JP3234801B2 - Fiber cable connection element and mounting means therefor - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sensor for sensing physical properties such as temperature and pressure or a sensor for sensing the movement of an object such as the presence and passage of an object, and more particularly to a sensor in a furnace or a container under vacuum and / or high pressure. The present invention relates to an optical signal connecting device for a fiber sensor or a fiber cable connecting element for reliably receiving and recognizing an optical signal from a fiber sensor that detects their physical properties or movement outside the furnace or the container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various fiber sensors have been known so far, and are effectively used for detecting various physical properties or movements. Certain fiber sensors work effectively in harsh conditions, such as high vacuum, high pressure or high temperature, ultra-low temperatures where humans cannot enter, and provide accurate information to external inspectors quickly. It is an essential element as an extremely effective means in the industrial world, and is a heat-resistant, chemical-resistant, vacuum-resistant, and bend-resistant drop-type sensor with various dimensions to be applied to more applications. Alternatively, various types of reflective sensors and the like have been announced.

[0003]

However, the sensors disclosed so far include, for example, a fiber cable in which one end is connected to the head by disposing the head in a high-pressure furnace or a vacuum furnace. The end is connected to an amplifier or the like installed outside the furnace under normal pressure, and the state inside the furnace is detected via this amplifier. Until now, many reactors and the like have been constructed so that the high-pressure furnace is used only as a high-pressure furnace and the vacuum furnace is used only as a vacuum furnace. Therefore, for example, sensors used in high pressure furnaces have a specific structure that can withstand high pressure, but cannot respond to vacuum conditions, while sensors used in vacuum furnaces Although it has a specific structure to withstand, it could not respond to high pressure conditions.

[0004] However, in today's industry, the working process is complicated, and there are cases where one furnace is used as a vacuum furnace during one working process or as a high-pressure furnace at some times. are doing.
In such a case, in conventional sensor cables, for example, a sensor cable used in a high-pressure furnace completely seals pressure leakage from the inside to the outside, but when this is used as a vacuum furnace, Gases from the outside can easily enter the inside.On the contrary, sensor cables used in vacuum furnaces, for example, completely seal out pressure from the outside to the inside, but this is used as a high-pressure furnace. In such a case, gas from the inside may easily leak to the outside.
When the pressure inside the furnace is converted from the high-pressure furnace to the vacuum furnace or from the vacuum furnace to the high-pressure furnace, the existing sensor cable installed there cannot prevent air leakage inside and outside the furnace, The correct physical properties in the furnace could not be detected.

[0005]

In order to solve this problem, in the present invention, the sensor cable used so far is hermetically sealed and fixed inside the furnace, and the amplifier connection side of the furnace inside sensor cable is cut off. The other end of the glass body is connected to another fiber cable outside the furnace, the other end of which is connected to an amplifier or the like. Thus, the information sensed by the furnace inside sensor is transferred to the amplifier via the furnace inside sensor cable, the quartz glass, and another fiber cable outside the furnace, and is reliably read.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, FIG.
1 shows an overall view of a fiber cable connecting element 10 for an optical sensor constituted according to the present invention. This fiber cable connection element 10 is generally
1, a glass pressing member 12 having a part of a left end screwed to one end of the main body member 11 in the drawing, and an inner shaft having a part screwed to the other end of the main body member 11 A stopper member 13, an outer shaft stopper member 14 partly screwed to one end of the glass pressing member 12, and pushed back into the main body member 11 by the glass pressing member 12 to limit the return of the glass pressing member 12. The first detent member 15 and the inner shaft stopper member 13
And a second detent member 16 which is pushed into and held at 1 to limit the return of the inner shaft stopper member 13 and a second detent member which is pushed and held by the outer shaft stopper member 14 to the glass holding member 12 to limit the return of the outer shaft stopper member 14. The light-penetrating element 1 pushed and held in the main body member 11 by the third detent member 17 and the first detent member 15
8 and an O-ring 19 disposed between the light penetrating element 18, the first detent member 15, and the main body member 11.

The main body member 11, which is preferably made of stainless steel, has a substantially cylindrical shape, but the other end (the left end in the drawing) is somewhat smaller than the one end (the right end in the drawing). It has a diameter. An outer thread 22 is formed on the outer peripheral surface on the other end side. The outer thread 22 is formed on an outer wall 23 of, for example, a vacuum high-pressure furnace or the like schematically shown in FIG.
And hermetically screwed into an inner screw provided in the hole formed in the hole. To facilitate this screwing, the cross-section of one end of the enlarged diameter of the main body member 11 is formed in a hexagonal shape to receive a fastener (not shown).

A first hole 24 is provided from one end (right end in the drawing) of the main body member 11 to the other end (left end in the drawing), and an entrance portion of the hole 24 (right end in the drawing). ) Is formed with a first inner screw 25. Further, a second hole 26 extending toward the other end of the main body member 11 communicates with the other end of the first hole 24.
This hole 26 has a smaller diameter than the diameter of the first hole 24 and is not threaded.

Further, the main body member 11 has one end (the right end in the drawing) from the other end (the left end in the drawing).
, A third hole 27 is provided. A second internal screw 28 is formed at the entrance (left end side in the drawing) of the hole 27.

The third hole 27 and the second hole 26
And are communicated by the fourth hole 29. This fourth
The diameter of the hole 29 is determined by the diameter of the second hole 26 and the diameter of the third hole 2.
7, and has such a size that a fiber cable 20 (see FIG. 2) of a furnace inside sensor to be described later can be inserted.

The glass pressing member 12, which is preferably made of stainless steel, has substantially the same shape as the main body member 11. The glass pressing member 12 is provided with a second hole 26 of the main body member 11 from the other end (left end in the drawing) to one end (right end in the drawing).
The other end 30 having substantially the same diameter as the other end 30;
It has an intermediate portion 31 having a somewhat larger diameter and an end portion 32 having a larger diameter than the intermediate portion 31. An outer screw 33 is cut on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate portion 31, and the outer screw 33 is tightly screwed to the first inner screw 25 of the main body member 11. In order to facilitate this screwing assembly, one end 32 of the enlarged diameter of the glass pressing member 12 is increased.
Has a hexagonal cross section for receiving a fastener (not shown). Furthermore, this glass pressing member 1
2 has one end 32 (the right end in the drawing)
A fifth hole 34 is provided from the left end to the other end (the left end in the drawing), and an inner thread 35 is formed at one end (the right end in the drawing) of the fifth hole 34. The diameter of the fifth hole 34 is substantially the same as the diameter of the third hole 27 of the main body member 11,
The second internal screw 28 provided in the third hole 27 of the main body member 11 has substantially the same pitch.

Further, the other end of the fifth hole 34 penetrates toward the other end of the glass pressing member 12.
Hole 36. The sixth hole 36 has a smaller diameter than the diameter of the first hole 34, but is not threaded. The diameter of the sixth hole 36 is preferably such that the fiber cable 21 (see FIG. 2) of the furnace outside sensor described later is inserted.

An inner shaft stopper member 13 preferably made of stainless steel and located inside the furnace
Has a substantially cylindrical shape, and an external thread 37 is formed at one end thereof. The portion of the outer screw 37 is tightly screwed into the second inner screw 28 of the main body member 11. The other end 38 of the inner shaft stopper member 13 is formed in a hexagonal cross section to receive a fastener (not shown) for facilitating the screw assembly. The inner shaft stopper member 13 has a hole 39 extending in the longitudinal direction at the center in the axial direction. The diameter of the hole 39 is preferably the same as that of the fourth hole 29 of the main body member 11, and is preferably a fiber cable 20 of a furnace inside sensor described later (see FIG. 2).
Has a dimension such that the can be inserted.

The outer shaft stopper 14 is preferably made of stainless steel and located outside the furnace.
Has a structure and dimensions substantially similar to those of the inner shaft stopper member 13, except that the directions are shown left and right in the figure. That is, the screw portion 40 on the other end side is tightly screwed into the inner screw 35 of the fifth hole 34 provided in the one end portion 32 of the glass pressing member 12. One end of the outer shaft stopper member 14 forms a rotating portion 41 having a hexagonal cross section to receive a fastener (not shown) in order to facilitate the screw assembly. The outer shaft stopper member 14 has a hole 42 extending in the longitudinal direction at the center in the axial direction. Like the sixth hole 36 of the glass holding member 12, the diameter of the hole 42 is preferably such that the fiber cable 21 (see FIG. 2) of the out-of-furnace sensor is inserted.

Preferably, Teflon (trade name, the same applies hereinafter)
The first detent member 15 is disposed in the second hole 26 of the main body member 11 in a fitted state. The first detent member 15 is provided with the glass holding member 12.
Has a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the other end 30. By screwing the glass holding member 12 leftward into the main body member 11, the first detent member 15 becomes a light penetrating element 18 which is a glass member disposed at the deepest portion of the second hole 26. And the glass pressing member 12 is elastically pressed, whereby the first detent member 15 is detent that prevents the glass pressing member 12 from being rewound to the right by an elastic reaction force. It functions as a member. The first detent member 15 is provided with a hole 43 penetrating the center thereof in the longitudinal direction. The diameter of the hole 43 is large enough to allow the out-of-furnace fiber cable 21 to pass through. Here, Teflon is preferably used as the detent member because Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene:
PTFE) is rich in heat and pressure resistance and chemical resistance,
In addition, it is easy to adapt. However, other fluorine resins can be used.

The second detent member 16 and the third detent member 17 are also preferably made of Teflon. The second detent member 16 is provided in the third hole 2 of the main body member 11.
7 is arranged in a fitted state by an inner shaft stopper member 13. The second detent member 16 has substantially the same diameter as the diameter of the right end of the inner shaft stopper member 13. By screwing the inner shaft stopper member 13 rightward into the main body member 11, the second detent member 16 is pushed down to the deepest part of the third hole 27 and the third hole 27 and the fourth Due to the difference in diameter from the hole 29, the annular wall surface formed in the main body member 11 is elastically pressed, and due to the elastic reaction force, the second detent member 16 moves the inner shaft stopper member 13 to the left. It functions as a detent member that prevents rewinding. The second detent member 16 is provided with a hole 44 at the center in the longitudinal direction thereof. The diameter of the hole 44 has such a size that the in-furnace fiber cable 20 can pass through.

On the other hand, the third detent member 17 is arranged in the fifth hole 34 of the glass pressing member 12 by the outer shaft stopper member 14 in a fitted state. The third detent member 17 has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the left end of the outer shaft stopper member 14. Outer shaft stopper member 1
4 is screwed into the glass holding member 12 to the left so that the third detent member 17
Of the fifth hole 34, and is elastically pressed against an annular wall surface formed in the glass pressing member 12 by a diameter difference between the fifth hole 34 and the sixth hole 36. Due to the elastic reaction force, the third detent member 17 functions as a detent member for preventing the outer shaft stopper member 14 from being unwound to the right. The third detent member 17 is provided with a hole 45 at the center in the longitudinal direction thereof. The diameter of the hole 45 is large enough to allow the out-of-furnace fiber cable 21 to pass through.

The second detent member 16 and the third detent member 17 are of substantially the same form, and can be positioned so that their mounting positions are opposed to each other at the time of mounting.

The light penetrating element 18, which is preferably made of quartz, is pushed into the deepest part of the second hole 26 of the main body member 11 by the glass pressing member 12 and the first detent member 15, and The second hole 26 and the fourth hole 29
Due to the difference in diameter between the main body member 11 and the annular wall surface formed inside the main body member 11, the main body member 11 is pressed and held. At the left and right ends of the light penetrating element 18, a fiber cable through hole, that is, a fourth hole 29 of the main body member 11 and a first return, so that the ends of the fiber cables 20 and 21 can contact the light penetrating element 18. The hole 43 of the stop member 15 is provided. Here, quartz is particularly preferred because quartz has a high light transmittance, a small attenuation rate at that time, a high transmittance of ultraviolet rays and infrared rays, and is excellent in heat resistance.

A well-known O-ring 19 is arranged between the first detent member 15 and the light penetrating element 18 in the second hole 26 of the main body member 11, and is connected via fiber cables 20 and 21. The inside and outside of the communicating furnace are completely sealed.

In this embodiment, the main body member 11, the glass holding member 12, and the stopper members 13 and 14 include
In addition to the stainless steel as in the above-described embodiment, brass can be used. Also, detent members 15, 16, 1
As 7, besides Teflon, polycarbonate, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene and the like can be used. The same applies to the following embodiments.

FIG. 2 shows a screw hole provided in the outer wall 23 of the furnace.
The fiber cable connection element 10 shown in FIG. 1 which is hermetically fixed by an external screw 22 and a fiber cable 20 having a sensing part set in the furnace and an indicator outside the furnace.
Fiber cable 2 connected to (not shown)
1 shows a state where they are connected to each other via a light penetrating element 18. Thereby, the optical information of the sensor which senses the condition in the furnace is transmitted to the light penetrating element 18 via the cable 20 and then transmitted from the light penetrating element 18 via the cable 21 to an external recording device or the like. It is.

Referring to FIG.
Is inserted through the hole 39 of the inner shaft stopper member 13 and the hole 44 of the second detent member 16, and the inner shaft stopper member 13 is connected to the main body member until the front end thereof contacts the surface of the light transmitting element 18. 11 is screwed. At this time, the second detent member 16 is elastically deformed.
0, the second detent member 16, the main body member 11, and the inner shaft stopper member 13 to complete a hermetic seal. The member 13 is prevented from being rewound.

On the other hand, the end of the out-of-furnace fiber cable 21 is connected to the outer shaft stopper member 14 and the third detent member 1.
7. Further, the glass pressing member 12 and the first detent member 1
5 are inserted through the respective holes 42, 45, 36, and 43, and the distal end thereof is fixed to a position in contact with the other surface of the light transmitting element 18. In this position, the first detent member 1
5 is elastically deformed, thereby completing a hermetic seal between the cable 21, the first detent member 15, the main body member 11, and the glass pressing member 12, and the elasticity of the first detent member 15. In order to prevent the glass pressing member 12 from being unwound by the reaction force, and to complete the seal between the light penetrating element 18, the main body member 11, and the first detent member 15, An O-ring 19 is arranged between these members. Similarly, in this position, the third detent member 17 is elastically deformed, thereby completing the hermetic seal between the cable 21, the third detent member 17, the glass holding member 12, and the outer shaft stopper member 14. At the same time, the outer shaft stopper member 14 is prevented from being rewound by the elastic reaction force of the third detent member 17.

Here, the in-furnace fiber cable 20 is
Although it is made of a pressure-resistant, vacuum-resistant, and heat-resistant material having an optical sensor at the tip, the out-of-furnace fiber cable 21 can be made of a fiber cable material for normal temperature.

In this way, the correct state of the furnace can always be sensed from the outside, regardless of whether the pressure in the furnace is high or vacuum. I have.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show another embodiment, corresponding to FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively. The fiber cable connection element 10a shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
Are different from the fiber cable connection element 10 shown in FIG.
The diameter dimension of the light penetrating element 18a and the attachment position of the O-ring 19a in the fiber cable connection element 10a. That is, in the light penetrating element 18 in the previous embodiment, the diameter of the second hole 26 of the main body member 11 is substantially the same as the diameter, but in the embodiment shown in FIG. The diameter of the element 18a is formed to be substantially equal to the diameter of the fiber cables 20a and 21a as shown in FIG. 4, and the light penetrating element 18a is held by the light penetrating element holding O-ring 46. It is that you are. Further, in the light penetrating element 18 in the above embodiment, O
A ring 19 is disposed on the first detent member 15 between the second hole 26 of the main body member 11, the light penetrating element 18, and the first detent member 15, and is disposed between these members. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the O-ring 19a is provided between the second hole 26a of the main body member 11a and the first detent member 15a. That is, it is disposed on the first detent member 15a to maintain confidentiality between these members.

In this embodiment, the light transmitting element 18a
Of the fiber cables 20a, 21 substantially
Since it is formed to be equal to the diameter dimension of a
Dispersion of optical information from the fiber cable 20a can be prevented, and there is an advantage that the information is more accurately transmitted to the fiber cable 21a. Of course, if the length of the light penetrating element 18a is short, dispersion of the optical information can be prevented accordingly, so that
It is desirable to be short enough to not be damaged by pressure.

Referring now to FIG. 2 and 4, an example in which one sensor cable is mounted is described. However, in the example illustrated in FIG. 5, the fiber cable illustrated in FIG. 2 or FIG. The attachment means 51 of the fiber cable connection element 50 that can use two sensor cables simultaneously attached to the connection element 10 or 10a, for example, a drop sensor cable and a reflection sensor cable, is disclosed. In this embodiment, the mounting means 51 includes a furnace wall 52.
And a fiber cable container 53 mounted inside the furnace wall 52. Here the furnace wall 52
At a predetermined position in the up, down, horizontal or inclined direction
In which a mounting hole 55 for the fiber cable connection element 50 according to FIG. 2 or 4 is formed, which is slightly inclined so as to converge with each other in the interior direction of the furnace, in which a screw 56 is threaded. It is. Further, a step 57 is formed inside the furnace of the projecting portion 54. on the other hand,
The fiber cable container 53 includes a cable holding portion 58 extending toward the inside of the furnace for guiding and fixing the converging pair of in-furnace sensor fiber cables 20a and 20b. And a flange portion 59 fixed to the portion 57. A hole 60 extending toward the inside of the furnace is formed in the center of the cable holding portion 58, and a screw 61 into which an external screw of the main body of the connection element 50 is screwed is formed in the hole 60. . A screw portion of a fiber cable holding member for an in-furnace sensor (not shown) is screwed to the screw 61. As a result, the in-furnace fiber cable attached to the two connection elements 50 is accommodated in the in-furnace sensor fiber cable holding member (not shown) and simultaneously fixedly held in the hole 60 of the cable holding portion 58. Here, the fiber cable container 53 is fixed to the furnace wall 52 by a known means such as welding, and the flange portion 59 of the fiber cable container 53 and the step portion 57 of the furnace wall 52 are completely sealed by an O-ring 62. Is stopped.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, two light-transmitting elements 18b and 18c similar to those described above are connected.
Independent sensor cables (20b-18b-21)
b; 20c-18c-21c) can be installed at the same time, so that there is an advantage that more necessary information in the furnace can be detected.

Needless to say, a necessary number of screw holes are provided in the furnace wall so that more sensors can be accommodated by the same method, and a fiber cable holding member for an in-furnace sensor for accommodating those sensor cables. (Not shown) at the same time, and by screwing it into the screw hole 60 of the fiber cable container 53, three or more fiber cables can be attached.

[0032]

According to the structure of the present invention, unlike the conventional fixed type, the light penetrating element is only sandwiched between the fiber cables, and therefore, only the thickness of the light penetrating element, that is, the thickness of the connector glass is increased. Can freely change the pressure resistance. Further, attachment and detachment of the fiber cable is easy. In addition, the price is lower than that of conventional fiber cable connectors.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a first view of a fiber cable connection element of the present invention.
It is a figure which shows the Example of.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which an in-furnace fiber cable and an out-of-furnace fiber cable are attached to the fiber cable connection element shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a second view of the fiber cable connection element of the present invention.
It is a figure which shows the Example of.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a state where an in-furnace fiber cable and an out-of-furnace fiber cable are attached to the fiber cable connection element of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view showing a mounting means for mounting a plurality of fiber cable connection elements of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10: Fiber cable connection element 11: Body member 12: Glass holding member 13: Inner shaft stopper member 14: Outer shaft stopper member 15-17: Non-slip member 18: Optical penetrating element 19: O-ring 20, 21: Fiber cable 22 : Outer screw 23: outer wall 24: hole 25: inner screw 26, 27: hole 28: inner screw 29: hole 30: other end 31: intermediate portion 32: one end 33: outer screw 34: hole 35: inner screw 36 : Hole 37: Outer thread 38: Other end 39: Hole 40: Screw part 41: Rotating part 42-45: Hole 46: Optical penetrating element holding O-ring 50: Fiber cable connection element 51: Mounting means 52: Furnace wall 53 : Fiber cable container 54: Projecting portion 55: Hole 56: Screw 57: Step 58: Cable holding portion 59: Flange 60: Hole 61: Screw 62: O Packaging

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02B 6/00-6/00 346 G02B 6/46 G02B 23/24 G01B 11/00 G01D 5/26 G01K 11 / 12 G01J 1/02 G01L 9/00

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A connecting element for connecting a fiber cable for an in-furnace light sensor having a sensor attached to one end thereof and a fiber cable for an out-of-furnace light sensor having one end connected to a display means. In a fiber cable connection element connecting the other end of the fiber cable and the other end of the fiber cable for an out-of-furnace light sensor via a light penetrating element, the fiber cable connection element is partially connected to the main body member 11. A glass holding member 12 screwed to one end of the main body member 11, and an inner shaft stopper member 13 partially screwed to the other end of the main body member 11.
An outer shaft stopper member 14 partly screwed into one end of the glass pressing member 12, and a glass pressing member 1
2 is a first detent member 1 which is pushed into and held by the main body member 11 to limit the return of the glass pressing member 12.
5, a second detent member 16 which is pushed and held by the inner shaft stopper member 13 into the main body member 11 to limit the return of the inner shaft stopper member 13, and is pushed and held by the outer shaft stopper member 14 into the glass holding member 12. And the third restricting the return of the outer shaft stopper member 14.
Detent member 17 and light penetrating element 18 pushed and held by main detent member 11 by first detent member 15
And a O-ring 19 disposed between the light penetrating element 18, the first detent member 15, and the main body member 11, and disposed on the first detent member 15. Connection element. 2. The fiber cable connection element according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the light penetrating element is the same as the diameter of the first detent member. 3. The fiber cable connection element according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the light penetrating element 18a is the same as the diameter of the fiber cables 20a and 21a. 4. A light penetrating element comprising: a plurality of in-furnace optical sensor fiber cables 20b and 20c each having a sensor mounted at one end; and a plurality of out-of-furnace optical sensor fiber cables 21b and 21c having one end connected to a display means. 18b, 18c
Means 51 for mounting the fiber cable connection elements 50, 50, which can be simultaneously mounted on a wall surface, through the furnace wall 52, And a fiber cable container 53 mounted inside the furnace wall 5.
2, a projection 54 is formed in advance, in which a mounting hole 55 for the fiber cable connection element 50, 50 which is slightly inclined so as to converge with each other in the interior direction of the furnace, is formed. A step 57 is formed inside the furnace of the section 54, while a fiber cable container 53 is formed.
Is a cable holding portion 58 extending toward the inside of the furnace.
And a flange portion 59 for fixing the cable holding portion 58 to the step portion 57 of the furnace wall 52. The cable holding portion 58 is a fiber for an in-furnace sensor that converges and holds the plurality of fiber cables 20b and 20c. Holding the cable holding member, the fiber cable container 53 and the furnace wall 5
2 is an O-ring 6
2. A mounting means of the fiber cable connection element 50, wherein the plurality of fiber cable connection elements 50 are completely sealed and bonded by the second mounting means 2 to a wall surface.