Venturi liquid evacuator system for maintaining clear vapor path in vapor recovery hose
AssigneeGilbarco Inc.
InventorsRoger W. Furrow, Harold R. Young, G. Frank Dye
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a coaxial hose system for a fuel distribution system, a product delivery hose is centrally located within a vapor recovery hose, whereby the area between the product and vapor hoses provides a return path for vapors developed at a nozzle during refueling of a vehicle. A venturi pump is located in the product hose, and operable over a range of flow rate of the fuel through the product hose, for sucking fuel back into the product hose from an area of the vapor path where fuel may accumulate due to backflow from the nozzle, thereby substantially insuring a clear vapor path and more complete delivery of metered fuel.
Claims11
A fuel dispensing system comprising:
- nozzle means for dispensing fuel;
- a product hose for delivering fuel from a storage tank to said nozzle means via a pump;
- a vapor recovery hose coaxial with and containing said product hose, and connected to said nozzle means for providing a vapor path in the space between said product and vapor recovery hoses, for removing vapors developed at said nozzle means during the fueling of a vehicle;
- and
- pump means coaxially located in a fuel flow path of said product hose, and operable by and over a range of flow rate of said fuel through said product hose, said pump means including means for sucking fuel into said product hose from an area of said vapor path which tends to be at a low point where fuel may accumulate due to backflow from said nozzle means during a refueling operation, thereby substantially ensuring a clear vapor path.
In a fuel dispensing system including nozzle means for delivering fuel into a vehicle fuel tank, a vapor hose connected to said nozzle means for providing a pathway for vapors developed at said nozzle means during the fueling process for carrying the vapors either to a collection point or an associated central fuel storage tank, and a product hose providing a fuel flow path located within and coaxial with said vapor hose for delivering fuel via a pump from said storage tank to said nozzle means, wherein the improvement comprises:
- venturi pump means both located within and coaxial with the fuel flow path of said product hose, said venturi pump means including an inlet port coupled via tubing means for providing a pathway to an area of the vapor path of said vapor recovery hose which tends to be at a low point where liquid fuel may accumulate, due to backflow from said nozzle means during operation of said fuel dispensing system, said venturi pump means being operative over a range of flow rate of said fuel for sucking accumulated fuel via said tubing means from said vapor hose into said product hose for delivery to said nozzle means, thereby ensuring the maintenance of a clear vapor path within said vapor hose.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.