Automatic filling cylinder control valve

Abstract

This invention provides an automatic filling cylinder control valve, including a motor, a reducer, a clamping frame, and a drive wheel. The motor is driven by the reducer, which is fixedly connected to the clamping frame. The clamping frame has a drive cavity and a clamping cavity that are interconnected. The output shaft of the reducer passes through the clamping frame and extends into the drive cavity, and is fixedly connected to the drive wheel. The drive wheel has a petal groove on the side facing the clamping cavity. The clamping cavity has a clamping part. After the end of the cylinder is fixed by the clamping part, it extends into the drive cavity and engages with the drive wheel. The motor then drives the handwheel at the end of the cylinder to rotate. The valve can be quickly adapted without modification; each opening and closing is consistent and traceable; the high-friction coating and adjustable clamping force ensure reliable operation even in frosty / wet-handed environments; it is safe and user-friendly; and its high integration, with hose guides and docking seats, facilitates placement and maintenance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of automatic gas filling technology, specifically relating to an automatic filling cylinder control valve. Background Technology

[0002] In the gas industry, gas filling processes (such as CO2, N2O, O2, H2, etc.) commonly use steel cylinders for medium storage and transportation. On existing manual or semi-automatic filling lines, operators must manually turn the cylinder valve handwheel to open and close it. This process presents the following problems: 1. Poor opening and closing consistency: Manual torque and angle are uncontrollable, which can easily lead to flow resistance deviation or air leakage risks due to "incomplete opening / closing"; 2. The conflict between efficiency and safety: To avoid misoperation, the pace is slowed down; if efficiency is pursued, it is easy to over-twist or slip. 3. Insufficient traceability: Torque, angle, number of revolutions, and abnormalities during the opening / closing process were not recorded; Therefore, there is an urgent need for an integrated cylinder valve opening and closing control component that combines clamping, friction drive, and torque / angle closed loop to perform "opening / closing" in a standardized manner in an automatic filling system and to link and interlock with the host PLC / GUI for recording and interlocking. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides an automatic filling cylinder control valve that does not require modification of the cylinder, can be quickly adapted, has an anti-slip effect, is safe and user-friendly, and has a high degree of integration.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, one or more embodiments of this application provide an automatic filling cylinder control valve, including a motor, a reducer, a clamping frame, and a drive wheel. The motor is drivenly connected to the reducer, and the reducer is fixedly connected to the clamping frame. The clamping frame has a drive cavity and a clamping cavity that communicate with each other. One end of the output shaft of the reducer passes through the clamping frame and extends into the drive cavity, and the output shaft of the reducer is fixedly connected to the drive wheel. The drive wheel has a groove on the side facing the clamping cavity. The clamping cavity has a clamping part. After the end of the cylinder is fixed by the clamping part, it extends into the drive cavity and engages with the drive wheel. The handwheel at the end of the cylinder is then driven by the motor to rotate.

[0005] According to the above-described technical solution of the present invention, the following improvements can also be made: Optionally, the clamping part includes a manual adjustment mechanism, which is set on the clamping frame where the clamping cavity is located. The manual adjustment mechanism includes a manual adjustment wheel and an adjustment rod. The clamping frame has a threaded hole that passes through the clamping cavity. The adjustment rod is threadedly connected to the threaded hole. The outer end of the adjustment rod is fixedly connected to the manual adjustment wheel. The other end of the adjustment rod rotates within the clamping cavity based on the threaded hole and performs telescopic movement.

[0006] Optionally, the clamping part further includes a pad, which is located opposite the manual adjustment mechanism and fixed to the inner wall of the clamping cavity.

[0007] Optionally, the pad has a slot.

[0008] Optionally, the slot matches the side profile of the end of the cylinder.

[0009] Optionally, the pad is made of a wear-resistant material.

[0010] Optionally, the clamping part further includes a fine-tuning mechanism, which includes a fine-tuning bolt. One end of the fine-tuning bolt is located on the upper end of the clamping frame corresponding to the clamping cavity, and the other end is located inside the clamping cavity.

[0011] Optionally, the fine-tuning mechanism is not on the same side as the manual adjustment mechanism and the pad.

[0012] Optionally, the reducer is equipped with an encoder, which is connected to a controller. The motor and the reducer are respectively connected to the controller, which is also connected to an air source control valve and a sensor for acquiring the operating status of the reducer output shaft.

[0013] Optionally, a bushing or bearing is provided at the connection between the output shaft of the reducer and the clamping frame. The bushing or bearing is fixed inside the clamping frame, and the output shaft of the reducer passes through the bushing or bearing.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention provides an automatic filling cylinder control valve that does not require modification of the cylinder valve and can be quickly adapted: C-shaped clamping + replaceable drive wheel / cup-shaped gear ring, adaptable to various handwheel / protective cover structures; consistency and traceability: torque + angle / rotation dual criteria, output torque and angle, ensuring consistent and traceable opening and closing each time; low temperature anti-slip: high friction coating and adjustable clamping force, still reliable operation in frosty / wet hand environments; safe and user-friendly, complying with relevant gas cylinder operation specifications; high integration: handheld / suspended dual-use, hose guide and parking seat facilitate layout and maintenance. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the automatic filling cylinder control valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the automatic filling cylinder control valve of a preferred embodiment of the present invention from the front view. Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the drive wheel of the automatic filling cylinder control valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Motor; 2. Reducer; 3. Output shaft; 4. Drive wheel; 5. Clamping frame; 6. Petal groove; 7. Fine-tuning bolt; 8. Pad; 9. Manual adjustment wheel; 10. Clamping cavity; 11. Drive cavity; 12. Adjusting rod; 13. Slot. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0017] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in one or more embodiments of this application should have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in one or more embodiments of this application do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0018] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the present invention provides an automatic filling cylinder control valve, including a motor 1, a reducer 2, a clamping frame 5, and a drive wheel 4. The motor 1 is driven by the reducer 2, and the reducer 2 is fixedly connected to the clamping frame 5. The clamping frame 5 has a drive cavity 11 and a clamping cavity 10 that are interconnected. The output shaft 3 of the reducer 2 passes through the clamping frame 5 and extends into the drive cavity 11. The output shaft 3 of the reducer 2 is fixedly connected to the drive wheel 4. The drive wheel 4 has a groove on the side facing the clamping cavity 10. In this embodiment, the groove is a petal groove 6. The groove can be designed with teeth to facilitate engagement, or it can be designed with other shapes that match the cylinder handwheel. The clamping cavity 10 has a clamping part. After the end of the cylinder is fixed by the clamping part, it extends into the drive cavity 11 and engages with the drive wheel 4. The motor 1 then drives the handwheel at the end of the cylinder to rotate.

[0019] It is understandable that the motor 1 is a servo motor 1, and the reducer 2 is a reducer 2 with an encoder. The output shaft 3 of the reducer 2 is driven to rotate by the motor 1, thereby driving the drive wheel 4 to rotate. The cylinder has a handwheel for adjusting the opening and closing state of the gas valve. During filling, the handwheel of the cylinder is inserted into the petal groove 6 of the drive wheel 4 in the clamping cavity 10. The function of the clamping part is to limit the upper end of the cylinder to prevent it from jumping out, and at the same time, it has an adjustment function so that the handwheel of the cylinder can be aligned with the petal groove 6.

[0020] In this embodiment, the clamping part includes a manual adjustment mechanism, which is disposed on the clamping frame 5 where the clamping cavity 10 is located. The manual adjustment mechanism includes a manual adjustment wheel 9 and an adjustment rod 12. The clamping frame 5 has a threaded hole that passes through the clamping cavity 10. The adjustment rod 12 is threadedly connected to the threaded hole. The outer end of the adjustment rod 12 is fixedly connected to the manual adjustment wheel 9. The other end of the adjustment rod 12 rotates within the clamping cavity 10 based on the threaded hole and performs telescopic movement.

[0021] It is understandable that the clamping part is adjusted by a manual adjustment mechanism. Specifically, after the manual adjustment wheel 9 is rotated, the adjustment rod 12 will rotate in or out of the clamping cavity 10 to adjust the structural position of the cylinder at this position. During filling, the cylinder's air inlet valve faces downwards because in this embodiment, the bottom is set as an open end to connect the gas source with the air inlet valve to achieve filling.

[0022] In this embodiment, the clamping part further includes a pad 8, which is located opposite to the manual adjustment mechanism and fixed to the inner wall of the clamping cavity 10.

[0023] The pad 8 is fixed inside the clamping frame 5 and is mainly used to limit and buffer the corresponding position of the gas cylinder, which can prevent the gas cylinder from leaving the position during the adjustment process of the manual adjustment wheel 9.

[0024] In this embodiment, the pad 8 has a slot 13.

[0025] The cylinder is further engaged at the corresponding position via the slot 13. Specifically, the slot 13 matches the side profile of the cylinder end. This engagement is possible based on the structure of a standard cylinder. If the structure is not standard, the pad 8 can be replaced, and a corresponding slot 13 shape can be designed to engage the cylinder at that position. In this embodiment, at least this unit, and most units within this region, use cylinders with the structure provided in this embodiment.

[0026] Furthermore, the pad 8 is made of a wear-resistant material. Since the pad 8 needs to have a certain strength and wear resistance, a pad 8 made of POM / PA / PEEK / polyurethane is preferred.

[0027] In this embodiment, the clamping part further includes a fine-tuning mechanism, which includes a fine-tuning bolt 7. One end of the fine-tuning bolt 7 is located on the upper end of the clamping frame 5 corresponding to the clamping cavity 10, and the other end is located inside the clamping cavity 10.

[0028] The fine-tuning mechanism uses a fine-tuning bolt 7 or a fine-tuning wheel and lead screw combination structure. It is mainly used to stabilize the cylinder's state during filling, from the angle shown in the attached diagram of this embodiment, i.e., from top to bottom. That is, the fine-tuning mechanism described in this embodiment is not on the same side as the manual adjustment mechanism and the pad block 8. It can be seen from... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As determined in the embodiment, the fine-tuning mechanism is located at the top, while the manual adjustment mechanism and pad 8 are located on both sides, and the bottom is an open end design.

[0029] A bushing or bearing is provided at the connection between the output shaft 3 of the reducer 2 and the clamping frame 5. The bushing or bearing is fixed inside the clamping frame 5, and the output shaft 3 of the reducer 2 passes through the bushing or bearing. This design is used to reduce friction between the output shaft 3 and the clamping frame 5 and reduce interference.

[0030] In this embodiment, the reducer 2 is equipped with an encoder, the encoder is connected to a controller, the motor 1 and the reducer 2 are respectively connected to the controller, and the controller is also connected to an air source control valve.

[0031] It is understood that the encoder is used to collect data on the rotational state of the output shaft 3. It can also work with angle sensors, current sensors, torque sensors, etc., and interact with the controller, specifically through I / O or bus communication. The controller can be a PLC / GUI controller. Based on the operating state of motor 1 or the transmission, corresponding parameters can be obtained to adjust the output of motor 1 and output control commands to the entire valve. This is illustrated as an example to help understand the specific implementation of this embodiment: C-shaped clamp 5: It is an integrated U / C-shaped metal frame with an opening and centering groove at the front end to fit the outer edge of the cylinder valve handwheel; the side wall is provided with a position indicator groove, i.e., petal groove 6, for alignment.

[0032] Clamping mechanism: includes a knurled adjusting wheel + lead screw, wear-resistant pad 8 (preferably POM / PA / PEEK / polyurethane) and a tightening screw, used to press the handwheel against the drive wheel 4 to form a stable friction transmission; the clamping force is adjustable.

[0033] Friction drive wheel 4 assembly: Located inside the opening of the clamping frame 5, the outer circumference of the drive wheel 4 is knurled or covered with a high-friction sleeve (NBR / polyurethane), and it is connected to the drive motor 1 via the output shaft 3. The drive wheel 4 can be replaced with a cup-shaped internal gear ring to accommodate the petal-shaped handwheel.

[0034] Drive unit: Servo motor 1 + reducer 2 (with absolute / incremental encoder), output shaft 3 is connected to drive wheel 4 via key / spline; controller can be set to three modes: torque / speed / position and supports soft limit and torque limit.

[0035] Grip and sheath: Includes housing and soft sheath, built-in actuator / valve assembly and shortcut buttons (start / stop / reverse).

[0036] Sensing and control unit: includes angle encoder / Hall effect sensor, current / torque sensor, and position switch; and communicates with the host PLC / GUI via I / O or bus (Modbus / Profinet).

[0037] Flexible cabling and berths: Cables are connected to the control box via spiral guide conduits; the device can be mounted on the berth for standby.

[0038] Example of working principle and process: Centering and clamping: The operator or robot arm places the C-shaped opening of the control valve onto the outer edge of the cylinder valve handwheel and rotates the adjusting handwheel; the tightening screw is used to fine-tune the clamping center distance and prevent jump-out.

[0039] Valve opening: Triggering "start" causes the drive motor to rotate the drive wheel at the set speed / torque, which in turn drives the handwheel to rotate; the controller uses torque + angle / rotation dual criteria, and stops when the rotation reaches the preset value or the torque suddenly increases (reaches the target); if slippage is detected (abnormal angular velocity / increased current and insufficient angular displacement), the pressure is automatically increased or the speed is reduced and the test is repeated.

[0040] Valve closing: Reverse rotation and stop according to the torque limit criterion; optional "small angle retraction" to avoid over-tightening.

[0041] Interlocking and Recording: The entire process records the torque-angle curve, revolutions, alarm codes, and timestamps and uploads them; it is interlocked with the "filling / depressurization / replacement" status of the filling system, and the opening / closing action is only performed within the permitted window.

[0042] The alternative to this invention is: Drive type: brushless DC + planetary gear reducer; stepper motor + encoder; or pneumatic motor (with flow control valve and forward / reverse reversing valve).

[0043] Contact type: Friction drive wheel ↔ Cup-shaped internal gear ring (compatible with petal handwheel); Torque Measurement: Current-Torque Model ↔ On-Axis Strain / Magnetoelastic Sensing; Clamping mechanism: Lead screw clamping ↔ Quick eccentric cam clamping; Safety strategy: For gas-fired vehicles, a maximum limit of "≤1.5 revolutions" is set; for oxygen-fired vehicles, "fully open to seat" and "gradual opening" curves are set. Explosion-proof implementation: intrinsically safe power supply and intrinsically safe circuit; or a fully pneumatic version for Zone 2.

[0044] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including both the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the invention.

[0045] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An automatic filling cylinder control valve, characterized in that, The device includes a motor, a reducer, a clamping frame, and a drive wheel. The motor is connected to the reducer via a transmission, and the reducer is fixedly connected to the clamping frame. The clamping frame has a drive cavity and a clamping cavity that are interconnected. One end of the reducer's output shaft passes through the clamping frame and extends into the drive cavity. The output shaft of the reducer is fixedly connected to the drive wheel. The drive wheel has a groove on the side facing the clamping cavity. The clamping cavity has a clamping part. After the end of the gas cylinder is fixed by the clamping part, it extends into the drive cavity and engages with the drive wheel. The handwheel at the end of the gas cylinder is then driven by the motor to rotate.

2. The automatic filling cylinder control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping part includes a manual adjustment mechanism, which is set on the clamping frame where the clamping cavity is located. The manual adjustment mechanism includes a manual adjustment wheel and an adjustment rod. The clamping frame has a threaded hole that passes through the clamping cavity. The adjustment rod is threaded to the threaded hole. The outer end of the adjustment rod is fixedly connected to the manual adjustment wheel. The other end of the adjustment rod rotates within the clamping cavity based on the threaded hole and performs telescopic movement.

3. The automatic filling cylinder control valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, The clamping part also includes a pad, which is located opposite the manual adjustment mechanism and fixed to the inner wall of the clamping cavity.

4. The automatic filling cylinder control valve according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pad has a slot.

5. The automatic filling cylinder control valve according to claim 4, characterized in that, The slot matches the side profile of the end of the cylinder.

6. The automatic filling cylinder control valve according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pad is made of wear-resistant material.

7. The automatic filling cylinder control valve according to claim 3, characterized in that, The clamping part also includes a fine-tuning mechanism, which includes a fine-tuning bolt. One end of the fine-tuning bolt is located on the upper end of the clamping frame corresponding to the clamping cavity, and the other end is located inside the clamping cavity.

8. The automatic filling cylinder control valve according to claim 7, characterized in that, The fine-tuning mechanism is not on the same side as the manual adjustment mechanism and the pad.

9. The automatic filling cylinder control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reducer is equipped with an encoder, which is connected to a controller. The motor and reducer are respectively connected to the controller, which is also connected to an air source control valve and a sensor for collecting the operating status of the reducer output shaft.

10. The automatic filling cylinder control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, A bushing or bearing is provided at the connection between the output shaft of the reducer and the clamping frame. The bushing or bearing is fixed inside the clamping frame, and the output shaft of the reducer passes through the bushing or bearing.

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