Patent Application
20220185103
This application claims the benefit of priority and is entitled to the filing date pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) of Great Britain Patent Application GB 2015726.9, filed Oct. 5, 2020, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a refuelling coupling.
My Earlier European Patent No 2822794 B (My Earlier European Patent) relates to a refuelling coupling.
The background to My Earlier European Patent was that I had conceived its inventive concept of gravity refuelling through an aperture in a pressure refuelling dry-break member, with a subsidiary displaceable member normally closing the aperture, some years before an opportunity arose for its use. For pressure refuelling, as routinely used in refuelling aircraft for instance, attaching and opening a pressure refuelling nozzle to the coupling displaces the dry-break member in a conventional manner for pumping of fuel through the coupling. On completion of refuelling, the nozzle is disconnected with the dry-break member returning to its original position in contact with a complementary member in the nozzle with no fuel between them, whereby no fuel can escape on removal of the nozzle. This was conventional. For gravity refuelling a subsidiary member in the dry-break member is displaced, allowing gravity refuelling through the dry-break member. The gravity refuelling is in the manner of forecourt refuelling of cars for instance. After refuelling, returning of the subsidiary member to its normal, closed position ensures that the coupling is closed for pressure refuelling.
My Earlier European Patent was granted claiming:
“1. A refuelling coupling having:
characterised in that the dry-break member includes:
Claim 3 of My Earlier European Patent is as follows:
“3. A refuelling coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein the subsidiary displaceable member is pivotally displaceable with respect to the displaceable dry-break member against a subsidiary return spring.”
The specific description of My Earlier European Patent describes the following specific embodiment:
“Referring to the drawings, the refuelling coupling there shown has an annular fitting 1 having a bore 2, bayonet lugs 3 and slots 4 suiting it for connection to a pressure filling nozzle 50. A dry-break member 5 is provided within the annular fitting, normally sealing to it with the aid of an O-ring seal 6. When the pressure filling nozzle is fitted, the dry-break member is depressed allowing fuel to flow. In this respect, the refuelling coupling is conventional.
In accordance with the invention, the dry-break member has a central aperture 11, normally closed by a side pivoted flap 12. The pivot 14 is at a pin 15 carried in lugs 16 on the underside of a central disc 17 having the aperture 11. The flap has a finger 17 projecting between the lugs and having the pin passing through it. A spring 18 is carried on the pin and normally biases the flap into its closed position parallel with the disc. An O-ring 19 is carried on the flap whereby should unusual forces displace fuel against the flap it does not leak.
For gravity nozzle fuelling, as shown in FIGS. 4 & 5, a gravity fuelling nozzle 52 is placed against the flap and pushed in against its spring. Refuelling can now occur.”
FIGS. 4 & 5 accompany this description.
The object of the present invention is to provide a further embodiment of the invention of My Earlier European Patent.
According to the invention there is provided a refuelling coupling having:
Preferably, the subsidiary displaceable member is rotatably engageable in the dry-break member. This can be by a bayonet fitting arrangement, but will normally be by providing complementary screw threads on the members.
A graspable element can be provided on the subsidiary displaceable member. Conveniently this is arranged pivotally to lie flush with or beneath the outer surface of the dry-break member (for abutment of this with the complementary member in the nozzle) and be liftable for grasping and turning to screw out the subsidiary displaceable member.
A tether can be provided for tethering the subsidiary displaceable member to the coupling when removed for gravity refuelling.
To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to the drawings,
On attaching of a pressure filling nozzle to the coupling and opening of the nozzle, the dry-break member 105 is displaced inwards allowing fuel to flow past this member, within the tube into the tank.
In accordance with the invention, the dry-break member has a central aperture 111, normally closed by a plug 112, which is threaded externally 114 and carries an O-ring seal 115 above the thread. The central aperture has a plain bore orifice 116 and is threaded 117 below the plain bore. Thus, when the plug is screwed in, the dry-break member is fluid tight as normal.
An inner tube 118 extends down from the dry-break member within the non-shown outer tube and indeed within the rods, springs and spider.
A tether 119 is provided for avoidance of loss of the plug when unscrewed. The tether is connected at one end to the plug and the other within the inner tube 118.
In a manner analogous to
For removal of the plug and its refitting after gravity refuelling, the plug is provided with a recess 120 in its outer surface 121, with a central spigot 122. A grip-able flap 123 is pivotally connected to the spigot. It can be pivoted up, as shown in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015726.9 | Oct 2020 | GB | national |
