Piping Safety Lock With Shielded Access to Hazardous Openings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety mechanisms in piping systems, such as electromagnetic locks, do not adequately prevent unauthorized opening of openable/closable portions, posing a risk of accidental exposure to hazardous fluids.
Innovation Solution
A piping system with a safety device that includes a switch and a shield body, which maintains a locked state without power and covers the operation unit, ensuring the operation unit remains inaccessible until the system is safe to operate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an electromagnetic lock is used to prohibit opening of the lid when temperature or pressure exceeds predetermined values, then the opening can be temporarily prohibited by magnetic attraction force, but the possibility that the openable/closable portion is opened by contact cannot be denied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a shield body as an intermediary physical barrier between the operation unit and the external environment. This shield body is positioned to cover the operation unit when the switch is in the first state, preventing direct contact and unauthorized opening attempts, thereby enhancing safety beyond what magnetic attraction alone can provide
Solution Approach 2:
The safety device is segmented into distinct functional components: a switch with first and second states, and a shield body that can cover or expose the operation unit. This segmentation allows independent control of the safety barrier (shield body) from the detection mechanism (switch), enabling more flexible and reliable safety control
2Reliability
If a shield body covers the operation unit in the locked state, then the possibility of unauthorized opening is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the switch and shield body into an integrated safety device where the shield body is mechanically linked to the switch. When the switch transitions between states, the shield body automatically moves to cover or expose the operation unit, combining detection and protection functions in a single unified structure that minimizes additional complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The safety device effectively reduces the risk of opening hazardous portions by maintaining a locked state even without power and ensuring safe operation conditions are met before allowing access.
Implementation Method 1
an electromagnetic lock including a metal plate provided in the lid and an electromagnet disposed to face the plate has been proposed. In the electromagnetic lock mechanism, when the temperature or the like exceeds the predetermined value, the electromagnet is energized to generate a magnetic force and magnetically attract the metal plate
Data Source
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AI summary
This piping system comprises: piping through which a fluid flows; piping equipment provided midway of the piping, and having an openable/closable part; a fixation body that is responsible for mechanically fixing the openable/closable part to the piping equipment, and has an operating unit that performs fixation and releases fixation; and a safety device that selects between a locked state for preventing operation of the operating unit and an unlocked state for allowing the operation. The safety device comprises: a switch that maintains the locked state when power is not supplied, and switches to the unlocked state when power is supplied; and a shield that, in the locked state, is mechanically connected to the switch, and covers up the operating unit, and, in the unlocked state, is mechanically disconnected from the switch.