IP Library Granted Patent US 11,268,876
Granted Patent B2
US 11,268,876 · App. 16/624,180 · Granted Mar 8, 2022

Apparatus for valve-seat inspection and pressure-resistance inspection for valves, and valve

Inventors: Naoki Kira (Hokuto, JP); Masatake Nakashinden (Hokuto, JP)
Assignee: KITZ CORPORATION
G01M3/224
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,268,876
App. No.
16/624,180
Granted
Mar 8, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus for valve-seat inspection and pressure-resistance inspection for valves which can successively perform a valve-seat inspection and a pressure-resistance inspection on a valve and can quickly and correctly inspect valves, by highly-accurately detecting a leak of search gas in a substantially fixed time; a method for these inspections; and a valve. The apparatus allows a valve-seat leak and pressure-resistance inspection of a test valve, includes a clamp mounting mechanism that fixes the test valve in an inspection chamber, an inspection space adjustment mechanism that adjusts a volumetric capacity of an inspection space S of the chamber, and a gas sensor for valve-seat inspection arranged in a flow path of the test valve and a gas sensor provided in the chamber for a pressure-resistance inspection of the valve, in which the volumetric capacity of the inspection space S of the chamber is adjusted to be substantially fixed.

Claims (16)

1. An apparatus for valve-seat inspection and pressure-resistance inspection for valves allowing a valve-seat leak and pressure-resistance inspection of a test valve, the apparatus comprising;

a fixed clamp jig for fixing one side of the test valve; and

a movable clamp jig configured to freely advance and retract relative to the fixed clamp jig, the movable clamp jig being operable to fix another side of the test valve;

a cover part for covering the test valve with an open lower side; and

a plurality of gas sensors fixedly attached inside the cover part,

wherein the fixed clamp jig and the cover part configure a chamber in a non-hermetically-sealed state in a state in which the cover part is moved to a fixed clamp jig side,

the movable clamp jig is inserted into the chamber in accordance with a volume of the test valve, it is provided that a volumetric capacity of an inspection space of the chamber is adjusted to be substantially fixed by an insertion depth of the movable clamp jig and the volume of the test valve in accordance with the volume of the test valve,

the inspection space of the test valve is provided inside the chamber in the non-hermetically-sealed state, and

search gas diffuses in the cover part with the test valve being in the non-hermetically-sealed state separated from outside.

2. The apparatus for valve-seat inspection and pressure-resistance inspection for valves according to claim 1 , wherein a mounting table is provided on a lower side of the chamber, and the volumetric capacity of the inspection space of the chamber can be adjusted by ascending and descending the mounting table.

3. The apparatus for valve-seat inspection and pressure-resistance inspection for valves according to claim 2 , wherein the test valve is a valve including a globe valve or a gate valve.

4. The apparatus for valve-seat inspection and pressure-resistance inspection for valves according to claim 1 , comprising a shutdown mechanism for shutting a flow path to a gas sensor down at the valve-seat inspection until supply of an inspection pressure is completed, the gas sensor provided to a secondary flow path of the test valve.

5. The apparatus for valve-seat inspection and pressure-resistance inspection for valves according to claim 4 , wherein the test valve is a valve including a globe valve or a gate valve.

6. The apparatus for valve-seat inspection and pressure-resistance inspection for valves according to claim 1 , wherein the test valve is a valve including a globe valve or a gate valve.

7. The apparatus for valve-seat inspection and pressure-resistance inspection for valves according to claim 1 , wherein the search gas is a mixed gas of hydrogen and nitrogen formed of a gas containing hydrogen.

8. The apparatus for valve-seat inspection and pressure-resistance inspection for valves according to claim 1 , wherein when the test valve is a ball valve, after the search gas is injected into the ball valve at a state of an intermediate degree of opening, the search gas is charged into a cavity of the ball valve with the ball valve being in a full-close state and, in preparation for the valve-seat inspection, the search gas in primary and secondary plumbing of the ball valve is exhausted.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ASSIGNEE ADDRESS Recorded Feb 15, 2024
From: KITZ CORPORATION
To: KITZ CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066600/0551 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 18, 2019
From: KIRA, NAOKI; NAKASHINDEN, MASATAKE
To: KITZ CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 051324/0053 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2017-129795 · Jun 30, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200109999A1 · Apr 9, 2020