Claims
- 1. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly for delivery of liquid from a liquid source to a liquid receiver having a receiver inlet, said assembly being provided with means to allow for the removal of vapor during delivery of liquid to said receiver inlet from said source, said nozzle assembly comprising:
- 1. a liquid dispensing nozzle having a nozzle inlet, a nozzle housing and an elongated discharge spout adapted for insertion into said receiver inlet;
- 2. a vapor collector surrounding, in spaced relation thereto and forming a chamber therearound, the upper portion of said spout nearest said nozzle housing, said chamber being in fluid communication with the receiver inlet when said nozzle is inserted into said liquid receiver, one end of said vapor collector being sealed to said nozzle housing, or in proximity thereto, a sealant means carried by the other end of said vapor collector and having an exposed face for forming a surface seal against the outer surface of said receiver inlet, said spout extending beyond the other end of said sealant means; and
- 3. means for allowing removal of vapor from said chamber; the improvement comprising said sealant means comprising a compressible cellular plastic material obtained from an epoxy-containing elastomer, said material having:
- a. a plurality of cells present as part of its structure;
- b. compressibility under normal nozzle loads of the material in contact with the outer surface of the receiver inlet in the range of from about 5 to about 85% of that part of the material's original preload volume;
- c. substantial resistance to the liquid dispensed and vapor being removed, and
- d. the ability to form a seal against the outer surface of said receiver inlet and reduce the amount of vapor escaping to the atmosphere during liquid dispensing when said spout is inserted into and said exposed face contacts the outer surface of said receiver inlet.
- 2. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly of claim 1 wherein the compressible cellular plastic material is obtained from a polymer selected from the group consisting of epoxy elastomers wherein at least 40 weight percent of the polymerization units are derived from an epoxy monomer or mixtures thereof which have from about 2 to 12 carbon atoms.
- 3. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly of claim 2 wherein at least 70 weight percent of the polymerization units are derived from an epoxy monomer or mixtures thereof which have from about two to six carbon atoms.
- 4. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly of claim 2 wherein at least 90 weight percent of the polymerization units are derived from an epoxy monomer or mixtures thereof which have from about two to three carbon atoms.
- 5. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly of claim 1 wherein said vapor collector comprises a flexible bellows.
- 6. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly of claim 1 wherein said epoxy monomer is epichlorohydrin.
- 7. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly of claim 1 wherein the exposed face of the compressible cellular plastic material comprises an additional resilient material and the liquid is a fuel.
- 8. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly of claim 2 wherein the exposed face of the compressible cellular plastic material comprises an additional resilient material and the liquid is a fuel.
- 9. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly of claim 7 wherein said additional resilient material is selected from the group consisting of leather and polychloroprene.
- 10. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly of claim 1 wherein the compressible cellular plastic material is predominantly closed-celled, and the liquid is a fuel.
- 11. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly of claim 2 wherein said compressible cellular plastic material is predominantly closed-celled, and the liquid is a fuel.
- 12. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly of claim 6 wherein said compressible cellular plastic material is predominantly closed-celled, and the liquid is a fuel.
- 13. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly of claim 11 wherein said compressible cellular plastic material in contact with the outer surface of the receiver inlet is compressed under normal loads in the range from about 25 to about 75% based upon that part of the material's original preload volume.
- 14. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly of claim 2 wherein said epoxy monomer is epichlorohydrin and the liquid is a fuel.
- 15. A liquid dispensing nozzle assembly of claim 4 wherein said epoxy monomer is epichlorohydrin and the liquid is a fuel.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 468,787, filed May 9, 1974, now abandoned.
The present invention relates to a nozzle for dispensing a liquid, and more particularly to a nozzle having means for preventing the escape of vapors during a liquid dispensing operation.
Normally, as a fuel such as gasoline is being supplied through a fuel-dispensing nozzle to, for example, an automobile fuel tank, fuel vapor escapes from the fuel tank fillpipe, this vapor of course adding to the already pressing air pollution problem. Such air pollution is increasingly becoming a cause of concern and numerous governmental jurisdictions are requiring control of causes of air pollution. An increasing number of jurisdictions are requiring minimization of escape of both liquid fuel and fuel vapor from vehicles which are being supplied with fuel. Reducing the fuel delivery rate, while reducing liquid-splash-back, does not prevent escape of vapors and in fact, because of the longer time required to fill the vehicle fuel tank, may increase the escape of fuel vapors lost during the filling of the tank.
The prior art has suggested various means of recovering vapors which otherwise would escape to the atmosphere while fuel tanks are being filled. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,581,782 discloses a vapor emission control system suitable for gasoline and other fuel delivery systems, and adapted to eliminate the escape of fuel vapors to the atmosphere. The disclosed embodiment of the control system includes, for example, a flexible annular sleeve surrounding the spout of the nozzle and sealed to the fill-pipe of the fuel tank by means of an expandible member which, when expanded after the spout is inserted into the fillpipe, prevents the emission of vapor to the atmosphere.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,566,928 discloses a vapor seal for fuel dispensing nozzles wherein the forward end (i.e., the end opposite the main housing of the nozzle) of the flexible bellows which surrounds the spout is sealed to the fillpipe by means of an annular-shaped magnetic rubber sealing assembly.
It is known also in the prior art simply to employ a flexible means surrounding the spout, such as the flexible bellows by itself. In this case, when the discharge spout is inserted into the fillpipe, the flexible bellows is compressed and tends to seal itself to the upper portion of the fillpipe. However, this seal between the forward or heel portion of the bellows and the upper portion of the fillpipe is not a good one, and hence the above-noted prior art suggestion for using magnetic rubber means.
Reference is also made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,850,049 and 2,908,299 for fuel vapor recovery systems.
There is therefore a need for a simple and effective device for sealing a vapor collection device to the upper portion of, for example, an automobile fillpipe. Specifically, there is a need for improving the seal that is possible between, for example, the flexible bellows of the prior art and the upper portion of an automobile fuel tank fillpipe.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a liquid-dispensing nozzle provided with vapor recovery means.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a liquid fuel-dispensing nozzle wherein the seal between the vapor collecting means and the automobile fuel tank fillpipe is improved.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide such an improved sealing means which is simple in design.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the ensuing description.
The present invention accomplishes the above objects and others by utilizing, in conjunction with a vapor collector means (such as flexible bellows) which surround a portion of the discharge spout of a liquid fuel-dispensing nozzle, a compressible cellular plastic material such as foamed plastic mounted on the forward or heel portion thereof to engage the upper portion of, for example, the automobile fuel tank fillpipe. The use of the compressible cellular plastic material provides a greatly improved seal between the vapor collector means, preferably a flexible bellows, and the fillpipe compared to the use of the vapor collector alone. A preferred material is made from epoxy elastomers.
US Referenced Citations (1)
| Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
|
3840055 |
Wostl et al. |
Oct 1974 |
|
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
468787 |
May 1974 |
|
Patent Grant
3993112
