Compressed-air expulsion device venting and filling mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Compressed air-operated expulsion devices suffer from performance degradation due to condensation formation and corrosion in the compression chamber, making maintenance and repair challenging, especially since the compression chamber is sealed and cannot be accessed for component replacement or refilling.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a venting device and a filling device into the compression chamber allows for temporary emptying and refilling of compressed air, enabling the removal of condensate and allowing for repairs such as replacing worn components, with a pressure indicator and adjustable pressure relief valve for controlled refilling, and an optional compressed air cartridge for independent refilling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If the compression chamber is sealed to maintain constant gas volume, then the ejector can operate continuously without refilling, but the chamber cannot be accessed for maintenance or repair
Solution Approach 1:
The compression chamber is divided into two accessible openings: a first opening for introducing compressed air and a second opening for venting and component access. This segmentation allows the chamber to be refilled and maintained without compromising the sealed operation during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The compression chamber is pre-filled with compressed air during manufacturing, and the venting device is pre-configured to allow controlled venting. This preliminary preparation enables maintenance operations to be performed without interrupting the overall system functionality.
2Reliability
If the compression chamber is sealed to prevent contamination, then the gas volume remains constant, but condensate cannot be removed and corrosion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The venting device allows the compression chamber to be selectively emptied of its gas volume through the second opening. This extraction function enables removal of condensate and corrupted gas while preserving the chamber structure for continued operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows discarding of the compressed air volume through venting when contamination occurs, and recovering by refilling through the first opening. This cycle can be repeated to maintain chamber integrity throughout the ejector's service life.
3Reliability
If the compression chamber is sealed, then components are protected from wear, but worn components cannot be replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The sealed compression chamber is segmented with accessible openings that allow removal and replacement of internal components such as the ejector plunger and drive piston, while maintaining the chamber's sealed operation during normal use.
4Reliability
If compressed air is refilled frequently to maintain performance, then component wear is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ejector device is equipped with self-contained venting and filling devices that enable users to maintain the compression chamber without external equipment. The pressure gauge and venting mechanism allow simple monitoring and maintenance operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design extends the service life of the expulsion device by enabling easy maintenance and repair, allowing for the replacement of components like the drive piston and plunger, and facilitates refilling of the compression chamber with compressed air, ensuring the device can be restarted after repairs.
Implementation Method 1
a driving piston (18) which can be acted upon by a volume of gas which can be compressed in a compression chamber (23)
Implementation Method 2
condensation occurs due to the associated temperature changes of the compressed air stored in the compression chamber, since the water vapor contained in the compressed air condenses when the compressed air cools down
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a compressed-air-operated expulsion device (10) for expelling objects (14) or fluid materials from a reservoir by means of a drive piston (18), which can be impinged upon by a gas volume compressible in a compression chamber (23). The drive piston (18) has a drive device for compressing the gas volume and a release device for decompressing the compressed gas volume. The compression chamber (23) has a venting device for temporarily venting the compression chamber (23) and a filling device (41) for filling the vented compression chamber (23) with compressed air.