Fluid control device

Abstract

To provide a fluid control device that suppresses cost for manufacturing or the like by simplifying design, manufacturing, management process of a flow control body and has expected controllability.SOLUTION: A fluid control device includes a flow control body 10 installed in a hermetically sealed state in a place where a fluid pipe 1 is partially cut in a non-interrupted flow state inside a housing 2 where the fluid pipe 1 is externally fitted in a hermetically sealed state. The flow control body 10 includes: an on-off valve 11 comprising a valve seat body 12 including an opening 12a and a valve element 13 installed to the valve seat body 12 so as to be capable of opening and closing the opening 12a; and a partition body 15 that comprises a pair of wall parts 16, 16 including a through-hole 16a communicated to the opening 12a and installed in a hermetically sealed state so as to hold the valve seat body 12 in a pipe axial direction and a lid part 17 continuously installed to the pair of wall parts 16, 16 to cover an opening side of the housing 2 and includes a seal material 19 for sealing a gap between the pair of wall parts 16, 16 and the lid part 17 and an inner surface of the housing 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fluid control device in which a fluid control device is installed in a housing that seals a fluid pipe in a continuous flow state. [Background technology]

[0002] In a conventional fluid control device, a part of a fluid pipe is cut without interrupting the flow inside a housing that hermetically fits the fluid pipe constituting the fluid pipeline, and a fluid control valve such as various valves for controlling the fluid inside the pipe is installed at the cut location. For example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a fluid control device is known in which a housing is hermetically attached to the fluid pipe, a working valve that can open and close the inside of the housing is attached to an opening of the housing, a cutting machine having a hole saw and a drive unit is installed on the working valve, the hole saw is advanced by the drive unit with the working valve open to cut a part of the fluid pipe without interrupting the flow inside the housing, and an insertion machine is attached to the working valve instead of the cutting machine, and the fluid control unit is advanced by the insertion machine to hermetically install a fluid control unit in the housing through the opening without interrupting the flow.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a valve body (fluid control) as a fluid control device that is mainly composed of an upper cover portion (cover portion) having a sealing material that is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the opening side of the housing, a partition wall (wall portion) that is integrally formed with the lower portion of the upper cover portion and has a sealing material that is in close contact with the inner side and bottom surfaces of the housing, and a valve body that operates to open and close an opening formed through the partition wall. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-153178 A (page 5, figure 2) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, the fluid regulator installed inside the housing that fits the fluid pipe is required to have a precise outer shape that matches and fits closely with the inner surface of the housing on which it is installed, so it is necessary to individually design in detail the fluid regulator that has a cover and wall with such a precise outer shape and further has a valve that opens and closes the opening of the partition wall with the desired controllability, which not only complicates the manufacturing process of the fluid regulator but also increases the manufacturing cost. In particular, depending on the region where the pipes and fluid regulators are installed, there are differences in the specifications and standards of the pressure, paint, materials, etc. of the fluid pipes and fluid regulators, and if the fluid regulators are individually designed and manufactured in detail each time according to these, the costs will be enormous, and there is also a problem that the stock and maintenance management of special fluid regulators will be complicated.

[0006] The present invention has been made in response to these problems, and aims to provide a fluid control device that has the desired controllability while reducing manufacturing costs by simplifying the design, manufacturing, and management processes of the fluid control device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the fluid control device of the present invention comprises: A fluid control device provided with a fluid regulator that is hermetically installed at a location where a part of a fluid pipe is cut in an uninterrupted flow state inside a housing that hermetically fits a fluid pipe, and that controls a fluid in the pipe, The fluid control device is characterized in that it is composed of an on-off valve consisting of a valve seat body with an opening and a valve body provided on the valve seat body so as to be able to open and close the opening, a wall portion having a through hole communicating with the opening and hermetically attached to the valve seat body, and a lid portion connected to the wall portion and covering the opening side of the housing, and a partition body equipped with a sealing material that seals between the partition body and the inner surface of the housing. According to this feature, as a fluid control device installed in a housing that hermetically fits a fluid pipe, an on-off valve consisting of a valve seat body and a valve body that opens and closes its opening, and a partition body consisting of a wall part attached to the valve seat body and a lid part covering the opening of the housing and equipped with a seal material that seals between the inner surface of the housing are separately configured, so that a fluid control device that is designed and manufactured in detail according to the shape of the housing is not required, and a standard product or a commercially available product that is highly versatile and has the desired fluid controllability as an on-off valve can be adopted, and the sealability inside the housing can be maintained by the partition body interposed between the on-off valve and the inner surface of the housing. Also, since the partition body is composed of a wall part that surrounds the opening of the valve seat body and a lid part that is connected to this wall part, the structural strength and rigidity of the partition body are increased, and the sealability can be maintained against pressure fluctuations and flow rate fluctuations of the fluid in the pipe.

[0008] The wall portions are mounted in a pair so as to sandwich the valve seat body in the pipe axial direction. According to this feature, the pair of walls are arranged to sandwich the valve seat body of the on-off valve in the pipe axial direction, and thus the walls can be easily attached.

[0009] The cover portion is characterized in that it is connected to each of the pair of walls. According to this feature, the pair of wall portions and the cover portion are arranged to sandwich the valve seat body of the on-off valve in the pipe axial direction, so that the partition body can be easily configured.

[0010] The cover has a shaft hole through which the neck of the fluid regulator is inserted. According to this feature, the valve body inside the housing can be opened and closed by the neck portion that is inserted through the shaft hole into the outside of the housing.

[0011] The cap portion is attached so as to sandwich the neck portion in the tube axial direction, and the axial hole is formed by joining the cap portion in the tube axial direction. According to this feature, by approaching a pair of lid portions so as to sandwich the neck portion in the tube axis direction, not only can the lid portions be easily attached, but the pair of lid portions can also be aligned with each other by utilizing the neck portion.

[0012] A sealing member is interposed between the valve seat body and the wall portion to surround and seal the opening. According to this feature, the sealing member surrounding the opening blocks the flow of fluid between the valve seat body and the wall, and prevents corrosion in the external area except for the internal area formed as a flow path by installing a fluid control device within the housing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 2 is a front view showing a state in which an operating valve and a cutting machine are attached to a housing in the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a side view showing a state in which an insertion machine equipped with a fluid regulator is attached to a housing. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a state in which the flow regulator in the first embodiment is installed in a housing. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partially sectional side view similar to FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a partially cross-sectional plan view similar to FIG. [Figure 6] 1A, 1B, and 1C are diagrams showing a butterfly valve constituting a flow control device, in which (a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a side view. [Figure 7] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing a partition constituting a flow control device, in which (a) is a plan view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a front view. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a modified example of the housing. [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a modified example of a flow control device, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of (a). [Figure 10] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a state in which a flow control device according to a second embodiment is installed in a housing, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a partially sectional front view. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a partition body in Example 2, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a diagram showing a process of attaching a butterfly valve. [Figure 12]11A and 11B are diagrams showing a state in which a flow control device according to a third embodiment is installed in a housing, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a partially sectional front view. [Figure 13] 13A to 13C are diagrams showing a process of attaching a butterfly valve to a partition body in Example 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A fluid control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. EXAMPLES

[0015] A fluid control device according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 9. In this embodiment, an existing fluid pipe 1 constituting a pipeline component is hermetically fitted into a housing 2, a predetermined portion of the fluid pipe 1 inside the housing 2 is cut by a cutting machine 5, and a fluid control device is installed at the cut portion in an uninterrupted flow state, to construct the fluid control device. Here, the fluid control device of this embodiment is mainly composed of a fluid control device 10 and the housing 2, as shown in Fig. 3.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, for example, a fluid pipe 1 buried in the ground is excavated at a predetermined location, and 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 around the fluid pipe in a sealed manner. The fluid in the fluid pipe 1 may be, for example, clean water, industrial water, sewage, or a 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. Furthermore, although the split housings are joined by welding in this embodiment, the method is not limited to this and may be, for example, by bolts via packing.

[0017] The fluid pipe 1 is a ductile cast iron pipe, and is formed in a generally circular cross section. The fluid pipe according to the present invention may be made of other metals such as cast iron or 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 the inner circumferential surface of the fluid pipe may be covered with an appropriate material by powder coating.

[0018] In addition, in this embodiment, both ends of the fluid pipe 1 and the housing 2 in the pipe axis direction are connected in a sealed and earthquake-resistant state by a circumferentially split press ring 3 equipped with a packing 3a and a locking member 3b. Furthermore, the housing 2 can be centered with respect to the fluid pipe 1 by appropriately screwing in centering bolts 2h provided in the housing 2 along the circumferential direction of the fluid pipe 1. When mounting the housing 2 to the fluid pipe 1 in a sealed state, a foundation such as a concrete foundation or a jack (not shown) may be formed below the housing 2 to support the weight around the housing 2 and prevent the fluid pipe 1 from bending.

[0019] Next, as shown in Fig. 1, a process of cutting the fluid pipe 1 in the housing 2 by a cutting machine 5 will be described. 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] A cutting machine 5 for cutting the fluid pipe 1 is installed above the working valve 4. The cutting machine 5 is mainly composed of a mounting flange tube 51 that is connected in communication with the valve box 41 via a short pipe and is sealed and penetrates in the vertical direction, a cutter 52 disposed within the mounting flange tube 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 cutting machine 5 of this embodiment is configured as a so-called hole saw, and consists of a cylindrical member 52a which is larger in diameter than the fluid pipe 1 and has a cutting blade at its lower end, and a center drill 52b which is arranged coaxially with this cylindrical member 52a and protrudes beyond the drilling blade, and the cylindrical member 52a and the center drill 52b are fixed.

[0023] In this embodiment, a so-called hole saw is used as the cutting means for the fluid pipe 1, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a cutting tool, a wire saw, an end mill, or the like may be used. In this case, when the cutting machine is a cutting tool, a structure for rotating a sprocket or a chain in the circumferential direction of the pipe may be used, and when the cutting machine is an end mill, a structure for moving the housing 2 in the axial or circumferential direction may be used, which are well-known methods. In this embodiment, the fluid pipe 1 is cut so as to be divided in the pipe axial direction, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the fluid pipe 1 may be cut so as to perforate a part of the pipe wall without dividing it in the pipe axial direction.

[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 cutting machine 5 is used to rotate the cutter 52 by the drive mechanism 53 and move it downward to cut the fluid pipe 1 without interrupting the flow.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, a drain valve 9 capable of discharging the fluid to the outside is attached to the bottom of the housing 2, so that cutting chips generated when the fluid pipe 1 is cut by the cutter 52 can be discharged to the outside together with the fluid.

[0026] Furthermore, when the fluid pipe 1 is cut by the cutter 52, 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 inside of the mounting flange tube 51, and the branch portion 2a is closed by the valve body of the working valve 4, thereby completing the cutting operation of the fluid pipe 1.

[0027] Next, as shown in Fig. 2, a process of installing a fluid control device 10 in an uninterrupted flow state at the cut location of the fluid pipe 1 inside the housing 2 will be described. First, with the branch section 2a kept closed by the valve body of the working valve 4, an insertion machine 6 connected to the fluid control device 10 is attached in a sealed state to the top of the working valve 4. The insertion machine 6 is mainly composed of a cylindrical member 61 that is formed to penetrate in the vertical direction and has the fluid control device 10 disposed therein, and a drive mechanism 63 for moving the fluid control device 10 in the vertical direction.

[0028] Next, as shown in Figure 3, the fluid control valve 10 of this embodiment will be described. The fluid control valve 10 is mainly composed of a butterfly valve 11 serving as an on-off valve, which is a standardized or commercially available product having versatility, and a partition body 15 attached to the butterfly valve 11 by a connector 49 such as a bolt.

[0029] 3 to 6, the butterfly valve 11 includes a valve seat body 12 having an opening 12a, which is generally circular in front view, penetrating the front and back, a valve body 13 pivotally supported on the valve seat body 12 so as to open or close the opening 12a in a sealed manner, i.e., so as to be able to open and close, and an operating part 14 connected to a valve stem at the upper end of the valve seat body 12, a mounting flange for the operating part 14, and a shaft part 12d as a neck part consisting of a cylinder surrounding the valve stem, etc., in order to open and close the valve body 13. These main parts are made of cast iron in this embodiment and are standardized products or commercially available products suitable for mass production. Furthermore, their coating and materials are standardized products or commercially available products with specifications suitable for mass production and the area of ​​use. In addition, a pair of flange parts 12b, 12b are provided at the front and rear of the valve seat body 12 so as to surround the opening 12a in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of bolt holes 12c are formed through the flange part 12b along the circumferential direction. Therefore, this butterfly valve 11 can be connected with a bolt between the flange portion 12b and the flange of a fluid pipe (not shown), and is widely applicable to various fluid pipes, such as water supply and sewerage pipes, submarine piping, shipyards, power plants, etc. The opening 12a of the butterfly valve 11 applied in this embodiment is disposed approximately concentrically with the center of the fluid pipe 1, and has an opening diameter approximately the same as the inner diameter of the fluid pipe 1. Here, the connection of the butterfly valve 11 to the fluid pipe is not limited to a flange connection, and may be a structure in which the connection is made, for example, by inserting and fitting.

[0030] Moreover, the butterfly valve 11 is preferably a floodable butterfly valve that has a flood hole in the wing of the valve body 13 and allows the fluid to safely pass through the flood hole in small, controlled amounts to the downstream side by opening the valve body 13 to a small degree. This eliminates the need for a bypass pipe that connects the upstream and downstream sides of a conventional valve, making it possible to reduce the size and simplify the casing. Of course, valves other than floodable types can also be used.

[0031] In this embodiment, a butterfly valve 11 is shown as the opening / closing valve, but the valve is not limited to this and may be, for example, a sluice valve, a ball valve, or a switching valve.

[0032] Next, partition body 15 has a divided structure in which a pair of partition bodies 15A and 15B are attached to the flange portion 12b of the valve seat body 12 of the butterfly valve 11 in the front and rear direction of the pipe axis, and is fixedly attached by connecting device 49 inserted into bolt hole 12c of flange portion 12b.

[0033] More specifically, as shown in Figures 3 to 5 and 7, each partition body 15 is configured to have a pair of integral steel materials in the pipe axis direction, each of which includes a wall portion 16 having a through hole 16a formed therethrough that is approximately the same diameter and communicates with the opening 12a of the butterfly valve 11 and has a plurality of bottomed female screw holes 16b around the through hole 16a, and a lid portion 17 connected to the wall portion 16 and provided along the circumferential direction of the inner circumferential surface of the branch portion 2a of the housing. The wall portion 16 has a shape that protrudes outward and downward from the valve seat body 12 of the butterfly valve 11, and is provided at a position eccentric to one side with respect to the center of the lid portion 17.

[0034] As shown in Figures 7(a) and (b), rib material 18 is fixed between the wall portion 16 and the lid portion 17 on both sides of the through hole 16a, thereby increasing the rigidity of the partition body 15 as a whole and guiding the flow of fluid when the opening 12a is opened.

[0035] Each partition body 15 has a groove that is generally U-shaped in cross section and is formed between the outer and lower surfaces of the wall portion 16 and the outer circumferential surface of the cover portion 17, and an endless seal material 19 is disposed in this groove. Furthermore, an annular seal member (not shown) is interposed between the end face of the valve seat body 12 in the pipe axis direction and the wall surface of the wall portion 16 facing the end face, though this is not limited to the inner circumferential side, on the inner circumferential side of the connector 49 inserted into the flange portion 12b of the valve seat body 12 so as to surround the opening 12a. These seal materials 19 and sealing members are made of elastic materials such as rubber, elastomer, resin, etc., including NBR, SBR, and CR.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2, a valve suspension bracket 64 connected to a drive mechanism 63 is connected to the upper end of the fluid control unit 10 consisting of the above-mentioned butterfly valve 11 and partition body 15 with a bolt (not shown), and the fluid control unit 10 is inserted downward by the drive mechanism 63 toward the cut portion of the fluid pipe 1 inside the housing 2.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 4, side wall steps 2c, 2c are formed on the side inner wall surface of the housing 2 as sealing seats that protrude further inward than other parts of the housing 2 so as to face each other. The side wall steps 2c are tapered so as to gradually approach each other downward so as to face the above-mentioned sealing material 19. Therefore, when the fluid control device 10 is inserted into the housing 2, the side of the sealing material 19 provided on the wall portion 16 is inserted into the housing 2 in a spaced state close to the side wall step 2c, and at the same time when the fluid control device 10 is installed in the housing 2, the side of the sealing material 19 is pressed against the side wall step 2c. The side wall steps 2c, 2c are not limited to being formed as protrusions, and may be flush with other inner surfaces without protruding, or may be recessed.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3, when the fluid control valve 10 is inserted to a predetermined depth in the housing 2, the bottom of the seal material 19 provided on the wall 16 is pressed against the bottom wall step 2d formed on the bottom surface of the housing 2 as a seal seat, and the lower end of the wall 16 of a pair of partitions 15 provided to sandwich the butterfly valve 11 in the pipe axial direction is loosely fitted into the protruding portion 2e protruding upward at the center of the bottom wall step 2d of the housing 2. This makes it possible to prevent the fluid control valve 10 from tilting relative to the housing 2 during and after the insertion operation, and to maintain the sealing performance against pressure fluctuations and flow rate fluctuations of the fluid in the pipe. The protruding portion 2e may be extended to the upper side of the housing 2 to guide the fluid control valve 10 when it is inserted. When the fluid control valve 10 is inserted to a predetermined depth in the housing 2, the seal material 19 provided on the cover 17 is pressed against the peripheral wall step 2f as a seal seat protruding inward of the branching portion 2a. The bottom wall step 2d and the peripheral wall step 2f are not limited to being formed as protrusions, but may be flush with other inner surfaces without protruding, or may be recessed.

[0039] In this way, the side wall step 2c and the bottom wall step 2d that protrude from the inner surface of the housing 2 as a sealing seat can prevent chips generated when the fluid pipe is cut from adhering to the sealing seat, thereby improving sealing performance, and is a more preferable structure.

[0040] Next, the pressure screws 2n, which are provided in a circumferential direction of the branching portion 2a of the housing 2 and can be freely advanced and retreated in the radial direction, are advanced in the inner diameter direction of the branching portion 2a. As a result, the pressure screws 2n engage the lid portion 17 from above against the fluid pressure inside the housing 2, preventing the fluid control device 10 from slipping out of the branching portion 2a. The tip of the pressure screw 2n has a tapered shape that tapers toward the tip, and the tip of the pressure screw 2n slides against the inclined surface 17a formed on the outer peripheral edge of the upper surface of the lid portion 17, so that some inclination of the lid portion 17 and therefore the fluid control device 10 can be corrected.

[0041] In this way, by the cap screw 2n pressing the lid portion 17 from above, the insertion machine 6 consisting of the cylindrical member 61 and the drive mechanism 63, the valve hanging fitting 64, and the operating valve 4 can be removed from the housing 2.

[0042] In this way, by installing the fluid control valve 10 in the housing 2, the inside of the housing 2 is partitioned in a sealed manner into an internal region C that communicates with the inside of the fluid pipe 1 to form a flow path, and an external region D excluding the internal region C, by the seal material 19 provided in the fluid control valve 10 and the above-mentioned sealing member. Next, the fluid remaining in the external region D inside the housing 2 is sucked and removed by a pump not shown, and the external region D becomes a gap where no fluid exists in the pipe. In this way, even if a standard or commercially available butterfly valve 11 is used as is, even if it is painted as is, it will only come into contact with the fluid in the pipe for a short time when it is inserted, and after insertion, it will be installed in a dry state and protected from contact with heavy machinery in the housing 2, which is excellent in corrosion prevention, accident prevention, and leakage prevention. In addition, the part of the butterfly valve 11 that is placed in the external region D and comes into contact with the fluid may be changed to a paint suitable for the fluid.

[0043] Next, an annular cover member 8, which may be of one piece or of a divided structure and has a through hole 8a formed in the center when viewed from above, is fixed to the flange 2b of the branching portion 2a in a sealed manner with bolts and nuts 8b. The lower part of the operating part 14 of the fluid control device 10 is inserted into the through hole 8a of the cover member 8, and a sealing ring is provided to seal the space between the lower part of the operating part 14, preferably preventing the fluid control device 10 from slipping out of the branching portion 2a together with the pressure screw 2n. This completes the installation of the fluid control device 10 in the housing 2.

[0044] In this way, the flow control device 10 installed in the housing 2 that hermetically fits around the fluid pipe 1 is composed of a butterfly valve 11 (on-off valve) consisting of a valve seat body 12 and a valve body that opens and closes its opening 12a, and a partition body 15 consisting of a wall portion 16 attached to the valve seat body 12 and a lid portion 17 that covers the opening on the branch portion 2a side of the housing 2 and has a sealing material 19 that seals between the inner surface of the housing 2.Therefore, there is no need for a flow control device that is specifically designed and manufactured in accordance with the shape of the housing 2, and it is possible to adopt a standardized or commercially available product that is highly versatile and has the desired fluid controllability as the butterfly valve 11 (on-off valve), and the partition body 15 interposed between the butterfly valve 11 and the inner surface of the housing 2 can maintain the hermeticity within the housing 2. In addition, since the partition body 15 consists of a wall portion 16 surrounding the opening 12a of the valve seat body 12 and a lid portion 17 connected to this wall portion 16, the structural strength and rigidity of the partition body 15 are increased, and the sealing performance can be maintained against pressure fluctuations and flow rate fluctuations of the fluid inside the pipe.

[0045] Furthermore, by arranging the pair of walls 16, 16 so as to sandwich the valve seat body 12 of the butterfly valve 11 in the pipe axial direction, these walls 16, 16 can be easily attached.

[0046] Furthermore, the partition body 15 can be easily configured by bringing the lid portions 17, 17 connected to the pair of wall portions 16, 16, respectively, into contact with each other in the tube axial direction.

[0047] In addition, the sealing material 19 provided on the flow control unit 10 endlessly seals the inner surface, inner bottom surface, and inner peripheral surface of the branching portion 2a side of the housing 2, thereby improving sealing performance and preventing the risk of fluid leakage.

[0048] Furthermore, a sealing member is interposed between the valve seat body 12 and the wall portion 16 to seal and surround the opening 12a, and this sealing member blocks the flow of fluid between the valve seat body 12 and the wall portion 16, and prevents corrosion in the portion in contact with the external area D except for the internal area C formed as a flow path by the installation of the fluid control device 10 within the housing 2 (for example, the outer circumferential portion of the flange portion 12b of the butterfly valve 11).

[0049] Note that the method for removing the fluid remaining in the external area D is not limited to suction using the pump or the like. For example, as shown in Fig. 8 as a modified example of the housing of the present invention, a drain passage 45 communicating between the external area D and the outside of the housing 2 may be formed at a predetermined location such as the protruding portion 2e on the bottom side of the housing 2, and a valve 46 for opening and closing the drain passage 45 may be attached. By opening the valve 46, the fluid remaining in the external area D may be discharged to the outside of the housing 2 via the drain passage 45.

[0050] 9, a modified example of the fluid control device of the present invention may be configured by removably adding a cap member 48 made of an elastic material to a fluid control device 10 consisting of a butterfly valve 11 and a partition body 15. This cap member 48 is attached to the outer surface of the fluid control device 10 described in the first embodiment, and has an outer surface shape that complements the outer region D formed when the fluid control device 10 of the first embodiment is installed in the housing 2. More specifically, the cap member 48 is configured by a lower cap member 48a having a substantially U-shaped integral structure located in the left and right lateral regions of the butterfly valve 11 in the outer region D, and an upper cap member 48b having a divided structure divided at the center, which is removably attached to the lower cap member 48a and located in the opposing region of the pair of lid portions 17, 17.

[0051] In this way, by installing the fluid control valve 10 with the cap material 48 having an outer surface shape that complements the outer region D inside the housing 2, not only can the fluid control valve 10 and the housing 2 be protected without being damaged during installation, but the amount of fluid that comes into contact with and remains in the outer region D can be significantly reduced. In addition, it is possible to prevent the outer surface coating of a standard-painted standard product or a commercially available butterfly valve 11 from coming into contact with the fluid inside the pipe and leaking out.

[0052] After the fluid control valve 10 with the cap material 48 attached is installed in the housing 2, the upper cap material 48b is first removed from the fluid control valve 10, and then the lower cap material 48a is pulled out from either the left or right side of the butterfly valve 11 and removed. The cap material 48 is not necessarily removed from the fluid control valve 10, and the fluid control valve 10 may be left in the housing 2 with the cap material 48 attached to it. Furthermore, the cap material 48 is not limited to being made of an elastic material, and may be a combination of a metal or a resin and an elastic body. For example, the cap material 48 may be attached to the butterfly valve 11 or the partition body 15 in a sealed manner using a bolt or the like. For example, the outer region D may be filled and hardened with a thermoplastic material, a thermosetting resin, a filler, a two-component hardening material, an adhesive, or the like. EXAMPLES

[0053] Next, a fluid control device according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. Note that a description of the same configuration as in the previous embodiment will be omitted.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 10, a flow control device 20 of the second embodiment has a partition body 25 attached to the butterfly valve 11, the partition body 25 having a shape different from that of the partition body 15 of the first embodiment.

[0055] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the partition body 25 is made of an integral steel material having a wall portion 26 in which a through hole 26a is formed, the through hole 26a being of approximately the same diameter and approximately concentric with the opening 12a of the butterfly valve 11, and which has a plurality of bottomed female screw holes 26b around the through hole 26a, and a cover portion 27 connected to the wall portion 26 and having an approximately circular outer shape that is provided so as to follow the entire circumference of the inner surface of the branch portion 2a of the housing.

[0056] The wall portion 26 has a shape that protrudes outward and downward from the valve seat body 12 of the butterfly valve 11, and is provided at a position eccentric to one side with respect to the center of the lid portion 27. In other words, the wall portion 26 is configured to be attached only to one end face (the end face on the left side in the figure) of the valve seat body 12. The lid portion 27 is provided with a substantially circular shaft hole 27a that is formed to have a larger diameter than the shaft portion 12d in a plan view at a position adjacent to the wall portion 26 and eccentric to the other side with respect to the center of the lid portion 27. The wall portion 26 is not limited to being provided at a position eccentric to the center of the lid portion 27, and may be provided at the center position of the lid portion 27.

[0057] In addition, as shown in FIG. 11(a), a rib material 28 is fixed between the wall portion 26 and the lid portion 27, thereby increasing the rigidity of the entire partition body 25 and guiding the flow of fluid when the opening 12a is opened.

[0058] The partition body 25 has a groove that is generally U-shaped in cross section and is formed between the outer and lower surfaces of the wall portion 26 and the outer peripheral surface of the cover portion 27, and an endless seal material 29 is disposed in this groove. Furthermore, an annular seal member (not shown) is interposed between the end face of the valve seat body 12 in the pipe axis direction and the wall surface of the wall portion 26 facing the end face, though not limited to the inner peripheral side, on the inner peripheral side of the connector 49 inserted into the flange portion 12b of the valve seat body 12 so as to surround the opening 12a. The seal material 29 and the seal member are made of elastic materials such as rubber, elastomer, resin, etc., including NBR, SBR, and CR.

[0059] Next, as shown in Figures 10 and 11(b), the procedure for attaching the butterfly valve 11 to the partition body 25 will be described. First, the shaft portion 12d of the butterfly valve 11 with the operating portion 14 removed is inserted into the shaft hole 27a from below the partition body 25, and then the flange portion 12b of the valve seat body 12 is abutted against the wall portion 26, and these are connected by the connector 49. Furthermore, the upper part of the shaft hole 27a is covered in a sealed state by the covering lid 24, which is rectangular in plan view and has a through opening 24a in the center. The covering lid 24 is configured to seal the upper surface of the lid portion 27 with the endless seal material 24b provided on its lower surface, and to seal the shaft portion 12d of the butterfly valve 11 with the endless seal material 24c provided on the inner peripheral surface of the through opening 24a, and is attached to the upper surface of the lid portion 27 with the mounting screw 24d.

[0060] 10(b), the bottom of the inside of the housing 2 is provided with a protrusion 2e protruding upward from the center of the bottom wall step 2d, as well as a side end protrusion 2g protruding upward from a side end of the bottom wall step 2d, and the lower end of the wall 26 of the partition body 25 is loosely fitted between the protrusion 2e and the side end protrusion 2g. This makes it possible to prevent the fluid control device 20 from tilting relative to the housing 2 during and after the insertion operation. The protrusion 2e and the side end protrusion 2g may be extended toward the upper side of the housing 2 to guide the fluid control device 10 when it is inserted.

[0061] In this way, by forming the partition body 25 by the wall portion 26 and the lid portion 27 which are integrally provided, the rigidity and sealing performance of the partition body 25 can be improved.

[0062] In this way, the axial hole 27a through which the shaft portion 12d is inserted is formed in the cover portion 27 and sealed, so that the valve body 13 in the housing 2 can be opened and closed in a sealed state by the operation portion 14 connected to the shaft portion 12d inserted through the shaft hole 27a to the outside of the housing 2. In addition, in the case of this embodiment 2, it is preferable to change the paint of the butterfly valve 11 to a paint suitable for the fluid in the pipe. EXAMPLES

[0063] Next, a fluid control device according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12 and Fig. 13. Note that a description of the same configuration as in the previous embodiment will be omitted.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 12, a fluid control device 30 according to the third embodiment has a partition body 35 having a different shape from the partition bodies 15 and 25 attached to the butterfly valve 11 described above.

[0065] More specifically, the partition body 35 is composed of a wall portion 36 having a through hole 36a formed therethrough, the through hole 36a being substantially the same diameter as the opening 12a of the butterfly valve 11 and a plurality of bottomed female screw holes 36b around the through hole 36a, a lid portion 37 connected to the wall portion 36 and provided along substantially half the circumference of the inner circumferential surface of the branch portion 2a of the housing, and a steel material 35B which is separate from the steel material 35A and consists only of a lid portion 34 provided along the remaining substantially half the circumference of the inner circumferential surface of the branch portion 2a of the housing. That is, the partition body 35 of this embodiment 3 is a divided structure consisting of the lid portion 37 and the lid portion 34, instead of the lid portion 27 of the partition body 25 of the above-mentioned embodiment 2.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 13, the wall 36 of the steel material 35A has a shape that protrudes outward and downward from the valve seat body 12 of the butterfly valve 11, and is provided at a position eccentric to one side with respect to the center of the lid part 37. That is, the wall 36 is configured to be attached to only one end face (the end face on the left side in the figure) of the valve seat body 12. The lid part 37 is provided with a substantially semicircular notch hole 37a formed to seal the shaft part 12d for connecting the operation part 14 of the butterfly valve 11 at a location adjacent to the wall 36, and a flange 37b for joining to the lid part 34, which is a separate body, is formed at the end on the right side in the figure. The wall 36 is not limited to being provided at a position eccentric to the center of the lid part 37, and may be provided at the center position of the lid part 37.

[0067] Furthermore, a rib material 38 is fixed between the wall portion 36 and the cover portion 37, thereby increasing the rigidity of the entire partition body 35 and guiding the flow of fluid when the opening 12a is open.

[0068] The steel material 35A constituting the partition body 35 has a groove that is generally U-shaped in cross section formed continuously between the outer and lower surfaces of the wall portion 36 and the outer circumferential surface of the cover portion 37, and an endless seal material 39A is disposed in this groove. Furthermore, on the inner circumferential side of the connector 49 inserted into the flange portion 12b of the valve seat body 12, an annular sealing member (not shown) is interposed between the end face of the valve seat body 12 in the pipe axis direction and the wall surface of the wall portion 36 facing it, although this is not limited to the inner circumferential side.

[0069] Next, the cover portion 34 of the steel material 35B constituting the partition body 35 has an approximately semicircular cutout hole 34a on its left end face as shown in the figure, which is formed so as to seal the shaft portion 12d for connecting the operating part 14 of the butterfly valve 11, and also has a flange 34b formed on the left end as shown in the figure for joining to the cover portion 37, which is a separate body.

[0070] The steel material 35B has a groove that is generally U-shaped in cross section formed continuously around the outer circumferential surface of the cover 34, and an endless seal material 39B is disposed in this groove. The seal materials 39A, 39B and the sealing member are made of elastic materials such as rubber, elastomer, resin, etc., including NBR, SBR, and CR.

[0071] Next, as shown in Fig. 13, the procedure for attaching the butterfly valve 11 to the partition body 35 will be described. First, the shaft portion 12d of the butterfly valve 11 is brought into contact with the notched hole 37a from one side of the steel material 35A constituting the partition body 35, and the flange portion 12b and the wall portion 36 of the valve seat body 12 are brought into contact with each other, and these are connected by the connector 49. Furthermore, the steel material 35B constituting the partition body 35 is approached from the other side toward the shaft portion 12d of the butterfly valve 11, and the notched hole 34a is brought into contact with the shaft portion 12d, and the end face of the steel material 35B is brought into contact with the end face of the steel material 35A. That is, the notched hole 34a and the notched hole 37a form an axial hole through which the shaft portion 12d is inserted.

[0072] 12, the lid portion 34 and the lid portion 37 are fastened together by a fastener 33 inserted through the flange 34b of the lid portion 34 and the flange 37b of the lid portion 37. In this fastened state, the seal material 39A of the lid portion 34 and the seal material 39B of the lid portion 37 come into contact with each other and come into contact with the shaft portion 12d of the butterfly valve 11 to provide a seal. Needless to say, sealing members are interposed between the lid portion 34 and the lid portion 37, and between the notched hole 34a, the notched hole 37a and the shaft portion 12d.

[0073] In this way, by approaching the pair of lids 34, 37 so as to sandwich the shaft 12d for driving the valve element of the butterfly valve 11 in the pipe axial direction, not only can these lids 34, 37 be easily attached, but also, since the shaft hole is formed by the notched hole 34a and the notched hole 37a, the shaft 12d can be used to align the pair of lids 34, 37. In addition, in the case of this embodiment 3, it is preferable to change the paint of the butterfly valve 11 to a paint that is compatible with the fluid in the pipe.

[0074] 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.

[0075] For example, in the above embodiment, the butterfly valve 11 serving as an on-off valve is a standardized or commercially available product having general-purpose properties, and its main portion is made of cast iron, but the on-off valve is not limited to this and may be a custom-made product or may be made of steel or resin, etc.

[0076] Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the partitions 15, 25, 35 are made of steel material, but the partitions are not limited to this and may be made of cast iron, resin, or the like.

[0077] For example, in the above-described embodiments, the sealing materials 19, 29, 24b, 39A, and 39B are formed endlessly, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be formed with ends and the ends are bonded together, or may be formed intermittently to achieve a sealed state.

[0078] Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the butterfly valve 11 is protected from corrosion by painting, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any effective anticorrosive treatment such as plating or vulcanization may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1 Fluid tube 2. Chassis 4 Working valve 5 cutting machine 6 Insertion Machine 10 Fluid control 11 Butterfly valve (on-off valve) 12 Valve seat body 12a opening 12d Shaft (neck) 13 Valve body 14 Control section 15 Partition 16 Wall 16a Through hole 17 Lid 19 Sealing materials 20 Fluid control 25 Partition 26 Wall 26a Through hole 27 Lid 27a Shaft hole 29 Sealing materials 30 Fluid control 34 Lid 35 Partition 36 Wall 36a Through hole 37 Lid 39A Sealing material 39B Sealing material

Claims

1. A fluid control device provided with a fluid regulator that is hermetically installed at a location where a part of a fluid pipe is cut in an uninterrupted flow state inside a housing that hermetically fits a fluid pipe, and that controls a fluid in the pipe, a valve body provided on the valve seat body so as to be capable of opening and closing the opening; a pair of walls provided with a through hole communicating with the opening and hermetically attached so as to sandwich the valve seat body in the pipe axial direction; and a lid connected to the pair of walls and covering the opening side of the housing, the partition body having a sealing material that seals between the pair of walls and the lid and the inner surface of the housing.

2. 2. The fluid control device according to claim 1, wherein the seal material is provided on the outer surface of each of the pair of walls and on the outer surface of the lid.

3. 3. The fluid control device according to claim 2, wherein a sealing member is interposed between the valve seat body and each of the pair of walls so as to surround and seal the opening.

4. 4. The fluid control device according to claim 3, wherein a space formed between the seal members provided on the outer surfaces of the pair of walls communicates with a space outside the lid.

5. 5. A fluid control device according to claim 1, wherein the cover portion has an axial hole through which the neck portion of the fluid control device is inserted.

6. The fluid control device according to claim 5, wherein the cover portion is attached so as to sandwich the neck portion in the tube axial direction, and the axial hole is formed by joining the cover portion in the tube axial direction.

Images