Seal washer and seal structure using same

Abstract

To provide a seal washer that allows a maintenance period of seal performance to be extended by simple repair work, and a seal structure using the same.SOLUTION: A seal structure comprises an upper case 12 of a gas meter 10, and a recovery operation device 30 integrally screwed to a screw hole 12a provided in the upper case 12 from the outside, and protruding from an inner surface of the upper case 12, and seals a gap between the screw hole 12a and the recovery operation device 30. A base part of the recovery operation device 30 protruding from the inner surface of the upper case 12 is inserted into an insertion hole 51 of the seal washer 50 to assemble them. A joint surface of the seal washer 50 is bonded to the inner surface of the upper case 12 via a second seal material 41 packed in a seal material storage part 52 to seal the gap.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seal washer and a seal structure, for example, a seal washer for sealing a gap between a gas meter and a reset operation device attached thereto, and a seal structure using the seal washer. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a sealing structure has been applied to, for example, a shutoff valve device of a gas meter (see Patent Document 1). More specifically, for example, there is a case where the sealing structure has been applied to a gas meter 10 shown in FIG. That is, the gas meter 10 is formed by a lower case 11 and an upper case 12, and a reset operation device 30 for resetting the shutoff valve device 20, which will be described later, is attached to the upper case 12.

[0003] 18, a partition wall 15 is provided inside the upper case 12, separating a gas inlet 13 from a communication port 14 that communicates with the inlet 13. An annular fixed valve seat 16 is attached to the partition wall 15. A shutoff valve device 20 is disposed on the inside with the fixed valve seat 16 in between, while a reset operation device 30 is disposed on the outside so as to face the shutoff valve device 20 on the same straight line.

[0004] The shut-off valve device 20 is composed of a self-holding solenoid 21 incorporating a magnet (not shown), a plunger 22 that can be moved back and forth in the axial direction by the self-holding solenoid 21, a movable valve body 23 that faces the fixed valve seat 16 and can be moved toward and away from it and is supported by the plunger 22, and a coil spring 24 that is arranged between the self-holding solenoid 21 and the movable valve body 23 and urges the movable valve body 23 toward the fixed valve seat 16.

[0005] As shown in Figures 18 and 19, the reset operation device 30 is composed of an outer cylindrical body 31 having a male thread 31a and an annular rib 31b on its outer peripheral surface, an inner cylindrical body 32 slidably mounted inside the outer cylindrical body 31, an operating shaft 33 inserted into the inner cylindrical body 32 via a return spring 34 and having a reset button 33a at one end, a movable valve seat 35 attached to the other end of the operating shaft 33 and assembled so that its outer peripheral surface can slide within the fixed valve seat 16, a seal ring 36 in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical body 31 and the outer peripheral surface of the operating shaft 33, and a cap cover 37 detachably screwed onto the outer cylindrical body 31 to prevent erroneous operation.

[0006] The return operating device 30 is secured to the outer cylinder 31 by screwing and fixing it to the screw hole 12a of the upper case 12 via a first sealing material 40 injected between the male thread 31a of the outer cylinder 31 and the screw hole 12a of the upper case 12, thereby ensuring high sealing performance.

[0007] In the shutoff valve device 20, in a normal steady state, as shown in Fig. 18, the plunger 22 is attracted to and held by a magnet (not shown) in the self-holding solenoid 21 against the spring force of the coil spring 24. As a result, the movable valve element 23 supported by the plunger 22 is separated from the fixed valve seat 16, and the inlet 13 and the communication port 14 communicate with each other, allowing gas to flow.

[0008] 20, when an abnormal condition such as an earthquake occurs, the electromagnet (not shown) in the self-holding solenoid 21 is energized based on a signal from a control device (not shown), and the plunger 22 is pulled away from the magnet (not shown). As a result, the plunger 22 is released from the magnet in the self-holding solenoid 21, and furthermore, the spring force of the coil spring 24 presses the movable valve element 23, which presses the movable valve element 23 against the fixed valve seat 16, resulting in a closed valve state. As a result, the inlet 13 and the communication port 14 are blocked, and the flow of gas stops.

[0009] Next, when the abnormal condition is resolved and the gas appliance is to be used again, as shown in FIG. 21, the cap cover 37 for preventing erroneous operation is removed and the reset button 33a is pressed against the spring force of the return spring 34. This operation causes the movable valve seat 35 supported by the operating shaft 33 to push back the movable valve element 23, separating the movable valve element 23 from the fixed valve seat 16. Furthermore, when the movable valve element 23 is pushed back to a predetermined position against the spring force of the coil spring 24, the plunger 22 is attracted to and held by the magnet inside the self-holding solenoid 21. Therefore, the movable valve element 23 remains separated from the fixed valve seat 16. When the finger is released from the reset button 33a, the spring force of the return spring 34 returns the operating shaft 33 to its original position.

[0010] Even if the reset button 33a is pressed and held down by a tamper, the movable valve seat 35 continues to contact the fixed valve seat 16. Therefore, unless the operating shaft 33 moves back and returns to its original position, the inlet 13 and the communication port 14 do not communicate with each other, preventing the flow of gas, thereby providing a safer shutoff valve device 20.

[0011] As described above, the gas meter 10 employs a highly reliable sealing structure in which the first sealing material 40 is injected between the screw hole 12a of the upper case 12 and the male screw 31a provided on the outer cylinder body 31 of the reset operation device 30, and then screwed and fixed.

[0012] The first sealant 40 can be selected appropriately depending on the conditions of use, but generally, for example, a UV-curable acrylate resin (manufactured by ThreeBond Co., Ltd., product number TB3067B) is used.

[0013] In the sealing structure of the gas meter 10 described above, there is a risk that the sealing performance will decrease due to deterioration over time of the first sealing material 40. For this reason, it is considered that after a certain period of time has passed, the reset operation device 30 is removed from the gas meter 10, the deteriorated old first sealing material 40 is removed, and then new first sealing material 40 is injected again to restore the sealing structure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0014] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 61-141874 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0015] However, it is not easy to remove the reset operation device 30 that is fixed to the gas meter 10 via the first sealant 40. Furthermore, the work of completely removing the deteriorated first sealant 40 is time-consuming, and the cost of the repair work is high. In particular, if the timing for replacing the gas meter itself is earlier than the next replacement time for the first sealant 40, and it is only necessary to ensure sealing for a short period of time, there is a problem in that unnecessary repair costs will be incurred if the first sealant 40 has to be replaced. In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a seal washer and a seal structure using the same that can extend the period during which sealing performance is maintained through simple repair work, while still ensuring sufficient safety. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the sealing washer of the present invention is configured so that a washer body having an insertion hole is provided with an annular step portion, which serves as a sealing material reservoir, along the opening edge portion on the joining surface side of the insertion hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, the sealing work can be easily performed by inserting the insertion hole provided in the washer body into the base of the sealed member and bonding and integrating it via the sealing material filled in the sealing material reservoir consisting of the annular step portion.

[0018] In an embodiment of the present invention, a chamfer may be provided on at least the outer peripheral edge of the exposed surface and the joining surface of the washer body on the joining surface side. According to this embodiment, the so-called uneven contact can be prevented, the bonding area can be secured, and the sealing performance can be improved.

[0019] In another embodiment of the present invention, at least one notched groove communicating with the sealing material reservoir may be provided in the opening edge portion on the exposed surface side of the insertion hole. According to this embodiment, by visually checking the sealing material seeping out from the cutout groove after installation, it is possible to confirm that the sealing material reservoir is filled with sealing material, thereby improving the reliability of the sealing structure.

[0020] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the seal structure according to the present invention comprises a housing for an equipment, and a sealed member that is threadedly integrated from the outside into a threaded hole provided in the housing and protrudes from the inner surface of the housing, and seals a gap between the threaded hole and the sealed member, and is assembled by inserting a base portion of the sealed member that protrudes from the inner surface of the housing into an insertion hole of the seal washer described above, The gap between the screw hole of the housing and the member to be sealed is sealed by bonding the mating surface of the seal washer to the inner surface of the housing via the seal material filled in the seal material reservoir.

[0021] According to the present invention, the gap between the screw hole of the housing and the member to be sealed can be sealed by a simple operation using a seal washer.

[0022] As an embodiment of the present invention, a sealing material may be injected and hardened between the screw hole provided in the housing and the member to be sealed. According to this embodiment, the sealing material injected between the screw hole provided in the housing and the member to be sealed solidifies, thereby further improving the sealing performance and increasing reliability. In particular, even if the sealing material injected between the housing's screw hole and the sealed member deteriorates over time, reducing the reliability of the sealing performance, the period during which the sealing performance is maintained can be extended with simple repair work by retrofitting a sealing washer.

[0023] In another embodiment of the present invention, the inner diameter of the sealing material reservoir provided in the seal washer may be larger than the inner diameter of the screw hole provided in the housing. According to this embodiment, the gap between the screw hole of the housing and the member to be sealed that is threadedly integrated into the screw hole can be sealed with the seal material filled in the seal material reservoir of the seal washer.

[0024] In another embodiment of the present invention, the inner surface of the seal material reservoir portion provided in the seal washer may have an internal space that does not come into contact with the solidified seal material that has protruded from the screw hole of the housing. According to this embodiment, the sealing material that has solidified and protruded from the screw hole of the housing is covered by the sealing material filled in the seal washer that is to be attached later, thereby further improving the sealing performance. In particular, even if the original sealing material has deteriorated over time, the sealing material used to install the sealing washer later covers the original sealing material, thereby extending the period during which the sealing performance is maintained.

[0025] In a different embodiment of the present invention, the device may be a gas meter. According to this embodiment, the period during which the sealing performance of the gas meter is maintained can be extended by simple repair work.

[0026] In another embodiment of the present invention, the sealed member of the equipment may be a reset operation device. According to this embodiment, the period during which the sealing performance of the return operation device is maintained can be extended by simple repair work.

[0027] Another embodiment of the present invention is a seal structure that seals a gap between a housing of a gas meter and a reset operation device that is screwed together from the outside with a screw hole provided in the housing via a first sealant and protrudes from the inner surface of the housing, in which the base of the reset operation device that protrudes from the inner surface of the housing is inserted into the insertion hole of the seal washer described above, and the joining surface of the seal washer is bonded to the inner surface of the housing via a second sealant filled in a sealing material reservoir of the seal washer, thereby sealing the gap between the screw hole of the housing and the base of the reset operation device.

[0028] According to this embodiment, even if the reliability of the sealing performance of the first sealing material decreases due to deterioration over time, by retrofitting a sealing washer via the second sealing material, the sealing performance can be maintained for a long period of time with simple repair work that can be done quickly and inexpensively. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment in which a seal washer according to the present invention is applied to a gas meter. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing part C in FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view of the seal washer shown in FIG. 1, as viewed from the rear side. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view of the seal washer shown in FIG. 1, as seen from the front side. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a front view of the seal washer shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the seal washer shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the seal washer shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the seal washer shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a seal washer applied to a gas meter, as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the seal washer shown in FIG. 10 as viewed from the front side. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a front view of the seal washer shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a third embodiment of a seal washer applied to a gas meter. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a rear view of the seal washer shown in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF shown in FIG. [Figure 17] 1 is a gas meter to which a conventional sealing structure is applied. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA shown in FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is an enlarged view of part B shown in FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a shutoff valve device of a gas meter according to a conventional example after operation. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a reset operation device for a gas meter according to a conventional example during operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] The seal washer according to the present invention is applied to a gas meter, as in the prior art example. The gas meter according to this embodiment is almost the same as the gas meter described in the conventional example, except that a seal washer is used. Therefore, the same parts are given the same numbers and their explanations will be omitted.

[0031] The seal washer according to the first embodiment is made of a metal plate having a regular hexagonal shape when viewed from above, as shown in Figures 1 to 9. As shown in Figures 3 to 9, the seal washer 50 has an insertion hole 51 at its center and a sealing material reservoir 52 consisting of an annular step formed along the back edge of the insertion hole 51.

[0032] The diameter of the insertion hole 51 is preferably set to be equal to or larger than the outer diameter of the outer cylindrical body 31 so that a small amount of the second sealing material 41 filled in the sealing material reservoir 52 will seep out from the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical body 31 and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 51. This is because it is possible to check whether the amount of second sealing material 41 filled is appropriate. For example, if the diameter of the outer cylinder 31 is 14 mm, the diameter of the insertion hole 51 may be made 0.2 to 1.0 mm larger. If the diameter is less than 0.2 mm, it will be difficult to attach the seal washer 50, and if the diameter is more than 1.0 mm, the second seal material 41 will overflow from the insertion hole 51.

[0033] It is preferable that the sealing material reservoir 52 has an internal space that does not come into contact with the first sealing material 40 that has protruded from the screw hole 12a and solidified. That is, the inner diameter M (FIG. 9) of the sealing material reservoir 52 is preferably larger than the diameter of the screw hole 12a and is a dimension that does not contact the first sealing material 40 that has seeped out of the screw hole 12a and solidified. Furthermore, the depth N of the sealant reservoir is preferably a dimension that does not allow the sealant reservoir to come into contact with the first sealant 40 that has overflowed from the screw hole 12a and solidified. The sealing material reservoir 52 is not limited to the annular shape described above, but may be a recessed portion having a square or hexagonal planar shape, for example, and the planar shape can of course be selected appropriately as required.

[0034] Therefore, the second sealing material 41 is poured into the sealing material reservoir 52 of the seal washer 50, and the outer cylinder body 31 is inserted into the insertion hole 51, thereby covering the first sealing material 40 with the second sealing material 41. As a result, the second sealing material 41 penetrates into fine cracks that are thought to have occurred in the first sealing material 40 and hardens, and the second sealing material 41 covers the first sealing material 40 and hardens, thereby preventing a decrease in the sealing performance of the first sealing material 40 due to deterioration over time.

[0035] The seal washer 50 is not limited to the above embodiment and does not have to be a regular hexagon in plan view, but may be, for example, a triangle, a square, a pentagon, an octagon, or even a circle in plan view.

[0036] The second sealant 41 preferably has an affinity for the first sealant 40. For example, when the first sealant 40 is the aforementioned ultraviolet-curable acrylate resin (for example, product number TB3067B manufactured by ThreeBond Co., Ltd.), the following second sealant 41 can be used. Examples of second sealant 41 include solvent-evaporating synthetic rubber (product number TB1184, manufactured by ThreeBond Co., Ltd.), moisture-curing, deoxime-type silicone resin (product number TB1215, manufactured by ThreeBond Co., Ltd.), moisture-curing, deascent-type silicone resin (product number TB1207B, manufactured by ThreeBond Co., Ltd.), moisture-curing, deamido-type silicone resin (product number TB4332C, manufactured by ThreeBond Co., Ltd.), non-drying alkyd resin (product number TB4320B, manufactured by ThreeBond Co., Ltd.), etc. Of course, these first and second sealants 40 and 41 may be combined as needed.

[0037] 10 to 13, the seal washer 50 according to the second embodiment has chamfered corners on the front and back surfaces to form chamfered portions 53 in order to prevent so-called uneven contact. The gas meter to which this applies is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0038] According to this embodiment, one surface of the seal washer 50 is in reliable surface contact with the inner surface of the upper case 12, which has the advantage of improving adhesion and sealing performance. Of course, the chamfered portions 53 may be formed only at the corners of the joining surface of the seal washer 50.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, a seal washer 50 according to the third embodiment has a notched groove 54 formed on the inner periphery of an insertion hole 51, the notched groove 54 communicating with a seal material reservoir 52. According to this embodiment, even if the gap between the insertion hole 51 of the seal washer 50 and the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder body 31 is small, the second seal material 41 seeps out from the cutout groove 54, making it possible to confirm that the second seal material 41 is filled in the seal material reservoir portion 52. It is needless to say that the number of notched grooves 54 is not limited to one, and a plurality of notched grooves may be provided as needed.

[0040] According to this embodiment, when the second sealant 41 is filled and attached, the second sealant 41 in the sealant reservoir 52 seeps out through the cutout groove 54. This has the advantage that it is possible to confirm that the second sealant 41 has sufficiently filled the sealant reservoir 52, further improving the reliability of the sealing performance. [Example]

[0041] 10, the reset operation device 30 was directly screwed and fixed into the screw hole 12a provided in the upper case 12 of the gas meter 10 without injecting the first sealant. Then, a seal washer 50 was attached to the outer cylindrical body 31 of the reset operation device 30 protruding from the inner surface of the upper case 12 via the second sealant 41, and a total of four samples were obtained. The seal washer 50 is a regular hexagonal shape with a width of 22 mm and a thickness of 3.5 mm, and has a 14 mm insertion hole 51 and a seal material reservoir 52 with an inner diameter of 18 mm and a depth of 2.5 mm. The second seal material 41 used was a solvent-evaporating synthetic rubber (product number TB1184, manufactured by ThreeBond Co., Ltd.).

[0042] The samples were placed in a laboratory and heated from room temperature -25°C to 70°C over 60 minutes, and then cooled from 70°C to -25°C over 60 minutes, with each cycle being considered a thermal shock. 120 cycles of thermal shock were then applied, and the sealing properties were examined afterwards.

[0043] As a result of the experiment in Example 1, it was confirmed that there was no gas leakage in the four samples and that the desired sealing properties were ensured. [Example]

[0044] A total of five samples assembled in the same manner as in Example 1 were subjected to thermal acceleration at an indoor temperature of 70° C. for 1000 hours, and then the presence or absence of gas leakage was checked.

[0045] As a result of the experiment in Example 2, it was confirmed that there was no gas leakage in the five samples, and that the desired sealing properties were ensured. [Industrial Applicability]

[0046] The seal washer and shield structure according to the present invention are not limited to the gas meter described above, and may of course be applied to other gas meters or other devices that control the flow of gas with an on-off valve. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10 Gas meter 11 Lower case 12 Upper case 13 Inlet 14 Connecting port 15 Partition Wall 16 Fixed valve seat 20. Shut-off valve device 21 Self-holding solenoid 22 Plunger 23 Movable valve body 24 Coil spring 30 Return operation device 31 Outer cylinder 32 Inner cylinder 33 Operation axis 34 Return spring 35 Movable valve seat 36 Seal ring 37 Cap cover 40 First sealing material 41 Second sealing material 50 Seal washer 51 Insertion hole 52 Sealing material reservoir 53 Chamfered part 54 Notch groove

Claims

1. a washer body having an insertion hole, and an annular step portion serving as a seal material reservoir portion is provided along an opening edge portion of the insertion hole on the joining surface side; A seal washer characterized in that at least one notched groove communicating with the sealing material reservoir is provided on the opening edge of the insertion hole on the exposed surface side.

2. 2. The seal washer according to claim 1, wherein a chamfer is provided on at least the outer peripheral edge of the exposed surface and the joining surface of the washer body on the joining surface side.

3. a housing for the device; a sealed member that is screwed from the outside into a screw hole provided in the housing and protrudes from the inner surface of the housing; a seal washer having a washer body with an insertion hole and an annular stepped portion serving as a seal material reservoir portion along an opening edge portion of the insertion hole on the joining surface side, A seal structure that seals a gap between the screw hole and the sealed member, a base portion of the member to be sealed that protrudes from the inner surface of the housing is inserted into the insertion hole of the seal washer and assembled; A sealing structure characterized in that the gap between the screw hole of the housing and the sealed member is sealed by adhering the joining surface of the seal washer to the inner surface of the housing via the seal material filled in the seal material reservoir.

4. A sealing structure as described in claim 3, characterized in that a chamfered portion is provided on at least the outer peripheral edge portion on the joint surface side of the exposed surface and joint surface of the washer body.

5. A sealing structure as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that at least one notch groove communicating with the sealing material reservoir portion is provided on the opening edge portion on the exposed surface side of the insertion hole.

6. 6. The seal structure according to claim 3, wherein a seal material is injected and solidified between the screw hole provided in the housing and the member to be sealed.

7. 7. The seal structure according to claim 3, wherein the inner diameter of the seal material reservoir provided in the seal washer is larger than the inner diameter of the screw hole provided in the housing.

8. 8. A seal structure according to claim 3, wherein the inner surface of the seal material reservoir portion provided in the seal washer has an internal space that does not come into contact with the seal material that has overflowed from the screw hole in the housing and solidified.

9. 9. The seal structure according to claim 3, wherein the device is a gas meter.

10. 10. The seal structure according to claim 3, wherein the member to be sealed of the equipment is a reset operation device.

11. A seal structure for sealing a gap between a housing of a gas meter and a reset operation device that is threadably integrated from the outside into a screw hole provided in the housing via a first seal material and that protrudes from an inner surface of the housing, 11. The sealing structure according to claim 3, wherein the base of the return operation device protruding from the inner surface of the housing is inserted into the insertion hole of a seal washer having a washer body with an insertion hole and an annular step portion serving as a seal material reservoir along the opening edge portion on the joint surface side of the insertion hole, and the joint surface of the seal washer is bonded to the inner surface of the housing via a second seal material filled in the seal material reservoir portion of the seal washer, thereby sealing the gap between the screw hole of the housing and the base of the return operation device.

12. A sealing structure as described in Claim 11, characterized in that a chamfered portion is provided on at least the outer peripheral edge portion on the joining surface side of the exposed surface and joining surface of the washer body.

13. A sealing structure as described in claim 11 or 12, characterized in that at least one notch groove communicating with the sealing material reservoir portion is provided on the opening edge portion on the exposed surface side of the insertion hole.

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