Locking fuel pump dispenser

• US 8,844,587 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2013
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Patent Investor LLC
• Original Assignee: James A. Mccommons
• Inventors: McCommons, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maust, Timothy L
• Assistant Examiner(s): KELLY, TIMOTHY PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US14/069,466
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 141206-226, 141346-347, 141/371, 141/383, 141/392, 220/86.2
• US Class Current: 141/347
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/065 acting on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/42 Filling nozzles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle and especially to a locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle having a locking mechanism for automatically locking a fuel nozzle spout in the vehicle filler tube whenever fuel is being pumped into the vehicle filler tube and fuel tank and which can be unlocked only when fuel pressure from the fuel pump is cut off.

Claims

1. A locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle having:

a nozzle connected to a fuel pump and having an elongated spout for insertion into a vehicle filler tube having an annular restrictive opening therein, said nozzle having a manually actuating valve for controlling the flow of fuel from the fuel pump through the nozzle into the vehicle filler tube, the improvement comprising;

a locking mechanism for locking the elongated spout in the vehicle filler tube when filling a vehicle fuel tank, said locking mechanism having a spring biased locking wedge in said elongated spout adapted to extend between an unlocked and a locked position, and said locking mechanism having a slidable actuator coupled to a spring biased slip ring located in said elongated spout and positioned to slide against and move said spring biased locking wedge from an unlocked to a locked position, said locking mechanism having a piston in said nozzle spout coupled to said spring biased slip ring and to said slidable actuator to move said slidable actuator and move said spring biased locking wedge from an unlocked to a locked position when fluid pressure is applied to said piston; and

a piston return spring biasing said piston to a retracted position upon the release of fuel pressure thereagainst to allow said spring biased slip ring and slidable actuator to retract to allow said spring biased locking wedge to move from a locked position to an unlocked position;

whereby said elongated spout is locked into said vehicle fuel tank filler tube whenever fuel is flowing through the nozzle into the vehicle filler tube and is unlocked only upon the absence of fuel pressure in the nozzle.

2. The locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle in accordance with claim 1 in which said slidable actuator is slidable on said spring biased slip ring allowing slippage between said piston and said slidable actuator.

3. The locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle in accordance with claim 2 including an outer sliding sleeve slidably mounted over said elongated spout to cover said spring biased locking wedge in an unlocked position.

4. The locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle in accordance with claim 3 in which said outer sliding sleeve is spring biased to return said outer sliding sleeve over said spring biased locking wedge when said spring biased locking wedge is retracted into an unlocked position.

5. The locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle in accordance with claim 4 in which said elongated spout has an end stop to hold said outer sliding sleeve over said spring biased locking wedge in an unlocked position.

6. The locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle in accordance with claim 5 in which said nozzle has a piston housing for housing said piston therein.

7. The locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle in accordance with claim 6 including a fuel pressure tube connecting a nozzle fuel input to said piston housing for applying pressure to said piston when said nozzle has fuel under pressure from said fuel pump.

8. The locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle in accordance with claim 7 in which said spring biased locking wedge is attached to a leaf spring mounted in an opening in said elongated spout.

9. The locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle in accordance with claim 8 in which said slidable actuator has a generally cylinder end portion which slides against said leaf spring thereby moving said leaf spring and said spring biased locking wedge from an unlocked to a locked position when said outer sliding sleeve is withdrawn and said piston moved by fuel pressure in said nozzle.

10. The locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle in accordance with claim 9 in which said outer sliding sleeve is sized to be blocked by the filler tube restrictive opening therein to thereby slide said outer sliding sleeve on said nozzle tube over said spring biased locking wedge.