×

Device for positioning at automatic fuelling of vehicles

  • US 6,279,624 B1
  • Filed: 02/16/2000
  • Issued: 08/28/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A positioning arrangement pertaining to the automatic fuelling of vehicles, primarily cars, said arrangement comprising:

  • a robot which includes a robot head that is movable relative to said robot to enable the robot head to be brought from a rest position to a predetermined position relative to a vehicle fuel-tank pipe, wherein the robot head includes an outer tube and an inner tube housed within said outer tube and movable axially out of said outer tube, wherein the outer tube is adapted to be docked with an inlet orifice of the fuel-tank pipe so that subsequent to docking of said outer tube, a free forward end of the inner tube is extended into the fuel-tank pipe to deliver fuel through the inner tube and into the fuel-tank pipe, the robot head including a fuel-tank flap opening device tat includes a flexible member having an open, free end which is adapted to engage a fuel-tank flap of said vehicle through the application of sub-atmospheric pressure in said flexible member, said opening device operable to open tie fuel-tank flap in response to movements of the robot head, said movements taking place in accordance with a predetermined fuel tank flap movement plan, an optical sensor carried by the robot to optically scan a body panel of the vehicle to detect the position, relative to the rest position of the robot head, of the fuel-tank flap by detecting the position of a gap between edges of the fuel-tank flap and a surrounding vehicle body panel surface on a vehicle parked for fuelling purposes and to transmit to a robot computer a first signal relating to said relative position of the fuel-tank flap;

    wherein the vehicle does not carry a signal-transmitting element for providing a signal to the robot that enables the robot to detect the fuel-tank flap;

    wherein the computer is programmed to guide the opening device of said robot head into abutment with the fuel-tank flap and to open said flap in accordance with the predetermined fuel-tank flap movement plan;

    wherein the sensor optically detects the position of a fuel-tank pipe orifice relative to the position of the robot head after the fuel-tank flap has been opened, and wherein the computer receives a second signal relating to that relative position of the fuel-tank pipe orifice; and

    wherein in response to the first and second position signals the computer provides output signals to cause the robot head to effect docking, and to carry out robot head movements in a reverse order and therewith close the fuel-tank flap when fuelling of the vehicle has been completed.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×