JP5888060B2 - Cylinder opening device and cylinder opening method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cylinder opening device for opening a cylinder filled with a gas for expanding a buoy float used in a marine sensor or the like.

  As a related cylinder opening device, a technique described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-24199 is known. As shown in FIG. 9, this cylinder opening device is an electric ignition type squib having a cylinder 1 filled with gas, a sealing plate 2 for sealing the opening of the cylinder 1, and a lead wire 3. 4 (parts that generate heat by energizing the filament and igniting the igniter to generate expansion gas). The opening operation of the cylinder is as follows. When the lead wire 3 of the squib 4 is connected to the power source in a state where the cutter 5 is separated from the sealing plate 2, the squib 4 explodes. The piston 6 is pushed by the pressure of the explosion, and the cylinder is opened by breaking through the sealing plate 2 with the opening pin 7 to make a hole. FIG. 10 shows a front sectional view of the cylinder opening device after opening.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-24199

However, in the cylinder opening device as described above, since a squib is used as an operation means of the opening mechanism, only a specific operator who has been trained can handle it. Moreover, since special equipment for storage is required, there is a problem that the cost of the apparatus itself or its peripheral equipment becomes high as well as restrictions on manufacturing.
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cylinder opener that is inexpensive and safe and easy to work with.

  The cylinder opening device of the present invention is arranged in a compressed state at a cylinder storing gas, a sealing plate for sealing the opening of the cylinder, a cutter for opening a hole in the sealing plate, and an end of the cutter. A fixing member that abuts the spring and the cutter and fixes the cutter at a position away from the sealing plate, and a holding member that holds the fixing member. By changing the shape of the holding member, the fixing member is removed from the cutter. The cutter is pierced into the sealing plate by the stress of the compressed spring, and the cylinder is opened.

  The opening method of the cylinder according to the present invention includes the step of holding the cutter by the fixing member in a compressed state of the spring disposed at the end of the cutter at a position away from the sealing plate that seals the opening of the cylinder. And a step of changing the shape of the holding member that holds the fixing member by heating with the heating element to remove the fixing member from the cutter, and the cutter is pierced into the sealing plate by the stress of the compressed spring to open the cylinder It is characterized by that.

  Since the cylinder opening device of the present invention employs a configuration that does not use explosives, it can be handled by other than a specific trained worker. In addition, no special equipment for storage is required without restrictions on handling. For this reason, it leads to cost reduction.

It is front sectional drawing in the state before opening in the cylinder opening device of this invention. It is a plane sectional view in the state before opening in the cylinder opening device of the present invention. It is front sectional drawing in the opened state in the cylinder opening device of this invention. It is a plane sectional view in the opened state in the cylinder opening device of the present invention. The external view of the disc spring 15 in embodiment of this invention is shown with a three-dimensional figure. The external view of the lamination | stacking state of the disk spring 15 in embodiment of this invention is shown. The related schematic diagram of the load which acts on the fixed pin 16 in embodiment of this invention is shown. It is front sectional drawing in the state before opening in the other form of this invention. It is front sectional drawing in the state before opening in the conventional cylinder opening device. It is front sectional drawing in the opened state in the conventional cylinder opening device.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of a cylinder opening device. FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view of the cylinder opening device. 2 and 2 show a state before the cylinder is opened.

The cylinder 10 stores gas therein. The sealing plate 11 seals the opening of the cylinder. The sealing plate 11 is a metal plate of about 0.3 mm. The inside of the cylinder 13 is a cylindrical cavity. A cutter 12 for making a hole in the sealing plate 11 is mounted in a movable state on the cavity portion of the barrel 13. An opening pin 14 having a gas vent hole for making a hole in the sealing plate 11 is provided on an end surface of the cutter 12 facing the sealing plate 11. The tip of the unsealing pin 14 has a sharp projecting shape so that it can be easily pierced into the sealing plate 11.
A plurality of springs 15 are stacked in a compressed state at one end opposite to the cylinder side of the cutter 12. The spring 15 is a disc spring. FIG. 5 shows an external view of the disc spring. A plurality of disc springs 15 are arranged one by one in series. FIG. 6 shows an external view of the stacked state of the disc spring 15.

The cutter 12 is fixed by the fixing pin 16 in a state where the pressing force of the spring 15 is applied.
The fixing pin 16 is arranged so that the cutter 12 does not slide in the cylindrical cavity while being in contact with the end of the cutter 12. The portion of the tip of the fixing pin 16 that comes into contact with the cutter 12 is tapered. An actuator 17 made of a shape memory alloy is attached to the fixing pin 16. The shape memory alloy is, for example, a Ti—Ni alloy. The other end of the actuator 17 is fixed to the body 13. A heating wire 18 for heating is wound around a portion near the fixing pin of the actuator 17. Two actuators 17 made of a shape memory alloy around which the fixing pin 16 and the heating wire 18 are wound are provided at two axially symmetrical positions. As described above, the cutter 12 is fixed to the position away from the sealing plate 11 by the fixing pin 16 and the actuator 17 in a state where the load to be moved to the cylinder 10 side by the spring 15 is always working.
(Description of operation of the embodiment)
The operation of the above-described cylinder opener will be described. First, in the state shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, that is, in the state where the cutter 12 is separated from the sealing plate 11, it is wound around an actuator 17 made of shape memory alloy from an external power source (not shown) as an opening signal A predetermined current is passed through the heating wire 18 (such as a nichrome wire).

  The heating wire 18 generates heat, and the shape memory alloy actuator 17 is heated. When the temperature of the actuator 17 reaches about 100 ° C., which is the shape recovery temperature (deformation temperature) of the shape memory alloy, the crystal structure of the shape memory alloy changes from the martensite phase to the austenite phase. Due to this phase transformation, the shape memory alloy returns to the original memorized shape, so that the shape of the actuator 17 is deformed, the fixed pin 16 is moved, and the fixed pin 16 is detached from the cutter 12. The cutter 12 is released, and the cutter 12 is slid within the body 13 by the compressive force of the spring 15, and the opening pin 14 breaks the sealing plate 11 to open the cylinder. 3 and 4 show a state where the cylinder is opened. FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of the cylinder opening device. FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view of the cylinder opening device.

  In addition, in order for the opening pin 14 to break the sealing plate 11, a load of about 200 N or more is necessary. Moreover, in order to move the fixing pin 16, a load that can overcome the frictional force must be applied. Therefore, the spring 15 employs a disc spring. The disc spring has a considerably large stored energy per unit volume compared to the coil spring, and has a large load capacity with a small space and a small stroke. A plurality of disc springs 15 are arranged one by one in series. With such a combination, it becomes possible to obtain a large deflection with respect to the load. A portion of the tip of the fixing pin 16 that comes into contact with the cutter 12 is formed in a taper shape.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of the relationship between loads acting on the fixing pins. A portion of the tip of the fixing pin 16 that comes into contact with the cutter 12 is formed in a taper shape. In FIG. 7, the meanings of the symbols are as follows. 2F is a compressive force of the disc spring 15, μ is a coefficient of friction between the cutter 12 and the fixing pin 16, Fv is a normal direction component force pushing the outer peripheral surface of the fixing pin 16 with a load of 2F, F is a vertical component force of Fv, Fh represents the horizontal component of Fv.
When each load is angle θ and friction coefficient μ The circumferential normal force of the fixed pin is Fv = F / cosθ,
The force to push the fixing pin horizontally is Fh = F × tanθ
The friction force of the fixed pin is Ff = μ × Fv × cosθ
Holding force of the fixing pin (difference) = 2Ff-2Fh
It becomes. Accordingly, the holding force of the fixing pin can be reduced by appropriately selecting the angle θ. As a specific example, the holding force (difference) of the fixed pin from the previous formula = 2Ff-2Fh
= 2F (μ-tan θ), the friction coefficient μ is generally a case of friction between metals, generally about 0.25, and when F = 200 N, when the holding force of the fixed pin is 5 N, θ = 13. What is necessary is just 3 degrees. As described above, the fixing pin 16 can be moved with a small force by forming the portion of the fixing pin 16 that fits with the cutter 12 in a tapered shape.
(Other embodiments of the invention)
FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a spring 22 such as a wire spring or a leaf spring that opens to the outside of the unsealing device is used as a means for moving the fixing pin. Before the operation (before opening), the spring 22 is tightened with a string 23 made of resin or the like instead of the actuator made of shape memory alloy, and the fixing pin is fixed so as not to come off. A heating wire 24 (such as a nichrome wire) is wound around the string 23. When the opening operation is performed, the string 23 is burned out by the heat of the heating wire by energizing the heating wire 24 from an external power source (not shown). As a result, the spring 22 is opened, and the cylinder is opened by extracting the fixing pin. Note that the fixing pin may be removed from the cutter by utilizing thermal deformation of the resin without heating until the string is burned out.

  Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

1 cylinder
2 Sealing plate
3 Lead wire
4 Squibb
5 Cutter
6 Piston
7 Opening pin
10 cylinder
11 Sealing plate
12 cutter
13 torso
14 Opening pin
15 Disc spring
16 Fixing pin
17 Actuator
18 Heating wire
20 Spring
21 thong
22 Heating wire

Claims (5)

A cylinder for storing gas,
A sealing plate for sealing the opening of the cylinder;
A cutter provided with an opening pin for opening a hole in the sealing plate;
A spring arranged in a compressed state at the end of the cutter ;
A fixing member that contacts the cutter between the sealing plate and the spring, and fixes the cutter at a position away from the sealing plate ;
A holding member for holding the fixing member;
Shape changing means for changing the shape of the holding member,
The fixing member is removed from the cutter by changing the shape of the holding member by the shape changing means, and the cylinder is opened by piercing the opening pin into the sealing plate by the stress of the compressed spring. A cylinder opening device.   The cylinder opening device according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the fixing member that contacts the cutter is tapered.   3. The shape changing means is a heating element, and the holding member is an actuator made of a shape memory alloy, and the shape of the actuator is changed by heating by the heating element installed in the actuator. The cylinder opening device described.   The cylinder opening device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding member is a string, and the shape of the string is changed by heating with a heating element attached to the string. A method of opening a cylinder storing gas ,
At a location remote from the sealing plate for sealing an opening of the front Symbol cylinder in a state of compressing the spring which is disposed at the end of the cutter, the step of holding the fixing member said cutter,
The fixing member is in contact with the cutter between the sealing plate and the spring;
Changing the shape of the holding member holding the fixing member by heating with a heating element and removing the fixing member from the cutter;
A method of opening a cylinder, characterized in that an opening pin provided in the cutter is pierced into the sealing plate by the stress of the compressed spring to open the cylinder.

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