Gas Cylinder Tap With Segmented Sensor And Housed Indicator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas cylinder taps lack an effective status indicator for pressure and remaining service time, with limited design flexibility, maintenance accessibility, and modular integration of sensors, displays, and batteries.
Innovation Solution
A gas cylinder tap design featuring a distinct mounting location for the pressure sensor, an electronic indicator housed in a hand-wheel, and electrical wires routed through a continuous channel within the shaft and body, with a removable cover for easy access to electrical connections, allowing for improved maintenance and assembly operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pressure sensor, electronic display, and control system are integrated into a common housing, then the electronic status indication function is achieved, but the design freedom and maintenance accessibility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the electronic status indication system into separate modular components: the pressure sensor is mounted on the tap body, the electronic display is housed in the hand-wheel, and the control system is integrated into the cover assembly. This segmentation allows independent design optimization of each component and facilitates selective replacement during maintenance, thereby improving design freedom while maintaining reliable status indication functionality.
2Volume of stationary object
If the pressure sensor is mounted at the same location as the electronic indicator, then the assembly is compact, but the maintenance accessibility and design flexibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure sensor is mounted on the tap body at a location distinct from the electronic indicator housing in the hand-wheel. This spatial segmentation enables independent access to the pressure sensor for calibration or replacement without disassembling the hand-wheel or electronic display components, significantly improving maintenance accessibility while maintaining a compact overall assembly.
3Ease of manufacture
If the electrical wires are routed externally, then the assembly is simpler to manufacture, but the user-operated components are interfered with and the appearance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical wires connecting the pressure sensor and electronic display are routed through a longitudinal bore within the shaft, which is itself housed within the hand-wheel assembly. This nested routing conceals the wires within the existing structural components, eliminating external wire exposure that would interfere with user operation of the hand-wheel and flow selector, while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the use of pre-formed bores.
4Ease of repair
If the cover is removed for sensor maintenance, then the maintenance accessibility is improved, but the structural integrity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The cover assembly is designed as a separate removable component that houses the electronic control system and battery, while the pressure sensor remains mounted on the tap body. This segmentation allows the cover to be removed for electronic component maintenance without affecting the structural integrity of the main tap body or the pressure sensor mounting, as the sensor is independently secured to the body structure.
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
Enhances design flexibility, facilitates easy maintenance of the pressure sensor, and protects electrical wires, providing reliable pressure and flow-rate indications without interfering with user-operated components.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure sensor electrically connected to the electronic indicator and providing to said indicator the gas pressure at the inlet
Implementation Method 2
the tap comprising electrical wires extending through said bore and connecting the electronic indicator to the pressure sensor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention is directed to a tap for gas cylinder, comprising a body (16) with an inlet (18), an outlet (20) and a passage (22) connecting said inlet with said outlet; an electronic indicator (32) of the status of the tap and/or cylinder, said indicator being mounted on the body (16); a pressure sensor (36) electrically connected to the electronic indicator (32) and providing to said indicator the gas pressure at the inlet. The pressure sensor (36) is mounted on the body (16) at a location that is distinct from the mounting location of the electronic indicator (32). The invention is also directed to a tap assembly (2) comprising the above tap and a cover (4) housing said tap.