Patent Application
20240228260
The present invention is directed to a dispensing nozzle, and more particularly, to a fluid dispensing nozzle with that can be opened with a reduced force.
Fluid or fuel dispensers are widely utilized to dispense fluid or fuels, such as gasoline, diesel, natural gas, biofuels, blended fuels, propane, oil, ethanol or the like, into the fuel tank of a vehicle or other receptacle. Such dispensers typically include a actuator that is manually operable to open a valve, which in turn enables the dispenser to dispense fluid. However, when the nozzle dispenses fluid that is under pressure, the pressurized nature of the fluid can make it more difficult to open the valve.
In one embodiment, the invention is a system for providing a reduced opening force for a dispensing nozzle. More particularly, in one embodiment the invention is a nozzle for dispensing fluid including a nozzle body having a fluid path therein through which fluid is configured to flow in a downstream direction. The nozzle further includes a valve having a valve body positioned in the fluid path and movable between a closed position wherein the valve body sealingly engages a valve seat to generally block fluid from flowing therethrough, and an open position wherein the valve body is spaced away from the valve seat to generally allow fluid to flow therethrough. At least part of a surface of the valve body positioned upstream of the valve seat is configured to be fluidly isolated from a pressure of fluid in the fluid path upstream of the valve seat when the valve is in the closed position.
The dispenser 12 is in fluid communication with a fuel/fluid storage tank 20 via a liquid/fluid conduit or fluid path 22 that extends from the dispenser 12 to the storage tank 20. The storage tank 20 and/or dispenser 12 can include or be fluidly coupled to a pump 24 which is configured to draw liquid/fluid out of the storage tank 20 and supply the liquid/fluid to the dispenser 12/nozzle 18. The nozzle 18 can be inserted into a fill pipe 26 of a vehicle 28 and operated to fill/refuel a fuel tank/fluid receptacle 30 of the vehicle 28, or to fill some other fuel/fluid containment vessel.
The nozzle 18/dispenser 12 can also be configured to capture and route vapors being expelled from the fuel tank 30 during refueling via a vapor recovery system (not shown). In this case the nozzle 18 and hose 16 can each include a vapor recovery path (not shown) that is fluidly isolated from the fluid path 22. The system 10 and nozzle 18 can be utilized to store/dispense any of a wide variety of fluids, liquids or fuels or fuel additives, including but not limited to petroleum-based fuels or fluids, such as gasoline, diesel, natural gas, biofuels, blended fuels, propane, oil, ethanol, diesel exhaust fluid (“DEF”), and the like.
With reference to
With reference to
The valve 38/nozzle body 32 can include a valve seat 44 positioned adjacent to the valve body 40 and extending around a valve orifice 46. In the illustrated embodiment the valve seat 44 is a raised bead having a generally semicircular profile extending entirely circumferentially around the valve orifice 46. However the valve seat 44 can have various other shapes and configurations, including seats 44 that are generally flat or angled in cross section, rather than semicircular. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer diameter/dimension of the base component 37 is illustrated by the diameter/dimension 82, and the outer diameter/dimension of the seat 44 is represented by diameter/dimension 84.
The sealing component 42 can be made of a relatively soft/pliable material to form a seal with the valve seat 44 when the valve 38/valve body 40 is in its closed position, as will be described in greater detail below. The portion of the fluid path 22 positioned upstream of the valve seat 44 with regard to the direction of the flow of fluid is designated the upstream fluid path 22a, and the portion of the fluid path 22 positioned downstream of the valve seat 44 with regard to the direction of the flow of fluid is designated the downstream fluid path 22b. However, as will be described in greater detail below, certain portions of the downstream fluid path 22b can be positioned physically/geometrically above the valve seat 44 and/or on the upstream “side” of the valve seat 44.
The valve body 40 is carried on, and/or operatively coupled to, a fluid valve stem 48, and is biased to its closed position by a biasing member 50, such as a spring, compressible element, magnet, etc. In particular, in the illustrated embodiment the biasing member 50 is positioned above the valve body 40 and configured to be a state of compression. When the valve 38/valve body 40 is in the closed position, the valve body 40/sealing component 42 sealingly engages the valve seat 44/valve orifice 46, as urged by the biasing member 50, as shown in
With reference to
The nozzle 18/nozzle body 32 can include a cap 58 that is (threadedly, in one case) positioned in and sealingly covers a cap opening 60 in the nozzle body 32. A seal 62 can be positioned between the cap 58 and the remainder of the nozzle body 32, and another seal 64 can be positioned between the cap 58 and the wall 56 of the base component 37/valve body 40. The nozzle body 32/cap 58 can include or define a chamber 66 that closely/sealingly receives the wall 56/chamber 54 therein, with the seal 64 positioned therebetween.
The chambers 54, 66 thereby together form a cavity 68 that is positioned physically/geometrically above/on the upstream side of the valve 38/valve body 40/seat 44, on the same side as the valve body 40, when the nozzle 18 is in the dispensing position, in one case as shown in
At least part (the upper portion/surface, in the illustrated embodiment) of the valve body 40 is positioned in the cavity 68/chamber 54, and the cavity 68/chambers 54, 66 are thereby in fluid communication with at least part of the valve body 40. In the embodiments of
The end cap 39/valve body 40/sealing component 42 can include an opening 70 therein that extends from an upper/upstream surface/side to a lower/downstream surface side thereof. In the illustrated embodiment only a single opening 70 is shown, but if desired multiple openings can be provided, such as multiple openings circumferentially spaced about the valve body 40. In addition, the opening(s) 70 can have a tortuous path if desired which can be used to control the speed of closing of the valve 38, but in one case the opening(s) 70 extends through an entire thickness of valve body 40 in a direction of movement of the valve body 40.
When the valve 38 is closed, the opening 70 is in fluid communication with, and thereby provides fluid communication between, the cavity 68/chambers 54, 66 and the portions of the fluid path 22 positioned geometrically below/downstream of the valve 38/valve body 40/seat 44 (e.g. the downstream fluid path 22b). In this manner, as shown in
When the valve 38 is in the closed position, the opening 70 thereby is in fluid communication with fluid/pressure in the downstream fluid path 22b positioned on a first side, geometrically or physically downstream/below the valve seat 44, and is also in fluid communication with fluid/pressure in the downstream fluid path 22b in the cavity 68 positioned on a second, opposite side, geometrically or physically upstream/above the valve seat 44 when the valve 38 is in the closed position. The opening 70 enables at least part of the fluid in the fluid path 22 positioned downstream of the valve seat 44 in the flow direction (e.g. the downstream fluid path 22b); that is, fluid in the cavity 68, to be positioned physically/geometrically above/upstream of the valve seat 44.
Fluid introduced into the fluid path 22 (upstream fluid path 22a)/inlet 34 of the nozzle 18 can be at a relatively high pressure, in one case around 50 psi, but in other cases as high as around 75 or around 100 psi or higher. Thus, when the valve 38′ is closed, in systems as shown in
In contrast, in the embodiment of
The fluid in the downstream fluid path 22b is typically at a significantly lower than pressure than fluid in the upstream fluid path 22a when the valve 38 is closed, and may be at a pressure between about 0 and about 2 psi in one case. Thus, by exposing the upper/upstream surface area 76 of the valve 38/valve body 40 to the lower pressure of the downstream fluid path 22b, the force required to open the valve 38 is significantly reduced, leading to ease of operation. In addition, even if the fluid in the downstream fluid path 22b is at a relatively high pressure, the pressure in the cavity 68 acting on the upper surface of the valve 38/valve body 40 is balanced or offset by fluid in the downstream fluid path 22b outside the cavity 68 acting on the lower surface of the valve 38/valve body 40 (in this case acting on the lower surface of the end cap 39), and thus the valve 38 remains easy to open.
By way of further explanation, effective surfaces/surface areas of the valve body 40, oriented or extending perpendicular (at least partially perpendicular, that is, not parallel) to the direction of opening/closing movement of the valve body 40, and radially aligned with/located within the orifice 46, can be acted upon by pressures to inhibit or aid in opening or closing of the valve 38/valve body 40. Thus the effective surfaces/surface areas may be positioned radially inside the valve seat 44 and overlap with the orifice 46 in the axial direction. With reference to
Thus it can be seen at least part of the surface (exposed surface 76, in the illustrated embodiment) of the valve body 40, which can be an outermost and/or upstream-most surface of the valve body 40, positioned geometrically upstream of the valve seat 44, is fluidly isolated from pressure/fluid positioned upstream (with regard to the flow direction) of the valve 38/valve body 40/seat 44, and/or is in fluid communication with pressure/fluid positioned downstream (with regard to flow direction) of the valve 38/valve body 40/seat 44. In one case, the exposed surface 76 is at least about 25% of a surface area or effective surface area, and in another case at least about 50% of a surface area or effective surface area, and in yet another case at least about 66% of a surface area or effective surface area, and in yet another case at least about 80% of a surface area or effective surface area of the upper surface area or effective surface area of the valve body 40, to thereby sufficiently reduce pressure forces applied to the valve body 40. In this manner at least 25%/50%/66%/80% of a surface area of the exposed/upstream surface of the valve body 40 is fluidly isolated from the pressure of fluid in upstream fluid path 22a when the valve 38 is in the closed position. In another case, the exposed surface 76 includes the geometric center of the upstream surface of the valve body 40 to enable smooth opening/closing thereof without binding or hesitation.
It should be noted that the fluid positioned downstream (or generally downstream) of the valve 38/valve body 40/seat 44 with respect to the flow of fluid can have its bulk or majority volume located downstream of the valve 38/valve body 40/seat 44. However, a small portion of the fluid positioned downstream (or generally downstream) of the valve 38/valve body 40/seat 44 with regard to flow direction, namely the portion located in the cavity 68/chambers 54, 66, can be positioned geometrically or physically above/“upstream” of the valve seat 44 (e.g. is vertically above the valve seat 44 in
As noted above, in the embodiment of
Thus in this case an area of the exposed surface area 76 on the upper/upstream surface of the valve body 40, exposed to the downstream fluid path 22b, can be equal to or less than an area of the lower/downstream surface of the valve body 40 exposed to fluid in the downstream fluid path 22b when the valve 38 is closed. In the case when the diameters 82, 84 are equal, the pressure force is balanced and the closing force of the valve 38 is determined entirely by the biasing member 50. In yet another case, if desired the surface area/diameter 82 can be increased such that it is larger than the surface area/diameter 84 (e.g. decreasing or eliminating surface area 74, and thereby reducing or eliminating pressure-applied closing force). This arrangement may provide a pressure assist feature for reducing the closing force and/or opening the valve 38 and may provide a force that opposes the biasing member 50, and may reduce the force required to open the valve 38. In this arrangement measures may be implemented to ensure inadvertent opening of the valve 38 is avoided or minimized, such as providing a relatively strong biasing member 50.
In the embodiments of
In the embodiments of
The disclosed design significantly reduces pressure acting on the valve 38 when the valve 38 is in the closed position, making opening of the valve 38 significantly easier. The opening force can be made entirely or largely independent of pressure in the fluid path 22, and entirely or largely controlled by the biasing member 50, which is more predictable and can be specifically designed and engineered to provide the desired operating characteristics. In addition, the valve 38 is easier to operate when the valve 38 is at or near the closed position, increasing ease of dispensing small amounts of liquid/fluid. In addition, it should be understood that while the system is shown and described in the context of a nozzle for dispensing fluid, the system can be used in nearly any fluid handling device having a valve through which pressure is designed to flow.
Having described the invention in detail and by reference to the various embodiments, it should be understood that modifications and variations thereof are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.
