Ship Fuel Cap Track-and-Stop Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fuel filling mechanism for ships, relying on inner thread/outer thread coupling, is inconvenient due to the need for multiple turns to reach the locking position and lacks visual indication, leading to operational difficulties and potential misalignment.
Innovation Solution
A fuel filling device with a fuel cap that features marked engagement positions on both the cap and pipe seat, along with a mechanism that generates a sound when the cap reaches the locking position, ensuring easy and secure engagement through a track-and-stop design with visible alignment marks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If inner thread/outer thread coupling is used for the fuel cap and fuel pipe seat, then cost is reduced, but the operator has to rotate the fuel cap many turns to reach the locking position, making operation inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement mechanism is segmented into multiple discrete engagement portions (first, second, and third engagement portions) spaced circumferentially on the fuel pipe, each corresponding to a specific rotational position. This segmentation allows the operator to engage the fuel cap at any of these predefined positions, eliminating the need for multiple turns required by traditional threaded coupling while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
2Ease of manufacture
If inner thread/outer thread coupling is used for the fuel cap and fuel pipe seat, then cost is reduced, but the operator cannot know whether the fuel cap is in the locking position with the naked eye, causing operational trouble
Solution Approach 1:
Visual marks (first mark on the fuel pipe and second mark on the fuel cap) are provided to indicate the locking position. When the fuel cap is properly engaged, the marks align visually, providing immediate feedback to the operator that the fuel cap is in the correct locking position. This visual indication system eliminates the detection difficulty without increasing manufacturing cost.
3Reliability
If the fuel cap is rotated many turns to reach the locking position, then engagement is achieved, but time is consumed and operational efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel cap and fuel pipe are designed with predetermined engagement portions and corresponding tracks that guide the fuel cap into the correct rotational position during insertion. This preliminary alignment action eliminates the need for multiple rotational turns, reducing operation time while ensuring reliable engagement at the predefined locking positions.
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel filling device includes a fuel pipe seat having a filling port and a fuel pipe in communication with the filling port. Three engagement portions are formed on an inner peripheral face of the fuel pipe. A fuel cap includes a body and an operative portion mounted to the body. Three tracks are formed on an outer periphery of the body. Each track includes a front, lower end and a rear, higher end having a stop. An entrance is defined in front of the front, lower end of each track. The fuel cap is inserted into the fuel pipe with the engagement portions respectively received in the entrances of the tracks. The fuel cap is rotated in a locking direction. The tracks move relative to the engagement portions until the engagement portions are stopped by the stops of the tracks, and the fuel cap is in a locking position.