Horizontal Pressure Bottle Filling via Robotic Manipulator
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for filling small pressure bottles with gases are inefficient and require significant manual intervention, with challenges in ensuring accurate filling quantities and compositions, especially when dealing with large numbers of bottles of varying sizes and pressures.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for serially filling pressure bottles by aligning them horizontally on a conveyor belt, using a manipulator to lift and rotate each bottle for precise centering and reading barcodes, and moving it to a filling head for automated filling, with a temperature control section to ensure uniform temperature and mixing, allowing for increased capacity and reduced manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pressure bottles are filled in upright position using manual guidance, then filling spout accessibility is improved, but automation capability deteriorates and manual intervention increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional upright filling position to a horizontal position. Pressure bottles are transported horizontally on a conveyor belt and filled in this orientation, which enables automated manipulator guidance while maintaining filling spout accessibility through precise positioning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual guidance of the filling head is replaced by an automated manipulator system with multiple degrees of freedom. The manipulator uses sensors, actuators, and control systems to automatically position and guide the filling head to the filling spout, eliminating the need for manual intervention.
2Extent of automation
If extensive automation is implemented for filling pressure bottles, then manual intervention is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulator system is designed with multi-functionality to perform multiple tasks: transporting bottles, positioning them, guiding the filling head, and adjusting for different bottle sizes. This consolidates multiple functions into a single integrated system, reducing overall device complexity despite extensive automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic elements including adjustable manipulator arms with multiple degrees of freedom, variable speed conveyor belts, and adaptive positioning mechanisms. These dynamic components allow the system to adapt to different bottle configurations and filling requirements without requiring separate dedicated mechanisms for each function.
3Productivity
If pressure bottles are arranged horizontally on conveyor belt, then automation and capacity are improved, but filling spout accessibility for manual operations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Manual accessibility to the filling spout is replaced by an automated manipulator system that can precisely position and guide the filling head to the horizontally oriented filling spout. The manipulator uses sensors and controlled movement to achieve accurate alignment without requiring manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from vertical to horizontal bottle arrangement, adding a new spatial dimension to the filling process. This dimensional change allows multiple bottles to be arranged in parallel on the conveyor belt, increasing capacity while the manipulator operates in the vertical dimension to access the horizontally positioned filling spouts.
4Manufacturing precision
If manipulator rotates and positions each bottle individually, then filling precision is improved, but processing time per bottle increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulator performs bottle rotation, positioning, and filling operations in a continuous sequence without idle time between steps. The conveyor belt moves bottles continuously through the filling station, and the manipulator transitions smoothly between bottles, eliminating downtime and maintaining high precision through uninterrupted automated operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Bottles are pre-positioned and oriented correctly on the conveyor belt before reaching the filling station. The manipulator performs minimal adjustments rather than complete repositioning, reducing the time required for each filling operation while maintaining accuracy through preliminary preparation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for serially filling a plurality of pressure cylinders (1) having a geometric longitudinal axis (2) and a filling nozzle (3) centered thereon with a gas, wherein the pressure cylinders (1) are arranged parallel to each other and with their longitudinal axes (2) oriented transversely to a transport direction (13) on a conveyor belt (12) and are moved by it in the transport direction (13), wherein each pressure cylinder (1) is individually lifted by a manipulator (20) upon reaching a filling position (17), rotated by it about its longitudinal axis (2), adjusted and moved horizontally in the direction of its longitudinal axis (2) to a filling head (5) and pressed against it, so that a filling process can be carried out, and wherein after completion of the filling process the pressure cylinder (2) is moved back, placed again on the same or a different conveyor belt (12) and transported further.Preferably, the conveyor belt (12) carrying the pressure bottles (1) passes through a temperature control section (14) before reaching the filling position (17), where the pressure bottles (1) are brought to a desired filling temperature. The invention also relates to a corresponding device with which largely automatic filling of relatively small pressure bottles with a capacity of 2-20 liters and for pressures of 100-400 bar can be carried out economically. In particular, the invention enables automated, safe, logistically simple and fast filling with short throughput times.