Filling system for robot-capable filling of a vehicle with fuel

• US 5,690,153 A
• Filed: 09/05/1996
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Kremer, Adolf, Steinkaemper, Reinhard
• Primary Examiner(s): JACYNA, J CASIMER
• Application Number:
  US08/706,558
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 141/98, 141/312, 141/346, 141/348-350, 141/368, 141/382-386, 220/86.1, 220/86.2, 901/6
• US Class Current: 141/348
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/04 Tank inlets B60K15/077 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0421 with locking devices
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0401 arrangements for automatically fuelling vehicles, i.e. without human intervention

Abstract

A filling system for robot-capable filling of a motor vehicle with fuel includes a filler nozzle and a tank filler neck having a cylindrical docking extension provided with a central opening mounted on the filler side. In the upper section of the extension, rotatable around the axis of symmetry for the opening and closing of the tank closure, the filler nozzle is dockable by its outlet end to form a positive connection between the filler nozzle and the docking extension. In order to achieve in simple fashion a docking of the filler nozzle on the filler neck of the vehicle fuel tank for filling the tank that is always functionally reliable and free of impediments, it is provided that the positive elements of the two docking partners are lockable in one another in a locked position that acts axially and locks in a circumferential direction, with the positive elements of one of the docking partners being guided radially movably and flexibly tensioned in a working position opposite to the force of a pretensioning spring. The positive elements of the other docking partner are mounted rigidly, and the two docking partners are so designed that the radially displaceable positive elements are operable by a force directed axially to the docking extension.

Claims

1. A filling system for an automated filling of a vehicle with fuel, comprising:

a filler nozzle;

a filler neck for a tank of the vehicle;

a docking extension provided on a filling side of said filler neck, said docking extension having a cylindrical shape and a central passageway in an upper rotatable section thereof, said upper rotatable section being rotated around an axis of symmetry for opening and closing the tank;

wherein said filler nozzle has an outlet end which docks with said docking extension to form a positive connection between said filler nozzle and said docking extension;

positive locking elements distributed along a circumference of said filler nozzle and docking extension and running axially in a toothed manner so as to engage one another when said filler nozzle is ready to fill said tank;

wherein said filler nozzle and said docking extension are docking partners having said positive elements lockable in one another in a locked position, said positive elements acting axially to lock in a circumferential direction;

wherein positive elements of one of said docking partners are movably guided radially and tensioned flexibly in a working position against a force of a pretensioning spring; and

wherein positive elements of the other of said docking partners are rigidly mounted, said docking partners actuating said radially movable positive elements via a force directed in an axial direction with respect to said docking extension.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said radially movable positive elements are automatically operated via beveled surfaces of said rigidly mounted positive elements of the other docking partner as a result of a docking and undocking movement of said filler nozzle.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said radially movable positive elements are guided on an outlet side on said filler nozzle and are forcibly displaced radially outward from an internal position Via actuating elements located inside said filler nozzle and axially movable therein.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said actuating elements are one of a mechanically and fluidically adjustable pressure slides having beveled ends and a central opening for a filler tube of said filler nozzle.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein said actuating elements are a filler tube arranged in a displaceably movable manner in said filler nozzle, said filler tube having a beveled surface on an outlet side.

6. The system according to claim 3 wherein said radially movable positive elements are guided out of both a hollow piston and a slide guided in a cavity of said hollow piston in a radial direction, and is provided with a pin projecting radially outward;

wherein said radially movable positive elements include a spreader spring supported between said hollow piston internally and at its end on said slide on a side facing away from said pin, said spreader spring urging said hollow piston into a central opening of said filler nozzle to a point where it is operated by one of said actuating elements such that said radially movable positive elements, in cooperation with said spreader spring, are compressible in a telescoping manner with a pretensioning spring, said pretensioning spring being coaxial relative to said spreader spring and arranged closer to said sleeve.

7. The system according to claim 3, wherein a gap width of teeth provided on said docking extension and forming said rigidly mounted positive elements is a multiple of a width of a part of said radially movable positive elements which act to perform the locking.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said radially movable positive elements of said one docking partner are designed as pins having rounded heads on their ends.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the number of rigidly mounted positive elements is a multiple of the number of radially movable positive elements.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said rigidly mounted positive elements are commonly formed by gaps arranged in circumferential teeth.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said radially movable positive elements are distributed circumferentially in an irregular manner, with an angular spacing between (n-1) of said elements regularly being an n-th part of a teeth division in addition to an n-th part of 360°

, and with an angular spacing in a successive arrangement of said adjustable positive elements in a circumferential direction amounting to a difference between the n-th part of the sum of the teeth division and 360°

, and the teeth division, in a circumferential direction.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising at least one additional radially movable positive element associated with each of said radially movable positive elements, said additional radially movable positive element being offset from said radially movable positive elements in a circumferential direction by a multiple of a tooth division.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein a circumferential notch-shaped annular groove is machined into said rigidly mounted elements in the form of teeth, into which notch-shaped annular groove said radially movable positive elements of said filler nozzle engage in an axially locking manner with groove flanks, upper and lower sides of said radially movable positive elements forming stops against one another.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of said groove flanks of said groove is beveled, said one flank forming part of an upwardly acting axial stop for said filler nozzle.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein a radially projecting beveled nose is provided at an end on said rigidly mounted positive elements, said beveled nose forming an upwardly acting axial stop with a respectively engaged radially movable positive element for said filler nozzle.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein said rigidly mounted positive elements are in the form of guide grooves having a bayonet lock, openings of said guide grooves being located at an end on one of said docking partners.