Locking device with color change sensor for detecting hazardous chemical leaks

Abstract

A locking device using a color change sensor for detecting leakage of hazardous chemical substances is disclosed. The locking device for a fitting according to one embodiment includes a fitting locking part made of a transparent material that is realized to cover a fitting of a pipe or a valve, and a color change sensor that is disposed inside the fitting locking part and changes color depending on hazardous chemical substances leaking from the fitting.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The following description relates to a locking device that employs a color change sensor that can observe and detect leakage of hazardous chemicals from a pipe connection. [Background technology]

[0002] Pulsations and minute vibrations that occur inside pipes can cause loosening or slight twisting of pipe joints, which can lead to the leakage of hazardous chemicals. Toxic gases and chemicals can also gradually corrode and harden the O-rings inside the seals and clamps of pipe joints, causing cracks that can lead to the leakage of hazardous chemicals. Accidents caused by the leakage of hazardous chemicals can cause significant property damage, personal injury, and damage to a company's reputation. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] A locking device is provided that can prevent the leakage of harmful chemical substances due to loosening of connections (fittings) of pipes, valves, etc., and can also quickly detect the location of the leakage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] A fitting locking device is provided, which includes a fitting locking part made of a transparent material provided to cover a fitting of a pipe or a valve, and a color change sensor disposed inside the fitting locking part, which changes color depending on hazardous chemicals leaking from the fitting.

[0005] According to one aspect, the color change sensor includes a nanofiber membrane with a three-dimensional porous structure to which a color dye that changes color in response to hazardous chemicals is attached.

[0006] In another aspect, the color dye is attached to the nanofiber membrane manufactured by electrospinning by mixing the color dye in a polymer solution and then electrospinning the polymer solution, or is attached to the manufactured nanofiber membrane by solution coating or chemical vapor deposition.

[0007] According to another aspect, the color change sensor is attached to a transparent double-sided adhesive tape that can support the nanofiber membrane contained in the color change sensor, and is fixed and attached to the inside of the joint locking portion by the transparent double-sided adhesive tape.

[0008] According to another aspect, the joint locking portion includes a joint support member that is realized to cover a portion of the joint of the piping, a joint cover member that is realized to cover the remaining portion of the joint so as to correspond to the joint support member, a connecting portion that rotatably connects one end of the joint support member to one end of the joint cover member, and a locking portion that fixes the other end of the joint support member to the other end of the joint cover member so as to be able to open and close.

[0009] According to another aspect, the joint locking portion includes a first joint locking portion that is configured to cover a first joint that connects the valve and a first pipe, a second joint locking portion that is configured to cover a second joint that connects the valve and a second pipe, and a locking portion connecting portion that connects the first joint locking portion and the second joint locking portion.

[0010] According to another aspect, each of the first joint locking portion and the second joint locking portion includes a joint support member that is configured to cover a portion of the corresponding joint, a joint cover member that is configured to cover the remaining portion of the joint so as to correspond to the joint support member, a connecting portion that rotatably connects one end of the joint support member to one end of the joint cover member, and a locking portion that fixes the other end of the joint support member to the other end of the joint cover member so as to be able to open and close.

[0011] According to another aspect, the color change sensor is disposed inside a lock portion included in the first joint locking portion and inside a lock portion included in the second joint locking portion.

[0012] According to another aspect, the color change sensor is disposed inside the locking portion.

[0013] According to yet another aspect, the present invention is characterized in that a concave-convex portion is formed inside at least one of the joint support member and the joint cover member, which engages with each of a plurality of edges formed on the corresponding joint.

[0014] Provided is a method for manufacturing a color-change sensor for a locking device, the method including the steps of: manufacturing a nanofiber membrane having a three-dimensional porous structure to which a color dye whose color changes in response to a harmful chemical is bonded; attaching one side of a transparent double-sided adhesive tape to one side of the manufactured nanofiber membrane; cutting the nanofiber membrane with the transparent double-sided adhesive tape attached to a predetermined size; and attaching the nanofiber membrane to the inside of the locking device using the other side of the transparent double-sided adhesive tape. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] This prevents the leakage of harmful chemicals due to loose fittings in pipes and valves, and also enables the rapid detection of leaking areas. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a joint locking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a joint locking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a joint locking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a joint locking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a joint locking device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a joint locking device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a joint locking device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for manufacturing a color change sensor for a lock device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is an image showing an example of nanofibers having color dyes attached thereto, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is an image showing an example of a nanofiber membrane having a color dye bonded thereto cut to a predetermined size and attached with double-sided adhesive tape in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 shows the results of a hydrofluoric acid vapor exposure experiment on a litmus paper color change sensor and a nanofiber-based color change sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, since various modifications can be made to the embodiments, the scope of the claims should not be limited or restricted by such embodiments. It should be understood that all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives to the embodiments are included in the scope of the claims.

[0018] The terms used in the embodiments are merely used for the purpose of description and should not be construed as limiting. A singular expression also includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be understood that the terms "comprise" or "have" used in this specification are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, and do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0019] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong. Terms commonly used and defined in dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in this application.

[0020] In addition, in the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components regardless of the reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. In describing the embodiments, if it is determined that a detailed description of related publicly known technology may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the embodiments, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0021] Furthermore, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) are used to describe components of the embodiments, but these terms are merely used to distinguish the components from other components and should not be used to limit the essence, order, or sequence of the components. When a component is described as being "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that this component may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, or that another component may be "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" between the components.

[0022] Components having the same functions as those included in one embodiment will be described using the same names in other embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, the description of one embodiment will also apply to other embodiments, and detailed description will be omitted to the extent that they overlap.

[0023] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a locking device made of a transparent material that includes a color change sensor. In one embodiment, the locking device for fittings includes a color change sensor that protects the outside of fittings in pipes or valves, preventing loosening of the fittings due to external forces or internal pressure in the pipeline, and can detect leaks or leakage from the fittings with the naked eye, allowing leaks to be quickly identified.

[0024] 1 to 4 are diagrams showing an example of a joint locking device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The joint locking device according to this embodiment may include a joint locking unit 100 made of a transparent material that is provided to cover a fitting 420 of a pipe 410, and a color change sensor 150 that is disposed inside the joint locking unit 100 and changes color in response to hazardous chemicals leaking from the fitting 420. Here, FIGS. 1 and 2 show the structure of the joint locking unit 100, FIG. 3 shows both the joint locking unit 100 and the color change sensor 150, and FIG. 4 shows an image of an actual joint locking device in which the color change sensor 150 is attached inside the joint locking unit 100, and an image of the joint locking device attached to cover the fitting 410.

[0025] 1 to 3, the joint locking unit 100 may include a joint support member 120 that is configured to cover a portion of the joint 420, and a joint cover member 110 that is configured to cover the remaining portion of the joint corresponding to the joint support member 120. In this case, the joint locking unit 100 may further include a connecting unit 130 that rotatably connects one end of the joint support member 120 to one end of the joint cover member 110. In this case, the connecting unit 130 may be configured with a hinge structure. The joint locking unit 100 may further include locking units 141, 142, and 160 that secure the other end of the joint support member 120 to the other end of the joint cover member 110 so that the joint can be opened and closed. Since the locking units 141, 142, and 160 are configured to release the joint locking unit 100 using a dedicated key, any structure that can prevent the joint locking unit 100 from being arbitrarily released may be used without particular limitation. By providing locking units 141, 142, 160 that are realized so that the joint locking unit 100 can be opened and closed using such a dedicated key, it is possible to ensure that only authorized workers can open and close the joint locking unit 100.

[0026] 3 and 4, the joint locking unit 100 may be made of a transparent material so that the color change of the color change sensor 150 can be easily confirmed with the naked eye from outside the joint locking unit 100. This allows the color change sensor 150 to be used regardless of where it is attached to the joint locking unit 100. However, to make it easier for an operator to see, the color change sensor 150 may be attached to the internal space formed by the locking units 141 and 142. FIG. 4 shows an example of the color change sensor 150 attached to the internal space formed by the locking units 141 and 142.

[0027] Meanwhile, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, concave-convex portions 111, 121 that engage with each of a plurality of edges formed on a corresponding fitting (for example, fitting 420) may be formed inside at least one of the fitting support member 120 and the fitting cover member 110. While Figures 1 and 2 only show the concave-convex portion 121 formed inside the fitting support member 120, the embodiment in Figure 3 shows the concave-convex portion 121 formed inside the fitting support member 120 and the concave-convex portion 111 formed inside the fitting cover member 110. These concave-convex portions 111, 121 enable the fitting locking unit 100 to completely fix the fitting 420 of the piping 410 so that it will not loosen due to an external force.

[0028] 5 to 7 are diagrams showing an example of a joint locking device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The joint locking device 500 according to this embodiment may include a first joint locking portion 510 that is realized so as to cover a first joint that connects a valve 710 and a first pipe 720, a second joint locking portion 520 that is realized so as to cover a second joint that connects the valve 710 and a second pipe 730, and a locking portion connecting portion 530 that connects the first joint locking portion 510 and the second joint locking portion 520.

[0029] 1 to 5, and each may further include a structure for coupling to the locking portion coupling portion 530. For example, each of the first joint locking portion 510 and the second joint locking portion 520 may include joint support members 512, 522 that are realized to cover a portion of the corresponding joint, joint cover members 511, 521 that are realized to cover the remaining portion of the joint so as to correspond to the joint support members 512, 522, coupling portions 517, 527 that rotatably couple one end of the joint support members 512, 522 to one end of the joint cover members 511, 521, and locking portions 513, 514, 515, 523, 524, 525 that openably and closably secure the other end of the joint support members 512, 522 to the other end of the joint cover members 511, 521.

[0030] In this case, color change sensors 740, 750 may be included in first joint locking portion 510 and second joint locking portion 520, respectively. In this case, too, to make them more visible to the operator, color change sensors 740, 750 may be mounted in the internal space formed by locking portions 513, 514, 523, and 524. FIG. 7 shows an example in which first color change sensor 740 is mounted in the internal space formed by first locking portions 513, 514, and second color change sensor 750 is mounted in the internal space formed by second locking portions 523, 524.

[0031] Meanwhile, the color change sensor may be realized in a form including a nanofiber membrane with a three-dimensional porous structure to which a color dye whose color changes depending on the presence of a harmful chemical is bound.

[0032] 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for manufacturing a color change sensor for a locking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method for manufacturing a color change sensor for a locking device according to this embodiment may include step 810 of manufacturing a nanofiber membrane having a three-dimensional porous structure to which a color dye that changes color in response to a hazardous chemical is attached, step 820 of attaching one side of a transparent double-sided adhesive tape to one side of the manufactured nanofiber membrane, step 830 of cutting the nanofiber membrane with the attached transparent double-sided adhesive tape to a predetermined size, and step 840 of attaching the nanofiber membrane to the inside of the locking device using the other side of the transparent double-sided adhesive tape.

[0033] In one embodiment, the color dye may be mixed into a polymer solution and electrospun to be attached to the nanofiber membrane produced by electrospinning. For example, a polymer solution containing the color dye may be prepared, and the polymer solution may be electrospun onto a release liner to produce a nanofiber membrane with the color dye attached. In another embodiment, the color dye may be attached to the prepared nanofiber membrane by solution coating or chemical vapor deposition. For example, a polymer solution may be prepared and electrospun onto a nonwoven fabric to produce a nanofiber membrane, and then the color dye may be attached to the previously prepared nanofiber membrane by dye coating or chemical vapor deposition.

[0034] Meanwhile, since the color change of the nanofiber membrane with the dye bonded thereto must be visible to the naked eye from the outside through both the double-sided adhesive tape and the locking device, not only the joint locking parts 100, 510, 520 but also the double-sided adhesive tape must be made of a transparent material. In this case, one side of the nanofiber membrane may be attached to one side of the transparent double-sided adhesive tape. In this case, the side of the nanofiber membrane attached to the double-sided adhesive tape may be the side without the release paper or nonwoven fabric. After cutting the nanofiber membrane to a predetermined size, the release paper or nonwoven fabric is peeled off, and the nanofiber membrane is attached to the locking device through the other side of the transparent double-sided adhesive tape, allowing it to function as a color change sensor.

[0035] Figure 9 is an image showing an example of a nanofiber membrane to which a color dye is attached according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 10 is an image showing an example of a nanofiber membrane to which a color dye is attached, cut to a predetermined size and attached with double-sided adhesive tape according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 shows an example in which a mesh-structured double-sided adhesive tape is used instead of a transparent double-sided adhesive tape so that the color change of the color change sensor can be detected.

[0036] Figure 11 shows the results of an experiment in which a litmus paper color change sensor and a nanofiber-based color change sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention were exposed to hydrofluoric acid vapor. A commercially available litmus paper product was used as the litmus paper color change sensor. The nanofiber-based color change sensor was fabricated by electrospinning a polyacrylonitrile polymer containing 9.5 wt% Congo Red dye onto a polyethylene (PE) nonwoven fabric to a thickness of approximately 10 μm. As shown in the experimental results in Figure 11, the nanofiber-based color change sensor exhibited a more rapid and clear color change than the litmus paper color change sensor when exposed to a small amount of hydrofluoric acid vapor. This indicates that the nanofiber-based color change sensor has superior sensitivity to the litmus paper color change sensor.

[0037] As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent leakage of harmful chemical substances due to loose connections of pipes or valves, and at the same time, to quickly detect the location of the leakage.

[0038] Although the embodiments have been described above based on limited examples and drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations may be made from the above description. For example, the described techniques may be performed in an order different from that described, and / or the described system, structure, device, circuit, or other element may be coupled or combined in a manner different from that described, or may be substituted or replaced by other elements or equivalents, and still achieve suitable results.

[0039] Therefore, different embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims, provided that they are equivalent to the claims.

Claims

1. A fitting locking part made of a transparent material that is realized to cover a fitting of a pipe or a valve; a color change sensor disposed inside the joint lock portion, the color of which changes depending on the amount of hazardous chemicals leaking from the joint; Including, The joint locking portion is a first joint locking portion that covers a first joint that connects the valve and a first pipe; a second joint locking portion that covers a second joint that connects the valve and a second pipe; a lock portion connecting portion that connects the first joint lock portion and the second joint lock portion; Including, The first joint locking portion is a first joint support member realized to cover a portion of the first joint; a first joint cover member that corresponds to the first joint support member and covers the remaining portion of the first joint; a connecting portion that rotatably connects one end of the first joint support member and one end of the first joint cover member; Including, The second joint locking portion is a second joint support member realized to cover a portion of the second joint; a second joint cover member corresponding to the second joint support member and covering the remaining portion of the second joint; a connecting portion that rotatably connects one end of the second joint support member and one end of the second joint cover member; Including, The locking portion connecting portion is a first lock portion connecting portion that connects the first joint support member included in the first joint lock portion and the second joint support member included in the second joint lock portion; a second lock portion connecting portion that connects the first joint cover member included in the first joint lock portion and the second joint cover member included in the second joint lock portion; Including, The first joint locking portion is a first locking portion that fixes the other end of the first joint support member and the other end of the first joint cover member so as to be able to open and close; Including, The second joint locking portion is a second locking portion that fixes the other end of the second joint support member and the other end of the second joint cover member so as to be able to open and close; A locking device for a fitting, comprising:

2. The color change sensor It includes a nanofiber membrane with a three-dimensional porous structure to which a color dye that changes color in response to harmful chemicals is attached.

2. The locking device for a joint according to claim 1 .

3. The color change sensor The color change sensor is attached to a transparent double-sided adhesive tape that can support the nanofiber membrane included therein, and is fixed and attached to the inside of the joint locking part by the transparent double-sided adhesive tape.

2. The locking device for a joint according to claim 1 .

4. The color change sensor is disposed inside the first locking portion and the second locking portion.

2. The locking device for a joint according to claim 1 .

5. a first concave-convex portion that engages with each of a plurality of edges formed on the first joint is formed inside at least one of the first joint support member and the first joint cover member; At least one of the second joint support member and the second joint cover member has second concave-convex portions formed therein that engage with a plurality of edges formed on the second joint.

2. The locking device for a joint according to claim 1 .

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