Vapor recovery nozzle with flow indicators

• US 5,273,087 A
• Filed: 03/12/1991
• Issued: 12/28/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amoco Corporation (BP PLC)
• Original Assignee: Amoco Corporation (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Jones, Philip B., Koch, Wolfgang H., Daul, Charles M., Hartman, Harry B., Strock, Dennis J., Butkovich, Michael S., Lambert, Terrance L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACYNA, J CASIMER
• Application Number:
  US07/667,889
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 141/44-46, 141/59, 141/206-210, 141/217, 141/218, 141/225-228, 141/94-96, 141/301, 141/302-304, 141/102, 141/103, 141/104, 141/99, 141/1, 141/4, 141/5, 141/7, 141/8 , 141/98, 141/392, 141/83, 116/273, 116/274, 116/276, 116/DIG. 7, 116/264, 137/234.6, 137/559, 222/14, 222/6, 222/2
• US Class Current: 141/94
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0482 using pumps driven at different flow rates
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/48 by making use of air suction through an opening closed by the rising liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/52 and provided with additional flow-controlling valve means
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/54 with means for preventing escape of liquid or vapour or for recovering escaped liquid or vapour B67D7/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/56 Arrangements of flow-indicators, e.g. transparent compartments, windows, rotary vanes indicating or recording presence, absence or direction of movement G01P13/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 116/07 Fluid actuated

Abstract

A user friendly vapor recovery nozzle with special signaling devices to signal and assure the customer of proper delivery of fuel and return flow of hydrocarbon vapors. In the preferred embodiment, the signaling devices include both a fuel flow indicator and a vapor flow indicator. The flow indicators can comprise one or more fuel and vapor driven balls, paddle wheels, propellers, spinners, blades, or vanes. In the preferred form, the vapor recovery nozzle has an inner fuel spout to discharge gasoline into a customer'"'"'s tank and has an outer spout which cooperates with the inner spout to provide a vapor return passageway to return vapors emitted during fueling to a vapor return hose. The nozzle has a liquid sensing tube in the vapor return passageway to sense when the customer'"'"'s tank is filled. An automatic shutoff valve cooperates with the liquid sensing tube to shutoff the supply of gasoline when the customer'"'"'s tank is filled. The nozzle also has a venturi sleeve which can be connected to a condensate liquid pickup tube to remove condensed vapor in the vapor return hose. A flow control valve assembly is provided to regulate the flow of gasoline. Fuel flow indicators can be operably positioned in the flow control valve assembly. The flow control valve assembly can have transparent cap to view the fuel flow indicators. The nozzle can further has a vapor check valve to regulate the flow of vapors. Vapor flow indicators can be operably positioned and viewed in the vapor check valve.

Claims

1. A vapor nozzle comprising:

spout means comprising an outer spout and an inner spout providing a fuel conduit for flow of liquid volatilizable hydrocarbon fuel into a customer'"'"'s tank;

vapor return means comprising a vapor return passageway between said inner and outer spouts for colecting volatilized vapors emitted from said customer'"'"'s tank during fueling and said vapor return means further comprising an internal vapor passageway extending from said vapor passageway to a return hose for passing said vapors from said vapor return passageway to said vapor return hose;

a liquid sensing tube positioned in said vapor return passageway between said inner and outer spouts for detecting when said customer'"'"'s tank is filled;

automatic shutoff means communicating with said liquid sensing tube for shutting off said flow of fuel when said liquid tube detects that said customer'"'"'s tank is filled; and

vapor signalling means comprising vapor flow indicator which is viewable on said nozzle communicating with said vapor passageway for signaling the passing of said vapor through said nozzle to said return hose.

2. A vapor recovery nozzle in accordance with claim 1 including fuel signaling means comprising a fuel flow indicator communicating with said fuel conduit.

3. A vapor recovery system comprising:

a storage tank for storing liquid volatilizable hydrocarbon fuel;

vent pipe means connected to said storage tank for venting said storage tank;

a dispenser for metering said fuel from said storage tank;

a fuel pump for pumping fuel to said dispenser from said storage tank;

a vapor pump positioned in proximity to said dispenser for withdrawing volatilizer hydrocarbon vapors under suction pressure;

a nozzle for controlling dispensing of said fuel into a fill opening of a consumer'"'"'s tank and for recovering volatilized hydrocarbon vapors emitted from the consumer'"'"'s tank during fueling;

fuel line means including a fuel line connecting said storage tank and said dispenser, and a fuel hose connecting said dispenser and said nozzle; and

vapor return line means including a vapor return hose connecting said nozzle and said vapor pump for receiving vapors from said nozzle, and a vapor return line connecting said vapor pump and said storage tank for passage of said vapors to said storage tank; and

said nozzle having

spout means for flow of liquid volatilizable hydrocarbon fuel into a consumer'"'"'s tank;

flow control valve means operatively associated with said spout means for controlling the flow of fuel;

vapor return means defining a vapor return passageway communicating with said vapor pump for return flow to the storage tank of volatilized hydrocarbon vapors emitted from the consumer'"'"'s tank during fueling and including a vapor inlet positioned in proximity to the spout means;

automatic shutoff means for stopping the dispension of fuel when the fuel enters the vapor inlet; and

a viewable vapor flow indicator communicating with said vapor return passageway for signaling said return flow of vapors through said nozzle and vapor return line means to the storage tank.

4. A vapor recovery nozzle in accordance with claim 3 including a fuel flow indicator communicating with said flow control valve means for signalling flow of fuel through said nozzle.

5. A vapor recovery nozzle in accordance with claim 3 wherein:

said spout means has an outer spout and an inner spout providing a fuel conduit;

said vapor return passageway is positioned between said inner and outer spouts;

said nozzle includes a liquid sensing tube in said vapor return passageway between said inner and outer spouts for detecting when said customer'"'"'s tank is filled; and

an automatic shutoff valve assembly communicating with said liquid sensing tube for shutting off said flow of fuel when said liquid sensing tube detects said customer'"'"'s tank is filled.

6. A vapor recovery nozzle, comprising:

a housing providing a body and having a tubular handle containing an inlet conduit with a fuel inlet connected to and communicating with a fuel hose, said body having a spout-receiving socket, a venturi sleeve-receiving chamber, a flow control valve-receiving compartment positioned adjacent said handle, an automatic shutoff valve-receiving compartment providing a vacuum chamber positioned between said venturi sleeve-receiving chamber and said automatic shutoff valve-receiving compartment, and said venturi-sleeve receiving chamber defining orifices providing a condensate venturi port and an overfill sensing venturi port communicating with said vacuum chamber;

an elongated condensate liquid pickup tube connected to, communicating with and extending from said condensate venturi port of said venturi-sleeve receiving chamber through said inlet conduit into a vapor return hose for substantially removing condensed gasoline vapors forming condensate collecting in the vapor return hose;

an elongated inner spout providing a fuel conduit and having an outer tip defining a fuel outlet for discharging gasoline into a filler pipe of a motor vehicle tank during fueling;

an outer spout assembly extending into and engaging said spout-receiving socket, said outer spout assembly comprising an outer spout providing a vapor return conduit and defining apertures providing a vapor inlet spaced from said fuel outlet for withdrawing, removing, and return flow of a substantial amount of gasoline vapors emitted during said fueling, said vapor return conduit annularly surrounding said fuel conduit and having coaxial portions coaxially positioned about said fuel conduit, said vapor return conduit being shorter than said fuel conduit and being spaced outwardly from and cooperating with said fuel conduit to define an annular vapor return passageway in communication with said vapor return hose for return flow of said gasoline vapors;

an elongated liquid sensing tube positioned in said annular vapor return passageway and extending from adjacent said vapor inlet into said spout-receiving socket, said liquid sensing tube communicating with said overfill sensing venturi port in said venturi-sleeve receiving chamber for sensing the presence of a full condition of liquid gasoline in the filler pipe of the motor vehicle tank;

a manually operable lever positioned below said handle for manually controlling the flow of gasoline being discharged through said fuel conduit, said lever being moveable from a downward closed position to an upward position, and a lever guard positioned partially about said lever and connected to said handle and body of said housing;

a flow control valve assembly disposed in said flow control valve-receiving compartment and being actuated by said lever for regulating the flow of gasoline into said fuel conduit, said flow control valve assembly having a flow control poppet valve, an elongated valve stem engaging said lever, and a flow control valve-compression spring for urging said lever and poppet valve in a normally closed position blocking the flow of gasoline, said flow control-valve compression spring having coil segments spaced from and cooperating with each other to define spaces therebetween;

an automatic shutoff valve assembly disposed in said automatic shutoff valve-receiving compartment, said automatic shutoff valve assembly having a diaphragm positioned adjacent said vacuum chamber and communicating with said overfill sensing venturi port for automatically shutting off the flow of gasoline to said fuel conduit in said full condition, a compression diaphragm-spring positioned above said diaphragm for exerting a spring force against said diaphragm, a plunger positioned below said diaphragm and having a lower end pivotally connected to said lever, a reciprocatable latch pin slidably positioned in said plunger, a tapered head connected to and positioned above said pin, balls seated in said plunger for engaging said head, and a plunger spring for urging said plunger upwardly;

a venturi sleeve assembly positioned in said venturi sleeve-receiving chamber, said venturi sleeve assembly comprising an annular venturi sleeve having a valve seat disposed adjacent said venturi ports, a venturi check valve with a frustroconical throat plug and a plug stem, a venturi check valve coil spring disposed about said plug stem for urging said throat plug in as normally closed seated position against said valve seat for blocking the flow of gasoline into said fuel conduit during said full condition and when said latch is in a closed position, said throat plug being movable to an open forward position to permit the discharge of gasoline and condensate from said condensate pickup tube into said fuel conduit during fueling and being spaced from and cooperating with said venturi sleeve to form a venturi throat communicating with said vapor passageway for return passage of gasoline vapors to said vapor return hose; and

a fuel flow indicator assembly comprising a set of viewable flow indicator balls, said balls comprising a corrosion-resistant material substantially inert to gasoline selected from the group consisting of metal and impact-resistant plastic, said balls being annularly surrounded and contained by said flow control valve-compression spring, each of said balls having a diameter greater than said spaces between said coil segments of said flow control valve-compression spring, said balls being moveable from an inactive condition to an active flow position in an emulating and turbulent flow pattern in response to flow of gasoline during fueling; and

said flow control valve assembly having a flow cap with an optical viewing portion selected from the group consisting of transparent impact-resistant plastic and glass, for viewing said flow-indicator balls;

wherein said nozzle includes an attitude shutoff assembly positioned between said plug stem and said liquid sensing tube.

7. A vapor recovery nozzle in accordance with claim 6 wherein said attitude shutoff assembly having a ball valve and passageway communicating with said liquid sensing tube, said ball valve being moveable from an open position spaced from said passageway for permitting flow of gasoline into said fuel conduit, to a closed position substantially blocking said passageway communicating with the outlet of said liquid sensing tube to simulate said full condition when said spout assembly of said nozzle is orientated in an upward attitude so as to substantially prevent the discharge of gasoline through said fuel conduits when said spouts of said nozzles are oriented in an upwardly attitude.