JP3036095B2 - Oil leak detection device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an oil leak detector installed at a gas station for supplying fuel such as gasoline to automobiles.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In such a refueling station, where an oil storage tank is buried underground and a fixed oil refueling device is installed above the ground, an oil refueling machine housing is installed on the ground, and the oil refueling tank is inserted from the underground oil storage tank into the housing. The fuel supply pipe has been set up. In addition, where the suspension type is installed, a pump room is installed above the ground, an oil supply pipe that is set up in the pump room from an underground oil storage tank is further set up in a canopy, and an oil supply hose treatment device that is set up from the canopy. Connected to

[0003] By the way, this oil storage tank and housing,
Cracks may occur in the oil supply pipe in the pump chamber, or failure may occur in the housing, the oil supply mechanism such as the oil supply pump or flow meter installed in the pump chamber, or the connection between the oil supply hose and the oil supply pipe in the hose treatment device. If fuel leaks from here, there is a danger of ignition and it is dangerous.

In order to detect oil leakage from an underground tank, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 1-44354 previously proposed by the applicant, a gas detecting pipe is buried near the underground tank. Some of them are set up near the surface of the ground, and an oil leak detection device is installed in them. This oil leakage detection device is provided with an oil detection line, that is, an oil leakage sensor, in the gas detection tube over substantially the entire length from the bottom to the top of the detection tube, and connects the sensor to the notification unit. A notification unit using a display device such as a light emitting diode (LED) disposed near the ground surface opening is connected to an oil leak sensor below the display unit by a lead wire, that is, a signal line. In this case, the detection unit including the oil leak sensor and the signal line is directly connected to the notification unit.

[0005]

The place where oil leakage is expected to occur at a fueling station is, in addition to the above-mentioned underground tank, a place where a fixed-type oil supply device is installed in the housing of the fixed-type oil supply device above the ground. Where the suspension lubrication system is installed, there is a pump room and a hose treatment system.
The locations where the presence or absence of the occurrence of these oil leaks are to be detected have different structures, shapes, etc.
The length of the detection unit differs depending on each detection location.
Also, if the size of the underground tank is different, the width of the portion where oil leakage is predicted is different, and the length of the detecting portion is different.

However, in a conventional oil leak detecting device, the detecting section and the notifying section are directly connected, so that the length of the detecting section is fixed, and the detecting sections having different lengths are different from each other. It could not flexibly deal with the mounting at the required places. When installing oil leak detection devices at detection locations under different conditions, it is necessary to manufacture a number of types of oil leak detection devices having detection units having different lengths in advance, which only complicates the manufacturing process. Not only that, the stock volume is also increased and the storage is difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art, and to install an oil leak detecting device having different lengths of detecting parts connected to different detecting points where different lengths of detecting parts are required. It is not necessary to prepare a large number of types, the manufacturing process can be simplified, the inventory amount is small, the total production cost can be kept inexpensive, and in each installation place where a different length detection unit is required An object of the present invention is to provide an oil leak detection device that can flexibly cope with a situation.

[0008]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a connector is connected to each of a plurality of signal lines of different lengths in which oil leakage sensors having different lengths and numbers are connected along the length direction. The detecting unit incorporates a power supply, an alarm that notifies the occurrence of oil leakage, and a control circuit that receives an oil leakage detection signal from the detecting unit and outputs the signal to the alarm, from among the plurality of connectors. The gist of the invention is to connect to the connector of the notifying unit in which the connector is attached to the case.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a notifying unit incorporating a control circuit for receiving an oil leak detection signal from a detecting unit and outputting the signal to the notifying unit, which notifies the power supply and the occurrence of oil leakage in the case,
The detection part which connected the signal line to the oil leak sensor is connected via the connector provided in each. Therefore, if multiple types of detectors with different lengths or numbers of oil leak sensors and different signal line lengths are prepared, the notification unit can be connected to a single type of detector with a desired length via a connector. By doing so, it is possible to cope with each of the detection points having different mounting states.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing an embodiment of an oil leak detection device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a gas station when the oil leak detection device according to the present invention is installed in a gas station. The oil leakage detection device of the first embodiment includes a detection unit 1 and a notification unit 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the detecting unit 1 includes an oil leak sensor 3
The connector 5 is attached to the end of the signal line 4 to which the signal is connected, and the length or the number of the oil leak sensors 3 and the length of the signal line 4 are variously made. As this oil leak sensor 3, for example, two parallel conducting wires are provided in a shrink tube,
A substance, which loses rigidity when oil acts on the outside of the shrink tube, is provided in such a state as to prevent the conductive wires from contacting each other, and when the substance outside the shrink tube comes into contact with oil, the rigidity is lost. In this case, the contraction tube shrinks, and as a result, two conductors come into contact with each other, thereby detecting oil leakage, or use an oil detection line in which the impedance between conductors changes when oil penetrates. And so on.

The notification unit 2 has a case 6 in which a battery 7 serving as a power supply, a control circuit 8 using a microcomputer or the like, a buzzer 9 as a notification device, and a lamp 10 are incorporated.
The case 6 was further provided with a connector 11 connected to the connector 5 on the detection unit 1 side, and the connector 11, the battery 7, the buzzer 9, and the lamp 10 were connected to the control circuit 8. In the drawing, reference numeral 12 denotes a mounting screw hole for mounting the notification unit 2 at a detection location, and is provided on each surface so as to be compatible with various mounting positions.

The connector 5 of the detecting unit 1 is connected to the connector 11 of the notifying unit 2 to constitute an oil leakage detecting device.
The detection unit 1 includes the length or number of the oil leak sensor 3 and the signal line 4
There are many types with different lengths.

In order to install the oil leakage detecting device having such a structure, for example, at a gas station, first, as shown in FIG.
In the vicinity, a gas detection tube 14 whose upper end rises to the ground surface is buried,
In the gas detection pipe 14, the detection unit 1 in which the signal line 4 is connected to the oil leak sensor 3 is stored, and the notification unit 2 is stored in the ground surface at the upper end of the gas detection pipe 14, and the connector 5 attached to the signal line 4 Is connected to the connector 11 provided in the notification unit 2, and the detection unit 1 and the notification unit 2 are connected. The number of the oil leak sensors 3 and the length of the signal line 4 are determined by the length of the gas detection pipe 14 determined by the size of the underground tank 13, the buried depth, and the like. The number was three.

In order to install an oil leak detection device on a fixed oil supply device on the ground, the oil supply device must be installed on an island 15 installed on the ground.
A refueling machine housing 16 is erected on the upper side, and a refueling pipe 17 standing up from an underground tank 13 is disposed in the housing 16, and a refueling mechanism such as a refueling pump 18 and a flow meter 19 is disposed in the middle of the refueling pipe 17. These oil supply mechanisms and oil supply pipes
17 If oil leaks in the middle,
Since it accumulates at the inner bottom, the detection unit 1
Is provided.

In this case, the location where the oil leaks is stored in the housing
Since it is almost limited to the bottom of the housing 16, only one oil leak sensor 3 is provided here. The notification unit 2 is attached to an easy-to-understand place such as the upper part of the housing 16, and a long signal line 4 is used. Then, the signal line 4 is connected to the connector 5 at the end of the signal line 4 and to the connector 11 provided on the notification unit 2.

Next, in order to install the oil leak detection device in the pump room 20 of the suspension type oil supply device, first, the oil supply pump 18 provided on the oil supply pipe 17 rising from the underground tank 13 and the pump room for storing the flow meter 19 are provided. Detector 1 in pump room 20 for oil leak detection in 20
Is installed. In this case, the number of the oil leak sensors 3 and the length of the signal line 4 are also determined by the size of the pump chamber 20 and the like. And pump room 20
The notification unit 2 was installed outside the device, and the detection unit 1 and the notification unit 2 were connected by the connectors 5 and 11.

Further, in the middle of the piping of the suspension type refueling device, the refueling pipe 17 rising from the underground tank 13 is connected to the canopy 21.
Since it extends upward, the detection unit 1 is provided along the oil supply pipe 17 on the canopy 21 for detecting oil leakage in the middle of the pipe on the canopy 21. In this case, since the length of the oil supply pipe 17 on the canopy 21 becomes relatively long, the number of oil leak sensors 3 disposed along the oil supply pipe 17 also increases, and in the example shown in FIG.
Provided. Then, the notification unit 2 is attached to a prominent place such as the lower surface of the canopy 21, and the notification unit 2 is connected to the detection unit 1 by the connectors 11 and 5.

Further, as a device for detecting oil leakage in the case 22 of the hose treatment device suspended from the canopy 21, a detecting unit 1 is provided in the case 22, and a notification unit 2 is provided on a side portion outside the case 22. And both were connected by connectors 5 and 11. In this case, only one oil leak sensor 3 is provided here because oil leaks accumulate in the bottom of the case 22. The case 22 is relatively small, and the location where the oil leak sensor 3 is attached is far away from the notification unit 2. Since there is no signal line, a short signal line 4 is used.

As described above, the number of oil leak sensors 3 and the length of the signal line 4 of the detecting unit 1 are determined according to the oil leak detecting point, and a variety of detecting units 1 adapted to the number are selected from those prepared. And connected to the notification unit 2 via the connectors 5 and 11.

When an oil leak occurs, the oil leak sensor 3 detects the oil leak, and its output is transmitted to the control circuit 8 via the signal line 4, and the buzzer 9 sounds with the output from the control circuit 8. Also, the occurrence of oil leakage is notified by turning on the lamp 10 or the like. In this case, since the length of the detection unit 1 can be arbitrarily selected, the connection to the detection unit 1 is possible even if the notification unit 2 is installed at an arbitrary place, and the sound of the buzzer 9 can be easily heard. The notification unit 2 can be installed at a place where the user can easily see 10.

In the above-described embodiment, only the signal line 4 of the detection unit 1 and the notification unit 2 are connected by a connector. The oil leak sensors 3 may be connected to each other, and the oil leak sensors 3 and the signal lines 4 may be connected to each other by connectors. 4 and any number of oil leak sensors 3 can be obtained more easily.

[0023]

As described above, according to the oil leakage detecting device of the present invention, it is possible to easily obtain an oil leakage sensor having the optimum number and length for oil leakage detection according to the situation of the mounting location of the device. The capability can be improved, and the signal line connecting the sensor and the notification unit can be easily obtained with an arbitrary length corresponding to the mounting location, so that the alarm can be installed at the optimum location.

Further, the detecting section and the notifying section are separated from each other, and various kinds of the detecting section are provided corresponding to the mounting portions only. Can be connected, so that the stock amount can be reduced and the whole can be manufactured at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing an embodiment of an oil leakage detection device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a gas station provided with the oil leakage detection device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Detection part 2 ... Notification part 3 ... Oil leak sensor 4 ... Signal line 5, 11 ... Connector 6 ... Case 7 ... Battery 8 ... Control circuit 9 ... Buzzer 10 ... Lamp 12 ... Mounting screw hole 13 ... Underground tank 14 ... Gas Detector tube 15… Island 16… Housing 17… Lubricant pipe 18… Lubricant pump 19… Flow meter 20… Pump room 21… Canopy 22… Hose treatment device case

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A detection unit in which a connector is connected to a plurality of signal lines of different lengths, each of which has a different length or number of oil leak sensors connected along the length direction, and wherein any one of the plurality of connectors is selected. Connected to the connector of the notifying unit, which has a connector mounted in a case incorporating a power supply, an alarm that notifies the occurrence of oil leakage, and a control circuit that receives an oil leak detection signal from the detecting unit and outputs the signal to the alarm. An oil leak detection device characterized in that: