Equipped with an emergency shut-off removable valve device

Abstract

A detachable valve device with emergency closing capability includes an upper valve body, a lower valve body, an interlocking switch assembly, and a clamp assembly. The upper and lower valve bodies each contain upper and lower ball valves. The interlocking switch assembly includes an upper lever, a lower lever, two connecting rods, and a first hydraulic cylinder drive assembly; the bottom end of each connecting rod grips the lower lever with a downward-facing U-shaped fork. The clamp assembly clamps the upper and lower valve bodies and is driven by a second hydraulic cylinder drive assembly for disengagement. By setting independent first and second hydraulic cylinder drive assemblies, and coordinating with the interlocking confirmation of a leak-proof control module, the clamp can only operate after the valve is completely closed; and during disengagement, the lower valve body can slide out without interference along the opening direction of the U-shaped fork, achieving absolute leak prevention and instantaneous smooth disengagement, ensuring safety.

Description

Equipped with an emergency shut-off removable valve device Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a pipeline valve connection device, and more particularly to an oil pipeline used between an oil tanker and a dockside oil transport arm and an oil tank, which has an emergency shut-off detachable valve device with the function of emergency blocking of the oil passage and forced separation of the pipeline. Prior Technology

[0002] During the loading and unloading of crude oil or other types of cargo oil on oil tankers, oil transfer arms are typically used to connect the terminal oil tanks to the pipeline system on the tanker. However, during the unloading process, unforeseen events such as sudden changes in sea conditions (e.g., typhoons, strong southwest monsoons), broken moorings, or displacement of the vessel can cause the oil pipelines to be subjected to extreme tensile stress. If the oil transfer is not interrupted and the pipeline is not separated in time, it can easily lead to pipeline rupture, large-scale oil spills, and consequently, serious marine pollution, explosions, fires, and other industrial safety crises.

[0003] To address this issue, the industry has proposed prior art, such as the Republic of China Patent No. M577094, "Emergency Disengagement Device for Double Ball Valves." This prior art mainly utilizes a "single hydraulic cylinder" to simultaneously drive the upper and lower ball valves to close, and uses a mechanical push button to "synchronously" open the clamps, in order to achieve the purpose of blocking the oil circuit and separating the pipeline.

[0004] However, this design still has the following major shortcomings in practical application: First, the timing difference in operation leads to the risk of oil leakage: This design relies on a single hydraulic cylinder for drive, and the valve closing and caliper disengagement are completely rigidly synchronized mechanically. With long-term use resulting in mechanical wear, or during violent sea conditions, a timing difference in operation can easily occur, leading to the fatal danger of "the caliper disengaging prematurely before the valve is fully closed," failing to achieve 100% leak-proof assurance. Second, linkage jamming causes disengagement obstacles: This design uses a rigid and enclosed transmission rod connected between the upper and lower ball valves. In an emergency, at the moment the caliper disengages, the mechanical structure between the upper and lower valve bodies is still intertwined, easily causing jamming. This prevents the lower valve body from instantly and cleanly disengaging from the upper valve body, delaying the golden opportunity for emergency avoidance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art, the main purpose of this invention is to provide a detachable valve device with emergency closure, which ensures the safety and smooth operation of the unloading pipeline during emergency disconnection through an independent hydraulic drive system with interlock control and an improved linkage mechanism design.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this invention provides a detachable valve device with emergency closing capability, comprising: an upper valve body having an upper oil passage running vertically through its center, an upper pivot end for pivotally connecting a first oil pipe at its upper end, a lower disc at its lower end, and an upper ball valve with a channel inside, the upper ball valve having a protruding upper rotating end, rotating the upper rotating end to open or close the channel of the upper ball valve and the upper oil passage; a lower valve body having a lower oil passage running vertically through its center, an upper disc at its upper end, a lower pivot end for pivotally connecting a second oil pipe at its lower end, and a lower ball valve with a channel inside, the lower ball valve having a protruding lower rotating end, rotating the lower rotating end to open or close the channel of the lower ball valve and the lower oil passage; and an interlocking switch assembly. The device comprises an upper lever, a lower lever, two connecting rods, and a first hydraulic cylinder drive assembly. The upper and lower levers are rotatably mounted on the upper and lower valve bodies and connected to the upper and lower rotating ends, respectively. The upper part of the two connecting rods is pivotally connected to the upper lever, and the bottom end of each connecting rod is held by a U-shaped fork with an opening facing downwards at the two pivots of the lower lever relative to its middle section. The telescopic rod of the first hydraulic cylinder drive assembly is connected to the upper lever to drive the linkage switch assembly. The device also comprises a caliper assembly, comprising a caliper, a lever, and a second hydraulic cylinder drive assembly. The caliper has a groove to clamp the upper and lower discs. The second hydraulic cylinder drive assembly has a push button that, when extended, abuts against the lever to disengage the caliper, allowing the lower valve body to separate from the upper valve body through the opening direction of the U-shaped fork at the bottom end of the two connecting rods.

[0007] Preferably, the device further includes a leak-proof control module electrically connected to the first and second hydraulic cylinder transmission groups, which is set to confirm that the upper and lower oil passages are closed before pushing open the lever.

[0008] By employing the aforementioned technical means, this invention possesses the following substantial progressive effects compared to prior art:

[0009] 1. Ensuring a safe interlock mechanism for complete oil shut-off: This invention assigns valve closing and caliper disengagement to the "first hydraulic cylinder drive group" and the "second hydraulic cylinder drive group" respectively for independent execution, and incorporates a "leak prevention control module". The system must confirm that the valve is completely closed before allowing the second hydraulic cylinder to actuate and push open the caliper, achieving the effect of "absolute interlock to prevent leakage" and completely solving the risk of oil leakage caused by premature disengagement due to a single drive in the previous case.

[0010] 2. Achieving smooth, interference-free physical disengagement: The linkage switch assembly of this invention is cleverly designed with a "U-shaped fork with an opening facing downwards." Under normal circumstances, the lower lever can be firmly held to synchronously open and close the valve; in an emergency disengagement moment, the lower valve body can slide out smoothly and directly along the direction of gravity and the opening of the U-shaped fork, without any mechanical restraint between the upper and lower valve bodies, ensuring an absolutely smooth disengagement action. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0011] Figure 1 is a view before this creation. Figure 2 is a top-down view of the caliper assembly in this design. Figure 3 is a three-dimensional view of this creation. Figure 4 is a perspective view of this work, showing the relative positions of the interlocking switch assembly and the caliper assembly. Figure 5 is a system block diagram of the leak prevention control module of this invention. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the operation of the interlocking switch assembly of this invention to open the upper oil passage of the upper valve body and the lower oil passage of the lower valve body. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the operation of the upper oil passage of the upper valve body and the lower oil passage of the lower valve body in the half-opening of the linkage switch assembly of this invention. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the action of the interlocking switch assembly of this invention to close the upper oil passage of the upper valve body and the lower oil passage of the lower valve body. Figure 9 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the caliper assembly in the released state of this invention. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the separation of the upper valve body and the lower valve body, as well as the linkage switch assembly, in this invention. Implementation

[0012] To enable your review committee to gain a better understanding of the characteristics, purpose and function of this work, a detailed explanation is provided below with accompanying illustrations.

[0013] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4. This invention provides a detachable valve device with emergency closure. Its overall structure mainly includes: an upper valve body 10, a lower valve body 20, an interlocking switch assembly 30, a clamp assembly 40, and a leak-proof control module 50.

[0014] The upper valve body 10 has a vertically extending upper oil passage 11 formed in the center. The upper end of the upper valve body 10 has an upper pivot end 12 for pivotally connecting a first oil pipe 61 for transporting cargo oil (e.g., connected to a dock oil transport arm); the lower end has a lower plate surface 13. Inside the upper valve body 10 is an upper ball valve 14, which has a through-channel 141. Furthermore, the upper ball valve 14 has an upper rotating end 15 protruding from the upper valve body 10. In this embodiment, the upper rotating end 15 is fixedly connected to a linkage switch disc. By rotating the upper rotating end 15, the upper ball valve 14 can be rotated, allowing the channel 141 to align with the upper oil passage 11 and remain unobstructed, or rotating to a horizontal angle to close the upper oil passage 11.

[0015] The lower valve body 20 has a through-flow lower oil passage 21 at its center. The upper end of the lower valve body 20 has an upper plate surface 22, and the lower end has a lower pivot end 23, which can be pivotally connected to a second oil pipe 62 for transporting cargo oil (such as connecting to a tanker pipeline). Inside the lower valve body 20 is a lower ball valve 24, which also has a through-flow channel 241. The lower ball valve 24 has a lower rotating end 25 protruding from the lower valve body 20 (which can also be fixedly connected to a linkage switch disc). To ensure leak-proof operation during connection, a sealing ring 26 is further provided on the upper plate surface 22 of the lower valve body 20 to provide airtightness and liquid tightness at the junction of the upper oil passage 11 and the lower oil passage 21.

[0016] Please refer to Figures 4 and 6. The interlocking switch assembly 30 is the core of the synchronous control of the opening and closing of the valves of the upper valve body 10 and the lower valve body 20. It has an upper lever 31, a lower lever 32, two connecting rods 33, and a first hydraulic cylinder transmission group 34. The upper lever 31 is rotatably mounted on the upper valve body 10, and its middle section is connected to the upper rotating end 15; the lower lever 32 is rotatably mounted on the lower valve body 20, and its middle section is connected to the lower rotating end 25. The upper parts of the two connecting rods 33 are pivotally connected to both ends of the upper lever 31. The key technical feature of this invention is that the bottom end of each connecting rod 33 forms a "downward-opening U-shaped fork 331", and the U-shaped fork 331 is held (bridged) from top to bottom on the pivots 321 at both ends of the lower lever 32. The first hydraulic cylinder transmission assembly 34 has a cylinder body and a telescopic rod 341. The cylinder body is rotatably pivotally mounted on the outside of the upper valve body 10, and the telescopic rod 341 is pivotally connected to the upper lever 31. By extending and retracting the telescopic rod 341, the upper lever 31 can be swung, and the lower lever 32 can be synchronously driven through two connecting rods 33.

[0017] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the caliper assembly 40 includes a caliper 41, a lever 42, and an independent second hydraulic cylinder drive assembly 43. The caliper 41 is preferably composed of several caliper blocks 410 and connecting rods 412 connected in sections, with one of the caliper blocks 410 fixed to the lug 16 of the upper valve body 10, allowing the caliper 41 to remain connected to the upper valve body 10 even when releasing the upper valve body 10 from the lower valve body 20. The caliper 41 has a groove 411 on its inner side to clamp the lower disc surface 13 of the upper valve body 10 and the upper disc surface 22 of the lower valve body 20, ensuring a tight fit. One extendable end of the second hydraulic cylinder drive assembly 43 has a push button 431.

[0018] As shown in Figure 5, in order to solve the problem of easy oil leakage in the previous technology, this invention specially adds the anti-leakage control module 50 (an electronic control unit), which is electrically connected to the first hydraulic cylinder transmission group 34 and the second hydraulic cylinder transmission group 43.

[0019] Please refer to Figures 6 to 10 in sequence to understand the operation and function of this invention. Under normal oil supply conditions (as shown in Figure 6), the caliper 41 clamps the upper and lower valve bodies (i.e., the groove 411 clamps the mating lower plate surface 13 and upper plate surface 22), and the ball valves are vertically open (i.e., the upper ball valve 14 and lower ball valve 24 are simultaneously in an upright state, so that their channels 141 and 241 are relatively connected). When an emergency situation requires disengagement, the system first activates the first hydraulic cylinder transmission group 34, causing the telescopic rod 341 to actuate, driving the upper lever 31, connecting rod 33 and lower lever 32 to rotate synchronously (from the half-open state shown in Figure 7 to the fully closed state shown in Figure 8). At this time, the upper oil passage 11 and the lower oil passage 21 are completely blocked.

[0020] Preferably, this invention can utilize the leak prevention control module 50 for safety verification: only after confirming that the upper oil passage 11 and the lower oil passage 21 are "definitely in the closed state" will the leak prevention control module 50 send a signal to allow the second hydraulic cylinder transmission assembly 43 to operate. The second hydraulic cylinder transmission assembly 43 extends, causing the push button 431 to abut the lever 42, forcibly opening the caliper 41. Of course, in an emergency, the leak prevention control module 50 can also prioritize allowing the second hydraulic cylinder transmission assembly 43 to operate to urgently separate the lower valve body 20 and buy time for disengagement, but simultaneously activating the first hydraulic cylinder transmission assembly 34 to close the upper oil passage 11 of the upper valve body 10 can still prevent continuous oil leakage.

[0021] Finally, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, when the caliper 41 is disengaged, because the bottom end of the two connecting rods 33 is a "U-shaped fork 331 with the opening facing downwards", the lower valve body 20 and the lower lever 32 are no longer subject to any rigid locking restraint. The lower valve body 20 can slide directly downwards along the opening direction of the U-shaped fork 331 by gravity, instantly completing the physical separation from the upper valve body 10.

[0022] In conclusion, this invention, through the independent control of dual hydraulic cylinders and the ingenious design of the U-fork, effectively overcomes the fatal flaws of conventional technology, such as oil leakage due to timing of operation and connecting rod jamming, and possesses extremely high industrial application value and patented advancement.

[0023] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this invention and is not intended to limit the scope of this invention. All equivalent variations and modifications made to the shape, structure, features, and spirit described in the claims of this invention should be included within the scope of the claims of this invention.

[0024] 10: Upper valve body 11: Upper oil passage 12: Upper pivot connection end 13: Lower plate 14: Upper ball valve 141: Channel 15: Upper rotating end 16: Protruding ears 20: Lower valve body 21: Lower oil passage 22: Upper plate 23: Lower pivot connection end 24: Lower ball valve 241: Channel 25: Downward-spinning end 26: Sealing ring 30: Interlocking switch assembly 31: Leverage 32: Lowering the lever 321: Pivot 33: Linkage 331: U-shaped fork 34: First hydraulic cylinder transmission assembly 341: Telescopic pole 40: Caliper assembly 41: Caliper 410: Pliers 411: Groove 412: Connecting rod 42: Lever 43: Second hydraulic cylinder transmission assembly 431: Push Button 50: Leakage Prevention Control Module 61: First oil pipe 62: Second oil pipe

Claims

1. A detachable valve device with emergency closing capability, comprising: an upper valve body, wherein an upper oil passage is formed through the center of the upper valve body, an upper pivot end is provided at the upper end of the upper valve body, and a lower plate is provided at the lower end of the upper valve body, the upper pivot end being pivotally connected to a first oil pipe for conveying cargo oil, an upper ball valve is provided inside the upper valve body, the upper ball valve having a through passage, the upper ball valve having an upper rotating end protruding from the upper valve body, wherein rotating the upper rotating end can drive the upper ball valve to rotate, so that the passage of the upper ball valve is in the same direction as the upper oil passage and is unobstructed, or that the upper ball valve is rotated to a horizontal angle to close the upper oil passage; The lower valve body has a centrally located, vertically connected lower oil passage. The upper end of the lower valve body has an upper plate, and the lower end of the lower valve body has a lower pivot end. The lower pivot end can be pivotally connected to a second oil pipe for conveying cargo oil. The lower valve body has a lower ball valve with a through passage. The lower ball valve has a lower rotating end protruding from the lower valve body. When the lower rotating end is rotated, the lower ball valve can be rotated to make the passage of the lower ball valve and the lower oil passage flow in the same direction and be unobstructed, or to make the lower ball valve rotate to a horizontal angle to close the lower oil passage. A linkage switch assembly includes an upper lever, a lower lever, two connecting rods, and a first hydraulic cylinder drive assembly. The upper lever is rotatably mounted on the upper valve body and connected to the upper rotating end. The lower lever is rotatably mounted on the lower valve body and connected to the lower rotating end. Each end of the lower lever is connected to the lower end of a connecting rod. The upper part of each connecting rod is pivotally connected to both ends of the upper lever relative to its middle section. The bottom end of each connecting rod is held by a downward-facing U-shaped fork at the pivots of the lower lever relative to its middle section. The first hydraulic cylinder drive assembly has a telescopic rod connected to the upper lever. The upper rotating end is rotated by the extension and retraction of the telescopic rod. The lower lever is synchronously driven by each of the connecting rods to rotate the lower rotating end; and a caliper assembly has a caliper, a lever and a second hydraulic cylinder transmission group. The caliper has a groove on its inner side, which is used to clamp the lower plate surface of the upper valve body and the upper plate surface of the lower valve body, so that the upper oil passage and the lower oil passage are connected. One of the telescopic ends of the second hydraulic cylinder transmission group has a push button. The push button can abut the lever when the second hydraulic cylinder transmission group is extended, so that the groove of the caliper is disengaged from the lower plate surface and the upper plate surface, so that the upper valve body and the lower valve body are not clamped by the caliper ring, and the lower valve body can be separated from the upper valve body from the opening direction of the U-shaped fork at the bottom end of the two connecting rods.

2. The removable valve device with emergency closure as described in claim 1, further comprising a leak prevention control module electrically connected to the first hydraulic cylinder drive assembly and the second hydraulic cylinder drive assembly, and configured to confirm that the upper oil passage and the lower oil passage are in a closed state before the second hydraulic cylinder drive assembly pushes open the lever, or to forcibly link the interlocking switch assembly to close the upper oil passage and the lower oil passage.

3. The removable valve device with emergency closure as described in claim 1, wherein the upper rotating end of the upper valve body and the lower rotating end of the lower valve body are respectively fixedly connected to a linkage switch disk, and the upper lever and the lower lever are respectively linked to the upper rotating end and the lower rotating end by being fixedly connected to the linkage switch disk.

4. The removable valve device with emergency closure as described in claim 1, wherein a sealing ring is further provided on the upper plate surface of the lower valve body to provide airtightness and hydraulic tightness at the junction of the upper oil passage and the lower oil passage when the groove of the caliper is engaged with the upper plate surface and the lower plate surface.

5. The releasable valve device with emergency closure as described in claim 1, wherein the first hydraulic cylinder drive assembly of the interlocking switch assembly has a cylinder body rotatably pivotally mounted outside the upper valve body, and the telescopic rod is pivotally connected to the upper lever.

6. The releasable valve device with emergency closure as described in claim 1, wherein the interlocking switch assembly and the caliper assembly are respectively powered by the first hydraulic cylinder drive group and the second hydraulic cylinder drive group as independent power sources, so that the operation of the interlocking switch assembly to switch the upper ball valve and the lower ball valve and the disengagement operation of the caliper can be separately controlled.

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