Patent Application
20210362996
The present invention relates to fuel nozzle receptacles, and more particularly, to a nozzle receptacle designed for use primarily with fuel nozzles used with transfer and auxiliary fuel tanks found in vehicles. The fuel nozzle receptacle according to the invention includes a drain opening in the lower end and a shut-off valve in the drain line.
Many trucks and other vehicles carry both auxiliary fuel tanks and transfer fuel tanks, usually for diesel fuel, but also for other types of fuel. The primary difference between a “transfer” tank and an “auxiliary” tank is that with a transfer tank the fuel must be pumped out of the tank, whereas with an auxiliary tank the fuel may be plumbed directly to the vehicle fuel system. Transfer tanks always have a fuel nozzle connected to a fuel hose that runs from the tank; auxiliary tanks often also have a fuel nozzle and hose. Herein, the term “auxiliary tank” refers to both conventional transfer tanks and auxiliary tanks that include a fuel hose and a fuel nozzle.
There are many different types of fuel nozzles that are used with auxiliary tanks, but generally speaking, such nozzles are automatic shut-off nozzles (to prevent over-filling and spillage). These types of fuel nozzles are familiar to most drivers because they are the kinds of nozzles found at nearly all fueling stations across the United States. At commercial fueling stations the fuel nozzles are conventionally stored in the fuel pumps with the nozzle received in a receptacle such that the nozzle is in a tip-up orientation. That is, the distal end of the nozzle (i.e., the end of the nozzle through which fuel flows) is oriented vertically above the nozzle. In this orientation any fuel remaining in the nozzle flows under gravity into the fuel hose. This prevents drippage and spills. Moreover, in order to help prevent spillage of fuel, the nozzles used in conventional fuel stations are generally high quality and have very efficient valves that shut off fuel flow when closed. And of course, nozzles at fuel stations are not subject to constant jostling and vibration that is present with fuel nozzles in vehicles.
However, in auxiliary tanks the nozzle is often received in a receptacle such that the nozzle is stored in a tip-down orientation. This orientation is convenient because it tends to be more stable when the vehicle is operated over rough surfaces, so the nozzle does not inadvertently become dislodged from the receptacle. However, after a fuel nozzle is used in an auxiliary tank there is always some residual amount of fuel in the nozzle and those portions of the hose that are positioned vertically above the nozzle. When the nozzle is stored in a tip-down orientation, the residual fuel drains into the receptacle. Even where the nozzle includes a good quality valve, fuel leakage out of the nozzle is nearly impossible to prevent given the jostling and vibration that occurs during movement of the vehicle. If the receptacle has an opening in the bottom, the residual fuel drains onto the truck bed. This creates a mess that needs to be cleaned in order to prevent dangerous conditions. Some types of conventional nozzle receptacles (sometimes called “holsters” or “boots) have a closed bottom so that residual fuels pool in the receptacles. An example of this later type of boot is shown in
Accordingly, there is a need therefore for a fuel nozzle receptacle that alleviates the problems associated with known receptacles, and which provides an environmentally sensitive manner of collecting residual fuel from an auxiliary tank, and which provides a secure location to store the fuel nozzle. The present invention defines a fuel nozzle receptacle for use with auxiliary tanks. The fuel nozzle is received in a receptacle in a nozzle-down orientation that defines a secure storage for the nozzle. The receptacle includes a drain port on the lower end of the receptacle and a drain tube is attached to the drain port. The receptacle includes a valve. When residual fuel has accumulated in the receptacle, the end of the drain tube is fed into an appropriate holding vessel and the valve is opened to allow the residual fuel to drain from the receptacle into the holding vessel.
The invention allows for environmentally safe collection of residual fuel and the elimination of spillage and messes in the truck bed. The invention described herein may be beneficially used with numerous types of vehicles and numerous other situations, ranging from pickup trucks and other trucks, commercial and agricultural equipment, and stationary fuel tanks
The invention will be better understood, and its numerous objects and advantages will be apparent by reference to the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the following drawings.
The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Directional terms used herein correspond to the convention wherein, for instance: “upper” refers to the direction above and away from a ground plane; “lower” is generally in the opposite direction, “inward” is the direction from the exterior toward the interior of the component, “vertical” is the direction normal to a horizontal ground plane, and so on.
A prior art fuel nozzle receptacle 100 is shown in
A first illustrated embodiment of a fuel nozzle receptacle 10 according to the present invention is shown in
It will be appreciated that the components of the receptacle 10 may be fabricated from any material appropriate for use with petrochemicals, including metals, plastics and the like, which are not degradable by petrochemicals. Moreover, the components such as the boot 12 and the reducing coupling 26 may be fabricated in a unitary module that includes fittings for installation of a valve 32 and an outlet 34. The valve 32 may be of any appropriate type, including the gate valves 32 shown in
Turning now to
It will further be appreciated that the configuration of the boot 12 may be varied according to need and circumstance from that shown in
With reference to
Those of skill in the art will understand that the fuel nozzle 10 described herein creates a flow path for residual fuel that flows or drains from the nozzle 20, the flow path running from the nozzle 20 to the boot 12, through a drain opening at the lower end of the boot and into a valve assembly, and from the valve assembly through a drain tube. The lower, or distal end 24 of the boot 12 defines a catchment basin or reservoir for accumulating fuel that drains from the nozzle 20. When an operator observes that fuel that has accumulated in the reservoir needs to be drained, the drain tube 38 is inserted into an appropriate container and the valve 32 is opened so that the fuel accumulated in the reservoir drains into the container. The valve assembly includes a selectively openable and closable valve—when the valve is open the fluid path is open so that residual fuel that has accumulated in the reservoir in the boot 12 flows out of the drain tube into a collector vessel; when the valve is closed the fluid path is closes so that residual fuel accumulates in the boot.
The fuel nozzle 10 described herein may be used in numerous types of vehicles and numerous other situations, ranging from pickup trucks and other trucks, emergency vehicles and agricultural equipment and stationary fuel tanks.
While the present invention has been described in terms of preferred and illustrated embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill that the spirit and scope of the invention is not limited to those embodiments, but extend to the various modifications and equivalents as defined in the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63029453 | May 2020 | US |
