ANTI-LEAK FLANGED JOINT STRUCTURE WITH DETECTION AND EARLY WARNING FUNCTION, AND PIPE JOINT LEAKAGE PREVENTION DEVICE USING THE SAME

Abstract

An anti-leak flanged joint structure with a detection and early warning function is disclosed along with a pipe joint leakage prevention device using the same. The anti-leak flanged joint structure includes a first and a second flange plate, a gasket, and a leakage sensor. The first flange plate includes a first fixing plate with a cavity. The gasket lies in the cavity without jutting out. The second flange plate includes a second fixing plate with a peripheral recessed portion. The second fixing plate lies in and closes the cavity, forming a receiving space between the recessed portion and the wall of the cavity. Any working fluid leaking at the joint between the flange plates will be stored in the receiving space against evaporation into the air and sensed by the leakage sensor, which either alerts the maintenance personnel or signals a processor to turn off the associated motor.

Claims

1. An anti-leak flanged joint structure with a detection and early warning function, connected to at least one pipe for conveying a working fluid, the anti-leak flanged joint structure comprising: a first flange plate comprising a first opening and a first fixing plate, wherein the first fixing plate is concavely provided with a cavity extending in an axial direction of the first opening; a gasket placed in the cavity without jutting out of the cavity; a second flange plate comprising a second opening and a second fixing plate, wherein the second fixing plate is peripherally provided with a recessed portion, the second fixing plate is placed in the cavity to close the cavity, and the second fixing plate is locked to the first fixing plate such that the second flange plate is connected to the first flange plate, with the first opening and the second opening in communication with each other, and with the recessed portion of the second fixing plate and a wall of the cavity jointly forming a receiving space; and a leakage sensor for sensing any said working fluid leaking into the receiving space.

2. The anti-leak flanged joint structure with the detection and early warning function as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fixing member passed through the first fixing plate and the second fixing plate to press the first fixing plate and the second fixing plate tightly together.

3. The anti-leak flanged joint structure with the detection and early warning function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first fixing plate is provided with a through hole in communication with the receiving space.

4. The anti-leak flanged joint structure with the detection and early warning function as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a guide tube connected to the first fixing plate and in communication with the through hole.

5. The anti-leak flanged joint structure with the detection and early warning function as claimed in claim 3, wherein the leakage sensor is provided in a surrounding area of the through hole.

6. The anti-leak flanged joint structure with the detection and early warning function as claimed in claim 5, wherein the leakage sensor is provided in the receiving space.

7. The anti-leak flanged joint structure with the detection and early warning function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leakage sensor is a sensing coil extending in and along the receiving space.

8. The anti-leak flanged joint structure with the detection and early warning function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first fixing plate of the first flange plate is peripherally formed with a first inclined surface, the second fixing plate of the second flange plate is peripherally formed with a second inclined surface, and when the second flange plate is connected to the first flange plate, the second inclined surface lies flat against the first inclined surface to form a closed inclined surface.

9. A pipe joint leakage prevention device using the anti-leak flanged joint structure with the detection and early warning function as claimed in claim 1, comprising: the anti-leak flanged joint structure with the detection and early warning function; a processor; a motor; and at least one pipe; wherein the anti-leak flanged joint structure with the detection and early warning function is connected between the motor and a said pipe or between two adjacent said pipes, and the processor is signal-connected to the leakage sensor of the anti-leak flanged joint structure with the detection and early warning function and the motor in order to turn off the motor as soon as the leakage sensor senses any said working fluid leaking into the receiving space.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

[0026] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2;

[0027] FIG. 4 shows an application of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3;

[0028] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the leakage sensor is a sensing coil extending in and along the receiving space; and

[0029] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the second inclined surface lies flat against the first inclined surface to form a closed inclined surface when the second flange plate is connected to the first flange plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] The present invention incorporates the aforesaid technical features into an anti-leak flanged joint structure with a detection and early warning function and a pipe joint leakage prevention device using the same, whose major effects are demonstrated by the following embodiments.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, one embodiment of the present invention includes a first flange plate 1, a gasket 2, a second flange plate 3, and a leakage sensor 10.

[0032] The first flange plate 1 includes a first opening 11 and a first fixing plate 12. The first fixing plate 12 is concavely provided with a cavity 13 that extends in the axial direction P of the first opening 11.

[0033] The gasket 2 is placed in the cavity 13 without jutting out of the cavity 13.

[0034] The second flange plate 3 includes a second opening 31 and a second fixing plate 32, wherein the second fixing plate 32 is peripherally provided with a recessed portion 33. The second fixing plate 32 of the second flange plate 3 is placed in the cavity 13 to close the cavity 13, before a fixing member 4 is passed through the first fixing plate 12 and the second fixing plate 32 to press the first fixing plate 12 and the second fixing plate 32 tightly together and thereby connect the second flange plate 3 to the first flange plate 1. Once the two flange plates are connected, the first opening 11 and the second opening 31 are in communication with each other, and the recessed portion 33 of the second flange plate 32 and the wall of the cavity 13 of the first fixing plate 12 jointly form a receiving space A. The first fixing plate 12 is further provided with a through hole 15 in communication with the receiving space A.

[0035] The leakage sensor 10 is provided in the receiving space A and is adjacent to an edge of the through hole 15.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows the present invention applied to a pipe system in which a motor 7 is used to draw an industrial fluid into the system, and which includes two flanged joints constructed according to the invention. One of the flanged joints has its first flange plate 1 connected to the inlet end 71 of the motor 7 and its second flange plate 3 connected to an inlet pipe 8. The other flanged joint has its first flange plate 1 connected to the outlet end 72 of the motor 7 and its second flange plate 3 connected to an outlet pipe 9. Each flanged joint also has a guide tube 6 connected to the first fixing plate 12 and in communication with the through hole 15 (as can be seen more clearly in FIG. 3). The industrial fluid can be drawn into the pipe system once the aforesaid connections are completed. It is worth mentioning that the two first flange plates 1 may be integrally formed with the motor 7.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 3 in conjunction with FIG. 4, the gasket 2 is placed into the cavity 13 of the first fixing plate 12 of the first flange 1 together with the second fixing plate 32 of the second flange plate 3. As a result, the gasket 2 is kept from exposure to the outside and can prevent the working fluid being conveyed from leaking or splashing should a pressure difference be generated or should the fixing member 4 come loose during the fluid conveying process. The receiving space A is configured to receive any working fluid that manages to escape the inlet pipe 8 or the outlet pipe 9, lest the working fluid (which may be a low-flash-point fluid) evaporate into the air and incur the risk of explosion. The working fluid in the receiving space A will be guided by the guide tube 6 into a recycling tank and, during the process, be sensed by the leakage sensor 10, which in turn notifies the maintenance personnel immediately for repair. When a pipe system includes a plurality of flanged joints constructed according to the present invention, the leakage sensors 10 in all the flanged joints may be sequentially numbered and connected to a processor 20. Thus, when any of the flanged joints leaks, the processor 20 can inform the maintenance personnel of the number of the leakage sensor 10 that generates the leakage signal, and the maintenance personnel will know the location of the leak from the number of the leakage sensor 10 without having to inspect the entire pipe system. This reduces the labor and time required for spotting a leak and consequently the probability of industrial safety incidents. The motor 7 may also be electrically connected to the processor 20 in order for the processor 20 to turn off the motor 7 as soon as a leakage sensor 10 connected to the processor 20 generates the leakage signal, thereby preventing further leak of the working fluid and increasing the safety of working fluid transfer. As the flanged joints in this embodiment do not require any additional components for producing the anti-leak effect, no additional cost is incurred, and the joints do not occupy any extra space. The absence of additional components also means that the flanged joints described above have the same assembly method, and therefore can be assembled as easily, as a common flanged joint.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 5, the leakage sensor 10 may also be a sensing coil extending in and along the entire receiving space A in order to detect any leaking spot along the periphery of the flanged joint.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 6, the first fixing plate 12 of the first flange plate 1 may be peripherally formed with a first inclined surface 121, and the second fixing plate 32 of the second flange plate 3 may be peripherally formed with a second incline surface 321. When the second flange plate 3 is connected to the first flange plate 1, the second inclined surface 321 lies flat against the first inclined surface 121 to form a closed inclined surface, which not only increases the tightness between the second flange plate 3 and the first flange plate 1, but also generates additional resistance to prevent any leaking working fluid from gushing out of the butt joint between the two flange plates.

[0040] The embodiments described and illustrated herein should be able to enable a full understanding of the operation, use, and effects of the present invention. Those embodiments, however, are only some preferred ones of the invention and are not intended to be restrictive of the scope of the invention. All simple equivalent changes and modifications based on the appended claims and the present disclosure should fall within the scope of the invention.