Liquid nitrogen filling mechanism

Abstract

The utility model discloses a liquid nitrogen filling mechanism. The liquid nitrogen filling mechanism comprises a rack, a lifting assembly, a filling pipeline, a control valve and a driving assembly. The lifting assembly and the filling pipeline are both arranged on the rack, the lifting assembly has a movable state and a fixed state, and the liquid outlet end of the filling pipeline is connected with the lifting assembly; the control valve is arranged on the filling pipeline; the driving assembly is connected with the control valve; when the lifting assembly is in the movable state, the lifting assembly can ascend and descend relative to the rack. When the lifting assembly is in the fixed state, the lifting assembly is fixed relative to the rack. The container is placed below the liquid outlet end, the lifting assembly is switched to the movable state, the liquid outlet end is driven to descend and be inserted into the container, then the lifting assembly is switched to the fixed state, the control valve is driven to be opened through the driving assembly, and liquid nitrogen is input into the container through the liquid outlet end of the filling pipeline. Due to the fact that the liquid outlet end is fixed through the lifting assembly, manual operation is not needed, the risks of suffocation and frostbite of operators are effectively avoided, and use safety is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of liquid filling technology, specifically relating to a liquid nitrogen filling mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] Liquid nitrogen (chemical formula N2) is a cryogenic liquid with a melting point of -209.8℃, a boiling point of -195.6℃, and a relative density of 0.97 to air. It is slightly soluble in water and ethanol. Because liquid nitrogen is colorless, non-toxic, and inert, it has a wide range of applications, including in the medical, food, and electronics industries.

[0003] Currently, liquid nitrogen filling in factories is generally done manually. This involves holding a liquid nitrogen hose, inserting it into the filling tank, thawing the valve with warm water, manually opening the valve, and then manually filling the tank with liquid nitrogen by holding the hose tightly. However, even though personnel wear protective clothing, masks, and gloves during liquid nitrogen filling, there is still a risk of suffocation and frostbite. Utility Model Content

[0004] The technical problem this application aims to solve is that the existing method of manually filling liquid nitrogen with pipes poses a high risk of suffocation and frostbite. To address this problem, a safer liquid nitrogen filling mechanism is provided.

[0005] The technical solution proposed in this application is as follows:

[0006] A liquid nitrogen filling mechanism, comprising:

[0007] frame;

[0008] A lifting assembly is disposed on the frame and includes an active state and a fixed state;

[0009] A filling pipe is installed on the frame, and the liquid outlet end of the filling pipe is connected to the lifting assembly;

[0010] A control valve and a drive assembly, wherein the control valve is disposed in the filling pipeline, and the drive assembly is connected to the control valve for driving the control valve to open and close;

[0011] When the lifting assembly is in the active state, it can drive the liquid outlet to rise or fall relative to the frame; when the lifting assembly is in the fixed state, it is fixed relative to the frame.

[0012] Using the liquid nitrogen filling mechanism described above, the container is placed below the liquid outlet. The lifting assembly then switches to the movable state, lowering the liquid outlet into the container. The lifting assembly then switches to the fixed state, securing the liquid outlet. Next, the control valve is opened via the drive assembly, allowing liquid nitrogen to flow into the container through the liquid outlet of the filling pipe. Because the liquid outlet is fixed by the lifting assembly, manual operation is unnecessary, effectively avoiding the risks of suffocation and frostbite for operators and improving safety. Furthermore, the control valve is opened and closed by the drive assembly, making it more convenient.

[0013] Furthermore, the drive assembly includes a mounting base, a drive component, and a transmission rod. The mounting base is fixedly disposed relative to the frame. The drive component is disposed on the mounting base, and the drive end of the drive component is hinged to one end of the transmission rod to drive one end of the transmission rod to move linearly. The end of the transmission rod away from the drive component is hinged to the control valve.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes a heating component disposed on the control valve.

[0015] Furthermore, the heating assembly includes a heating element and a temperature detector, both of which are disposed on the control valve, and the heating element is electrically connected to the temperature detector.

[0016] Furthermore, it also includes a buffer component, which is disposed at the liquid outlet end and is used to buffer the liquid nitrogen sprayed from the liquid outlet end.

[0017] Furthermore, the buffer assembly includes an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder, one end of the outer cylinder is connected to the liquid outlet end, and the outer cylinder has a buffer cavity and a liquid outlet, the liquid outlet being located at the end of the outer cylinder away from the liquid outlet end;

[0018] The inner cylinder is disposed inside the buffer cavity and communicates with the liquid outlet end. The inner cylinder is used to guide the liquid nitrogen sprayed from the liquid outlet end toward the side wall of the buffer cavity.

[0019] Furthermore, the inner cylinder has a communicating cavity and a plurality of spray holes communicating with the communicating cavity. The communicating cavity is connected to the liquid outlet end, and the plurality of spray holes are located on the side wall of the inner cylinder and face the side wall of the buffer cavity.

[0020] Furthermore, it also includes a support platform and a weighing module. The support platform is located below the liquid outlet and is used to support the container. The weighing module is located on the support platform and is used to weigh the container.

[0021] Furthermore, it also includes a control box and an alarm, both of which are mounted on the frame, and the drive assembly, the weighing module, and the alarm are all electrically connected to the control box.

[0022] Furthermore, the lifting assembly includes a slide, a mounting bracket, a locking component, and a fixing component. The slide is movably mounted on the frame, the mounting bracket is mounted on the slide, the liquid outlet is locked and fixed to the mounting bracket by the locking component, and the fixing component is movably connected to the slide and can abut against the frame during movement to fix the slide relative to the frame.

[0023] In summary, the liquid nitrogen refueling mechanism provided in this application has at least the following advantages:

[0024] 1. No manual handling of the filling pipe is required, making operation safer;

[0025] 2. The liquid nitrogen is buffered by a buffer component to avoid large splashes and improve safety;

[0026] 3. The control valve is opened and closed by a drive component, eliminating the need for manual operation and making it more convenient;

[0027] 4. The control valve is equipped with a heating element to prevent liquid nitrogen from freezing and clogging the control valve, thus making liquid nitrogen filling smoother;

[0028] 5. The amount of liquid nitrogen in the container is obtained through the weighing module, so as to achieve accurate liquid nitrogen filling. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings are provided to further understand this application and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this application to explain this application and do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a liquid nitrogen filling mechanism provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the liquid nitrogen filling mechanism and container.

[0032] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the control valve in the liquid nitrogen filling mechanism.

[0033] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the buffer assembly in the liquid nitrogen filling mechanism is shown.

[0034] Label Explanation:

[0035] 100. Liquid nitrogen filling mechanism; 200. Container; 110. Frame; 120. Lifting assembly; 121. Slide; 122. Mounting bracket; 123. Locking element; 130. Filling pipe; 131. Liquid outlet; 140. Control valve; 150. Drive assembly; 151. Mounting base; 152. Drive element; 153. Transmission rod; 160. Support platform; 161. Guardrail; 162. Weighing module; 170. Control box; 180. Heating assembly; 181. Heating element; 182. Temperature detector; 190. Buffer assembly; 191. Outer cylinder; 1911. Buffer chamber; 1912. Liquid outlet; 192. Inner cylinder; 1921. Connecting chamber; 1922. Spray hole. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0037] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the equipment or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0038] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, one embodiment of this application provides a liquid nitrogen filling mechanism 100, including a frame 110, a lifting assembly 120, and a filling pipe 130. Both the lifting assembly 120 and the filling pipe 130 are disposed on the frame 110, and the liquid outlet 131 of the filling pipe 130 is connected to the lifting assembly 120. The lifting assembly 120 includes an active state and a fixed state.

[0039] When the lifting assembly 120 is in the active state, it can drive the liquid outlet 131 to rise and fall relative to the frame 110, thereby allowing the liquid outlet 131 to be inserted into or removed from the container 200 during the lifting process. When the lifting assembly 120 is in the fixed state, it is fixed relative to the frame 110, thereby fixing the liquid outlet 131 relative to the frame 110. Therefore, the filling pipe 130 has a certain degree of flexibility.

[0040] Furthermore, the liquid nitrogen filling mechanism 100 also includes a control valve 140 and a drive assembly 150. The control valve 140 is disposed in the filling pipeline 130 and is used to control the opening and closing of the filling pipeline 130. The drive assembly 150 and the control valve 140 are used to drive the control valve 140 to open and close.

[0041] Using the liquid nitrogen filling mechanism 100 described above, the container 200 is placed below the liquid outlet 131. Then, the lifting assembly 120 switches to the active state, lowering the liquid outlet 131 into the container 200. Next, the lifting assembly 120 switches to the fixed state, securing the liquid outlet 131. The control valve 140 is then opened via the drive assembly 150, allowing liquid nitrogen to enter the container 200 through the liquid outlet 131 of the filling pipe 130. Since the liquid outlet 131 is fixed by the lifting assembly 120, no manual operation is required, effectively avoiding the risk of suffocation and frostbite for operators and improving safety. Furthermore, the control valve 140 is opened and closed by the drive assembly 150, making it more convenient.

[0042] Regarding the aforementioned risks of asphyxiation and frostbite to operators, it should be explained that if the operator holds the liquid outlet 131 for refilling, due to its proximity to the container 200, and the volatile and splashing nature of liquid nitrogen, the evaporating liquid nitrogen could pose a risk of asphyxiation, while the splashing liquid nitrogen could pose a risk of frostbite. Furthermore, regarding the opening and closing of the control valve 140, it should be explained that the control valve 140 is in prolonged contact with liquid nitrogen, resulting in a low temperature and the possibility of it freezing, making opening and closing difficult. It typically requires the use of tools such as wrenches, making operation inconvenient.

[0043] In one embodiment, the liquid nitrogen filling mechanism 100 further includes a support platform 160, which is fixedly disposed relative to the frame 110 and located below the liquid outlet 131. The support platform 160 is used to support the container 200, so as to support the container 200 below the liquid outlet 131, so that the liquid outlet 131 can be inserted into the container 200 during the lifting and lowering process. Furthermore, a protective railing 161 is provided around the support platform 160 to improve the protection of the container 200 during the filling process and enhance the safety of the filling. It is understood that one side of the protective railing 161 is configured to be operable to open and close, so as to facilitate the placement and removal of the container 200.

[0044] In one embodiment, the liquid nitrogen filling mechanism 100 further includes a weighing module 162, which is disposed on the support platform 160. The weighing module 162 is used to weigh the container 200 to obtain the amount of liquid nitrogen added into the container 200. Further, the liquid nitrogen filling mechanism 100 also includes a control box 170 and an alarm, both of which are disposed on the frame 110. The drive assembly 150, the weighing module 162, and the alarm are all electrically connected to the control box 170 to activate the alarm when the amount of liquid nitrogen in the container 200 reaches a preset value. In practical applications, the weighing module 162 includes four weight sensors, and the container 200 is placed on the four weight sensors.

[0045] Specifically, when the amount of liquid nitrogen in container 200 reaches the preset value, control box 170 obtains data through weighing module 162, and then control drive component 150 drives control valve 140 to close. Alarm then reminds the operator that the filling has been completed and reminds the operator to perform subsequent operations, such as moving container 200 away.

[0046] In one embodiment, the lifting assembly 120 includes a slide 121, a mounting bracket 122, and a locking member 123. The slide 121 is vertically and flexibly mounted on the frame 110, the mounting bracket 122 is mounted on the slide 121, and the liquid outlet 131 is locked and fixed to the mounting bracket 122 by the locking member 123, with the liquid outlet 131 facing downward. Optionally, the locking member 123 is a clamp.

[0047] Furthermore, the lifting assembly 120 also includes a fixing member, which is movably connected to the slide 121 and can abut against the frame 110 during movement to fix the slide 121 relative to the frame 110. In practical applications, the fixing member is threadedly connected to the slide 121. Optionally, the fixing member is a screw.

[0048] In one embodiment, the frame 110 is provided with a slide rail, and the slide block 121 is slidably mounted on the slide rail; the bottom of the slide rail is provided with a limiting structure, which can abut against the slide block 121 during the downward sliding process, thereby preventing the slide block 121 from disengaging from the slide rail.

[0049] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the raising and lowering of the slide 121 is manually operated by the operator. In other embodiments, a driving mechanism such as a cylinder or linear module can be used to drive the slide 121, in which case there is no need to set up a fixing component or a limiting structure.

[0050] Please see Figure 3In one embodiment, the drive assembly 150 includes a mounting base 151, a drive element 152, and a transmission rod 153. The mounting base 151 is fixedly mounted to the frame 110. The drive element 152 is mounted on the mounting base 151, and its drive end is hinged to one end of the transmission rod 153 to drive linear movement of that end. The end of the transmission rod 153 away from the drive element 152 is hinged to the control valve 140, specifically to the handle of the control valve 140. Thus, the drive element 152 can drive the transmission rod 153 to rotate the handle of the control valve 140, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the control valve 140. Optionally, the drive element 152 is a cylinder or a linear module, and it is electrically connected to the control box 170.

[0051] In one embodiment, the liquid nitrogen filling mechanism 100 further includes a heating component 180, which is disposed on the control valve 140 and is used to heat the control valve 140 to thaw the frozen control valve 140 and ensure that liquid nitrogen passes smoothly through the control valve 140; at the same time, it also makes the opening and closing of the control valve 140 smoother.

[0052] Furthermore, the heating assembly 180 includes a heating element 181 and a temperature detector 182. Both the heating element 181 and the temperature detector 182 are disposed on the control valve 140, and the heating element 181 is electrically connected to the temperature detector 182. Thus, the temperature detector 182 can detect the temperature of the control valve 140, and the heating element 181 heats the control valve 140 based on the detection result of the temperature detector 182. Specifically, both the heating element 181 and the temperature detector 182 are electrically connected to the control box 170.

[0053] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, the liquid nitrogen filling mechanism 100 further includes a buffer assembly 190, which is disposed at the liquid outlet 131 and is used to buffer the liquid nitrogen sprayed from the liquid outlet 131 to prevent liquid nitrogen from rushing into the container 200 and splashing in large quantities.

[0054] Furthermore, the buffer assembly 190 includes an outer cylinder 191 and an inner cylinder 192. One end of the outer cylinder 191 is connected to the liquid outlet 131, and the outer cylinder 191 has a buffer cavity 1911 and a liquid outlet 1912. The liquid outlet 1912 is located at the end of the outer cylinder 191 away from the liquid outlet 131. The inner cylinder 192 is disposed in the buffer cavity 1911 and communicates with the liquid outlet 131. The inner cylinder 192 is used to guide the liquid nitrogen sprayed from the liquid outlet 131 to the side wall of the buffer cavity 1911.

[0055] Furthermore, the inner cylinder 192 has a communicating cavity 1921 and multiple spray holes 1922 communicating with the communicating cavity 1921. The communicating cavity 1921 is connected to the liquid outlet 131. The multiple spray holes 1922 are located on the side wall of the inner cylinder 192 and face the side wall of the buffer cavity 1911. Specifically, the liquid nitrogen output from the liquid outlet 131 first enters the communicating cavity 1921, then is sprayed through the spray holes 1922 onto the side wall of the buffer cavity 1911 and enters the buffer cavity 1911, and finally enters the container 200 through the liquid outlet 1912.

[0056] To facilitate understanding of the technical solution of this application, this document combines... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The working process of the liquid nitrogen filling mechanism 100 in the above embodiments will be described as follows:

[0057] Initially, the control valve 140 is in the closed state. The operator first slides the slide 121 up to the preset position and then fixes the slide 121 with the fastener. Next, the container 200 is placed on the support platform 160, and the fastener is turned to release the slide 121. The slide 121 slides down, allowing the buffer assembly 190 to be inserted into the container 200. Then, the fastener is turned again to fix the slide 121 to prevent the filling pipe 130 from shaking during the filling process.

[0058] Next, the control box 170 controls the heating element 181 to heat the control valve 140, raising its temperature to 20°C and maintaining it at that temperature for 5 minutes. After this 5-minute heat treatment, the control box 170 controls the drive element 152 to move, pulling the transmission rod 153 upward and opening the control valve 140. Liquid nitrogen then enters the container 200 through the outlet 131, the inner cylinder 192, and the outer cylinder 191. During the filling process, the weighing module 162 weighs the container 200. When the weight reaches the preset value, the control box 170 controls the drive element 152 to move, pushing the transmission rod 153 downward and closing the control valve 140. The control box 170 also activates the alarm to alert the operator that filling is complete.

[0059] It should be noted that when filling the subsequent container 200, the heating element 181 is still in a heat preservation state, and there is no need to wait 5 minutes. The control valve 140 can be opened directly by driving the drive element 152.

[0060] In summary, the liquid nitrogen filling mechanism 100 provided in this application has at least the following advantages:

[0061] 1. No manual hand-held filling of the 130mm pipeline is required, making operation safer;

[0062] 2. The buffer component 190 buffers the liquid nitrogen, preventing large-scale splashing and improving safety;

[0063] 3. The control valve 140 is opened and closed by the drive component 150, eliminating the need for manual operation and making it more convenient;

[0064] 4. The control valve 140 is equipped with a heating component 180 for heating, which prevents the liquid nitrogen from freezing and blocking the control valve 140, making the liquid nitrogen filling smoother;

[0065] 5. The amount of liquid nitrogen in container 200 is obtained through weighing module 162, so as to achieve accurate liquid nitrogen filling.

[0066] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this application, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A liquid nitrogen filling mechanism, characterized in that, include: frame; A lifting assembly is mounted on the frame and includes an active state and a fixed state; A filling pipe is installed on the frame, and the liquid outlet end of the filling pipe is connected to the lifting assembly; A control valve and a drive assembly, wherein the control valve is disposed in the filling pipeline, and the drive assembly is connected to the control valve for driving the control valve to open and close; When the lifting assembly is in the active state, it can drive the liquid outlet to rise or fall relative to the frame; when the lifting assembly is in the fixed state, it is fixed relative to the frame.

2. The liquid nitrogen filling mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a mounting base, a drive component, and a transmission rod. The mounting base is fixedly disposed relative to the frame. The drive component is disposed on the mounting base, and the drive end of the drive component is hinged to one end of the transmission rod to drive one end of the transmission rod to move linearly. The end of the transmission rod away from the drive component is hinged to the control valve.

3. The liquid nitrogen filling mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a heating component disposed on the control valve.

4. The liquid nitrogen filling mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The heating assembly includes a heating element and a temperature detector. Both the heating element and the temperature detector are disposed on the control valve, and the heating element and the temperature detector are electrically connected.

5. The liquid nitrogen filling mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a buffer component, which is disposed at the liquid outlet end and is used to buffer the liquid nitrogen sprayed from the liquid outlet end.

6. The liquid nitrogen filling mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The buffer assembly includes an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder. One end of the outer cylinder is connected to the liquid outlet end, and the outer cylinder has a buffer cavity and a liquid outlet. The liquid outlet is located at the end of the outer cylinder away from the liquid outlet end. The inner cylinder is disposed inside the buffer cavity and communicates with the liquid outlet end. The inner cylinder is used to guide the liquid nitrogen sprayed from the liquid outlet end toward the side wall of the buffer cavity.

7. The liquid nitrogen filling mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inner cylinder has a communicating cavity and a plurality of spray holes communicating with the communicating cavity. The communicating cavity is connected to the liquid outlet end. The plurality of spray holes are located on the side wall of the inner cylinder and face the side wall of the buffer cavity.

8. The liquid nitrogen filling mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a support platform and a weighing module. The support platform is located below the liquid outlet and is used to support the container. The weighing module is located on the support platform and is used to weigh the container.

9. The liquid nitrogen filling mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that, It also includes a control box and an alarm, both of which are mounted on the frame, and the drive assembly, the weighing module, and the alarm are all electrically connected to the control box.

10. The liquid nitrogen filling mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting assembly includes a slide, a mounting bracket, a locking component, and a fixing component. The slide is movably mounted on the frame, the mounting bracket is mounted on the slide, the liquid outlet is locked and fixed to the mounting bracket by the locking component, and the fixing component is movably connected to the slide and can abut against the frame during movement to fix the slide relative to the frame.

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