Method for monitoring gas installation

• US 9,677,684 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2015
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clesse Industries
• Original Assignee: Aiut Sp. Z O. O.
• Inventors: Gabrys, Marek
• Primary Examiner(s): ARUNDALE, ROBERT K
• Application Number:
  US14/604,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20160084404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/02 with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/50 with screw-spindle or internally threaded actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0008 Mechanical means F16K37/0075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0033 using a permanent magnet, e.g. in combination with a reed relays
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0041 for measuring valve parameters F16K37/0033 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/045 Automatic change-over switching assembly for bottled gas systems with two (or more) gas containers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0109 with exteriorly curved end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/032 with substantially vertical main axis
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/058 portable (<30 l)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/013 Two or more vessels
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0138 bundled in series
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0142 bundled in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/018 Supporting feet
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0308 Protective caps
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/042 with change-over from one vessel to another
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0478 Position or presence
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/20 by varying inductance, e.g. by a movable armature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0396 Involving pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2569 Control by depletion of source
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8225 Position or extent of motion indicator

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic cylinder changeover device (1), comprising two gas inlets for mounting gas cylinder banks, namely the left gas inlet and the right gas inlet, a gas outlet through which gas may be discharged and a valve suitable for connecting said left gas inlet or said right gas inlet with the gas outlet and configured for automatically reversible switching between these two connections, characterized in that the device (1) comprises an indicator, suitable for being manually set in one of two distinct positions, one of said positions indicating the left gas inlet and the other of said positions indicating the right gas inlet and comprises means for detecting the position of the indicator, including at least one sensor (5), preferably a pair of sensors (5).

The invention also covers a method for monitoring a gas installation equipped with such automatic cylinder changeover device.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a gas installation comprising an automatic cylinder changeover device (1) comprising:

a left gas inlet and a right gas inlet, for mounting gas cylinder banks;

a gas outlet through which gas is configured to be discharged;

a valve for connecting said left gas inlet or said right gas inlet with the gas outlet and configured for automatically reversible switching between these two connections;

an indicator for being manually set in one of two distinct positions, one of said positions indicating the left gas inlet and the other of said positions indicating the right gas inlet, and comprising means for detecting the position of the indicator, including at least one sensor (5); and

transmitting means for transmitting a signal c) and at least one of a signal a) and a signal b),

wherein;

the signal a) is a left inlet signal a), containing information whether or not the indicator is in the position indicating the left gas inlet;

the signal b) is a right bank signal b), containing information whether or not the indicator is in the position indicating the right gas inlet; and

the signal c) is a reserve signal c), containing information whether or not the gas outlet is connected to the same gas inlet as indicated by the indicator at a given moment,

the method comprising;

transmitting the signal c) as well as receiving and monitoring this signal; and

transmitting the at least one of the signals a) or b) as well as receiving and monitoring the at least one of the signals a) or b).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the left inlet signal a), the right bank signal b) and the reserve signal c) are binary signals.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the left inlet signal a) is true/high when the indicator of the automatic cylinder changeover device (1) is in the position indicating the left gas inlet, while the right inlet signal b) is true/high when the indicator of the automatic cylinder changeover device (1) is in the position indicating the right gas inlet.

4. The method according to claim 3, the method further comprises detecting gas cylinder replacement.

5. The method according to claim 4,

wherein the reserve signal c) is false/low when the gas outlet is connected to the same gas inlet as indicated by the indicator at the given moment, and

wherein the gas cylinder replacement is detected when the reserve signal c) has changed to the opposite.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor (5) comprises a pair of sensors (5).

7. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the transmitting means transmits the signal c) and both of the signals a) and b), and

wherein the transmitting the at least one of the signals a) or b) comprises transmitting the both of the signals a) and b) as well as receiving and monitoring the both of the signals a) and b).

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the detecting the gas cylinder replacement comprises:

detecting the gas cylinder replacement upon detection of change of value of at least one of the left inlet signal a) and the right inlet signal b) to the opposite.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein the detecting the gas cylinder replacement comprises:

detecting the gas cylinder replacement upon detection of change of value of each of the left inlet signal a) and right inlet signal b) to the opposite.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein the detecting the gas cylinder replacement comprises:

detecting the gas cylinder replacement when the left inlet signal a) has changed from true/high to false/low while the right inlet signal b) has changed from false/low to true/high.

11. The method according to claim 4, wherein the detecting the gas cylinder replacement comprises:

detecting the gas cylinder replacement when the left inlet signal a) has changed from false/low to true/high while the right inlet signal b) has changed from true/high to false/low.

12. The method according to claim 5, wherein the gas cylinder replacement is detected when the reserve signal c) has changed from true/high to false/low or from false/low to true/high.