System for monitoring fluid distribution towards a utilization station

A monitoring system comprising at least, a first and a second indicator unit each associated with at least one fluid distribution line and each including at least two series of indicators, each series being associated with at least one pick-up of the magnitude of a fluid which circulates in a distribution line and comprising at least two indicator lights for the thresholds of the magnitude, wherein the thresholds may be adjusted by a programming unit.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
(a) Field of the Invention 
The present invention concerns systems of monitoring the distribution of at 
least one fluid towards at least one utilization station, comprising at 
least one fluid distribution line provided with at least one pick-up 
connected to at least one associated light. 
(b) Description of Prior Art 
Operators of fluid distribution networks have at their disposal, for their 
own management, generally sophisticated monitoring systems showing a large 
number of parameters relative to the fluid, at various locations of the 
network. This is not the unit, however, with autonomous local networks 
nor, more generally, at the level of the final user. On the other hand, 
for certain applications, for example in medical or hospital sites, many 
gaseous fluids are distributed towards the same utilization stations where 
the user, for example the surgeon or the person in charge of reanimation, 
has an absolute need to be sure to rely on the correct supply, within 
pre-established norms, of the fluid (s) which he uses but without being 
compelled to read and above all interpret useless parameters. 
SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to propose a monitoring 
system for the local distribution of at least one fluid, typically a 
medical fluid, of simple but efficient and reliable design, suitable for 
monitoring a plurality of fluids, of flexible and adaptable utilization 
and enabling to ensure required safety conditions. 
For this purpose, according to a characteristic of the invention, the 
system comprises at least one indicator unit, including at least two 
series of indicators, each series being associated with at least one 
pick-up of a magnitude of a fluid in a distribution line and comprising at 
least two indicator lights for the threshold of said magnitude. 
According to other characteristics of the invention: 
the system includes controlled access means to control each threshold; 
each series of indicators comprises a display of the value of said 
magnitude; 
the system comprises a first indicator unit associated with at least one 
pick-up disposed in the upstream part of the distribution line; 
the system comprises at least a second indicator unit associated with at 
least one pick-up disposed in the downstream part of the line; 
the downstream part of the line comprises a pressure reducer and two 
pressure pick-ups on both sides of the pressure reducer and connected to 
the second indicator unit which advantageously includes a series of 
indicators with two indicator lights for the pressure threshold upstream 
of the pressure reducer and two indicator lights for the pressure 
threshold downstream of the pressure reducer. 
As used in the present invention, the term "fluid" means a fluid more 
particularly a gas, which circulates from a source of fluid but also a 
vacuum (decreased pressure of air) which circulates towards a vacuum pump.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
In the embodiment which is particularly illustrated in the figure, there 
will be seen a station for the production of medical gases, generally 
located in a protected enclosure, comprising for example a storage 
container for at least one gas, such as a container 1 for storing oxygen, 
bottles for storage of another gas, such as a station 2 for storing 
nitrogen monoxide as well as, generally, a vacuum container and a 
container for compressed air (not illustrated). From each source of fluid 
there are channels A, B, leading to at least one location L including 
various separate rooms or halls 1.sub.1, 1.sub.2, each being provided with 
an outlet P.sub.1, P.sub.2 for connecting an apparatus at each channel A, 
B . . . (on the figure only a portion of the distribution channel (A) from 
source 1 and which is decomposed into an upstream portion A.sub.u and a 
downstream portion A.sub.d in location L has been represented in detail). 
According to an aspect of the invention, the upstream portion A.sub.u 
includes at least one pick-up, such as a pressure pick-up 3.sub.1 
connected by means of a line 4 to an electronic control unit with 
microprocessor and programmable memories (not illustrated) of a first 
indicator unit 5 disposed in the vicinity of sources 1 and 2. In a similar 
manner, unit 5 receives signals from pressure pickups disposed in the 
upstream parts of the other distribution lines (as indicated by pressure 
pick-up 3.sub.2 in line B). Unit 5 includes a front face on which are 
assembled, in a plurality of series, indicators of physical magnitudes of 
the distributed fluids. In the illustrated example, there is a first 
series of indicators S.sub.A1 associated with the fluid which circulates 
in line A and a second vertical series of indicators S.sub.B1 associated 
with the fluid which circulates in line B. Each series of indicators 
S.sub.X1 includes three lights which are indicative of the operation of 
the unit, respectively green 6, orange 7, red 8 and, arranged in pairs, 
two lights 9, indicative of maximum pressure, and 10, indicative of 
minimum pressure detected. Each series S.sub.X1 advantageously includes a 
numerical display 11 clearly displaying the pressure which is detected by 
the pick-up 3.sub.i, which is then an analog pick-up, for example a 
piezoelectric pressure pick-up. Unit 5 advantageously includes a sound 
alarm 12 which can be blinded by means of a restarter key 13 when one of 
the lights 7 to 10 is on, thus indicating a state of wrong operation of 
the source of fluid or the overloading of the maxi or mini thresholds 
imposed by the norms or by the operator of the network. 
In location L, the lines of fluid under pressure each includes a 
mano-pressure reducer 14 bringing back the pressure of the fluid which is 
available to the stations in use to a value which is determined by the 
norms or the apparatuses in use. According to another aspect of the 
invention, in location L there is provided a second indicator unit 15 
which includes an electronic control unit with microprocessor and 
programmable memories (not illustrated) receiving signals from at least 
two pressure pick-ups 16, 17 disposed on either side of the mano-pressure 
reducer 14 and supplying, through lines 18 and 19, to unit 15, signals 
indicative of the primary pressure, upstream of the pressure reducer 14, 
and of the secondary pressure, available at the connecting outlets 
P.sub.i. As for the first indicator unit 5, the second indicator unit 15 
includes a front face on which are grouped in series various indicators 
concerning the fluid which circulates in the downstream portion A.sub.d of 
channel A. In the embodiment which is illustrated, each series S.sub.X2 
includes a pair of lights 20, 21 which are indicative of maxi pressure and 
mini pressure upstream of the pressure reducer 14 (and therefore coupled 
to the pick-up 16) and a pair of lights 22, 23 of mini and maxi pressure 
available to the outlets P.sub.i (and therefore associated with pick-up 
17). Advantageously, the pick-up 17 being an analog pick-up similar to 
pick-up 3.sub.i, each series S.sub.X2 additionally includes a numerical 
display 24 clearly indicating the pressure which is available in the 
downstream portion of each channel A, B . . . Unit 15 also advantageously 
includes a sound alarm 25 which can be blinded by a resetting push-button 
26 and which doubles, by means of a sound signal, the light signals of 
lights 20 to 23. 
According to still another aspect of the invention, in each room 1.sub.i 
there is provided a repetitive alarm panel 27.sub.i connected by means of 
lines 28.sub.i to unit 15 and including on its front face a light 29.sub.X 
and a sound alarm 30, capable of being blinded by means of a resetting 
button 31, and activated when one of the lights 20 to 23 of the 
corresponding series S.sub.X2 of unit 15 is activated. 
According to an important characteristic of the invention, the first unit 5 
as well as each second unit 15 includes a port 50, 150 for connection to a 
programming unit 60 enabling the manager of the local network, on the one 
hand to attribute each series of indicators S.sub.Xi to a particular 
distribution line of fluid A, B . . . or at least two series with two 
different significant magnitudes of a same line of fluid (for example, in 
addition to pressure, the flow or the content of certain impurities in the 
fluid), and, more generally, to control the threshold of operation of the 
lights 6 to 10 for unit 15 and 20 to 23 for units 15 depending on the 
prevailing norms or other more selective criteria to guarantee optimum 
conditions of use to the different stations of utilization P.sub.i. Thus, 
for example, for medical oxygen, in France, the norms imposed, and the 
corresponding thresholds of units 5 and 15 will be consequently adjusted, 
mini and maxi pressures of 3.8 ata and 6 ata downstream of the pressure 
reducer 14, and 6.8 ata and 13 ata upstream of this pressure reducer 14. 
Although the present invention has been described with reference to a 
specific embodiment, it is not limited thereto but, on the contrary, it is 
capable of modifications and variants which will appear to one skilled in 
the art. Thus, each unit 5, 15 advantageously includes an outlet for 
connecting to a printer and a port for connection via an interface module, 
to a monitoring and parameter station, possibly via a teletransmission.