Patent Abstract:
Disclosed herein is a fluid collecting apparatus. The apparatus comprises a body disposed adjacent to fluid conveying or storing equipment to limit a moving path of fluid leaked from the equipment, a collector connected to the body to collect the leaked fluid, and a controller connected to the body to control an operation of the collector. The fluid collecting apparatus is capable of safely collecting fluid, for example, harmful gas leaked from fluid conveying or storing equipment.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a fluid collecting apparatus. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In an industrial site where equipment is installed to convey or store harmful gas, such as toxic gas or strong-acid gas, safety measures are taken to prevent the leakage of the harmful gas. However, harmful-gas leakage accidents frequently occur because of the corrosion of the equipment resulting from its lengthy use, an inadequate safety testing, or a worker&#39;s mistakes when a device, such as a pipe or a valve, is replaced with another one. The leakage of the harmful gas leads to loss of lives. Additionally, environmental damages occur over a widespread area because the harmful gas is rapidly diffused, thus causing huge losses. 
     In order to prevent damages due to the harmful gas exposure, research into technology for detecting the leakage of the harmful gas is being made. However, research into technology for collecting leaked harmful gas and preventing the diffusion of the leaked harmful gas is very insufficient. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the related art, and the present invention is intended to propose a fluid collecting apparatus, which is capable of safely collecting fluid, for example, leaked harmful gas. 
     Other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the reading of the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fluid collecting apparatus, comprising a body disposed adjacent to fluid conveying or storing equipment to limit a moving path of fluid leaked from the equipment; a collector connected to the body to collect the leaked fluid; and a controller connected to the body to control an operation of the collector. 
     The body may have a first interior space surrounding an area of the equipment from which the fluid may be potentially leaked, and the collector may include a collecting bag having a second interior space that communicates with the first interior space, and disposed on the moving path of the leaked fluid; and an auxiliary bag connected to the collecting bag and having a third interior space separated from the second interior space. 
     The fluid collecting apparatus may further include an auxiliary-bag propeller disposed adjacent to the auxiliary bag, the auxiliary-bag propeller giving a propulsive pressure to the third interior space in response to a control signal of the controller, thus expanding the auxiliary bag, whereby the collecting bag may be expanded by expansion of the auxiliary bag. 
     The collecting bag may include a fluid outlet to discharge the leaked fluid. 
     The collector may include a collecting screen disposed above the body, and a plurality of collecting-screen support weights connected to an end of the collecting screen, wherein each of the collecting-screen support weights may be flied up in response to the control signal of the controller, thus causing the collecting screen to surround a peripheral area of the body. 
     The fluid collecting apparatus may further include a fluid detector disposed on the moving path of the leaked fluid in the body, thus detecting the leaked fluid, wherein the fluid detector may detect the leaked fluid and then transmit a detection signal to the controller. 
     The fluid collecting apparatus may further include a collector actuating switch disposed on an outer surface of the body, wherein, as the collector actuating switch may be pressed down, a collector actuating signal may be transmitted to the controller, and thereby the controller may actuate the collector. 
     The body may include a fluid outlet to discharge the leaked fluid to an outside. 
     The controller may communicate wirelessly with an exterior remote control room. 
     As is apparent from the above description, the fluid collecting apparatus is advantageous in that it can safely collect the harmful gas leaked out from harmful fluid conveying and storing equipment. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the loss of lives and the environmental damages that may occur due to the leakage of the harmful fluid. Further, the fluid collecting apparatus allows for easy installation and various operations and types of control such as an automatic control, a manual control, or a remote control; so that the apparatus may be used in various environments along with a variety of equipment. Moreover, the fluid collecting apparatus is connected to the fluid recovery device, thus safely collecting and recovering any continuously leaked harmful fluid. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1A  is an exploded perspective view showing a fluid collecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1C  is a sectional view taken along line B-B of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2A  is a view showing a state after the fluid collecting apparatus of  FIG. 1A  is operated; 
         FIG. 2B  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective view showing a fluid collecting apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 4A  is a perspective view showing a fluid collecting apparatus according to a further embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4B  is a view showing a state where the fluid collecting apparatus of  FIG. 4A  is installed in an area of a fluid storage tank from which fluid may potentially leak; 
         FIG. 4C  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 4D  is a sectional view taken along line B-B of  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 5A  is a perspective view showing a fluid collecting apparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5B  is a view showing a state where the fluid collecting apparatus of  FIG. 5A  is installed in an area of a fluid storage tank from which fluid may potentially leak; and 
         FIG. 5C  is a view showing a state after the fluid collecting apparatus of  FIG. 5A  is operated. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments. The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a reading of the following embodiments. The present invention is not limited to embodiments described herein, but may be embodied in various forms. While preferred embodiments are described herein, it is to be understood that they merely make the invention more thorough and complete and aid in completely understanding those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention should not be limited to the following embodiments. 
     For clarity and convenience of description, the size of components shown in the drawings may not be illustrated to scale. Further, the shape of components shown in the drawings may be somewhat changed if necessary. Therefore, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings unless otherwise specifically stated, and that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims. 
       FIG. 1A  is an exploded perspective view showing a fluid collecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 1B  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 1A , and  FIG. 1C  is a sectional view taken along line B-B of  FIG. 1A . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1A to 1C , the fluid collecting apparatus  10  may include a body  100 , a collector  200 , a controller  300 , a fluid detector  400 , an auxiliary-bag propeller  500 , and an auxiliary-bag actuating switch  600 . 
     The body  100  may be shaped to surround an area from which fluid, such as toxic gas or strong-acid gas, may be potentially leaked, for example, a pipe P for conveying the fluid or a junction of pipes P. Further, the body  100  may limit the moving path of the fluid leaked from the pipe P. 
     The body  100  may include a first body portion  110  and a second body portion  120 . 
     The first body portion  110  may include a rectangular plate  111  and four first sidewalls  112  extending downwards from edges of the plate  111 . Each first sidewall  112  may have a protrusion  115  that extends along a lower surface thereof. 
     The second body portion  120  may include four second sidewalls  122  corresponding to the first sidewalls  112 , a first inner wall  123 , and a second inner wall  124 . The first inner wall  123  may be formed to extend from an inner surface of the second sidewall  122 , through which the pipe P does not pass, towards an interior space, and the second inner wall  124  may be formed to extend downwards from an end of the first inner wall  123  in such a way as to be parallel to the second sidewall  122 . According to this embodiment, two first inner walls  123  and two second inner walls  124  are provided, respectively. However, one first inner wall and one second inner wall may be provided, unlike this embodiment. The second body portion  120  may have a groove  125  that is formed along an upper surface thereof. The protrusion  115  of the first body portion  110  may be inserted into the groove  125  of the second body portion  120 . By the insertion of the protrusion  115  into the groove  125 , the first body portion  110  may be combined with the second body portion  120 . Further, the insertion of the protrusion  115  into the groove  125  may prevent fluid escaping from the pipe from being leaked out through a gap between the first and second body portions  110  and  120 . 
     The second body portion  120  may have a fluid outlet  150  that is formed in an associated sidewall  122 . An outlet plug  151  may be fastened to an outside of the fluid outlet  150 , thus isolating the interior space of the body  100  from the outside. 
     The body  100  may have through holes  140  on two sidewalls thereof through which the pipe P passes. Each through hole  140  may be defined by a portion of a lower surface of a first sidewall  112 , which is formed to be concave upwards, and by a portion of an upper surface of a second sidewall  122 , which is formed to be concave downwards. In order to prevent fluid escaping from the pipe P from being leaked to the outside through the through hole  140 , a gap between a wall surface defining the through hole  140  and an outer surface of the pipe P may be sealed by Teflon, silicone or the like. 
     The first body portion  110  and the second body portion  120  may be coupled to each other by a coupling device (not shown), such as a hinge or a bolt fastening device, which is mounted to the outer surfaces of the sidewalls  112  and  122 . 
     The collector  200  may be disposed under the first body portion  110  to be connected to the first body portion  110 , and may include a collecting bag  210 , a propelling bag  220 , and a protective cover  250 . 
     The collecting bag  210  may be disposed under the body  100  in such a way as to be folded. An upper edge of the collecting bag  210  may be connected to the lower surface of the second inner wall  124  of the second body portion  120  to allow the interior space of the body  100  to communicate with the interior space of the collecting bag  210 . Further, the second inner wall  124  may serve to guide the fluid escaping from the pipe P into the collecting bag  210 . The collecting bag  210  may be made of a material, for example, super fiber such as aramid fiber, which is resistant to fluid such as toxic gas or strong-acid gas. The collecting bag  210  may have on a lower end thereof a fluid outlet  211 . An outlet plug (not shown) may be fastened to the fluid outlet  211  to isolate the interior space of the collecting bag  210  from the outside. 
     The auxiliary bag  220  may be disposed on either side of the collecting bag  210  underneath an area defined by the second sidewall  122 , the first inner wall  123 , and the second inner wall  124  in such a way as to be folded. One edge of an upper portion of the auxiliary bag  220  is connected to the lower surface of the second inner wall  124  along with the upper edge of the collecting bag  210 , while the other edge of the upper portion of the auxiliary bag  220  is connected to the lower surface of the second sidewall  122 . The auxiliary bag  220  and the collecting bag  210  may share one side surface, or a side surface of the auxiliary bag  220  may be attached to a side surface of the collecting bag  210 . Thereby, the interior space of the auxiliary bag  220  and the interior space of the collecting bag  210  may not communicate with each other but may be separated from each other. Further, since the auxiliary bag  220  and the collecting bag  210  share the side surface or the side surfaces thereof are attached to each other, they may be folded in a similar form. According to this embodiment, the auxiliary bag  220  is disposed on either side of the collecting bag  210 . However, without being limited to this embodiment, the auxiliary bag  220  may be disposed on only one side of the collecting bag  210 . 
     The protective cover  250  may be disposed underneath the body  100  to surround the collecting bag  210  and the auxiliary bag  220 . The edge of the protective cover  250  may be connected to the lower portion of the second sidewall  122 . At normal times, the protective cover  250  serves to protect the collecting bag  210  and the auxiliary bag  220  from the outside. Meanwhile, in the event of fluid leakage, the protective cover  250  may be separated from the body  100  or may be ruptured by the propulsive pressure of the auxiliary bag  220 . 
     The controller  300  may be disposed on the outer surface of the body  100  to control components of the fluid collecting apparatus  10 . The controller  300  may be electrically connected to the fluid detector  400  and the auxiliary-bag propeller  500  by an electric wire located in the sidewall of the body  100 , and may communicate with the exterior remote control room via wireless communication. The controller  300  may receive a detection signal from the fluid detector  400  and then transmit a control signal to the auxiliary-bag propeller  500 . Further, the controller  300  may receive an auxiliary-bag actuating signal generated when the auxiliary-bag actuating switch  600  is pressed or may receive an auxiliary-bag actuating signal from the exterior remote control room and then may transmit a control signal to the auxiliary-bag propeller  500 . Further, the controller  300  may provide the detection signal, received from the fluid detector  400 , to the exterior remote control room. The remote control room receiving the detection signal may transmit the auxiliary-bag actuating signal to the controller  300 . 
     The fluid detector  400  may be disposed on the inner wall of the body  100  to detect the fluid leaked from the pipe P. If the fluid detector  400  detects the leakage of the fluid, it may transmit the detection signal to the controller  300 . 
     The auxiliary-bag propeller  500  may be located in an area defined by the second sidewall  122 , the first inner wall  123 , and the second inner wall  124 . The auxiliary-bag propeller  500  may receive the control signal from the controller  300  and then provide the propulsive pressure to the auxiliary bag  220 . The auxiliary-bag propeller  500  may be configured as a device including igniting powder that is ignited in response to the control signal (electric signal) of the controller  300  and propelling charge that is exploded by the ignition of the igniting powder to provide the propulsive pressure to the auxiliary bag  220 . Alternatively, the auxiliary-bag propeller  500  may be configured as a device that stores compressed gas and sends the compressed gas to the auxiliary bag  220  in response to the control signal of the controller  300 , thus providing the propulsive pressure. 
     The auxiliary-bag actuating switch  600  may be disposed on the controller  300 . If the fluid leaked from the pipe P is detected and the auxiliary-bag actuating switch  600  is pressed from the outside, the auxiliary-bag actuating signal may be generated and transmitted to the controller  300 . The controller  300  receiving the auxiliary-bag actuating signal may transmit the control signal to the auxiliary-bag propeller  500  to propel the auxiliary bag  220 . 
     The fluid collecting apparatus  10  according to this embodiment is configured such that the collector  200  is located underneath the body  100 . However, without being limited to this configuration, the collector may be rotated 90 or 180 degrees considering a position in which the pipe P is installed or its surroundings. 
       FIG. 2A  is a view showing a state after the fluid collecting apparatus of  FIG. 1A  is operated, and  FIG. 2B  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 2A . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , if the fluid detector  400  detects the leakage of the fluid, the detection signal is transmitted to the controller  300 , and the controller  300  transmits the control signal to the auxiliary-bag propeller  500 . The auxiliary-bag propeller  500  receiving the control signal may provide the propulsive pressure to the auxiliary bag  220 , thus expanding the auxiliary bag  220 . By the expansion of the auxiliary bag  220 , the collecting bag  210  connected to the auxiliary bag  220  may be simultaneously expanded. As both the auxiliary bag  220  and the collecting bag  210  are expanded in this way, the protective cover  250  may be separated from the body  100  or be ruptured. The auxiliary bag  220  and the collecting bag  210  may be exposed to the outside with being expanded. The fluid escaping from the pipe P may be moved into and collected in the expanded interior space of the collecting bag  210  that is connected to the interior space of the body  100 . The length and volume to which the collecting bag  210  is expanded may be variously set in consideration of the kind and nature of the leaked fluid. The collecting bag may be formed to have greater expansion length and expansion volume as compared to those illustrated in the drawings. 
     A fluid recovery device (not shown) may be connected to the fluid outlet  150  formed in the second sidewall  122  of the body  100  or to the fluid outlet  211  formed in the lower end of the collecting bag  210 , thus safely collecting and recovering the continuously leaked fluid. 
       FIG. 3A  is a perspective view showing a fluid collecting apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 3B  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 3A . The duplicated description will be omitted and components different from those of the preceding embodiment will be mainly described herein. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the first body portion  110  may be formed in a semi-cylindrical shape. Thereby, the fluid leaked from the pipe P may be smoothly and effectively conveyed along the inner curved surface of the first body portion  110  to the collecting bag  210  and then collected in the collecting bag  210 . 
       FIG. 4A  is a perspective view showing a fluid collecting apparatus according to a further embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 4B  is a view showing a state where the fluid collecting apparatus of  FIG. 4A  is installed in an area of a fluid storage tank from which fluid may potentially leak,  FIG. 4C  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 4A , and  FIG. 4D  is a sectional view taken along line B-B of  FIG. 4A . The duplicated description will be omitted and components different from those of the preceding embodiment will be mainly described herein. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4A to 4D , the fluid collecting apparatus  10  may have the shape of a box that is open at one surface thereof. The open surface may cover the area of a fluid storage tank T from which fluid may potentially leak, the fluid storage tank T storing the fluid, such as toxic gas or strong-acid gas. 
     The body  100  of the fluid collecting apparatus  10  may include a rectangular plate  111 , three sidewalls  112  extending downwards from edges of the plate  111 , a first inner wall  123 , and a second inner wall  124 . The first inner wall  123  may be formed to extend from the inner surface of the sidewall  112  contacting the fluid storage tank towards the interior space of the body  100 . The second inner wall  124  may be formed to extend downwards from an end of the first inner wall  123  in such a way as to be parallel to the sidewall  112 . According to this embodiment, two first inner walls  123  and two second inner walls  124  are provided. However, unlike this embodiment, only one first inner wall  123  and only one second inner wall  124  may be provided. 
     In order to prevent the fluid escaping from the fluid storage tank T from leaking through a gap between the wall surface of the fluid storage tank T and the sidewall  112 , the gap may be sealed by Teflon, silicone or the like. 
     The fluid collecting apparatus  10  may be supported by a support member  700  connected to the sidewall  112  of the body  100 . Since the support member  700  is adjustable in height, the fluid collecting apparatus  10  may be installed at a desired height. The support member  700  may be stably locked to the ground by a locking member  701 . 
       FIG. 5A  is a perspective view showing a fluid collecting apparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 5B  is a view showing a state where the fluid collecting apparatus of  FIG. 5A  is installed in an area of a fluid storage tank from which fluid may potentially leak, and  FIG. 5C  is a view showing a state after the fluid collecting apparatus of  FIG. 5A  is operated. The duplicated description will be omitted and components different from those of the preceding embodiment will be mainly described herein. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5A to 5C , the fluid collecting apparatus  10  may include a body  100 , a collector  200 , and a controller  300 . 
     The body  100  has the shape of a box that is penetrated at a central portion thereof. The body  100  may include two facing plates  111 , and two sidewalls  112  connecting edges of the two plates  111  to each other. 
     The collector  200  is disposed above the body  100 , and may include a collector sidewall  201 , a collecting screen  240 , a plurality of collecting-screen support weights  241  connected to an end of the collecting screen  240 , and a protective cover  250  covering the collecting screen  240 . The collector sidewall  201  may be located above the edge of the rectangular plate  111  that is situated under the collector  200 . The collector sidewall  201  may have a plurality of collecting-screen support weight-supporting holes  242  that are formed along the upper surface thereof. The collecting screen  240  may be disposed in a space defined by the rectangular plate  111  situated under the collector  200  and the collector sidewall  201  in such a way as to be folded. Each collecting-screen support weight  241  may be located in the corresponding collecting-screen support weight-supporting hole  242 . 
     The collector sidewall  201  may have a collecting-screen support weight propeller (not shown) that is located in the interior space thereof. The collecting-screen support weight propeller may receive the control signal from the controller  300  and then provide propulsive pressure to the collecting-screen support weight-supporting hole  242 . The collecting-screen support weight propeller may be configured as a device including igniting powder that is ignited in response to the control signal (electric signal) of the controller  300  and propelling charge that is exploded by the ignition of the igniting powder to provide the propulsive pressure to the collecting-screen support weight-supporting hole  242 . Alternatively, the collecting-screen support weight propeller may be configured as a device that stores compressed gas and sends the compressed gas to the collecting-screen support weight-supporting hole  242  in response to the control signal of the controller  300 , thus providing the propulsive pressure. 
     If the fluid is leaked from the fluid storage tank T to the central portion of the body  100  and then is detected, the propulsive pressure is provided to the collecting-screen support weight-supporting hole  242  in response to the control signal of the controller  300 , so that the collecting-screen support weight  241  flies up and falls to the ground of the peripheral area of the fluid storage tank T. As the collecting-screen support weight  241  flies up, the protective cover  250  is separated from the body  100  or ruptured to be removed therefrom. The collecting screen  240  is spread, thus surrounding the peripheral area of the fluid collecting apparatus  10 . The leaked fluid may be confined and collected in the collecting screen  240 . 
     The fluid collecting apparatus  10  may further include a collecting-screen support weight actuating switch  600 . The collecting-screen support weight actuating switch  600  may be provided on the controller  300 . If the fluid leaked from the fluid storage tank T is detected and the collecting-screen support weight actuating switch  600  is pressed from an outside, the collecting-screen support weight actuating signal may be generated and transmitted to the controller  300 . The controller  300  receiving the collecting-screen support weight actuating signal transmits the controls signal to the collecting-screen support weight propeller, thus causing the collecting-screen support weight  241  to be propelled and flied.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5