Valve remote control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9689505-B2
Application number	US-201314402987-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2013
Priority date	May 23, 2012
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

It is to realize a valve remote control apparatus capable of driving and controlling, with wireless signals, an air motor configuring an automatic switch to be attached to a manual valve.
A valve remote control apparatus is configured to mechanically connect, to a manual operating portion 11 of an existing manual valve 10 , an output shaft 21 a of an air motor 21 using an air pressure as a drive source, and to remotely control the manual value 10 . The valve remote control apparatus includes a solenoid valve (operating valve 53 ) operated by an operation signal transmitted and received wirelessly between a contact information terminal portion 51 and a contact information operating portion 52 . The air pressure for driving and rotating the air motor 21 is supplied via the solenoid valve (operating valve 53 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A valve remote control apparatus configured to mechanically connect, to a manual operating portion of an existing manual valve, an output shaft of an air motor configured to rotate using an air pressure as a drive source, and to remotely control the manual valve, the valve remote control apparatus comprising:
a solenoid valve operated by an operation signal transmitted and received wirelessly between a contact information terminal portion and a contact information operating portion;
a discrete limit switch that detects linear position by detecting an end position, the discrete limit switch configured to detect a full-open state and a full-close state of the air motor, and to output contact information,
wherein the air pressure for driving and rotating the air motor is supplied via the solenoid valve,
wherein the contact information operating portion includes a contact information reading portion configured to read the contact information output, and
wherein the contact information terminal portion includes a contact information analyzing portion configured to cause, when confirming that the contact information read to the contact information reading portion is turned on, transition of the contact information to an off-state.

2. The valve remote control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the contact information operating portion includes a module configured to convert contact information transmitted from the contact information terminal portion into an electric signal capable of driving the solenoid valve.

3. The valve remote control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the solenoid valve is a double latch type solenoid valve.

4. The valve remote control apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an intrinsically safety explosion-proof solenoid valve used as the solenoid valve;
a single-system voltage/current limiting portion configured to limit each of a voltage and an current, which drive a solenoid of the intrinsically safety explosion-proof solenoid valve, not to exceed a value predetermined for intrinsically safety explosion protection; and
an output terminal switching portion configured to selectively connect, to a terminal of the solenoid to be driven, a predetermined output limited by the voltage/current limiting portion.

5. The valve remote control apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
a pressure monitor configured to measure an air pressure serving as the drive source;
a displacement sensor configured to detect displacement of the manual valve;
a temperature sensor configured to detect ambient temperature of the solenoid valve;
a module configured to detect an operating sound of the air motor and to analyze acoustic information concerning the detected operating sound; and
an energy harvesting function portion configured to serve as a power supply complementing a battery driving each of the portions.

Assignees

• Yokogawa Electric Corp

Inventors

• Inagaki Tetsuo
• Saito Hitoshi

Classifications

• F16K31/14 Primary

  for mounting on, or in combination with, hand-actuated valves · CPC title

• Y10T137/8242

  Electrical · CPC title

• F16K31/60

  Handles {(form, features or function of taps or faucet handles for domestic plumbing installations E03C1/04)} · CPC title

• F15B2211/6336

  representing a state of the output member, e.g. position, speed or acceleration · CPC title

• F15B20/00

  Safety arrangements for fluid actuator systems; Applications of safety devices in fluid actuator systems; Emergency measures for fluid actuator systems · CPC title