Hydrogen gas filling equipment

Abstract

To provide a hydrogen gas filling device capable of reducing the cost relating to the strength of a nozzle hook and a casing by mitigating shock when hooking a filling nozzle on the nozzle hook.SOLUTION: A nozzle hook 23 having a placement part 28 where a filling nozzle 7 is removably placed includes a displacement member 25 to be displaced in the vertical direction with the filling nozzle 7 abutting thereon when placing the filling nozzle 7 on the placement part 28, and an energizing member 33 for energizing the displacement member 25 in the upward direction. Thus, the energizing member 33 can mitigate (absorb) a load (shock) working when hooking the filling nozzle 7 on a nozzle hook 23 to enable hold-down of the strength of the nozzle hook 23 and a casing 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a hydrogen gas filling device that fills hydrogen gas into a filling tank of a vehicle, for example. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, gas filling devices are known that fill a fuel tank (a fuel tank mounted on a vehicle such as a four-wheeled automobile) with high-pressure fuel gas. This type of gas filling device according to conventional technology has a nozzle hanger attached to a housing that forms the gas filling device. Once filling of the fuel gas is complete, the worker hangs the filling nozzle attached to the tip of the filling hose on the nozzle hanger (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-66420 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the invention of Patent Document 1, the nozzle hanger is fixed to the housing. Therefore, when a filling nozzle made of a thick material to provide pressure resistance is hung on the nozzle hanger, the weight of the filling nozzle acts directly as an impact on the nozzle hanger. As a result, the nozzle hanger is subjected to an impact every time the filling nozzle is hung. Therefore, the nozzle hanger and the housing need to be made stronger to prevent damage from the impact when hanging the filling nozzle, which creates the problem of increased costs.

[0005] The object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a hydrogen gas filling device that reduces the costs associated with the strength of the nozzle hanger and the casing by mitigating the impact when hanging the filling nozzle on the nozzle hanger. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention is a hydrogen gas filling device comprising a housing, a filling nozzle provided at the end of a filling hose through which hydrogen gas flows, and a nozzle hanger provided on the housing and having a mounting portion on which the filling nozzle is removably mounted, wherein the nozzle hanger comprises a displacement member against which the filling nozzle abuts and which displaces in the vertical direction when the filling nozzle is placed on the mounting portion, and a biasing member which biases the displacement member upward. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to mitigate the impact when hanging the filling nozzle on the nozzle hanger, and it is possible to reduce costs related to the strength of the nozzle hanger and the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram schematically illustrating a hydrogen gas filling device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an external view of the gas filling device in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the filling nozzle is hung on the nozzle hanger. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the nozzle hanger and the filling nozzle separated from each other. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the nozzle hanger with the filling nozzle removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the nozzle hanger with the filling nozzle removed. [Figure 7] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the nozzle hanger of FIG. 4 from the housing side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A hydrogen gas filling device for a vehicle that fills a filling tank of a vehicle with hydrogen gas will be described below as an example of a hydrogen gas filling device according to an embodiment with reference to Figs.

[0010] 1, a hydrogen gas filling device 1 fills a filling tank 41, which serves as a fuel tank for a vehicle 40 such as a fuel cell vehicle, with compressed hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas filling device 1 for a vehicle is installed, for example, in a facility (fuel supply station) called a hydrogen gas supply station. The hydrogen gas filling device 1 includes a gas accumulator 2 that stores hydrogen gas in a compressed state, and a dispenser unit 3 that fills the hydrogen gas from the gas accumulator 2 into the filling tank 41 of the vehicle 40.

[0011] The gas accumulator 2 is a hydrogen gas supply source and constitutes a hydrogen gas storage unit that stores highly compressed hydrogen gas. The gas accumulator 2 is connected to the upstream side of the gas supply pipe 5 of the dispenser unit 3.

[0012] The dispenser unit 3 is composed of a housing 4, a gas supply pipeline 5, a filling hose 6, a filling nozzle 7, a flow control valve 9, a shut-off valve 10, a cooler 11, a flow meter 14, a pressure sensor 15, a temperature sensor 16, a filling start switch 17, a filling stop switch 18, a depressurization valve 20, a control device 21, and a nozzle hanger 23.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 4 constitutes a building that defines the outer shape of the dispenser unit 3. The housing 4 is formed, for example, in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped that is elongated in the vertical direction. The housing 4 houses a gas supply line 5, a flow control valve 9, a shutoff valve 10, a heat exchanger 12, a pressure sensor 15, a temperature sensor 16, a control device 21, and the like. The housing 4 is formed into a box shape by a front panel 4A, a left panel 4B, a right panel 4C, a top panel 4D, and a rear panel (not shown). The front panel 4A of the housing 4, which faces the worker or customer who performs the hydrogen gas filling work, is provided with a display unit 22, which will be described later. The left panel 4B of the housing 4 is provided with a nozzle hanger 23 on which the filling nozzle 7 is removably hung (placed). The nozzle hanger 23 may be provided on the front panel 4A.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, gas supply pipeline 5 is disposed within housing 4, and passes pressurized hydrogen gas from gas accumulator 2 toward filling hose 6. The gas supply pipeline 5 has the gas accumulator 2 side as its upstream side and the filling hose 6 side as its downstream side. The filling hose 6, which extends to the outside of housing 4, is connected to the downstream end of gas supply pipeline 5.

[0015] The filling hose 6 is formed from a flexible pressure-resistant hose. The base end of the filling hose 6 is connected to the downstream end of the gas supply pipeline 5. The tip of the filling hose 6 is provided with a filling nozzle 7 that is connected to the filling port 41A of the tank 41 to be filled. For example, an emergency release coupling is provided midway along the filling hose 6.

[0016] The filling nozzle 7 is connected to the tip of the filling hose 6 and constitutes a so-called filling coupling. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the filling nozzle 7 is formed into a stepped cylindrical shape made of a thick metal material to ensure pressure resistance. This makes the filling nozzle 7 heavy. The filling nozzle 7 has a connection port 7C at one end that connects to the filling port 41A of the tank 41 to be filled, and the other end that is connected to the tip of the filling hose 6. One end of the filling nozzle 7 (the portion that is located above the filling nozzle 7 when it is hung on the nozzle hanger 23) is a large diameter portion 7A, and the other end (the portion that is located below the large diameter portion 7A when it is hung on the nozzle hanger 23) is a small diameter portion 7B that is smaller in diameter than the large diameter portion 7A. Furthermore, a stepped latch portion 7A1 is formed at the base end of large diameter portion 7A (the end on the small diameter portion 7B side), and this latch portion 7A1 constitutes the periphery of large diameter portion 7A that fits (abuts) from above onto step portion 28A of mounting portion 28. Specifically, latch portion 7A1 is latched (abuts) onto step portion 28A of mounting portion 28, which has a diameter smaller than the diameter (diameter dimension D1) of latch portion 7A1 and larger than the diameter (diameter dimension D2) of small diameter portion 7B, thereby preventing stuffing nozzle 7 from falling off nozzle hanger 23.

[0017] Furthermore, the connection port 7C provided on one end side of the large diameter portion 7A is detachably connected in an airtight manner to the filling port 41A of the filling tank 41 when hydrogen gas is supplied to the filling tank 41 of the vehicle 40 through the filling nozzle 7.

[0018] When stuffing nozzle 7 is hung on nozzle hanger 23, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, it is positioned vertically with connection port 7C facing upward, and hanging portion 7A1 of large diameter portion 7A fits from above into step portion 28A of mounting portion 28. This allows stuffing nozzle 7 to be securely hung on mounting portion 28 so that it does not fall off from mounting portion 28. Furthermore, when stuffing nozzle 7 is hung on mounting portion 28, as shown in Figure 3, connection port 7C is blocked by blocking member 34, which will be described later, so that the inside of connection port 7C is kept clean (to prevent foreign matter such as dust from entering the inside of connection port 7C).

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 4 of the dispenser unit 3 is provided with an inlet valve 8 located midway along the gas supply line 5 and opened and closed, for example, manually; a flow control valve 9 located downstream of the inlet valve 8 and opened and closed by a control device 21 to adjust the flow rate of fuel flowing through the gas supply line 5; and a shutoff valve 10 located downstream of the flow control valve 9 and made of an electromagnetic or pneumatic valve device. The flow control valve 9 controls the flow rate and pressure of hydrogen gas flowing through the gas supply line 5. The arrangement (installation order) of the flow control valve 9 and the shutoff valve 10, which are installed from the upstream side to the downstream side of the gas supply line 5, is not limited to the order shown in FIG. 1. The inlet valve 8 is installed as needed and may be removed if unnecessary.

[0020] The flow rate control valve 9 adjusts the valve opening degree by, for example, supplying a control pressure (air pressure) according to a control signal. The flow rate control valve 9 is controlled to an arbitrary valve opening degree by a command based on a control program of the control device 21, and controls the flow rate and pressure of the hydrogen gas flowing through the gas supply pipeline 5.

[0021] The shutoff valve 10 is an electromagnetic or pneumatic valve device provided at a location along the gas supply pipeline 5 (for example, between the cooler 11 and the temperature sensor 16). The shutoff valve 10 opens and closes based on a control signal from the control device 21, thereby allowing or blocking the flow of hydrogen gas within the gas supply pipeline 5.

[0022] Cooler 11 is a device for cooling the hydrogen gas flowing inside gas supply pipeline 5. Cooler 11 cools the hydrogen gas along the gas supply pipeline 5 to prevent a rise in temperature of the hydrogen gas being filled into filling tank 41. Cooler 11 is configured to include a heat exchanger 12 located along gas supply pipeline 5 between flow control valve 9 and shutoff valve 10, and a chiller unit 13 connected to heat exchanger 12 and equipped with a drive mechanism (not shown) for, for example, a compressor, a pump, etc.

[0023] Cooler 11 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the hydrogen gas flowing inside gas supply pipe 5 using heat exchanger 12. Cooler 11 lowers the temperature of the hydrogen gas supplied toward filling hose 6 to a specified temperature (for example, −33 to −40° C.).

[0024] Flow meter 14 is located inside housing 4 and provided midway through gas supply pipe 5. Flow meter 14 is a Coriolis type flow meter that measures the mass flow rate of the fluid to be measured. Flow meter 14 measures the flow rate (mass flow rate) of hydrogen gas flowing through gas supply pipe 5, for example, between inlet valve 8 and flow control valve 9, and outputs the measurement result (detection signal) to control device 21.

[0025] The pressure sensor 15 is provided in the gas supply pipeline 5 downstream of the shutoff valve 10. The pressure sensor 15 detects the pressure of the hydrogen gas supplied from the gas pressure accumulator 2. The pressure sensor 15 measures the pressure in the gas supply pipeline 5 near the filling hose 6 and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the measured pressure to the control device 21.

[0026] The temperature sensor 16 is provided in the gas supply pipe 5, located between the shutoff valve 10 and the pressure sensor 15. The temperature sensor 16 detects the temperature of the hydrogen gas flowing in the gas supply pipe 5, and outputs the detection result (detection signal) to the control device 21. The positional relationship between the temperature sensor 16 and the pressure sensor 15 is not limited to the position shown in FIG.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the filling start switch 17 and the filling stop switch 18 are provided, for example, on the front panel 4A of the housing 4. In FIG. 2, the filling start switch 17 and the filling stop switch 18 are not shown. The filling start switch 17 and the filling stop switch 18 are switches that can be manually operated, for example, by an operator at a fuel supply station (hydrogen station). The filling start switch 17 is operated when starting to fill with hydrogen gas. The filling stop switch 18 is operated when stopping to fill with hydrogen gas. The filling start switch 17 and the filling stop switch 18 each output a signal according to their operation status to the control device 21. As a result, the control device 21 opens or closes the shutoff valve 10 in response to these signals.

[0028] Downstream of the shutoff valve 10 in the gas supply pipeline 5, a depressurization pipeline 19 is provided branching off, for example, for releasing gas pressure from the filling hose 6 side. A depressurization valve 20, for example, consisting of an electromagnetic or pneumatic valve device, is provided midway along the depressurization pipeline 19. When the hydrogen gas filling operation using the filling hose 6 (filling nozzle 7) is completed and the shutoff valve 10 is closed, the depressurization valve 20 opens based on a signal from the control device 21, thereby releasing the pressure in the filling hose 6. This allows the pressure in the filling hose 6 to be reduced to atmospheric pressure, and the connection port 7C of the filling nozzle 7 can be removed from the filling port 41A of the tank 41 to be filled.

[0029] The control device 21 constitutes a controller (control unit) that controls the flow rate adjustment valve 9, the shutoff valve 10, the depressurization valve 20, etc. The control device 21 controls the supply of hydrogen gas to the filling tank 41 that is the object of filling by controlling the flow rate adjustment valve 9 and the shutoff valve 10. The control device 21 is constituted by, for example, a microcomputer having a CPU (computing unit), memory (storage device), timer, etc. The memory of the control device 21 stores programs for filling control processing, etc.

[0030] The input side of the control device 21 is connected to a flow meter 14, a pressure sensor 15, a temperature sensor 16, a humidity sensor (not shown), a filling start switch 17, a filling stop switch 18, a detector 38, etc. On the other hand, the output side of the control device 21 is connected to a flow control valve 9, a shutoff valve 10, a depressurization valve 20, a display unit 22, etc.

[0031] 2, the display unit 22 is provided on the front panel 4A of the housing 4. The display unit 22 is positioned at a height that is easily visible to the worker filling the hydrogen gas, and displays information necessary for the hydrogen gas filling work. In addition to the display unit 22, the front panel 4A of the housing 4 is provided with operation units such as a filling start switch 17 and a filling stop switch 18.

[0032] Next, the configuration of the nozzle hanger 23 of the hydrogen gas filling device 1, which is a characteristic part of this embodiment, will be described in detail.

[0033] The nozzle hanger 23 holds the filling nozzle 7 except when hydrogen gas is being filled into the filling tank 41 of the vehicle 40. The nozzle hanger 23 is provided on the left face plate 4B of the housing 4, and the filling nozzle 7 is removably hung thereon. The nozzle hanger 23 includes a bracket 24, a displacement member 25, a mounting portion 28, a biasing member 33, a blocking member 34, a connecting member 36, a detector 38, etc., which will be described later.

[0034] The bracket 24 is attached to the left panel 4B of the housing 4. The bracket 24 forms a base for attaching the nozzle hanger 23 to the housing 4. As shown in Fig. 5, the bracket 24 includes a rectangular vertical panel 24A extending in the up-down direction, an upper horizontal panel 24B extending horizontally from the top of the vertical panel 24A, and a lower horizontal panel 24C extending horizontally from the bottom of the vertical panel 24A. The tips of the upper horizontal panel 24B and the lower horizontal panel 24C opposite the vertical panel 24A are attached to the left panel 4B of the housing 4.

[0035] A support base 24D is provided below the vertical plate portion 24A, extending in the width direction of the vertical plate portion 24A and protruding to the opposite side from the lower horizontal plate portion 24C. Two mounting holes (not shown) are provided in the support base 24D, spaced apart in the width direction of the vertical plate portion 24A, penetrating the vertical direction. The lower portions of guide pins 26A (described later) are inserted into these two mounting holes for mounting.

[0036] Furthermore, a blocking member mounting portion 24E is provided at an upper position of the vertical plate portion 24A so as to protrude above the support base 24D. A through-hole (not shown) is provided in this blocking member mounting portion 24E and extends in the width direction of the vertical plate portion 24A. The blocking member mounting portion 24E rotatably supports a blocking member 34 (described below) via a pin member 35 inserted into the through-hole.

[0037] Displacement member 25 is provided facing vertical plate portion 24A of bracket 24. Displacement member 25 is structured so that when stuffing nozzle 7 is placed on mounting portion 28 (described below), the stuffing nozzle 7 comes into contact with and is displaced vertically. Displacement member 25 is composed of a vertically moving portion 26, side plate 27, mounting portion 28, rear plate portion 29, and nozzle receivers 30, 31, and 32.

[0038] 6, the vertical movement portion 26 includes two guide pins 26A extending upward from the support base 24D of the bracket 24 with a gap in the width direction of the vertical plate portion 24A, and an elevation block 26B (engagement member) that is movable in the vertical direction along the guide pins 26A. The guide pins 26A are fixed by nuts 26C with their lower threaded portions 26A1 inserted into mounting holes in the support base 24D. This secures the guide pins 26A to the bracket 24.

[0039] The lifting block 26B has a bushing mounting hole 26B1 that penetrates vertically. A linear bushing 26D, into which the guide pin 26A is inserted, is provided in the bushing mounting hole 26B1. Retaining rings 26E are provided at both ends of the linear bushing 26D to prevent it from coming out of the bushing mounting hole 26B1 (to fasten the linear bushing 26D to the lifting block 26B). This allows the linear bushing 26D to move vertically on the guide pin 26A, and the lifting block 26B itself to move vertically. Two screw holes 26F are provided on the side of the lifting block 26B facing the side plate 27. Two insertion holes 27A1 and 27B1 provided in the side plate 27, described below, are screwed into the screw holes 26F, thereby fixing the displacement member 25 to the lifting block 26B. Furthermore, a pin hole 26G is provided on the upper side of the lifting block 26B, which penetrates from the side surface on the side panel 27 side to the opposite surface of the side surface, and through which a connecting pin 37 (described later) is inserted. Furthermore, the lifting block 26B is held at a predetermined height when the filling nozzle 7 is not hooked on the nozzle hook 23 by the biasing force of a biasing member 33 (described later) disposed between the lifting block 26B and the support base 24D.

[0040] The side panel 27 is attached to the two lifting blocks 26B and can move up and down together with the lifting blocks 26B. The side panel 27 is formed, for example, as a U-shaped panel with open sides, by folding a rectangular panel twice along vertical fold lines. Specifically, the side panel 27 is formed by a front panel 27A and a rear panel 27B that face each other and sandwich the two lifting blocks 26B in the width direction (front-rear direction) of the vertical panel 24A, and a right panel 27C that connects the right ends of the front panel 27A and the rear panel 27B. The front panel 27A has two insertion holes 27A1 (see FIG. 7), and the rear panel 27B has two insertion holes 27B1. The right side of the front plate portion 27A of the side panel 27 is screwed to the front lift block 26B, and the right side of the rear plate portion 27B is screwed to the rear lift block 26B. A lever 39, which will be described later, is attached to the right plate portion 27C.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the mounting portion 28 is provided on the inside of the side panel 27. The filling nozzle 7 is removably placed on the mounting portion 28. The mounting portion 28 has a rectangular outer shape and is fixed between the front panel 27A and the rear panel 27B. The mounting portion 28 is configured as a C-shaped body, with a circular step portion 28A into which the latch portion 7A1 of the large diameter portion 7A fits from above, and a notch 28B located on the open side opposite the right panel 27C and cut out in the radial direction (left-right direction) of the mounting portion 28. The (inner periphery of) the step portion 28A has a diameter smaller than the diameter D1 of the latch portion 7A1 and larger than the diameter D2 of the small diameter portion 7B.

[0042] Step portion 28A has a circular inner wall 28A1 (outer periphery) with a diameter d that allows hook portion 7A1 (diameter D1) of stuffing nozzle 7 to fit within with a small gap, and an annular bottom portion (inner periphery) 28A2 that protrudes radially inward from the bottom of circular inner wall 28A1 and abuts hook portion 7A1 from below. Step portion 28A is sized to surround large diameter portion 7A (hook portion 7A1) over a range of more than halfway beyond the center of large diameter portion 7A. This allows step portion 28A to remove stuffing nozzle 7 only when large diameter portion 7A (hook portion 7A1) of stuffing nozzle 7 is moved upward.

[0043] Furthermore, notch 28B is formed at a distance smaller than diameter D1 of latch portion 7A1 and larger than diameter D2 of small diameter portion 7B. Therefore, small diameter portion 7B can pass through notch 28B. As a result, when large diameter portion 7A is lifted and positioned higher than mounting portion 28, filling nozzle 7 can be moved into or removed from side panel 27 through notch 28B.

[0044] The rear plate portion 29 is provided between the front plate portion 27A and the rear plate portion 27B so as to sandwich the displacement member 25 between the rear plate portion 29 and the right plate portion 27C of the side plate 27. The rear plate portion 29 is disposed to the right of the step portion 28A of the placement portion 28 (at the rear of the side plate 27).

[0045] Nozzle receiver 30 is attached to rear plate portion 29. Nozzle receiver 31 is attached to front plate portion 27A of side plate 27. Nozzle receiver 32 is attached to rear plate portion 27B of side plate 27. These three nozzle receivers 30, 31, 32 abut against hook portion 7A1 of stuffing nozzle 7 when stuffing nozzle 7 is placed on mounting portion 28, thereby stabilizing stuffing nozzle 7.

[0046] Next, for example, two urging members 33 are provided between support base 24D of bracket 24 and lifting block 26B of vertically moving section 26. The urging members 33 urge displacement member 25 upward. The urging members 33 are, for example, coil springs provided on the outer periphery of guide pin 26A. When stuffing nozzle 7 is removed from nozzle hanger 23, the two urging members 33 hold displacement member 25 at a predetermined height position (the position shown in Figures 4 to 6), and also hold closing member 34, described below, in an open position (the position shown in Figures 4 to 6) that is out of the path of movement when stuffing nozzle 7 is placed.

[0047] Meanwhile, the biasing forces of the two biasing members 33 are set so that, when the stuffing nozzle 7 is placed on the nozzle hanger 23, the biasing members 33 contract due to the weight of the stuffing nozzle 7, including the stuffing hose 6. More specifically, when the stuffing nozzle 7 is placed on the nozzle hanger 23, the biasing members 33 contract due to the weight of the stuffing nozzle 7, etc., and the lowest position of the displacement member 25 is, for example, when the biasing members 33 are fully contracted, or when the lower part of the side panel 27 abuts against the support base 24D. When the displacement member 25 is in this lowest position, the blocking member 34 is rotated downward via the connecting member 36, and as shown in FIG. 3, the blocking member 34 closes the connection port 7C of the stuffing nozzle 7.

[0048] Here, stuffing nozzle 7 is formed as a heavy object made of metal material. For this reason, when stuffing nozzle 7 is hung on nozzle hanger 23, a large load acts on nozzle hanger 23. In this case, biasing member 33 gradually contracts under the weight of stuffing nozzle 7, thereby absorbing the load (impact) acting on displacement member 25 of nozzle hanger 23. Furthermore, because biasing member 33 biases displacement member 25 upward, the biasing force of biasing member 33 can function as an assist in lifting stuffing nozzle 7 when removing stuffing nozzle 7 from mounting portion 28.

[0049] The biasing member 33 may be formed of one or three or more coil springs. In addition to the coil spring, the biasing member 33 may also be formed of a leaf spring, a gas spring, or the like.

[0050] The closing member 34 is provided on the bracket 24. The closing member 34 releasably closes the connection port 7C of the filling nozzle 7. The closing member 34 includes a D-shaped top plate 34A with an arc-shaped tip, and a U-shaped side plate 34B extending downward from the periphery of the top plate 34A. The base ends of the side plates 34B of the closing member 34 are rotatably attached to both ends of a pin member 35 inserted into a through-hole in the closing member attachment portion 24E of the bracket 24.

[0051] When closing member 34 is rotated to the lower closing position (the position shown in FIG. 3), top plate 34A faces connection port 7C of stuffing nozzle 7, and side plate 34B surrounds large diameter portion 7A of stuffing nozzle 7. In addition, a sealing member 34C is provided on the underside of top plate 34A, which tightly fits and seals connection port 7C of stuffing nozzle 7 in the closing position. This sealing member 34C is elastic, and can cover connection port 7C facing upward to prevent foreign matter such as dust and rainwater from entering.

[0052] Two connecting members 36 are provided at positions sandwiching the displacement member 25 and the closing member 34 in the front-to-rear direction, and connect the displacement member 25 and the closing member 34 together. One longitudinal end of the front connecting member 36 is rotatably connected to an upper portion of the front plate portion 27A of the side plate 27 that constitutes the displacement member 25, and the other longitudinal end is connected to the front side of the side plate 34B of the closing member 34. The rear connecting member 36 is rotatably connected to an upper portion of the rear plate portion 27B of the side plate 27, and the other longitudinal end is connected to the rear side of the side plate 34B of the closing member 34. For example, one ends of the two connecting members 36 are attached to ends of connecting pins 37 that are inserted into pin holes 26G formed in the lifting blocks 26B of the vertically moving unit 26 and penetrate the side plate 34B in the front-to-rear direction.

[0053] As a result, the two connecting members 36 move (pivot) the closing member 34 upward in response to the upward movement of the displacement member 25, thereby placing the closing member 34 in the open position (the position shown in FIGS. 4 to 6) and opening the connection port 7C of the stuffing nozzle 7. On the other hand, the two connecting members 36 move (pivot) the closing member 34 downward in response to the downward movement of the displacement member 25, thereby placing the closing member 34 in the closed position (the position shown in FIG. 3) and closing the connection port 7C of the stuffing nozzle 7. The open position of the closing member 34 is set to a position where the angle α (see FIG. 5) with respect to the vertical plate portion 24A of the bracket 24 is between 0 degrees and 45 degrees, preferably about 30 degrees.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 , the detector 38 is mounted on the lower horizontal plate portion 24C of the bracket 24. The detector 38 is formed by a contact or non-contact sensor. The detector 38 detects a lever 39 attached to the right plate portion 27C of the side plate 27. That is, when the filling nozzle 7 is not hung on the nozzle hook 23 and the displacement member 25 is positioned upward due to the biasing force of the biasing member 33, the detector 38 cannot detect the lever 39. On the other hand, when the filling nozzle 7 is hung on the nozzle hook 23 and the displacement member 25 is positioned downward against the biasing force of the biasing member 33, the detector 38 detects the lever 39 and outputs a signal to the control device 21. This allows the detector 38 to detect the displacement of the displacement member 25 and determine whether the filling nozzle 7 is hung on the nozzle hook 23.

[0055] A vehicle 40 that runs on hydrogen gas as fuel is, for example, a four-wheeled automobile (passenger car) as shown in Figure 1. The vehicle 40 is equipped with a drive unit (not shown) that includes, for example, a fuel cell and an electric motor, a filling tank 41 shown by a dotted line in Figure 1, and the like. The filling tank 41 is configured as a pressure-resistant container that is filled with hydrogen gas, and is mounted, for example, on the rear side of the vehicle 40. Note that the filling tank 41 is not limited to being located on the rear side of the vehicle 40, and may also be located on the front side or center.

[0056] The tank 41 to be filled is provided with a filling port 41A (receptacle) to which a connection port 7C of the filling nozzle 7 is detachably attached. Hydrogen gas is filled into the tank 41 to be filled in the vehicle 40 with the filling nozzle 7 airtightly coupled (connected) to the filling port 41A. At this time, the filling nozzle 7 is locked to the filling port 41A by a locking mechanism to prevent it from accidentally coming off.

[0057] The hydrogen gas filling device 1 according to the embodiment has the configuration as described above, and next, the hydrogen gas filling operation using the hydrogen gas filling device 1 will be described.

[0058] When filling tank 41 of vehicle 40 with hydrogen gas, the worker performing the filling operation removes filling nozzle 7 from nozzle hanger 23. In this operation, it is necessary to lift filling nozzle 7 to remove large diameter portion 7A (latch portion 7A1) of filling nozzle 7 from step portion 28A of mounting portion 28. At this time, biasing member 33 biases displacement member 25 equipped with mounting portion 28 upward. As a result, the force required to lift filling nozzle 7 can be supplemented by the biasing force of biasing member 33, and filling nozzle 7 can be easily removed from nozzle hanger 23.

[0059] 1, the filling nozzle 7 is connected to the filling port 41A of the tank 41 to be filled, and the connection is locked. In this state, when the worker performing the filling operation turns on the filling start switch 17, the control device 21 outputs a valve open signal to the flow rate adjustment valve 9 and the shutoff valve 10, causing them to open.

[0060] As a result, the hydrogen gas in the gas accumulator 2 is filled into the filling tank 41 of the vehicle 40 through the gas supply pipeline 5, filling hose 6, and filling nozzle 7. The control device 21 adjusts the opening of the flow control valve 9 and the like using a preset control method (constant pressure rise control method or constant flow control method) while monitoring the measurement results of, for example, the flow meter 14, pressure sensor 15, and temperature sensor 16. This makes it possible to control the pressure and flow rate of the hydrogen gas supplied into the gas supply pipeline 5 to an appropriate flow state.

[0061] At this time, the control device 21 integrates the flow rate pulses from the flow meter 14 to calculate the amount (mass) of hydrogen gas to be filled, and determines whether the amount of hydrogen gas to be filled has reached a preset target amount, or whether the pressure of the hydrogen gas detected by the pressure sensor 15 has reached a preset target filling pressure. When it is determined that the target amount (pressure) has been reached, the flow rate adjustment valve 9 and the shutoff valve 10 are closed by a signal from the control device 21, and the filling of hydrogen gas into the tank 41 to be filled is terminated. The filling operation is also terminated when the operator operates the filling stop switch 18.

[0062] Next, in this state, controller 21 executes a filling completion control process. In this filling completion control process, a signal from controller 21 controls depressurization valve 20 to open from a closed state. When depressurization valve 20 opens, depressurization line 19 is opened to the atmosphere, thereby releasing the hydrogen gas on the filling nozzle 7 side to the outside and reducing the pressure in filling nozzle 7 to atmospheric pressure level. This allows the operator to remove connection port 7C of filling nozzle 7 from filling port 41A of tank 41 to be filled.

[0063] After being removed from filling port 41A of tank 41 to be filled, filling nozzle 7 is returned by the worker to nozzle hanger 23 on housing 4. At this time, in nozzle hanger 23, urging member 33 holds closing member 34 in an open position away from the line of movement of filling nozzle 7, so filling nozzle 7 can be easily hung on nozzle hanger 23 through the line of movement without being obstructed by closing member 34.

[0064] Furthermore, when stuffing nozzle 7 is hung on nozzle hanger 23, a large load acts on nozzle hanger 23, but the load (impact) acting on nozzle hanger 23 can be absorbed by the biasing force of biasing member 33. When stuffing nozzle 7 is hung on nozzle hanger 23, large diameter portion 7A (hanging portion 7A1) of stuffing nozzle 7 fits into step portion 28A of mounting portion 28, so stuffing nozzle 7 is held stably. Furthermore, when stuffing nozzle 7 is hung on nozzle hanger 23, closing member 34 is rotated downward in conjunction with displacement member 25, and closes connection port 7C of stuffing nozzle 7 at the closed position. This prevents foreign matter such as dust and rainwater from entering connection port 7C of stuffing nozzle 7.

[0065] Thus, according to the embodiment, nozzle hanger 23, which has mounting portion 28 on which stuffing nozzle 7 is removably placed, is equipped with displacement member 25 against which stuffing nozzle 7 abuts and which is displaced vertically when stuffing nozzle 7 is placed on mounting portion 28, and biasing member 33 which biases displacement member 25 upward. Therefore, even if a large load acts on nozzle hanger 23 when stuffing nozzle 7, which is formed as a heavy object, is hung on nozzle hanger 23, biasing member 33 gradually contracts under the weight of stuffing nozzle 7, thereby reducing (absorbing) the load (impact) acting on nozzle hanger 23.

[0066] As a result, the strength of the nozzle hanger 23 and the housing 4 can be kept low, thereby reducing costs. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the displacement member 25 is urged upward by the urging member 33, so the urging force of the urging member 33 can be used to assist when lifting the filling nozzle 7 and removing it from the mounting portion 28, thereby improving workability.

[0067] The nozzle hanger 23 includes a closing member 34 that closes the connection port 7C of the filling nozzle 7, and a connecting member 36 that connects the displacement member 25 and the closing member 34 and moves the closing member 34 so that the connection port 7C opens in response to the upward movement of the displacement member 25 and the connection port 7C closes in response to the downward movement of the displacement member 25. This allows the vertical movement of the displacement member 25 to be linked with the opening and closing movement of the closing member 34, improving workability.

[0068] When stuffing nozzle 7 is removed from mounting portion 28, biasing member 33 holds displacement member 25 at a predetermined height and can hold closure member 34 in an open position that is out of the path of movement when stuffing nozzle 7 is placed on mounting portion 28. This ensures that closure member 34 is moved to the open position that is out of the path of movement of stuffing nozzle 7 when removing stuffing nozzle 7 from mounting portion 28 and when attaching stuffing nozzle 7 to mounting portion 28. As a result, when attaching or detaching stuffing nozzle 7 to or from mounting portion 28, interference between stuffing nozzle 7 and closure member 34 can be prevented, thereby improving operability in this respect as well.

[0069] Further, filling nozzle 7 is provided with a hook portion 7A1 of large diameter portion 7A that is hooked to placing portion 28 when placed on placing portion 28, and a small diameter portion 7B that is located below hook portion 7A1 and has a smaller diameter than hook portion 7A1 when placed on placing portion 28. Furthermore, placing portion 28 is configured as a C-shaped body having a step portion 28A (having a diameter on the inner periphery smaller than diameter dimension D1 of hook portion 7A1 and larger than diameter dimension D2 of small diameter portion 7B) on the inner periphery into which hook portion 7A1, which forms the periphery of large diameter portion 7A, fits from above, and a notch 28B through which small diameter portion 7B can pass. Furthermore, the length dimension of the opening of cutout 28B into which small diameter portion 7B is inserted (the opening distance of cutout 28B) is a distance dimension W that is smaller than diameter dimension D1 of hook portion 7A1 but larger than diameter dimension D2 of small diameter portion 7B. Therefore, when hook portion 7A1 of stuffing nozzle 7 is fitted into step portion 28A of mounting portion 28, it is possible to prevent stuffing nozzle 7 from moving horizontally and falling off. Specifically, when large diameter portion 7A of stuffing nozzle 7 moves horizontally, the opening distance of cutout 28B is smaller than diameter dimension D1 of hook portion 7A1, so it is possible to prevent large diameter portion 7A from moving horizontally and thus preventing large diameter portion 7A from coming off cutout 28B. Furthermore, by simply lifting the filling nozzle 7 slightly so that the hooking portion 7A1 of the large diameter portion 7A is higher than the placing portion 28, the small diameter portion 7B can be passed through the notch 28B, making it easy to attach and detach the filling nozzle 7.

[0070] Furthermore, a detector 38 is provided that detects the displacement of the displacement member 25 and detects whether the filling nozzle 7 is hung on the nozzle hanger 23. Therefore, workers and customers performing the hydrogen gas filling work can correctly recognize whether the filling nozzle 7 is hung on the nozzle hanger 23. This makes it possible to omit the work of visually checking the state of the filling nozzle 7, improving workability.

[0071] As the hydrogen gas filling device based on the embodiment described above, for example, the following aspects are conceivable.

[0072] In a first aspect, in a hydrogen gas filling device comprising a housing, a filling nozzle provided at the end of a filling hose through which hydrogen gas flows, and a nozzle hanger provided on the housing and having a mounting portion on which the filling nozzle is removably mounted, the nozzle hanger comprises a displacement member against which the filling nozzle abuts and displaces in the vertical direction when the filling nozzle is placed on the mounting portion, and a biasing member that biases the displacement member upward.

[0073] According to this first aspect, even if a large load acts on the nozzle hanger when the filling nozzle is hung on the nozzle hanger, the biasing force of the biasing member can mitigate (absorb) the load (impact) acting on the nozzle hanger. This reduces costs related to the strength of the nozzle hanger and the housing. Furthermore, because the biasing member biases the displacement member upward, it can assist in the operation of lifting the filling nozzle and removing it from the hook, improving workability.

[0074] In a second aspect, in the first aspect, the filling nozzle has a connection port, and the nozzle hanger has a blocking member that blocks the connection port, and a connecting member that connects the displacement member and the blocking member and moves the blocking member so as to open the connection port in response to upward movement of the displacement member and to block the connection port in response to downward movement of the displacement member.

[0075] According to the second aspect, the vertical movement of the displacement member and the opening and closing movement of the blocking member can be linked via the connecting member, thereby improving workability.

[0076] In a third aspect, in the second aspect, when the filling nozzle is removed from the mounting section, the biasing member holds the displacement member at a predetermined height position and holds the blocking member in an open position that is out of the path of movement when the filling nozzle is placed on the mounting section.

[0077] According to the third aspect, when attaching or detaching the stuffing nozzle to or from the mounting part, the closure member can be moved to an open position that is out of the path of movement when attaching or detaching the stuffing nozzle, thereby preventing interference between the stuffing nozzle and the closure member and improving workability.

[0078] As a fourth aspect, in any of the first to third aspects, the filling nozzle comprises a hook portion that hooks onto the placing section when placed on the placing section, and a small diameter portion that is located below the hook portion and has a smaller diameter than the hook portion, and the placing section is configured as a C-shaped body having a step portion on the inner circumference that is smaller than the diameter of the hook portion and larger than the diameter of the small diameter portion, and a notch provided in the step portion, the length of an opening of which is smaller than the diameter of the hook portion and larger than the diameter of the small diameter portion, and through which the small diameter portion can pass.

[0079] According to the fourth aspect, when the latching portion of the large diameter portion of the filling nozzle is fitted into the step of the mounting portion, it is possible to prevent the filling nozzle from moving horizontally and falling off. Furthermore, by simply lifting the filling nozzle slightly so that the large diameter portion is higher than the mounting portion, the small diameter portion can be passed through the notch, making it easy to attach and detach the filling nozzle.

[0080] As a fifth aspect, in any of the first to fourth aspects, a detector is provided that detects the displacement of the displacement member and detects whether or not the filling nozzle is hung on the nozzle hanger.

[0081] According to the fifth aspect, the worker or customer filling the hydrogen gas can correctly recognize whether the filling nozzle is hung on the nozzle hanger, which eliminates the need to visually check the state of the filling nozzle, improving workability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1 Hydrogen gas filling device 4. Cabinet 6 Filling hose 7 Filling Nozzle 7A Large diameter section 7A1 Hook and stopper 7B Small diameter section 7C connection port 23 Nozzle Hanger 25 Displacement member 28 Placement section 28A Stepped section 28B Notch 33 biasing member 34 Closure element 36 Connecting member 38 Detector D1 Diameter of the hook part (diameter) D2 Diameter of small diameter part (diameter) W: Opening distance dimension (length) of the notch

Claims

1. The housing and a filling nozzle provided at the tip of a filling hose through which hydrogen gas flows; a nozzle hanger provided on the housing and having a mounting portion on which the filling nozzle is removably mounted; In a hydrogen gas filling device comprising: The nozzle hook is a displacement member that the stuffing nozzle comes into contact with and displaces in the up-down direction when the stuffing nozzle is placed on the placement portion; a biasing member that biases the displacement member upward; A hydrogen gas filling device comprising:

2. The filling nozzle has a connection port, The nozzle hook is a closing member that closes the connection port; a connecting member that connects the displacement member and the closing member, and moves the closing member so as to open the connection port in response to upward movement of the displacement member and close the connection port in response to downward movement of the displacement member; 2. The hydrogen gas filling device according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The hydrogen gas filling device described in claim 2, characterized in that when the filling nozzle is removed from the mounting portion, the biasing member holds the displacement member at a predetermined height position and holds the blocking member in an open position that is out of the movement path when the filling nozzle is placed on the mounting portion.

4. the filling nozzle includes a hook portion that is hooked onto the placement portion when the filling nozzle is placed on the placement portion, and a small diameter portion that is located below the hook portion and has a smaller diameter than the hook portion, A hydrogen gas filling device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the mounting portion is composed of a step portion on the inner side having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the hanging portion and larger than the diameter of the small diameter portion, and a notch portion provided in the step portion, the opening length of which is smaller than the diameter of the hanging portion and larger than the diameter of the small diameter portion, and through which the small diameter portion can pass.

5. 5. A hydrogen gas filling device according to claim 1, further comprising a detector for detecting the displacement of the displacement member and detecting whether the filling nozzle is hung on the nozzle hanger.

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