Hydraulic and earth engineering – Fluid control – treatment – or containment – Flow control
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-14
2003-08-26
Lee, Jong-Suk (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Fluid control, treatment, or containment
Flow control
C405S092000, C405S110000, C405S115000, C405S124000, C137S218000, C137S488000, C324S326000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06609854
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure and method for detecting an inflated state of a dam formed by a flexible membrane disposed in a culvert, with the flexible membrane being inflated due to fluid being supplied thereto and being deflated due to fluid being discharged therefrom.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a dam formed by a flexible membrane has been used as a sluice gate disposed in a conduit (such as a sluice pipe) crossing a levee, and as an adjusting gate or a checking gate disposed in a culvert such as a sewage pipe or a water conduit.
When fluid (such as air or water) is supplied inside the flexible membrane, the flexible membrane is inflated to close watercourses such as a river. When the fluid is discharged, the flexible membrane is deflated to open the watercourses.
Because the flexible membrane dam is disposed inside the conduit or the like and cannot be seen from the outside, sometimes a pressure detector is used to determine whether the flexible membrane dam has been completely inflated by detecting whether pressure within the flexible membrane has reached a specified value. However, there are cases in which the pressure detector cannot accurately detect that the flexible membrane has actually been completely inflated due to slight errors in the pressure detection.
In view of this drawback, an alternative structure shown in
FIGS. 10A and 10B
has been suggested (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-20263), in which a diaphragm-type pressure detector
116
is mounted on a ceiling
114
of a conduit
112
. When a flexible membrane
118
has been completely inflated, the flexible membrane
118
contacts the ceiling
114
, and a compressive force is exerted on the pressure detector
116
by air pressure inside the flexible membrane
118
. The diaphragm of the pressure detector
116
is thereby deformed, and the deformation of the diaphragm is electrically detected by the pressure detector
116
. In this manner, whether the flexible membrane
118
has been completely inflated can be remotely verified in a handling room
120
.
However, when a compressive force exerted on the diaphragm is used to detect the fully inflated state of the flexible membrane
118
, accurate detection is problematic because the diaphragm is also presumably distorted by water pressure or the like when the flexible membrane
118
is deflated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above facts, it is an object of the present invention to obtain a structure and method that can detect with greater accuracy an inflated state of a flexible membrane dam and are unaffected by pressure resulting from fluid flow when the flexible membrane is not completely inflated.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a structure for detecting an inflated state of a dam formed by a flexible membrane disposed in a culvert, with the flexible membrane being inflated due to fluid being supplied thereto and being deflated due to fluid being discharged therefrom, the structure comprises: a metal member mountable on the flexible membrane; and a metal detector for detecting the metal member, the metal detector being mountable in the culvert at a position corresponding to the metal member when the flexible membrane has been inflated.
When the flexible membrane is inflated due to fluid being supplied thereto, the metal member disposed on the flexible membrane moves toward the culvert. Since the metal detector is mounted in the culvert at the position corresponding to the metal member when the flexible membrane has been inflated, the metal detector detects the metal member when the flexible membrane has been completely inflated. In this manner, the metal detector detects the metal member, whereby the inflated state of the flexible membrane dam can be detected. Since this structure detects the inflated state thereof without conventionally detecting pressure, the inflated state can be accurately detected without being affected by fluid pressure.
As the metal detector, any commonly used conventional metal detector can be used.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, the metal member is usually disposed at a substantial center of the flexible membrane when viewed in a direction in which the flexible membrane inflates.
The center of the flexible membrane is moved in a large amount when the flexible membrane is inflated and deflated. Therefore, the metal member is disposed at the center (when viewed in the inflation direction) of the flexible membrane, whereby the inflated state can be more accurately detected.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, the metal member is usually a tabular metal plate.
The metal member may be spherical, rectangular parallelepiped, block-shaped, etc. However, when the metal member is tabular, protrusion from the flexible membrane can be reduced.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, the structure further usually comprises a covering member for covering at least part of the metal member.
Accordingly, at least the portion of the metal member that is covered with the covering member can be protected. The metal member may be completely covered with only the covering member, or with both the covering member and an additional cloth member, so that the metal member can be more reliably protected.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, the metal member is usually not attached to the flexible membrane.
When the fluid is supplied, the flexible membrane extends/contracts in its directions. If the metal member is not attached to the flexible membrane, the metal member remains unaffected by distortion of the flexible membrane. In the structure including the covering member, when the flexible membrane extends/contracts, the covering member may also extend/contract. In this case, similarly, if the metal member is not attached to the covering member, contact between the metal member and the covering member is unaffected by distortion of the flexible membrane.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, a periphery of the covering member usually tapers away from a center of the covering member.
Accordingly, when the flexible membrane has been completely inflated, a clearance generated between the flexible membrane and the culvert is reduced (preferably eliminated), and occlusion of the culvert is improved.
When the flexible membrane is deflated, an area thereof opposing the direction that the fluid flows in the culvert is reduced (preferably eliminated). Therefore, foreign substances flowing together with the fluid are not often caught, and durability of the covering member is improved.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, an outer edge of the covering member outwardly extrudes from that of the metal member usually by 100 mm or more.
Accordingly, the metal member can be completely covered with only the covering member, or with both the covering member and the additional cloth member. Further, the portion of the covering member that outwardly extrudes from the metal member can be securely attached to the flexible membrane.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, the covering member usually comprises a thickness within a range of from 2 mm to 10 mm.
When the thickness of the covering member is at most 10 mm, the amount of protrusion from the flexible membrane can be reduced. When the thickness is at least 2 mm, the strength of the covering member can be obtained.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, a covering unit that includes the metal member and the covering member is usually attached to the flexible membrane.
Accordingly, if the covering unit has been produced in a factory, only attachment of the covering unit to the flexible membrane is needed on a site, and thus, execution property thereof is improved.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, a cloth member for covering at least some corners of the m
Bridgestone Corporation
Lee Jong-Suk
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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