Emergency Response Containment Vessel Quick-Lock Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional emergency response containment vessels (ERCVs) for compressed gas cylinders are cumbersome and time-consuming to open and close due to the lengthy process of moving C-shaped halves to remove the cover, making them inefficient for emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
An ERCV design featuring a vehicle frame with a sealing container that includes a locking module with a rotatable ring seat and driving device, allowing for quick unlocking and locking of the cover through a small rotational movement, facilitated by a driving device and engaging portions that align with notches for easy removal and secure locking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If C-shaped halves are moved to remove the cover, then the cover can be removed from the barrel body, but the process becomes long and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into multiple locking points (first locking point with first C-shaped half, second locking point with second C-shaped half, third locking point with third C-shaped half). This allows the cover to be locked at multiple positions simultaneously, enabling quick securing without requiring sequential manual adjustment of a single complex mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The C-shaped halves are pre-positioned on the ring frame at specific locking points. When the cover is placed on the barrel body, the locking points automatically align and engage with corresponding features on the cover, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual adjustment during the locking process.
2Reliability
If multiple C-shaped halves are used to lock the cover, then the cover is securely locked, but the operation becomes troublesome
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is divided into multiple independent locking points distributed around the ring frame. Each locking point has a C-shaped half that can independently engage with the cover. This segmentation provides redundant security - if one locking point fails, others remain functional - while maintaining simple operation at each individual point.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple locking functions are merged into a single integrated ring frame structure that holds all C-shaped halves. The ring frame rotates as a unified component, combining the operation of multiple locking points into one rotational action, thereby securing the cover at multiple positions simultaneously with a single operation.
3Ease of operation
If the ring seat rotates to align engaging portions with notches, then the cover becomes removable, but requires precise alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The notches on the ring seat and engaging portions on the cover are pre-configured in specific positions and orientations during manufacturing. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the ring seat rotates to predetermined angular positions, the notches automatically align with the engaging portions without requiring high-precision manual adjustment during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is designed with multiple equivalent locking positions around the ring frame, where each position provides the same level of security and accessibility. This equipotential design means that any of the multiple locking positions can serve as the operational position, reducing the precision requirement for any single position while maintaining overall system reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An emergency response containment vessel for a cylinder includes a vehicle frame and a sealing container carried by the vehicle frame. The sealing container includes a barrel body including an opening, a locking module, and a cover module. The locking module includes a fixed seat surrounding the barrel body and adjacent to the opening, a ring seat connected rotatably relative to the fixed seat between lock and unlock positions, and a driving device driving the ring seat to rotate. The ring seat includes a plurality of alternating blocks and notches and an annular groove. The cover module includes a connecting arm pivotably connected to the fixed seat and a cover connected to the connecting arm, removably covering the opening, and including a plurality of engaging portions removably received in the annular groove and respectively aligned with and misaligned with the notches when the ring seat is at the unlock and lock positions, respectively.