Information
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Patent Grant
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6167922
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Patent Number
6,167,922
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Date Filed
Wednesday, May 5, 199925 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, January 2, 200123 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 141 86
- 141 97
- 141 98
- 222 27
- 222 72
- 222 75
- 222 108
- 222 111
- D25 33
- 312 229
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A cover assembly for use in a fuel dispensing cabinet includes an upper shroud member and a lower shroud member that are arranged at a side area of the cabinet chassis proximate the sump facility. The shroud members are provided in a shingle-type configuration in which the upper shroud member at its lower edge portion overlaps with the lower shroud member at its upper edge portion. A pair of elongate column channel members are configured at respective corner posts of the chassis and each includes a vertical channel portion that receives the side edge portions of the upper and lower shroud members. A fluid diversion assembly is arranged within the chassis end area adjacent the electronics compartment at the upper section of the cabinet. This assembly includes a transverse wall structure having a shoulder portion providing an “S”-shaped cross-section, a splash shield disposed in seating engagement with such shoulder portion, and a seal plate provided in adjacent surface-abutting engagement with the transverse wall structure. These structures cooperatively define a transverse fluid passageway that allows fluid striking the splash shield to flow into the passageway, which is provided in fluid communication with the respective channel portions of a pair of elongate column channel members so as to enable such diverted fluid to be transported outside the cabinet.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water deflection system for preventing water from entering the hazardous waste collection area of a fuel dispenser cabinet, and, more particularly, to a multi-piece shroud assembly removably attached to the chassis cabinet and arranged to prevent water from entering the cabinet interior and also to redirect water present within the cabinet head area into a fluid channel that deposits the channeled water beyond the cabinet boundaries.
2. Description of the Related Art
Refueling service stations employ a cabinet assembly to house the various components used to dispense fuel such as the fuel pump, valve assembly, and metering equipment. The cabinet assembly typically includes a chassis or other such frame structure that is divided into an upper end and a lower end by an intervening barrier plate that extends through the interior of the chassis in the form of a vapor-impenetrable shelf. The upper end of the chassis defines a compartment space that would contain, for example, an array of electronics components used to facilitate the initiation and processing of customer requests for refueling transactions. An input device in the form of a customer-interactive keypad could be configured in this compartment space.
The lower end of the chassis contains various conventional support structures for integrally housing the fuel dispensing apparatus. The fuel lines connected to the fuel dispensing apparatus typically enter the chassis at its upper end or head area and traverse the end column areas of the chassis before entering the lower end of the chassis for attachment to the proper devices. The vapor lines are configured within the chassis in a similar manner. The fuel dispensing apparatus is conventionally coupled to a fuel conveying hose attached to a maneuverable manually-activatable nozzle assembly that is positioned within a holding receptacle integrally arranged with the fuel dispensing cabinet.
Environmental regulations and safety provisions require the placement of a sump facility immediately beneath the cabinet to facilitate the collection of any fuel that has escaped from the fuel dispensing system in the form of vapor condensate or due to a break or leak in the fuel line, for example. The contents of the sump facility are subsequently removed for appropriate disposal, reconditioning, or other suitable processing. One key aspect of this disposal operation involves the lack of any type of content discrimination in regards to the types of fluid present within the sump facility. For purposes of handling and treatment, the entire contents of the sump facility are considered hazardous waste material and therefore subject to the applicable hazardous waste disposal regimen irrespective of the amount of non-volatile fluid such as water that enters the sump facility and becomes commingled with any liquid fuel. The costs associated with such sump disposal operation depend directly upon the volume of fluid (i.e., fuel and water) retrieved from the sump facility. Accordingly, it is imperative to develop construction safeguards and other such strategies that aim to eliminate the migration of water into the sump facility lying underneath the fuel dispensing cabinet.
The outermost shell or “skin” of a typical fuel dispensing cabinet includes a metal enclosure having various sections in the form of doors or discrete panels that are attached to the chassis to generally define a barrier separating the interior space of the chassis from its external surroundings. This barrier or inner skin would lie behind the nozzle boot, for example. However, enclosures of this type clearly do not provide any significant measure of waterproofing and in fact provide an inferior level of water repellency due to the various seams that run along the edges of the enclosure panels. These enclosure arrangements could be considered suitable for intermittent or light downfalls of rain but would offer barely any protection under the sustained exposure to even a moderate rainfall or a simple maintenance washing of the cabinet. Since the metal enclosure arrangement exists as the innermost “skin” or barrier layer surrounding the interior space of the chassis, any water penetrating past such barrier may enter the sump facility directly or simply migrate over time under the influence of gravity until it reaches the bottom of the chassis where the sump area exists.
Of additional concern is the passage of water into the head area of the chassis where any buildup of fluid could easily compromise the integrity of the electronics enclosure area and impair the functionality of the various devices. Even if the electronics devices are adequately protected from fluid penetration, the presence of such fluid still remains a problem because of the very real possibility that the foreign fluid will eventually find a path to migrate along with the assistance of gravity until it reaches the underlying sump facility.
One approach to enhancing the level of hydraulic protection afforded by current metal enclosure arrangements involves the use of a system of gaskets and other such sealing elements that are adapted in form and shape to the geometries of the individual devices needing protection and to the particular seam configurations created by the set of metal enclosure pieces installed within the cabinet. This type of customized solution has several drawbacks including the complexity of design due to the irregular sealing geometries needed to accommodate the various device structures and seam contours, the high parts count arising from the array of gasket elements that are employed, and the lack of ready serviceability due to the intricate placement of the gaskets. The sensitivity of this gasketing strategy to the particular configuration of devices, the shape of the metal enclosure arrangement, and the chassis frame characteristics effectively eliminates this approach from any kind of universal application to other cabinet systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a water deflection system for use in preventing water from entering the fuel dispensing cabinet area and in diverting water present within the cabinet head area into a fluid passageway that transports the rerouted water to a point beyond the cabinet boundaries away from the sump facility. The water deflection system includes a pair of cover assemblies each integrally arranged with the cabinet chassis at a respective one of the chassis side areas that correspond to the working sides of the cabinet. Preferably, the cover assemblies are placed within the lower end of the chassis and extend upwardly from the chassis base where the sump facility is located. Each cover assembly is removably attached to the chassis frame and includes an upper shroud member and a lower shroud member each extending between the chassis end areas, wherein the lower shroud member is provided in subjacent relationship relative to the upper shroud member. The upper shroud member and lower shroud member are further arranged in a shingle-type configuration in which the upper shroud member at its lower edge portion overlaps with the lower shroud member at its upper edge portion.
The water deflection system further comprises an assembly of elongate column channel members each removably attached to a respective column corner post of the chassis and respectively including a fluid channel portion extending substantially in a vertical direction along the longitudinal dimension of the associated corner post. This assembly of column channel members is organized into two pairs of such channel members, wherein each such pair is associated with a respective cover assembly, i.e., an arrangement comprising an upper shroud member and a lower shroud member. The channel portion for each elongate column channel member is arranged to receive the associated upper shroud member at a respective shroud side edge portion thereof and to receive the associated lower shroud member at a respective shroud side edge portion thereof.
The water deflection system further comprises a pair of fluid diversion assemblies each integrally arranged with the chassis frame at a respective one of the chassis end areas. Preferably, the fluid diversion assemblies are placed within the upper end of the chassis adjacent the electronics enclosure compartment to make possible a fluid diversion activity that affects any water entering the chassis head space and which interacts with the fluid diversion assembly in the manner described hereinafter. Each fluid diversion assembly includes a transverse wall structure removably attached to the chassis and extending at least in part between the chassis side areas. The transverse wall structure includes a shoulder portion extending along its longitudinal dimension that results in a generally “S”-shaped cross-sectional profile for this part. A splash shield removably attached to the chassis is disposed at its lower edge portion in registered seating engagement with the shoulder portion of the transverse wall structure. A seal plate is disposed in adjacent surface-abutting engagement with the transverse wall structure so as to be arranged in spaced-apart relationship relative to the splash shield. The seal plate is preferably arranged in at least partial opposition to the splash shield. The arrangement defined by the structural combination of the splash shield (i.e., at its lower end), the seal plate (i.e., at its upper end), and the transverse wall structure (i.e., at its shoulder portion) cooperatively define a transverse fluid passageway extending along the longitudinal dimension of the transverse wall structure. This fluid passageway is sufficiently arranged to enable fluid communication with the channel portions of respective elongate column channel members associated with the cover assemblies at both the front side and back side of the chassis. Accordingly, any water that penetrates the chassis head area and has sufficient momentum to strike the inner-facing surface of the splash shield will thereafter be drawn downwardly along the splash shield surface under the influence of gravity, placed into the transverse fluid passageway, flow through the fluid passageway, and then be deposited into the vertical channel portion of an elongate column channel member, whereupon gravity will carry the fluid to the lower terminal end of the channel portion, which is provided with a descending lip structure to place the fluid outside the boundaries of the cabinet structure.
The invention, in one form thereof, is directed to a fluid deflection system for use in a fuel dispenser cabinet. The fuel dispenser cabinet includes a chassis having an interior space, a pair of opposing spaced-apart side areas, and a pair of opposing spaced-apart end areas extending between the pair of opposing side areas. The fluid deflection system comprises at least one cover means that is disposed at a respective one of the pair of chassis side areas for providing a fluid barrier at least in part between the interior space of the chassis and an exterior of the chassis. There is provided at least one channel means that is disposed at a respective corner post of the chassis for defining a channel formation extending in a substantially vertical direction. There is also provided at least one fluid diversion means that is disposed at a respective one of the pair of chassis end areas for providing a fluid passageway arranged to enable fluid communication with a respective one of the at least one channel means and for providing a contact structure extending from the fluid passageway which enables fluid in contact therewith to be drawn into the fluid passageway.
The at least one cover means further includes, in one form thereof, an upper shroud member removably attached to the chassis and extending between the pair of chassis end areas, wherein the upper shroud member has an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion. There is also provided a lower shroud member that is removably attached to the chassis and which extends between the pair of chassis end areas, wherein the lower shroud member has an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion. The lower shroud member is arranged in subjacent relationship relative to the upper shroud member such that the upper shroud member (at its lower edge portion) overlaps at least in part with the lower shroud member (at its upper edge portion).
The at least one channel means further includes, in one form thereof, a respective pair of elongate column channel members associated with each respective one of the upper shroud member/lower shroud member assembly. The elongate column channel member is removably attached to a respective column corner post of the chassis and includes a channel portion extending substantially in a vertical direction. The channel portion is arranged to receive the respective upper shroud member of the respective one cover means associated therewith at a respective shroud side edge portion thereof and to receive the respective lower shroud member of the respective one cover means associated therewith at a respective shroud side edge portion thereof.
The at least one fluid diversion means further includes a pair of fluid diversion assemblies each integrally arranged with a respective column end area of the chassis. Each fluid diversion assembly includes a transverse wall structure removably attached to the chassis, wherein the transverse wall structure extends at least in part between the pair of chassis side areas and includes a shoulder portion extending along the longitudinal dimension thereof; a splash shield removably attached to the chassis and having a lower edge portion, wherein the splash shield is disposed at its lower edge portion in registered seating engagement with the transverse wall structure at the shoulder portion thereof; and a seal plate disposed in adjacent surface-abutting engagement with the transverse wall structure, wherein the seal plate is arranged in spaced-apart relationship relative to the splash shield and is further arranged in at least partial opposition to the splash shield. The arrangement that comprises, in combination, the splash shield (at its lower end), the seal plate (at its upper end), and the transverse wall structure (at a part of its shoulder portion) cooperatively defines a transverse fluid passageway extending along the longitudinal dimension of the transverse wall structure. This transverse fluid passageway is sufficiently arranged to enable fluid communication with the respective channel portion of a respective elongate column channel member associated with at least a respective one of the at least one cover means.
The invention, in another aspect thereof, is directed to a fluid deflection system for use in a fuel dispenser cabinet. The cabinet includes a chassis having an interior space, a pair of opposing spaced-apart side areas, and a pair of opposing spaced-apart end areas extending between the pair of opposing side areas. The fluid deflection system comprises, in combination, a pair of cover assemblies each integrally arranged with the chassis at a respective one of the pair of chassis side areas, and a pair of fluid diversion assemblies each integrally arranged with the chassis at a respective one of the pair of chassis end areas.
Each respective one of the pair of cover assemblies respectively comprises: an upper shroud member removably attached to the chassis and extending between the pair of chassis end areas, wherein the upper shroud member has an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion; a lower shroud member removably attached to the chassis and extending between the pair of chassis end areas, wherein the lower shroud member has an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion; and a pair of elongate column channel members each removably attached to a respective column corner post of the chassis. The lower shroud member is arranged in subjacent relationship relative to the upper shroud member, wherein the upper shroud member (at its lower edge portion) overlaps at least in part with the lower shroud member (at its upper edge portion).
Each respective one of the pair of elongate column channel members respectively includes a channel portion extending substantially in a vertical direction, wherein the channel portion is arranged to receive the upper shroud member at a respective shroud side edge portion thereof and to receive the lower shroud member at a respective shroud side edge portion thereof.
Each respective one of the pair of fluid diversion assemblies respectively comprises: a transverse wall structure that is removably attached to the chassis, wherein the transverse wall structure extends at least in part between the pair of chassis side areas and includes a shoulder portion extending along the longitudinal dimension thereof; a splash shield that is removably attached to the chassis and having a lower edge portion, wherein the splash shield is disposed at its lower edge portion in registered seating engagement with the transverse wall structure at its shoulder portion; and a seal plate that is disposed in adjacent surface-abutting engagement with the transverse wall structure, wherein the seal plate is arranged in spaced-apart relationship relative to the splash shield and is further arranged in at least partial opposition to the splash shield. The arrangement that include, in combination, the splash shield (at its lower end), the seal plate (at its upper end), and the transverse wall structure (at a part of its shoulder portion) cooperatively define a transverse fluid passageway which extends along the longitudinal dimension of the transverse wall structure. The transverse fluid passageway is sufficiently arranged to enable fluid communication with the respective channel portion of a respective one of the respective pair of elongate column channel members from each respective one of the pair of cover assemblies.
One advantage of the present invention is that the water deflection system provides a waterproof structure in the form of a shroud arrangement that prevents external water from penetrating the cabinet area (i.e., sump facility) protected by this cover assembly and further provides a fluid diversion assembly that is able to capture water having already penetrated the cabinet head area and deposit it outside the cabinet boundaries using a minimal number of fluid passageways.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the water deflection system is characterized by ease of serviceability since the shroud members, elongate column channel members, and fluid diversion assembly components are removably attached to the chassis.
Another advantage of the invention is that the water deflection system represents a universal-type solution to the problem of providing a second “skin” to protect the cabinet chassis since the individual pieces for the shroud-type cover assembly and fluid diversion assembly do not generally need to account for the type of components being housed within the cabinet, which contrasts with the conventional approach employing a gasket-based strategy that customizes and tailors the sealing elements to the cabinet devices currently in use.
Another advantage of the invention is the reduced parts count for developing such an inner protective “skin” relative to conventional approaches.
A further advantage of the invention relates to the use of conventional plastics technology in the manufacturing and construction of the individual pieces of the water deflection system, and particularly the upper and lower shroud members, which provides a certain degree of design flexibility that permits the plastic structures to be reshaped according to the geometry and dimensions of the particular arrangement of devices housed within the cabinet without compromising the effectiveness of the cover assembly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1
is an exploded perspective view of the shroud assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention, which illustrates the registered relationship of the various shroud assembly parts to their corresponding areas of integral placement within a fuel dispensing cabinet;
FIG. 2
is an elevational perspective view of the fuel dispensing cabinet shown in
FIG. 1
as configured with the shroud assembly fully integrated with the cabinet chassis;
FIG. 3
is an elevational perspective view of the upper shroud member that forms one part of the shroud assembly illustrated in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 4A
is a front planar view of the upper shroud member shown in
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 4B
is a top planar view of the upper shroud member shown in
FIG. 3
taken along lines A—A of
FIG. 4A
;
FIG. 4C
is a lateral cross-sectional planar view of the upper shroud member shown in
FIG. 3
taken along lines B—B of
FIG. 4A
;
FIG. 5
is an elevational perspective view of a meter access cover for covering one of the access ports formed in the upper shroud member of
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 6
is a lateral planar view of the meter access cover shown in
FIG. 5
taken along lines C—C therein;
FIG. 7A
is a front planar view of the lower shroud member that forms another part of the shroud assembly illustrated in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 7B
is a top planar view of the lower shroud member shown in
FIG. 7A
taken along lines D—D therein;
FIG. 7C
is a lateral planar view of the lower shroud member shown in
FIG. 7A
taken along lines E—E therein;
FIG. 8
is an elevational perspective view of the column channel member that forms another part of the shroud assembly illustrated in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 9A
is a front elevational planar view of the column channel member illustrated in
FIG. 8
;
FIG. 9B
is a side elevational planar view of the column channel member illustrated in
FIG. 8
taken along lines F—F therein;
FIG. 9C
is a top planar view of the column channel member illustrated in
FIG. 8
taken along lines G—G therein;
FIG. 9D
is an enlarged sectional lateral view of the upper end of the column channel member illustrated in
FIG. 8
;
FIG. 10
is an enlarged partial upper sectional view of the integrated arrangement shown in
FIG. 2
taken generally along lines H—H therein and illustrating the relative placement of the upper shroud member and lower shroud member at side edge portions thereof within a fluid channel formed within the column channel member of
FIG. 8
;
FIG. 11
is a side elevational planar schematic view illustrating the integral arrangement of parts that compose the column area fluid collection and diversion assembly provided in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, which operates to collect and reroute water that enters the fuel dispenser cabinet chassis from above the electronics enclosure area;
FIG. 12
is a perspective view illustrating the as-installed positional relationship between the fluid collection and diversion assembly of FIG.
11
and the elongate column channel member of
FIG. 8
to show the cooperative manner by which diverted fluid is communicated into the channel structure to enable its transfer to the exterior of the fuel dispenser cabinet, according to another aspect of the present invention;
FIG. 13
is a front planar schematic view of the end channel member that forms one part of the column area fluid diversion assembly shown in
FIG. 11
;
FIG. 14
is a side elevational planar schematic view of the end channel member illustrated in
FIG. 13
taken along lines I—I therein;
FIG. 15
is a front planar schematic view of the seal plate that forms another part of the column area fluid diversion assembly shown in
FIG. 11
;
FIG. 16
is a top elevational planar schematic view of the seal plate illustrated in
FIG. 15
; and
FIG. 17
is a front planar schematic view of the column splash shield that forms another part of the column area fluid diversion assembly shown in FIG.
11
.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings and particularly to
FIG. 1
, there is shown in exploded perspective view one illustrative assembly of parts belonging to a water deflection system
10
that is configured for integral installation within a fuel dispensing cabinet
12
according to the present invention. By way of background, cabinet
12
is provided in a conventional form including a chassis or frame structure generally illustrated at
14
including a set of four (4) column corner posts
16
arranged to define a pair of opposing, spaced-apart side areas and a pair of opposing, spaced-apart end areas that extend between the side areas. The chassis side areas correspond to the working sides of the cabinet where the fuel dispensing nozzle assembly is located (not shown) and where the customer can interface with electronics equipment to initiate a refueling transaction request. Chassis
14
has an upper section (generally illustrated at
18
) defining a compartment space that is bounded at an upper end by a chassis head portion
20
and is bounded at a lower end by a barrier plate
22
. Compartment space
18
is typically used as an electronics enclosure area to house electronics equipment
24
such as a combination input device and LCD apparatus that the customer interfaces with to initiate and monitor refueling transaction requests. Chassis
14
further has a lower section (generally illustrated at
26
) lying beneath barrier plate
22
and which is defined at a lower end by chassis base
28
. The illustrated chassis lower section
26
houses an array of components at device area
30
, for example, such as the fuel pump, metering equipment, valve assembly, and other such fuel dispenser apparatus. This assembly would be connected to fuel lines such as representative fuel line
32
integrated within chassis
14
in a known manner. A conventional sump facility (generally illustrated at
34
) lies immediately adjacent chassis base
28
and functions in a known manner to collect fuel that escapes from the fuel dispenser apparatus lying overhead (i.e., within device area
30
) and which migrates downwardly into the illustrated sump facility
34
, which is conventionally provided in the form of a pit, well, or basin-type structure. Chassis
14
is typically provided with a metal enclosure (not shown) in the form of doors or panels that are attached to chassis
14
to form the exterior shell of cabinet
12
.
The conventional form for chassis
14
illustrated in
FIG. 1
presents various problems in terms of the penetration of water into head portion
20
and sump facility
34
. More particularly, water incident upon the lower chassis section
26
that penetrates past the outer metal door (e.g., via seams in the metal door arrangement) will migrate towards chassis base
28
and collect in sump facility
34
, thereby becoming hazardous waste material subject to disposal. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention disclosed herein, water deflection system
10
provides a cover assembly interposed between chassis
14
and the outer metal enclosure to thereby define a second barrier “skin” or layer that deflects away any water penetrating past the outer “skin” (i.e., metal enclosure). In particular, a pair of such cover assemblies are provided at the front and back sides of chassis
14
at the lower section
26
thereof.
Water may also enter cabinet
12
via the illustrated chassis head portion
20
, eventually reaching sump facility
34
if such penetrating water is able to leak past chassis upper section
18
into chassis lower section
26
. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention disclosed herein, water deflection system
10
addresses this problem by providing a fluid collection and diversion assembly to collect fluid entering head portion
20
and then route it to a point lying outside cabinet
12
where it cannot access sump facility
34
. In particular, a pair of such diversion assemblies are provided at the end column areas of chassis
14
at the upper section
18
thereof.
Referring more particularly to
FIG. 1
, water deflection system
10
according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a front-side cover assembly
40
integrally arranged with chassis
14
at the front side thereof and comprising, in combination, an upper shroud member or liner element
42
and an associated lower shroud member or liner element
44
each removably attached to chassis
14
. By way of overview,
FIG. 2
represents a perspective view of chassis
14
having cover assembly
40
integrally installed therein;
FIG. 3
represents a perspective view of upper shroud member
42
; FIGS.
4
A-C represent various planar views of upper shroud member
42
; and FIGS.
7
A-C represent various planar views of lower shroud member
44
.
FIGS. 5 and 6
represent perspective and lateral views, respectively, of a meter access cover plate arranged for removable attachment to upper shroud member
42
to cover access windows formed therein. Although only one cover assembly
40
is shown in the drawings, water deflection system
10
preferably includes another such shroud arrangement substantially identical to cover assembly
40
and disposed at a back side of chassis
14
in the same form and manner as the illustrated front-side cover assembly
40
. Accordingly, for purposes of explanation herein, the discussion involving the illustrated front-side cover assembly
40
applies equally to such back-side cover assembly.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, water deflection system
10
further includes a channel assembly
45
comprising a representative pair of elongate column channel members
46
and
48
each removably attached to column corner posts
50
and
52
, respectively, of chassis
14
. By way of overview,
FIG. 8
represents a perspective view of one illustrative elongate column channel member
46
, while FIGS.
9
A-D represent various views of elongate column channel member
46
.
FIG. 10
represents a cross-sectional planar view taken along lines H—H of
FIG. 2
showing the manner of integrating cover assembly
40
with channel assembly
45
, namely, how the illustrated upper and lower shroud members
42
and
44
are registered at respective side edge portions thereof within respective longitudinal channels formed in column channel members
46
and
48
.
Referring now to
FIGS. 1 and 2
in conjunction with FIGS.
3
-
7
, the illustrated upper shroud member
42
and lower shroud member
44
each defines a protective cover that acts as a second “skin” to prevent water which penetrates past the metal enclosure from entering the lower chassis section
26
. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, shroud members
42
and
44
are suitably formed and arranged such that in their as-installed configuration depicted by
FIG. 2
, lower shroud member
44
will be arranged in subjacent, partially overlapped relationship relative to upper shroud member
42
, wherein upper shroud member
42
(at its lower edge portion
54
) overlaps at least in part with lower shroud member
44
(at its upper edge portion
56
). This relative orientation between shroud members
42
and
44
produces a shingle-type arrangement with a labyrinth-like “seam” between shroud members
42
and
44
that acts to prevent any part of the water flowing from upper shroud member
42
to lower shroud member
44
from migrating between the shroud arrangement. It is apparent from such an overlapping configuration that water would have to travel against gravity to be able to maneuver behind cover assembly
40
at this interface between upper shroud member
42
and lower shroud member
44
. This shingle-type arrangement distinguishes favorably over edge-abutting-type seams in which small gaps exist or can develop between the cover pieces, thereby providing an access space for water to enter through. Preferably, this overlapping occurs along the entire upper edge portion
56
of lower shroud member
44
and the entire lower edge portion
54
of upper shroud member
42
to create a fully waterproof seam therebetween. More particularly, in order to create a tight, overlapping seam between upper shroud member
42
and lower shroud member
44
, the contouring of lower edge portion
54
of upper shroud member
42
and the contouring of upper edge portion
56
of lower shroud member
44
are made to substantially match one another along the extent of their overlap in order to produce a surface-abutting contact engaging relationship between upper edge portion
56
and lower edge portion
54
along their overlapping sections. The upper shroud member
42
and lower shroud member
44
are preferably made using a vacuum-forming plastics technology, although any suitable material or manufacturing process could be used to produce a water-impermeable structure.
Furthermore, shroud members
42
and
44
are also suitably formed and arranged such that their integral combination results in the formation of an outward facing surface for cover assembly
40
that substantially covers the front side of chassis lower section
26
, except for an arrangement of access windows formed in upper shroud member
42
that are provided with meter access cover plates and for certain spaces reserved for placement of the fuel dispensing nozzle assembly.
Referring more particularly to
FIGS. 1 and 2
for details on the installation of cover assembly
40
, lower shroud member
44
is provided with recessed areas
58
and
60
formed as shown at respective bottom corner locations of lower shroud member
44
and configured to accommodate the placement of a stud pin therein. In particular, each of the recessed areas
58
and
60
has a respective stud-receiving hole
62
and
64
designed to receive a corresponding positioning stud integrally provided in a bracket support member
66
forming a part of chassis base
28
and preferably extending between corner posts
50
and
52
. During installation, lower shroud member
44
is placed in registered alignment with chassis
14
by positioning it in overlying engagement with chassis base
28
using the locating studs to guide lower shroud member
44
into its proper installation position. This one-to-one guiding correspondence between a stud-receiving hole and a locating stud is indicated by representative locating line
68
for stud-receiving hole
62
. This form of positioning for lower shroud member
44
should not be considered in limitation of the present invention but instead is simply representative of any means by which lower shroud member
44
may be removably attached to chassis
14
.
Upper shroud member
42
is integrally configured with chassis
14
using a stud-type attachment mechanism illustratively depicted by representative locating line
70
, which shows a correspondence between a stud-receiving hole in upper shroud member
42
and a locating stud provided in cross-member support
72
of chassis
14
that extends between corner posts
50
and
52
. The installation of upper shroud member
42
is facilitated by an arrangement of bracket pieces
74
depending downwardly from cross-member support
72
. Each bracket piece
74
is provided with an extending lip flange
76
having a locating slot defined between the main bracket section and a stop support disposed at the end of the extending lip. As shown in
FIG. 2
, the lower edge portion
54
of upper shroud member
42
is placed into support-type registered seating engagement within the locating slots associated with the arrangement of bracket pieces
74
. This placement of upper shroud member
42
relative to bracket pieces
42
is concurrent with the proper alignment of upper shroud member
42
with the locating studs provided in chassis
14
. This particular form of integrating upper shroud member
42
into chassis
14
should not be considered in limitation of the present invention but instead is simply representative of any means by which upper shroud member
42
may be removably attached to chassis
14
. The installation of upper shroud member
42
and lower shroud member
44
would of course take place with a view towards ensuring that the proper shingle-type overlapping orientation was implemented, namely, that lower shroud member
44
(at its upper edge portion
56
) would be positioned behind and above upper shroud member
42
(at its lower edge portion
54
).
Referring now to
FIG. 3
, there is shown an elevated perspective view of upper shroud member
42
having an upper section
80
and a lower section
82
.
FIG. 4A
shows a front planar view of upper shroud member
42
, while
FIGS. 4B and 4C
respectively illustrate a top planar view and a lateral cross-sectional planar view of upper shroud member
42
taken respectively along lines A—A and B—B of FIG.
4
A. The illustrated lower section
82
of upper shroud member
42
includes an arrangement of projections or protruding sections
84
and
86
each extending outwardly from a main surface
88
of lower section
82
to respectively define inner-facing spatial areas or cavities that accommodate the geometry of any structure that may extend into such cavities once upper shroud member
42
is installed within chassis
14
. For example, these spatial cavities may receive certain irregular-shaped pieces of the chassis frame and/or portions of fuel dispenser components housed within chassis
14
. Accordingly, the illustrated forms, shapes, and contours for projections
84
and
86
are disclosed for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered in limitation of the present invention. More generally, the indicated form of upper shroud member
42
should not be considered in limitation of the present invention but instead is simply representative of one illustrative configuration thereof.
The illustrated upper section
80
of upper shroud member
42
includes an arrangement of access structures
88
and
90
each having a respective aperture or access window
92
and
94
formed therethrough to enable access by a service person to the area behind cover assembly
40
without having to remove any of the shroud assembly. This access would typically be needed to conduct a service task or perform some other type of maintenance operation relative to the fuel dispenser components. Accordingly, the illustrated access portions
88
and
90
are preferably arranged directly in front of the components to be serviced. There is similarly provided another access structure
96
disposed at one end of upper section
80
enabling access to the interior space of chassis
14
proximate column corner post
52
. Formation
98
is required to provide clearance around the nozzle boot. Shroud
80
passes under the nozzle boot and projects inwards of the dispenser far enough, to catch any liquids that enter the hydraulics cabinet and thereby direct liquids outward from the interior of the cabinet. As shown, there is further provided an arrangement of through-areas
96
,
98
, and
100
having the illustrated shapes to define receptacle spaces or holding areas for accommodating the nozzle/boot apparatus of the fuel dispensing equipment.
Referring to
FIG. 5
, there is shown a perspective view of an access cover plate
102
that is formed and arranged to be removably attached to access structure
88
, for example, to thereby define a removable covering for aperture
92
. The illustrated access cover plate
102
is preferably provided with inner-projecting tab sections
104
that fit in a spring-type clasping manner over respective portions of the raised, flange-type perimeter structure
106
circumscribing aperture
92
.
FIG. 6
represents a lateral view of access cover plate
102
taken along lines C—C of FIG.
5
.
Referring to FIGS.
7
A—C, there is shown in
FIG. 7A
a front planar view of lower shroud member
44
, while
FIGS. 7B and 7C
respectively illustrate a top planar view and a lateral planar view taken respectively along lines D—D and E—E of FIG.
7
A. Shroud member
44
is formed in a manner to surround the support members of the cabinet and components therein, so as to separate these parts from the exterior doors and provide a protective layer which directs liquids outwards and away from the interior of the cabinet and not interfere with the fit, form, or function of the dispenser cabinet or components held within.
Referring now to
FIG. 8
, there is shown a perspective view of elongate column channel member
46
that forms part of channel assembly
45
(
FIG. 1
) provided in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. As described previously, channel assembly
45
includes a respective elongate column channel member
46
removably attached to each respective corresponding one of the corner posts
50
of chassis
14
. Referring briefly to FIGS.
9
A-D in conjunction with
FIG. 8
,
FIG. 9A
depicts a front elevational planar view of column channel member
46
illustrated in
FIG. 8
;
FIG. 9B
is a side elevational planar view of column channel member
46
taken along lines F—F of
FIG. 8
;
FIG. 9C
is a top planar view of column channel member
46
taken along lines G—G of
FIG. 8
; and
FIG. 9D
is an enlarged sectional lateral view of the upper end of column channel member
46
represented by reference circle
110
of FIG.
9
B.
The illustrated elongate column channel member
46
of
FIG. 8
includes a channel formation represented generally at
112
having a base surface
114
and a pair-of spaced-apart facing side surfaces
116
and
118
extending from the edge of base surface
114
. Channel formation
112
defines a fluid passageway and also provides a spatial area within which upper shroud member
42
and lower shroud member
44
are disposed at respective side edge portions thereof to facilitate their secured positioning within chassis
14
(see
FIG. 10
discussion below). In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is disposed at an upper end of elongate column channel member
46
an ascending lip or ramp-like structure
120
that extends rearwardly and upwardly from an upper terminal edge of channel formation
112
such that ascending lip
120
slopes toward channel formation
112
, enabling any water thereon to be urged to flow under the influence of gravity into channel formation
112
. Furthermore, there is disposed at a lower end of elongate column channel member
46
a descending lip or ramp-like structure
122
that extends rearwardly and downwardly from a lower terminal edge of channel formation
112
such that descending lip
122
slopes away from channel formation
112
, enabling any water flowing onto it from channel formation
112
to be deposited away from channel formation
112
. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, descending lip
122
is suitably arranged such that at least its terminal edge
124
lies outside the cabinet environment, thereby providing a capability to have water that is routed from the interior space of chassis
14
and placed into channel formation
112
via ascending lip
120
or by other such passage into channel formation
112
to be deposited at a location exterior to cabinet
12
where it cannot find its way into sump facility
34
. The beveled edges are required to provide clearance between the hydraulic cabinet door and surface
118
. The reason for the difference in widths of surfaces
116
and
118
is to allow the part in
FIG. 9
to create a labyrinth style path for water to sufficiently lose enough kinetic energy and allow gravity to direct the water downwards. Additionally, this arrangement is required to fit within the confines of the chassis design.
Referring to
FIG. 10
, there is shown an enlarged partial upper sectional view of the integrated arrangement shown in
FIG. 2
taken generally along lines H—H therein and illustrating the relative placement of upper shroud member
42
and lower shroud member
44
at respective side edge portions thereof within channel formation
112
of the illustrated elongate column channel member
46
. Accordingly, during installation, each one of the elongate column channel members
46
of channel assembly
45
is first integrally arranged with its respective column corner post
50
before each pair of associated upper shroud member
42
and lower shroud member
44
of cover assembly
40
is integrally configured within chassis
14
. Furthermore, as shown, the illustrated elongate column channel member
46
is provided with a representative locating tab or flange portion
124
that fits through a corresponding hole in column corner post
50
to facilitate its removable attachment to chassis
14
. This form of attachment should not be considered in limitation of the present invention but instead is simply representative of any means by which elongate column channel member
46
can be removably attached to chassis
14
.
Referring now to FIGS.
11
-
17
, and in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is first shown in
FIG. 11
a side elevational planar view of a fluid collection and diversion assembly (“fluid diversion assembly”)
130
, while there is shown in
FIG. 12
a perspective view illustrating the as-installed positional relationship between fluid diversion assembly
130
and elongate column channel member
46
of
FIG. 8
to illustrate the cooperative manner by which diverted fluid is communicated into channel formation
112
to enable its transfer to the exterior of the fuel dispenser cabinet
12
. The illustrated fluid diversion assembly
130
of
FIG. 11
comprises, in combination, an end channel member
132
, a seal plate
134
, and a column splash shield
136
. By way of overview,
FIG. 13
is a front planar schematic view of end channel member
132
;
FIG. 14
is a side elevational planar schematic view of end channel member
132
taken along lines I—I in
FIG. 13
;
FIG. 15
is a front planar schematic view of seal plate
134
;
FIG. 16
is a top elevational planar schematic view of seal plate
134
; and
FIG. 17
is a front planar schematic view of column splash shield
136
.
Referring specifically to fluid diversion assembly
130
in
FIG. 11
, this illustrated arrangement of parts
132
,
134
, and
136
functions generally to intercept any water that enters chassis head portion
20
and travels (as representative fluid stream
138
) past the seam defined between the rightmost edge of electronics equipment
24
and inner column skin
140
, which is illustratively provided as shown in
FIG. 1
in the end column area at the right-hand side of chassis
14
.
FIG. 11
depicts the fluid diversion assembly
130
that would be integrally configured within chassis
14
at its right-hand side, although it is preferable to have an identical such fluid diversion assembly
130
placed at the opposing end column area at the left-hand side of chassis
14
.
Referring to
FIG. 11
in conjunction with
FIGS. 13 and 14
, the illustrated end channel member
132
defines a crossmember-type wall formation or panel structure having a shoulder portion shown illustratively at
142
(see
FIG. 14
) that defines a generally “S”-shaped cross-sectional profile for end channel member
132
. This shoulder portion
142
preferably extends along the entire longitudinal dimension of end channel member
132
. Referring to
FIGS. 15 and 16
, the illustrated seal plate
134
defines a generally planar panel structure having a longitudinal dimension preferably identical to that of end channel member
132
. Seal plate
134
preferably has the indicated rectangular shape, although this particular dimensional form should not be considered in limitation of the present invention but instead should serve as one illustrative example thereof. Referring to
FIG. 17
, the illustrated splash shield
136
defines a generally planar panel structure having a longitudinal dimension preferably identical to that of end channel member
132
. The particular shape of splash shield
136
indicated in
FIG. 17
should not be considered in limitation of the present invention but instead should serve as one illustrative example thereof.
Referring in more particular detail to
FIGS. 11 and 12
,
FIG. 11
illustratively depicts the integral combination of end channel member
132
, seal plate
134
, and column splash shield
136
as configured after installation at the right-hand side of chassis
14
, along with their relative positioning vis-a-vis barrier plate
22
, electronics equipment
24
, and inner column skin
140
. As shown, seal plate
134
is disposed in adjacent surface-abutting facing engagement with end channel member
132
along the entirety of their respective longitudinal dimensions over which end channel member
132
and seal plate
134
are disposed in facing opposition to one another. This coupled arrangement of end channel member
132
and seal plate
134
is attached to a downward-extending lip-type flange portion
146
of barrier plate
22
to collectively form a seal that inhibits the migration of upward-flowing vapors (e.g., from chassis lower section
26
) past barrier plate
22
and into the chassis upper section
18
containing electronics equipment
24
. Gasket seals (not shown) may be provided in combination with this sealing arrangement to facilitate a more complete seal. End channel member
132
and seal plate
134
are preferably provided in removable attachment to chassis
14
(i.e., barrier plate
22
) using respective representative stud holes
144
(see
FIG. 13
) and
148
(see
FIG. 15
) that are aligned with one another during installation and receive a common stud or screw element. Furthermore, during installation, column splash shield
136
is disposed at a lower end portion thereof in registered seating engagement with end channel member
132
at the upper surface of its shoulder portion
142
. As shown, this integral placement of splash shield
136
relative to end channel member
132
produces a spaced-apart facing orientation between splash shield
136
and end channel member
132
. In more broader terms, these structural elements of fluid diversion assembly
130
are configured in the indicated manner such that the arrangement of splash shield
136
(i.e., at its lower end), seal plate
134
(i.e., at its upper end), and end channel member
132
(i.e., at a part of its shoulder portion
142
) cooperatively define a transverse fluid passageway
150
that extends along the longitudinal dimension of this integral arrangement.
In operation, with continuing reference to
FIGS. 11 and 12
, water
138
that strikes the inner-facing surface of column splash shield
136
is drawn downwards under the influence of gravity into transverse fluid passageway
150
. Referring particularly to
FIG. 12
, and in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, fluid diversion assembly
130
is sufficiently arranged relative to both of the elongate column channel members
46
installed at the respective pair of column corner posts
52
located at the right-hand side of chassis
14
such that transverse fluid passageway
150
at respective ends thereof is provided in fluid communication with the respective ascending lips
120
of both elongate column channel members
46
. Accordingly, water
138
that is intercepted by column splash shield
136
, makes its way down into fluid passageway
150
, and traverses the remaining length of fluid passageway
150
in either direction (i.e., towards the front or back side of chassis
14
) can be transferred to ascending lip
120
of an associated elongate column channel member
46
, where it subsequently flows along the vertically-directed channel formation
112
before traversing descending lip
122
at the bottom end of channel formation
112
and becoming deposited outside the environment of cabinet
12
. As mentioned previously, descending lip
122
is sufficiently arranged such that water flowing along is placed outside the confines of cabinet
12
and particularly sump facility
34
. It is therefore apparent that water present within compartment space
18
can be captured by fluid diversion assembly
130
and routed to a desired location outside the cabinet boundaries where it no longer represents a risk insofar as becoming an unwanted addition to sump facility
34
.
Water deflection system disclosed herein may be provided in various alternative forms. For example, although cover assembly
40
is provided in a two-piece shroud arrangement, the present invention is not so limited but may be configured as a one-piece structure or as a multi-piece arrangement (i.e., more than two shroud members) in which adjacent shroud pieces have the indicated shingle-type overlapping feature. Additionally, the indicated arrangement of pieces for fluid diversion assembly
130
should not be considered in limitation of the present invention but instead should be understood as encompassing any means by which water penetrating the chassis upper section can be intercepted and drawn into a fluid passageway for subsequent transfer to a channel means (e.g., elongate column channel member
46
) preferably provided at the column corner posts.
While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A fluid deflection system for use in a fuel dispenser cabinet, said fuel dispenser cabinet including a chassis having an interior space, said chassis further having a pair of opposing spaced-apart side areas and a pair of opposing spaced-apart end areas extending between said pair of opposing side areas, said fluid deflection system comprising:at least one cover assembly each adapted to be integrally arranged with said chassis at a respective one of said pair of chassis side areas; each respective one of said at least one cover assembly respectively comprising: an upper shroud member adapted to be removably attached to said chassis and extending between said pair of chassis end areas, said upper shroud member having an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion, and a lower shroud member adapted to be removably attached to said chassis and extending between said pair of chassis end areas, said lower shroud member having an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion, said lower shroud member being arranged in subjacent relationship relative to said upper shroud member, wherein said upper shroud member at the lower edge portion thereof overlaps at least in part with said lower shroud member at the upper edge portion thereof forming a shingle type arrangement.
- 2. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 1, wherein each respective one of said at least one cover assembly further comprises:at least one elongate column channel member each removably attached to a respective column corner post of said chassis; each respective one of said at least one elongate column channel member respectively including a channel portion extending substantially in a vertical direction, said channel portion being arranged to receive said upper shroud member associated with said respective one cover assembly at a respective shroud side edge portion thereof and to receive said lower shroud member associated with said respective one cover assembly at a respective shroud side edge portion thereof.
- 3. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 1, wherein the respective upper shroud member of each respective one of said at least one cover assembly further comprises:at least one aperture formed therethrough to define an accessway into the interior space of said chassis.
- 4. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 3, wherein each respective one of said at least one cover assembly further comprises:a respective cover plate for each respective one of said at least one aperture formed through said upper shroud member of said respective one cover assembly; wherein said respective cover plate for each respective one of said at least one aperture being removably attached to said upper shroud member and being arranged to cover said respective one aperture.
- 5. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 1, wherein each respective one of said at least one cover assembly being disposed at a lower end of said chassis adjacent a base thereof.
- 6. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 5, wherein the lower shroud member of each respective one of said at least one cover assembly being removably attached to said chassis at the base thereof.
- 7. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 2, further comprises:at least one fluid diversion assembly each integrally arranged with said chassis at a respective one of said pair of chassis end areas; each respective one of said at least one fluid diversion assembly respectively comprising: a transverse wall structure removably attached to said chassis and extending at least in part between said pair of chassis side areas, said transverse wall structure including a shoulder portion extending along the longitudinal dimension thereof, a splash shield removably attached to said chassis and having a lower edge portion, said splash shield being disposed at the lower edge portion thereof in registered seating engagement with said transverse wall structure at the shoulder portion thereof, and a seal plate disposed in adjacent surface-abutting engagement with said transverse wall structure and being arranged in spaced-apart relationship relative to said splash shield, wherein the arrangement of said splash shield at a lower end thereof, said seal plate at an upper end thereof, and said transverse wall structure at a part of the shoulder portion thereof cooperatively defining a transverse fluid passageway extending along the longitudinal dimension of said transverse wall structure, wherein said transverse fluid passageway being sufficiently arranged to enable fluid communication with the respective channel portion of a respective elongate column channel member respectively associated with at least one of said at least one cover assembly.
- 8. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 7, wherein each respective one of said at least one fluid diversion assembly being disposed at an upper end of said chassis adjacent a device compartment which operatively houses fuel dispenser components.
- 9. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 8, wherein the respective seal plate of each respective one of said at least one fluid diversion assembly being arranged in sealing engagement to a respective portion of a barrier plate which defines a lower end of said device compartment.
- 10. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 3, wherein each respective one of said at least one elongate column channel member for each respective one of said at least one cover assembly further comprises:an ascending lip structure projecting from an upper terminal edge of the channel portion of said respective one elongate column channel member; and a descending lip structure projecting from a lower terminal edge of the channel portion of said respective one elongate column channel member.
- 11. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 10, wherein the ascending lip structure of each respective one of said at least one elongate column channel member for each respective one of said at least one cover assembly being provided in a manner sufficient to enable fluid communication with the transverse fluid passageway of a respective one of said at least one fluid diversion assembly.
- 12. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 11, wherein the descending lip structure of each respective one of said at least one elongate column channel member for each respective one of said at least one cover assembly further including a respective terminal edge portion lying outside the interior space of said chassis.
- 13. A fluid detection system for use in a fuel dispenser cabinet, said fuel dispenser cabinet including a chassis having an interior space, said chassis further having a pair of opposing spaced-apart side areas and a pair of opposing spaced-apart end areas extending between said pair of opposing side areas, said fluid deflection system comprising:a pair of cover assemblies each adapted to be integrally arranged with said chassis at a respective one of said pair of chassis side areas; and a pair of fluid diversion assemblies each adapted to be integrally arranged with said chassis at a respective one of said pair of chassis end areas; each respective one of said pair of cover assemblies respectively comprising: an upper shroud member adapted to be removably attached to said chassis and extending between said pair of chassis end areas, said upper shroud member having an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion, a lower shroud member removably attached to said chassis and extending between said pair of chassis end areas, said lower shroud member having an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion, and a pair of elongate column channel members each adapted to be removably attached to a respective column corner post of said chassis, wherein said lower shroud member being arranged in subjacent relationship relative to said upper shroud member, wherein said upper shroud member at the lower edge portion thereof overlaps at least in part with said lower shroud member at the upper edge portion thereof, wherein each respective one of said pair of elongate column channel members respectively including a channel portion extending substantially in a vertical direction, said channel portion being arranged to receive said upper shroud member at a respective shroud side edge portion thereof and to receive said lower shroud member at a respective shroud side edge portion thereof; each respective one of said pair of fluid diversion assemblies respectively comprising: a transverse wall structure adapted to be removably attached to said chassis, said transverse wall structure extending at least in part between said pair of chassis side areas and including a shoulder portion extending along the longitudinal dimension thereof, a splash shield adapted to be removably attached to said chassis and having a lower edge portion, said splash shield being disposed at the lower edge portion thereof in registered seating engagement with said transverse wall structure at the shoulder portion thereof, and a seal plate disposed in adjacent surface-abutting engagement with said transverse wall structure, said seal plate being arranged in spaced-apart relationship relative to said splash shield and being further arranged in at least partial opposition to said splash shield, wherein the arrangement of said splash shield at a lower end thereof, said seal plate at an upper end thereof, and said transverse wall structure at a part of the shoulder portion thereof cooperatively defining a transverse fluid passageway extending along the longitudinal dimension of said transverse wall structure, wherein said transverse fluid passageway being sufficiently arranged to enable fluid communication with the respective channel portion of a respective one of said respective pair of elongate column channel members from each respective one of said pair of cover assemblies.
- 14. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 13, wherein the respective upper shroud member of each respective one of said pair of cover assemblies further comprises:at least one aperture formed therethrough to define an accessway into the interior space of said chassis.
- 15. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 14, wherein each respective one of said pair of cover assemblies further comprises:a respective cover plate for each respective one of said at least one aperture formed through said upper shroud member of said respective one cover assembly; wherein said respective cover plate for each respective one of said at least one aperture being removably attached to said upper shroud member and being arranged to cover said respective one aperture.
- 16. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 13, wherein each respective one of said pair of cover assemblies being disposed at a lower end of said chassis adjacent a base thereof.
- 17. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 16, wherein the lower shroud member of each respective one of said pair of cover assemblies being removably attached to said chassis at the base thereof.
- 18. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 13, wherein each respective one of said pair of fluid diversion assemblies being disposed at an upper end of said chassis adjacent a device compartment which operatively houses fuel dispenser components.
- 19. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 18, wherein the respective seal plate of each respective one of said pair of fluid diversion assemblies being arranged in sealing engagement to a respective portion of a barrier plate which defines a lower end of said device compartment.
- 20. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 13, wherein each respective one of said pair of elongate column channel members for each respective one of said pair of cover assemblies further comprises:an ascending lip structure projecting from an upper terminal edge of the respective channel portion of said respective one elongate column channel member; and a descending lip structure projecting from a lower terminal edge of the respective channel portion of said respective one elongate column channel member.
- 21. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 20, wherein the respective ascending lip structure of each respective one of said pair of elongate column channel members for each respective one of said pair of cover assemblies being provided in a manner sufficient to enable fluid communication with the transverse fluid passageway of a respective one of said pair of fluid diversion assemblies.
- 22. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 21, wherein the respective descending lip structure of each respective one of said pair of elongate column channel members for each respective one of said pair of cover assemblies further including a respective terminal edge portion lying outside the interior space of said chassis.
- 23. A fluid deflection system for use in a fuel dispenser cabinet, said fuel dispenser cabinet including a chassis having an interior space, said chassis further having a pair of opposing spaced-apart side areas and a pair of opposing spaced-apart end areas extending between said pair of opposing side areas, said fluid deflection system comprising:at least one cover means, adapted to be disposed at a respective one of said pair of chassis side areas, for providing a fluid barrier, at least in part, between the interior space of said chassis and an exterior of said chassis; at least one channel means, adapted to be disposed at a respective corner post of said chassis, for defining a channel formation opening in a vertical direction and extending in a substantially horizontal longitudinal direction; and at least one fluid diversion means, adapted to be disposed at a respective one of said pair of chassis end areas, for providing a fluid passageway arranged to enable fluid communication with a respective one of said at least one channel means and for providing a contact structure extending from said fluid passageway which enables fluid in contact therewith to be drawn into said fluid passageway.
- 24. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 23, wherein each respective one of said at least one cover means further comprises:an upper shroud member removably attached to said chassis and extending between said pair of chassis end areas, said upper shroud member having an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion; and a lower shroud member removably attached to said chassis and extending between said pair of chassis end areas, said lower shroud member having an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion; wherein said lower shroud member being arranged in subjacent relationship relative to said upper shroud member, wherein said upper shroud member at the lower edge portion thereof overlaps at least in part with said lower shroud member at the upper edge portion thereof forming a shingle type arrangement.
- 25. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 24, wherein each respective one of said at least one channel means further comprises:an elongate column channel member associated with a respective one of said at least one cover means; wherein said elongate column channel member being removably attached to a respective column corner post of said chassis and including a channel portion extending substantially in a vertical direction; wherein said channel portion being arranged to receive the respective upper shroud member of said respective one cover means associated therewith at a respective shroud side edge portion thereof and to receive the respective lower shroud member of said respective one cover means associated therewith at a respective shroud side edge portion thereof.
- 26. The fluid deflection system as recited in claim 25, wherein each respective one of said at least one fluid diversion means further comprises:a transverse wall structure removably attached to said chassis, said transverse wall structure extending at least in part between said pair of chassis side areas and including a shoulder portion extending along the longitudinal dimension thereof, a splash shield removably attached to said chassis and having a lower edge portion, said splash shield being disposed at the lower edge portion thereof in registered seating engagement with said transverse wall structure at the shoulder portion thereof, and a seal plate disposed in adjacent surface-abutting engagement with said transverse wall structure, said seal plate being arranged in spaced-apart relationship relative to said splash shield and being further arranged in at least partial opposition to said splash shield, wherein the arrangement of said splash shield at a lower end thereof, said seal plate at an upper end thereof, and said transverse wall structure at a part of the shoulder portion thereof cooperatively defining a transverse fluid passageway extending along the longitudinal dimension of said transverse wall structure, wherein said transverse fluid passageway being sufficiently arranged to enable fluid communication with the respective channel portion of a respective elongate column channel member associated with at least a respective one of said at least one cover means.
US Referenced Citations (16)