JP7569548B2 - Opening/closing display device for a wrench-type opening/closing valve device, a wrench-type opening/closing valve device and a cylinder container with a valve - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an on/off display device for a wrench-type on/off valve device in which the valve stem of the on/off valve of the valve body is externally operated with a wrench, a wrench-type on/off valve device, and a valved cylinder container.

Conventionally, there has been known a wrench-type on-off valve device that can regulate the open/close state of an on-off valve by externally operating the valve stem with a wrench, thereby regulating the flow rate of a fluid. Also known is an on-off display device that is provided in such a wrench-type on-off valve device and displays the open/close state of the on-off valve.

Patent Document 1 discloses an open/close display device equipped with a rotary display body and a visibility restricting body that rotate differentially with respect to each other in response to external operation of the valve stem. The open/close display device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured so that the visibility restricting body restricts visibility of the content indicating the open/close state of the open/close valve attached to the rotary display body from any part other than the required part, and is characterized in that the user of the product can visually confirm the open/close state of the open/close valve mainly from above.

However, such a wrench-type on-off valve device equipped with an on-off display device has the following problems. Specifically, the gas cylinder to which the wrench-type on-off valve device is attached is usually used in an upright position. Therefore, if the gas cylinder is tall, it is difficult to visually check the on-off state of the on-off valve from above. Also, if the gas cylinder is placed in a small space with a low ceiling, it is difficult to visually check the on-off state of the on-off valve from above.

JP 2020-046007 A

The purpose of this invention is to provide an on/off display device for a wrench-type on/off valve device that allows the on/off state of the on/off valve to be easily viewed from the side and diagonally below, a wrench-type on/off valve device, and a valved cylinder container.

This invention is an opening/closing display device for a wrench-type opening/closing valve device in which the valve stem of an opening/closing valve of a valve body is externally operated with a wrench, and is provided with a housing that is fitted onto the valve stem and rotates together with the valve stem, and a ring-shaped body at least a portion of which is contained inside the lower part of the housing, the housing and the ring-shaped body form a screwing mechanism that enables the ring-shaped body to be screwed in the direction of the rotational axis of the housing, the ring-shaped body and a housing of the valve body or a base body fixed to the valve body form a sliding mechanism that enables the ring-shaped body to be slid in the direction of the rotational axis of the housing, and the ring-shaped body arranged below the housing is sent into the inside of the housing or sent out to the outside of the housing in response to external operation of the valve stem .
The present invention also provides a wrench type on-off valve device equipped with the above-mentioned on-off display device.
The present invention also relates to a valved cylinder container equipped with the above-mentioned wrench type opening and closing valve device.

According to this invention, the open/closed state of the on-off valve can be easily visually confirmed from the side and from diagonally below.
In detail, the open/close display device according to the present invention has an annular body disposed below the housing that forms the outer shape. When the valve rod is externally operated using a wrench, the housing rotates together with the valve rod, and the annular body moves up and down by the screw mechanism and the sliding mechanism. That is, the screw mechanism converts the rotational movement of the housing into a linear movement in the vertical direction of the annular body, and the sliding mechanism allows the annular body to slide in the vertical direction and restricts its rotation in the horizontal direction, so that the annular body moves up and down without rotating when the housing rotates. Specifically, when the housing rotates in one direction, the annular body moves upward without rotating, and when the housing rotates in the other direction, the annular body moves downward without rotating. Therefore, in the open/close display device according to the present invention, the annular body disposed below the housing is sent into the inside of the housing or sent out to the outside of the housing in response to the external operation of the valve rod. Therefore, the user can easily visually check the annular body from the side and diagonally below, and can further recognize the open/close state of the on-off valve based on the amount of exposure of the annular body. In other words, a user or the like can easily visually check the open/closed state of the on-off valve from the side and from diagonally below.

In one aspect of this invention, the screw mechanism may be composed of a female screw portion formed on the housing centered on the rotation axis of the housing, and a male screw portion formed on the annular body centered on the rotation axis, and the female screw portion and the male screw portion may be screwed together to be able to screw freely.

This invention allows the rotational motion of the housing to be converted into vertical linear motion of the ring-shaped body reliably, despite its simple configuration. In other words, the screw mechanism is composed only of the female threaded portion of the housing and the male threaded portion of the ring-shaped body, and is a simple mechanism in which when the female threaded portion rotates, the male threaded portion moves vertically due to the feed action of the screw, so that the rotational motion of the housing can be converted into vertical linear motion of the ring-shaped body reliably, despite its simple configuration.

In another aspect of the invention, the sliding mechanism may be composed of a guided portion formed on the annular body parallel to the rotation axis of the case, and a guiding portion formed on the housing or the base body parallel to the rotation axis, and the guided portion and the guiding portion may be slidably fitted together.

This invention allows the ring-shaped body to slide vertically and restrict rotation in the left-right direction, while maintaining a simple configuration. In other words, the sliding mechanism is composed only of the guided portion of the ring-shaped body and the guiding portion of the housing or base body, and is a simple mechanism in which the guided portion is only allowed to move vertically along the guiding portion, so that the ring-shaped body can slide vertically and restrict rotation in the left-right direction, while maintaining a simple configuration.

In another embodiment of the invention, the annular body may be a first annular body, a second annular body is provided with at least a portion housed inside the first annular body, and the second annular body may be fixed to the housing or the base body, or the second annular body may be formed by coating or attaching to the housing or the base body.

This invention makes it easy to recognize the open/closed state of the on-off valve. In other words, the exposed amount of the first ring and the exposed amount of the second ring change according to the external operation of the valve stem, so the user can easily recognize the open/closed state of the on-off valve based on the difference in the exposed amount of the first ring and the second ring.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the first annular body and the second annular body may have different colors. The aforementioned colors are specified by three attributes: hue, lightness, and saturation. Hue refers to a classification based on wavelength, lightness refers to a classification based on vividness, and lightness refers to a classification based on brightness. If any of the hue, lightness, or saturation is different, the colors can be said to be different.

This invention allows the open/close state of the on-off valve to be instantly recognized. In other words, because the first annular body and the second annular body are different colors, the user can instantly recognize the difference in the amount of exposure between the first annular body and the second annular body. And, based on the difference in the amount of exposure between the first annular body and the second annular body, the open/close state of the on-off valve can be instantly recognized.

In another embodiment of the invention, the device includes a rotating gear supported rotatably by the base body, a rotating display body housed inside the upper part of the housing and having an internal gear, the housing is composed of a visibility restricting body that restricts visibility of the content indicating the open/closed state of the on-off valve attached to the rotating display body except for a required part, and an outer cylindrical body having an internal gear with a different number of teeth than the internal gear of the rotating display body, and a differential rotation mechanism may be formed by the internal gear of the outer cylindrical body that meshes with the rotating gear, the internal gear of the rotating display body that meshes with the rotating gear, and the rotating gear.

This invention allows the open/close state of the on-off valve to be clearly recognized. In other words, only the required parts of the information indicating the open/close state of the on-off valve attached to the rotating indicator are visible, so the user can clearly recognize the information regarding the open/close state. And the open/close state of the on-off valve can be clearly recognized based on the information regarding the open/close state.

In addition, the configuration using the screw mechanism and sliding mechanism and the configuration using the differential rotation mechanism are different configurations and operate independently. Therefore, by adding the configuration using the differential rotation mechanism, the open/close state of the on-off valve can be accurately indicated. In other words, by combining a configuration in which the amount of exposure of the annular body changes in response to external operation of the valve stem and a configuration in which only the required parts of the content indicating the open/close state of the on-off valve attached to the rotating indicator are visible, when the content regarding the open/close state of the on-off valve 18 by each configuration is the same, the open/close state of the on-off valve 18 can be accurately indicated to the user, etc.

In another embodiment of the invention, the inner periphery of the rotating display body may be tapered and the upper plate portion may be protruding upward, and the content may be visible through an opening provided in the tapered upper wall portion of the visibility restricting body.

This invention allows the open/close state of the on-off valve to be easily seen from above and diagonally above. In other words, the information indicating the open/close state of the on-off valve attached to the tapered upper plate portion, whose inner periphery side protrudes upward, can be seen through an opening hole provided in the tapered upper wall portion, so that the user can see the open/close state of the on-off valve from above and diagonally above.

Another aspect of the invention may be a valved cylinder container having a cylinder cap with an opening hole at the top that allows the valve stem to be operated from the outside and an opening window at the side that allows the annular body to be visually observed.

With this invention, the valve stem can be operated externally through the opening hole while the cylinder cap that protects the wrench-type opening and closing valve device is attached. In addition, the open/closed state of the opening and closing valve can be easily seen through the opening window. In other words, the annular body, the amount of exposure of which changes in response to external operation of the valve stem, can be seen through the opening window provided on the side of the cylinder cap, so that the user can easily see the open/closed state of the opening and closing valve through the opening window of the cylinder cap.

This invention provides an on/off display device for a wrench-type on/off valve device, a wrench-type on/off valve device, and a valved cylinder container that allows the on/off state of the on/off valve to be easily viewed from the side and diagonally below.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a wrench-type opening/closing valve device and its opening/closing display device. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a wrench-type opening/closing valve device and its opening/closing display device. Exploded view of the opening and closing indicator. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the operation mode when the valve stem is rotated in one direction. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an operation mode when the valve stem is rotated in the other direction. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a display mode when the on-off valve is in a state close to a fully closed state. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a display mode when the on-off valve is nearly fully open.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a wrench type on-off valve device and its on-off display device, FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the wrench type on-off valve device and its on-off display device, and FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the on-off display device.

In addition, Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation mode when the valve stem is rotated in one direction, Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the operation mode when the valve stem is rotated in the other direction, Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the display mode when the on-off valve is close to a fully closed state, and Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the display mode when the on-off valve is close to a fully open state. Figs. 6(a) and 7(a) are side views of the on-off display device, and Figs. 6(b) and 7(b) are top views of the on-off display device.

As shown in FIG. 1, a neck portion 2 is integrally formed at the upper end of the cylinder container 1. A male thread portion 2a is provided on the outer periphery of the neck portion 2, and a cylinder cap 4 is screwed onto this male thread portion 2a. The cylinder cap 4 is a so-called fixed cap that allows the wrench-type opening and closing valve device 6 to be opened and closed while attached to the cylinder container 1. An opening hole 4a is formed at the top of the cylinder cap 4 to accommodate an opening and closing display device 7 described below, and an opening window 4b is formed at the side of the cylinder cap 4 to allow the first annular body 50 described below to be visually observed from the outside.

A female screw portion 2b is provided in the center of the neck portion 2, and a wrench-type opening and closing valve device 6 is screwed into this female screw portion 2b. In this embodiment, the wrench-type opening and closing valve device 6 (hereinafter simply referred to as the valve device 6) is a valve device for containers, but in gas piping, etc., it can be a valve device for piping.

The valve device 6 includes a housing 8 and a gland nut 9. The upper end of the housing 8 is provided with a female threaded portion 8a, into which the gland nut 9 is screwed. In this way, the housing 8 and the gland nut 9 form the valve body 10.

The housing 8 has a hole 8b that penetrates in the vertical direction, and the gland nut 9 also has a hole 9b that penetrates in the vertical direction. A spindle 11, which is a valve rod, is inserted into the inside of these holes 8b, 9b. A seal member 9d, such as an O-ring, is interposed between the gland nut 9 and the spindle 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, the spindle 11 is formed with an upper prism portion 11a, an upper cylindrical portion 11b, a flange portion 11c, and a lower prism portion 11d from its upper end to its lower end. The lower prism portion 11d of the spindle 11 is inserted into the intermediate transmission device 12 housed in the hole portion 8b of the housing 8.

The intermediate transmission tool 12 is screwed into the female thread 8c provided in the hole 8b of the housing 8. Therefore, the intermediate transmission tool 12 is screwed up and down (moves due to the feed action of the screw) by the rotation of the spindle 11. Specifically, when the spindle 11 rotates in one direction, the intermediate transmission tool 12 is screwed downward, and when the spindle 11 rotates in the other direction, the intermediate transmission tool 12 is screwed upward. A closing member 13 is fitted into the recess 12a formed at the lower end of the intermediate transmission tool 12. The closing member 13 is a cylindrical elastic member, and closes the opening valve seat 8d of the opening/closing valve 18 described later when the intermediate transmission tool 12 is in the lower position.

In addition, the housing 8 is formed with an inlet flow passage 8e as a primary flow passage extending downward from the bottom surface of the hole 8b, and an outlet flow passage 8f as a secondary flow passage perpendicular to the lower end of the hole 8b. Furthermore, a branch passage 8g is connected to the middle of the inlet flow passage 8e in the vertical direction. The end of the branch passage 8g is connected to a hole 8h provided in the housing 8, and a safety valve 15 is screwed to the housing 8 via a gasket 14 so as to close the hole 8h. The safety valve 15 has a rupture disk (not shown), a pressure plug 16, and a fusible plug 17.

In the valve body 10, the spindle 11, the intermediate transmission device 12, and the closing member 13 constitute the on-off valve 18 that closes or opens the aforementioned opening valve seat 8d. The spindle 11 that constitutes the on-off valve 18 is externally operated with a wrench 5 (a socket wrench with a rectangular cylindrical hole: see Figure 1). When the spindle 11 is rotated in one direction using the wrench 5, the intermediate transmission device 12 screws and the closing member 13 rises, opening the opening valve seat 8d. This allows the fluid stored in the cylinder container 1 to flow through the inlet flow path 8e and into the outlet flow path 8f.

The valve device 6 is provided at its upper portion with an open/close display device 7. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the open/close display device 7 includes a housing 20 fitted onto the spindle 11 and rotating therewith, a first annular body 50 that can be accommodated inside the lower part of the housing 20, a base body 60 that is fixed to the gland nut 9 of the valve body 10, and a second annular body 70 that can be accommodated inside the first annular body 50. The housing 20 is composed of a visibility restriction body 30 and an outer cylindrical body 40.

The visibility restriction body 30 has a circular wall portion 31 with a square hole 31a that fits into the upper rectangular column portion 11a of the spindle 11, an inner wall portion 32 that extends upward from the outer end of the circular wall portion 31, an upper wall portion 33 that extends diagonally downward outward from the upper end of the inner wall portion 32, and an outer wall portion 34 that extends downward from the outer end of the upper wall portion 33. An opening hole 35 is formed in a part of the upper wall portion 33. An uneven shape 36 is formed at the lower end of the outer wall portion 34.

The outer cylindrical body 40 has an inner fitting portion 41 that is fitted into the outer wall portion 34 of the visibility restriction body 30, and an outer tube portion 42 that expands the outer end of the inner fitting portion 41 and extends downward. An internal gear 40D is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the inner fitting portion 41. A female thread portion 40M is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube portion 42. An uneven shape 46 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner fitting portion 41, at the upper end of the outer tube portion 42. Therefore, the outer cylindrical body 40 can be integrated with the visibility restriction body 30 by meshing the uneven shape 46 with the uneven shape 36 of the visibility restriction body 30.

The first annular body 50 has an outer ring portion 51 that is housed in the outer tube portion 42 of the outer cylindrical body 40, and an inner ring portion 52 that is tapered downward from the middle of the outer ring portion 51 in the vertical direction. A male thread portion 50M is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring portion 51. In addition, a guided portion 50S is formed on a portion of the inner ring portion 52 in the circumferential direction. The guided portions 50S are formed at three locations that are equally spaced from each other with a phase angle of 120°.

The base body 60 has a cylindrical portion 61 with a hexagonal hole 61a that fits with the gland nut 9 of the valve body 10. The upper end surface of the cylindrical portion 61 is formed with an axial hole portion 62 through which the axial portion 82 of the rotating gear 80 described later is inserted. In addition, a guide portion 60S is formed on the lower end surface of the cylindrical portion 61. The guide portions 60S are formed at three locations that are equally spaced from each other with a phase angle of 120°. Therefore, the base body 60 can be combined with the first annular body 50 by inserting the guide portions 60S into the guided portions 50S of the first annular body 50.

The second annular body 70 has a circular ring shape that fits into the housing 8 of the valve body 10. The second annular body 70 is fixed to the housing 8 so as to be adjacent to the base body 60. However, the second annular body 70 may be fixed to the base body 60 instead of the housing 8. The second annular body 70 may also be a paint layer that is applied to the housing 8 or the base body 60. Or, it may be a seal layer that is applied.

Furthermore, the open/close display device 7 has the feature that the first annular body 50 and the second annular body 70 have different colors. In the open/close display device 7, the first annular body 50 is green and the second annular body 70 is red. These colors are preferably two opposing colors on a so-called color wheel, in which hues are arranged in a ring shape. Two opposing colors on a color wheel are called complementary or opposing colors, and have the effect of making each color stand out. Generally, in a valve device, red represents the closed side and green represents the open side.

The opening/closing display device 7 also includes a screw mechanism 7M (see FIG. 2) that is made up of the housing 20 and the first annular body 50. The screw mechanism 7M allows the first annular body 50 to be screwed in the direction of the rotation axis of the housing 20. Here, the rotation axis direction of the housing 20 is synonymous with the rotation axis direction of the spindle 11, or in other words, a direction that is parallel to the central axis CL of the housing 20 or the spindle 11.

To explain the screw mechanism 7M in detail, the female screw portion 40M described above is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 20 (specifically, the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube portion 42) around the rotation axis (center axis CL) of the housing 20. The female screw portion 40M is a so-called trapezoidal screw with a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape of the thread. On the other hand, the male screw portion 50M described above is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first annular body 50 (specifically, the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring portion 51) around the rotation axis (center axis CL) of the housing 20. The male screw portion 50M is also a so-called trapezoidal screw with a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape of the thread. The female screw portion 40M and the male screw portion 50M are screwed together so as to be freely screwable. The female screw portion 40M and the male screw portion 50M may be triangular screws or square screws. Or they may be ball screws.

Furthermore, the opening/closing display device 7 includes a sliding mechanism 7S (see FIG. 2) that is made up of the first annular body 50 and the base body 60. The sliding mechanism 7S allows the first annular body 50 to slide in the direction of the rotation axis of the housing 20. Here again, the rotation axis direction of the housing 20 is synonymous with the rotation axis direction of the spindle 11, in other words, the direction that is parallel to the central axis CL of the housing 20 or the spindle 11.

To explain the sliding mechanism 7S in detail, the aforementioned guided portion 50S is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first annular body 50 (specifically, a part of the circumferential direction of the inner ring portion 52) parallel to the rotation axis (center axis CL) of the housing 20. The guided portion 50S is a recessed portion having an arc-shaped cross section from the inner peripheral surface of the inner ring portion 52 to the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring portion 51. On the other hand, the aforementioned guide portion 60S is formed on the lower end surface of the base body 60 (specifically, the lower peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 61) parallel to the rotation axis (center axis CL) of the housing 20. The guide portion 60S is a protruding portion having an arc-shaped cross section that extends downward from the lower end surface of the cylindrical portion 61 to a predetermined length. The guided portion 50S and the guide portion 60S are slidably fitted together. In addition, a portion that protrudes in an arc-shaped cross section may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the base body 60 (specifically, the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 61), and this may serve as the guide portion 60S. Alternatively, a portion that protrudes in an arc-shaped cross section may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the housing 8, and this may serve as the guide portion 60S.

With this configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, when the spindle 11 is rotated in one direction using the wrench 5 (clockwise when viewed from above: see arrow A), the housing 20 rotates in one direction together with the spindle 11 (see arrow B). Then, the first ring-shaped body 50 moves upward by the screw mechanism 7M and the sliding mechanism 7S and is gradually sent inside the housing 20 (see arrow C), so that the green area by the first ring-shaped body 50 decreases and the red area by the second ring-shaped body 70 increases. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, when the spindle 11 is rotated in the other direction using the wrench 5 (counterclockwise when viewed from above: see arrow A), the housing 20 rotates in the other direction together with the spindle 11 (see arrow B). Then, the first ring-shaped body 50 moves downward by the screw mechanism 7M and the sliding mechanism 7S and is gradually sent outside the housing 20 (see arrow C), so that the green area by the first ring-shaped body 50 increases and the red area by the second ring-shaped body 70 decreases.

Therefore, the user can immediately recognize the difference in the amount of exposure between the first annular body 50 and the second annular body 70. The user can immediately recognize the open/closed state of the on-off valve 18 based on the difference in the amount of exposure between the first annular body 50 and the second annular body 70. That is, as shown in FIG. 6(a), if the green area is significantly smaller than the green area of the first annular body 50 and the red area of the second annular body 70, the user can immediately recognize that the exposure amount X of the first annular body 50 and the exposure amount Y of the second annular body 70 satisfy the relationship of the formula: X<<Y. Based on this relationship, the user can immediately recognize that the on-off valve 18 is in a fully closed state or a state close to the fully closed state. Also, as shown in FIG. 7(a), if the green area is significantly larger than the green area of the first annular body 50 and the red area of the second annular body 70, the user can immediately recognize that the exposure amount X of the first annular body 50 and the exposure amount Y of the second annular body 70 satisfy the relationship of the formula: X>>Y. Based on this relationship, it is possible to immediately determine whether the on-off valve 18 is fully open or close to being fully open.

In addition, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the opening/closing display device 7 includes a rotating gear 80 rotatably supported by the base 60, and a rotating display body 90 housed inside the upper part of the housing 20 (specifically, inside the visibility restricting body 30) and having an internal gear 90D. Note that the internal gear 90D of the rotating display body 90 and the internal gear 40D of the outer cylindrical body 40 described above have different numbers of teeth.

The rotating gear 80 has a gear portion 81 with teeth formed on its outer circumferential surface, and a shaft portion 82 extending downward from the center of the gear portion 81. The rotating gear 80 is supported for free rotation by inserting the shaft portion 82 into the shaft hole portion 62 of the base body 60. The rotating gears 80 are arranged at three locations equally spaced apart from each other with a phase angle of 120°.

The rotating display body 90 has a side plate portion 91 that is placed on the inner fitting portion 41 of the outer cylindrical body 40, and an upper plate portion 92 that extends diagonally upward inward from the upper end of the side plate portion 91. An internal gear 90D is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the side plate portion 91. In addition, the upper surface of the upper plate portion 92 is marked with information indicating the open/closed state of the on-off valve 18. The on-off display device 7 is marked with a closed display portion 92a with the word "closed" displayed on a red background, and an open display portion 92b with the word "open" displayed on a green background (see Figures 6 and 7).

The opening/closing display device 7 also includes a differential rotation mechanism 7D (see FIG. 2) made up of an internal gear 40D of the outer cylindrical body 40 that meshes with the rotating gear 80, an internal gear 90D of the rotating display body 90 that meshes with the rotating gear 80, and the rotating gear 80. The differential rotation mechanism 7D allows the housing 20 and the rotating display body 90 to rotate differentially in response to external operation of the spindle 11. In other words, the visibility restriction body 30 and the rotating display body 90 that constitute the housing 20 can rotate differentially.

To explain the differential rotation mechanism 7D in detail, the internal gear 40D described above is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical body 40 (specifically, the inner peripheral surface of the internal fitting portion 41) around the rotation axis (center axis CL) of the housing 20. On the other hand, the internal gear 90D described above is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rotating display body 90 (specifically, the inner peripheral surface of the side plate portion 91) around the rotation axis (center axis CL) of the housing 20. The internal gear 40D, the internal gear 90D, and the rotating gear 80 are so-called spur gears with straight tooth traces. The internal gear 40D of the outer cylindrical body 40 and the rotating gear 80 are meshed, and the internal gear 90D of the rotating display body 90 and the rotating gear 80 are meshed.

By having the differential rotation mechanism 7D, when the housing 20 rotates, the rotating display body 90 rotates faster than the housing 20, although in the same direction. In other words, the differential rotation mechanism 7D can accelerate the rotational motion of the housing 20 and convert it into the rotational motion of the rotating display body 90 (see arrow E in Figures 4 and 5).

With this configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, when the spindle 11 is rotated in one direction using the wrench 5 (clockwise when viewed from above: see arrow A), the housing 20 rotates in one direction together with the spindle 11 (see arrow B). Then, the internal gear 40D of the outer cylindrical body 40 constituting the housing 20 rotates the self-rotating gear 80 (see arrow D), and the rotational power is transmitted to the internal gear 90D of the rotating display body 90 via the self-rotating gear 80. Therefore, the rotating display body 90 is accelerated and rotates in the same direction as the housing 20 (see arrow E). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, when the spindle 11 is rotated in the other direction using the wrench 5 (counterclockwise when viewed from above: see arrow A), the housing 20 rotates in the other direction together with the spindle 11 (see arrow B). Then, the internal gear 40D of the outer cylindrical body 40 constituting the housing 20 rotates the self-rotating gear 80 (see arrow D), and the rotational power is transmitted to the internal gear 90D of the rotating display body 90 via the self-rotating gear 80. As a result, the rotating display body 90 accelerates and rotates in the same direction as the housing 20 (see arrow E).

Therefore, the user can clearly recognize the open/closed state of the on-off valve 18 based on what is visible through the opening 35 of the visibility restriction body 30. That is, as shown in FIG. 6(b), when the aforementioned closed display portion 92a appears in the opening 35 of the visibility restriction body 30, the user can clearly recognize that the on-off valve 18 is in a fully closed state or close to a fully closed state. Also, as shown in FIG. 7(b), when the aforementioned open display portion 92b appears in the opening 35 of the visibility restriction body 30, the user can clearly recognize that the on-off valve 18 is in a fully open state or close to a fully open state.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6(a), when the green area of the first annular body 50 is significantly smaller than the red area of the second annular body 70, and as shown in FIG. 6(b), the aforementioned closed display portion 92a appears in the opening hole 35 of the visual restriction body 30, it is possible to provide a sense of confidence that the indication that the on-off valve 18 is in a fully closed state or a state close to the fully closed state is accurate. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7(a), when the green area of the first annular body 50 is significantly larger than the red area of the second annular body 70, and as shown in FIG. 7(b), the aforementioned open display portion 92b appears in the opening hole 35 of the visual restriction body 30, it is possible to provide a sense of confidence that the indication that the on-off valve 18 is in a fully open state or a state close to the fully open state is accurate.

Furthermore, in the open/close display device 7, the contents showing the open/close state of the open/close valve 18 are attached to the tapered upper plate portion 92 that protrudes on the inner circumference side of the rotating display body 90, and the contents can be visually confirmed through the opening hole 35 provided in the similarly tapered upper wall portion 33 of the visibility restricting body 30.

Therefore, the user can easily see the open/closed state of the on-off valve 18 shown in the opening hole 35 from above and diagonally above. That is, as shown in Figs. 6(a)(b) and 7(a)(b), the closed indicator 92a or the open indicator 92b described above is attached to the tapered upper plate portion 92 protruding on the inner periphery side, and the closed indicator 92a or the open indicator 92b is visible through the opening hole 35 provided in the tapered upper wall portion 33, so that the user can easily see the open/closed state of the on-off valve 18 shown in the opening hole 35 from above and diagonally above.

Finally, the open/close display device 7 is equipped with a transparent cover 100. The transparent cover 100 has an inner lid portion 101 that is fitted inside the inner wall portion 32 of the visibility restriction body 30, an upper lid portion 102 that covers the upper wall portion 33 of the visibility restriction body 30, and an outer lid portion 103 that is fitted outside the outer wall portion 34 of the visibility restriction body 30. Such a transparent cover 100 can prevent foreign matter and the like from entering through the opening hole 35 of the visibility restriction body 30. Of course, the open/close state of the opening/closing valve 18 that appears in the opening hole 35 can be read through the transparent cover 100.

As described above, the opening/closing display device 7 for the wrench-type opening/closing valve device 6 in which the spindle 11 of the opening/closing valve 18 of the valve body 10 is externally operated by the wrench 5 is provided with the housing 20 that is fitted onto the spindle 11 and rotates together with the spindle 11, and the first annular body 50 that is at least partially accommodated inside the lower part of the housing 20. In addition, the opening/closing display device 7 includes a screw mechanism 7M that allows the first annular body 50 to be screwed in the direction of the rotation axis (center axis CL) of the housing 20 by the housing 20 and the first annular body 50, and a sliding mechanism 7S that allows the first annular body 50 to be slid in the direction of the rotation axis (center axis CL) of the housing 20 by the first annular body 50 and the base body 60 fixed to the valve body 10.

With such an on/off display device 7, the on/off state of the on/off valve 18 can be easily visually confirmed from the side and diagonally below.
In detail, the opening and closing display device 7 according to the present invention has the first ring-shaped body 50 disposed below the housing 20 that forms the outer shape. When the spindle 11 is externally operated using the wrench 5, the housing 20 rotates together with the spindle 11, and the first ring-shaped body 50 moves vertically by the screw mechanism 7M and the sliding mechanism 7S. That is, the screw mechanism 7M converts the rotational motion of the housing 20 into a linear motion in the vertical direction of the first ring-shaped body 50, and the sliding mechanism 7S allows the first ring-shaped body 50 to slide vertically and restricts its rotation in the left-right direction, so that the first ring-shaped body 50 moves in either the vertical direction or the horizontal direction without rotating due to the rotation of the housing 20. Specifically, when the housing 20 rotates clockwise as viewed from above, the first ring-shaped body 50 moves upward without rotating, and when the housing 20 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above, the first ring-shaped body 50 moves downward without rotating. For this reason, in the open/close display device 7 of the present invention, the first annular body 50 arranged below the housing 20 is sent inside the housing 20 or sent outside the housing 20 in response to external operation of the spindle 11. Therefore, the user can easily visually check the first annular body 50 from the side and diagonally below, and can recognize the open/closed state of the on-off valve 18 based on the exposed amount of the first annular body 50. In other words, the user can easily visually check the open/closed state of the on-off valve 18 from the side and diagonally below.

The screw mechanism 7M of the opening/closing display device 7 is composed of a female screw portion 40M formed on the housing 20 with the rotation axis (central axis CL) of the housing 20 as its center, and a male screw portion 50M formed on the first annular body 50 with the rotation axis (central axis CL) as its center. The female screw portion 40M and the male screw portion 50M are screwed together so as to be freely screwable.

With this type of opening/closing display device 7, the rotational motion of the housing 20 can be converted reliably into vertical linear motion of the first annular body 50, despite its simple configuration. In other words, the screw mechanism 7M is composed only of the female screw portion 40M of the housing 20 and the male screw portion 50M of the first annular body 50, and is a simple mechanism in which, when the female screw portion 40M rotates, the male screw portion 50M moves vertically due to the screw feed action, so that the rotational motion of the housing 20 can be converted reliably into vertical linear motion of the first annular body 50, despite its simple configuration.

The sliding mechanism 7S of the opening/closing display device 7 is composed of a guided portion 50S formed on the first annular body 50 parallel to the rotation axis (central axis CL) of the housing 20, and a guiding portion 60S formed on the base body 60 parallel to the rotation axis (central axis CL). The guided portion 50S and the guiding portion 60S are fitted together so as to be freely slidable.

With this type of opening/closing display device 7, the first annular body 50 can be slid up and down and its rotation can be restricted in the left and right directions, while still having a simple configuration. In other words, the sliding mechanism 7S is composed only of the guided portion 50S of the first annular body 50 and the guiding portion 60S of the base body 60, and is a simple mechanism that allows the guided portion 50S to move only up and down along the guiding portion 60S, so that the first annular body 50 can be slid up and down and its rotation can be restricted in the left and right directions, while still having a simple configuration.

In addition, the opening/closing display device 7 is provided with a second annular body 70, at least a portion of which is housed inside the first annular body 50.

With this type of opening/closing display device 7, the opening/closing state of the opening/closing valve 18 can be easily recognized. In other words, the amount of exposure of the first annular body 50 and the amount of exposure of the second annular body 70 change according to the external operation of the spindle 11, so the user, etc. can easily recognize the opening/closing state of the opening/closing valve 18 based on the difference in the amount of exposure of the first annular body 50 and the second annular body 70.

In addition, in the opening/closing display device 7, the first ring body 50 is green and the second ring body 70 is red.

With such an opening/closing display device 7, the opening/closing state of the opening/closing valve 18 can be immediately recognized. In other words, since the first annular body 50 and the second annular body 70 have different colors, the user can immediately recognize the difference in the amount of exposure between the first annular body 50 and the second annular body 70. And, the opening/closing state of the opening/closing valve 18 can be immediately recognized based on the difference in the amount of exposure between the first annular body 50 and the second annular body 70.

The open/close display device 7 is provided with a rotating gear 80 rotatably supported by the base 60, and a rotating display body 90 housed inside the upper part of the housing 20 and having an internal gear 90D. The housing 20 is also composed of a visibility restricting body 30 that restricts visibility of the content indicating the open/close state of the opening/closing valve 18 attached to the rotating display body 90 except for the required part, and an outer cylindrical body 40 that has an internal gear 40D with a different number of teeth than the internal gear 90D of the rotating display body 90. The internal gear 40D of the outer cylindrical body 40 that meshes with the rotating gear 80, the internal gear 90D of the rotating display body 90 that meshes with the rotating gear 80, and the rotating gear 80 constitute a differential rotation mechanism 7D.

With this type of opening/closing display device 7, the opening/closing state of the opening/closing valve 18 can be clearly recognized. In other words, only the required parts of the information indicating the opening/closing state of the opening/closing valve 18 attached to the rotating display body 90 are visible, so the user, etc., can clearly recognize the information regarding the opening/closing state. And, the opening/closing state of the opening/closing valve 18 can be clearly recognized based on the information regarding the opening/closing state.

In addition, the configuration using the screw mechanism 7M and sliding mechanism 7S and the configuration using the differential rotation mechanism 7D are different configurations and operate independently. Therefore, by adding the configuration using the differential rotation mechanism 7D, the open/closed state of the on-off valve 18 can be accurately indicated. In other words, by combining a configuration in which the amount of exposure of the first annular body 50 changes in response to external operation of the spindle 11 and a configuration in which only the required parts of the content indicating the open/closed state of the on-off valve 18 attached to the rotating indicator 90 are visible, when the content regarding the open/closed state of the on-off valve 18 by each configuration is the same, the open/closed state of the on-off valve 18 can be accurately indicated to the user, etc.

In addition, in the open/close display device 7, the contents showing the open/close state of the open/close valve 18 are attached to the tapered upper plate portion 92, which protrudes upward on the inner circumference side of the rotating display body 90, and the contents can be seen through the opening hole 35 provided in the similarly tapered upper wall portion 33 of the visibility restriction body 30.

With this type of opening/closing display device 7, the opening/closing state of the opening/closing valve 18 can be easily seen from above and diagonally above. In other words, the information indicating the opening/closing state of the opening/closing valve 18 attached to the tapered upper plate portion 92 whose inner periphery protrudes upward can be seen through the opening hole 35 provided in the tapered upper wall portion 33, so that the user can see the opening/closing state of the opening/closing valve 18 from above and diagonally above.

The wrench-type on-off valve device 6, in which the spindle 11 of the on-off valve 18 of the valve body 10 is externally operated by a wrench 5, is provided with an on-off display device 7 that displays the on-off state of the on-off valve 18. The on-off display device 7 is provided with a housing 20 that is fitted onto the spindle 11 and rotates together with the spindle 11, and a first annular body 50 that is at least partially accommodated inside the lower part of the housing 20. The housing 20 and the first annular body 50 form a screw mechanism 7M that allows the first annular body 50 to be screwed in the direction of the rotation axis (center axis CL) of the housing 20, and the first annular body 50 and a base body 60 fixed to the valve body 10 form a sliding mechanism 7S that allows the first annular body 50 to slide in the direction of the rotation axis (center axis CL) of the housing 20.

This wrench-type on-off valve device 6 provides the same effect as the on-off display device 7 described above. That is, the user can easily view the first annular body 50 from the side and diagonally below, and can recognize the on-off state of the on-off valve 18 based on the amount of exposure of the first annular body 50. In other words, the user can easily view the on-off state of the on-off valve 18 from the side and diagonally below.

The valved cylinder 1 is also equipped with the wrench-type opening and closing valve device 6 described above. The valved cylinder 1 is a sealable hollow body used to store and transport fluids such as gases and liquids, and can be used for industrial, medical, fuel, and other purposes.

This type of valved cylinder container 1 provides the same effects as the wrench-type opening and closing valve device 6 described above. That is, the user can easily see the first annular body 50 from the side and from diagonally below, and can recognize the open/closed state of the opening and closing valve 18 based on the amount of exposure of the first annular body 50. In other words, the user can easily see the open/closed state of the opening and closing valve 18 from the side and from diagonally below.

The valved cylinder container 1 also has a cylinder cap 4 with an opening 4a at the top that allows the spindle 11 to be operated from the outside, and an opening window 4b at the side that allows the first annular body 50 to be viewed.

With this type of valved cylinder container 1, the spindle 11 can be operated externally through the opening hole 4a while the cylinder cap 4 that protects the wrench-type opening and closing valve device 6 is attached. In addition, the open/closed state of the opening and closing valve 18 can be easily seen through the opening window 4b. In other words, the first annular body 50, the amount of exposure of which changes in response to external operation of the spindle 11, can be seen through the opening window 4b provided on the side of the cylinder cap 4, so that the user can easily see the open/closed state of the opening and closing valve 18 through the opening window 4b of the cylinder cap 4.

In the configuration of this invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, the valve-equipped cylinder container of this invention corresponds to the cylinder container 1,
Similarly,
The wrench-type opening and closing valve device corresponds to the valve device 6;
The open/close display device corresponds to the open/close display device 7,
The housing corresponds to housing 8,
The valve body corresponds to the valve body 10,
The housing corresponds to the housing 20,
The visibility restriction body corresponds to the visibility restriction body 30,
The outer cylinder corresponds to the outer cylinder 40;
The first annular body corresponds to the first annular body 50;
The base body corresponds to the base body 60,
The second annular body corresponds to the second annular body 70;
The rotating gear corresponds to the rotating gear 80;
The rotating display corresponds to the rotating display 90,
The screw mechanism corresponds to the screw mechanism 7M.
The female thread corresponds to the female thread 40M.
The male thread corresponds to the male thread 50M.
The sliding mechanism corresponds to the sliding mechanism 7S.
The guided portion corresponds to the guided portion 50S,
The guide portion corresponds to the guide portion 60S,
The differential rotation mechanism corresponds to the differential rotation mechanism 7D.
The internal gear of the outer cylindrical body corresponds to the internal gear 40D,
The internal gear of the rotary display body corresponds to the internal gear 90D, however, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-mentioned embodiment, and many embodiments can be obtained.

For example, when the spindle 11 is rotated clockwise as viewed from above, the first annular body 50 may move downward, and when the spindle 11 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed from above, the first annular body 50 may move upward. This can be achieved by making the female threaded portion 40M of the housing 20 and the male threaded portion 50M of the first annular body reverse threaded. Furthermore, the colors of the first annular body 50 and the second annular body 70 do not have to be limited to green and red. For example, they may be other colors with different hues, or colors with the same hue but different brightness or saturation.

Even with this configuration, the user can immediately recognize the difference in the amount of exposure between the first annular body 50 and the second annular body 70. The user can then recognize the open/closed state of the on-off valve 18 based on the difference in the amount of exposure between the first annular body 50 and the second annular body 70.

Furthermore, the second annular body 70 may not be provided.
Even with this configuration, a user or the like can recognize the open/closed state of the on-off valve 18 based on the amount of exposure of the first annular body 50 .

In addition, the configuration may not include the visibility restriction body 30, the rotating display body 90, or the differential rotation mechanism 7D.

Even with this configuration, the user can recognize the open/closed state of the on-off valve 18 by using the screw mechanism 7M and sliding mechanism 7S described above.

1...Cylinder container 1
6... Valve device 7... Opening/closing display device 8... Housing 10... Valve body 20... Housing 30... Visibility restriction body 40... Outer cylindrical body 50... First annular body 60... Base body 70... Second annular body 80... Rotating gear 90... Rotating display body 7M... Screw mechanism 40M... Female thread portion 50M... Male thread portion 7S... Sliding mechanism 50S... Guided portion 60S... Guide portion 7D... Differential rotation mechanism 40D... Internal gear 90D... Internal gear

Claims (10)

An on/off display device for a wrench-type on/off valve device in which a valve stem of an on/off valve of a valve body is externally operated by a wrench,
A housing fitted onto the valve stem and rotating together with the valve stem;
and an annular body at least a portion of which is accommodated inside the lower part of the housing,
a screw mechanism is configured by the housing and the annular body to be capable of screwing the annular body in a rotation axis direction of the housing,
a sliding mechanism is formed between the annular body and a housing of the valve body or a base body fixed to the valve body, the sliding mechanism allowing the annular body to slide in the direction of the rotation axis of the housing,
The annular body disposed below the housing is fed into the inside of the housing or fed out of the housing in response to an external operation of the valve stem.
An opening/closing indicator for wrench-type opening/closing valve devices. the screw mechanism is composed of a female screw portion formed on the housing with the rotation axis of the housing as the center, and a male screw portion formed on the annular body with the rotation axis as the center,
2. The on/off display device for a wrench type on/off valve device according to claim 1, wherein the female screw portion and the male screw portion are screwed together so as to be freely threaded. the sliding mechanism is composed of a guided portion formed on the annular body in parallel to the rotation axis of the case, and a guide portion formed on the housing or the base body in parallel to the rotation axis,
3. The on/off display device for a wrench type on/off valve device according to claim 1, wherein the guided portion and the guiding portion are fitted together so as to be freely slidable. The annular body is a first annular body,
An opening/closing indicator device for a wrench-type opening/closing valve device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a second annular body at least partially accommodated inside the first annular body, the second annular body being fixed to the housing or the base body, or the second annular body being formed by painting or attaching to the housing or the base body. 5. The on/off indicator for a wrench type on/off valve device according to claim 4, wherein the first annular body and the second annular body are different in color from each other. a rotating gear rotatably supported by the base body;
A rotary display body having an internal gear and housed inside the upper part of the housing is provided.
The housing is composed of a visibility restricting body that restricts visibility of the content indicating the open/close state of the on-off valve attached to the rotary indicator from being restricted to a required portion, and an outer cylindrical body having an internal gear having a number of teeth different from that of the internal gear of the rotary indicator,
An opening/closing display device for a wrench-type opening/closing valve device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a differential rotation mechanism is formed by an internal gear of the outer cylindrical body that meshes with the rotating gear, an internal gear of the rotating display body that meshes with the rotating gear, and the rotating gear. A message indicating the open/close state of the on-off valve is attached to a tapered upper plate portion of the rotating indicator, the inner circumferential side of which protrudes upward,
7. An on/off display device for a wrench type on/off valve device according to claim 6, wherein the contents are visible through an opening provided in the tapered upper wall portion of the visibility restricting body. A wrench-type on-off valve device in which a valve stem of an on-off valve of a valve body is externally operated by a wrench,
An on-off display device is provided to display the on-off state of the on-off valve,
The opening and closing display device is
A housing fitted onto the valve stem and rotating together with the valve stem;
and an annular body at least a portion of which is accommodated inside the lower part of the housing,
a screw mechanism is configured by the housing and the annular body to be capable of screwing the annular body in a rotation axis direction of the housing,
a sliding mechanism is formed between the annular body and a housing of the valve body or a base body fixed to the valve body, the sliding mechanism allowing the annular body to slide in the direction of the rotation axis of the housing,
The annular body disposed below the housing is fed into the inside of the housing or fed out of the housing in response to an external operation of the valve stem.
Wrench type opening and closing valve device. A valved cylinder container equipped with the wrench type opening and closing valve device according to claim 8. An opening hole is provided at the top to allow the valve rod to be operated from the outside,
10. The valved cylinder container according to claim 9, further comprising a cylinder cap having an opening window on the side through which the annular body can be viewed.

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