Testing or filling adapter equipped with a safety device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fluid transfer adapters in automotive and energy sectors face challenges with complex and delicate disassembly processes, leading to potential loss of parts and prolonged reassembly times, especially when switching between different fluid circuits or during maintenance, which can disrupt production and increase the risk of pollution.
Innovation Solution
A filling adapter with a coupling system that includes a safety valve and a mirror element, allowing for quick and secure connection and disconnection between the attachment and feed modules, utilizing a safety device that locks the coupling system in place and automatically closes the safety valve during disassembly to prevent fluid leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the adapter is completely dismantled for maintenance or attachment module replacement, then access to internal components is achieved, but parts loss risk increases and reassembly time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter is divided into separable modules (attachment module and feed module) that can be independently accessed. The attachment module can be detached from the feed module without requiring complete disassembly of the entire adapter, allowing maintenance personnel to access and replace components like axial valves efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling system is designed with alignment features and guide elements that prepare the attachment module for quick reconnection. The mirror element and safety device are pre-positioned to guide the reassembly process, reducing the time and complexity of putting the adapter back together after maintenance.
2Productivity
If the coupling system allows easy separation of modules, then maintenance speed is improved, but fluid sealing reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Before the attachment module can be separated from the feed module, the safety device must automatically close the safety valve, and the mirror element indicates this closed state. This preliminary action ensures fluid sealing is established before separation, preventing leakage during the quick-change maintenance process.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety device is automatically actuated by the coupling system during separation. When the attachment module is detached, the safety device self-activates to close the valve and seal the fluid pathway, eliminating the need for manual intervention to ensure sealing reliability while maintaining fast maintenance speed.
3Reliability
If the safety device prevents uncoupling when safety valve is open, then fluid leakage is prevented, but operational flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mirror element provides visual feedback about the safety valve state to the operator. The coupling system receives feedback from the safety device about whether the valve is closed, and only allows uncoupling when the feedback indicates a closed state. This feedback mechanism ensures leakage prevention while maintaining operational flexibility through clear state indication.
Solution Approach 2:
The mirror element acts as an intermediary between the safety valve mechanism and the coupling system. It translates the valve state into a visible indicator that mediates the interaction between the operator and the coupling system, allowing the operator to understand the system state without directly accessing complex internal mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A testing or filling adapter (1) for a container to be filled with fluid, composed of a body (10), an attachment module (3), and a coupling system (30) having a coupled position, in which a sealed connection is established between the body and the attachment module, and an uncoupled position. The body includes a feed module (2) that comprises a plurality of conduits that include at least one fluid conduit (221) and is equipped with a safety valve (5) that can be moved between an open configuration and a closed configuration and is connected to an element mirror (51) having a first configuration in which the safety valve is in the open configuration and a second configuration in which the safety valve is in the closed configuration. The filling adapter further comprises a safety device (6) that cooperates with the coupling system, with it being possible to move said safety device between a locked position, in which the safety device locks the coupling system in the coupled position, and an unlocked position, in which the safety device enables the coupling system to be moved into the uncoupled position. The safety device cooperates with the mirror element so as to enable the mirror element to be in its first configuration when the safety device is in the locked position, and to force the mirror element to be in its second configuration when the safety device is moved from its locked position to its unlocked position.