Abstract:
The present invention provides a control system (10) for managing the supply of bottled gas to users (12), the system comprising: a gas cylinder system (14) having a gas cylinder (15) for receiving and distributing gas contained therein; a first electronic monitoring system (16) associated with said gas cylinder system (14) and operable to monitor parameters associated with said cylinder system (14); a second monitoring system (18) associated with one or more locations (A-F) in which said cylinder may reside and being operable to monitor the presence or absence of said cylinder within said one or more locations (A-F); and a computer system (20) in communication with each of said second monitors (18) for receiving information therefrom relating to the presence or absence of said cylinder system (14) in said one or more locations (A-F).
Abstract:
The present invention provides a flow apparatus (10) having a flow control valve (12) having a housing (14), an aperture (16), an aperture obturator (18) and an actuator (20) for moving said obturator (16) between a first closed position and multiple open positions (B-L), characterised by a valve position monitor (21) for monitoring the position of the valve (12) and comprising a plurality of discrete sensors (28a to 28e) associated with a plurality of open positions (B-L) of said valve for monitoring the presence or absence of one or more members (26) movable with said valve (12). The arrangement may be used to' monitor the valve position and such monitoring may be of use in the prediction of the amount of fluid remaining within a cylinder (32) to which it has bee attached.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a flow apparatus (10) for a vessel storing fluid under pressure having a flow control valve (12) having a housing (14) and an outlet aperture (16) and further including a valve seat (18) and a sealing member (20) for sealing against said seat (18) such as to obturate said outlet (16), said apparatus further including an actuator (22) connected to said sealing member (20) for moving it between an open position of the valve in which it unobturates the outlet aperture (16) and a closed position in which it obturates said outlet, characterised by an electrical switch (24) for controlling the supply of electrical current to one or more electrical components (25) and wherein said switch is operably connected to said sealing member (20) to allow for the passage of current when said valve (12) is in a first position and to restrict the flow of current when said valve (12) is in a second position. Such an apparatus may be used to control the flow of gas from a gas bottle and to ensure that electricity is only supplied when needed, thus prolonging battery life and reducing maintenance.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a monitoring apparatus (1) for an outlet (10a) of a vessel (10) storing gas under pressure. The monitoring apparatus (1) comprises a flow control valve (21) movable to a position between a fully open position and a fully closed position to adjust a flow of gas from the outlet (10a) of the vessel (10), a valve position detector (22) connected to the flow control valve (21) to detect the position of the flow control valve (21), an internal pressure sensor (14) to sense an internal pressure P int (t) of the gas in the vessel (10) at different times, a processor (16), a memory (11) and an alarm (18). The processor (16) calculates an actual rate of change in pressure dP int /dt of the gas in the vessel (10) over time from the pressure P int (t) of the gas in the vessel (10) sensed by the internal pressure sensor (14) at different times, compares the actual rate of change in pressure dP int /dt with anexpected rate of change in pressure (dP int /dt) exp stored in the memory (11) for the same position of the valve (21) as detected by the valve position detector (22) and generates an alarm signal (s)if the actual rate of change in pressure dP int /dt is found to be less than a first threshold (dP/dt) min defined in relation to the expected rate of change in pressure (dP int /dt) exp which is compared with the actual rate of change in pressure dP int /dt.
Abstract translation:本发明提供一种用于储存处于压力下的气体的容器(10)的出口(10a)的监测装置(1)。 监测装置(1)包括流量控制阀(21),该流量控制阀(21)可移动到完全打开位置和完全关闭位置之间的位置以调节来自容器(10)的出口(10a)的气体流量,阀位置 (21)检测流量控制阀(21)的位置的检测器(22),检测内部压力P int(t)的内部压力传感器(14) 处理器(16),存储器(11)和警报器(18)。 处理器(16)根据压力P int(t)随时间计算容器(10)中的气体的压力的实际变化率dP int / dt / 由内部压力传感器(14)在不同时间感测的容器(10)中的气体的压力比较实际变化率dP int int / dt与预期的压力变化率(dP (21)检测到的与阀位置检测器(22)检测到的相同位置的存储在存储器(11)中的压缩机(1) 如果发现实际的压力变化率dP / dt小于第一阈值(dP / dt)min sub>时定义的信号 预期的压力变化率(dP int int / dt)exp sub>与实际的压力变化率dP int int / dt进行比较。 p>
Abstract:
The present invention provides a gas cylinder system (14) having a gas cylinder (15), a first electronic monitoring system (16)operable to monitor cylinder specific data (CSD) associated with said cylinder (15)or a patient specific data (PSD) associated with a patient.Such a cylinder system (14) may be used in a number of ways such as to modify the delivery of gas to a patient.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a sub-frame (10) for a valve body (12) having two or more location surfaces (14, 16), said sub-frame (10) comprising a first and a second portion (10a, 10b) having mutually confronting contact surfaces (18a, 18b), sides (20a, 20b) and front and back surfaces (22a, 22b) and mutually confronting engagement surfaces(24a, 24b and 26a, 26b) wherein said mutually confronting contact surfaces (18a, 18b) are shaped to engage with each other upon placement together of the two portions (10a, 10b) and said mutually confronting engagement surfaces (24a, 24b and 26a, 26b) are shaped to engage with one or other of said one or more location surfaces (14, 16) on the valve body (12).