Apparatus for automatic refuelling of vehicles

• US 5,638,875 A
• Filed: 03/03/1995
• Issued: 06/17/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Autofill Patent AB
• Original Assignee: Sten Corfitsen
• Inventors: Corfitsen, Sten
• Primary Examiner(s): JACYNA, J CASIMER
• Application Number:
  US08/392,916
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 141/94, 141/98, 141/198, 141/231, 141/232, 141/284, 141/351-355, 141/360-362, 141/383, 141/386, 901/6, 901/16, 901/41, 901/45, 901/46
• US Class Current: 141/360
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0421 with locking devices
• 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
• 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

Abstract

Apparatus for the automatic refuelling of vehicles, primarily cars, including a robot which includes a robot head that is movable in relation to the robot so as to bring the robot head to a predetermined position in relation to the vehicle fuel tank pipe. The positioning of the robot head is effected by a positioning system which includes a first part located on the robot head and a second part placed in a predetermined position on the vehicle, wherein the robot head includes an outer tube and an inner tube which can be moved within said outer tube and extended out of said tube. The outer tube is resilient or yieldable, and the free, front end of the outer tube has the shape of a truncated cone that docks with a correspondingly conical part of an adapter attached to the upper orifice of the vehicle fuel tank pipe during said positioning operation. After the docking operation, the free forward end of the inner tube projects outwardly to a position down into the fuel-tank pipe, whereafter fuel is delivered to the fuel tank through the inner tube.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the automatic refuelling of vehicles comprising:

a robot which includes a robot head that is movable in relation to the robot so as to bring the robot head to a predetermined position in relation to a vehicle fuel tank pipe, a positioning system for positioning the robot head during a positioning operation, the positioning system including a first part located on the robot head and a second part placed in a predetermined position on the vehicle, wherein the robot head includes an outer tube and an inner tube which can be moved within said outer tube and out of said outer tube, which outer tube is resilient and wherein a free, front end of the outer tube has a part in the shape of a truncated cone, said outer tube part being intended to be docked in a docking operation with a correspondingly truncated conical part of an adapter during said positioning operation, said adapter being adapted to be attached to an upper orifice of the fuel-tank pipe, and wherein subsequent to said docking operation, a free forward end of the inner tube is adapted to project out from the outer tube to a position down in the fuel-tank pipe, whereafter fuel is delivered to the fuel tank through the inner tube, wherein the forward end of the inner tube has an essentially conical shape and wherein in said positioning operation the inner tube has an axially displaced position relative to the outer tube such that the forward end of said inner tube will coact with an outer surface of the truncated cone of the outer tube to form a generally conical front part; and

wherein the outer tube is resilient to such an extent that said docking operation can take place when the tip of the inner tube is positioned radially inwards of a base of the conical part of the adapter.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the forward end of the inner tube includes surface openings through which fuel is able to pass out from the inner tube.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outer tube is made of a relatively rigid plastic or rubber material and has a bellows-like section adjacent its front end.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the bellows-like section is supported by a spring-loaded tab including a spring-loaded attachment point that is fixed relative to the robot head.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, including a sensor mounted at said attachment point, said sensor functioning to detect deviation of the tab from its rest position, in which no load acts on the outer tube.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the front end of the outer tube carries a first sensor element which is adapted to coact with a second sensor element carried in the adapter, said first sensor element and said second sensor element being positioned so that they are opposite one another when docking is completed.