Automotive fluids dispensing and blending system

• US 5,018,645 A
• Filed: 01/30/1990
• Issued: 05/28/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Additech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Additech, Inc.
• Inventors: Zinsmeyer, Herbert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morris, Lesley D.
• Application Number:
  US07/472,236
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 222/14, 222/16, 222/26, 222/28, 222/71, 222/132, 222/144.5, 222/145, 222/608, 222/610, 222/173
• US Class Current: 222/14
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/748 by mixing fuel with additives, e.g. anti-knocking agents
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/425 including components powered by electricity or light
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/744 involving digital counting

Abstract

An automotive fluids dispensing and blending system wherein a customer may select various fuel additives such as octane enhancers, fuel injector cleaners, varnish dissolvers, compounds to free-up piston rings, etc., all choices of which may be automatically blended with the selected fuel as the fuel is being dispensed normally into the vehicle fuel tank. The system also allows the customer to select and dispense various engine oils and oil additives, antifreeze solutions, windshield washer fluid, power steering fluid, and other automotive fluids directly into the vehicle using provided lines, nozzles and controls. All sales transactions are displayed to the customer and station operator for purposes of payment, and all sales transaction data is recorded and stored.

Claims

1. An automotive fluids dispensing system comprising:

a) storage means for a multiplicity of different fuel additives, pressuring and flow measuring means in lines from said storage means of each of said multiplicity of different fuel additives, leading through a routing and distribution means to a plurality of first fuel dispensing nozzle means;

b) a fuel flowmeter means in each fuel line leading to said plurality of first fuel nozzle means; and

a first switching means to allow choice of each of said multiplicity of different fuel additives to be added into one of said plurality of first fuel nozzle means and to choose a mix ratio of said additives to be added to said fuel nozzle means in terms of a percent of an established normal mix ratio;

c) a controller means, receiving electronic input data from said fuel flowmeter means, said pressuring and flow measuring means, said routing and distribution means, and said first switching means;

said controller means reacting from said electronic input data to;

1) direct additive flow of a minimum of one of said multiplicity of different fuel additives to one of said plurality of first fuel nozzle means that is in use;

2) control amount of each of said multiplicity of fuel additives dispensed,

3) calculate, store and display cost and amount of each of said multiplicity of fuel additives dispensed.

2. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 1 where each of said plurality of first fuel nozzle means includes a means to blend said fuel and a minimum of one of said multiplicity of fuel additives.

3. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 2 wherein said means to blend said fuel and a minimum of one of said multiplicity of fuel additives is a normally closed plug-in port in said first fuel nozzle means that reacts with a plug-in-to open valve in exit ends of extensible lines leading from each of said additive pressuring and flow measuring means in lines from said storage means.

4. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 1 wherein each of said first fuel nozzle means comprises a fuel flowmeter in an upstream location in a line leading to said first fuel nozzle means and a multiplicity of fuel additive delivery lines with terminal ends of said fuel additive delivery lines headered together in a common chamber and with an outlet line from said common chamber leading into said first fuel nozzle means.

5. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 1 wherein routing and distribution means includes a moveable nozzle extension, useable with any one of said plurality of first fuel nozzle means, having therein a fuel flowmeter, and terminal ends of lines from each of said multiplicity of fuel additives pressuring and measuring means, and a meter signal wire communicating with said controller, acts as a blending device.

6. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 1 wherein said first switching means includes switches to choose an amount in volumetric measure.

7. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 1 further comprising an operator console means that communicates with said controller means, said operator console means acting on command to display cost and amount each of said multiplicity of fuel additives dispensed and on command activating said controller means to first enable, and then to limit amount of each of said multiplicity of fuel additives dispensed.

8. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 7 wherein functions of said operator console means may be integrated with other electronic control, display and electronic sales transaction equipment.

9. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 1 wherein functions of said controller means may be integrated with dispensing and computer control and display means normally found in a service station fuel dispenser.

10. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 7 wherein said operator console means further acts on command to direct said controller means to limit amount of said fuel dispensed and to display cost and amounts of said fuel dispensed.

11. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 7 wherein said operator console means, on command, prints out said cost and amount of each of said multiplicity of fuel additives dispensed.

12. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 7 where said operator console means, on command, prints out said cost and amount of said fuel dispensed, and said cost and amount of each of said multiplicity of fuel additives dispensed, and accumulates sales data in totalizers for subsequent display, printout and electronic transmission.

13. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 1 further comprising:

a) storage means for storage of a multiplicity of differing oils of different brands and characteristics with oil pressuring means and oil flowmeter means for each of said multiplicity of differing oils, all with lines leading to an oil dispensing nozzle means to allow dispensing each of said multiplicity of differing oils of different brands and characteristics as desired;

b) a second switching means to choose one of said multiplicity of differing oils of different brands and characteristics to be dispensed;

c) electronic input data from said second switching means, said oil pressuring means and said oil flowmeter means, to said controller means;

said controller means reacting from said electronic input data to control flow of oil to the said oil dispensing nozzle and calculate and display cost and amount of said multiplicity of different oils dispensed.

14. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 13 wherein said display of cost and amount of said multiplicity of different oils dispensed is located on a housing for said second switching means.

15. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 13 wherein said display of cost and amount of each of said multiplicity of different oils dispensed is located as a display panel on said oil dispensing nozzle means.

16. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 13 further comprising an operator control console that communicates with said controller and, on command, enables and limits dispensing, and displays cost and amount data for each of said multiplicity of differing oils dispensed.

17. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 1 further comprising:

a) storage means for a multiplicity of different oil additives with oil additive pressuring means and oil additive flow measuring means for each of said multiplicity of different oil additives, all with lines leading to an oil dispensing nozzle means;

b) a third switching means to choose one of said multiplicity of different oil additives to be dispensed;

c) electronic input data from said third switching means, said oil additive pressuring means, and said oil additive flow measuring means to said controller means;

said controller means reacting to;

1) direct flow of one of said multiplicity of different oil additives chosen to said oil additive dispensing nozzle means; and

2) to calculate and display cost and amount of each of said multiplicity of oil additives dispensed.

21. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 1 further comprising:

a) separate storage means for each of a group of automotive fluids, said group comprising fluids such as power steering fluid, engine oil, transmission fluid, transmission fluid additives, windshield wiper fluid, antifreeze coolant solutions, brake fluid, and fuel additives;

b) pressuring means and flow measuring means in output lines from each of said separate storage means, said output lines leading to a dispensing nozzle means;

said controller means communicating with said pressuring means and said flow measuring means;

c) a selector switch means to allow customer choice of desired ones of said group of automotive fluids;

d) a switch means in said dispensing nozzle means communicating with said controller means, with electronic input from said switch means, said selector switch means, and said flow measuring means allowing said controller means to act to control flow and to calculate and display cost and volume dispensed of each of said group of automotive fluids.

22. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 21 wherein said controller means communicates with an operator console means that acts, on command, to enable and to limit amount dispensed of any one of said group of automotive fluids and further acts, on command, to display cost and amount dispensed on said operator console.

23. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 21 wherein said dispensing nozzle means includes a display panel to display cost and amount dispensed of a selected one of said group of automotive fluids.

24. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 21 wherein said selector switch means includes switches to authorize said controller to activate said pressuring means and said flow measuring means and further includes switches to choose a volumetric amount to be dispensed of one of said group of automotive fluids.

25. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 1 wherein said controller means also controls dispensing and display of fuel dispensed.

32. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 4 wherein each of said terminal ends of said fuel additive delivery lines is connected to deliver said fuel additive into said first fuel nozzle means down stream of said fuel cut off valve.

33. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 5 wherein output signals of conventionally installed flowmeters in a normal service station are used by said controller means to control amount of each of said multiplicity of fuel additives dispensed.

36. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 1 wherein output signals of conventionally installed fuel flowmeters in a normal service station are used by said controller means to control amount of each of said multiplicity of fuel additives dispensed.

18. An automotive fluids dispensing system comprising:

a) a first storage means for a multiplicity of differing oils and a second storage means for a multiplicity of oil additives;

b) pressuring means and flow measuring means in each line leading from said first storage means and said second storage means;

c) lines leading from said flow measuring means to one of a multiple of dispensing nozzle means;

d) a controller communicating with said pressuring means, said flow measuring means and a group of switch means to allow choice of said multiplicity of differing oils and of said multiplicity of oil additives to be dispensed;

said controller means acting to control oil and oil additive flow and to display cost and amount of each of said multiplicity of differing oils and cost and amount of each of said multiplicity of oil additives dispensed.

19. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 18 further comprising an operator console means that communicates with said controller means and, on command, controls amounts dispensed of said multiplicity of differing oils and said multiplicity of oil additives and displays cost and amount data for each of said multiplicity of differing oils and each of said multiplicity of oil additives.

20. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 19 wherein said operator console means further acts on command to enable dispensing and to limit amount of each of said multiplicity of differing oils dispensed and to limit amount of each of said different oil additives dispensed.

26. An automotive fluids dispensing system comprising:

a) a housing;

b) a controller means and switch means in said housing;

c) a multiplicity of storage tanks for a group of automotive fluids comprising fuel additives, oil, oil additives, windshield wiper fluid, brake fluid, antifreeze/water solution, power steering fluid, and distilled water with pressuring and measuring means in a line leading from each of said multiplicity of storage tanks to an extensible line leading to a manually operated dispensing nozzle;

said pressuring and measuring means being activated by said controller means after a customer has activated one or more switches of said switch means to choose one of said group of automotive fluids and an amount of one of said group of automotive fluids to be dispensed;

said switch means further including switches to allow a customer to choose an unlimited amount to be dispensed of each of said group of automotive fluids; and

d) a display panel of said housing that communicates with said controller to display cost and amount dispensed of each of said group of fluids.

34. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 26 wherein said controller means also controls dispensing, and display of fuel dispensed.

35. An automotive fluids dispensing system as in claim 34 further comprising an operator console means that communicates with said controller means to display cost and amount of each of said multiplicity of fuel additives and fuels dispensed and upon command activating said controller means to first enable, and then to limit amount of each of said multiplicity of fuel additives and fuel dispensed.

27. A method of dispensing automotive fluids comprising:

a) storing in various storage means a multiplicity of different fuel additives, pressuring and flow measuring means in lines from said various storage means of each of said multiplicity of different fuel additives, leading through a 5 routing and distribution means to a plurality of first fuel dispensing nozzle means with a fuel flowmeter means in each line leading to said plurality of first fuel nozzle means;

b) activating a first switching means to allow choice of each of said multiplicity of different fuel additives to be added into one of said plurality of first fuel nozzle means with said first switching means also allowing choice of an amount of said fuel additive in terms of a percent of an established normal mix ratio;

electronic input data from said fuel flowmeter means, said pressuring and flow measuring means, and said first switching means interacting with a controller means;

said controller means reacting from said electronic input data to;

1) direct additive flow of a minimum of one of said multiplicity of different fuel additives to one of said plurality of first fuel nozzle means;

2) control amount of each of said multiplicity of fuel additives dispensed,

3) calculate store, and display cost and amount of each of said multiplicity of fuel additives dispensed.

28. A method of dispensing automotive fluids as in claim 27 wherein each of said plurality of first fuel nozzle means includes a means to blend said fuel and a minimum of one of said multiplicity of fuel additives.

29. A method of dispensing automotive fluids as in claim 28 wherein each of said first fuel nozzle means comprises a fuel flowmeter in a beginning end of a hose leading to said first fuel nozzle means and a multiplicity of fuel additive delivery lines with terminal ends of said fuel additive delivery lines headered together in a common chamber and with an outlet line from said common chamber leading into said first fuel nozzle means downstream of a fuel cut off valve.

30. A method of dispensing automotive fluids as in claim 29 further comprising an operator console means that communicates with said controller means, said operator console means acting on command to display cost and amount each of said multiplicity of fuel additives dispensed and on command activating said controller means to first enable, and then to limit amount of each of said multiplicity of fuel additives dispensed.

31. A method of dispensing automotive fluids as in claim 30 wherein functions of said operator console means and said controller means may be integrated with electronic control and display means normally found in a service station.