Gasoline pump system and method

• US 20010037839A1
• Filed: 06/01/2001
• Published: 11/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aryeh Litt
• Original Assignee: Aryeh Litt
• Inventors: Litt, Aryeh
• Granted Patent: US 6,651,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/234
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/106 operated by push-buttons
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/222 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/228 using digital counting

Abstract

A gasoline pump system for the concurrent filling of more than one car, tank or container with gasoline or other liquid petroleum products comprising: a plurality of fuel outlets, each for delivering a predefined type of fuel, wherein each outlet is supplied by a fuel pump from a reservoir containing one type of fuel and further including a flowmeter for measuring the amount of fuel delivered; a plurality of sets of interface means with a station operator, each set relating to one serviced car, wherein each set comprises input means for selecting the type of fuel for that serviced car and display means for indicating a filling status for that car; and a digital controller comprising an output for activating pumps for desired fuel types responsive to electrical signals received from the sets of interface means, input means for receiving signals indicative of the amount of fuel delivered from each of the flowmeter means, computer means for computing filling-related status information and for outputting the status information for each type of fuel to the display means in the interface sets.

Claims

1. A gasoline pump system for the concurrent filling of more than one car, tank or container with gasoline or other liquid petroleum products comprising:

A. a plurality of fuel outlets, each for delivering a predefined type of fuel, wherein each outlet is supplied by a fuel pump from a reservoir containing one type of fuel and further including flowmeter means for measuring the amount of fuel delivered;

B. a plurality of sets of interface means with a station operator, each set relating to one serviced car, wherein each set comprises input means for selecting the type of fuel for that serviced car and display means for indicating a filling status for that car; and

C. digital controller means comprising output means for activating pumps for desired fuel types responsive to electrical signals received from the sets of interface means, input means for receiving signals indicative of the amount of fuel delivered from each of the flowmeter means, computer means for computing filling-related status information and for outputting the status information for each type of fuel to the display means in the interface sets.

2. The gasoline pump system according to

claim 1

, wherein there are two sets of interface means with a station operator.

3. The gasoline pump system according to

claim 1

, wherein the display means in each set of interface means comprise means for indicating the volume of a delivered fuel of one selected fuel type.

4. The gasoline pump system according to

claim 1

, wherein the display means in each set of interface means comprise means for indicating the cost of a delivered fuel of one selected fuel type.

5. The gasoline pump system according to

claim 1

, further including means for limiting the selection of the type of fuel for a serviced car, such as to allow selecting only one of the types of fuel that are available at that moment at the gasoline pump system.

6. The gasoline pump according to

claim 1

, further including an additional display for indicating the type or types of fuel being served at any instant in time and/or the type or types of fuel available at any instant in time.

7. The gasoline pump system according to

claim 1

, wherein the input means further include means for setting the parameters for a car'"'"'s fuel filling.

8. The gasoline pump system according to

claim 1

, further including two display units connected to the controller, wherein a first display unit is located near the gasoline pump and a second display unit is located at a remote location.

9. The gasoline pump system according to

claim 1

, further including a plurality of controllers, each controlling a gasoline pump, and a communication link for connecting all the controllers to each other and to a remote display for displaying filling information from all the controllers at the remote display.

10. The gasoline pump system according to

claim 1

, wherein two such systems are installed on the two sides of a device for concurrent filling of cars on the two sides of a fuel outlet.

11. In a gasoline pump system comprising a plurality of fuel outlets, each for delivering a predefined type of fuel, a plurality of sets of interface means with a station operator, each relating to one serviced car, and digital controller means comprising output means for activating pumps for desired fuel types responsive to electrical signals received from the sets of interface means, input means for receiving signals indicative of the amount of fuel delivered and computer means for computing filling-related status information, a method for concurrent filling of a plurality of cars, comprising the steps of:

A. choosing a desired fuel type for a first car arriving at the gasoline pump system;

B. filling the first car with the desired fuel type, with a display means indicating filling-related information;

C. choosing a desired fuel type for a second car arriving at the gasoline pump system while a first car is filling, and wherein limiting the type of fuel for the second car to a type that is available there; and

D. filling the second car with the desired fuel type, with a display means indicating filling-related information.

12. The method for concurrent filling of a plurality of cars according to

claim 11

, further including, after step (D), the steps of:

E. choosing a desired fuel type for a third car arriving at the gasoline pump system while a first and second car are filling, and wherein limiting the type of fuel for the third car to a type that is available there; and

F. filling the third car with the desired fuel type, with a display means indicating filling-related information.

13. The method for concurrent filling of a plurality of cars according to

claim 11

, with the display means indicating the volume of the fuel delivered.

14. The method for concurrent filling of a plurality of cars according to

claim 11

, with the display means indicating the cost of the fuel delivered.

15. The method for concurrent filling of a plurality of cars according to

claim 11

, wherein the gasoline pump system further includes means for limiting the selection of the type of fuel for a serviced car, such as to allow selecting only one of the types of fuel that are available at that moment at the gasoline pump system.

16. The method for concurrent filling of a plurality of cars according to

claim 11

, wherein the gasoline pump system further includes an additional display for indicating the type or types of fuel being served at any instant in time and/or the type or types of fuel available at any instant in time.

17. The method for concurrent filling of a plurality of cars according to

claim 11

, wherein the input means in the the gasoline pump system further include means for setting the parameters for a car'"'"'s fuel filling.

18. The method for concurrent filling of a plurality of cars according to

claim 11

, wherein the gasoline pump system further includes two display units connected to the controller, wherein a first display unit is located near the gasoline pump and a second display unit is located at a remote location.

19. The method for concurrent filling of a plurality of cars according to

claim 11

, wherein the gasoline pump system further includes a plurality of controllers, each controlling a gasoline pump, and a communication link for connecting all the controllers to each other and to a remote display for displaying filling information from all the controllers at the remote display.

20. The method for concurrent filling of a plurality of cars according to

claim 11

, wherein two gasoline pump systems are installed on the two sides of a device for concurrent filling of cars on the two sides of a fuel outlet.