, and the first system receiving position and the second system receiving position in which it comes into contact with the valve rod of either the first system on-off valve or the second system on-off valve to operate it, and is separated from the valve rod of the other system on-off valve and does not operate it to maintain a closed valve state, and the cam portion can be switched to the first system receiving position or the second system receiving position via the normal use position by rotating the switching handle. A fixed symbol indicating the direction of gas flow is displayed on the surface of the switching handle, and the orientation of the symbol changes with the rotation of the switching handle, so that the symbol is switched between a symbol indicating that gas is being supplied from the gas containers of both the first system and the second system and a symbol indicating that gas is being supplied from the gas container of either the first system or the second system. A gas switching regulator characterized by:

3. 3. The gas switching regulator according to claim 1, further comprising a click mechanism between the switching handle and the housing, the click mechanism providing a tactile sensation when the valve opening / closing adjustment mechanism is switched to one of the three positions.

4. 4. The gas switching regulator according to claim 1, wherein the gas containers are replaced when the remaining gas in each of the gas containers is in the range of about 10 to 20%.

5. A gas supply system comprising a gas switching regulator as described in any one of claims 1 to 4 and an automatic meter reading system using LPWA (low power, long range wireless communication) technology that can obtain daily meter readings from a gas meter using a smartphone, tablet, etc.

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