Dual fuel selector switch

• US 9,435,273 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2013
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Champion Power Equipment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Champion Engine Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Sarder, Mark J., Jenison, Leigh, Schmit, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Low, Lindsay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hasan, Syed O
• Application Number:
  US14/069,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20150122230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 123/525, 123/2, 123/3, 290/1.A, 137/383
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0613 Switch-over from one fuel to another F02D19/081 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0647 the gaseous fuel being liquefied petroleum gas [LPG], liquefied natural gas [LNG], compressed natural gas [CNG] or dimethyl ether [DME]
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0676 Multi-way valves; Switch-over valves
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 13/08 Carburettors adapted to use liquid and gaseous fuels, e.g. alternatively
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0491 Valve or valve element assembling, disassembling, or replacing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87684 Valve in each inlet

Abstract

A fuel selector for use with a dual fuel generator includes a selector plate, a first fuel valve assembly positioned adjacent the selector plate and actuatable between an ON position and an OFF position to selectively control a first fuel flow to an engine of the dual fuel generator, and a second fuel valve assembly positioned adjacent the selector plate and actuatable between an ON position and an OFF position to selectively control a second fuel flow to the engine of the dual fuel generator. A selector switch coupled to the selector plate is linearly translatable from a first position to a second position, so as to enable positioning of only one of the first fuel valve assembly and the second fuel valve assembly in the ON position at a given time, such that the first and second fuel valve assemblies cannot be in the ON position concurrently.

Claims

1. A fuel selector for use with a dual fuel generator, the fuel selector comprising:

a first fuel valve having open and closed positions to selectively control a first fuel flow to an engine of the dual fuel generator;

a second fuel valve having open and closed positions to selectively control a second fuel flow to the engine of the dual fuel generator;

a first valve handle coupled to the first fuel valve and actuatable between an ON position and an OFF position to selectively open and close the first fuel valve, respectively;

a second valve handle coupled to the second fuel valve and actuatable between an ON position and an OFF position to selectively open and close the second fuel valve, respectively;

a selector plate positioned adjacent the first and second valve handles; and

a selector switch positioned adjacent the first and second fuel valves to allow a user to manually select one of the first fuel flow and the second fuel flow;

wherein the selector switch is coupled to the selector plate so as to be movable from a first position to a second position, with movement of the selector switch between the first and second positions enabling positioning of only one of the first valve handle and the second valve handle in the ON position at a given time.

2. The fuel selector of claim 1 wherein the selector switch comprises:

a front surface and a back surface;

a groove located in the back surface; and

wherein the groove engages the first valve handle to lock it in an OFF position when the selector switch is in the second position; and

wherein the groove engages the second valve handle to lock it in an OFF position when the selector switch is in the first position.

3. The fuel selector of claim 2 wherein the first and second valve handles have a vertical orientation when in the ON position and have a horizontal orientation when in the OFF position, with the groove being able to engage the first and second valve handles when in their horizontal orientation.

4. The fuel selector of claim 3 wherein an interaction between the groove and the first and second valve handles prevents translation of the selector switch unless both of the first and second valve handles are oriented horizontally in the OFF position.

5. The fuel selector of claim 1 wherein, when the selector switch is in the first position, the first fuel valve assembly is actuatable between the ON position and the OFF position and the second fuel valve assembly is prohibited from being in the ON position;

and

wherein, when the selector switch is in the second position, the first fuel valve assembly is prohibited from being in the ON position and the second fuel valve assembly is actuatable between the ON position and the OFF position.

6. The fuel selector of claim 1 wherein the first fuel valve assembly is attached to a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuel source;

and

wherein the second fuel valve assembly is attached to a gasoline source.

7. The fuel selector of claim 1 further comprising a carburetor solenoid switch coupled to the selector plate adjacent and extending out of a front surface thereof, the carburetor solenoid switch comprising a depressible switch configured to activate an associated solenoid when depressed.

8. The fuel selector of claim 7 wherein when the selector switch is in the first position so as to prohibit the second fuel valve assembly from being in the ON position, the selector switch depresses the carburetor solenoid switch, so as to activate the carburetor solenoid and stop the flow of the gasoline fuel source.

9. A method of controlling fuel flow in a dual fuel generator, the method comprising:

providing a first fuel valve assembly to control fuel flow from a first fuel source to an internal combustion engine of the dual fuel generator, the first fuel valve assembly including a first fuel valve handle movable between an ON position and an OFF position to control fuel flow from the first fuel source to the internal combustion engine;

providing a second fuel valve assembly to control fuel flow from a second fuel source to the internal combustion engine of the dual fuel generator, the second fuel valve assembly including a second fuel valve handle movable between an ON position and an OFF position to control fuel flow from the second fuel source to the internal combustion engine; and

providing a fuel selector switch adjacent the first fuel valve assembly and the second fuel valve assembly such that the fuel selector switch is translatable to a first position and a section position;

wherein the fuel selector switch is translatable between the first position and the section position to selectively inhibit actuation of the first fuel valve handle and the second fuel valve handle, so as to prevent a simultaneous flow of fuels from the first and second fuel sources to the internal combustion engine.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein providing the fuel selector switch further comprises:

positioning a selector plate adjacent the first fuel valve assembly and the second fuel valve assembly; and

coupling the fuel selector switch to the selector plate such that the fuel selector switch is slidingly engaged to the selector plate to enable translation thereof to the first position and the section position;

wherein translation of the fuel selector switch to the first position allows for positioning of the first fuel valve handle in its ON position and OFF position and prevents positioning of the second fuel valve handle in its ON position; and

wherein translation of the fuel selector switch to the second position allows for positioning of the second fuel valve handle in its ON position and OFF position and prevents positioning of the first fuel valve handle in its ON position.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein translation of the fuel selector switch to the first position positions the fuel selector switch over the second fuel valve handle so as to prevent actuation thereof and translation of the fuel selector switch to the second position positions the fuel selector switch over the first fuel valve handle so as to prevent actuation thereof.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the fuel provided by the first fuel source comprises liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and the fuel provided by the second fuel source comprises gasoline, such that the first fuel valve assembly controls the flow of LPG to the internal combustion engine and the second fuel valve assembly controls the flow of gasoline to the internal combustion engine.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing a carburetor solenoid shutoff switch to disable a flow of gasoline from the second fuel source to the internal combustion engine, wherein positioning of the fuel selector switch in the first position activates the carburetor solenoid shutoff switch.

14. A dual fuel generator comprising:

a first fuel source;

a second fuel source;

an internal combustion engine coupled to the first fuel source and the second fuel source to selectively receive fuel therefrom; and

a fuel selector configured to control a flow of fuel from one of the first and second fuel sources to the internal combustion engine, wherein the fuel selector comprises;

a first fuel valve assembly including a first fuel valve and a first fuel valve handle, the first fuel valve handle being actuatable between an open position and a closed position to selectively open and close the first fuel valve;

a second fuel valve assembly including a second fuel valve and a second fuel valve handle, the second fuel valve handle being actuatable between an open position and a closed position to selectively open and close the second fuel valve;

a selector switch positioned to control actuation of the first and second fuel valve handles to selectively open and close the first and second fuel valves;

a selector plate to which the first fuel valve assembly and the second fuel valve assembly are coupled to a front side thereof, wherein the selector switch slideably coupled to the selector plate so as to be movable from a first position to a second position; and

a carburetor fuel shutoff solenoid that is activated when the selector switch is moved to the second position, when the second fuel source is being provided to the internal combustion engine;

wherein positioning of the selector switch in the first position causes the selector switch to cover the second fuel valve handle so as to prevent the second fuel valve handle from moving to the open position; and

wherein positioning of the selector switch in the second position causes the selector switch to cover the first fuel valve handle so as to prevent the first fuel valve handle from moving to the open position.

15. The dual fuel generator of claim 14 wherein the first fuel source is one of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and gasoline and the second fuel source is the other of LPG and gasoline.

16. The dual fuel generator of claim 14 wherein the selector switch comprises:

a front side and a back side; and

a groove located on the back side and configured to selectively engage the first fuel valve handle and the second fuel valve handle;

wherein movement of the first fuel valve handle and the second fuel valve handle to the open position is prohibited when engaged by the groove.

17. The dual fuel generator of claim 14 wherein an interaction between the groove and the first and second fuel valve handles prevents translation of the selector switch unless both of the first and second valve handles are in the closed position.

18. The dual fuel generator of claim 14 wherein the first and second valve assemblies are in the open position when their respective valve handles are positioned vertically and the first and second valve assemblies are in the closed position when their respective valve handles are positioned horizontally.

19. A fuel selector for use with a dual fuel generator, the fuel selector comprising:

a first fuel valve having open and closed positions to selectively control a first fuel flow to an engine of the dual fuel generator;

a second fuel valve having open and closed positions to selectively control a second fuel flow to the engine of the dual fuel generator;

a selector switch positioned to control actuation of the first and second fuel valves to select one of the first fuel flow and the second fuel flow;

a first valve handle coupled to the first fuel valve and actuatable between an ON position and an OFF position to selectively open and close the first fuel valve, respectively;

a second valve handle coupled to the second fuel valve and actuatable between an ON position and an OFF position to selectively open and close the second fuel valve, respectively; and

a selector plate positioned adjacent the first and second valve handles;

wherein the selector switch is coupled to the selector plate so as to be movable from a first position to a second position, with movement of the selector switch between the first and second positions enabling positioning of only one of the first valve handle and the second valve handle in the ON position at a given time.