Fuel dispenser

• US 5,867,403 A
• Filed: 10/11/1995
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Environ-Opw, Inc. (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Universal Epsco, Inc.
• Inventors: Huff, Richard M., Sasnett, Bolling H. III, Works, Bruce A., Sasnett, Bolling H. Jr., Watts, Randall C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAM, TUAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/540,720
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 364/237.2, 364/237.5, 364/927.2, 364/927.5-927.7, 364/927.63-927.64, 364/465, 364/528.16-528.17, 364/479.01-479.03 , 364/479.06, 364/479.08-479.09, 364/709.15, 222/1, 222/14, 222/22, 222/23, 222/26, 222/27, 222/36, 222/132-135, 222/144.5, 222/145.1, 53/467-468, 141/2, 141/11, 141/192, 141/206, 141/210, 141/328, 705/413
• US Class Current: 700/282
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/08 Arrangements of devices for controlling, indicating, metering or registering quantity or price of liquid transferred arrangement of flow- or pressure-control valves B67D7/36; computing, calculating, counting G06; coin-freed apparatus for dispensing fluids G07F13/00; prepayment devices for metering liquids G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/228 using digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/303 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/308 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/84 Casings, cabinets or frameworks; Trolleys or like movable supports
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0324 With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid

Abstract

A fuel dispenser is disclosed. The fuel dispenser has a housing which contains two chambers, one contains a computer and the other the hydraulic parts of the dispenser. Fiber optic cables connect a fiber optic switch which detects the cradling of a nozzle to a computer, and other fiber optic cables connected to a pulser signal the flow of fuel in the meter of the dispenser to the computer. The computer controls a liquid crystal display which prompts the customer to actuate keys on a keyboard adjacent to the display. A pivotal boot supported by a horizontal shaft receives the nozzle. This boot pivots to permit better access to the hydraulic area of the housing. The shaft, itself, is rotatable to actuate a switch to indicate, through fiber optic cable, to the computer that the nozzle is stored and to shut down pumping. A fiber optic pulser feeds light signals to the computer for indicating the flow of fuel through the meter. A temperature probe adjacent to the display signals the temperature of the display to the computer so that the computer automatically controls the voltage bias, and thus the contrast, of the liquid crystal display. The computer provides selective screens which enables the parameters of operation of the dispenser to be changed and supplies diagnostic data on screens for repairs.

Claims

1. A fuel dispenser comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a fuel discharge conduit for said housing;

(c) a discharge nozzle externally of said housing for delivering fuel from said fuel discharge conduit;

(d) a barrier in said housing for dividing said housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber;

(e) a valve in said housing communicating with said fuel conduit;

(f) a computer in said upper chamber;

(g) a source of fuel;

(h) a meter in said lower chamber connected to said source of fuel and to said valve for monitoring fuel passing through said meter to said valve;

(i) supply conduit means connected to said meter for delivering fuel from said meter;

(j) a fiber optic transducer connected to said meter;

(k) a first set of fiber optic cables connecting said computer and said transducer for providing optical signals delivered through said optical cables to said computer, said signals being indicative of the flow of fuel monitored by said meter;

(l) said computer generating signals for controlling said valve;

(m) a nozzle boot on said housing for receiving said nozzle when said nozzle is not in use;

(n) a fiber optic switch for detecting when said nozzle has been received by said boot; and

(o) a second set of fiber optic cables connected between said switch and said computer for transmitting a light signal for indicating whether or not said nozzle is received in said boot and for causing the computer to dictate the closing of said valve.

2. A fuel dispenser, the fuel dispenser having a housing, a supply of fuel, a fuel pump in fluid communication with the supply of fuel, and at least one fueling hose for dispensing fuel therethrough, said fuel dispenser comprising:

(a) a computer positioned within the housing of the fuel dispenser, said computer including a fiber optic light source emitting a fiber optic light beam;

(b) a meter in said housing, said meter being constructed and arranged to meter the flow of fuel passed therethrough during use of the fuel dispenser;

(c) a flow control valve in said housing, said valve being in fluid communication with said meter and being constructed and arranged to control the flow of fuel passed therethrough from said meter and into the fueling hose;

(d) a fiber optic measuring device operably coupled to said meter, said measuring device being constructed and arranged to measure predetermined increments of fuel flowing through said meter during operation of the fuel dispenser;

(e) at least one set of fiber optic cables extending from said computer to said measuring device, said fiber optic light beam being passed through said at least one set of fiber optic cables, said measuring device being constructed and arranged to generate fiber optic signals passed on to said computer through said at least one set of fiber optic cables, said fiber optic signals being indicative of the quantity of fuel passed through said meter;

(f) said computer being coupled to said flow control valve and being constructed and arranged to control the operation of said flow control valve in response to the receipt of said fiber optic signals.

3. The fuel dispenser of claim 2, said fiber optic measuring device comprising a pulser constructed and arranged to interrupt the fiber optic light beam passed through said at least one set of fiber optic cables from said computer to generate said fiber optic signals.

4. The fuel dispenser of claim 3, said pulser comprising:

a housing;

an elongate shaft rotatably supported within said housing and being operably coupled to said meter for being rotated thereby;

a timing disc carried on and rotated with said shaft, said timing disc including a predetermined number of radial timing slots defined therein and extending therethrough; and

at least one pair of opposed fiber optic cable end supports positioned on opposite sides of said timing disc and with respect to said timing slots, the cable ends of said at least one set of fiber optic cables being received within said end supports;

wherein said timing slots interrupt the beam of light passed between the opposed fiber optic cables of said at least one set of fiber optic cables held in said end supports to generate said fiber optic signals.

5. The fuel dispenser of claim 4, wherein each said fiber optic signal signals the computer that a predetermined quantity of fuel has passed through said meter to said computer.

6. A fuel dispenser, the fuel dispenser having a housing, a supply of fuel, a fuel dispensing system positioned within the housing and in fluid communication with the supply of fuel, and at least one fueling hose in fluid communication with the fuel dispensing system for dispensing the fuel therethrough, said fuel dispenser comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a computer positioned within said housing;

(c) a fuel discharge conduit extending from said housing;

(d) a discharge nozzle in fluid communication with said fuel discharge conduit for delivering fuel from said fuel discharge conduit;

(e) a fuel flow control valve positioned within the housing for delivering fuel to said fuel discharge conduit;

(f) a nozzle boot on said housing for receiving said nozzle when said nozzle is not in use;

(g) a fiber optic switch constructed and arranged to detect when said nozzle has been received by said boot; and

(h) a set of fiber optic cables connected between said switch and said computer for transmitting a fiber optic light signal emitted by said switch when said nozzle is received in said boot, wherein said computer then causes said flow control valve to close for preventing the discharge of fuel from the fuel dispenser.

7. A fuel dispenser comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a fuel discharge conduit for said housing;

(c) a discharge nozzle externally of said housing for delivering fuel from said fuel discharge conduit;

(d) a barrier in said housing for dividing said housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber;

(e) hydraulic elements is said lower chamber for delivering fuel to said fuel discharge conduit;

(f) electronic elements in said lower chamber for controlling the delivery of said fuel;

(g) said electronic elements generating signals for controlling the delivery of fuel by said hydraulic elements;

(h) a valve in said housing communicating with said fuel conduit;

(i) a nozzle boot on said housing for receiving said nozzle when said nozzle is not in use;

(j) a fiber optic switch for detecting when said nozzle has been received by said boot; and

(k) a set of fiber optic cables connected between said switch and said computer for transmitting a light signal for indicating whether or not said nozzle is received in said boot and for causing the computer to dictate the closing of said valve.

8. A fuel dispenser comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a fuel discharge conduit for said housing;

(c) a boot on said housing;

(d) a discharge nozzle externally of said housing for delivering fuel from said fuel discharge conduit, said nozzle being removably stored in said boot when not in use;

(e) a valve in said housing communicating with said fuel conduit;

(f) electrical controls remote from said valve and connected to said valve; and

(g) a fiber optic switch in said housing for detecting when said nozzle is stored in said boot, said switch being connected optically to said electrical controls for causing said valve to be closed when said nozzle is stored.

9. A fuel dispenser, comprising:

(a) a housing having hydraulic elements disposed therein for pumping fuel through said housing to a nozzle;

(b) a boot positioned on said housing said boot being sized and shaped to receive said nozzle; and

(c) a horizontal shaft pivotally supporting said boot so that said boot may be pivoted about said shaft for access to the interior of said housing.

10. The fuel dispenser defined in claim 9 including control elements in said housing for controlling said hydraulic elements, a flapper for rotating said shaft when said nozzle is received in said boot, and a switch on said shaft for signaling rotation of said shaft to said control elements for causing said control elements to prevent delivery of fuel through said hydraulic elements to said nozzle.