Quick-Connect Fill Gun for Continuous Pressurized Liquid Refilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for delivering pressurized fluids, such as carbon dioxide, face inefficiencies, safety risks, and waste due to the need for frequent tank replacements and manual valve adjustments, which disrupt service and lead to overfilling hazards.
Innovation Solution
A pressurized liquid fill gun apparatus with quick connections and a valve system that allows for rapid attachment and detachment, automatic pressure sensing for filling cessation, and a method to purge residual pressure, enabling continuous fluid delivery without interrupting service and minimizing waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual tank replacement is used, then service continuity is maintained through physical tank changes, but service disruption occurs during tank replacement and delivery personnel must enter the establishment
Solution Approach 1:
A fill gun apparatus serves as an intermediary device between the delivery truck and the existing tank system. The fill gun connects to the tank via a quick connection mechanism, allowing delivery personnel to refill tanks from the outside without entering the establishment. The apparatus includes a valve system with multiple positions (closed, filling, purging) that automates the refilling process and eliminates the need for manual tank replacement while maintaining service continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service refilling through automatic pressure sensing and valve control. The fill gun apparatus automatically detects when the tank is full through pressure differential sensing and shuts off the filling process without human intervention. The purging function automatically removes residual pressure from the line before disconnection, making the entire refilling operation self-regulating and eliminating service disruptions.
2Measurement precision
If relief valves are used to indicate when the system is full, then filling endpoint is detected, but carbon dioxide is wasted and pressure hazards increase from overfilling
Solution Approach 1:
The fill gun apparatus incorporates a pressure differential sensing mechanism that provides continuous feedback during the refilling process. The sensor monitors the pressure difference between the tank and the fill line, automatically detecting when the tank reaches its optimal fill level. This feedback system triggers automatic valve shutdown, preventing overfilling and eliminating the need for relief valves that waste carbon dioxide. The precise feedback control ensures accurate filling endpoint detection without substance loss.
3Reliability
If multiple liquid tanks are used to reduce tank replacement frequency, then service continuity improves, but space requirements increase and monitoring/refilling costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fill gun apparatus acts as an efficient intermediary that enables rapid refilling of single tanks, eliminating the need for multiple backup tanks. The quick connection mechanism and automated filling process reduce refilling time significantly, allowing a single tank to serve continuously without requiring redundant storage space. This intermediary device optimizes the balance between service continuity and space utilization by making single-tank refilling as efficient as multi-tank systems.
4Reliability
If system shutdown is required for tank changes, then safety is maintained during valve adjustments, but beverage service is interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The fill gun apparatus enables continuous beverage service during the refilling operation. The quick connection mechanism allows the fill gun to be attached and disconnected rapidly without shutting down the beverage dispensing system. The automated valve control system manages the refilling process independently, maintaining safety through controlled pressure management while allowing beverage service to continue uninterrupted. This eliminates the productivity loss associated with traditional tank replacement procedures.
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 delivery efficiency, reduces risk of overfilling and service disruptions, and decreases waste by allowing for seamless and automated filling operations, ensuring uninterrupted service and improved safety.
Implementation Method 1
a compression spring to provide an expansion force to retain the pins within the pin retainers
Implementation Method 2
a valve actuated by a vacuum source to move the valve from a second configuration, which allows the passage of product, to a third configuration, which allows the passage of product
Data Source
AI summary
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a fill gun apparatus for interconnection of a pump truck and a pressurized liquid delivery system. The fill gun apparatus can be easily attached and detached from an inlet port to deliver a pressurized fluid, for improved delivery, increased efficiency, increased safety, and decreased waste.