Automatic valve unit

Abstract

To provide an automatic valve that can shorten a construction period of installation.SOLUTION: An automatic valve 1 to be installed to a building structure while being stored in a storage box 7 includes a support part 11 capable of supporting the overall weight of the storage box 7. The automatic valve is configured to be stored in the storage box 7 in advance when being installed to a building structure and to be capable of being integrated with the storage box 7 as a unit while the support part 11 supports the storage box 7. The automatic valve further includes a hanging part 14 and is configured to be capable of being hung by the hanging part 14 together with the storage box 7 while the support part 11 supports the storage box 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an automatic valve stored in a storage box and installed in a building, and its unit.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in a road tunnel (hereinafter simply referred to as "tunnel"), as a disaster prevention facility, in addition to fire extinguishing facilities such as fire extinguishers and fire hydrants, a water spray facility may be provided.

[0003] The water spray facility includes water spray heads installed at high positions such as the ceiling and upper side walls of the tunnel, and also includes an automatic valve installed by being connected in the middle of a pipe that supplies water to the water spray heads. When a fire occurs, the automatic valve opens, and water is sprayed from the water spray heads to prevent the spread of fire and protect structures (such as the ceiling and walls).

[0004] In this type of water spray facility, the automatic valve is stored and installed in a storage box (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Conventionally, when installing an automatic valve in a tunnel, the storage work into the storage box has been carried out on-site. Therefore, there is a problem that it takes time to install the automatic valve, and the construction period becomes long. In particular, when installing an automatic valve in an already opened and operating tunnel, traffic control such as traffic stoppage is required, so the influence due to the length of the construction period is significant.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, this invention aims to provide an automatic valve and its unit that can shorten the installation period. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This invention is An automatic valve unit for a tunnel water spray system, comprising an automatic valve and a storage box, wherein the automatic valve is the Stored in a storage box Furthermore, some or all of the wiring connected within the storage box is connected, The storage box and both of the aforementioned automatic valves A support section capable of supporting the entire weight Yes, The support portion supports the storage box. did In this state, the storage box and The automatic valve is integrated with the storage box and is provided to be connectable to the primary and secondary piping on the tunnel side, respectively. Automatic valve characterized by unit That is the case.

[0009] Furthermore, in this invention, the automatic valve may be further provided with a suspension portion, and the suspension portion may be configured to lift the automatic valve together with the storage box.

[0010] Furthermore, in this invention, the automatic valve may have a suspension fitting in which the support portion and the suspension portion are provided integrally.

[0012] Furthermore, in this invention, the automatic valve may be provided with an upper connecting pipe section on the upper side for connection to upper piping when installed in a building, and the support section may be provided on the upper connecting pipe section. Furthermore, the automatic valve may be provided with a lower connecting pipe section on the lower side for connection to lower piping when installed in a building, and the lower connecting pipe section may be rotatably connected to the lower side of the valve body via a joint. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] In this invention, the automatic valve can be pre-installed in a storage box, creating a unitized state with the storage box during on-site installation. This reduces the number of steps involved in installation and shortens on-site work time.

[0014] Therefore, according to this invention, an automatic valve can be obtained that shortens the installation period. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1]This is a front view showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention, in a state where an automatic valve is stored in a storage box and unitized. The portion indicated by the two-dot chain line is the piping portion on the tunnel side. [Figure 2] It is a side view of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is an enlarged front view of the same automatic valve. [Figure 4] It is a side view of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is an enlarged front view (half-sectional view) of the secondary-side piping portion of the same automatic valve.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Regarding the embodiments of the present invention, taking the case of applying it to an automatic valve in a water spray facility in a tunnel as an example, it will be described while referring to FIGS. 1 to 5. Note that the present invention can be applied not only to those installed in a tunnel but also to automatic valves stored in a storage box and installed in a building.

[0017] Here, in the description of the present invention, the terms indicating positions and directions such as "up", "down", "vertical", "horizontal", etc. are used according to the positions and directions in the state where the automatic valve is stored in the storage box and installed in a building (in this embodiment, a tunnel).

[0018] <Water spray facility> As described above, the water spray facility includes water spray heads installed at high places such as the ceiling and upper side walls of the tunnel, and also includes an automatic valve installed by being connected in the middle of the piping that supplies water to the water spray heads. When a fire occurs, the automatic valve opens and sprays water from the water spray heads to prevent the spread of fire and protect structures (such as the ceiling and walls).

[0019] <Automatic valve> In a water spray device, an automatic valve is connected to a primary-side pipe whose proximal end reaches the water supply source side and a secondary-side pipe whose distal end reaches the water spray head side, and is stored in a storage box and installed along the side wall of a tunnel. The automatic valve of this invention can be applied as an automatic valve provided in such a water spray device.

[0020] Figs. 1 to 5 show an example of an embodiment of the automatic valve of this invention. Figs. 1 and 2 show the whole in a state of being stored in a storage box and unitized, Figs. 3 and 4 show the automatic valve alone, and Fig. 5 shows a part of the secondary-side connection pipe portion of the automatic valve alone.

[0021] The automatic valve 1 includes a valve body 2, a primary-side connection port portion 2a on the lower side of the valve body 2 to which a primary-side connection pipe portion 3 (an example of a lower-side connection pipe portion) on the lower side is connected, and a secondary-side connection port portion 2b on the upper side of the valve body 2 to which a secondary-side connection pipe portion 4 (an example of an upper-side connection pipe portion) on the upper side is connected (see Figs. 1 to 4). When installed in a tunnel, the primary-side connection pipe portion 3 is connected to a vertical primary-side pipe P1 located downward, and the secondary-side connection pipe portion 4 is connected to a vertical secondary-side pipe P2 located upward (see Figs. 1 and 2). Note that the automatic valve 1 further includes various components. These components include electrical components such as a remote activation valve (electric valve) 5, a pressure switch 6, and a heater (see Figs. 1 and 2).

[0022] <Storage box> The storage box 7 has a box shape with an openable / closable (detachable) front panel 7a (see Figs. 1 and 2). The automatic valve 1 is stored in this storage box 7 with the primary-side connection pipe portion 3 located on the lower side and the secondary-side connection pipe portion 4 located on the upper side (see Figs. 1 and 2).

[0023] A terminal block 9 for connection to external wiring at the installation site is provided in this storage box 7. Wiring 10 between various electrical components such as the remote activation valve 5 and the pressure switch 6 provided in the automatic valve 1 is concentrated and connected to the terminal block 9 (see Figs. 1 to 4). Note that in this storage box 7, not only the terminal block 9 but also various components such as a signal converter, a telephone jack, and a heater may be further provided.

[0024] <Automatic valve unit> The automatic valve 1 is housed in the storage box 7, and at least a portion of the wiring connected within the storage box 7 (for example, the wiring 10 connecting the remote activation valve 5 and pressure switch 6 of the automatic valve 1 to the terminal block 9 of the storage box 7) is connected to it, thereby unitizing it with the storage box 7 (see Figures 1 and 2).

[0025] In other words, when the automatic valve 1 is installed in the tunnel, which is the installation site, it can be stored in the storage box 7 in advance (for example, at the time of factory shipment), and some or all of the wiring that will be connected inside the storage box 7 can be connected, so that it is in a unitized state with the storage box 7.

[0026] Therefore, with the automatic valve 1, it is possible to eliminate or reduce the need to perform tasks in the tunnel that were previously carried out in the tunnel. In other words, it is possible to eliminate the need to store the automatic valve 1 in the storage box 7 in the tunnel, and the number of wires to be connected inside the storage box 7 can be reduced or eliminated. As a result, the working time in the tunnel can be shortened, and the installation construction period can be shortened.

[0027] As mentioned above, the automatic valve 1 and the storage box 7 are also equipped with various parts. When unitizing the automatic valve 1 with the storage box 7, it is preferable that all of these parts be pre-installed so that they form part of the automatic valve 1 or the storage box 7. It is also preferable that all the wiring that needs to be connected within the storage box 7 be pre-connected. However, the parts to be installed on the automatic valve 1 and the storage box 7 may vary depending on the installation site, and the wiring that needs to be connected within the storage box 7 may also vary, so it is acceptable to install some of these parts at the installation site, and to connect some of the wiring that needs to be connected within the storage box 7 at the installation site.

[0028] <Support / Suspension part> ·Support part (upper side) The automatic valve 1 has a support portion 11 at an upper position that supports the entire weight of the storage box 7 (see Figures 1 and 2). This support portion 11 is fixed to the storage box 7 by fixing means (in the illustrated example, bolted via mounting brackets 12 which will be described later) (see Figures 1 and 2).

[0029] As a result, the automatic valve 1 is integrated with the storage box 7 while supporting it. If the automatic valve 1 is pre-assembled with the storage box 7 to the point of being integrated, the automatic valve 1 and the storage box 7 can be handled as a single unit, making them easier to handle.

[0030] Furthermore, since the automatic valve 1 can support the entire weight of the storage box 7 and thus support the storage box 7, the work process of fixing the storage box 7 to the tunnel side wall with anchor bolts, etc., during installation in the tunnel can be reduced, and the installation construction period can be shortened.

[0031] In this embodiment, the support portion 11 is provided on the secondary connecting pipe portion 4 located on the upper side of the automatic valve 1. It may be provided on other parts of the automatic valve 1 (for example, the primary connecting pipe portion 3 located on the lower side), but by providing it on the secondary connecting pipe portion 4 located on the upper side, the support portion 11 can be made integrated with the suspension portion 14, which will be described later, forming a single component, and the device configuration can be simplified.

[0032] • Hanging section Furthermore, the automatic valve 1 has a lifting portion 14 that allows the automatic valve 1 to be lifted using a lifting device (such as a crane) (see Figures 1 to 5). A through hole is formed at the tip of the lifting portion for the hook of the lifting device to be inserted.

[0033] As a result, the automatic valve 1, having the support portion 11, can be unitized with the storage box 7. Once the storage box 7 is supported by the support portion 11, the automatic valve 1 and the storage box 7 can be lifted together as a single unit by the suspension portion 14. This facilitates their movement during factory shipment, installation, and other transportation.

[0034] • Hanging bracket (hanging part and support part) In this embodiment, the support portion 11 and the suspension portion 14 are provided together as a single suspension fitting 15 (see Figure 5). The support portion 11 and the suspension portion 14 may be separate components, but by integrating them into a single component, the device configuration can be simplified.

[0035] When the storage box 7 is supported by the support part 11, the suspension fitting 15 will support the entire weight of the storage box 7. Furthermore, when the automatic valve 1 is suspended together with the storage box 7 by the suspension part 14, the suspension fitting 15 will support the entire weight of both the storage box 7 and the automatic valve 1. Therefore, it is formed from a material such as carbon steel or stainless steel to have sufficient strength to withstand these loads.

[0036] Specifically, the suspension fittings 15 are provided as a pair on the outer circumference of the secondary connecting pipe section 4, and each has an arm-like shape that is bent in a roughly L-shape (see Figure 5). Each base end is fixed to the outer circumference of the secondary connecting pipe section 4 by a strong fixing means (welding in the illustrated example). The support section 11 is provided on the intermediate part that extends laterally outward from each base end, and the suspension section 14 is provided on the tip end that bends from the support section 11 and extends vertically upward (see Figure 5). A through hole (not shown) is formed in the top wall of the storage box 7 so that only the tip end of this suspension section 14 can be positioned above the storage box 7.

[0037] A mounting bracket 12, which serves as a means for attaching the support portion 11 to the storage box 7, is fixed to the support portion 11 by a fixing means (in the illustrated example, bolts in the front-rear direction). The support portion 11 is attached to the storage box 7 by the fixing means (in the illustrated example, bolts in the lateral direction) of the mounting bracket 12. In other words, the support portion 11 is attached to the storage box 7 via the mounting bracket 12. A plate-shaped mounting portion 13 for the support portion 11 is provided on the storage box 7 side (see Figures 1 and 2). The support portion 11 is attached to the plate-shaped mounting portion 13 as described above. Furthermore, the connection between the storage box 7 and the support portion 11 is not particularly limited; the respective components may be directly attached by welding or the like, or a separate back plate 8 fixed to the storage box 7 may be provided, and the support portion 11 may be attached to the back plate 8 (see Figure 2).

[0038] In the suspension fitting 15, the support portion 11 is fixed to the automatic valve 1 as described above, and when the automatic valve 1 is unitized with the storage box 7, it is fixed to the storage box 7. In other words, when unitizing the automatic valve 1 with the storage box 7, fixing the support portion 11 to the storage box 7 allows the positional relationship between the automatic valve 1 and the storage box 7 to be fixed, for example, so that the automatic valve 1 and the storage box 7 are fixed in a state where their frontal directions coincide (the state in Figure 1).

[0039] Furthermore, in the suspension fitting 15, the support portion 11 is located inside the storage box 7 and is provided on the secondary side connecting pipe portion 4 of the automatic valve 1 as described above. This allows the suspension portion 14, which is provided continuously with the support portion 11, to be exposed upwards by passing through a through hole provided in the top wall from inside the storage box 7. As a result, it is possible to have a length sufficient to function as a suspension member while being located slightly above the storage box 7, thereby preventing the overall height of the automatic valve 1 from increasing. When installing the automatic valve 1 in an existing tunnel, there is often little room in the height dimension of the installation space. In other words, the advantage of preventing the overall height of the automatic valve 1 from increasing is particularly significant when installing the automatic valve 1 in an existing tunnel.

[0040] <Retaining bracket (lower side)> The automatic valve 1 has a retaining bracket 16 on its lower side that functions as a retaining part that maintains the state in which the storage box 7 is supported by the support part 11 of the suspension bracket 15.

[0041] The retaining bracket 16 has a receiving portion 16a that extends laterally and a U-shaped clamp 16b that is fixed to the receiving portion 16a. The storage box 7 is provided with a plate-shaped mounting portion 17 for the retaining bracket 16, and both ends of the receiving portion 16a are fixed to the plate-shaped mounting portion 17 by fixing means (later bolt fastening). The U-shaped clamp 16b is fixed to the receiving portion 16a while gripping the primary side connecting pipe portion 3 located on the lower side of the automatic valve 1.

[0042] <Secondary side connecting pipe section (upper side)> As described above, the automatic valve 1 has a secondary connecting pipe section 4 on its upper side that is connected to the secondary connecting port section 2b of the valve body 2, and a suspension fitting 15 is provided on the secondary connecting pipe section 4.

[0043] The secondary connecting pipe section 4 has its valve body side connecting end 4a connected to the secondary connecting port 2b of the valve body 2. This connection is made via a flange joint 18 (in the illustrated example, fixed vertically by eight bolts around the perimeter) that is firmly secured by numerous bolts. A suspension bracket 15 is provided between the secondary connecting pipe section 4 and the other piping side connecting end 4b.

[0044] As a result, even if the automatic valve 1 is equipped with a suspension bracket 15 on the secondary side connecting pipe section 4, and the weight of the storage box 7 is applied to the connection part between the secondary side piping 4 and the valve body 2 (supporting the storage box 7) or the weight of the valve body 2 is applied to it (lifting it together with the storage box 7), the strength of the connection part can be maintained.

[0045] Furthermore, the other pipe-side connection end 4b of the secondary-side connection pipe section 4, which is connected to the upper secondary-side piping P2 (whose end reaches the water spray head side), is positioned so as to penetrate the top wall of the storage box 7 and be slightly exposed upwards (the height of the suspension part 14 of the suspension bracket 15 is approximately the same as the height of this pipe-side connection end 4b), and the connection to the upper piping P2 is made via a joint 19 fixed with a few bolts (in the illustrated example, it is fixed in the front-rear direction with a pair of two bolts on the left and right).

[0046] <Primary side connecting pipe section (lower side)> As described above, the automatic valve 1 has a primary side connecting pipe section 3 on its lower side that is connected to the primary side connecting port section 2a of the valve body 2, and a retaining fitting 16 is provided on the primary side connecting pipe section 3.

[0047] The primary side connecting pipe section 3 has its valve body side connecting end 3a connected to the primary side connecting port 2a of the valve body 2. This connection is made via a joint 20 (in the illustrated example, fixed in the front-rear direction by a pair of two bolts on the left and right) which is secured by a small number of bolts. A retaining bracket 16 is provided between the primary side connecting section 3 and the other pipe side connecting end 3b. A Victaulic joint may be used as the joint 20.

[0048] In other words, the primary side connecting pipe section 3 can be rotatably mounted around the pipe axis relative to the valve body 2 side, including the storage box 7, by loosening the bolts of the joint 20 and the U-shaped clamp 16b of the retaining bracket 16.

[0049] The other pipe-side connection end 3b of the primary-side connection pipe section 3, which is connected to the lower primary-side piping P1 (whose base end leads to the water source), is positioned to penetrate the bottom wall of the storage box 7 and be exposed downwards. The connection to the lower piping P1 is made via a flange joint 21 (in the illustrated example, fixed vertically by 12 bolts around the perimeter) which is secured by a larger number of bolts.

[0050] When installing the automatic valve 1 in a tunnel, misalignment of the bolt holes (rotational misalignment) may occur at the flange joint 21, which is the connection point between the primary side connecting pipe section 3 and the lower piping. Even in such cases, the misalignment of the bolt holes can be corrected by rotating only the primary side connecting pipe section 3 while keeping the position of the valve body 2, including the storage box 7, fixed.

[0051] <Installation in tunnels> For example, when installing the automatic valve 1 in a tunnel, the automatic valve 1 is stored in the storage box 7 in advance (for example, at the time of factory shipment), and the necessary wiring between the automatic valve 1 and the storage box 7 is connected, so that the automatic valve 1 and the storage box 7 are unitized. At that time, the support part 11 of the suspension bracket 15 is fixed to the storage box 7, and the retaining bracket 16 is also fixed to the storage box 7, so that the automatic valve 1 and the storage box 7 are integrated.

[0052] In the tunnel, the automatic valve 1 is lifted together with the storage box 7 by the suspension fittings 15 and moved toward the designated installation space (such as an installation space formed in the side wall with a box cutout). The primary side connecting pipe section 3 and the secondary side connecting pipe section 4 of the automatic valve 1 are then connected to the primary side piping P1 and the secondary side piping P2 on the tunnel side, respectively, and the terminal block 9 of the storage box 7 is connected to the external wiring on the tunnel side. If there are no parts that need to be attached to the automatic valve 1 or storage box 7 on site, or no wiring that needs to be connected inside the storage box 7, the installation work is then completed.

[0053] <Example of configuration changes> Although an example of an embodiment of this invention has been described above, this invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications to the configuration, etc., are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

[0054] For example, in the above embodiment, the support portion 11 that supports the storage box 7 is provided on the upper secondary connecting pipe portion 4, but the support portion 11 may be replaced with the retaining bracket 16 and provided on the lower primary connecting portion 3. In that case, the flange joint 18 and the joint 20 may also be replaced.

[0055] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the secondary connecting pipe section 4 is formed integrally from the valve body side connecting end 4a to the piping side connecting end 4b, but it may also be divided into upper and lower sections. In that case, it can be divided into upper and lower sections at a position facing the front opening that is opened and closed by the front panel 7a of the storage box 7 (for example, a position close to the flange joint 18) between the piping side connecting end 4b and the flange joint 18, and the divided section can be connected via an additional joint (similar to the lower joint 20) fixed by a small number of bolts. By doing so, the part of the automatic valve 1 including the valve body 2, which is connected by the upper additional joint and the lower joint 20, can be inserted and removed through the front opening that is opened and closed by the front panel 7a of the storage box 7, making the insertion and removal work easy. In addition, since the upper additional joint and the lower joint 20 are fixed by a small number of bolts, the operation of connecting and disconnecting the connection part can be made easy. Therefore, when it becomes necessary to replace the valve body 2 of the automatic valve 1, the replacement work can be made even easier than in the above embodiment.

[0056] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described the automatic valve 1 as being installed between the vertically oriented primary pipe P1 and secondary pipe P2 located vertically, the automatic valve 1 can also be installed between the horizontally oriented primary pipe and secondary pipe located horizontally. In that case, the member corresponding to the suspension fitting 16 can be installed, for example, at an upper position between the primary connecting pipe section 3 and the secondary connecting pipe section 4. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1: Automatic valve 2: Valve body 2a: Primary connection port 2b: Secondary connection port 3: Primary side connecting pipe section 3a: Valve body side connecting end 3b: Piping side connecting end 4: Secondary side connecting pipe section 4a: Valve body side connecting end 4b: Piping side connecting end 5: Remote activation valve 6: Pressure switch 7: Storage box 7a: Front panel 8: Back panel 9: Terminal block 10: Wiring 11: Support part 12: Mounting bracket 13: Mounting part 14: Hanging part 15: Hanging bracket 16: Retaining bracket 16a: Receiving part 16b: U-shaped clamp 17: Mounting part 18: Flange joint 19: Fitting 20: Fitting 21: Flange fitting P1: Primary side piping P2: Secondary piping

Claims

1. An automatic valve unit for a tunnel water spray system, It is equipped with an automatic valve and a storage box, The automatic valve is housed in the storage box and has some or all of the wiring connected within the storage box connected to it, and has a support portion capable of supporting the total weight of both the storage box and the automatic valve, and is integrated with the storage box when the support portion supports the storage box. An automatic valve unit characterized in that the automatic valve is integrated with the storage box and is provided so as to be connectable to the primary side piping and the secondary side piping on the tunnel side.

2. The automatic valve further has a suspension portion, The automatic valve unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the automatic valve can be lifted together with the storage box by the suspension part while the support part supports the storage box.

3. The automatic valve unit according to claim 2, characterized in that the automatic valve has a suspension fitting in which the support portion and the suspension portion are provided integrally with each other.

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