Fuel dispensing nozzle

A fuel dispensing nozzle characterized by improved user friendliness comprising:

• (a) a housing comprising an elongate, hollow main housing portion open at its opposite ends and having top and bottom wall portions extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said main housing portion and an elongate handle portion connected at its opposite ends to said top wall portion of said main housing portion with the medial portion of said handle portion being spaced upwardly from said top wall portion of said main housing portion to define a hand grip adapted to be grasped by a user,
• (b) an elongate nozzle body portion mounted within said main housing portion and having a fuel passageway extending from an ingress end of said nozzle body portion to an egress end thereof substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said main housing portion, the ingress end of said nozzle body portion extending out of one open end of said main housing portion and being adapted to be connected to a hose for delivering fuel from a pump to said nozzle, said egress end of said body portion communicating with the other open end of said main housing portion,
• (c) a spout carried by said main housing portion and extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom said spout including a fuel dispensing passageway therethrough communicatively connected to said fuel passageway in said nozzle body portion for dispensing fuel into a vehicle fuel tank,
• (d) valve means mounted in said nozzle body portion for controlling the flow of fuel through said fuel passageway in said body portion, and
• (e) valve actuating means mounted on said nozzle body portion and connected to said valve means for operating said valve means to dispense fuel through said nozzle, said valve actuating means including trigger means extending upwardly from said body portion through said top wall portion of said main housing portion and toward said handle portion for ready access to a user holding said nozzle by said handle portion, whereby said nozzle may be grasped and used by a user without the hand of the user coming into contact with any portion of said nozzle through which fuel passes.

A fuel dispensing nozzle characterized by increased safety and environmental protection, said nozzle comprising:

• (a) a main body portion having a fuel passageway extending from an ingress end of said main body portion to an egress end thereof, the ingress end of said main body portion being adapted to be connected to a hose for delivering fuel from a pump to said nozzle,
• (b) a spout carried by the egress end of said main body portion and extending outwardly therefrom, said spout including a fuel dispensing passageway extending therethrough and being communicatively connected to said fuel passageway in said main body portion for dispensing fuel into a vehicle fuel tank,
• (c) main valve means mounted in said main body portion for controlling the flow of fuel through said fuel passageway in said main body portion,
• (d) main valve actuating means mounted on said main body portion and operatively connected to said main valve means and adapted to be operated by a user for actuating said main valve means to dispense fuel through said nozzle, and
• (e) attitude responsive means mounted in said nozzle and operatively connected to said main valve actuating means for preventing said main valve from being opened by said main valve actuating means except when said nozzle is in an attitude corresponding to the proper position for dispensing fuel into a vehicle fuel tank, whereby the inadvertent dispensing of fuel from said nozzle is prevented when the nozzle is not in proper position for dispensing fuel into a vehicle fuel tank.