Gravity feed ball-in-seat valve with extension unit for dosing fuel additives

• US 7,216,681 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Valentine, James M., Valentine, Laura K.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAUST, TIMOTHY LEWIS
• Application Number:
  US11/074,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20050217751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 141/9, 141/11, 141/69, 141/98, 141100-107, 141/301, 141/309, 141/310, 141/351, 141/360, 141/361, 141/362, 141/392, 141/349, 123/1.A, 123/73.AD, 123/198.A, 137/98, 137/114, 251/259
• US Class Current: 141/349
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/04 Tank inlets B60K15/077 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03348 for supplying additives to fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/00 Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture adding secondary air to fuel-air mixture F02M23/00; adding exhaust gases F02M26/00; fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels or on a liquid fuel and another liquid F02M43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0076 Details of the fuel feeding system related to the fuel tank vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/03
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2572 One inflow supplements another

Abstract

A simple, reliable system is provided for automatically dosing vehicle fuel tanks with a fuel additive, particularly a concentrate containing a fuel borne catalyst (FBC), using gravity as the means of injection, preferably with no electronics or complex mechanical parts. The system includes a supply line for feeding fuel additive by gravity from an additive reservoir and opening into a filler spout of a fuel tank, a ball-in-seat valve at the end of the supply line biased in normally closed position and operable to an open position by mechanically pressing a release on the ball-in-seat valve, and a pivotable lever positioned within the filler spout and including a projection capable of mating with the ball-in-seat valve release upon pivotable movement. Upon insertion of a filler hose into the filler spout, the filler hose moves the lever and projection to press the release on the ball-in-seat valve thereby dispensing additive.

Claims

1. A simple, reliable system for automatically dosing fuel tanks with a fuel additive, particularly a concentrate containing a fuel borne catalyst (FBC) using gravity as the means of injection and is operable by insertion of a filler hose into the filler spout of a fuel tank, comprising:

a supply line for feeding fuel additive by gravity from an additive reservoir and opening into a filler spout of a fuel tank;

a ball-in-seat valve at the end of the supply line biased in normally closed position and operable to an open position by mechanically pressing a release on the ball-in-seat valve;

a pivotable lever positioned within the filler spout and including a projection capable of mating with the ball-in-seat valve release upon pivotable movement, wherein the pivotable lever is configured to move from an initial position wherein it interferes with the insertion of a filler hose into the filler spout but movable by the spout by the insertion of a filler hose to a position wherein the projection presses the release on the ball-in-seat valve.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the ball-in-seat valve, the pivotable lever and the projection are comprised in a filler spout extension module.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the ball-in-seat valve, the pivotable lever and the projection are comprised in a module configured to fit within the opening of a filler spout.

4. A system of claim 1 where the dispensing of additives is by gravity feed from an additive reservoir at a rate that is proportionately matched to the rate of fuel addition to the fuel tank within a range of 1:

500–

1;

10,000.

5. A system of claim 1 where the additive is a fuel borne catalyst, deposit modifier, cetane improver, cold flow improver, lubricity agent and/or biocide.