EP1181956A2

EP1181956A2 - A system for connecting a manometer to the dump valve for pressure extinguishers

Info

Publication number: EP1181956A2
Application number: EP00128075A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Salvatore Martinez
Original assignee: SAE Antincendio SNC
Current assignee: SAE Antincendio SNC
Priority date: 2000-08-22
Filing date: 2000-12-21
Publication date: 2002-02-27
Also published as: EP1181956A3; ITTO20000146U1; ITTO20000146V0; IT249263Y1

Abstract

Description of a system for connecting a manometer (15) to the dump valve for pressure extinguishers, including a conduit (10) communicating with the inside of the tank, provided at its end external to the tank, of a cup-shaped seat (18) made integral to the body (2) of the valve, said cup-shaped seat being adapted to house the body of the manometer (15) by means of seal connection means of the body of the manometer (15) and means adapted to lock and unlock it inside the cup-shaped seat (18)

Description

The present invention is part of the field of the dump valves for pressure extinguishers and it refers especially to a system for connecting, on said valve, a manometer adapted to control the pressure existing inside the tank of the extinguisher.
Valves for extinguishers are generally screwed on the tank, coupled to a suction means which extends inside the tank itself. The valve is provided with an opening which connects the conduit of the suction means to an exit hole normally radial to the body of the valve. A sliding piston, which is kept in its position by means of a spring, normally keeps the passage between the suction means and the exit hole closed, while a control handle for said piston makes the piston translate so that the content of the tank is quickly let off in the desired place.
The exit hole is obviously used also to let nitrogen in the tank of the extinguisher.
In order to check the charge level of the extinguisher, a manometer is generally used, the manometer being connected to the inside of the tank.
EP 0 788 815 discloses a valve for permanent pressure extinguishers is described, the valve being provided with a manometer integrated to its own body. Basically, the external body or container of the manometer consists of a hollow cylindrical part made integral to the body of the valve, the mechanism of the valve being mounted directly on said part. An arrangement of this type, is advantageous as far as weight and material saving are concerned, yet doesn't allow the manometer to be replaced in case of failure. The user then has to replace the whole valve and the costs are obviously higher.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the aforementioned problem.
Said objet is achieved by means of a system for connecting a manometer to the dump valve for pressure extinguishers presenting the characteristics of claim 1.
Said object as well as additional advantages will become more clear from the following description, which is provided as non-restrictive example, referring to the appended drawings in which:
figure 1 is a front view of a valve for extinguishers, the valve being provided with the connection system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, but not with the manometer;
figure 2 is a top view of the valve in figure 1, where the manometer is not connected with it;
figure 3 is a side view of the valve in figure 1;
figure 4 is a section view along the line IV-IV of the valve in figure 1 without the manometer;
figure 5 is a side view of a second embodiment of the manometer which can be utilised in the valve according to the invention, and
figure 6 is a section view along the line IV-IV in figure 1 of a second embodiment of the connection system according to the invention, and
figure 7 is a partial section view along the line IV-IV in figure 1 of a third embodiment of the connection system according to the invention.
With reference to the figures, reference number 2 indicates the body of the valve for an extinguisher, preferably a metal one, which is mounted, together with the suction means, on the tank of the extinguisher (not shown). The body of the valve presents an exit hole 4 communicating with a passage 6 that connects it to the suction means. The passage 6, which is intended to let the content of the tank of the extinguisher off, is controlled by a sliding piston (not shown) or by a different known shutting means, which is moved manually by means of a control lever 8, in order to expel the content of the tank. A radial conduit 10, made in the body of the valve 1, in direct connection with the inside of the tank through the hole 10a, presents at one of its ends a connector 11 intended to insert a valve for the cyclic control of the pressure inside the tank, while at the other end presents a cylindrical connection seat 12 for the seal insertion of the stem 14 of a manometer 14 for the continuous measuring of the pressure inside the tank of the extinguisher. The seal of the connector between the seat 12 and the stem 14 of the manometer is made by means of an elastic seal ring 16 (Oring) contained inside a circumference slot 17 made on the stem 14.
The diameter of the cylindrical seat 12 will then be calculated in order to allow the seal ring to pass.
Coaxially to the seat 12, a cup-shaped cylindrical seat 18 is made on the body of the valve 2, and integral to it, the diameter of the seat being congruous to the external diameter of the body of the manometer 15, so that is can be introduced inside it until the stem 14 hits the base of the seat 12.
The height of the wall of the cup-shaped seat 18 will be calculated in order to allow the manometer to be completely inserted into the seat with none of its parts protruding from the seat, so that the manometer is fully protected against possible impacts. On the side wall of the body of the manometer 15 a circumference groove 22 is made, where part of the stem of a pin 24 is engaged, being inserted with slight interference into an adequate seat 26 made, in the adequate position, into the side wall of the cup-shaped seat 18, so that it is possible to block the manometer 15 in said cup-shaped seat 18. As an alternative to the groove 22, it will only be possible to make a milling 22a (figure 5) on the part of the wall of the manometer 15 facing the seat 26 on the cup 18.
It is obvious that different known means can be used to achieve the locking of the manometer inside the cup-shaped seat, it is possible, for instance, to use a screw which is screwed into a threaded hole made in the side wall of said seat 18, without going beyond the scope of the present invention.
In a second embodiment of the invention the connection seat 12a is not inside the body of the valve 2, and consists, instead, of a cylindrical hollow projection, coaxial to the cup-shaped seat 18 and provided with a seal ring 16a (Oring) fixed externally on it. The manometer will be naturally provided with an internal seat of adequate dimensions, adapted to house the seat 12a until achievement of contact of the bottom of the manometer with the seal ring 16a.
In a third embodiment of the invention, the connection seat consists of the bottom wall of the cup-shaped seat 18, where the conduit 10 exits (figure 7). It is provided with an annular notch 12b where a ring gasket 15b is located serving as beat for the bottom of the manometer. The seal is guaranteed because said gasket is naturally compressed by the manometer, when the pin 24 is inserted into the groove 22 or into the milling 22a, adapted to lock, as already said, the manometer inside the cup-shaped seat 18. The gasket 16b, together with its seat 12b, can be obviously placed in a different position inside the cup-shaped seat 18, without going beyond the scope of the present invention.
The type of connection of the manometer to the body of the valve according to the present invention, allows a fast replacement of the manometer in case of failure, and allows the separate making of the two components which are subsequently coupled by means of a simple, fast, and inexpensive operation. The pressure seal between the two components (valve and manometer) is achieved very simply and at very low costs, by means of a single annular element (Oring) which, if faulty, can be easily replaced without having to disassemble the whole valve, being this last operation more expensive.

Claims

A system for connecting a manometer (15) to the dump valve for pressure extinguishers, to control the pressure existing inside the tank of the extinguisher containing the extinguishing material, including:

a body, preferably a metal body, (2) adapted to be fixed on said tank in connection to a suction means;

a connection passage between an exit hole (4,) for the content of the tank, and the suction means, said passage (6) being controlled by a shutter that can be operated manually;

a conduit (10) communicating with the inside of the tank, being provided at its external end with a cup-shaped seat (18) integral to the body (2) of said valve, basically coaxial to the axis of said conduit (10), said cup-shaped seat being adapted to house the body of the manometer (15);

said system including:

means located inside the cup-shaped seat intended to provide the seal connection (12, 12a, 12b, 16, 16a, 16b) of the body of the manometer (15) to the conduit (10) communicating with the inside of the tank, and

means (22, 22a, 24, 26) intended to lock and unlock the body of the manometer (15) inside the cup-shaped seat (18).
A connection system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the locking and unlocking means consist of a pin (24) adapted to be inserted with interference into a seat (26) made on the wall of said cup-shaped seat (18); part of the stem of said pin (24) being adapted, when the manometer is deeply inserted into said seat (18), to become engaged into a circumference groove (22) made in the adequate position on the external wall of the body of the manometer (15).
Connection system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said pin 24 is adapted to be inserted into a milling (22a) made in the adequate position on the external wall of the body of the manometer (15).
Connection system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the seal means consist of a cylindrical seat (12) made in the body of the valve (2) coaxially to the seat (18) the diameter and depth of which are such that it is possible to house inside it a connection stem (14) of the manometer (15) externally provided with a seal gasket (16).
Connection system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the seal means consist of a seat (12a) which is a cylindrical hollow projection, externally provided with a seal gasket (16a) and adapted to be inserted into a seat of adequate dimensions made into the body of the manometer (15)
Connection system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the seal means consist of an annular gasket (16b) located into an annular groove (12b) made in the bottom wall of the cup-shaped seat (18); said gasket being adapted to serve as beat for the bottom of the manometer (15) when it is inserted inside said cup-shaped seat (18).