Flange-Mount Cylinder Sensor Assembly for Accessible Servicing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid cylinder sensor mounting arrangements face challenges due to limited access and potential damage during servicing, making sensor replacement difficult and costly, especially when the cylinder is in operation.
Innovation Solution
A sensor assembly with a sensor body, pressure pipe, annular face seal, and retention assembly that includes a retainer body with a radially-extending flange and fasteners, allowing secure mounting and easy servicing by providing accessible fasteners for the sensor assembly on the endcap of the cylinder, with an annular face seal for sealing and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the sensor is mounted within the cylinder to provide positional information, then the measurement function is achieved, but the ease of repair deteriorates due to limited access and potential damage during servicing
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor mounting system is divided into separate components: a sensor retention cap with internal chamber that houses the sensor, and a sensor port in the endcap. This segmentation allows the sensor to be accessed and serviced by removing the retention cap without affecting the cylinder structure, resolving the contradiction between maintaining measurement function and enabling easy repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor is extracted from the main cylinder body and placed in a separate retention cap assembly that can be independently removed. This extraction allows the sensor to be serviced without taking the entire cylinder out of operation, improving ease of repair while maintaining the measurement function through the external sensor port.
2Reliability
If the sensor is securely mounted to the cylinder, then the reliability of mounting is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in sensor replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system transitions from a fixed integrated structure to a dynamic removable assembly. The retention cap can be securely fastened during operation to ensure reliable mounting, then easily removed when sensor replacement is needed. This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction between secure mounting and easy replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention cap is pre-configured with internal chambers and fastening mechanisms that enable both secure mounting during operation and easy removal for replacement. The preliminary design of this modular structure allows operators to quickly swap sensors without complex disassembly, resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation.
3Ease of repair
If the sensor assembly is made serviceable with accessible fasteners, then the ease of repair is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional retention components
Solution Approach 1:
The retention cap serves multiple functions: it houses the sensor, provides sealing through the face seal, enables easy removal for servicing, and maintains structural integrity when mounted. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, resolving the contradiction between ease of repair and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention cap combines multiple functions into a single component: sensor housing, sealing surface, and mounting interface. By merging these functions, the design achieves easy accessibility for repair without significantly increasing overall device complexity, as the retention cap integrates rather than adds separate elements.
Data Source
AI summary
Cylinder sensor assembly includes a sensor with pressure pipe extending from the first sensor axial face of a sensor body, an annular face seal adapted to be disposed between the first sensor axial face and an endcap external axial face, and a sensor retention assembly. The sensor retention assembly includes a plurality of fasteners and a retainer body having a retainer distal face, a plurality of through holes and an internal chamber with a radially-extending flange extending into the internal chamber with the internal chamber open to the retainer distal face. The sensor body is disposed within the internal chamber adjacent the radially-extending flange.