# US 11,440,790 B2 · Devices and methods for heating fuel hoses and nozzles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,790 B2 - Document ID: US11440790B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/822,918 - Filed: 2020-03-18 - Published: 2020-07-09 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-18 - Assignees: Wayne Fueling Systems LLC - Applicants: Wayne Fueling Systems LLC - Inventors: Artemus A. Shelton; Randal S. Kretzler; Jeffrey Reiter; Daniel Holmes; Bengt I. Larsson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440790B2 ## CPC - B67D 7/82: Heating only - B67D 7/42: Filling nozzles - B67D 7/84: Casings, cabinets or frameworks; Trolleys or like movable supports - F16L 53/38: using elongate electric heating elements, e.g. wires or ribbons - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F) - F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract Various exemplary devices and methods for heating fuel hoses and nozzles are provided. In general, the devices and methods for heating fuel hoses and nozzles can be configured to heat fluid dispensable by a user into a fuel tank or other type of container. In some embodiments, a fuel dispensing device can include a first passageway configured to pass fluid therethrough and can include a second passageway configured to pass heated air therethrough. The heated air passing through the second passageway can be configured to heat the fluid passing through the first passageway. In some embodiments, a fuel dispensing device can include a single hose configured to pass fluid and heated air through separate passageways therein, and the device can include a manifold configured to facilitate passage of the fluid and the heated air from separate sources into the single hose. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fluid dispensing method, comprising: passing fluid into a first passageway of a hose and then into a nozzle configured to dispense the fluid out of the nozzle and into a vehicle; passing air into a second passageway of the hose, the first passageway being separate from the second passageway such that the air within the second passageway cannot mix with the fluid within the first passageway; sensing a temperature outside of the hose and outside of the nozzle; and automatically causing a heat element to heat the air when the sensed temperature is below a predetermined threshold temperature such that the heated air heats fluid within the first passageway, the air not being heated using the heat element when the sensed temperature is above the predetermined threshold temperature. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein passing air into the second passageway comprises pumping unheated air from an air supply and into the second passageway. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing a temperature of fluid within the first passageway; and automatically causing the heat element to heat the air when the sensed temperature of the fluid is below a second predetermined threshold temperature such that the heated air heats fluid within the first passageway, the air not being heated using the heat element when the sensed temperature of the fluid is above the second predetermined threshold temperature. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heat element comprises a heat cable. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heat element comprises positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the heated air to exit the second passageway and into a nozzle boot in which the nozzle is seated. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein sensing the temperature comprises at least one of (a) a sensor attached to the nozzle boot sensing the temperature, and (b) a sensor attached to the nozzle adjacent an exit opening formed in the nozzle through which the heated air exits the nozzle and passes into the nozzle boot, and (c) a sensor attached to the nozzle adjacent an intake opening through which the heated air enters the nozzle from the hose. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the temperature comprises using a sensor to sense the temperature; and automatically causing the heat element to heat the air comprises a processor causing the heat element to begin providing heat in response to determining that the temperature sensed by the sensor is below the predetermined threshold temperature. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising, after the processor has caused the heat element to begin providing heat, the processor causing the heat element to stop providing heat in response to determining that the temperature sensed by the sensor is above the predetermined threshold temperature. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising diverting the first and second passageways using a flow diverting element such that distal to the flow diverting element, the second passageway is disposed within the first passageway in the hose, and proximal to the flow diverting element, the first passageway is disposed within the second passageway in the nozzle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the nozzle is configured to be rotated about a longitudinal axis of the hose at a movable element that is located distal to the nozzle and proximal to the flow diverting element. ### Claim 13 A fluid dispensing system, comprising: a first rigid tube configured to receive, in a first inner lumen of the first rigid tube, fluid from a fluid supply; a second rigid tube configured to pass air therethrough in a second inner lumen of the second rigid tube; a flexible hose with a first passageway therein that is in fluid communication with the first inner lumen of the first rigid tube such that fluid in the first inner lumen is configured to flow therefrom into the first passageway, and a second passageway therein that is in fluid communication with the second inner lumen of the second rigid tube such that air in the second inner lumen is configured to flow therefrom into the second passageway, the second passageway being separate from the first passageway such that the air within the second passageway cannot mix with the fluid within the first passageway; a nozzle configured to receive the fluid from the first passageway of the flexible hose and to dispense the received fluid out of an opening of the nozzle and into a vehicle, and the nozzle being configured to receive the air from the second passageway of the flexible hose and release the air out of an opening of the nozzle; and a heat element configured to heat the air in the second passageway such that the heated air can heat fluid within the first passageway, wherein the heat element is configured to heat the air in the second passageway after the air has passed into the second passageway from the second inner lumen of the second rigid tube. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising an air supply including an air intake opening into which ambient air is allowed to enter before passing from the air supply into the second inner lumen of the second rigid tube. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising a flow diverting element configured to divert the first and second passageways such that distal to the flow diverting element in the flexible hose the second passageway is disposed within the first passageway and proximal to the flow diverting element in the nozzle the first passageway is disposed within the second passageway; and a movable element located distal to the nozzle and proximal to the flow diverting element, the movable element being configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the flexible hose so as to allow the nozzle to be selectively oriented relative to the flexible hose, and the first and second passageways extending through the movable element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the fluid comprises diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the heat element comprises a heat cable. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the heat element comprises positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater. ### Claim 19 A fluid dispensing method, comprising: pumping unheated air from a second inner lumen of a second rigid tube into a second passageway of a flexible hose, wherein a first rigid tube is configured to receive, in a first inner lumen of the first rigid tube, fluid from a fluid supply, a first passageway in the flexible hose is in fluid communication with the first inner lumen of the first rigid tube such that fluid in the first inner lumen is configured to flow therefrom into the first passageway, the second passageway is in the flexible hose and is in fluid communication with the second inner lumen of the second rigid tube such that air in the second inner lumen is configured to flow therefrom into the second passageway, the second passageway being separate from the first passageway such that the air within the second passageway cannot mix with the fluid within the first passageway, a nozzle is configured to receive the fluid from the first passageway of the flexible hose and to dispense the received fluid out of an opening of the nozzle and into a vehicle, and the nozzle is configured to receive the air from the second passageway of the flexible hose and release the air out of an opening of the nozzle, and a heat element is configured to heat the air in the second passageway such that the heated air can heat fluid within the first passageway, and the heat element is disposed within and extends along a longitudinal length of the second passageway of the flexible hose such that the air in the second passageway is heated by the heat element after the unheated air enters the second passageway from the second inner lumen.