JP2011068374A - Piping joint - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a device involved in inspection of a tank and a pipe communicating with the tank, from being left non-detached after the inspection. <P>SOLUTION: A piping joint provided for a tank includes: a lower connection port connected to the tank; a side connection port connected to a lateral pipe extending substantially horizontally; an upper opening by which the inside opens to the outside; a relay chamber for connecting a lower passage communicating with the lower connection port to a side passage communicating with the side connection port, and changing a passage direction; a lid member for closing the upper connection port; a stopper member for closing the lower passage; and a support post extending through the lid member with the leading end thereof integrated with the stopper member while keeping airtight. Furthermore, the lid member and stopper member are connected via the support post so as to be correlated with each other. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pipe joint provided in a tank, and more particularly to a pipe joint suitable for performing a leak inspection of an underground tank or underground pipe.

  For example, an underground tank for storing fuel is buried in the ground at a filling station that supplies fuel such as gasoline to a fuel tank of an automobile. The fuel is sucked up by a measuring machine installed on the ground and supplied to the fuel tank.

  In a gas station having this kind of underground tank, in order to prevent soil from being contaminated by liquid leakage from the underground tank due to corrosion or the like, the underground tank and pipes are regularly inspected for leaks. In order to perform this leakage inspection, after attaching a member that closes the space between the underground tank and the pipe joint, a member that closes the maintenance port of the pipe joint is attached. (For example, see Patent Document 1)

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-120414

  In the leak inspection method described in Patent Document 1, the worker monitors the pressure inside the underground tank in a state where two pipe lines among the oil supply pipe, the oil supply pipe, and the vent pipe are closed. In the two pipelines, the inside and the outside of the pipe are blocked by the blocking members, and after the leakage inspection, the blockage releasing operation in the two pipelines is performed, so that it is necessary to remove the respective blocking members.

  However, there is a problem that after the leakage inspection, the worker removes only the blocking member outside the pipe and forgets to remove the blocking member inside the pipe, thereby hindering the subsequent oil supply work.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a pipe joint that solves the above problems.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is a pipe joint provided in the tank, the lower connection port connected to the tank, and the side connected to the horizontal pulling pipe extending in a substantially horizontal direction. A relay chamber that connects a side connection port, an upper opening that opens to the outside, a lower channel that communicates with the lower connection port, and a side channel that communicates with the side connection port to change the channel direction And a lid member that closes the upper connection port, a plug member that closes the lower flow path, and a column that penetrates the lid member and is integrated with the plug member while maintaining airtightness. Moreover, a pipe joint is characterized in that the lid member and the plug member are connected to each other through a support column.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the stopper member and the support column are connected by a connecting member so as to be capable of integral operation in the rotation direction, and are connected through a predetermined gap in the radial direction. .

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, after the leak inspection of the underground tank or the pipe, the worker closes the lid member for closing the upper connection port provided on the upper side of the relay chamber of the pipe joint and the plug for closing the lower flow path. Although it is necessary to remove the member, since the lid member and the plug member are connected to each other through the support column, the respective closing members can be taken out together. Therefore, it is prevented that any closing member is forgotten to be removed in a state where it is mounted on the pipe joint.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if the mounting position of the lid member and the mounting position of the plug member are deviated by a predetermined amount in the radial direction due to an error in manufacturing the product, the support column and the plug member are interposed via the radial clearance. Therefore, when the stopper member is attached to a predetermined position of the lower flow path, the attachment property of the stopper member can be improved.

It is sectional drawing which shows the outline | summary of the underground tank, piping joint, and piping attachment structure regarding this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which expands and shows the normal use condition of a pipe joint. 1 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a pipe joint according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the connection part of the support | pillar and plug member by 2nd Example of this invention.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an outline of an underground tank, a pipe joint, and a pipe mounting structure according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the underground tank leakage inspection apparatus 10 uses, for example, a pressure monitoring unit 11 to supply nitrogen gas to an underground tank 12 disposed in a gas station and pressurize it to a predetermined pressure, and then change the pressure. The presence or absence of leakage or the presence or absence of leakage is determined based on the rate of change in pressure. The pressure monitoring unit 11 of the present embodiment has a compressor for generating nitrogen gas (not shown), a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in a pressurized state, and a memory for storing the pressure detected by the pressure sensor. And a leakage determination unit (both not shown) for determining the presence or absence of leakage from the rate of change in pressure.

  On the ground of the gas station, a meter 14 for refueling, a manhole (arranged in three places in this embodiment) 16 opened above the underground tank 12, an oil inlet 18 for the underground tank 12, and an upper space of the underground tank 12 A vent line 26 is provided in communication with each other. In the underground tank 12 buried underground in the fueling station, an oil supply line 22 communicated with the oil supply system of the measuring machine 14 and an oil supply line 24 communicated with the oil supply port 18 are inserted. In addition, the air duct 26 communicated with the air vent 20 communicates with the upper part of the underground tank 12. The laterally extending portions extending in the lateral direction of the oil supply conduit 22, the oil supply conduit 24, and the ventilation conduit 26 are connected to the underground tank 12 so that the oil liquid in the tubes falls into the underground tank 12. Is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal so as to be lower.

  The manhole 16 is provided at a location where the oil supply line 22, the oil supply line 24, and the vent line 26 are connected to the upper part of the underground tank 12, and a pipe joint 45 is accommodated in the internal space of the manhole 16. ing.

  In addition, when performing a pipe leak inspection, a worker is connected to the pressure monitoring unit 11 in order to monitor the pressure change by supplying the nitrogen gas generated by the pressure monitoring unit 11 to the underground tank 12. The pressure hose 11a is connected to the pipe joint 45.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a normal use state (hereinafter, abbreviated as normal state) of the pipe joint 45. That is, in the normal state, as shown in FIG. 2, the pipe joint 45 having the upper opening 47 as the maintenance port is fastened by the flange 51 of the rising pipe 43 provided at the upper part of the underground tank 12, the bolt 52, and the nut 53. These are fastened by a flange 56, a bolt 58, and a nut 57 in the horizontal pulling portion of the pipe.

  An internal thread portion 48 is formed on the inner periphery of the upper opening 47, and the upper opening 47 is closed by screwing the lid member 79. Further, the lid member 79 compresses the seal member 79a between the upper opening 47 and seals the upper opening 47, so that the airtightness between the pipe joint 45 and the lid member 79 is maintained.

  Therefore, in the normal state, the upper opening 47 of the pipe joint 45 is closed by the lid member 79, so that the inside of the pipe can be kept airtight, and the liquid is prevented from leaking from the pipe when the liquid flows in the pipe. To do.

  Next, a pipe joint of the present invention incorporating a sealing means used when conducting a leak inspection of pipes and underground tanks will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the pipe joint 45 connected to the oil supply pipe line 24 in the manhole 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the pipe joint 45 is provided in the upper part of the underground tank 12 and is fastened to the flange 51 by a bolt 52 and a nut 53. Here, although the oil supply line 24 is taken as an example, it is needless to say that the present invention can also be used for the pipe joint 45 connected to the oil supply line 22 and the ventilation line 26.

  The pipe joint 45 is connected to a lower flange 45a connected to the flange 51 of the riser pipe 43 provided in the upper part of the underground tank 12, a body part 45b in which the relay chamber 46 is formed, and a flange 56 of the horizontal pipe. Side flange 45c, upper opening 47 as a maintenance port located above the body 45b, a lid member 80 for closing the upper opening 47, a lower flow path 54 communicating from the relay chamber 46 to the underground tank 12, and a lower side A plug member 90 that closes the flow path 54 and a column 70 that penetrates the lid member 80 and that has a tip integrated with the plug member 90 are roughly configured.

  A taper portion 50 that is tapered toward the lower flow channel 54 side on the inner periphery of the lower opening 49 on the relay chamber 46 side of the lower flow channel 54, and a female screw portion 55 provided above the taper portion 50, A step portion 60 into which the plug member 90 is inserted is formed.

  Further, an annular seal member 92 is fixed to the lower surface of the flange 90a of the plug member 90, and the female thread portion 55 of the lower opening 49 and the male screw portion 91 of the plug member 90 are fitted, so that the relay chamber 46 and the lower side are connected. Airtightness with the flow path 54 is maintained by the seal member 92.

  A female screw portion 48 is provided on the inner periphery of the upper end of the upper opening 47, and an annular groove portion 61 is formed on the upper end surface. A male threaded portion 81 is formed on the outer periphery of the lower portion of the lid member 80, and an annular seal member 82 is fixed to the lower surface of the flange 80a. Therefore, when the female screw portion 48 of the upper opening 47 and the male screw portion 81 of the lid member 90 are fitted, the seal member 82 is fitted into the groove portion 61, whereby the relay chamber 46 and the lid member 80 are kept airtight.

  An internal thread portion 84 is provided on the outer periphery of the upper end of the lid member 80, and an annular nut 110 to which the seal member 111 is fixed is fitted. Therefore, the position of the column 70 and the position of the lid member 80 are fixed by tightening the nut 110 to the female thread portion 84 of the lid member 80.

Further, the sealing member 111 fixed to the inner peripheral side of the nut 110 is pressure-bonded to the support column 70 when the cover member 80 and the nut 110 are screwed together, so that airtightness between the cover member 80 and the support column 70 is maintained. Be drunk. Here, since the tip of the seal member 111 is inclined so as to approach the relay chamber 46 as a whole, the lid member 80 is generated by the pressure generated between the lid member 80 and the support 70 when the inside of the pipe joint 45 is pressurized. And the airtightness of the support 70 are improved.

  An elastic guide member 83 is provided in the vicinity of the upper opening 47 of the lid member 80 into which the support post 70 is inserted, and the support post 70 can move while abutting on the inner surface of the guide member 83. Can be slidably moved in the axial direction.

  The lid member 80 is provided with a communication hole 80c that communicates the inside and the outside. When a worker performs a pressure test, for example, the pressure hose 11a shown in FIG. 1 is attached to the outside of the communication hole 80c. By connecting to the plug 80b, the nitrogen gas generated by the pressure monitoring unit 11 can be supplied to the relay chamber 46, and the leakage inspection can be performed by checking the presence or absence of pressure change in the pipe.

  Further, a through hole 105 is provided at the upper end of the support column 70 protruding from the upper part of the lid member 80, and the rod-shaped operation member 100 is inserted therein. When the operator rotates the operation member 100, the plug member 90 located at the tip of the support post 70 can be rotated in the same manner.

  Next, functions and effects will be described. The operator first removes the lid member 79 in FIG. 2 in order to perform the blockage work of the pipe line in connection with the leak inspection of the underground tank and the pipe. Thereafter, the male threaded portion 81 of the lid member 80 of the pipe joint 45 is fitted into the female threaded portion 48 provided on the upper portion of the upper opening 47. Next, the plug member 90 positioned at the tip of the column 70 can be brought into contact with the lower opening 49 by moving the column 70 in the vertical direction.

  Then, the operator can fit the male screw portion 91 of the plug member 90 that operates integrally with the support column 70 into the female screw portion 55 of the lower opening 49 by rotating the operation member 100. Further, since the seal member 92 is provided between the plug member 90 and the lower opening 49, airtightness is maintained between the lower opening 49 and the relay chamber 46.

Then, by fitting the nut 110 having the seal member 111 on the upper portion of the lid member 80, the airtightness between the relay chamber 46 and the manhole 16 is maintained through the seal member 111, and the pipe line of the piping is sealed. . Thereafter, for example, the worker can perform the inspection by connecting the pressurized hose 11a to the plug 80b and sending pressurized gas such as nitrogen gas generated in the pressure monitoring unit 11 to the relay chamber 46. .

  After completion of the inspection, the worker needs to remove the lid member 80 and the plug member 90 from the pipe joint 45 and attach the lid member 79 in FIG. The procedure is to first remove the nut 110 from the lid member 80, then remove the lid member 80 from the upper opening 47, and finally remove the plug member 90 from the lower opening 49. Here, since the plug member 90 and the support column 70 have an integrated structure, when the cover member 80 is removed and the cover member 80 is moved upward in the axial direction of the support column 70 with the plug member 90 attached, the plug member 90 The upward movement is restricted by the operation member 100 whose position is fixed by the connection between the member 90 and the lower opening 49. Accordingly, since only the lid member 80 cannot be removed, the plug member 90 is removed from the lower opening 49 and taken out together with the lid member 80.

  Even if the worker removes the plug member 90 from the lower opening 49 and moves the column member 70 upward in the axial direction to remove the plug member 90, the lid member 80 connected to the upper opening 47 moves upward. Movement is restricted. Therefore, since the plug member 90 and the column 70 cannot be removed, the lid member 80 is removed from the upper opening 47 and is removed together with the plug member 90.

  That is, since the lid member 80 and the plug member 90 are connected with each other through the support column 70 after the inspection is completed, the worker can take out both the lid member 80 and the plug member 90 together. it can. As a result, one of the lid member 80 and the plug member 90 is prevented from being forgotten when it is attached to the pipe joint 45.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a connecting portion between the support column and the plug member. The second embodiment of the present invention has substantially the same configuration as the first embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 4 as an additional configuration, the strut 70 and the plug member 90 have a separate structure. They are connected by a connecting member 120.

  The connecting member 120 is provided in the upper part of the plug member 90 and has a cylindrical portion 125 having an opening 125a on the radial side surface, a connecting rod 72 inserted into the communication hole 71 penetrating the inside and outside provided near the tip, It consists of

  Further, since the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 125 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the support column 70, when the support column 70 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 125, it is between the outer surface of the support column 70 and the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 125. Thus, a predetermined clearance is given.

  Next, how to attach the column 70 and the cylindrical portion 125 will be described. First, the tip of the column 70 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 125. When the communication hole 71 is positioned at the height in the opening 125 a, the connecting rod 72 is inserted into the communication hole 71. As a result, the connecting rod 72 protruding from the communication hole 71 and the opening 125a move while being engaged.

  Further, since the connecting rod 72 moves while being engaged with the opening 125a, when the support column 70 is rotated, the plug member 90 is similarly rotated. Here, the support column 70 and the cylindrical portion 125 are connected by the connecting rod 72. For example, splines are formed on the outer periphery of the support column 70 and the circumference of the cylindrical portion 125, and the support column 70 and the cylindrical portion 125 are connected. You may let them.

  Next, the operation and effect of the second embodiment will be described. The worker attaches the plug member 90 and the lid member 80 to the pipe joint 45 for the leak inspection of the underground tank and the pipe. When attaching the plug member 90 to the lower opening 49, the support column 70 and the plug member 90 are connected via a gap, so that the operator can finely adjust the position of the plug member 90, and the plug member 90 The plug member 90 can be positioned at a position suitable for fitting into the lower opening 49.

  Further, since the plug member 90 can be rotated together with the support column 70, the worker places the plug member 90 in the lower opening 49 and then turns the support column 70 so that the plug member 90 is fitted into the lower opening 49. Can be swallowed.

  Therefore, when attaching the plug member 90 for inspection of leaks in the underground tank and the pipe, the operator finely adjusts the position of the plug member 90 because the support column 70 and the plug member 90 are connected via the clearance. By doing this, the working efficiency when attaching the plug member 90 can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the cylindrical portion 125 is provided on the plug member 90 and connected to the support column 70 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the plug member 90 has an opening on the side surface. Even when a cylindrical portion having a larger diameter is provided on the distal end side of the support column 70 and a plug member provided with a through hole in the upper side surface is connected by a communication rod, the same operation and effect as in this embodiment can be obtained. .

  In the present embodiment, the underground tank and the piping are taken as an example of the leakage inspection target, but not limited to this, any structure having a joint provided on the tank piping may be used. The present invention can also be applied to a leak inspection in an indoor installation type tank.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Underground tank leak inspection apparatus 12 Underground tank 16 Manhole 24 Oil supply pipe 47 Upper opening 49 Lower opening 70 Support | pillar 71 Communication hole 72 Connecting rod 80 Lid member 90 Plug member 100 Operation member 120 Connection member 125 Cylindrical part 125a opening part

Claims (2)

A pipe joint provided in the tank, a lower connection port connected to the tank, a side connection port connected to a horizontal piping extending in a substantially horizontal direction, an upper opening opening the inside to the outside, A relay chamber that connects a lower flow path that communicates with the lower connection port and a side flow path that communicates with the side connection port and changes the flow direction, a lid member that closes the upper connection port, and a lower flow path A plug member that closes the cap member, and a support column that penetrates the cover member and is integrated with the plug member in an airtight state. Further, the cover member and the plug member are related via the support column. Piping joints characterized by having a connection.   The pipe joint according to claim 1, wherein the plug member and the support column are connected by a connecting member so as to be able to operate integrally with respect to the rotation direction, and are connected via a predetermined gap in the radial direction.

Images