Refillable Additive Insert for Vehicle Gas Conduit

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing devices for supplying gaseous fuel and additive products to motor vehicles are not user-friendly, leading to increased time required for refilling operations.

Innovation Solution

A device with refillable inserting means that can be partially inserted into the fuel supply conduit to release a dose of additive product, allowing for quick and simple refilling, and are extractable when the dose is finished, facilitating efficient handling and operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If existing devices for supplying gaseous fuel and additive products are used, then the refilling operation can be performed, but the time required for refilling operations increases and ease of use deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of useVSAvoidtime required for refilling operations
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into distinct functional segments: a reusable holder (7) that remains outside the conduit and disposable inserting means (202) that are inserted into the supply conduit (6). This segmentation allows the complex refilling operation to be simplified into straightforward steps of inserting and extracting, significantly improving ease of operation while reducing refilling time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The inserting means (202) are designed as disposable single-use components that are inserted into the supply conduit, deliver the additive product, and then extracted and discarded. This eliminates the need for complex cleaning and preparation procedures between uses, making the device extremely easy to operate and dramatically reducing the time required for successive refilling operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Ease of operation

If the inserting means are made extractable from the supply conduit, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of useVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The inserting means (202) are designed to be completely extractable from the supply conduit (6) after delivering the additive product. This extraction capability simplifies the operation by eliminating the need for complex internal mechanisms to retain or reset components, while the simple insert-and-extract motion actually reduces overall device complexity compared to systems requiring in-conduit manipulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The extracting means (204) are designed to automatically engage with the inserting means (202) when the holder (7) is removed from the supply conduit (6), causing the inserting means to be pulled out automatically. This self-service extraction mechanism eliminates the need for manual manipulation or complex actuation systems, improving ease of operation while maintaining simple device architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3189267B1Device for supplying a gaseous fuel and additive products to a gas system for vehicle
Publication Date: 2021.05.05 MORSELLI MARIO
  • EP3189267B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3189267B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3189267B1 patent drawingFigure 3~6

AI summary

Described is a device for supplying a gaseous fuel and additive products in a gas system for motor vehicles which comprises refillable means (7) of inserting a dose (8) of additive product in a supply conduit (6) of the gaseous fuel; the inserting means (7) being at least partly insertable in the supply conduit (6) so as to release the dose (8) of additive product and being extractable from the supply conduit (6) when the dose (8) of additive product has finished.