Abstract
To provide a filling hose guide device for preventing a plug of a safety joint or a filling hose from being locked in a lower opening of a casing when a safety joint separates, thereby preventing a filling device from falling over and being damaged. A filling hose guide device 100 according to the present invention is characterized in that after a plug 10 connected to a filling hose 61 and a socket 20 provided in a filling device 200 in a safety joint 300 separate when a tensile load above a predetermined level is applied to the filling hose 61, the filling hose guide devices 100 include: a rotatable or deformable member 30A, 30B, with which the filling hose 61 contacts, below the safety joint 300; and a support structure 50, through which the filling hose 61 passes, for supporting the rotatable or deformable member 30A, 30B.
Claims
1. A filling hose guide device for guiding a filling hose after a plug connected to a filling hose and a socket provided in a filling device in a safety joint separate when a tensile load above a predetermined level is applied to the filling hose, said filling hose guide device comprising: a rotatable or deformable member, with which the filling hose contacts, below the safety joint; and a support structure, through which the filling hose passes, for supporting the rotatable or deformable member.
2. The filling hose guide device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said deformable member is a spiral elastic body.
3. The filling hose guide device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotatable member is a roller having an outer diameter gradually changing in a central axis direction and a sinusoidal outer shape.
4. The filling hose guide device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotatable member is a roller, said roller being made of an elastically deformable material, and a slit having a size that allows a rod of the plug to pass is formed on the roller.
5. The filling hose guide device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotatable members are two rollers, and each of the rollers is rotatable about an axis in a direction of horizontal movement of the filling hose and has an outer diameter that gradually increases in the direction of the horizontal movement.
6. The filling hose guide device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotatable member is a roller, a diameter of which is large at both ends in a direction of a central axis, and its diameter is small at a center in the direction of the central axis, and its diameter changes gradually and smoothly.
7. The filling hose guide device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotatable member is a plurality of rotating bodies rotatable around a central axis arranged in a U shape.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an outline of an embodiment of this invention
[0028] FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a support structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0029] FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a main part of a support structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
[0030] FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing rollers used in the third embodiment of the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a support structure according to the fourth embodiment of the invention.
[0032] FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing an outline of a support structure according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
[0033] FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a support structure according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.
[0034] FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the shape of a plug in the embodiments of the present invention.
[0035] FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing the shape of a plug in the embodiments of the present invention.
[0036] FIG. 10 is a view showing a safety joint attached to a hydrogen filling device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0037] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Before describing the embodiments, an overview of the illustrated embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, illustration of the casing 320 (a rectangular casing main body, excluding the hydrogen filling device 200 side: see FIG. 10) is omitted. FIG. 1 shows a safety joint 300 including a plug 10 (a vehicle-side member of the safety joint) connected to a filling hose 61 and a socket 20, which is a member of the hydrogen filling device. As shown in FIG. 9, the safety joint 300 is attached to the hydrogen filling device 200. The safety joint 300 has a function of separating the plug 10 from the socket 20 (separating the safety joint) when a tensile load greater than or equal to a predetermined amount acts on the filling hose 61. When the safety joint 300 separates, the filling hose 61 and the plug 10 are configured to move through a hollow portion of the guide member 70 and exit from the lower opening 320A (FIG. 10) of the casing 320. Below the safety joint 300 and the guide member 70 is mounted a filling hose guide device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and the device 100 includes rollers 30A and 30B, which are rotatable or deformable members, and a support structure 50 for supporting it. The plug 10 and the socket 20 are housed within the casing 320. In FIG. 1, the plug 10 indicated by a solid lead line is coupled to the socket 20 indicated by a dashed lead line.
[0038] Hydrogen gas is supplied from a hydrogen filling device (not shown in FIG. 1) to the socket 20 through a hydrogen gas pipe 21, and then through the plug 10 and the filling hose 61 to the filling nozzle (202 in FIG. 9) into the hydrogen tank 204 (FIG. 9) of the vehicle A. A rotatably arranged front roller 30A and two side rollers 30B are arranged in the opening 320A at a lower portion of the casing 320 (FIG. 10) (vehicle A side of the filling hose 61: lower in FIG. 1). In the support structure 50 shown in FIG. 1, the central axis of the front roller 30A and the central axes of the two adjacent side rollers 30B are orthogonal, but the front roller 30A and the side rollers 30B are configured to freely rotate about their respective rotation axes.
[0039] In the state shown in FIG. 1, the plug 10 and the socket 20 are mated, but when the plug 10 is separated from the socket 20, the plug 10 or the fill hose 61 contacts the support structure 50. The front roller 30A and/or the side roller 30B thereby rotate such that the plug 10 or the filling hose 61 does not engage an edge of the casing opening 320A (see FIG. 10) or the support structure 50 and moves away from the hydrogen filling device 200. Moving in a direction of being pulled by the vehicle A (direction of the arrow F), the plug 10 and the filling hose 61 are smoothly pulled out of the casing 320, preventing the hydrogen filling device 200 from overturning and being damaged. In addition, providing the support structure 50 below the safety joint 300, the swinging of the filling hose 61 is suppressed to protect the plug 10, and the angle of the filling hose 61 pulled by the vehicle A is regulated to allow the safety joint 300 to be separated with a predetermined tensile load.
[0040] A substrate 80 is provided on the hydrogen filling device 200 side (right side in FIG. 1) of the casing 320 (FIG. 10), which is not shown in FIG. 1, and the guide member 70 and the support structure 50 are attached to the substrate 80. There is no roller on the substrate 80 side. When the vehicle A is to be filled with hydrogen, the vehicle A is parked on the front side (left side in FIG. 1) of the hydrogen filling device 200 or on the side thereof, and hydrogen is filled. The vehicle A does not stop on the substrate 80 side, that is, at the back side of the hydrogen filling device 200 to fill with hydrogen. When the vehicle A starts moving, therefore, the filling hose 61 is not pulled toward the substrate 80 or the back side of the hydrogen filling device 200, and it is not necessary to provide a roller on the substrate 80 side.
[0041] In FIG. 1, it may be possible to make it difficult for the filling hose 61 or the plug 10 to be engaged with (being caught by) the lower opening by increasing the cross-sectional area of the opening 320A without the front roller 30A and the side rollers 30B in the opening 320A (FIG. 10) of the casing 320. There is a design requirement however that the casing 320 should be basically small. If the support structure 50 is not provided and the casing 320 is too large, the angle of the filling hose 61 pulled by the vehicle A becomes large with respect to the casing central axis (vertical axis). This increases the horizontal force acting on the safety joint 300 (FIG. 10) and may prevent the plug 10 from separating from the socket 20 under a given tensile load. It is therefore desirable that the casing 320 is as small as possible, and the lower opening 320A of the casing 320 cannot be enlarged. Here, even if the opening 320A (FIG. 10) of the casing 320 is smoothly rounded, the curvature cannot be reduced because the thickness of the casing 320 is small. In addition, the surface of the filling hose 61 has irregularities because a spring, an infrared fiber, a mesh, and the like are arranged around the outer periphery of the hose. Unless the opening of the casing moves relative to the filling hose 61 due to the tensile force acting on the filling hose 61, the filling hose 61 will lock at the opening of the casing. With the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2-8, no such problem arises.
[0042] In addition, the casing 320 suppresses bending and curving of the separated filling hose 61 to prevent the plug 10 from falling outside the support structure 50 and the filling hose 61 from being caught in the support structure 50. Extending the guide member 70 to the vicinity of the support structure 50 can play the role of the casing 320. Although the casing 320 is provided in the present invention, it is also possible to omit it.
[0043] First, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows essential parts of a filling hose guide device 100-1 according to the first embodiment, showing a structure corresponding to the support structure 50 in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, the filling hose guide device 100-1 has a support structure 50-1, and the support structure 50-1 includes a front roller 30A-1 and two springs 30B-1 (helical elastic body: helical spring). The support structure 50-1 has a support member 40-1 with a front portion 41-1, a rear portion 42-1 and a top portion 43-1. Near both ends of the front roller 30A, the front roller 30A-1 is rotatably supported by shaft supports 31 provided on the surface of the front portion 41-1 opposite to the hydrogen filling device 200 side (the left surface in FIG. 2). Each of the two springs 30B-1 in FIG. 2 has one end fixed to the front portion 41-1 and the other end fixed to the rear portion 42-1. The fixation is performed in a conventionally known manner such as welding. A large opening 43A-1 is formed on the upper surface portion 43-1 of the support member 40-1. When the plug 10 and the socket 20 are separated, the separated plug 10 and the filling hose 61 connected thereto pass through the opening 43A-1 and move in the direction of being pulled by the vehicle A (direction of the arrow F). The width of the opening 43-1 (the width in the longitudinal direction of the spring 30B-1) is set so that the plug 10 can sufficiently pass through.
[0044] In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the spring 30B-1 is used as a rotatable or deformable member, so that even if the plug 10 or the filling hose 61 comes into contact with the spring 30B-1, it slides on a circular arc of the winding of the spring 30B-1, so it is possible to prevent itself from engaging (hooking) the support structure 50-1. At that time, the rod 10D in the plug 10 can pass through the gaps between the windings of the spring 30B-1. In addition, the spring 30B-1 can be elastically deformed (flexed) in any direction due to the elasticity (or flexibility) of the spring 30B-1 itself. It can be easily moved to a position where it disengages (no longer hooks) the structure 50-1. Since the spring 30B-1 can be elastically deformed (flexed) in any direction, there is no need to separately provide a mechanism for deforming or moving the spring, and manufacturing labor and cost for the support structure 50-1 can be decreased accordingly.
[0045] In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the elastic modulus of the spring 30B-1 is designed such that when the plug 10 or the filling hose 61 comes into contact with the spring 30B-1, the spring 30B-1 does not deform, but the spring 30B-1 elastically deform by the tensile force acting on the spring 30B-1 through the filling hose 61. When the plug 10 or the filling hose 61 contacts the arcuate surface of the spring 30B-1, therefore, it slides on the arcuate surface. Even if the plug 10 or the filling hose 61 is caught between the springs 30B-1, the springs 30B-1 will elastically deform if a tensile force is applied when the vehicle A starts moving, and the plugs 10 or the rods 10D are pulled from the spring 30B-1 and the plugs 10 or the rods 10D can exit from the spring 30B-1. Alternatively, the spacing between the windings of the spring 30B-1 increases and the plug 10 or the filling hose 61 disengages from the spring 30B-1.
[0046] In FIG. 2, the lower edge of the front roller 30A-1 protrudes downward (in the direction of the arrow D in FIG. 2) from the lower edge 41E-1 of the front portion 41-1 of the support member 40-1. Collar portions 30T-1 of the roller 30A-1 are inserted into the front opening 41A-1. In a case where the front roller 30A-1 includes a rotating shaft and a hollow rotating body, when the collar portions 30T-1 are inserted into the front opening 41A-1, the hollow rotating body is regulated to move relative to the rotating shaft in the axial direction of the rotating body. Although not shown, the front roller 30A-1 can also be replaced with a helical spring similar to the spring 30B-1. Other configurations and effects in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 are the same as those described with reference to FIG. 1.
[0047] The second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 3. In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, instead of the spring 30B-1 (helical spring) of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a side roller 30B-2 whose outer diameter gradually changes in the longitudinal direction (center axis direction) of the roller is provided. In FIG. 3, a filling hose guide device 100-2 according to the second embodiment has a support structure 50-2, and the support structure 50-2 has a side roller 30B-2 which is a rotatable member. Although two side rollers 30B-2 are provided, only one side roller 30B-2 is shown in FIG. 3. The outer shape of the side roller 30B-2 has a cross-sectional diameter that gradually changes in a sinusoidal curve in the longitudinal direction. Here, the side roller 30B-2 and its rotating shaft may be configured integrally, or the side roller 30B-2 may be configured in the shape of a hollow rotating body and configured separately from its rotating shaft. Although not shown, the side roller 30B-2 is rotatably supported by the substrate 80 (FIG. 1) on the side of the hydrogen filling device via a support member forming part of the support structure 50-2.
[0048] Since the outer shape of the roller 30B-2 is configured such that its diameter changes in a sinusoidal shape, when the relative positional relationship is such that the rod 10D of the plug 10 passes through the portion of the roller 30B-2 whose diameter is small, even if the roller 30B-2 does not rotate, the filling hose 61 and the plug 10 can exit without engaging the support structure 50-2. Other configurations and effects in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3 are the same as those described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0049] The third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4. A filling hose guiding device 100-3 according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 4 differs from the filling hose guiding device 100 shown in FIG. 1 in the rollers, especially the side rollers 30B-3. Only one side roller 30B-3 is shown in FIG. 4, and the side roller 30B-3 is a rotatable or deformable member of the support structure 50-3 in the third embodiment. Although not clearly shown, the side roller 30B-3 can be made of a deformable material such as resin (eg, urethane resin) or hard sponge. In the support structure 50-3, when the plug 10 engages the side roller 30B-3, and a tensile force acts on the plug 10 through the filling hose 61, a material such as urethane resin or hard sponge constituting the side roller 30B-3 elastically deforms by the tensile force to release the engagement state between the plug 10 and the side roller 30B-3. Although not shown in FIG. 4, the side roller 30B-3 is rotatably supported on the substrate 80 (FIG. 1) on the side of the hydrogen filling device via a support member forming a part of the support structure 50-3.
[0050] In FIG. 4, the side roller 30B-3 made of urethane resin or hard sponge is formed with, for example, two slits SL at approximately equal intervals in an axial direction (longitudinal direction) and the width of the slit SL is set to allow the rod 10D (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of the plug 10 to pass therethrough. The slit SL can also be formed at one location. As described above, since the side roller 30B-3 is made of a deformable material, when the plug 10 is fitted in the slit SL, and a force that causes the rod 10D to remove from the slit SL (pulling the filling hose 61) is applied, the side roller 30B-3 deforms and the rod 10D does not get stuck in the slit SL. Other configurations and effects in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 4 are the same as those described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
[0051] The filling hose guide device shown in FIG. 1 is provided with three rollers 30A and 30B, and they are arranged to form three sides of a rectangle. In the present invention, however, the number of rollers is not limited to three, and the arrangement is not limited to forming three sides of a rectangle. A support structure 50-4 of a filling hose guide device 100-4 according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 5 has two side rollers 30B-4 as rotatable members. The two side rollers 30B-4 correspond to the side rollers 30B in FIG. 1. The support structure 50-4 has a support member 40-4 with a front portion 41-4, a rear portion 42-4 and side portions 43-4, the side portions 43-4 connecting the front portion 41-4 and the rear portion 42-4. The rear portion 42-4 is fixed to the substrate 80 (FIG. 1) not shown. The upper surface of the support member 40-4 is open to form an opening 40A-4, and when the plug 10 and the socket 20 are separated, the separated plug 10 and the filling hose 61 pass through the opening 40A-4 and move in a direction pulled by the vehicle A. Shaft supports 41A-4 are provided in the vicinity of both ends in the longitudinal direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 5) of the front surface 41-4, and the shaft supports 41A-4 rotatably support one ends of the two side rollers 30B-4. The other ends of the two side rollers 30B-4 are rotatably supported in the vicinity of both ends in the longitudinal direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 5) of the back surface portion 42-4. The front portion 41-4 has a first member 41-41 on which the shaft supports 41A-4 are arranged and a second member 41-42 extending above the first member 41-41. The first member 41-41 and the second member 41-42 are arranged so as to be perpendicular to each other.
[0052] In FIG. 5, the two side rollers 30B-4 have a large diameter on the front side (left side in FIG. 5) of the filling hose guide device 100-4, and the diameter of the rollers smoothly gradually decreases toward the substrate 80 side (right side in FIG. 5). The space (or the dimension of the gap) between the two side rollers 30B-4 becomes larger toward the substrate 80 (right side in FIG. 5). Constructing and arranging the two side rollers 30B-4 as described above allows, when the side rollers 30B-4 and the plug 10 or the filling hose 61 come into contact, the plug 10 or the filling hose 61 to move to the side roller 30B-4 due to rotation of the side roller 30B-4 or sliding on the surface of the side roller 30B-4, then, the plug 10 or the filling hose 61 smoothly moves to the substrate 80 side (right side in FIG. 5) where the gap between the side rollers 30B-4 is large and is able to exit from the gap. In FIG. 5, the two side rollers 30B-4 are supported at both ends in the longitudinal direction. It is also possible that a portion of the support member 40-4 that supports the large-diameter side end of the side roller 30B-4 (the left end in FIG. 5), that is, the front portion 41-4 may be omitted to form a so-called cantilever. In terms of strength, however, it is preferable to support both ends. Other configurations and effects in the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 5 are the same as those described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.
[0053] The fifth embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 6. A filling hose guide device 100-5 according to the fifth embodiment in FIG. 6 has a support structure 50-5, the support structure 50-5 having a single rotatable member, a side roller 30B-5 (hand drum-shaped roller). The hand drum-shaped roller 30B-5 has a large diameter at both ends in a central axis direction and a small diameter at the center in the central axis direction with gradually and smoothly changing diameter. The hand drum-shaped roller 30B-5 is rotatably supported by the substrate 80 (FIG. 1) on the side of the hydrogen filling device via a part of the support structure 50-5.
[0054] Configuring the hand drum-shaped roller 30B-5 as shown in FIG. 6 allows, when the plug 10 is detached from the socket 20 and the filling hose 61 and the plug 10 are pulled in a direction of the arrow S in FIG. 6, the filling hose 61 and the plug 10 to slide on the surface of the hand drum-shaped roller 30B-5 and to move in an axial center portion where the diameter is small. The axial center portion of the hand drum-shaped roller 30B-5 having a small diameter has a large open space and the filling hose 61 and the plug 10 can move with little resistance, and the plug 10 is difficult to engage (hardly get caught) with the support structure 50-5. When the filling hose 61 and the plug 10 move, even if the plug 10 contacts the hand drum-shaped roller 30B-5, the plug 10 and the hand drum-shaped roller 30B-5 are not engaged with each other due to the rotation of the hand drum-shaped roller 30B-5. Other configurations and effects in the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 6 are the same as those described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.
[0055] The sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7. A filling hose guide device 100-6 according to the sixth embodiment in FIG. 7 has a support structure 50-6, and the support structure 50-6 has a plurality (or a large number) of rotating bodies 30-6 (rotatable members). In the filling hose guide device 100-6, the front roller 30A and the side rollers 30B in the filling hose guide device 100 shown in FIG. 1 are replaced with a plurality of (17 total in FIG. 7) rotating bodies 30-6. A central axis 31-6 of the plurality of rotating bodies 30-6 is indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 7, the axis 31-6 being generally U-shaped. Each of the plurality of rotors 30-6 is rotatable around the central axis 31-6. The U-shaped rotating shaft 31-6 of the plurality of rotating bodies 30-6 is supported at both ends thereof by the substrate 80 (FIG. 1) on the side of the hydrogen filling device via a supporting member 40-6. Although not clearly shown, the rotating body 30-6 has the shape of an abacus bead. It may be a sphere, however, and other shapes are applicable as long as it is a body of revolution. Although not clearly shown, the gap between the adjacent rotors 30-6 is set larger than the diameter of the rod 10D of the plug 10 to prevent the rod 10D from fitting (engaging) in the gap between the adjacent rotors 30-6.
[0056] In the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 7, when the plug 10 and the filling hose 61 come into contact with the plurality of rotating bodies 30-6, the rotating bodies 30-6 rotate around the rotating shaft 31-6, so that the plug 10 and the filling hose 61 are prevented from engaging the multiple rotating bodies 30-6. Since the gap between the adjacent rotors 30-6 is set larger than the diameter of the rod 10D of the plug 10, it is possible to prevent the rod 10D from fitting between the adjacent rotors 30-6. Other configurations and effects in the sixth embodiment in FIG. 7 are the same as those described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.
[0057] FIG. 8 shows a modification of the plug 10 of the illustrated embodiments, and the plug 10 in FIG. 8 has a body portion 10A, an intermediate portion 10B, a tapered portion 10C, and a rod 10D on the connection side with the socket. The tapered portion 10C gradually decreases in diameter from the intermediate portion 10B toward the lower end (lower end in FIG. 8), and the filling hose 61 is connected to the lower end of the tapered portion 10C. Forming the filling hose 61 side of the plug 10 with the tapered portion 10C causes no stepped portion to be on the plug 10 side and the filling hose 61 side. Even if the socket 20 and the plug 10 are separated and the plug 10 comes into contact with the front roller 30A and/or the side roller 30B arranged in the opening 320A (FIG. 10) of the casing 320, the tapered portion 10C makes smooth contact with the rollers 30A and 30B without engaging with the rollers 30A and 30B, which allows the plug 10 to be easily pulled out of casing 320.
[0058] It should be noted that the illustrated embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0059] 10 plug (vehicle side member of safety joint) [0060] 10D rod [0061] 20 socket (member on filling device side of safety joint) [0062] 30 rotatable or deformable member [0063] 30A front roller [0064] 30B side roller [0065] 30B-1 spring (helical elastic body) [0066] 30B-2 sinusoidal roller [0067] 30B-3 roller made of deformable material [0068] 30B-4 roller with a large diameter on the front side and gradually decreasing in diameter toward the substrate side. [0069] 30B-5 hand drum-shaped roller [0070] 30-6 a plurality of rotating bodies rotatable around a central axis arranged in a U-shape [0071] 50, 50-1 to 50-6 support structures for supporting rotatable or deformable members [0072] 61 filling hose [0073] 100, 100-1 to 100-6 filling hose guide devices [0074] 200 hydrogen filling device [0075] 320 casing [0076] 320A opening below the casing [0077] SL slit formed on the roller
