Filling Station Valve Detection for Spray Can Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing filling stations for injecting propellant gas into spray cans or pressurized containers face challenges such as valve distortion, incorrect canister positioning, and propellant gas loss due to improper valve alignment, leading to production disruptions and contamination issues.
Innovation Solution
A filling station equipped with sensors to detect the presence, height, and security of the valve on the canister, ensuring accurate alignment and limited valve stem movement during propellant gas injection, thereby preventing distortion and ensuring efficient filling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the filling station operates without sensors to detect valve presence and positioning, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision and reliability of the filling process deteriorate due to valve distortion and misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system performs preliminary detection of valve presence, positioning, and securing status before the propellant gas injection process begins. This advance detection allows the filling station to verify correct canister and valve placement, preventing misalignment and distortion during the filling operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system provides real-time feedback about valve and canister positioning to the control system. This feedback mechanism enables the filling station to monitor and adjust the filling process based on actual positioning conditions, ensuring precise alignment and preventing valve distortion during propellant injection.
2Ease of operation
If the valve stem is allowed to move freely during propellant gas injection, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of the filling process deteriorates due to excessive valve stem movement causing distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system performs preliminary detection of valve positioning and securing status before propellant gas injection begins. This advance verification ensures the valve is correctly positioned and secured, preventing excessive movement and distortion during the filling operation while maintaining reliable operation.
3Reliability
If sensors are added to detect canister height and valve securing, then the manufacturing precision and reliability are improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is designed to perform multiple detection functions using a unified sensor arrangement: detecting canister presence, canister height, valve presence, valve positioning, and valve securing status. This multi-functional approach improves reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity compared to using separate sensors for each function.
4Ease of manufacture
If the filling station lacks sensor-based detection, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the productivity deteriorates due to production disruptions from valve damage and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system performs preliminary detection of canister and valve positioning before filling begins, preventing valve distortion and contamination events that would cause production disruptions. This preventive approach maintains high productivity by avoiding stoppages for maintenance and contamination cleanup.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system acts as an intermediary between the canister/valve and the propellant injection process, providing verification that conditions are correct before allowing filling to proceed. This intermediary detection layer prevents harmful events that would reduce productivity while maintaining ease of manufacture of the core filling mechanism.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Disclosed is a filling station for injecting propellant gas into a spray can with a valve (10) comprising a carousel having multiple locations occupied by the container in a stepwise fashion, and wherein, during a step, a filling head injects the propellant gas into the canister through the temporarily opened valve (10), characterized in that at least one location in the carousel, before the location with the filling head for injecting a propellant gas, is provided with at least one sensor that is suitable for carrying out at least one of the following observations during the step of the filling station: a) whether a canister is present, b) whether the canister has the expected height, c) whether a valve (10) is present on the canister, and d) whether the valve (10) is secured to the canister. Also described is the injection of propellant gas using the filling station.