Vapor recovery in a liquid dispensing unit
OwnerJames W. Healyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Vapors displaced from a volatile liquid container, such as a vehicle's fuel tank, during refilling of the container are recovered by a system employing a liquid jet gas pump to produce a suction in a vapor removal conduit. The liquid jet gas pump draws the vapors through the vapor conduit at a velocity which is sufficient to remove any liquids in the conduit, thereby preventing blockage of the conduit. Valving arrangements in the liquid jet gas pump make the system compatible with leak detection devices and regulate the vacuum in the vapor conduit to a predetermined maximum.
Claims9
A vapor recovery system for use with systems for dispensing volatile liquids, such as liquid fuels, from a reservoir wherein the liquid is pumped under pressure through a hose and discharged through a vapor recovery dispensing nozzle into the inlet of a container such as a fuel tank, the novel vapor recovery system comprising
- a liquid jet gas pump having its liquid inlet in communication with the pressurized liquid so as to receive a portion thereof, and
- a vapor conduit having one end in said nozzle and adapted to be placed in communication with the interior of said container when said nozzle is inserted into said inlet and the other end in communication with the vapor inlet of said jet pump,
- the outlet of said jet pump discharging into said reservoir,
- whereby vapor displaced from said container as it is filled will be drawn off through said conduit by suction created by the passage of said liquid through said jet pump.
A liquid jet gas pump for use in a vapor recovery system of a liquid dispensing unit wherein the liquid is pumped under pressure from a reservoir through a hose and discharged through a vapor recovery dispensing nozzle into the inlet of a container, such as a fuel tank, the vapor displaced from said reservoir being withdrawn through a vapor conduit having one end in said nozzle and adapted to be placed in communication with the interior of said container when said nozzle is inserted into said inlet, the novel jet pump comprising
- a housing having a liquid inlet in communication with the pressurized liquid so as to receive a portion thereof, and a vapor inlet which communicates with the other end of said vapor conduit,
- a mixing tube fixed at one end to said housing and communicating with the interior thereof, and communicating at its other end with said reservoir,
- a surge chamber within said housing adjacent said mixing tube and communicating with said vapor conduit through said vapor inlet,
- a valve seat having a jet orifice,
- said valve seat being spaced within said housing adjacent said surge chamber,
- said jet orifice being positioned over said mixing tube and communicating therewith through said surge chamber,
- a passage within said housing communicating at one end with said fuel inlet and at its other end with said jet orifice,
- a pilot valve disposed within said passage,
- said pilot valve being biased to a closed position against said valve seat in absence of a predetermined pressure within said passage,
- a needle valve disposed within said passage over said jet orifice,
- said needle valve biased to a first position in which delivery of fuel from said passage through said jet orifice is substantially unblocked,
- said needle valve moving toward a second position which increasingly blocks the flow of fuel from said passage through said jet orifice as the vacuum level within said surge chamber increases to a predetermined maximum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.