Lightweight gas cylinder for normal-pressure gas inflation

Abstract

The utility model discloses a light-weight gas cylinder for normal-pressure inflation, which relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles and comprises a cylinder body, a cylinder cap, a sealing valve and a gas guide connector. The bottle body comprises a bottle body, and a bottleneck is arranged at the front end of the bottle body; the bottle cap comprises a cap body screwed on the bottle neck, a first neck part is arranged on the front end face of the cap body, and an air port is formed in the first neck part; the sealing valve is arranged in the cover body and is used for blocking the air port; the air guide connector comprises a connector body screwed on the first neck part, a second neck part is arranged on the front end face of the connector body, and an air guide channel is formed in the second neck part; a deflation needle is arranged in the connector body and used for opening the sealing valve for blocking the air port in an ejecting mode. According to the utility model, a 3D printing technology is adopted, a high-performance 3D printing material is used for developing the gas storage cylinder, and a normal-pressure gas filling method is combined, so that the weight of a product is effectively reduced by at least 20%, and the research and development efficiency of the product is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, specifically a lightweight gas cylinder for atmospheric pressure filling. Background Technology

[0002] With the booming development of the low-altitude economy, the research and development of the drone industry and related supporting equipment is accelerating. In application scenarios involving gas cylinders, existing products have the following pain points that urgently need to be addressed:

[0003] 1. Low Match Between Materials and Safety Performance, Leading to Additional Burden: Currently widely used gas cylinders are generally made of steel to ensure high-pressure explosion-proof safety, which places high demands on the material. This brings significant problems: a. High density and weight: The excessive weight makes the safety hazard more prominent if the gas cylinder falls from the air. b. High conductivity: As a good conductor, steel can easily cause a short circuit if it accidentally comes into contact with electrical wires in the air. c. Excessive explosion-proof capacity: In applications storing low-pressure gases, its excessively high explosion-proof performance is somewhat redundant, resulting in material waste and unnecessary performance enhancement.

[0004] 2. Small-batch customization is difficult, time-consuming, and costly: During the R&D phase, it is often necessary to frequently customize small quantities of prototype gas cylinders of various specifications according to requirements. This process generally faces the problems of difficulty in finding suitable suppliers, long processing cycles, and high overall costs.

[0005] 3. Insufficient convenience of gas filling: The existing gas cylinder filling operation is highly dependent on special equipment and the process is relatively cumbersome. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a lightweight gas cylinder for atmospheric pressure filling. By employing 3D printing technology and using high-performance 3D printing materials to develop the gas cylinder, combined with an atmospheric pressure filling method, the product weight is effectively reduced by at least 20%, and product development efficiency is improved.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: a lightweight gas cylinder for atmospheric pressure filling, comprising a cylinder body and a cap, and further comprising a sealing valve and a gas guide connector; the cylinder body comprises a cylinder body, the front end of which is provided with a bottleneck; the cap comprises a cap body screwed onto the bottleneck, the front end face of which is provided with a first neck, and the first neck is provided with a gas port; the sealing valve is disposed inside the cap body for sealing the gas port; the gas guide connector comprises a connector body screwed onto the first neck, the front end face of which is provided with a second neck, and the second neck is provided with a gas guide channel; the connector body is provided with a venting needle, which is used to open the sealing valve sealing the gas port.

[0008] A further improvement is made in that: a limiting ring is provided on the inner wall of the bottleneck, and the sealing valve includes a plug and a spring, with the front end of the spring connected to the plug and the rear end of the spring connected to the limiting ring.

[0009] A further improvement is that the front end of the plug is a sealing part adapted to the air port, and the rear end of the plug is provided with a valve stem.

[0010] A further improvement is that the outer wall of the bottleneck is provided with a first external thread, and the inner wall of the cover is provided with a first internal thread that matches the first external thread.

[0011] A further improvement is that a first sealing ring adapted to the bottleneck is provided inside the cover body.

[0012] A further improvement is that the outer side wall of the first neck is provided with a second external thread, and the inner side wall of the connector body is provided with a second internal thread that matches the second external thread.

[0013] A further improvement is that a second sealing ring adapted to the first neck is provided inside the connector body.

[0014] A further improvement is that the air guide channel is provided with an inclined section to avoid the venting needle.

[0015] A further improvement is that a first inclined transition surface is provided between the bottle body and the neck, a second inclined transition surface is provided between the cap body and the first neck, and a third inclined transition surface is provided between the connector body and the second neck.

[0016] Further improvements are made by the following: the bottle body, bottle cap, sealing valve and gas vent connector are all made of high-performance 3D printing materials, including carbon fiber reinforced nylon, carbon fiber reinforced polyetherketone, carbon fiber reinforced polyphenylene sulfide and polyethylene terephthalate.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0018] In this invention, 3D printing technology is used to develop a gas storage cylinder using high-performance 3D printing materials. Combined with an atmospheric pressure filling method, the product weight is effectively reduced by at least 20%, and the product development efficiency is improved. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lightweight gas cylinder used for atmospheric pressure filling in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the bottle body in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the bottle cap structure in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the sealing valve in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the air guide connector in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure label:

[0025] 1-Bottle body; 11-Bottle frame; 12-Neck of bottle; 13-First external thread; 14-Limiting ring; 15-First inclined transition surface;

[0026] 2-Bottle cap; 21-Cap body; 22-First neck; 23-Air vent; 24-First internal thread; 25-Second external thread; 26-First sealing ring; 27-Second inclined transition surface;

[0027] 3-Sealing valve; 31-Plug; 32-Valve stem; 33-Spring;

[0028] 4-Air guide connector; 41-Connector body; 42-Second neck; 43-Air guide channel; 44-Air release needle; 45-Inclined section; 46-Second internal thread; 47-Second sealing ring; 48-Third inclined transition surface. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout.

[0030] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the directional terms such as "center", "horizontal (X)", "longitudinal (Y)", "vertical (Z)", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", and "counterclockwise" indicate the orientation and positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. They should not be construed as limiting the specific protection scope of this utility model.

[0031] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features. Thus, the use of "first" and "second" to define a feature may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "several" or "a number" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0032] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, further illustrates specific embodiments of the present invention, making the technical solution and beneficial effects of the present invention clearer and more explicit. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, but should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0033] See Figure 1 As shown, this utility model embodiment provides a lightweight gas cylinder for atmospheric pressure filling, including a cylinder body 1 and a cap 2, as well as a sealing valve 3 and a gas inlet connector 4; specifically, the cylinder body 1, cap 2, sealing valve 3 and gas inlet connector 4 are all made by 3D printing technology, using high-performance 3D printing materials, including carbon fiber reinforced nylon materials (PA-CF, PA6-CF, PA12-CF, PPA-CF, PAHT-CF, etc.), carbon fiber reinforced polyetherketone materials (PEEK-CF), carbon fiber reinforced polyphenylene sulfide materials (PPS-CF) and carbon fiber reinforced polyethylene terephthalate materials (PET-CF), etc.

[0034] See Figure 2 As shown, the bottle body 1 includes a bottle body 11, and a bottleneck 12 is provided at the front end of the bottle body 11; specifically, a first inclined transition surface 15 is provided between the bottle body 11 and the bottleneck 12, a second inclined transition surface 27 is provided between the cap 21 and the first neck 22, and a third inclined transition surface 48 is provided between the connector body 41 and the second neck 42.

[0035] See Figure 3 As shown, the bottle cap 2 includes a cap body 21 screwed onto the bottle neck 12. The front end face of the cap body 21 is provided with a first neck 22, and an air vent 23 is provided inside the first neck 22. Specifically, the outer side wall of the bottle neck 12 is provided with a first external thread 13, and the inner side wall of the cap body 21 is provided with a first internal thread 24 that matches the first external thread 13. A first sealing ring 26 that matches the bottle neck 12 is provided inside the cap body 21.

[0036] See Figure 4As shown, the sealing valve 3 is located inside the cap 21 and is used to seal the air port 23. Specifically, a limiting ring 14 is provided on the inner wall of the bottle neck 12. The sealing valve 3 includes a plug 31 and a spring 33. The front end of the spring 33 is connected to the plug 31, and the rear end of the spring 33 is connected to the limiting ring 14. The front end of the plug 31 is a sealing part adapted to the air port 23, and the rear end of the plug 31 is provided with a valve stem 32. Under the combined action of the gas pressure in the bottle and the spring force, a sealing connection is formed between the plug 31 on the sealing valve and the bottle cap 2.

[0037] See Figure 5 As shown, the gas guide connector 4 includes a connector body 41 screwed onto the first neck 22. The front end face of the connector body 41 is provided with a second neck 42, and a gas guide channel 43 is provided within the second neck 42. A venting needle 44 is provided within the connector body 41, which is used to open the sealing valve 3 blocking the gas port 23. Specifically, the outer side wall of the first neck 22 is provided with a second external thread 25, and the inner side wall of the connector body 41 is provided with a second internal thread 46 adapted to the second external thread 25. A second sealing ring 47 adapted to the first neck 22 is provided within the connector body 41. The gas guide channel 43 is provided with an inclined section 45 to avoid the venting needle 44. When gas needs to be released, one end of the gas guide connector is sleeved on the bottle cap, the thread is screwed in, the venting needle moves into the bottle, opening the sealing valve, and gas enters the gas receiving device from the gas port.

[0038] The working principle of this utility model is as follows:

[0039] Conventional medium- and high-pressure gas cylinders typically use pressurized filling machines to fill them with gas under high pressure. This requires specialized equipment, is cumbersome, and costly. This patent proposes an atmospheric pressure filling method that allows gas cylinders to be filled in an open, atmospheric pressure environment. The core of this method lies in filling the gas cylinder with a low-temperature solid (hereinafter referred to as solid-phase gas) formed after the gas has been cooled, under atmospheric pressure, and then quickly sealing the cylinder. Because the temperature of the gas cylinder is higher than that of the solid-phase gas, the solid-phase gas vaporizes and is sealed within the cylinder.

[0040] Take dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) as an example:

[0041] Note that the operation must be carried out in an open, well-ventilated space to prevent carbon dioxide from accumulating and causing suffocation.

[0042] The bottle body, sealing valve, and bottle cap are initially separated.

[0043] First, freeze the bottle in a low-temperature environment (this process reduces carbon dioxide loss and is optional). Then, weigh the dry ice pellets to determine the maximum filling volume and ensure that the pressure after filling does not exceed the bottle's tolerance. After weighing, quickly transfer the dry ice into the bottle. Then, quickly insert the assembled sealing valve into the bottle opening, close the cap, and tighten it. Under the spring force, the sealing valve forms a seal. The dry ice in the bottle rapidly vaporizes at room temperature, completing the filling process.

[0044] When venting is required, attach the vent connector to the bottle cap screw, insert the vent needle into the vent hole, and as the screw is screwed in deeper, the vent needle contacts the plug and pushes it open, releasing the gas from the gas cylinder through the vent nozzle.

[0045] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "preferred," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this utility model. Illustrative expressions of the above terms in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0046] Based on the above description of the structure and principle, those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Improvements and substitutions based on this utility model using techniques known in the art all fall within the protection scope of this utility model and should be defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A lightweight gas cylinder for atmospheric pressure filling, comprising a cylinder body (1) and a cap (2), characterized in that: It also includes a sealing valve (3) and an air inlet connector (4); The bottle body (1) includes a bottle body (11), and the front end of the bottle body (11) is provided with a bottleneck (12). The bottle cap (2) includes a cap body (21) screwed onto the neck (12), the front end face of the cap body (21) is provided with a first neck (22), and an air vent (23) is provided inside the first neck (22). The sealing valve (3) is located inside the cover (21) and is used to block the air port (23). The air guide connector (4) includes a connector body (41) screwed onto a first neck (22), a second neck (42) is provided on the front end face of the connector body (41), and an air guide channel (43) is provided in the second neck (42); an air release needle (44) is provided in the connector body (41), which is used to open the sealing valve (3) of the sealing port (23).

2. The lightweight gas cylinder for atmospheric pressure filling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the bottleneck (12) is provided with a limiting ring (14). The sealing valve (3) includes a plug (31) and a spring (33). The front end of the spring (33) is connected to the plug (31), and the rear end of the spring (33) is connected to the limiting ring (14).

3. The lightweight gas cylinder for atmospheric pressure filling according to claim 2, characterized in that: The front end face of the plug (31) is a sealing part adapted to the air port (23), and the rear end face of the plug (31) is provided with a valve stem (32).

4. The lightweight gas cylinder for atmospheric pressure filling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the bottleneck (12) is provided with a first external thread (13), and the inner wall of the cover (21) is provided with a first internal thread (24) that is adapted to the first external thread (13).

5. The lightweight gas cylinder for atmospheric pressure filling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover (21) is provided with a first sealing ring (26) that is adapted to the bottleneck (12).

6. The lightweight gas cylinder for atmospheric pressure filling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer side wall of the first neck (22) is provided with a second external thread (25), and the inner side wall of the connector body (41) is provided with a second internal thread (46) that is adapted to the second external thread (25).

7. The lightweight gas cylinder for atmospheric pressure filling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connector body (41) is provided with a second sealing ring (47) that is adapted to the first neck (22).

8. The lightweight gas cylinder for atmospheric pressure filling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air guide channel (43) is provided with an inclined section (45) for avoiding the venting needle (44).

9. The lightweight gas cylinder for atmospheric pressure filling according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first inclined transition surface (15) is provided between the bottle body (11) and the neck (12), a second inclined transition surface (27) is provided between the cap (21) and the first neck (22), and a third inclined transition surface (48) is provided between the connector body (41) and the second neck (42).

10. The lightweight gas cylinder for atmospheric pressure filling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottle body (1), bottle cap (2), sealing valve (3) and air duct connector (4) are all made of high-performance 3D printing materials, including carbon fiber reinforced nylon material, carbon fiber reinforced polyetherketone material, carbon fiber reinforced polyphenylene sulfide material and carbon fiber reinforced polyethylene terephthalate material.

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