Fuelling apparatus

• US 5,172,738 A
• Filed: 09/13/1990
• Issued: 12/22/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokico Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Tokico Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nagahisa, Yutaka, Komukai, Shigemi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BENNETT, GEORGE B
• Application Number:
  US07/582,324
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 141/83, 141/94, 141/95, 141/1, 141/5
• US Class Current: 141/83
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0476 Vapour recovery systems
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/32 Arrangements of safety or warning devices; Means for preventing unauthorised delivery of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/342 by discriminating the kind of liquid by analysis or by physical properties, e.g. vapour-pressure

Abstract

This invention relates to an apparatus: to determine the concentration of vehicular fuel vapor contained in a fuel tank of a vehicle; to examine the difference between the measured fuel vapor concentration and an internal reference standard based on the concentration of ambient vapors; to issue a warning to report an abnormality in the system if an unusual deviation, from the predetermined allowable range of differences, is detected therein; and to shut off the fuelling operation until the cause of the abnormality has been rectified.

Claims

1. A fuel delivery apparatus for vehicles, equipped with:

(a) a fuel sampling device for measuring concentration of fuel vapor present in a fuel delivery nozzle;

(b) a reference sampling device for measuring concentration of said fuel vapor present in ambient air external to said fuel delivery apparatus;

(c) a fuel type determining means for determining a type of fuel present in a fuel tank based on at least the fuel vapor concentration measured by said fuel sampling device;

(d) a calculating means for calculating a difference between the fuel vapor concentration measured by said fuel sampling device when said fuel delivery nozzle has take out from said fuel tank and that measured by said reference sampling device, after supplying said type of fuel to said vehicle and before supplying a type of fuel to another vehicle; and

(e) a warning means for issuing a warning when said difference exceeds a predetermined value.

2. A fuel delivery apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said apparatus is equipped with a fuel sampling pipe having an entry opening adjacent to a fuel delivery nozzle.

3. A fuel delivery apparatus according to claim 1 having a fixed, in-ground fuel storage system.

4. A fuel delivery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fuel delivery nozzle is equipped with a nozzle switch and a nozzle holder, such that a motor driver a fuel supplying pump when said fuel delivery nozzle is taken off said nozzle holder and such that said motor stops driving said fuel supplying pump when said fuel delivery nozzle is stored in said nozzle holder.

5. A fuel delivery apparatus according to claim 1, comprising at least one amplifier for amplifying signals generating respectively by said fuel sampling device and said reference sampling device, said signals indicating the respective fuel vapor concentration.

6. A fuel delivery apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said amplifier performs an amplification function of the signals, when the signal indicates that the fuel in the tank is a light oil type.

7. A fuel delivery apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said amplifier performs an amplification function of the signals, when the signal indicates that the fuel in the tank is a light oil type.

8. A fuel delivery apparatus equipped with:

(a) a sampling device for measuring concentration of fuel vapor present in a fuel delivery nozzle and that of said fuel vapor present in ambient air external to said fuel delivery apparatus, said sampling device having a fuel vapor analyzer, a sampling pump motor and a plurality of magnetically-operated valves, wherein said fuel vapor analyzer sensing said fuel vapor, and said magnetically-operated valves being controlled such that said sampling pump motor drives to lead said fuel vapor present in said fuel delivery nozzle to said fuel vapor analyzer at a period for measuring the fuel vapor concentration therein, and such that said sampling pump motor drive to lead said fuel vapor present in ambient air to said fuel vapor analyzer at a period for measuring the fuel vapor concentration therein;

(b) a fuel type determining means for determining a type of fuel present in a fuel tank based on at least the fuel vapor concentration in said fuel delivery nozzle measured by said sampling device;

(c) a calculating means for calculating a difference between the fuel vapor concentration in said fuel delivery nozzle taken out from said fuel tank and that in ambient air measured by said sampling device after supplying said type of fuel to said vehicle, and before supplying a type of fuel to another vehicle; and

(d) a warning means for issuing a warning when said difference exceeds a predetermined value.

9. A fuel delivery apparatus according to claim 8 having a fixed, in-ground fuel storage system.

10. A fuel delivery apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said fuel delivery nozzle is equipped with a nozzle switch and a nozzle holder, such that a fuel pumping motor drives a fuel supplying pump when said fuel delivery nozzle is taken off said nozzle holder and such that said fuel pumping motor stops driving said fuel supplying pump when said fuel delivery nozzle is stored in said nozzle holder.