FILLING ADAPTER FOR FILLING VEHICLES AT ASSEMBLY LINES IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

Abstract

The disclosure provides a filling adapter for filling vehicles with various operating materials which are fed from filling systems via connecting lines and filling adapters into circuits and containers of the vehicles. The disclosure provides a mechanical clamping element for such a filling adapter that has a lower mechanical load on the filling port than the known clamping claws or balls. The clamping element has a partially circular contour with a cross-section which, starting from a lower and flat base surface, merges upwards into two side surfaces which are arranged at right angles to the base surface and run parallel to one another, wherein the two side surfaces each merge at their end section arranged opposite the base surface into an actuating surface that runs obliquely upwards and inwards.

Claims

1-3. (canceled)

4. A filling adapter for filling vehicles on assembly lines in the automotive industry, on which vehicles are filled with various operating materials which are fed from filling systems via connecting lines and filling adapters into circuits and containers of the vehicles, wherein the filling adapter has at least one clamping element and a pneumatically or mechanically actuated clamping piston, wherein the clamping element is actuated by the clamping piston in such a way that it is clamped onto a filling port of the circuit or container to be filled for the filling operation, and is held in this clamping position during filling, wherein the clamping element has a partially circular contour with a cross section which, starting from a lower and flat base surface, merges upwards into two side surfaces which are arranged at right angles to the base surface and run parallel to one another, wherein the two side surfaces each merge at their end section arranged opposite the base surface into an actuating surface running obliquely upwards and inwards, wherein the clamping element is dimensioned in such a way that it has a diameter on its outer side surface which, in relation to the associated section of the clamping piston, is smaller than the side surface of the clamping piston facing away from the central longitudinal axis of the filling port and greater than the side surface of the clamping piston facing the central longitudinal axis of the filling port, and wherein the filling adapter is designed to interact with a filling port in that the clamping element is arranged in the filling adapter in such a manner that the clamping piston, which is movable in the direction of the base surface of the clamping element, can at first impact the actuating surface, which extends obliquely upwards and inwards from the outer side surface of the clamping element, with a run-off slope formed on the clamping piston and can then slide along said obliquely extending actuating surface in the further course of movement, wherein at the same time the actuating surface extending obliquely upwardly and inwardly from the inner side surface of the clamping element can impact a run-off slope formed on the filling port and can slide along the latter, and wherein the clamping piston can subsequently slide along the vertically downwardly adjoining outer side surface of the clamping element.

5. The filling adapter according to claim 4, wherein the closed circular ring contour comprises an angle of approximately 280° on the clamping element configured in the shape of a partially circular ring.

6. The filling adapter according to claim 4, wherein a seal carrier, on which a container seal can be supported, is arranged above the clamping element on the inner contour of the clamping piston.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] The drawing shows the basic structure of a filling adapter 1 for filling vehicles on assembly lines in the automotive industry, where vehicles can be filled with various operating materials. These operating materials are fed from filling systems via connecting lines and filling adapters 1 into circuits and containers of the vehicles (not shown here). The filling adapter 1 has at least one clamping element 2, which can be operated via a pneumatically or mechanically actuated clamping piston 3. Thus, the filling adapter 1 can be clamped onto specifically designed sections of the containers to be filled with a filling port 4 which is made of plastic, for example. During filling, the filling port 4 is held in this clamping position. Such a structure is known in principle, therefore only the components relevant in the present situation will be explained in more detail below.

[0028] Accordingly, the clamping element 2 has a partially circular contour, the specific design of which can be seen in FIG. 3. The closed circular ring contour on the clamping element 2 comprises an angle of approximately 280° .

[0029] Starting from a lower flat base surface 21, the clamping element has two side surfaces 22 and 23 which are arranged at right angles to the base surface and run parallel to each other. These two side surfaces 22; 23 merge at their end section 26, which is arranged opposite to the base surface 21, in each case into an actuating surface 24 or 25 extending obliquely upwards and inwards toward the end section 26.

[0030] The clamping element 2 has an outer diameter D1 on its outer side surface 22 which, relative to the associated section of the clamping piston 3, is smaller than an outer dimension D2 of the side surface of the clamping piston 3 facing away from the central longitudinal axis X of the filling port 4. At the same time, however, this diameter D1 is larger than an inner dimension D3 of the side surface of the clamping piston 3 facing the central longitudinal axis of the filling port 4.

[0031] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show that a seal carrier 5 is arranged in the filling adapter 1 above the clamping element 2 on the inner contour of the clamping piston 3. A container seal 6 is supported on said seal carrier 5.

[0032] With this structural design, the following functional sequence is realized during operation of a filling adapter 1:

[0033] When the clamping piston 3 moves downward, it impacts the outer actuating surface 24 of the clamping element 2. Due to the difference in diameter between the clamping piston 3 and the clamping element 2 as well as the orientation of the outer actuating surface 24, the clamping element 2 is increasingly pressed inwards as the clamping piston 3 moves. Due to the partially circular ring configuration of the clamping element 2, which is thus not a complete circular ring, the diameter of the clamping element 2 is reduced in that the element is compressed. Two oblique contours meet when the inner actuating surface 25 of the clamping element 2 contacts the filling port 4. This results in an upward movement of the filling port 4, which at the same time causes a compression with the container seal 6 and thus high leak tightness during filling.

[0034] After filling, the partially circular contour of the clamping element 2 and its relatively flexible material cause the clamping element 2 to relax automatically when the clamping piston 3 moves back. In this way, the seal carrier 5 prevents the clamping element 2 from jamming, and the filling port can subsequently be removed.

[0035] The foregoing description of the embodiment has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.