Flow Control Valve

Abstract

To provide a flow control valve which can achieve stable sealing state within a fluid pipe.SOLUTION: A flow control valve 10 includes: a valve body 11 having an elastically deformable seal member 15; and a forward / rearward movement mechanism 13 which moves the valve body 11 forward or rearward. The flow control valve 10 is provided with a support device 17 which includes support mediums 22, 23 for supporting the seal member 15 in a manner that the support mediums 22, 23 can be switched between a storage stage and a deployment state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a restrictor valve for sealing the interior of a fluid conduit. [Background technology]

[0002] When fluid pipes constituting an existing pipeline through which water, gas, etc. flow deteriorate with age or a new branch is formed, a part of the existing fluid pipe may be replaced with a new fluid pipe. In such a case, a commonly used method is to install two flow control valves spaced apart in the axial direction of the existing fluid pipe, block the flow of fluid in a specified section of the fluid pipe with the valve body of each flow control valve, and bypass the specified section to communicate with each other using a bypass pipe, and replace part of the specified section with a new fluid pipe without stopping the flow of fluid in the fluid pipe using the bypass pipe.

[0003] For example, the flow control valve of Patent Document 1 is mainly composed of a valve body having an elastically deformable seal member and an advancing / retracting mechanism for moving the valve body forward and backward. The valve body has a pair of plates arranged on the upstream side and downstream side of the seal member in the axial direction of the fluid pipe. The advancing / retracting mechanism inserts the seal member and guide member of the valve body through a through hole formed in the fluid pipe, and after the bottom of the seal member abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the fluid pipe, the advancing / retracting mechanism further moves the valve body toward the fluid pipe, so that the seal member is sequentially pressed from its pre-elastic deformation state and elastically deforms so as to bulge outward toward the inner peripheral surface of the fluid pipe. This makes it possible to seal the inside of the fluid pipe and block the flow path. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Microfilm of Utility Model Application No. 1138272 / 1981 (Unexamined Utility Model Application No. 44589 / 1983) (page 1, figure 5) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the flow control valve of Patent Document 1, when the valve body seals the inside of the fluid pipe, the seal member pressed by the fluid flowing through the fluid pipe is supported by the downstream plate material and can resist the fluid pressure, so that bending to the downstream side is suppressed. In recent years, there has been a demand for a smaller installation work for such flow control valves, and accordingly, there is a demand for a smaller diameter through hole formed in the fluid pipe. However, after the valve body is inserted into the fluid pipe through the through hole, the seal member needs to be bulged out to the inner circumference of the fluid pipe to seal it, but the smaller the diameter of the through hole, the wider the area where the seal member bulges outward from the plate material becomes. Since the plate material is unlikely to support such an area, there is a risk that sufficient sealing performance cannot be maintained.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and has as its object to provide a flow control valve capable of achieving a stable sealed state inside a fluid pipe. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the flow control valve of the present invention comprises: A flow control valve including a valve body having an elastically deformable seal member and a reciprocating mechanism for moving the valve body back and forth, The sealing member is supported by a support device that is switchable between a stored state and an expanded state. According to this feature, when the support is in the stored state, it can be easily inserted through the through hole of the fluid pipe, and when the support is in the deployed state, it can support the seal member up to the vicinity of the inner circumferential surface of the fluid pipe, thereby achieving a stable sealed state inside the fluid pipe.

[0008] The support members are characterized in that they are provided in pairs so as to be movable in the radial direction of the fluid pipe. According to this feature, the support can be brought into a stored state in which it communicates with the through hole of the fluid pipe by reducing the diameter of the support, and can be easily brought into a deployed state by expanding the diameter of the support.

[0009] The support device is characterized by having an operating body for switching the support body from the stored state to the deployed state. According to this feature, the support body in the stored state can be deployed by operating the operating body.

[0010] The operating body is characterized in that it protrudes in the advancing direction of the valve body. According to this feature, the support device can be easily deployed by utilizing the reaction force generated when the operating body is pressed against the inner surface of the fluid pipe as the support device is inserted into the fluid pipe.

[0011] The support body and the operating body are connected by a link mechanism. According to this feature, the support can be switched to the deployed state with a simple configuration.

[0012] The support body is characterized by having a curved surface having a curvature larger than that of the inner peripheral surface of the fluid pipe. According to this feature, when the valve body is moved in the rearward direction, the curved surface of the support body abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the fluid pipe, whereby the support body can be switched to the housed state. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a state in which an operating valve and a drilling machine are attached to a fluid pipe constituting an existing pipeline in an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a partially cross-sectional side view showing a state in which an operating valve, a flow control valve, and an insertion machine are attached to a fluid pipe in an embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a partially cross-sectional side view showing a state in which a flow control valve is inserted inside a fluid pipe in an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing a valve body of the flow control valve. [Diagram 5] 4 is an enlarged, partially cross-sectional side view showing the advancement and retreat mechanism of the flow control valve. FIG. [Figure 6]1 is a partially cross-sectional side view showing a state in which a flow control valve is fixed to a fluid pipe. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional side view for explaining the expansion of the valve body. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional side view for explaining the expansion of the valve body. [Figure 9] 1 is a partially cross-sectional side view showing a state in which a fluid pipe is blocked by a flow control valve. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partially sectional front view of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a plan view of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional side view for explaining storage of the support device. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional side view for explaining storage of the support device. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional side view for explaining storage of the support device. [Figure 15] 1 is a front view, partially in section, showing an example of a fluid pipe to which the flow control valve of the present invention can be applied. [Figure 16] 16 is a partial cross-sectional side view for explaining the formation of a through hole in the fluid pipe in FIG. 15. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a flow restrictor valve according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. EXAMPLES

[0015] A flow control valve according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 16. In this embodiment, for example, a fluid pipe 1 constituting an existing pipeline is hermetically fitted onto a housing 2, a predetermined location of the fluid pipe 1 inside the housing 2 is drilled by a drilling machine 5, a flow control valve 10 according to the present invention (see Figure 2) is installed at the drilled location in an uninterrupted flow state, and then the flow control valve 10 is used to close and open the inside of the fluid pipe 1.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, for example, a predetermined portion of a fluid pipe 1 buried in the ground is excavated, and the outer surface of the fluid pipe 1 is cleaned. Then, a housing 2 having a two-part structure with an upper and lower part and a branch part 2a that opens upward and communicates with the inside is fitted and surrounded via a sealing member for sealing a perforated part of the fluid pipe 1 described later. The fluid in the fluid pipe 1 is drinking water in this embodiment, but it may be, for example, industrial water, agricultural water, sewage, or other liquid other than water, or it may be gas or a gas-liquid mixture of gas and liquid. Furthermore, although the housing 2 has a two-part structure in this embodiment, it may have a multi-part structure. In addition, the joint between the divided housings is a T-shaped bolt and nut in this embodiment, but is not limited to this, and may be, for example, welding, or may be attached by a bolt through a packing.

[0017] The fluid pipe 1 of this embodiment is a ductile cast iron pipe with a relatively large diameter (400 mm in this embodiment) and is formed as a straight pipe with a substantially circular cross section. In this embodiment, the fluid pipe 1 is disposed in a substantially horizontal direction. The fluid pipe according to the present invention may be made of other metals such as cast iron and steel, or may be made of concrete, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyolefin, or the like. Furthermore, the inner circumferential surface of the fluid pipe may be covered with an epoxy resin layer, mortar, plating, or the like, or an appropriate material may be powder-coated to cover the inner circumferential surface of the fluid pipe. The pipe may be disposed substantially vertically or obliquely.

[0018] In addition, the fluid pipe of the present invention is not limited to a straight pipe as in the present embodiment, but may be, for example, a pipe with an irregular shape. Here, the irregular shape pipe is a general term for a pipe having at least a part of various irregular shapes such as a curved pipe section, a branch section, a cross section, a section with a different diameter, a joint ring section, a short pipe section, a drain section, etc.

[0019] Next, a process of drilling the fluid pipe 1 in the housing 2 by using a drilling machine 5 will be described. With reference to Fig. 1, first, an operating valve 4 capable of opening and closing the opening of the housing 2 is attached to a flange portion 2b of a branch portion 2a located on the opening side of the housing 2. The operating valve 4 is mainly composed of a valve box 41 that is connected in a sealed manner to the branch portion 2a of the housing 2 in a communicating state, a valve cover 43 that is connected in a sealed manner to the side of the valve box 41 in a communicating state, and a valve element (not shown) that is slidably arranged between the valve box 41 and the valve cover 43.

[0020] That is, the working valve 4 is structured so that when the valve body is placed in the valve box 41, it hermetically closes the housing 2, and when the valve body is placed in the valve lid 43, it opens the housing 2.

[0021] In addition, a drilling machine 5 for drilling a hole in the fluid pipe 1 is installed above the working valve 4. The drilling machine 5 is mainly composed of a mounting flange cylinder 51 that is connected in communication with the valve box 41 in a sealed manner and penetrates in the vertical direction, a cutter 52 disposed within the mounting flange cylinder 51, and a drive mechanism 53 for moving the cutter 52 in the vertical direction and rotating it in the circumferential direction.

[0022] Furthermore, the cutter 52 provided in the drilling machine 5 of this embodiment is configured as a so-called hole saw, and comprises a cylindrical member 52a having a smaller diameter than the fluid pipe 1 (diameter 240 mm in this embodiment) and equipped with a drilling blade at its lower end, and a center drill 52b arranged coaxially with this cylindrical member 52a and protruding beyond the drilling blade, and the cylindrical member 52a and center drill 52b are fixed.

[0023] In this embodiment, the through hole 1a drilled in the fluid pipe 1 (see FIG. 2) is significantly smaller in diameter (60% in this embodiment) than the diameter of the fluid pipe 1, as described later, so the total weight of the tools required to drill the through hole 1a is less than 500 kg in this embodiment. When a conventional flow control valve is used, the total weight of the tools required to drill a through hole with a pipe diameter of 400 mm is approximately 1000 kg. In this way, the above-mentioned housing 2, working valve 4, and drilling machine 5 can be made smaller than conventional ones, and workability can be improved.

[0024] Next, although not specifically shown, the valve body of the working valve 4 is retracted into the valve cover 43 to open the branch section 2a, and the above-mentioned drilling machine 5 is used to drill a hole in the pipe top, which is part of the pipe wall of the fluid pipe 1, while rotating and advancing the cutter 52 downwardly using the drive mechanism 53.

[0025] Furthermore, when the fluid pipe 1 is drilled by the cutter 52 to form the through hole 1a (see FIG. 2), the piece severed from the fluid pipe 1 is held within the cutter 52. Then, the cutter 52 is pulled up together with the piece into the mounting flange tube 51, and the branch portion 2a is closed by the valve body of the working valve 4, thereby completing the drilling operation of the fluid pipe 1.

[0026] Next, we will explain the process of installing the flow control valve 10 without interrupting the flow at the location where the fluid pipe 1 has been drilled inside the housing 2. With reference to Figure 2, while the branch portion 2a is kept closed by the valve body of the working valve 4, the insertion machine 6 connected to the flow control valve 10 is attached in a sealed state to the top of the working valve 4.

[0027] 2, the insertion machine 6 is mainly composed of a cylindrical member 61 that is sealed and communicates with the valve box 41 and has a cross section formed therethrough, and a drive mechanism 63 that is sealed and communicates with the cylindrical member 61 and moves the flow control valve 10 up and down. The drive mechanism 63 has a valve hanging bracket 65 connected to a rod 64 thereof, which is connected to the upper part of the flow control valve 10 by a bolt. The rod 64 may be directly connected to the upper part of the flow control valve 10.

[0028] Here, the flow control valve 10 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 2, the flow control valve 10 is mainly composed of a valve body 11, a case 12 capable of accommodating a part of the valve body 11, an advancing / retreating mechanism 13 for moving the valve body 11 back and forth, and a guide 14 for guiding the expansion of a seal member 15 of the valve body 11.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the valve body 11 is elastically deformable and is composed of a sealing member 15 (dot portion) that seals the inner surface 1b and the through hole 1a of the fluid pipe 1 when it expands, as described below, a plug 16 to which the upper end of the sealing member 15 is fixed, and a support device 17 for supporting the sealing member 15.

[0030] 4, the sealing member 15 is a flat plate formed into a substantially U-shape when viewed in the axial direction of the fluid pipe 1 made of rubber, and defines a recess 18 at the center in the width direction of the fluid pipe 1 (left-right direction on the paper in the figure) that extends in the advancing and retreating direction of the sealing member 15, i.e., in the up-down direction. The guide 14a of the guide 14 is disposed within the recess 18. The recess 18 penetrates the sealing member 15 in the axial direction of the fluid pipe 1, i.e., in the thickness direction of the sealing member 15.

[0031] More specifically, the recess 18 is composed of, from the bottom, a storage section 18a formed in an egg shape capable of storing the inductor 14a, a guide section 18b continuing from the upper end of the storage section 18a and extending in a straight line in the vertical direction to guide the inductor 14a, a narrower section 18c continuing from the upper end of the guide section 18b and extending in a straight line in the vertical direction and having a narrower width than the guide section 18b, a substantially pentagonal extension section 18d (expansion area) continuing from the upper end of the extension section 18c, and a rod guide section 18e which is the narrowest and continues from the upper end of the extension section 18d and extends in a straight line in the vertical direction.

[0032] In addition, in its natural state before being elastically deformed by an external force, the sealing member 15 is formed narrow enough to be inserted through the through hole 1a having an inner diameter D2 (240 mm) smaller than the inner diameter D1 (approximately 400 mm) of the fluid pipe 1. Therefore, compared to a conventional sealing member that is inserted into a wide through hole having approximately the same diameter as the inner diameter D1 of the fluid pipe 1, the gap between the inner surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1 and the sealing member 15 is wider, while the vertical dimension is longer than that of a conventional sealing member in accordance with the bulge allowance required to close the gap between the sealing member 15 and the inner surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1 in its natural state.

[0033] 5 and 10, the plug 16 is formed in a downward U-shape when viewed from the front, and is fixed by clamping the upper end of the seal member 15. The rod 14b of the guide tool 14 is inserted into a through hole 16a that penetrates the center in the vertical direction. In addition, the rod 13c of the advance / retract mechanism 13 is fixed to the plug 16 by a bolt.

[0034] 3 and 10, the case 12 will be described. The case 12 is mainly composed of a main body 12a and a lid 12b fixed to the main body 12a by a bolt with a gasket interposed therebetween, and is inserted into the branching portion 2a of the housing 2 to seal the through hole 1a.

[0035] The main body 12a is formed to sandwich the seal member 15 in the pipe axis direction between a large-diameter tubular portion 12c that is inserted into the branch portion 2a of the housing 2 and has a diameter larger than that of the through-hole 1a, a cylindrical small-diameter tubular portion 12d that is smaller in diameter than the large-diameter tubular portion 12c and is inserted into the through-hole 1a, and plate members 19 and 20 (see FIG. 10) that extend downward from the lower end of the small-diameter tubular portion 12d. The plate member 19 is disposed on the upstream side of the fluid pipe 1 in the pipe axis direction, and the plate member 20 is disposed on the downstream side of the fluid pipe 1 in the pipe axis direction.

[0036] At the center of the lower end of the case 12 as viewed in the axial direction, a recess 12e (see FIG. 10) is formed, which is defined by plates 19 and 20 and is recessed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape from the lower end of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12d toward the upper side. The recess 12e is formed to be able to accommodate and advance / retreat the seal member 15 and plug 16, and serves to prevent the seal member 15 and plug 16 from rotating when they are moved, and also to guide their movement.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, the support device 17 is composed of a pair of plate materials 19, 20 (see Figure 10) which are part of the case 12, a cover 21 fixed to the end face of the plate material 20 on the side opposite to the side on which the sealing member 15 is arranged (the downstream side in the pipe axis direction), a pair of supports 22, 23 arranged between the plate material 20 and the cover 21, a link mechanism 24 for storing and deploying the supports 22, 23, and a mounting member 25 connecting the lower ends of the plate materials 19, 20.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 10, the plate material 20 is formed with a storage groove 20a that is recessed and open to the downstream side in the pipe axis direction and in the width direction, and a linear guide groove 20b that communicates from the storage groove 20a to the lower outward side. The cover 21 is formed with a storage groove 21a that is recessed and open to face the storage groove 20a of the plate material 20, linear communication grooves 21b, 21c (see Fig. 3) that communicate from the storage groove 21a to the width direction outward side of the fluid pipe 1, and a linear guide groove 21d (see Fig. 3) that communicates from the storage groove 21a to the lower outward side. The storage grooves 20a, 21a form a storage space 17a in which the supports 22, 23 are arranged so as to be able to be stored and deployed.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 6, the supports 22, 23 are formed in a pair of wings that are substantially line-symmetrical in the width direction of the fluid pipe 1, and are inserted into the storage space 17a in the stored state. More specifically, the supports 22, 23 have linear inner edge portions 22a, 23a (see Fig. 3) that extend linearly, are arranged opposite to each other, and abut each other in the stored state, small diameter curved portions 22c, 23c (see Fig. 12) that are continuous with the linear inner edge portions 22a, 23a and protrude upward and curve at an acute angle, large diameter curved portions 22d, 23d (see Fig. 13) that are continuous with the small diameter curved portions 22c, 23c and curved with a curvature smaller than that of the small diameter curved portions 22c, 23c, and linear outer edge portions 22b, 23b that are continuous with the large diameter curved portions 22d, 23d and extend linearly. The curvature of the small diameter curved portions 22c, 23c and the large diameter curved portions 22d, 23d is greater than the curvature of the inner circumferential surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1.

[0040] Furthermore, the plate materials 19, 20 and the supports 22, 23 in the stored state have a dimension in the width direction of the fluid pipe 1 (left and right direction on the paper in Figure 3) that is shorter than the inner diameter D1 of the through hole 1a of the fluid pipe 1, so that they can be easily inserted into the fluid pipe 1 by passing through the through hole 1a of the fluid pipe 1.

[0041] Next, a description will be given of the link mechanism 24 for the supports 22, 23. The supports 22, 23 are rotatably supported by the plate material 20 and the cover 21 by rotation shafts 22e, 23e which are rotatably inserted through the lower ends of the supports 22, 23.

[0042] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the link mechanism 24 is composed of link members 24a, 24b and an operating body 24c extending in the vertical direction, which are connected by pivot shafts 24d, 24e, and 24f, and in the stored state, the lower end of the operating body 24c protrudes downward beyond the lower end of the sealing member 15.

[0043] More specifically, the link mechanism 24 is supported by the pivot shaft 24d, which supports the end of the support 22 on the side of the straight inner edge 22a, and one end of the link member 24a (upper side of the drawing). The pivot shaft 24e supports the end of the support 23 on the side of the straight inner edge 23a, and one end of the link member 24b (upper side of the drawing). The pivot shaft 24f supports the other end of the link members 24a, 24b (lower side of the drawing), and the upper end of the operating body 24c.

[0044] Further, a recess that is recessed to allow for the thickness of the link member 24a is formed in the support body 22. As a result, the supports 22 and 23 are disposed on approximately the same plane.

[0045] 5, the advance / retract mechanism 13 is mainly composed of a hollow main body 13a fixed to the upper end of the case 12, a hollow spindle 13b inserted into the main body 13a, and a hollow rod 13c having a male thread formed on the outer circumferential surface of the spindle 13b and a female thread formed on the inner circumferential surface of the spindle 13b screwed together, and the rod 13c can move relative to the spindle 13b in response to the rotation of the spindle 13b. In addition, the advance / retract mechanism 13 has a through hole 13d penetrating in the vertical direction through which the rod 14b of the guide 14 is inserted.

[0046] 4, the guide 14 is composed of, from the bottom, a guide 14a having a tapered side 14c formed in a straight or curved shape that gradually narrows toward the top, and a rod 14b extending upward from the top end of the guide 14a, and has a function of guiding the expansion of the seal member 15 in the outer diameter direction, as described later. The rod 14b is inserted into the through hole 13d of the advance / retract mechanism 13, the through hole 16a of the plug 16, and the rod guide portion 18e of the seal member 15, and is movable in the vertical direction.

[0047] Returning to the explanation of the process of installing the flow control valve 10, as shown in FIG. 2, the seal member 15 is inserted into the fluid pipe 1 by passing it through the through hole 1a of the fluid pipe 1 by the drive mechanism 63.

[0048] In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, a gasket 26, which is disposed in the step between the large diameter cylindrical portion 12c and the small diameter cylindrical portion 12d in the case 12, is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the fluid pipe 1, thereby sealing the space between the case 12 and the fluid pipe 1.

[0049] With this insertion, the support device 17 changes from a stored state in which the supports 22, 23 are stored in the storage space 17a (see Fig. 10) to an expanded state in which the supports 22, 23 protrude outward in the width direction of the cover 21 as shown in Fig. 6. That is, the supports 22, 23 can be inserted through the through hole 1a of the fluid pipe 1 when in the stored state, and protrude outward beyond the through hole 1a of the fluid pipe 1 and come close to the inner circumferential surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1 when in the expanded state.

[0050] Regarding the transition operation of the supports 22, 23 of the support device 17 from the stored state to the deployed state in detail, as shown in Figure 3, the operating body 24c, which protrudes downwardly below the lower end of the sealing member 15 in the stored state, comes into contact with the inner surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1 as the flow control valve 10 is inserted downward, and then, as the flow control valve 10 is further inserted by the drive mechanism 63, it receives a reaction force from the inner surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1 and moves upward relative to the plate material 20 and the cover 21 while being guided by the guide grooves 20b, 21d of the plate material 20 and the cover 21.

[0051] Accompanying this movement of the operating body 24c, the link members 24a and 24b pivotally supported by the rotary shaft 24f move open and close in the left and right directions.

[0052] Accordingly, the support 22 supported by the pivot shaft 24d at the other end of the link member 24a rotates counterclockwise around the pivot shaft 22e as shown by the black arrow. Similarly, the support 23 supported by the pivot shaft 24e at the other end of the link member 24b rotates clockwise around the pivot shaft 23e as shown by the black arrow. In this way, the supports 22 and 23 open in the left-right direction.

[0053] In this way, the supports 22, 23 are deployed by utilizing a reaction force generated when the operating body 24c is pressed against the inner circumferential surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1 as the support device 17 is inserted into the fluid pipe 1. In other words, the supports 22, 23 are deployed by the action of inserting the support device 17 into the fluid pipe 1, so that it is easy to put the support device 17 into the deployed state.

[0054] Furthermore, even if external forces such as vibrations and fluid flow generated by the insertion of the flow control valve 10 cause the supports 22, 23 in the stored state to expand before or while passing through the through hole 1a of the fluid pipe 1, the straight outer edge portions 22b, 23b of the supports 22, 23 will abut against the inner surface of the through hole 1a, thereby guiding them in the stored direction, thereby preventing the insertion of the flow control valve 10 from being hindered.

[0055] Thereafter, the main body 12a of the case 12 is temporarily fixed to the branch portion 2a of the housing 2 by a temporary fixing means (not shown), and the insertion machine 6 and the working valve 4 are removed. Next, as shown in Fig. 6, the annular retaining member 27 inserted into the upper end portion of the main body 12a is fixed to the flange portion 2b of the housing 2 with bolts and nuts, and the temporary fixation is released.

[0056] Next, the blocking of the inside of the fluid pipe 1 by the flow control valve 10 will be described. As shown in Fig. 7(a), when the flow control valve 10 is installed in the fluid pipe 1, the lower end of the sealing member 15 is gradually elastically deformed from the natural state before elastic deformation shown in Fig. 3 by being pressed against the bottom of the inner circumferential surface 1b by the installation member 25 of the support device 17, as indicated by the black arrow.

[0057] Next, the upper end of rod 14b of guide tool 14 protruding above anti-rotation member 28 is grasped and moved upward as shown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 7(b).

[0058] 7(b), the guide 14 is moved upward to a position where the guide 14a comes into close contact with the convex portions 15c, 15c that define the narrowed portion 18c, and then the rod 14b of the guide 14 is fixed to the anti-rotation member 28 fixed to the case 12 at the upper end of the spindle 13b with a bolt (not shown). The guide 14 may be supported immovably at any position to which it has been moved upward, simply by hand or using a tool.

[0059] Next, the spindle 13b is rotated by operating a handle or the like (not shown). The plug 16 is driven by the rod 13c which moves relatively downward according to the number of rotations of the spindle 13b, and the seal member 15 is press-fitted into the fluid pipe 1 as shown by the outlined arrows in Figures 7(c) and 8.

[0060] More specifically, when the spindle 13b is rotated a predetermined number of times (for example, 10 rotations) from the non-rotating state shown in Fig. 7(b), the seal member 15 moves downward in response to this rotation, and as shown in Fig. 7(c), the seal member 15 reaches its initial bulging state, and as shown by the black arrow, the seal member 15 bulges mainly in a diagonally downward direction. During this time, the convex parts 15c, 15c of the seal member 15 move relatively downward from the inductor 14a while being guided in the direction away from each other by the tapered side 14c of the inductor 14a, which is fixed in position; in other words, the inductor 14a advances into the expansion part 18d.

[0061] Furthermore, the lower end of the seal member 15, which is pressure-bonded to the inner circumferential surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1, is pressed toward the inner circumferential surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1 and functions as a core. This makes it possible to induce elastic deformation of the seal member 15 from the lower end upward along the inner circumferential surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1.

[0062] When rotated a predetermined number of times from the state in Figure 7(c), the state in Figure 8(a) is reached, where the sealing member 15 bulges diagonally downward toward the horizontal width direction of the fluid pipe 1, as shown by the solid arrow. When rotated a predetermined number of times from the state in Figure 8(a), the sealing member 15 reaches an intermediate bulging state as shown in Figure 8(b), where the sealing member 15 bulges toward approximately the horizontal width direction of the fluid pipe 1, as shown by the solid arrow. When rotated a predetermined number of times from the state in Figure 8(b), the sealing member 15 reaches a later bulging state as shown in Figure 8(c), and the press-fitting of the sealing member 15 is completed.

[0063] During this time, the part of the seal member 15 that was previously pressed in gradually functions as a core part, and the thin-walled part 15d of the seal member 15 that defines the expansion part 18d is relatively thicker and thinner than the thick-walled part 15e of the seal member 15 that defines the rod guide part 18e, and is therefore more likely to be elastically deformed, so that the thick-walled part 15e is more likely to be guided by the tapered side 14c of the guide 14a. Therefore, the seal member 15 bulges out toward the inner circumferential surface 1b near the through hole 1a, which includes a component in the opposite direction to the pressing-in direction.

[0064] As a result, as shown by the black arrow, the sealing member 15 bulges out near the through hole 1a of the fluid pipe 1, i.e., diagonally upward, and the sealing member 15 is pressed against the inner surface of the through hole 1a of the fluid pipe 1 and the inner surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1.

[0065] 7, 8, and 10, the recess 18 is always expanded inside the plate material 20 as the seal member 15 bulges. The seal member 15 not only bulges in the thickness direction, i.e., toward the plates 19 and 20, but is also pressed against the plate material 20 by the pressure of the upstream fluid in the fluid pipe 1, so that the fluid in the pipe is prevented from passing through the recess 18.

[0066] Furthermore, the plate material 19 is connected to the small diameter cylindrical portion 12d via the rib 19a to increase the structural strength, so that the plate materials 19, 20, etc. are prevented from warping or tilting downstream in the pipe axial direction.

[0067] Furthermore, since the support device 17 is in the deployed state before the sealing member 15 swells as described above, the sealing member 15, which gradually swells radially outward from the plate material 20, has its posture supported by the plate material 20 and supports 22, 23 arranged on its rear side against the fluid pressure of the fluid flowing through the fluid pipe 1. As a result, the sealing member 15 swells only in the radial direction of the pipe without elastically deforming downstream, so that the inside of the fluid pipe 1 can be kept sealed.

[0068] 10, the flow control valve 10 has a fluid pressure check valve 29a communicating with the upstream side of the fluid pipe 1 relative to the seal member 15, and a fluid pressure check valve 29b communicating with the downstream side of the fluid pipe 1 relative to the seal member 15. This makes it possible to check whether or not fluid is flowing into the flow control valve 10 by opening the fluid pressure check valve 29a. Also, it is possible to check whether or not the inside of the fluid pipe 1 is blocked by the flow control valve 10 by opening the fluid pressure check valve 29b.

[0069] 11, the inner diameter D2 (240 mm) of the through hole 1a is smaller than the inner diameter D1 (about 400 mm) of the fluid pipe 1 (see FIG. 4), so the flow control valve 10 can be made smaller than the outer diameter of the fluid pipe 1. In the uninterrupted flow method using the flow control valve 10 of the present invention, including the installation of the above-mentioned working valve 4, the weight of the equipment required for the work can be reduced and the load-bearing capacity required for the housing 2 can also be reduced, making it possible to miniaturize the housing 2. In other words, the uninterrupted flow method can be performed even in a narrow work space.

[0070] 11, the outer diameter L2 of the annular retaining member 27, which is the maximum dimension of the flow control valve 10 in a plan view, is smaller than the outer diameter L1 of the fluid pipe 1, and the length L3 in the axial direction of the housing 2 that fits the fluid pipe 1 is smaller than the outer diameter L2 of the retaining member 27. In this way, it is possible to reduce the scale of incidental work such as excavation in the area surrounding the fluid pipe 1, and the weight of the equipment required for the work can be reduced. Furthermore, since the inner diameter D2 (see FIG. 4) of the through hole 1a is smaller than the length L3 in the axial direction of the housing 2, the construction of the flow-uninterrupted construction method of the present invention can be simplified.

[0071] Next, a process for removing the flow control valve 10 from the fluid pipe 1 will be described. First, the sealing member 15 is elastically restored in the reverse order to that for blocking the inside of the fluid pipe 1 by the flow control valve 10 described above. At that time, the guide 14a is moved to the storage section 18a, but since the downward movement is restricted by the installation member 25, positioning is easy.

[0072] Next, the main body 12a of the case 12 is temporarily fixed to the branch portion 2a of the housing 2 by a temporary fixing means (not shown), the retaining member 27 is removed from the flange portion 2b of the housing 2, the working valve 4 is attached to the housing 2, the valve hanging bracket 65 is connected to the upper part of the flow control valve 10 with a bolt, and the insertion machine 6 is attached to the working valve 4. Then, the flow control valve 10 is extracted by the drive mechanism 63.

[0073] 12, when the flow control valve 10 is removed, the large-diameter curved portions 22d, 23d of the supports 22, 23 come into contact with the inner circumferential surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1 and receive a reaction force, so that the support 22 is rotated clockwise about the rotation shaft 22e and the support 23 is rotated counterclockwise about the rotation shaft 23e while being guided along the inner circumferential surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1. That is, the supports 22, 23 are contracted and closed in the left-right direction to their original positions.

[0074] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, the small diameter curved portions 22c, 23c of the supports 22, 23 abut against the inner surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1 near the through hole 1a, which is curved to face the withdrawal direction of the flow control valve 10, and are guided by the reaction force of this inner surface 1b, so that the supports 22, 23 are gradually rotated so as to contract and close in the left-right direction.

[0075] 14, when the flow control valve 10 is further removed and the supports 22, 23 are inserted into the through hole 1a of the fluid pipe 1, the large diameter curved portions 22d, 23d and the straight outer edge portions 22b, 23b (see FIG. 3) of the supports 22, 23 come into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 1a, preventing the support device 17 from expanding. In this way, the support device 17 is stored in its original position by utilizing the shapes of the fluid pipe 1 and the through hole 1a, and passes through the through hole 1a.

[0076] In other words, when the valve body 11 is moved in the backward direction, the supports 22, 23 can be switched to a stored state by the small diameter curved portions 22c, 23c and the large diameter curved portions 22d, 23d as curved surfaces of the supports 22, 23 abutting against the inner surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1.

[0077] As described above, the support device 17 of this embodiment can support the seal member 15 up to the vicinity of the inner circumferential surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1 by deploying the supports 22, 23. This makes it possible to achieve a stable sealed state inside the fluid pipe 1a.

[0078] Furthermore, since the supports 22, 23 are arranged in a pair so as to be movable in the radial direction of the fluid pipe 1, the supports 22, 23 can be reduced in diameter to be stored in a state in which they communicate with the through hole 1a of the fluid pipe 1, and can be easily expanded in diameter to be deployed.

[0079] Furthermore, since the support device 17 has an operating body 24c for switching the supports 22, 23 from a stored state to an expanded state, the supports 22, 23 in the stored state can be expanded by operating the operating body 24c.

[0080] Furthermore, since the operating body 24c constitutes the link mechanism 24, the supports 22, 23 can be switched to the deployed state with a simple configuration.

[0081] In this embodiment, the ratio of the inner diameter D2 (240 mm) of the through hole 1a to the inner diameter D1 (about 400 mm) of the fluid pipe 1 is about 60%, but it is not limited to this and may be changed as appropriate. For example, if the ratio of the inner diameter of the through hole to the inner diameter of the fluid pipe is a predetermined ratio that exceeds at least 50%, the maximum width of the seal member 15 and the plate members 19, 20 can also be set to exceed 50%, so that the overlapping area where the seal member 15 overlaps with the plate members 19, 20 as it expands is obtained outside the recess, and the seal member 15 and the plate members 19, 20 can seal without fluid leakage. For this reason, the ratio of the inner diameter D2 of the through hole 1a and the maximum width of the seal members 15 and the plate members 19, 20 to the inner diameter D1 of the fluid pipe 1 is preferably in the range of 55% to 65%, including about 60% in this embodiment.

[0082] In this embodiment, the cutter 52 configured as a hole saw is used to form the circular through hole 1a, but as shown in Figures 15 and 16, for example, a drilling machine 105 having an end mill 152 may be used to form a long through hole 101a extending in the circumferential direction of the wall of the fluid pipe 101, and the above-mentioned flow control valve of the present invention may be installed through the through hole 101a to block the fluid pipe 101. When the end mill 152 is used in this way, it is preferable to use a housing 102 that is rotatable around the axis of the fluid pipe 101, as shown in Figure 15.

[0083] Although not specifically shown, a drilling machine other than the one described above may be used to drill a fluid pipe, and the above-described flow control valve of the present invention may be installed through the through hole formed by the drilling machine.

[0084] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0085] For example, in the above embodiment, the sealing member 15 has been described as being plate-shaped, but this is not limited thereto, and it may be of another shape, such as a bulb shape.

[0086] In addition, in the above embodiment, the sealing member 15 is described as being pressed in by rotating the spindle 13b, but this is not limited to this and the sealing member 15 may be pressed in by various cylinders, that is, the advancing and retreating mechanism may be changed as appropriate.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the recess 18 is described as penetrating in the thickness direction from the top to the bottom, but this is not limited thereto, and at least a part of the recess 18 may not penetrate in the thickness direction, and may not penetrate in the thickness direction from the top to the bottom. In addition, when the recess does not penetrate in the thickness direction, a plate material may not be disposed.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the supporting device 17 is described as having two supports 22, 23, but the present invention is not limited to this and may have one support, or three or more supports.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the two supports 22, 23 are described as a pair of wing-shaped supports that are line-symmetrical, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be non-line-symmetrical. The shape of the supports is not limited to the wing-shaped shape and may be changed as appropriate, but it is preferable that the supports have a curved surface so that they can be stored using the inner peripheral surface 1b of the fluid pipe 1.

[0090] In addition, in the above embodiment, the support device 17 has been described as being configured to be able to deploy the supports 22, 23 using the link mechanism 24, but this is not limited to this, and the supports 22, 23 may be driven using a driving force such as a motor, or may be driven manually, by their own weight, or by a spring, and the driving mechanism of the support device 17 may be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1 Fluid tube 1a Through hole 1b Inner surface 2. Chassis 10. Flow Control Valve 11 Valve body 12 cases 13 Advancement / retraction mechanism 14 Guidance equipment 14a Derivatives 14c Tapered edge 15 Sealing material 17 Support device 18 Recess 18d Extension 19,20 Board material 22,23 Support 22c, 23c Small diameter curved section 22d, 23d Large diameter curved section 24 Link mechanism 24c Operating body 52 Cutter 101 Fluid pipe 101a Through hole 102 Case 152 End Mill

Claims

1. A flow control valve including a valve body having an elastically deformable seal member and a reciprocating mechanism that reciprocates the valve body to elastically deform the seal member, A flow control valve characterized in that a support device is provided that has a support body for abutting and supporting the outer surface of the sealing member elastically deformed by the advancing and retreating mechanism, the support body being switchable between a stored state and an deployed state.

2. 2. The flow restriction valve according to claim 1, wherein the supports are provided in pairs so as to be movable in a radial direction of the fluid pipe.

3. The flow control valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support device has an operating body for switching the support body from the stored state to the deployed state.

4. 4. The flow restricting valve according to claim 3, wherein the operation body protrudes in the advancing direction of the valve body.

5. 5. The flow restricting valve according to claim 4, wherein the support body and the operating body are connected by a link mechanism.

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