Patent Application
20140261331
The present invention relates to the field of refueling systems for outdoor power equipment. Outdoor power equipment, including lawnmowers, snowthrowers, trimmers, tillers, pressure washers, etc., may be powered by an internal combustion engine running on a liquid fuel such as gasoline. Fuel for such engines is generally provided from a small, portable canister or other container, with the fuel being poured out of container into an opening in the fuel tank of the outdoor power equipment. Further, an open fuel container and/or open fuel tank can allow vaporized fuel to escape to atmosphere.
It would be advantageous to provide a system for refueling an engine for outdoor power equipment that minimizes the likelihood of spills and the release of vaporized fuel into the atmosphere.
One embodiment of the invention relates to an internal combustion engine including a pressure regulator including a first chamber with an inlet configured to receive a removable fuel cartridge and a second chamber fluidly coupled to the first chamber, and an air/fuel mixing device fluidly coupled to the pressure regulator, wherein the pressure regulator is configured to regulate the pressure of liquid fuel provided from the removable fuel cartridge to the air/fuel mixing device.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to outdoor power equipment including a removable fuel cartridge configured to store liquid fuel, a pressure regulator including a first chamber with an inlet that receives the removable fuel cartridge and a second chamber fluidly coupled to the first chamber, and an air/fuel mixing device fluidly coupled to the pressure regulator, wherein the pressure regulator is configured to regulate the pressure of liquid fuel provided from the removable fuel cartridge to the air/fuel mixing device.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a refueling system including a filling station configured to store a first volume of liquid fuel, the filling station including a station receptacle, a removable fuel cartridge configured to store a second volume of liquid fuel less than the first volume of liquid fuel, and outdoor power equipment including an engine having an engine receptacle, wherein inserting the removable fuel cartridge into the station receptacle fluidly couples the filling station and the removable fuel cartridge to automatically fill the removable fuel cartridge with liquid fuel, and wherein inserting the removable fuel cartridge into the engine receptacle fluidly couples the removable fuel cartridge and the engine to provide liquid fuel to the engine.
Alternative exemplary embodiments relate to other features and combinations of features as may be generally recited in the claims.
The invention will become more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Before turning to the figures, which illustrate the exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be understood that the application is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting.
Referring in general to the figures, a fueling system is shown in which the traditional fuel tank for an engine is replaced with a refillable cartridge system. The cartridge is affixed to the engine and can be refilled from a filling or docking station between uses. The connection port for the cartridge couples the cartridge to the engine and to the docking station with a quick connect, zero volume connection (e.g., a connection that results in no gap between the two pieces being coupled together). No gap between the pieces is evaluated with respect to the required tolerances for the two pieces establishing the zero volume connection. The cartridge can therefore be easily coupled to the engine or the filling station with no spillage of fuel.
Referring to
According to an exemplary embodiment, the engine 12 is a small, gasoline-powered internal combustion engine. A broad range of engines may benefit from the teachings disclosed in this application. In some embodiments, the engine 12 may be vertically shafted, while in other embodiments, the engine 12 may be horizontally shafted. In some contemplated embodiments, the engine may include a single cylinder, two cylinders, or may include three or more cylinders. The engine 12 may have a four stroke cycle or may have a two-stroke cycle. According to an exemplary embodiment, the engine 12 is configured to power a walk behind lawn mower. In other embodiments, the engine 12 may be configured to power a broad range of outdoor power equipment, including riding lawn mowers, pressure washers, electric generators, snow throwers, trimmers, and other vehicles or handheld equipment.
Referring now to
The fuel cartridge 14 includes a container 30 with a neck 32 to which is coupled a connector 40 with a collar 42. The first chamber 23 has an inlet 28 that is configured to interface with the connector 40 and allow fuel to flow from the cartridge 14 into the first chamber 23. The collar 42 includes a cylindrical outer wall 43 and a cylindrical inner wall 44. The neck 32 of the container 30 is received in an annular space 45 between the outer wall 43 and the inner wall 44. A lip 34 on the neck 32 engages a first sealing member 36 (e.g., gasket, o-ring, etc.) to secure the collar 42 to the container 30 and seal the interface between the collar 42 and the container 30 to prevent the escape of liquid or vaporized fuel from the interior of the fuel cartridge 14. In some embodiments, the neck 32 is coupled to the connector 40 in different ways that omit the collar 42 (e.g., by welding the neck 32 to the connector 40).
According to an exemplary embodiment, the connector 40 includes an elongated cylindrical body fixed to the collar 42, The connector 40 is received in the inlet 28 of the pressure regulator 22. A sealing member 29 (e.g., gasket, o-ring, other appropriate sealing members, etc.) coupled to the distal end of the connector 40 engages the walls defining the inlet 28 to create a seal between the connector 40 and the pressure regulator 22. The relatively large depth of the connector 40 facilitates the alignment of the connector 40 within the inlet 28 and the proper coupling of the fuel cartridge 14 and the pressure regulator 22 when emptying fuel from the fuel cartridge 14. The fuel cartridge 14 is shown in
Referring now to
Pushing the fuel cartridge 14 toward the first chamber 23 causes the plunger 50 to contact a pin 54 disposed in the first chamber 23. The plunger 50 does not contact the pin 54 until the seal between the connector 40 and the pressure regulator 22 created by sealing member 29 is established. The plunger 50 is movable within an interior cavity 46 of the connector and is biased into the closed position shown in
As shown in
Gravity and the internal pressure of fuel in the fuel cartridge 14 force the fuel to pass from the fuel cartridge 14 into the first chamber 23. The fuel cartridge 14 may be pulled away from the first chamber 23 (e.g., when the fuel cartridge 14 is empty), reversing the above steps. As the connector 40 of the fuel cartridge 14 is pulled out of the inlet 28, the plunger 50 disengages the pin 54 and the plunger 50 is forced back into the open end 48 of the connector 40 by the biasing member 55 to close the open end 48. Further pulling the fuel cartridge 14 away from the pressure regulator 22 moves the sealing member 29 past the inlet 28, thereby breaking the seal, and then disengages the connector 40 from the pressure regulator 28. The fuel cartridge 14 and the interaction between the connector 40 and the inlet 28 minimize the likelihood that fuel will be spilled during the refueling of the engine 12.
The fuel enters the second chamber 25 through a valve 60 from the first chamber 23. The valve 60 has an opening 62 in a valve seat 64 that is selectively closed by a valve member 66. According to an exemplary embodiment, the valve member 66 is actuated with a float 70 disposed in the pressure regulator 22 via a linkage 72 in response to the amount of fuel in the second chamber 25. The opening 62 has a cross sectional area with an equivalent diameter large enough that air may vent from within the second chamber 25 to the first chamber 23 and the fuel cartridge 14 as fuel enters the second chamber 25, but small enough such that the force applied by the float 70 via the linkage 72 is sufficient to close the valve member 66 against the valve seat 64 when the second chamber 25 is full (i.e., when the float 70 is at a level or elevation indicating that the second chamber 25 is full).
The pressure in the interior of the fuel cartridge 14 and the first chamber 23 can be elevated above the pressure desired for fuel being supplied to the air/fuel mixing device 20. According to an exemplary embodiment, the fuel cartridge 14 and the first chamber 23 may have an interior pressure of up to 20 psi. The second chamber 25 has a vent 68 in the exterior wall and is at atmospheric pressure. While the vent 68 is shown as directly venting the interior of the second chamber 25 to atmosphere, in other embodiments, the engine 12 may further include a vapor filter (e.g., a carbon canister) or other device proximate to the vent such that the interior of the second chamber 25 is not in direct fluid communication with the atmosphere.
Fuel received through the valve 60 collects in the second chamber 25. The depth of the fuel in the second chamber 25 determines the position of the float 70 and the linkage 72. According to an exemplary embodiment, the linkage 72 is a four-bar linkage with a first link 74 pivotably coupled to a wall of the second chamber 25, a second link 76 pivotably coupled to the first link 74, and a third link 78 pivotably coupled to the second link 76 and a wall of the second chamber 25. The valve member 66 is fixed to the third link 78. The walls of the second chamber 25 act as the fourth link. The pivot point 75 between the first link 74 and the second link 76 contacts the upper surface or face 71 of the float 70. As fuel collects in the second chamber 25, the float rises, pushing upward on the pivot point 75 such that the angle 77 between the first link 74 and the second link 76 increases. The third link 78 is therefore pushed towards a vertical position closing the valve member 66 against the valve seat 64. The internal volume of the second chamber 25 and the geometry of the float 70 allows the valve 60 to be actuated via the linkage 72 if the engine 12 and the second chamber 25 are tilted. According to an exemplary embodiment the float 70 is able to close the valve 60 via the linkage 72 with the second chamber 25 tilted up to approximately 30° from horizontal (i.e., horizontal as shown in
As the float 70 moves upward and the angle 77 approaches 180°, the force applied to the valve member 66 increases. When the float 70 is at its uppermost position, the valve 60 is closed and the angle 77 is at its maximum (e.g., 180°). According to an exemplary embodiment shown in
The fuel passes from the second chamber 25 at a desired pressure through the fuel line 26 to the air/fuel mixing device 20. In the air/fuel mixing device 20, the fuel is vaporized and mixed with air before being provided to a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine 12. Referring to
After the fuel in the fuel cartridge 14 has been exhausted, the empty fuel cartridge 14 may be removed by decoupling the connector 40, as described above. The empty fuel cartridge 14 may then be filled from a filling station 16 with an inlet configured to receive the connector 40. The filling station inlet is similar to the inlet 28. A single fuel cartridge 14 may be used to provide fuel to the internal combustion engine 12 or multiple fuel cartridges 14 may be used, with a full fuel cartridge 14 being coupled to the pressure regulator 22 while a second, empty fuel cartridge is refilled from the filling station 16. According to one exemplary embodiment, the outdoor power equipment may include storage for additional fuel cartridges 14 to increase the fuel capacity of the outdoor power equipment or provide storage for empty fuel cartridges. Although the interaction between the fuel cartridge 14 and the inlet 28 has been described with the inlet 28 opening upwards and the fuel cartridge 14 inserted and removed in a vertical direction, in other embodiments, different orientations (e.g., horizontal, angled, etc.) of the inlet 28 and the fuel cartridge 14 are used (e.g., the horizontal configuration of the filling station inlet shown in
Referring now to
As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially”, and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed without restricting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the invention as recited in the appended claims.
The construction and arrangement of the elements of the internal combustion engine fueling system as shown in the exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements. Some like components have been described in the present disclosure using the same reference numerals in different figures. This should not be construed as an implication that these components are identical in all embodiments; various modifications may be made in various different embodiments. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the enclosure may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations.
