JP2009052715A - Flexible hose adapter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a flexible hose adapter, in which inner pressure of a flexible hose can be easily and safely released, so that residual oil can be recovered. <P>SOLUTION: The flexible hose adapter 20 is provided with an adapter main body 21 formed cylindrical, and having an inner space S, a coupling 22 fixed to one end opening part of the adapter main body21, and formed connectable to an end part of the flexible hose, and a joint metal fitting 24 fixed to the other end opening part of the adapter main body, and formed connectable to a valve opening part 6. One end part of a small diameter release tube 30 is fixed to the adapter main body 21 to connect the release tube 30 with the inner space S. The other end part of the release tube 30 is formed to be openable to the atmospheric air. An opening/closing valve 31 capable of opening/closing the release tube is provided in the middle of the release tube 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable flexible hose adapter (having a weight that can be carried by one worker), and more particularly, a flexible hose connected to a tank lorry during unloading work or loading work. The present invention relates to a flexible hose adapter that connects between a valve opening and the valve opening.

  There have been several reports of oil leakage accidents during work that unloads and loads various oils such as heavy oil, light oil or kerosene from tank trucks every year. It has become a social problem.

  In the industry where oil is delivered to various gas stations using tank trucks, it is extremely important to suppress this type of leakage accident. This type of leakage accident countermeasure is an urgent issue.

  Hereinafter, the unloading work procedure and its problems in the prior art will be described. In addition, regarding the loading operation, only the oil flow direction and the like are different, and there are the same problems as described below.

  (Procedure 1): First, an operator attaches a joint fitting to one end of the flexible hose, and connects the joint fitting to a valve opening (injection port) on the unloading tank side.

  (Procedure 2): The operator connects the other end of the flexible hose to the valve opening (discharge port) of the tank lorry.

  (Procedure 3): The operator opens the valve opening (injection port) on the side of the unloading tank, starts the tank lorry pump, and opens the valve opening (discharge port) of the tank lorry. Thereby, oil is pumped from the tank lorry to the unloading tank via the flexible hose. That is, when viewed from the tank lorry, the oil is unloaded.

  (Procedure 4): When unloading is completed, the operator closes the valve opening (injection port) on the unloading tank side, closes the valve opening (discharge port) of the tank lorry, and stops the pump of the tank lorry.

  (Procedure 5): When unloading is completed, residual oil is present in the flexible hose, and an internal pressure of about 3 to 4 mPa is applied. For this reason, the worker loosens the connection between the valve opening (discharge port) of the tank lorry and the other end of the flexible hose, and releases the internal pressure to the atmospheric pressure.

  (Procedure 6): An operator removes the other end part of a flexible hose from the valve opening part (discharge port) of a tank lorry, and collect | recovers the residual oil in a flexible hose. Further, the operator removes one end of the flexible hose from the joint fitting, and removes the joint fitting from the valve opening (inlet) on the unloading tank side.

  However, in step 5, the flexible hose is subjected to high internal pressure, and the valve opening (discharge port) is thick. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to loosen the oil slightly so that residual oil does not scatter. If it is loosened too much, the residual oil leaks, and if the flexible hose is completely detached, there is a great risk that a large amount of residual oil will leak. In particular, when the site is near the sea, there is a risk of developing into marine pollution. On the other hand, when the looseness is insufficient, the internal pressure remains, which is also dangerous.

  It is also difficult to recover the residual oil from the loosened part.

Furthermore, this operation may damage the tank lorry pump.
JP 2005-132375 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-264989

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a flexible hose adapter that can easily and safely release the internal pressure in the flexible hose and collect residual oil.

  A flexible hose adapter according to a first aspect of the present invention is a cylindrical adapter body having an internal space, and is fixed to one end opening of the adapter body and connected to either the end of the flexible hose or the valve opening. A coupling that can be formed, and a joint fitting that is fixed to the other end opening of the adapter body and that can be connected to either the end of the flexible hose or the valve opening. One end of the extraction pipe having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter is fixed to the adapter body, the extraction pipe is communicated with the internal space of the adapter body, and the other end of the extraction pipe is formed to be openable to the atmosphere. An on-off valve for opening and closing the extraction pipe is provided in the middle.

  In this configuration, in the normal state, the open / close valve of the extraction pipe is closed. Then, the operator connects the coupling to either the end of the flexible hose or the valve opening, and connects the joint fitting to either the end of the flexible hose or the valve opening, Carry out loading work.

  As a result, residual oil exists in the flexible hose, and an internal pressure is applied. At this time, the operator opens the on-off valve and brings the internal space of the adapter main body into contact with the atmosphere via the extraction pipe. As a result, air in the atmosphere flows into the internal space of the adapter body, and accordingly, the internal pressure in the flexible hose is reduced to almost atmospheric pressure, and the residual oil in the flexible hose is discharged from the drain tube. Therefore, at this time, if a collection container such as a bucket is installed near the other end of the drain tube, the residual oil can be collected in the collection container.

  Here, since the operator only needs to operate the on-off valve, there is no need to perform difficult and delicate work like the loosening work of the prior art, and the residual oil recovery and internal pressure removal can be performed easily and safely. Can be done. As a result, oil leakage can be effectively suppressed.

  After that, the operator removes the coupling from either the end of the flexible hose or the valve opening, removes the joint fitting from either the end of the flexible hose or the valve opening, and performs the unloading work or load. The stacking work is completed. In addition, the order of connection or removal described above may be appropriately selected according to the situation at the work site.

  In the flexible hose adapter according to the second aspect of the invention, one end portion of the extraction tube stands perpendicular to the side surface of the adapter main body, and the other end portion of the extraction tube opens vertically downward.

  With this configuration, the drainage pipe is in an easy-to-use direction, so that the operator can smoothly recover the residual oil and remove the internal pressure.

  In the flexible hose adapter according to the third aspect of the present invention, a cap for sealing the other end of the extraction tube is provided, and the cap and the extraction tube are connected by a linear member.

  With this configuration, at the normal time, the other end of the extraction tube can be sealed with the cap. Therefore, even when an operator performs an unloading operation or a loading operation by mistake, even if the open / close valve of the extraction tube is left open, the extraction tube is sealed with a cap. Oil does not flow out from the pipe, and the safety of the work can be further improved. In addition, since the cap is connected to the extraction tube by a linear member, the cap is not separated from the extraction tube even when the cap is removed. That is, it is possible to prevent the cap from being lost.

  According to the present invention, the operator can easily and safely recover the residual oil and remove the internal pressure from the flexible hose simply by operating the on-off valve. Therefore, an oil leakage accident can be effectively suppressed as compared with the conventional technology.

(Embodiment 1)
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external view of a work site according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 shows a site where heavy oil is unloaded. However, as described above, the flexible hose adapter of the present invention can be used not only for unloading work but also for loading work, and the same effects can be obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an unloading tank 2 appears on the ground 1 at the site where unloading work is performed, and a pipe 3 is extended from the unloading tank 2 via a check valve 4. At its tip, an injection valve 5 (tank side valve) is provided, and a valve opening 6 (tank side) of the injection valve 5 opens. That is, when the injection valve 5 is opened and oil is pumped in the direction of the arrow N1, the unloading tank 2 can be unloaded.

  The above is existing equipment, typically that of a gas station.

  Here, elements or layouts of the pipe 3 and the unloading tank 2 are arbitrary, for example, when a receiving pipe and a discharge pipe are connected to the bottom of the tank and a main valve is installed, or Various cases are conceivable, such as a case where a receiving pipe or a discharge pipe is connected from the top of the tank, and a cutoff valve is installed in the middle of the pipe, but either case is acceptable.

  Now, in order to carry out the unloading work, the worker moves by moving the tank lorry 7 carrying the oil as a load, and stops at a predetermined place on the site. In general, the tank lorry 7 has a built-in lorry pump 7a. However, the lorry pump 7a may be omitted in cases such as when a load is sent using a level difference.

  As shown in FIG. 1, after the tank lorry 7 is stopped at a predetermined position, the operator performs the flexible hose adapter 20, the flexible hose 10, and the valve of the discharge valve 8 (the lorry side valve) according to the procedure described in detail later. Connect the opening 9 (lorry side).

  Here, the flexible hose adapter 20 of this embodiment is demonstrated, referring FIGS. Here, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the flexible hose adapter in one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a left side view of the flexible hose adapter, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the adapter main body.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the adapter main body 21 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape using a rigid body (metal) and has an internal space S. A coupling 22 is fixed to one end opening of the adapter main body 21 located on the left side of FIGS. 4 and 1, and a gasket 23 is mounted therein.

  The operator can liquid-tightly connect the flexible hose adapter 20 to the end (male side) of the flexible hose 10 or the valve opening 9 (male side) of the discharge valve 8 using the coupling 22. However, as described above, in the state where the internal pressure is applied to the flexible hose 10, it is extremely difficult to loosen the connecting portion so that there is no inadvertent liquid leakage.

  A joint fitting 24 is fixed to the other end opening of the adapter main body 21 located on the right side of FIGS. An operator can connect the flexible hose adapter 20 in a liquid-tight manner to the valve opening 6 (male side) of the injection valve 5 or the end (male side) of the flexible hose 10 using the joint fitting 24.

  The coupling 22 and the joint fitting 24 are typically screwed into threaded portions engraved around the respective end portions of the adapter main body 21 and fixed to the respective end portions.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a branch pipe 25 having a smaller diameter and narrower than the adapter main body 21 protrudes from the side of the adapter main body 21 so as to communicate with the internal space S of the adapter main body 21. .

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, an elbow 26, a nipple 27, an on-off valve 31, and a nipple 28 are connected to the branch pipe 25 in this order to form a drain pipe 30. That is, the branch pipe 25 which is one end part of the extraction pipe 30 stands vertically with respect to the side surface of the adapter main body 21, and the nipple 28 which is the other end part of the extraction pipe 30 can be opened vertically downward. Yes.

  The on-off valve 31 includes a handle 32, and the operator can open and close the on-off valve 31 by rotating the handle 32. One end of a chain 34 (an example of a linear member) is fixed to the nipple 28, and the other end is connected to the cap 33.

  In the state shown in FIG. 3, the cap 33 seals the opening of the nipple 28 (that is, the extraction pipe 30 and the internal space S), and the handle 32 is in a position to close the on-off valve 31.

  When the operator removes the cap 33 and rotates the handle 32 to open the on-off valve 31, the extraction pipe 30, that is, the internal space S is opened to the atmosphere, and air is guided into the internal space S through the extraction pipe 30. At the same time, residual oil and internal pressure in the internal space S can be discharged to the outside from the drain tube 30. At this time, in this embodiment, the nipple 28 is directed vertically downward, and the collection bucket 11 is arranged directly below the nipple 28 as shown in FIG.

  Normally, the operator puts the handle 32 and the cap 33 in the state shown in FIG. 3, but as long as the cap 33 is attached, even if the on-off valve 31 is in the open state by mistake, oil or the like is discharged from the drain tube 30. It is designed not to leak outside.

  The flexible hose adapter 20 of this form may be arrange | positioned between the flexible hose 10 (male side edge part) and the valve opening part 6, as shown to Fig.5 (a), or FIG. As shown to b), you may arrange | position between the valve opening part 9 and the flexible hose 10 (end part by the side of a male).

  Since the work procedure is almost the same in any case, the work procedure will be described in detail below in the case of FIG.

  First, the operator closes the on-off valve 31 with the handle 32 and seals the tip of the nipple 28 with the cap 33.

  After confirming that the discharge valve 8 and the injection valve 5 are closed, the operator carries the flexible hose adapter 20 to the unloading tank 2 side and connects the coupling 22 to the male end of the flexible hose 10. The joint fitting 24 is connected to the valve opening 6 of the injection valve 5 on the unloading tank 2 side.

  The operator connects the female end of the flexible hose 10 to the valve opening 9 of the discharge valve 8 of the tank lorry 7.

  The operator opens the valve opening 6 of the injection valve 5, starts the lorry pump 7 a of the tank lorry 7, and opens the valve opening 9 of the discharge valve 8. Thereby, oil is pumped from the tank lorry 7 to the unloading tank 2 through the flexible hose 10 and the flexible hose adapter 20, and unloading is started.

  When the unloading is completed, the operator closes the valve opening 6 of the injection valve 5, closes the valve opening 9 of the discharge valve 8, and stops the lorry pump 7 a of the tank lorry 7. Air purge is performed from the tank lorry 7 side.

  When unloading is completed, residual oil exists in the flexible hose 10 and a high internal pressure is applied. The operator confirms that the collection bucket 11 is placed directly under the nipple 28 and the handle 32 is in the closed position, removes the cap 33, and opens the lower end of the nipple 28. Then, the operator rotates the handle 32 to set the on-off valve 31 to the open position.

  Thereby, the extraction pipe 30 and the internal space S and the flexible hose 10 are opened to the atmosphere, and the air flows into the internal space S and the flexible hose 10 through the extraction pipe 30, and the internal pressure and the residual pressure of the flexible hose 10 are Oil is discharged from the lower end of the nipple 28 to the outside. Here, the residual oil is recovered in the recovery bucket 11.

  In the above, the operator does not need to perform a difficult operation such as slightly loosening the connecting portion between the flexible hose 10 and the valve opening 9, and only needs to rotate the handle 32. Furthermore, the operator may remove the flexible hose 10 and collect the residual oil in the flexible hose 10.

  When the above is completed, the worker removes the flexible hose 10 and the flexible hose adapter 20 and completes the unloading work.

  From the above description, according to this embodiment, it will be easily understood that the operator does not need to perform difficult and delicate work and can suppress a residual oil leakage accident.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an adapter main body according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the example in which the extraction tube 30 is bent using the elbow 26 has been described. However, as shown in FIG. 6, the extraction tube 30 'may be formed in a straight line. Further, instead of the cap 33, the extraction tube 30 ′ may be sealed with a pair of a coupling (female) 40 and a coupling (male) 41 so as to be opened and closed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, it is desirable to connect a hose 42 for discharging residual oil to a coupling (male) 41. In particular, it is more preferable that the hose 42 be made of a transparent or translucent material because the operator can visually recognize the state of discharge of the residual oil from the outside.

1 is an external view of a work site in one embodiment of the present invention. The top view of the flexible hose adapter in one embodiment of this invention The left view of the flexible hose adapter in one embodiment of this invention Sectional drawing of the adapter main body in one embodiment of this invention (A) Connection system diagram of flexible hose adapter in one embodiment of the present invention (first example) (b) Connection system diagram of flexible hose adapter in one embodiment of the present invention (second example) Sectional drawing of the adapter main body in other embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ground 2 Unloading tank 3 Piping 4 Check valve 5 Injection valve 6, 9 Valve opening part 7 Tank lorry 8 Discharge valve 10 Flexible hose 11 Bucket 20 Flexible hose adapter 21 Adapter main body 22 Coupling 23 Gasket 24 Joint metal fitting 25 Branch pipe 26 Elbow 27, 28 Nipple 30 Drain pipe 31 On-off valve 32 Handle 33 Cap 34 Chain 40 Coupling (female)
41 Coupling (male)
42 hose

Claims (3)

An adapter body formed in a cylindrical shape and having an internal space;
A coupling fixed to one end opening of the adapter body and formed to be connectable to either the end of the flexible hose or the valve opening;
A joint fitting fixed to the other end opening of the adapter body, and formed so as to be connectable to either the end of the flexible hose or the valve opening;
One end portion of the extraction pipe having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the adapter main body is fixed to the adapter main body so that the extraction pipe communicates with the internal space of the adapter main body, and the other end of the extraction pipe is brought into the atmosphere. A flexible hose adapter formed to be openable and provided with an on-off valve for opening and closing the extraction pipe in the middle of the extraction pipe. 2. The flexible hose adapter according to claim 1, wherein one end portion of the extraction pipe stands vertically with respect to a side surface of the adapter main body, and the other end portion of the extraction pipe opens vertically downward. The flexible hose adapter according to claim 1, wherein a cap for sealing the other end of the drawn tube is provided, and the cap and the drawn tube are connected by a linear member.

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