JPH0454416A - Gas meter equipped with valve freeze resetting function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reset the freezing of a valve by lifting the valve forcibly from a valve sheet through the operation of a cam mechanism based upon the rotation of a diaphragm when the valve is frozen to the valve sheet. CONSTITUTION:When gas is used while the valve 26 is frozen to the valve sheet 24, a driving force is generated with the pressure difference across the diaphragm 30 and a front valve arm 55 rotates. The valve 26 and sheet 24, however, are frozen, so the load on the valve shaft 28 increases and when this load exceeds the spring force of a leaf spring 80, the shaft deflects, only an arm 56 twists to rotate, and a cam driven body 86 also rotates slightly at the same time to move up. Simultaneously, a valve lifter 88 also moves up by nearly the same quantity to float the valve 26, thereby entering a normal state.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a gas meter for measuring the amount of waste used in general households.

<Prior Art> Conventionally, typical gas meters that detect a gas flow rate based on the reciprocating motion of a diaphragm based on a gas pressure difference have the following structure.

A gas inlet and a gas outlet are provided in the upper part of the gas meter housing. Further, two measuring chambers are formed within the housing, and each measuring chamber is partitioned by a diaphragm to form two compartments.

Attached to the top of each metering chamber is a valve seat having an opening communicating with each compartment.

A valve shaft is provided near each of these valve seats, and a valve is attached to each of these valve shafts so as to rotate in conjunction with the reciprocating motion of each of the diaphragms. Each valve is always in contact with its respective valve seat, and slides on the valve seat when rotating. Then, the openings of the valve seat are alternately opened and closed, and the compartments are alternately communicated with the gas inlet and gas outlet of the housing. This causes the diaphragm to reciprocate, and the gas flow rate passing through the gas meter is detected based on the reciprocating movement of the diaphragm.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> Generally, in this type of gas meter, some of the moisture in the gas condenses in the gas meter due to changes in temperature and forms a mist, which is then deposited between the valve and the valve seat. It's easy to do. In cold weather, the attached moisture may freeze during times when gas is not used, such as at night. In that case, even if you try to use gas in the morning, etc., the valve cannot be rotated due to freezing, and the diaphragm cannot reciprocate either, making it impossible for gas to flow into or out of each compartment of each metering chamber. Therefore, the gas cannot flow past the gas meter, and the gas becomes unusable.

An object of the present invention is to provide a gas meter with a valve unfreezing function.

Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and is a gas meter that detects a gas flow rate based on the reciprocating movement of a diaphragm based on a gas pressure difference, The apparatus includes a housing, a valve, a valve driving member, a motion transmission mechanism, a spring member, a cam mechanism, and a valve lift member as described below.

The housing has a gas inlet and a gas outlet, a metering chamber divided into two compartments by the diaphragm, and a valve seat having an opening that communicates with each compartment. There is.

The valve is provided so as to be rotatable within a certain angular range, and slides on the valve seat to alternately close each opening, thereby alternately communicating each compartment with the gas inlet and the gas outlet. Lifting off the valve seat is allowed.

The valve driving member is rotatably provided around a common axis common to the valve, and is located on the opposite side of the valve seat from the valve seat.

The motion transmission mechanism converts the reciprocating motion of the diaphragm into a valve drive motion and transmits the same to the valve drive member.

The spring member is provided between the valve and the valve driving member, and normally maintains both in an integral rotating state, but when the load acting between the two members around the common axis exceeds a predetermined value, , allowing torsional rotation about the common axis between these two members.

The cam mechanism is provided between the valve and the valve driving member, and converts the torsional rotation occurring between the two members into a displacement in a direction in which the valve driving member moves away from the valve in the axial direction of the common axis. do.

The valve lift member connects the valve drive member and the valve in a state that allows the torsional rotation between them, and moves the valve to the valve according to the displacement of the valve drive member due to the action of the cam mechanism. It makes it stand out from the seat.

<Operation> In such a gas meter, the reciprocating motion of the diaphragm is converted into rotational motion of the valve driving member by the motion transmission mechanism. Usually, the valve is rotated integrally with the valve driving member by a spring member, and the valve slides on the valve seat, thereby alternately communicating each compartment with the gas inlet and gas outlet of the housing. This causes the diaphragm to reciprocate.

If the valve freezes on the valve seat, the following actions occur:

At this time of freezing, the valve driving member attempts to rotate the valve as described above due to the gas pressure difference generated on both sides of the diaphragm, but the valve cannot move due to the freezing, so the valve and valve driving member The load between them around the common axis increases. When the load exceeds a predetermined value, a torsional rotation occurs between the two members about their common axis against the elastic force of the spring member.

Based on the torsional rotation, the valve driving member is displaced by the cam mechanism in the axial direction of the common axis with the valve in a direction away from the valve.

Since the valve drive member and the valve are connected by the valve lift member, the valve is forcibly lifted while destroying the frozen ice layer from the valve seat by the valve lift member in accordance with the above-mentioned displacement of the valve drive member.

<Example> Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

First, the overall structure of the gas meter 2 is shown in Figure 3~
This will be explained based on FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, belly plates 14 are attached to both sides of the housing body 10, and two airtight measuring chambers 12 are formed independently, almost symmetrically in the figure. The inside of each measuring chamber 12 is divided into left and right compartments 12A and 12B by a diaphragm 30, respectively.

In the upper part of each measuring chamber 12, each compartment 12A is provided.

A gas outflow path 20 is provided independently of the gas outflow path 12B (only one is shown in the figure). These gas outflow passages 20 extend toward the front of the page in FIG. 3, merge, and communicate with a gas outflow lower 2 (see FIG. 4), which will be described later.

Openings 16 and 18 (only one set is shown in the figure) are formed in the upper surface of the housing body 10 and communicate with each of the compartments 12A, ], 2B of each metering chamber 12. Each opening 21 is formed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a distribution chamber housing 22 is fixed to the upper surface of the housing main body IO. This distribution chamber housing 22 has the aforementioned openings 1.6, 18.2.
Through holes 22a corresponding to 1 are formed respectively (see FIG. 3). Further, on the lower side of the distribution chamber housing 22 in FIG.
is formed.

A valve seat 24 having an opening corresponding to each of the through holes 22a is fixed to the upper surface of the distribution chamber housing 22. The upper surface of each valve seat 24 has left and right measuring chambers 12.
A valve 26 is provided corresponding to each. Each bulb 26 bulges upward, and that portion is hollow. Each valve 26 is attached to each valve shaft 28 (see FIG. 5) erected in the distribution chamber housing 22 so as to rotate within a certain range while sliding on each valve seat 24. By rotating each of these valves 26, each measuring chamber 1
an opening 16 leading to each of the two compartments 12A, 12B;
．． 18 are selectively opened.

The opening that is not opened at that time is communicated with the gas outlet passage 20 through the inside of the valve 26.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a membrane plate 32 is fixed to each diaphragm 30 of each measuring chamber 12 so as to sandwich it from both sides. At the center of the membrane plate 32 on the side of the abdominal plate 14 are fixed bearings 34 having a hollow U-shape, and a shaft 36 is rotatably attached to these bearings 34. One end of a wing 38 is fixed to each shaft 36, and the other end of each M38 is fixed to a wing shaft 40 rotatably attached to the housing body 10. Therefore, when the diaphragm 30 reciprocates in the left-right direction in FIG.
will rotate back and forth around its axis.

A box-shaped crank bearing 5 is located near the distribution chamber housing 22.
1 (see FIG. 4), and a crankshaft 50 is rotatably supported through the crank bearing 51 thereof. Two small armrests 44 are connected with pins to the lower crank arm 53 attached to the lower part of the crankshaft 50.
These are each pin-connected to the armrest 42, and each armrest 42
is fixed to the wing shaft 40. Therefore, if the blade shaft 40 moves back and forth based on the reciprocating rotation of the diaphragm 30, the crankshaft 50 will move through the armrest 42 and the small armrest 44.
will be rotated.

Further, one end of two rods 54 is connected with a pin to an upper crank arm 52 attached to the upper part of the crankshaft 50, and a front valve arm 55 (valve driving member) is connected to the other end of each rod 54. One end is pin-connected. The other end of each of these front valve arms 55 is rotatably attached to the valve shaft 28 above each valve 26 .

Further, the valve shaft 28 includes a valve 26 in the vertical direction.
A rear valve arm 57 is rotatably attached between the front valve arm 55 and the front valve arm 55 .

The tip 57a of the rear valve arm 57 is fitted between the two claws 26a at the tip of the valve 26, and the rear valve arm 57 and the valve 26 rotate integrally with respect to the valve shaft 28. The front valve arm 55 and the rear valve arm 57 are normally kept at a constant angle around the valve shaft 28 by a leaf spring 80, as will be described in detail later.

Therefore, when the crankshaft 50 continuously rotates in one direction, the upper crank arm 52 . Rod 54° Front valve arm 55. Through the rear valve arm 57, each valve 26 repeats reciprocating rotation with its valve shaft 28 as a rotation fulcrum.

A small protrusion 60 is provided on the side wall surface of the pulp 26 of the crank bearing 51, and a dogleg-shaped reversal stopper 61 is pinned to substantially surround the small protrusion 60. The upper part of this reversing stop 61 protrudes slightly above the rotational track surface of the upper crank arm 52, allowing the upper crank arm 52 to rotate in one direction, and preventing rotation in the opposite direction.
is prevented by engaging with the small protrusion 60. Thereby, rotation of the crankshaft 50 is restricted to only one direction.

Further, a worm gear 62 is attached to the crankshaft 50 , and a horizontal crankshaft 66 having a corresponding wheel gear 64 is attached to the crank bearing 51 . Therefore, rotation of the crankshaft 50 causes the horizontal crankshaft 66 to rotate. Based on this rotation, a counter 77 shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 is driven to count the gas flow rate. The counter 77 is housed inside a counter cover 76, and a display section 78 for displaying the gas flow rate integrated by the counter 77 is provided on the front surface of the cover 76.

An upper case 70 is fixed to the upper part of the housing body 10. The upper case 70 is formed with a gas inflow lower 1 and a gas outflow lower 2 to which gas pipes (not shown) are connected, respectively (see FIG. 4). This gas outflow lower 2 is communicated with the air outflow path connecting hole 22b (see FIG. 5) of the distribution chamber housing 22 through an air outflow path 73, and communicated with the gas outflow path 20 of the housing body 10.

Next, the portion of the gas meter 2 related to the valve unfreezing function will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1(a) and 2(a).

As mentioned above, the valve arm 57. is connected to the valve shaft 28 after the valve 26°. Front valve arm 55 is down (valve seat 2
They are attached in this order from the 4th side), and are all rotatable around the valve shaft 28. Immediately outside the lower portion of the valve shaft 28, a small thin cylinder 28a is rotatably fitted. The lower part of this small cylinder 28a is seated on the upper surface of the thick portion 28b of the valve shaft 28 near the distribution chamber housing 22. And the valve 26 is this small cylinder 2
8a so that it can rotate and move in the axial direction. The rear valve arm 57 is fixed to the upper part of the small cylinder. The front valve arm 55 is mounted so that it can also be moved in the axial direction of the valve shaft 28.

A leaf spring 80 is attached to one side of the front valve arm 55 at its base end. Rear valve arm 57
A plate spring attachment portion 82 is provided at the. This consists of protruding pieces 82a and 82b that are adjacent to each other on one side of the rear valve arm 57 and protrude upward with a slight deviation in the width direction of the rear valve arm 57, and a leaf spring is installed in the gap between them. The tip of 80 is inserted. As a result, the front valve arm 55 and the rear valve arm 57 normally rotate together. When the load acting between both arms 55 and 57 exceeds a predetermined value, both arms 55 and 57
A certain degree of torsional rotation is allowed in between.

A cam 84 is fixed to a portion of the upper surface of the rear valve arm 57 near the valve shaft 28, and is rotatably fitted into the valve shaft 28. The cam 84 has a thick cylindrical shape with a sloped upper surface. In addition, a cam follower 86 that is rotatably fitted into the valve shaft 28 (also movable in the axial direction) is provided on the lower surface of the front valve arm 55 near the valve shaft 28.
is fixed. The cam follower 86 has a thick-walled cylindrical shape similar to the cam 84, and has a sloped lower surface corresponding to the upper surface of the cam 84. The cam 84 and the cam follower 86 form a cam mechanism that lifts the front valve arm 55 upward.

Further, a vertically downward bent portion 55a is formed at the end of the front valve arm 55 opposite to the rod 54, and a valve lifter 88 is attached to this bent portion 55a. The valve lifter 88 has a hook shape, and its lower portion is in contact with the lower surface of the rear end 26b of the valve 26. The valve lifter 88 has a bent portion 55a with respect to a slider 90 screwed to the rear valve arm 57 so as to be adjustable in the vertical direction.
It is screwed through a vertical hole 55b provided in the vertical hole 55b so that the height can be adjusted.

Next, the overall operation of this gas meter 2 in a normal state (a state in which the valve 26 is not frozen) will be explained based on FIGS. 3 to 5.

It is now assumed that each diaphragm 30 and each valve 26 in the left and right metering chambers 12 of the housing body 10 are in the state shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. When the gas is used, the gas flowing into the upper case 70 from the gas inflow lower 1 flows into the right metering chamber 12 which is open at that time.
It flows into the compartment 12B through the opening 18 of the. At this time, the compartment 12A of the measuring chamber 12 has an opening 16 and a valve 2.
The gas outlet passage 20 communicates with the gas outlet lower 2 through the inside of the gas outlet 6 . Therefore, the diaphragm 30 on the right side in FIG. 3 is actuated rightward in the figure from the state shown in FIG. 3 due to the differential pressure between the gas pressure flowing into the compartment 12B and the gas pressure flowing out from the compartment 12A. do. Based on the operation of this diaphragm 30, the crankshaft 50 rotates, and each valve 26 rotates. Therefore, this opening 16 is now opened to the inside of the upper case 70, and the opening 18 communicates with the gas outlet passage 20 through the inside of the valve 26. Also, in conjunction with this, Figure 3.

The diaphragm 30° valve 26 of the metering chamber 12 on the left side in FIG. 5 operates in the same manner.

In this way, each compartment 12A of each metering chamber 12.

12B is alternately in a gas inflow state and a gas outflow state, and each diaphragm rotates back and forth, and based on this, the counter 77
The flow rate of gas flowing through the gas meter 2 is detected, and each valve 26 is driven.

Next, the operation of the valve unfreezing function of the gas meter 2 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

When gas is not used under low temperature conditions (i.e. valve 2
When the valve 26 is frozen to the valve seat 24 due to moisture in the gas (when the gas meter 6 is not rotating), the gas meter 2 operates as follows when attempting to use gas again.

FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 2(a) are diagrams showing the state of the valve 26 and the like before gas is reused.

When attempting to reuse the gas, as described above, a driving force is generated due to the differential pressure generated on both sides of the diaphragm 30, and each front valve arm 55 moves through the crankshaft 50 and the like as shown in FIG.
In b), it attempts to rotate clockwise as indicated by the arrow.

However, since the valve 26 is frozen to the valve seat 24, the load around the valve shaft 28 between the front valve arm 55 and the rear valve arm 57 increases, and when this becomes greater than the spring force of the leaf spring 80, as shown in FIG. As shown in (b), the leaf spring 80 is deflected, and only the front valve arm 55 slightly rotates (twists).

At this time, the cam follower 86 also rotates a little while coming into contact with the upper surface of the cam 84.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1(b), a deviation occurs between the cam 84 and the cam follower 86 in the direction around the valve shaft 28, and the cam follower 86 moves upward by a small distance. Along with this, the front valve arm 55. Valve lifter 88 also moves upward by approximately the same amount, causing valve lifter 88 to lift valve 26 slightly above valve seat 24. As a result, the valve 26 and the valve seat 24 are unfrozen, and the valve 26 and thus the gas meter 2 are brought into a state in which they function normally.

In this embodiment, an inclined cam in the form of a cylindrical body cut diagonally is used as the cam mechanism for lifting the front valve arm 55 upward; however, the present invention is not limited to this, and two mechanisms of various shapes, such as a grooved cam, etc., are used. Can be used.

Further, the spring member provided between the front valve arm 55 and the rear valve arm 57 is not limited to the plate spring as in this embodiment, but other materials such as a torsion spring may also be used.

It goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented with various other modifications based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

<Effects of the Invention> According to this invention, even if the valve freezes on the valve seat, the valve is forcibly lifted from the valve seat by the action of the cam mechanism based on the rotation of the diaphragm, and the freeze can be easily released. be done.

In addition, the defrosting of the valve of the present invention does not involve heating with electricity or the like, but rather utilizes the driving force inherent in the gas meter that is generated in the diaphragm due to the inflow and outflow of gas. It is economical as it does not require a heat source, etc.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 (aL (b) is a left side view showing the main part of a gas meter that is an embodiment of the present invention, focusing on the process of unfreezing the valves, and Figures 2 (a) and (b) are the same. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view (cut along the line is a cross-sectional view (cut along the lines
(cut along the line). 2... Gas meter 24... Valve seat... Valve... Front valve arm... Rear valve arm... Leaf spring... Cam... Cam follower... Valve lifter applicant Toyo Gas Meter Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A gas meter that detects a gas flow rate based on the reciprocating movement of a diaphragm based on a gas pressure difference, the gas meter having a gas inlet and a gas outlet, and partitioned into two compartments by the diaphragm. a housing having a valve seat provided with a metering chamber formed in the housing and having openings that communicate with each of the compartments; a valve that is allowed to float up from its valve seat, and that is rotatable about a common axis common to the valve; a valve driving member provided and located on the opposite side of the valve seat from the valve seat; a motion transmission mechanism that converts the reciprocating motion of the diaphragm into a valve driving motion and transmits the same to the valve driving member; It is provided between the valve driving member and normally maintains both members in an integral rotating state, but when the load acting between the two members around the common axis exceeds a predetermined value, the a spring member that allows torsional rotation about a common axis; and a spring member that is provided between the valve and the valve driving member to prevent the torsional rotation that occurs between the two members from moving the valve driving member in the axial direction of the common axis. a cam mechanism that converts the displacement in a direction away from the valve; and a cam mechanism that connects the valve driving member and the valve in a state that allows the torsional rotation between them, and the valve driving member is moved by the action of the cam mechanism. A gas meter equipped with a valve unfreezing function, comprising: a valve lift member that lifts the valve from the valve seat according to displacement.