Hydraulic and earth engineering – Fluid control – treatment – or containment – Flow control
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-15
2003-10-21
Shackelford, Heather (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Fluid control, treatment, or containment
Flow control
C405S091000, C405S087000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06634829
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fitting structural body, a fitting and a flexible sheet inflatable/deflatable gate. In detail, the present invention relates to a fitting structural body structured to form a frame with fittings for gripping flexible sheets which are inflated by supplying a fluid and deflated by discharging a fluid and being mounted on a target structure; a fitting included in the fitting structural body; and a flexible sheet inflatable/deflatable gate mounted on the target structure using the fitting structural body.
2. Description of the Related Art
A culvert through which liquid and gas can flow may be provided on the inner surface thereof with a flexible sheet inflatable gate including flexible sheets (e.g. rubber sheets) At the flexible sheet inflatable gate, the flexible sheets inflate to obstruct the interior space of the culvert when a fluid (typically air) is supplied to the sheets so as to stop the flow of liquid or gas through the culvert. The flexible sheets deflate and recede in the culvert when a fluid is discharged from the sheets, so that liquid and gas can flow through the culvert.
FIG. 19
is a partially enlarged view of such flexible sheet inflatable gate provided in a culvert
118
. The flexible sheet inflatable gate is arranged such that flexible sheets (a lower sheet
120
and an upper sheet
122
) are mounted to the culvert
118
, a target structure, using a fitting structural body
110
.
The fitting structural body
110
includes a bottom wall fitting
124
disposed on a bottom wall
118
L of the culvert
118
, a slope fitting
126
disposed on a slope
118
D, and a sidewall fitting
128
disposed on a sidewall
118
S, corresponding to the shape of the culvert
118
. The fittings
124
,
126
,
128
include respectively embedded fittings
124
B,
126
B and
128
B fixed to the culvert
118
and pressing fittings
124
H,
126
H and
128
H for gripping the flexible sheets (the lower sheet
120
and the upper sheet
122
) between the embedded fittings
124
B,
126
B and
128
B.
In mounting the structural body
110
, the lower sheet
120
and the upper sheet
122
are placed in order on the embedded fittings
124
B,
126
B and
128
B fixed to the culvert
118
. Then, the pressing fitting
126
H of the slope fitting
126
is mounted. Finally the pressing fitting
124
H of the bottom wall fitting
124
and the pressing fittings
128
H of the sidewall fitting
128
are mounted slantly as an arrow A (toward corners
130
and
132
of the culvert
118
). Mounting in this order that works at a corner portion of the culvert (in the vicinity of the slope
118
D) whose work area is narrower are done before those in the vicinity of the bottom wall
118
L and the sidewall
118
S whose work area is broader improves the operational efficiency.
The pressing fittings
124
H,
126
H and
128
H are formed with a minus tolerance in view of practical construction since the culvert
118
is a constructed object having a large tolerance. Thus, in the above mounting condition, a significantly large gap may appear for example between the pressing fitting
124
H of the bottom wall fitting
124
and the pressing fitting
126
H of the slope fitting
126
(that is, at the corner portion
130
).
On the other hand, an analysis such as three-dimensional FEM analysis has found that the tension at the time of inflating of the upper sheet
122
becomes large in the vicinity of the corner portions
130
and
132
and that the tension reaches the largest peak especially in the vicinity of the corner
130
. Therefore, edge portions
134
at the corner portions
130
and
132
are arranged to have a curvature (roundishness) in a finishing process in order to avoid damages (e.g. holes) on inflating the upper sheet
122
. The edge portion
134
, however, easily become acute even in such arrangement with the roundishness due to its three-dimensional shape, so that it is still likely to damage the upper sheet
122
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, an object of the invention is to obtain a fitting structural body, which would not damage flexible sheets; fittings included in the fitting structural body; and a flexible sheet inflatable gate mounted on a target structure using the fitting structural body.
A first aspect of the invention is that a fitting structural body structured to form a frame as a whole using a plurality of fittings for gripping a flexible sheet inflatable by supplying a fluid and deflatable by discharging the fluid and being fixed to the target structure, wherein the above fittings on the both sides of a non-linear part formed along a longitudinal side of the frame, are unified.
That is, a fitting structural body structured to form a shape of frame using fittings is fixed to the target structure and grips a flexible sheet, so that the flexible sheet is mounted on the target structure. The flexible sheet inflates or deflates by supplying or discharging a fluid to or from the flexible sheet so as to close or open a culvert or river.
The fitting structural body includes the non-linear part formed along a longitudinal side of the frame so that the fitting structural body can be formed corresponding to the target structure.
Further, the fittings are unified on the both sides of the non-linear part. Thus, no gaps at the non-linear part exist and no acute portions would contact with the flexible sheet. Therefore, the flexible sheet is not damaged even when the large tension acts on the flexible sheet at the non-linear part.
A second aspect of the invention is fittings included in the fitting structural body in the first aspect, provided at the non-linear part formed along a longitudinal side of the above-mentioned frame, and are unified at the both sides of the above non-linear part.
That is, the fitting structural body in the first aspect can be structured using the fittings in the second aspect. In the fittings in the second aspect, there are no gaps at the non-linear part, and no acute portions would contact with the flexible sheet and the flexible sheet would not be damaged.
In the second aspect of the invention, a specific structure for unifying the fittings on the both sides of the non-linear part is not particularly limited, but may be unified preferably by welding fitting elements, which are formed separate bodies so as to form the both sides of the above-mentioned non-linear part. More preferably, the fittings may be unified on the both sides of the non-linear part by cutting an elongated member, which is elongated beforehand longer in a longitudinal direction of the frame than the length of the fittings included in the above-mentioned fitting structural body, so that the elongated member is formed to correspond to the above-mentioned non-linear part.
Especially, the shape of the fittings may be individually different since the target structure on which the fittings are mounted often varies in the shape, size, angle and others. Consequently, many molds are needed when the fittings are manufactured using a mold, and may result in a high manufacturing cost. In contrast, in manufacturing the fittings by hot extruding, for example, the degree of freedom in the shape and dimension is high, and the fittings can be manufactured at a low cost. Thus, as in the present invention, the fittings are unified preferably by welding fitting elements, which have been formed into separate bodies, so that the fittings in the second aspect of the invention can be manufactured at a low cost.
In the present invention, the above-mentioned non-linear part of the aforesaid fittings is preferably processed so as to have a curvature in a view along a longitudinal side of the frame.
Therefore, damage of a flexible sheet can be avoided more reliably.
In the fittings according to the invention, a radius of curvature obtained by processing the non-linear part is preferably within a range from 50 mm to 1800 mm, for example, but not particularly limited to the above so long as the flexible sheet can be prevented from being da
Bridgestone Corporation
Lagman Frederick L.
Shackelford Heather
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