AUTOMATIC FUELING SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOBILES

• US 3,642,036 A
• Filed: 04/30/1970
• Issued: 02/15/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eugene Runes, Irwin Ginsburgh
• Original Assignee: Eugene Runes, Irwin Ginsburgh
• Inventors: Ginsburgh, Irwin, Runes, Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Jr., Houston S.
• Application Number:
  US05/033,308
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 141/84,98,100-107,250-284,311,387-392 250/203,221,222
• US Class Current: 141/94
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/06 Manipulators combined with a control cab for the operator
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0436 according to a spatial coordinate system
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0471 by calculating from a reference position, e.g. the car's silhouette, reference marks
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0474 of the filling nozzle relative to the fuel tank opening, e.g. engagement between nozzle and tank opening
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0401 arrangements for automatically fuelling vehicles, i.e. without human intervention

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for automatically fueling an automotive vehicle, comprising a movable fuel dispenser including nozzle which is adapted to be coupled to the fuel inlet of the vehicle, and programmable moving means connected to the fuel dispenser for moving the dispenser into a position where the nozzle can be coupled with the fuel inlet. On the vehicle are means which provide a signal indicating where the fuel dispenser should be moved relative to the fuel inlet. A detector actuated by this signal programs the moving means to move the dispenser to the correct fueling position.

Claims

1. In a system for automatically fueling a parked automotive vehicle having a fuel inlet and wherein said vehicle is located in a predetermined servicing position, the combination comprising:

movable fuel-dispensing means adjacent the servicing position, said fuel-dispensing means including nozzle means adapted to be coupled with said fuel inlet;

programmable moving means connected to the fuel-dispensing means for moving said dispensing means into a fueling position where the nozzle means can be coupled with the fuel inlet;

means on said vehicle providing a signal which indicates the location of the fueling position; and

means responsive to the signal for programming said moving means to move the dispensing means into the fueling position so that the nozzle means correctly couples with the fuel inlet.

2. The system of claim 1 where the homing signal is ultraviolet radiation.

3. The system of claim 1 where the homing signal is infrared radiation.

4. The system of claim 1 where the homing signal is magnetic radiation.

5. The system of claim 1 where the means providing the homing signal includes one or more signal sources arranged in a pattern which indicates the coordinants of the fuel inlet.

6. The system of claim 1 where the programming means is at a fixed position in the system.

7. In a system for automatically fueling a parked automotive vehicle having a fuel inlet and means at the fuel inlet providing a homing signal, and wherein said vehicle is located in a predetermined servicing positiOn, the combination comprising:

movable fuel-dispensing means adjacent the servicing position, said fuel-dispensing means including nozzle means adapted to be coupled with said fuel inlet;

programmable moving means connected to the fuel-dispensing means for moving said dispensing means into a fueling position where the nozzle means can couple with the fuel inlet;

means responsive to the homing signal for programming said moving means to move the dispensing means into the fueling position so that the nozzle means correctly couples with the fuel inlet.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the homing signal is ultraviolet radiation.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the homing signal is infrared radiation.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the homing signal is magnetic radiation.

11. The system of claim 7 where the programming means is connected to and moves with the fuel-dispensing means.

12. In a system for automatically fueling a parked automotive vehicle having a fuel inlet and means providing coarse signal indicating the general location of the fuel inlet and a precision homing signal indicating the exact location of the fuel inlet, the combination comprising:

movable fuel-dispensing means adjacent the servicing position, said fuel-dispensing means including nozzle means adapted to be coupled with said fuel inlet;

programmable moving means connected to the fuel-dispensing means for moving said dispensing means into a fueling position where the nozzle means can couple with the fuel inlet;

first means responsive to the coarse signal for programming said moving means to move the dispensing means into a position adjacent the fuel inlet; and

second means responsive to the precision homing signal for programming said moving means to move the dispensing means into a coupling engagement with the fuel inlet so that nozzle means correctly couples with said fuel inlet.