Hydrogen Filling Receptacle with Movable Optical Signal Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing calibration devices for filling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles face challenges in establishing reliable communication filling due to varying positions of light receiving elements in filling nozzles across different manufacturers, requiring complex and labor-intensive adjustments of jigs to align optical signals.
Innovation Solution
A receptacle with a movable communication output part that emits optical signals along the central axis of a pipe, allowing alignment with the light receiving element of the filling nozzle, and a calibration device with a movable annular member to adjust the position of the optical signal emission, ensuring reliable communication filling without the need for special jigs or complex adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed light emitting part is provided in the receptacle, then the structure is simple, but the optical signal cannot be reliably received by filling nozzles from different manufacturers due to varying light receiving element positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the light emitting part movable in the radial direction through an adjustment mechanism. This allows the position of the light emitting part to be dynamically adjusted to match the light receiving element position of different filling nozzles from various manufacturers, ensuring reliable optical signal transmission while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Reliability
If a jig is provided to adjust the light emitting part position, then optical signal transmission can be ensured, but different jigs are needed for different manufacturers and highly accurate adjustment work is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal adjustment mechanism that can accommodate filling nozzles from different manufacturers. The mechanism includes a movable light emitting part that can be adjusted radially, and a notification device that indicates when adjustment is complete. This universal design eliminates the need for manufacturer-specific jigs and simplifies the adjustment operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a notification device that provides feedback when the light emitting part is properly positioned. This feedback mechanism guides the operator during adjustment, indicating when the optical signal transmission is successful, thereby eliminating the need for highly accurate manual adjustment work and different jigs for different manufacturers.
3Ease of manufacture
If the light emitting part position is fixed, then the device is simple to manufacture, but communication filling cannot be established when light receiving element positions vary by manufacturer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the light emitting part movable in the radial direction through an adjustment mechanism. This allows the position of the light emitting part to be dynamically adjusted to match the light receiving element position of different filling nozzles from various manufacturers, ensuring reliable optical signal transmission while maintaining a relatively simple overall 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
Enables reliable communication filling by aligning optical signals with varying light receiving element positions, simplifying the calibration process and ensuring accurate transmission of information from the vehicle to the filling device, regardless of manufacturer-specific nozzle configurations.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitting part provided in the receptacle 43 of the calibration device 40, the light emitting part emitting an optical signal toward a light receiving element provided in a filling nozzle 21
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a calibration device reliably accomplish communication filling without a great deal of labor when filling gaseous fuel (e.g., hydrogen gas) from a filling apparatus (e.g., a hydrogen filling apparatus) to a device to be filled (e.g., a hydrogen tank of an FCV) via the calibration device, and so on. A calibration device 100 according to the present invention includes a flowmeter 1; a filling nozzle 2 connected to the flowmeter 1 through a pipe 4A, the filling nozzle 2 having a communication input part 2A that receives information from a side 30 to be filled as an optical signal; and a receptacle 3 connected to the flowmeter 1 through a pipe 4B, the receptacle3 having a communication output part 3A that outputs the signal received from the communication input part 2A of the filling nozzle 2 to a filling nozzle side of a filling device 20 that fills gaseous fuel, wherein the communication output part 3A is movable in a central axis direction of the pipe 4B connected to the receptacle 3, and an optical signal is emitted from the communication output part 3A toward the central axis of the pipe 4B.