Spacer-Mounted Conversion Plate for Automated Liquid Supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing conversion devices for converting manual liquid supply devices into automated systems face issues with adhesion due to large contact areas between mounting components, leading to maintenance challenges and increased complexity in mounting operations.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a resin-made mounting plate with spacers between the automated operation portion and the mounting surface, reducing the contact area and preventing adhesion, while simplifying the mounting process by eliminating the need for a fixing ring and base plate bolts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a manual liquid supply device is used, then the device structure remains simple, but the liquid supply process requires manual intervention and cannot perform automated operations
Solution Approach 1:
The conversion device is divided into separate functional modules: a holder unit that attaches to the manual liquid supply device, a drive unit with motor and transmission mechanism, and a control unit. This segmentation allows the automated control system to be added without modifying the original manual device structure, thus achieving automation while maintaining structural simplicity of the original device.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder unit acts as an intermediary between the manual liquid supply device and the automated drive unit. It includes a holder body that secures the manual device and a drive transmission mechanism that converts motor rotation into reciprocating motion of the plunger. This intermediary structure enables automated operation without directly modifying the original manual device.
2Productivity
If a conversion device with holder unit and drive unit is added, then automated liquid supply is achieved, but the overall device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The holder unit and drive unit are merged into a single integrated conversion device assembly. The holder body integrates both the securing function for the manual liquid supply device and the mounting structure for the drive unit. The drive transmission mechanism combines the motor, transmission components, and plunger drive into one unified structure, reducing the number of separate components while maintaining automated liquid supply functionality.
3Extent of automation
If the plunger is driven to reciprocate automatically, then automated liquid supply is achieved, but control over liquid supply timing and dosage becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit receives feedback signals from sensors that detect the position and movement state of the plunger. Based on this feedback, the control unit adjusts the motor drive signals to achieve precise control over the reciprocating motion timing, speed, and stroke length. This feedback mechanism enables accurate control of liquid supply timing and dosage while maintaining automated operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive transmission mechanism is designed with dynamic characteristics that allow the plunger to reciprocate with controlled acceleration and deceleration phases. The transmission components include mechanisms for adjusting the reciprocation speed and stroke, enabling the system to adapt the plunger motion dynamics to different liquid supply requirements while maintaining automated actuation.
Data Source
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Figure 3A
AI summary
There is provided a conversion device (150) configured to convert a manual liquid supply device (20) into an automated liquid supply device, the conversion device comprising an automated operation portion (51) and a mounting plate (110) made of a resin, the mounting plate including a back surface (110b), a front surface (110a), and a liquid discharging portion opening (111) passed through the front and back surfaces, and the conversion device further comprising spacers (120) configured to be interspersed between the front surface of the mounting plate and the automated operation portion, and configured to create a gap between the front surface and the automated operation portion.