Gas filling device

Abstract

To provide a gas filling device capable of effectively preventing intrusion of rainwater with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A gas filling apparatus (1) of the present invention includes a filling mechanism in a main body housing (2), a filling hose (3) connected to an outlet of a gas conduit of the filling mechanism, and a supporting arm mechanism (6) for supporting a filling nozzle (4) by attaching a wire (5) to the filling nozzle (4). A mechanical winding device (9) is provided at one end of a supporting arm mechanism (6), and a guide member for guiding a wire (5) led out from the mechanical winding device (9) to an opening (6BC) formed in a lower cover (side 6B) of the supporting arm mechanism (6) is provided at the other end.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas filling device for supplying gas such as hydrogen gas to an FCV or the like, and in particular to a support mechanism thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Hydrogen has many advantages, including being environmentally friendly and contributing to energy security, and technologies for utilizing hydrogen gas are rapidly being put into practical use. One of the applications of such hydrogen gas is a technology relating to a gas filling device that fills hydrogen gas pressurized to a high pressure (for example, 70 MPa or higher) into a fuel tank of a vehicle. The gas filling device uses a heavy filling nozzle so that it can withstand the high pressure (for example, 70 MPa or higher) described above. However, because the filling nozzle is heavy, removing the filling nozzle from the gas filling device and connecting it to the vehicle's receptacle to fill with hydrogen gas is hard work for the worker performing the task.

[0003] In recent years, self-service hydrogen stations have been developed, and a support arm mechanism has been proposed that supports the filling nozzle with a support mechanism, allowing customers to fill the gas themselves as a light task (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Although this technology (Patent Document 1) is effective, the wire is guided by guide rollers 39 that restrict the lateral movement of the wire and guide rollers 36 that guide the wire downward, which makes the configuration complex and requires a lot of assembly effort. Furthermore, if rainwater accumulates above the connector 38A, when the connector 38A abuts against the stopper 37, the rainwater may seep into the nozzle hanging device, causing malfunction and hindering the filling operation. Furthermore, there is a problem that the connector 38A may become caught between the stopper 37 and the guide roller 36, causing malfunction and hindering the filling operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2020-133825 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and has as its object to provide a gas filling device that can effectively prevent the intrusion of rainwater with a simple structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gas filling device (1) of the present invention is A gas filling device (1) includes a filling mechanism in a main housing (2) that conveys gas from a gas supply source through a gas pipeline, a filling hose (3) connected to an outlet of the gas pipeline of the filling mechanism, and a support arm mechanism (6) that supports a filling nozzle (4) provided at the tip of the filling hose (3) by attaching wires (5A, 5B) to the filling nozzle, The support arm mechanism (6) is characterized by having a mechanical winding device (9: retractor) at one end and a guide member at the other end for guiding the wire (5A) led out from the mechanical winding device (9: retractor) to an opening (6BC) formed in the lower cover (6B) of the support arm mechanism (6). In the present invention, the guide member includes a roller member (11), The roller member (11) is composed of a payout roller (11A: large roller) that sends the wire (5A) from the retractor (9) to the opening (6BC) and a retaining roller (11B: small roller) that restricts the upward movement of the wire (5A), and it is preferable that the payout roller (11A) and the retaining roller (11B) sandwich the wire (5A). Here, it is preferable that the movement range of the wire (5A) is within the range of the opening (6BC) in the bottom surface (6BBS, lower surface) of the lower cover (6B) (within the range where it does not interfere with the opening 6BC).

[0007] Here, the delivery roller (11A) and the holding roller (11B) are supported by a roller holding bracket (12), It is preferable that the distance (L1) from the axis (11BC) of the rotation shaft (11BS) of the retaining roller (11B) to the lower edge (12A) of the roller support bracket (12) is a distance that ensures the roller support bracket (12) has the strength to reliably support the load acting on the retaining roller (11B). In this case, it is preferable that the direction in which the wire (5A) sandwiched between the payout roller (11A) and the holding roller (11B) extends is the area between the opening front edge (6BC-F) and the opening rear edge (6BC-R). It is also preferable that the outer surface of the delivery roller (11A) is provided with a stepped portion that protrudes outward (a large roller side edge protrusion 11AA is formed).

[0008] Alternatively, the diameter of the support roller (111B: small roller) is preferably set to a dimension such that the wire (5A) and the arc of the outer periphery of the support roller (111B) make line contact rather than point contact. In the present invention, the guide member includes a roller member (11), The roller member (11) includes a payout roller (11A) that feeds the wire (5A) from the retractor (9) to the opening (6BC); a first shaft (42) provided at a position that prevents the wire (5A) from moving upward (floating up); It is preferable to have a second shaft (44) that can guide the wire (5A) into the opening (6BC) and is located at a position that does not cause the wire (5A) to interfere with the opening front edge (6BC-F).

[0009] In addition, in the present invention, a mechanical winding device (9: retractor) that reels out and winds the wires (5A, 5B) is provided inside the support arm mechanism (6), and it is preferable that the wire (5A) reeled out from the mechanical winding device (9) and the wire (5B) that supports the filling nozzle (4) are connected by a connecting member (10B: carabiner).

[0010] In the gas filling device (1) of the present invention, The support arm mechanism (6) includes an upper cover (6A) having a first bent portion (6AA) formed around the entire circumference facing downward; and a lower cover (6B) having a second bent portion (6BA) formed upward, It is preferable that the second bent portion (6BA) is located on the inner surface of the first bent portion (6AA).

[0011] In this case, it is preferable that the second bent portion (6BA) is provided with tall guide portions (6BB) intermittently, and the guide portions (6BB) abut against the inner surface of the upper cover (6A). It is preferable that the guide portion (6BB) has a fastening guide (6BB-1) that fastens to the upper cover (6A) and a reinforcing guide (6BB-2) that suppresses bending of the support arm mechanism (6) in the longitudinal direction.

[0012] In addition, in the present invention, the support arm mechanism (6) is arranged to be freely rotatable relative to the main housing (2), and is provided with a cylindrical portion (8) that leads to an opening in which a rotation shaft (7) at one end of the support arm mechanism (6) is arranged, and a rising portion (21) formed on the upper part of the main housing (2), and it is preferable that the rising portion (21) is located on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion (8). [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, there is provided a roller member (11) that guides the wire (5) led out from the mechanical winding device (9: retractor) of the support arm mechanism (6) to the opening (6BC) formed in the lower cover (6B), and the roller member (11) is composed of a pay-out roller (11A: large roller) that sends the wire (5) from the retractor (9) to the opening (6BC) and a retaining roller (11B: small roller) that restricts the upward movement of the wire (5). By sandwiching the wire (5A) between the pay-out roller (11A) and the retaining roller (11B), the movement range of the wire (5A) is limited to the opening (6BC) on the underside of the lower cover (6B), and there is no interference between the wire (5A) and the opening (6BC) on the underside of the lower cover (6B). Since the wire (5A) and the opening (6BC) do not interfere with each other, the opening (6BC) does not need to extend to the tip of the support arm mechanism (6), and rainwater is reliably prevented from entering the inside of the support arm mechanism (6) from the tip of the support arm mechanism (6) at the opening (6BC). In addition, by arranging the mechanical winding device side wire (5A) in such a manner that it is sandwiched between the payout roller (11A) and the holding roller (11B), it is possible to prevent the mechanical winding device side wire (5A) from coming off the payout roller (11A) and the holding roller (11B). Furthermore, since the opening (6BC) does not need to extend to the tip of the support arm mechanism (6), the length of the opening (6BC), particularly the length in the direction of the tip of the support arm mechanism (6), can be shortened.

[0014] In the present invention, the delivery roller (11A) and the holding roller (11B) are journaled on a roller holding bracket (12), If the distance (L1) from the axis (11BC) of the rotation shaft (11BS) of the retaining roller (11B) to the lower edge (12A) of the roller support bracket (12) is set to a distance that ensures the roller support bracket (12) has the strength to reliably support the load acting on the retaining roller (11B), the roller support bracket (12) will be prevented from being deformed or damaged by the tension acting on the wire. If the direction in which the wire (5) sandwiched between the payout roller (11A) and the holding roller (11B) extends is the region between the opening front edge (6BC-F) and the opening rear edge (6BC-R), the mechanical take-up device side wire (5A) sandwiched between the payout roller (11A) and the holding roller (11B) is fed out and wound up through the opening (6BC) without interfering with the opening (6BC). Since the mechanical take-up device side wire (5A) does not interfere with the opening (6BC), the support arm mechanism (6) and the wire (5B) can fully function to support the filling nozzle (4) regardless of how the filling nozzle (4) moves during a gas filling operation or the like.

[0015] Furthermore, in the present invention, if the outer surface of the delivery roller (11A) is provided with a stepped portion that protrudes outward (if a delivery roller side edge protrusion 11AA is formed), the side surface of the delivery roller (11A) is prevented from contacting or interfering with the roller support bracket (12). Also, the side surface of the delivery roller (11A) is prevented from interfering with the inner edge portion (6BCE) of the opening (6BC).

[0016] Furthermore, a mechanical winding device (9: retractor) that reels out and winds the wires (5A, 5B) is provided inside the support arm mechanism (6), and the wire (5A) reeled out from the mechanical winding device (9) and the wire (5B) that supports the filling nozzle (4) are connected by a connecting member (10B: carabiner).If a problem occurs with the mechanical winding device (9) or the wire (5A), it is possible to replace only the wire (5A) between the connecting member (10B) or the attached member without replacing the entire member attached to the wire (5A), making part replacement easy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a gas filling device according to the illustrated embodiment; [Figure 2] 10 is an explanatory perspective view showing an opening for passing a wire on the mechanical winding device side provided in the bottom surface of the lower cover at the tip of the arm, and a roller provided in the opening. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional technique in which an opening is provided at the tip of an arm. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an explanatory plan view showing the arrangement of rollers at the tip of an arm in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a mounting state of a roller in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is an explanatory side view showing the relative positional relationship between a large roller and a small roller in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the conditions for the relative positional relationship between the large roller and the small roller in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the conditions for the relative positional relationship between the large roller and the small roller in the first embodiment, and is an explanatory diagram different from FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory side view showing the relative positional relationship between a large roller and a small roller in a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the members other than the rollers in FIG. 9. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is an explanatory side view showing the relative positional relationship between the large roller and the first and second shafts in the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is an explanatory perspective view showing an opening in the bottom surface of the lower cover at the tip of the arm and a wire on the mechanical winding device side in a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an upper cover of the support arm mechanism of FIG. 1. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a lower cover of the support arm mechanism of FIG. 1. [Figure 15] 10 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing the mounting structure of the base of the support arm mechanism and the top of the gas filling device. FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a rising portion provided at a connection point between the top of the gas filling device and the arm base portion. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the wires from the support arm mechanism to the filling nozzle and related members. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating members related to the wire on the mechanical winding device side. [Figure 19] 10 is an explanatory diagram of a rotation restricting means below the rotation shaft of the support arm mechanism. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the illustrated embodiment, a gas filling device 1 (dispenser) for filling hydrogen is illustrated as an example. In FIG. 1, a gas filling device 1 (hydrogen filling device) is a device that supplies and fills pressurized fuel gas (e.g., hydrogen gas) from a gas supply source (not shown) via gas piping into the fuel tank of, for example, a fuel cell vehicle (FCV: not shown), and is installed in a facility known as a gas supply station. The gas filling device 1 includes a filling mechanism in a main housing 2, a filling hose 3 connected to the outlet of a gas pipe (not shown) in the filling mechanism, and a filling nozzle 4 provided at the tip of the filling hose 3. Although the illustrated embodiment exemplifies a hydrogen gas filling device, the illustrated embodiment can also be applied to a CNG gas filling device or other gas filling devices. The configuration and effects of the filling mechanism (not shown) in the main body housing 2 are the same as those of a conventionally known filling mechanism.

[0019] In FIG. 1, a support arm mechanism 6 is provided on the upper surface (top surface) of the main body housing 2. It is being used. A wire 5B hangs down from a tip 6S of the support arm mechanism 6, and the hanging tip of the wire 5B is connected to the stuffing nozzle 4 via a connecting member 10C (carabiner). Although not shown in Fig. 1, the other end of the wire 5B is connected to a mechanical winding device 9 (retractor: see Fig. 17) housed in the base 6K of the support arm mechanism 6. The mechanical winding device 9 is equipped with a rotational force imparting mechanism that imparts a constant rotational force when the wire reel that winds and unwinds the wire rotates forward or backward. Furthermore, the mechanical winding device 9 is equipped with a wire holding mechanism that holds the wire in its current position when winding or unwinding of the wire is stopped.

[0020] The filling nozzle 4 is suspended by a wire 5B, and the weight of the filling hose 3 and filling nozzle 4 is supported by a support arm mechanism 6. Therefore, when performing hydrogen filling work using the heavy filling hose 2 and filling nozzle 4, the support arm mechanism 6 supports the weight of the filling hose 3 and filling nozzle 4, thereby reducing the burden on the worker or user performing the gas filling work. The configuration including the wire 5 from the mechanical winding device 9 (not shown in FIG. 1) to the stuffing nozzle 4 will be described later with reference to FIGS. The support arm mechanism 6 shown in FIG. 1 is composed of an upper cover 6A and a lower cover 6B, the details of which will be described later with reference to FIGS.

[0021] In Fig. 1, the support arm mechanism 6 is disposed rotatably relative to the main body housing 2. Although not clearly shown in Fig. 1, a rotation shaft disposed in the base 6K of the support arm mechanism 6 is journaled by a bearing on the main body housing 2 side. The attachment structure of the base 6K of the support arm mechanism 6 to the main body housing 2 side will be described later with reference to Figs. 15 and 16. Furthermore, a rotation restriction means for restricting (limiting) the rotation of the rotation shaft of the support arm mechanism 6 will be described later with reference to Fig. 19. 1, in addition to the support arm mechanism 6, an explosion release means 13 is disposed on the top of the main body housing 2. The explosion release means 13 is configured to release the blast in the unlikely event that an explosion occurs inside the main body housing 2, and has the function of preventing a situation in which the blast would endanger the user and preventing damage to the main body housing 2 and the components of the gas filling device 1. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 31 denotes a display in the gas filling device 1, and reference numeral 32 denotes a ventilation slit in the main body housing 2.

[0022] In the first embodiment described with reference to Figures 2 to 8, rollers 11 (large roller 11A, small roller 11B, not shown in Figure 1) are provided at the tip of the support arm mechanism 6 (Figure 1) to guide the wire 5A led out from the mechanical winding device 9. In Fig. 2, an opening 6BC is formed in the bottom surface 6BBS of the lower cover 6B at the tip 6S of the support arm mechanism 6. A large roller 11A (feed-out roller) and a small roller 11B (holding roller) are arranged near the opening 6BC inside the support arm mechanism 6. In Fig. 2, only a portion of the large roller 11A and the small roller 11B are shown. The large roller 11A functions as a payout roller that sends (guides) the wire 5A, which is led out from the mechanical winding device 9 (retractor; not shown in FIG. 2; see FIG. 17) disposed on the base 6K side of the support arm mechanism 6, to the opening 6BC. The small roller 11B functions as a holding roller that restricts the wire 5A on the mechanical winding device side from moving upward.

[0023] In Figure 2, the mechanical winding device side wire 5A is sandwiched between a large roller 11A and a small roller 11B and extends downward from the opening 6BC (towards the stuffing nozzle 4, not shown in Figure 2: see Figures 1 and 17 for the stuffing nozzle 4). A V-shaped groove 11AB is formed in the large roller 11A, and the mechanical winding device wire 5A extends within the V-shaped groove 11AB. A V-shaped groove 11BB is also formed in the small roller 11B, and the mechanical winding device wire 5A also extends within the V-shaped groove 11BB. This is to stabilize the unwinding direction of the mechanical winding device wire 5A and to restrict movement of the mechanical winding device wire 5A in a direction perpendicular to the unwinding direction (the direction in which the wire 5A tries to come off the large roller 11A and small roller 11B: the lateral direction).

[0024] In FIG. 2, the opening 6BC is formed only in the bottom surface 6BBS (lower surface) of the lower cover 6B of the supporting arm mechanism 6, and does not extend to the arm tip 6S. If the opening 6BC extends to the arm tip S as shown in Figure 3, rainwater will enter the support arm mechanism 6. However, if the opening 6BC is formed only on the underside of the arm (bottom surface 6BBS of the lower cover 6B) as shown in Figure 2, rainwater will not enter the support arm mechanism 6. This was confirmed by the inventors through a water spray test in accordance with the IPX3 standard (waterproofing level 3). 3, the hydrogen filling device in which the opening 6BC extends to the arm tip S relates to the prior art (prior art other than Patent Document 1). To avoid complication, in FIG. 3, the same reference numerals as in the illustrated embodiment are used for the support arm mechanism 6, the arm tip 6S, the opening 6BC, etc.

[0025] In the support arm mechanism 6 of the gas filling device 1 according to the embodiment shown in the drawings, the required range of waterproofing is waterproofing to the extent that it is not adversely affected by water sprayed from above and water sprayed from an angle inclined at 60° to the vertical, which corresponds to level 3 of the waterproofing class in the IPX3 standard. Experiments by the inventors have shown that by forming the opening 6BC only on the underside of the arm (bottom surface 6BBS of the lower cover 6B) and not extending it to the tip 6S of the support arm mechanism 6, it is possible to achieve waterproofing performance that satisfies the waterproofing class of the IPX3 standard (sufficiently withstands the IPX3 waterproofing test). In the first embodiment, as will be described later with reference to Figures 6 and 8, the movement range of the mechanical take-up device side wire 5A is within the range of the opening 6BC formed in the bottom surface 6BBS of the lower cover 6B. Therefore, rainwater does not flow down the mechanical take-up device side wire 5A and enter the inside of the support arm mechanism 6. This has also been confirmed through experiments by the inventors. Furthermore, since the opening 6BC does not need to extend to the tip of the support arm mechanism 6, the length of the opening 6BC, particularly the length in the tip direction of the support arm mechanism 6, can be shortened accordingly.

[0026] FIG. 4 shows the large roller 11A and the small roller 11B at the tip of the support arm mechanism 6 viewed from above. 4, the mechanical winding device side wire 5A is arranged in such a manner that it is sandwiched between a large roller 11A and a small roller 11B. The small roller 11B is located on the arm tip 6S side (arrow B) relative to the large roller 11A. By arranging the wire 5A on the mechanical winding device side so that it is clamped between the large roller 11A (its V-shaped groove 11AB) and the small roller 11B (its V-shaped groove 11BB), the wire 5A on the mechanical winding device side is prevented from coming off the large roller 11A and the small roller 11B.

[0027] In FIG. 4, a rotation shaft 11AS of the large roller 11A and a rotation shaft 11BS of the small roller 11B are supported by a roller support bracket 12. As shown in FIG. 5, the roller support bracket 12 is attached to the inner surface 6BBI of the bottom surface 6BBS of the lower cover 6B via a base portion 12B in a manner that straddles the opening 6BC. 4, reference numeral 15 denotes a stopper against which a washer 16 abuts when pressed by a buffer rubber 14 (not shown). The buffer rubber 14 and the stopper 15 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18.

[0028] In Figure 5, the side edge of the large roller 11A is provided with a large roller side edge protrusion 11AA that protrudes outward (in the direction of the central axis of the rotation shaft 11AS, toward both the left and right ends in Figure 5). In other words, the side edge of the large roller 11A is provided with a step that protrudes outward. The provision of the large roller side edge protrusions 11AA prevents the outer surface of the large roller 11A from contacting the roller support bracket 12 or contacting or interfering with the inner edge 6BCE of the opening 6BC. This prevents the paint film in those areas from being removed due to interference with the outer surface of the large roller 11A, which could cause rust. In addition, the large roller 11A rotates smoothly without interference.

[0029] Next, an example of the relative positional relationship between the large roller 11A and the small roller 11B will be described with reference mainly to FIGS. 6, mechanical take-up device wire 5A needs to pass smoothly through opening 6BC in lower cover 6B, be let out, and be wound up without interfering with front edge 6BC-F of opening 6BC. If mechanical take-up device wire 5A interferes with opening 6BC, the coating will peel off and roller 11 will wear, making it impossible to smoothly wind and let out mechanical take-up device wire 5A, and ultimately, mechanical take-up device wire 5A may break, making it impossible to hold filling nozzle 4.

[0030] As described above with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the rotation shaft 11BS of the small roller 11B is supported by the roller support bracket 12. As is clear from FIG. 5, the lowermost portion of the roller support bracket 12 fixed to (the inner surface 6BBI of) the bottom surface 6BBS of the lower cover 6B is not located lower than the lower cover 6B. In Figure 7, if the distance L1 from the center of rotation 11BC of the small roller 11B (the axis of the rotation shaft 11BS shown in Figure 6) to the lower edge 12A of the roller support bracket 12 is short, the roller support bracket 12 must support the load applied to the small roller 11B (tension acting on the mechanical winding device side wire 5A or other load) using the area R1 (the area shown with hatching in Figure 7) formed by the short distance L1, but the strength of area R1 in the roller support bracket 12 will be insufficient (relative to the strength required to support the small roller 11B), and area R1 of the roller support bracket 12 may be damaged, causing the small roller 11B to be unable to be supported. Therefore, the distance L1 in the region R1 of the roller support bracket 12 must be set to ensure the strength necessary and sufficient to support the small rollers 11B and to prevent damage to the region R. It must be set to a degree that ensures the strength necessary and sufficient to support the small rollers 11B. In Figure 7, the large rollers 11A are indicated by dashed lines. As is clear from Figure 7, if the small roller 11B is positioned lower (towards the lower edge 12A of the roller support bracket 12), the distance L1 becomes smaller. Therefore, the distance L1 from the rotation center 11BC of the small roller 11B to the lower edge 12A of the roller support bracket 12 must be set large enough so that the area R1 (the area indicated by hatching in Figure 7) of the roller support bracket 12 corresponding to the distance L1 has the strength necessary to support the small roller 11B, and the small roller 11B must be positioned higher (in Figures 6 and 7). For example, the distance L1 is set to 6 mm or more.

[0031] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 8, if the position of the small roller 11B (in Figs. 6 and 8) is too high and away from the opening 6BC of the lower cover 6B, the direction in which the mechanical winding device side wire 5A extends will be toward the arm tip 6S (the side of arrow B in Figs. 6 and 8), and will be outside the opening 6BC, causing the mechanical winding device side wire 5A to interfere with the front edge 6BC-F of the opening 6BC or the area on the arm tip 6S side of the leading edge 6BC-F. In Fig. 8, the area in which the mechanical winding device side wire 5A interferes with a location other than the opening 6BC is shown as the hatched area IF. As explained with reference to Figure 7, if the position of the small roller 11B is too close to the opening 6BC (if the distance L1 is too small), the strength of the region R1 in the roller support bracket 12 may be insufficient and the small roller 11B may not be able to be supported. However, as shown in Figure 8, if the position of the small roller 11B is too far away from the opening 6BC (upper part in Figure 8), it will interfere with the front edge 6BC-F of the opening 6BC or the region on the arm tip 6S side of the front edge 6BC-F. Therefore, the position of the small roller 11B must not be too far away from the opening 6BC (too far above in Figure 8), and the direction in which the mechanical winding device side wire 5A sandwiched between the large roller 11A and the small roller 11B extends must be set to be closer to the arm base 6K (towards arrow C in Figure 8) than the front edge 6BC-F of the opening. Naturally, the direction in which the mechanical winding device side wire 5A extends must be toward the arm tip 6S (toward arrow B) rather than the rear edge 6BC-R of the opening, and the movement range of the mechanical winding device side wire 5A must be within the range of the opening 6BC.

[0032] To satisfy the conditions explained in Figures 6 to 8, The distance L1 from the axis 11BC of the rotation axis 11BS of the small roller 11B to the lower edge 12A of the roller support bracket 12 that supports the large roller 11A and the small roller 11B is set so that the roller support bracket 12 has the strength to reliably support the load acting on the small roller 11B, and The direction in which the mechanical winding device side wire 5A sandwiched between the large roller 11A and the small roller 11B extends must be closer to the arm base 6K (arrow C side) than the front edge 6BC-F of the opening of the lower cover 6B, and closer to the arm tip 6S (arrow B side) than the rear edge 6BC-R of the opening.

[0033] In the first embodiment, the distance L1 is set to a distance that ensures that the roller support bracket 12 has the strength to reliably support the load acting on the small roller 11B. Furthermore, the angle θ formed between the direction in which the mechanical winding device wire 5A extends and the bottom surface 6BBS of the lower cover 6B is set to be 30° or greater, for example, 45° or greater. According to experiments conducted by the inventors, by setting the angle θ in this manner, the mechanical winding device wire 5A does not interfere with the leading edge 6BC-F of the opening 6BC, and the mechanical winding device wire 5A does not approach or interfere with the trailing edge 6BC-R of the opening. In other words, the mechanical winding device wire 5A extends within the opening 6BC.

[0034] In the configuration described with reference to Figures 2 to 8, the roller support bracket 12 can reliably support the load acting on the small roller 11B, and the mechanical winding device side wire 5A can be prevented from interfering with the lower cover 6B (opening 6BC). Furthermore, rainwater is prevented from entering the support arm mechanism 6 (meets the IPX3 waterproof standard), eliminating the problem of the filling operation being hindered due to malfunction of the support arm mechanism 6.

[0035] Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, roller 111B corresponding to small roller 11B (holding roller) in the first embodiment is configured to have a larger diameter than small roller 11B in the first embodiment. For example, if the diameter of small roller 11B in the first embodiment is 12 mm, the diameter of small roller 111B in the second embodiment is set to 18 mm. According to experiments conducted by the inventors, if the diameter of the small roller 11B is small (for example, 12 mm), the wire 5A is bent with a small radius of curvature at the point sandwiched between the large roller 11A (feed-out roller) and the small roller 11B. As a result, the wire 5A and the small roller 11B come into contact (point contact) at only one point on the circumference of the small roller 11B, which may cause damage to the wire 5A. On the other hand, if the diameter of the small roller 111B is increased (for example, if a roller with a diameter of 18 mm is used), the wire 5A will contact the circumference of the small roller 111B not at just one point (not at a point) but over a certain length (area), forming a line contact, as shown in Fig. 9. Therefore, unlike in the case of point contact, the wire 5A will not be damaged. In other words, the diameter of the small roller 111B is set to a dimension such that the wire 5A makes line contact with the circumference of the small roller 111B, rather than making point contact.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 10, in the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the rotation shaft 111BS of the small roller 111B and the rotation shaft 11AS of the large roller 11A are supported by a roller support bracket 12. In FIG. 10, the roller support bracket 12 has four through holes, and the rotating shaft 11AS of the large roller 11A is inserted into the through holes 12AH1 and 12AH2. Here, the through holes 12AH1 and 12BH1 are circular, while the through openings 12AH2 and 12BH2 are D-shaped. The rotating shafts 11AS and 111BS have circular cross sections, but the cross sections of the tip regions 11AS2 and 111BS2 are not circular but have shapes complementary to the D-shaped through openings 12AH2 and 12BH2 (D-shapes). During assembly, the rotating shaft 11AS is inserted into the through opening 12AH1, while the D-shaped tip region 11AS2 is inserted into the D-shaped through hole 12AH2. The rotating shaft 111BS is inserted into the through opening 12BH1, while the D-shaped tip region 111BS2 is inserted into the D-shaped through hole 12BH2. When the D-shaped tip region 11AS2 is inserted into the D-shaped through hole 12AH2, the rotating shaft 11AS does not rotate, and when the D-shaped tip region 111BS2 is inserted into the D-shaped through hole 12BH2, the rotating shaft 111BS does not rotate either. Although not clearly shown, the large roller 11A is configured to rotate around a rotation axis 11AS (i.e., spin freely), and the small roller 111B is configured to rotate around a rotation axis 111BS (i.e., is freely rotatable).

[0037] Fitting grooves are formed in the D-shaped cross-sectional tip region 11AS2 of the rotating shaft 11AS inserted into the D-shaped through hole 12AH2, the other end 11AS1E of the rotating shaft 11AS, the D-shaped cross-sectional tip region 111BS2 of the rotating shaft 111BS inserted into the D-shaped through hole 12BH2, and the other end 111BS1E of the rotating shaft 111BS, and the large roller 11A and the small roller 111B are attached to the bracket 12 by fitting the C-rings CA2, CA1, CB2, and CB1 into them. If the rotating shafts 11AS and 111BS are secured with low-head bolts (not shown in Figures 9 and 10), removing one of the low-head bolts causes the rotating shaft to spin freely, preventing the other low-head bolt from being removed, making it difficult to remove the rollers 11A and 111B. In contrast, as described above, if the rollers 11A and 111B are rotatable relative to the rotating shafts 11AS and 111BS, preventing the rotating shafts 11AS and 111BS from rotating, and the rotating shafts 11AS and 111BS are attached to the bracket 12 by engaging the C-rings CA2, CA1, CB2, and CB1, then the rollers 11A and 111B can be easily removed by disengaging the C-rings CA2 and CB2. This also simplifies installation.

[0038] 9 and 10, the bending strength of the wire 5A is increased to prevent damage caused by bending the wire 5A with a small radius of curvature at the point where the wire 5A is sandwiched between the large roller 11A (feed-out roller) and the small roller 11B. Specifically, the diameter of the wires constituting the wire 5A is reduced and the number of twists is increased. Other configurations and effects of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 are the same as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS.

[0039] Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the third embodiment, first and second shafts 42, 44 having a circular cross section are provided in place of the small rollers 11B, 111B (holding rollers) in the first and second embodiments. If the wire 5A moves upward on the support arm (in the direction of arrow U), it may not pass through the opening 6BC properly. In FIG. 11, a first shaft 42 is provided above the wire 5A to ensure that the wire 5A passes through the opening 6BC properly, allowing the wire 5A to be inserted and removed properly. In other words, the first shaft 42 is provided at a position that can prevent the wire 5A from moving upward. The first shaft 42 does not need to be rotatable, as long as it can prevent the wire 5A from moving upward. On the other hand, the second shaft 44 has a function of guiding the wire 5A so that it does not interfere with the front edge 6BC-F (edge ​​on the side of arrow B) of the opening 6BC, and is configured to be rotatable. The second shaft 44 is provided at a position where it can guide the wire 5A into the opening 6BC and where the wire 5A does not interfere with the front edge 6BC-F.

[0040] In Fig. 12, the dimension of the opening 6BC of the lower cover 6B in the direction of arrow W (the width dimension of the opening 6BC) is set so that the wire 5A does not interfere with the side edge 6BC-S of the opening 6BC. Simply providing the first and second shafts 42, 44 and the large roller 11A is not enough to restrict movement of the wire 5A in the direction of arrow W in Fig. 12, but by appropriately setting the dimension of the opening 6BC in the direction of arrow W, it is possible to prevent interference between the wire 5A and the side edge 6BC-S of the opening 6BC. This prevents the paint on the lower cover 6B from peeling off, rusting, and damage to the wire 5A due to such interference. Other configurations and effects of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 are similar to those of the embodiment shown in FIGS.

[0041] The support arm mechanism 6 shown in FIG. 1 will be further described with reference to FIGS. The support arm mechanism 6 has an upper cover 6A shown in Fig. 13 and a lower cover 6B shown in Fig. 14, and is configured by placing the upper cover 6A over the lower cover 6B. In the support arm mechanism 6 (upper cover 6A, lower cover 6B) in Figs. 13 and 14, the part on the side with the larger width dimension is the base 6K, and the part on the opposite side of the base 6K with the smaller width dimension is the tip 6S. In FIG. 13, a first bent portion 6AA (protrusion) that protrudes downward (toward the lower cover 6B) is provided around the entire periphery of the upper cover 6A. Four screw holes H1 for attaching the lower cover 6B are formed around the periphery of the upper surface of the upper cover 6A shown in Figure 13. Although not shown, in the prior art, in order to prevent liquid from seeping into the support arm, the cover body is fastened to the hollow structure with 11 screws via a sealant. In contrast, in the illustrated embodiment, the upper cover 6A is simply placed over the lower cover 6B and fastened with four screws S, which significantly reduces the labor required for assembly.

[0042] 14, a second bent portion 6BA is formed around the entire periphery of the lower cover 6B, protruding upward. Six tall guide portions 6BB (fastening guide portions 6BB-1 and reinforcing guide portions 6BB-2) are formed intermittently along the periphery of the second bent portion 6BA. The upper ends of the guide portions 6BB are flat portions with a larger cross-sectional area than the other portions. When assembling the upper cover 6A and the lower cover 6B, the upper cover 6A is placed over the lower cover 6B so that the second bent portion 6BA of the lower cover 6B is positioned on the inner surface of the first bent portion 6AA of the upper cover 6A. As a result, the flat portion at the upper end of the guide portion 6BB comes into contact with the inner surface of the upper cover 6A and is positioned to support the upper cover 6A. If the height dimension of the second bent portion 6BA were the same as that of the guide portion 6BB along the entire periphery of the edge of the lower cover 6B, the friction between the second bent portion 6BA and the first bent portion 6AA would become too great, and the first bent portion 6AA would not fit into the second bent portion 6BA when the upper cover 6A is placed over the lower cover 6B. In addition, if the second bent portion 6BA and the first bent portion 6AA have different inclinations, it would be difficult to place the upper cover 6A over the lower cover 6B.

[0043] In an actual product, it is difficult to always perfectly align the relative positions of the first bent portion 6AA of the upper cover 6A and the second bent portion 6BA of the lower cover 6B. For this reason, in the illustrated embodiment, second bent portions 6BA having the same height as the guide portions 6BB that reach the upper cover when the upper cover 6A is placed over the lower cover 6B are not formed along the entire circumferential edge of the lower cover 6B. When the upper cover 6A is placed over the lower cover 6B, only the six guide portions 6BB (fastening guide portions 6BB-1 and reinforcing guide portions 6BB-2) that are provided intermittently around the circumferential edge of the lower cover 6B reach the upper cover. As a result, even if the inclination of the second bent portion 6BA and the first bent portion 6AA differs slightly from the design value, the upper cover 6A can be securely and easily placed over the lower cover 6B and integrated.

[0044] The lower cover 6B is provided with a second bent portion 6BA formed around the entire periphery in the peripheral direction, and guide portions 6BB (fastening guide portions 6BB-1 and reinforcing guide portions 6BB-2) formed at six locations intermittently in the peripheral direction. In other words, the spaces between adjacent guide portions 6BB are recessed, and the recessed portions become so-called "thin areas." The weight of the lower cover 6B can be reduced compared to when the second bent portion 6BA, which is at the same height as the guide portion 6BB, is formed on the circumferential front edge of the lower cover 6B.

[0045] In Figure 14, of the six guide portions 6BB on the lower cover 6B, two guide portions 6BB-1 formed on the tip 6S side (left side of Figure 14) of the support arm mechanism 6 and two guide portions 6BB-1 formed on the base 6K side (right side of Figure 14) (a total of four guide portions 6BB-1: fastening guide portions) have screw holes H2 formed in their flat portions. In contrast, two guide portions 6BB-2 (reinforcement guide portions) are located in the area between the fastening guide portion 6BB-1 on the tip 6S side of the support arm mechanism 6 and the fastening guide portion 6BB-1 on the base 6K side of the support arm mechanism 6, but no screw hole H2 is formed in the flat portion of the reinforcement guide portion 6BB-2.

[0046] The screw holes H2 formed in the flat portions of the four fastening guide portions 6BB-1 are formed so as to align with the screw holes H1 formed in the upper cover 6A when the upper cover 6A is placed over the lower cover 6B, and by fastening screws S into the screw holes H1 in the upper cover 6A and the screw holes H2 in the flat portions of the guide portions 6BB-1, the upper cover 6A is fixed in place over the lower cover 6B. That is, the four fastening guide portions 6BB-1 on the tip 6S side and base 6K side of the support arm mechanism 6 in the lower cover 6B function as fastening members that fasten the upper cover 6A.

[0047] The reinforcing guide portion 6BB-2 does not have a screw hole formed therein, and therefore does not contribute to fastening to the upper cover 6A. However, when an external force is applied that bends the support arm mechanism 6 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (short direction), the second moment of area at the location where the reinforcing guide portion 6BB-2 is provided increases, making it difficult for the entire support arm mechanism 6 to bend. Therefore, the reinforcing guide portion 6BB-2 acts as a reinforcing member that makes it difficult for the support arm mechanism 6 to bend in response to external forces. In FIG. 14, reference numeral 7 denotes a rotation shaft of the support arm mechanism 6, and the support arm mechanism 6 is configured to be rotatable relative to the main body housing 2 by the rotation shaft 7 and a bearing on the main body housing 2 side.

[0048] As described above, the support arm mechanism 6 in the illustrated embodiment is configured by covering the upper cover 6A in FIG. 13 with the lower cover 6B in FIG. This makes it possible to prevent rainwater from entering the inside of the support arm mechanism 6 as necessary and sufficiently with a simple structure, without providing a separate sealing structure. The waterproof performance required for the support arm mechanism 6 of the gas filling device 1 according to the illustrated embodiment is such that it will not be submerged when water is sprayed from above or from the area between the vertical surface of the outer edge and the surface inclined at 60° to the hanging surface (equivalent to IPX3 standard: waterproof level 3), as described above with reference to Figure 2. According to experiments conducted by the inventors, by covering the upper cover 6A with the lower cover 6B, waterproof performance that meets the IPX3 waterproof grade was achieved. Furthermore, in the support arm mechanism 6 according to the illustrated embodiment, the upper cover 6A can be simply placed over the lower cover 6B, and there is no need to fasten the cover body with screws around the entire periphery or use sealing material, making assembly easy and achieving weight reduction, compactness, and a reduction in the number of parts.

[0049] Next, a structure for supporting the support arm mechanism 6 rotatably relative to the main body housing 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 15, a rotary shaft 7 for rotating the arm is provided at the base 6K of the support arm mechanism 6. A bearing 20 for supporting the rotary shaft 7 is provided on the main body housing 2 side, and it is necessary to reliably prevent the bearing 20 from becoming waterlogged. In the illustrated embodiment, as shown in Figure 16, a raised portion 21 consisting of a cylindrical protrusion protruding upward (towards the support arm mechanism 6) is formed at the top 2A of the main body housing 2. 15, a cylindrical portion 8 (hanging portion) consisting of a cylindrical protrusion protruding downward is provided near the base 6K side of the support arm mechanism 6. The internal space of the cylindrical portion 8 communicates with an opening 7A in which the rotation shaft 7 is disposed. The cylindrical portion 8 is configured to cover the rising portion 21 from above, and the rising portion 21 is arranged concentrically on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 8. Although not clearly shown, the dimension by which the rising portion 21 (FIG. 15) protrudes upward is set to be, for example, 300% to 350% higher than the dimension by which a similar member in an existing gas filling device protrudes.

[0050] This configuration prevents water from seeping in beyond the cylindrical portion 8 and the rising portion 21 and into the bearing 20 located radially inward, even if water is sprayed from the area above the support arm mechanism 6 and the area between the vertical plane and the plane inclined at 60° from the vertical plane (even if water is sprayed in a manner similar to that of the IPX3 standard, waterproofing level 3). The above-mentioned effect was confirmed through experiments by the inventors.

[0051] In FIG. 17 showing the internal structure of the support arm mechanism 6, for the sake of simplicity, the upper cover 6A is omitted and only the lower cover 6B and its internal structure are shown. The base 6K side (right side in Fig. 17) of the support arm mechanism 6 is the side that is rotatably disposed on the main body housing 2 (not shown in Fig. 17), and is provided with a rotation shaft 7, etc. The tip 6S side (left side in Fig. 17) of the support arm mechanism 6 is the side from which the wire 5B connected to the filling nozzle 4 hangs down, and is provided with rollers 11, 111, shafts 42, 44, etc. The configurations and operations of the rollers 11, 111 and shafts 42, 44 are as described with reference to Figs. 2 to 12. The support arm mechanism 6 according to the illustrated embodiment does not itself extend or contract in the longitudinal direction. The support arm mechanism 6 according to the illustrated embodiment does not have a "nested" configuration having an arm body and a payout arm, but rather has a configuration that prioritizes compactness and light weight.

[0052] A mechanical winding device 9 (retractor) that pays out and winds up the wire 5 is provided inside the base 6K side of the support arm mechanism 6. The mechanical winding device 9 is a known mechanism that winds up the wire 5 using mechanical power such as a spring. Although not shown, the mechanical winding device 9 in the illustrated embodiment is smaller and lighter than mechanical winding devices provided in existing gas filling devices. Near the mechanical winding device 9, the mechanical winding device side wire 5A (the wire reeled out from the mechanical winding device 9) is connected by a first connecting part 10A (for example, a carabiner). Mechanical winding device side wire 5A and stuffing nozzle side wire 5B (the wire that supports stuffing nozzle 4) are connected by second connecting part 10B (for example, a wire coupling). Additionally, stuffing nozzle 4 and stuffing nozzle side wire 5B are connected by third connecting part 10C (for example, a carabiner). In the illustrated embodiment, a buffer rubber 14, a stopper 15, etc. are interposed on the mechanical winding device side wire 5A.

[0053] With the above-described configuration, for example, when replacing components shown in Fig. 18 (components interposed between first connecting part 10A and second connecting part 10B, such as mechanical take-up device side wire 5A, buffer rubber 14, and stopper 15), the connection between first connecting part 10A and second connecting part 10B can be released and only the components that need to be replaced can be replaced; there is no need to remove components that do not need to be replaced (for example, mechanical take-up device 9, roller 11, filling nozzle side wire 5B, filling nozzle 4, etc.). This makes part replacement easy.

[0054] 17, in the illustrated embodiment, the mechanical winding device wire 5A and the filling nozzle wire 5B are coated with a synthetic resin (e.g., polyamide) to improve sliding properties, which allows smooth unwinding and winding of the mechanical winding device wire 5A and prevents wear on the roller 11. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, when the third connecting part 10C is configured as a carabiner, the carabiner is of the type that opens inward, not the type that opens outward. If the carabiner is of the type that opens outward, if the carabiner accidentally opens (outward), there is a risk that the filling nozzle 4 will fall to the ground from the outward opening and be damaged. In contrast, if the carabiner is of the type that opens inward, even if the carabiner accidentally opens, there is an extremely low possibility that the filling nozzle 4 will come off the inward-opening carabiner, reducing the possibility that the filling nozzle 4 will fall to the ground and be damaged.

[0055] The arrangement of wires and the like in FIG. 17 is shown schematically in FIG. In Figure 18, a member is arranged on the wire 5A on the mechanical winding device side to buffer the tension that acts when the FCV vehicle erroneously starts or the filling nozzle 4 falls, and to buffer forces generated by other factors. A cushioning rubber 14 and a stopper 15 are provided near the first connecting part 10A, which is connected to the mechanical winding device 9, on the base 6K side of the support arm mechanism 6, with a washer 16 provided between them. A stopper 15 and a washer 16 are also provided near the roller 11 on the tip 6S side of the support arm mechanism 6. The washer 16 is provided to reduce the impact between the buffer rubber 14 and the stopper 15 when an impact (compression) acts on the buffer rubber 14 due to an erroneous start of the FCV, etc., or when the mechanical retractor side wire 5A is wound around the mechanical retractor 9, thereby extending the life of the buffer rubber 14.

[0056] The arrangement of the cushioning rubber 14, stopper 15, and washer 16 can cushion the impact (force acting in the direction of arrow A or arrow B in Figures 18 and 17) that the gas filling device 1 receives. The above-mentioned configuration is also effective in cushioning when an external force acts due to factors other than those mentioned above. Furthermore, for example, an emergency release mechanism (wire coupling) can be provided in the second connecting part 10B (Figure 17), and when the filling nozzle 4 is pulled with a force greater than a predetermined value, the emergency release mechanism can separate to release the connection, thereby releasing the connection between the second connecting part 10B and the mechanical winding device side wire 5A.

[0057] The rotation restricting means for restricting (limiting) the rotation of the rotation shaft of the support arm mechanism 6 will be described with reference to FIG. A rotation restricting means 22 is provided below the rotation shaft 7 of the support arm mechanism 6. The rotation restricting means 22 includes a protruding piece 23 and a stopper 24. The protruding piece 23 is connected to the rotation shaft 7 of the support arm mechanism 6 and rotates integrally with the rotation shaft 7. The stopper 24 is disposed on the top surface of the main body housing 2. Two roughly semicircular connecting members 25 are fixed to the rotating shaft 7 by bolts BT. The connecting members 25 are connected to a lower disk 26, and a convex piece 23 extending radially outward is fixed to the upper surface of the lower disk 26. With this structure, the lower disk 26 rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 7 of the support arm mechanism 6. Meanwhile, a single cylindrical stopper 24 is fixed to the upper surface of the main body housing 2.

[0058] When the protruding piece 23 that rotates integrally with the rotary shaft 7 comes into contact with the stopper 24, the rotation of the support arm mechanism 6 is restricted. In the illustrated embodiment, a single stopper 24 is provided, which increases the rotational range of the support arm mechanism 6 compared to when multiple (e.g., two) stoppers are provided. Therefore, it can be adapted to any position of the filling nozzle (nozzle hook) on the front, rear, or side of the gas filling device 1.

[0059] It should be noted that the illustrated embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1. Gas filling device 2. Main body housing 3. Filling hose 4. Filling nozzle 5. Wire 5A Mechanical winding device side wire 5B Filling nozzle side wire 6. Support arm mechanism 6A···Top cover 6AA First bend 6B Lower cover 6BA Second bend 6BB···Guide part 6BB-1 Fastening guide 6BB-2 Reinforcement guide 6BBS... Bottom of the lower cover 6BC...Opening 6BC-F...Opening leading edge 6BC-R...Rear edge of opening 7. Rotation axis of support arm mechanism 8. Cylindrical part 9. Mechanical retractor 10B: Connecting member (carabiner) between the wire on the mechanical winding device side and the wire on the filling nozzle side 11 Roller member 11A··· Feed roller (large roller) 11AA.... Feed roller side edge protrusion 11AS: Rotating shaft of the feeding roller 11B, 111B... Holding roller (small roller) 11BC: Center of the support roller 11BS, 111BS... Holding roller rotation axis 12 Roller holding bracket 12A: Lower edge of roller support bracket 21. Rising section L1: Distance from the center of the rotation axis of the retaining roller to the bottom edge of the roller support bracket 42...First axis 44...Second axis

Claims

1. A gas filling device including a filling mechanism in a main body housing for transporting gas from a gas supply source through a gas pipeline, a filling hose connected to an outlet of the gas pipeline of the filling mechanism, and a support arm mechanism for supporting a filling nozzle provided at the tip of the filling hose by attaching a wire to the filling nozzle, A gas filling device characterized by having a mechanical winding device at one end of a support arm mechanism and a guide member at the other end that guides the wire led out from the mechanical winding device into an opening formed in the lower cover of the support arm mechanism.

2. the guide member comprises a roller member; The gas filling device of claim 1, wherein the roller member is composed of a payout roller that feeds the wire from the retractor to the opening and a holding roller that restricts the upward movement of the wire, and the payout roller and the holding roller sandwich the wire.

3. The delivery roller and the holding roller are journaled on a roller holding bracket, 3. A gas filling device according to claim 2, wherein the distance from the center of the rotation axis of the holding roller to the lower edge of the roller support bracket is a distance that ensures the roller support bracket has the strength to reliably support the load acting on the holding roller.

4. 4. The gas filling device according to claim 3, wherein the wire sandwiched between the payout roller and the holding roller extends in a region between the front edge of the opening and the rear edge of the opening.

5. 5. The gas filling device according to claim 3, wherein the outer surface of the delivery roller is provided with a stepped portion projecting outward.

6. A gas filling device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein a mechanical winding device for winding and unwinding the wire is provided inside the support arm mechanism, and the wire unwound from the mechanical winding device and the wire supporting the filling nozzle are connected by a connecting member.

7. 3. The gas filling device according to claim 2, wherein the diameter of the holding roller is set to a dimension such that the wire and the arc of the outer periphery of the holding roller come into line contact with each other, not at a point.

8. the guide member comprises a roller member; The roller member includes a payout roller that feeds the wire from the retractor to the opening; a first shaft provided at a position that prevents the wire from moving upward; 2. The gas filling device according to claim 1, further comprising a second shaft that is capable of guiding the wire to the opening and is provided at a position where the wire does not interfere with the front edge of the opening.

Images