Patent Application
20140216596
This disclosure is directed to gasoline, diesel and other fuels for vehicles and more specifically to the delivery of such fuels to consumers for use in combustion engines used in transportation.
Gasoline, diesel, and other fuels for vehicles are important to our economy. They provide the fuel that is used in combustion engines that enables many forms of modem transportation.
Gasoline is delivered to consumers through a fuel dispensing station, otherwise known as a gas station. When gas is needed, a consumer drives his car to the gas station and uses one of the pumps to fill his car with gas. The fuel that is dispensed at a gas station may be delivered to the gas station by tanker trucks. These tanker trucks may be filled with the fuel at a distribution center where storage tanks may store the fuel that is delivered from refineries. The fuel that is delivered to the distribution centers may come from a refinery by way of pipeline or ship. While this example is illustratively directed to gasoline, the filling station may also pump diesel, ethanol fuels, biofuels, or other types of fuel into vehicles.
Gas stations have been around for a long time as an accepted part of our economy. Their success has been based in part on their ability to adapt to the changes placed upon them by the modern economy. For example, in geographies experiencing population growth, the gas industry has responded by opening up new gas stations to service the growing population. As another example, when gas stations have been challenged by the environmentalists, the gas industry has responded by designing gas stations that are more environmentally friendly and aesthetic.
Still, as population continues to grow and the balance that exists between gas stations and the environment grows more tense, there is a need for an improved system and method for dispensing fuel that relaxes that tension. One that will reduce the glut of gas stations, reduce the queau time for consumers at fuel dispensing machines, bring fuel dispensing more into harmony with the environment, and provide an overall more efficient and environmentally friendly solution. This disclosure addresses that need.
A vehicle fuel dispensing system for a dwelling unit includes a fuel source and a fuel supply conduit for the unit connected to the fuel source. The fuel supply conduit has an in-line meter for measuring fuel flow characteristics therethrough and for providing readouts of the characteristics.
A vehicle fuel dispensing system for a plurality of dwelling units includes a fuel source and a fuel supply conduit for the plurality of units connected to the fuel source. The fuel supply conduit has an in-line meter for measuring fuel flow characteristics therethrough and for providing readouts of the characteristics.
A method of dispensing vehicle fuel one or more dwelling units includes the steps of providing a fuel source; providing a fuel supply conduit for the one or more units for connecting the fuel source to the one or more units; providing an in-line meter for measuring fuel flow characteristics therethrough; and providing readouts of said characteristics.
Illustratively, fuel source 110 is a fuel tank located near the plurality of dwelling units. Alternatively, fuel source 110 may be a remotely located distribution station and a longer feeder pipeline 120 used to deliver the fuel from the distribution station to fuel supply conduits 122(a-d). Where feeder pipe line 120 travels a longer distance, pump stations (not shown) may be used along the pipeline to aid in the movement of the fuel through the fuel supply conduit 122(a-d) to meet the usage demands of the one or more of the Units 1-4. Fuel tank 110 is filled with fuel through fuel line 112 in a manner well known in the art. In-line meter 124(a-d), pump(a-d), dispensing line 133(a-d), and nozzle 132(a-d) are components known in the art that may be scaled for the application and use taught by this disclosure.
Illustratively, pump 128(a-d) and dispensing line 133(a-d) are located in or about a garage of the Units 1-4. The location of choice should provide for adequate ventilation for when the fuel is pumped into a vehicle. If located inside a garage or a closed space associated with each of Units 1-4, a fan or other air flow circulation system may be provided to ensure adequate ventilation of gas or other fumes that may develop in the area on account of the system. Alternatively, the pump can be located outside the Units 1-4 open to the outside air in a location that is adequately ventilated by the outside air and is accessible by a a vehicle for fueling. In yet another illustrative example, some of the pumps may be located inside the garage or closed space associated with Units 1-4 while the remaining pumps may be located outside open to the air.
Illustratively, the pump may be provided with a security lock down feature to ensure that the pump is only used by persons authorized to use that pump. This serves to protect the pump from being used by children that may be playing in the area. It also ensures that the user of the fuel is the owner of the unit or has been authorized by the user to use the pump; and not an unauthorized user such as a thief. As shown in
Referring again to
In-line meter 124(a-d) illustratively measures fuel flow characteristics through fuel supply conduit 122(a-d). The in-line meter is enabled to providing readouts of the characteristics of the fuel that is flowing through the meter. The characteristics of the fuel that may be read out are well known in the art such as fluid flow. Illustratively, the read-out may be electrically communicated to a monitoring station (not shown) where the use of the gas at each pump in the system may be monitored. Alternatively, the read-out may be a visible read-out such as by digital or analog display which lends itself to meter reading by a provider of the fuel.
In use, one or more units in the system provided with flow supply conduit 122, pump 128, and dispensing line 133 having nozzle 132 for pumping on activation of the nozzle that may be useable at the convenience of the unit consumer or consumer authorized by the unit consumer. The system allows for accessibility to gas by a unit consumer or consumers authorized by the unit consumer without going to a gas station. This allows for a replacement of traditional gas stations with an on-site fuel service that is delivered and monitored like a utility. Alternatively, the disclosed system provides a system for dispensing fuel that may provide dispensing of gas additional to gas stations. In either illustrative case, the system provides an alternative fuel delivery platform to gas stations and may be economically more friendly. The on-site delivery system allows a unit consjmer or consumers authorized by the unit consumer to pump fuel any time without having to go to a gas station and waiting in a queue. More efficient fuel delivery may be a result.
The industrial applicability of the system and method are evident from the disclosure above. Individual units in a dwelling may be provided with pump 128 to allow consumers dwelling in the unit to draw fuel from a fuel tank 110 through a flow line 120 through dispensing line 133 and nozzle 132 into a fuel tank of a vehicle at the dwelling. When the dwelling consumer activates pump 128 by depressing a handle (not shown), fuel from fuel supply conduit passes through dispensing line 133 and nozzle 132 into the tank of of the vehicle of the unit consumer without the consumer having to go to a gas station to fuel his car. His fuel use is monitored by the meter.
The method of dispensing fuel for one or more dwelling units illustratively involve providing a fuel source; providing a fuel supply conduit for the one or more units for connecting the fuel source to the one or more units; providing an in-line meter for measuring fuel flow characteristics therethrough and providing readouts of said characteristics.
By providing individual units in the system with a pump that may be useable at the convenience of the dwelling unit consumer, the system allows the fuel delivery system to be utilitized like water or electricity. The consumer dweller of the unit or authorized by the dweller of the unit uses the fuel dispensing system when he has the need for fuel and is billed for the use. This allows for accessibility to gas by a dwelling consumer without having to go to a gas station. This allows for an alternative form of delivering gas to dwelling consumers to traditional gas stations that may be provided as an on-site fuel service that may be delivered and monitored like electricity, water, or other utility by commercial companies or by a public utility. The system provides an alternative fuel delivery platform to the expansion of gas stations that may be economically more friendly. Alternatively, the utilitizing of the distribution of vehicle fuel in accordance with this disclosure may supplement the traditional gas stations to relieve the congestion at traditional gas stations and provide for a more balanced economically friendly vehicle dispensation system. The on-site delivery system allows a dwelling consumer or person authorized by the dwelling consumer to pump fuel any time without having to go to a gas station and waiting in a queue. More efficient fuel delivery may be a result.
