Forecourt fuel pumps
OwnerGraham William Osborneinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A forecourt fuel pump has a casing locating means for metering and delivering to a flexible hose liquid fuel to be dispensed, and a processing unit arranged to monitor and control the delivery of fuel and the display of information concerning that delivery. The pump is provided with at least one sensor for an environmental parameter associated with the pump, such as the sensing of hydrocarbon liquids in the casing. Further sensors external of the pump may be provided to sense other parameters such as the presence of hydrocarbon vapor or liquids. Each sensor provides an output which is supplied to the processing unit which is arranged to monitor the output and provide an indication if the sensed value falls outside a pre-set range.
Claims14
A forecourt fuel pump including a casing, a flexible hose for liquid fuel to be dispensed, a metering and delivery system disposed within the casing for pumping fuel to the flexible hose, and a processing unit arranged to monitor and control the delivery of fuel to the hose as well as to display information concerning the volume and cost of such delivery, wherein the pump is provided with a first sensor within said casing but external to the metering and delivery system, said first sensor being arranged to sense free hydrocarbon vapor within the casing of the fuel pump, said first sensor providing an electrical output dependent upon the concentration of the hydrocarbon vapor within the casing and sensed by said first sensor, and the processing unit is arranged to monitor the electrical output and to provide an indication if the sensed concentration of the hydrocarbon vapor exceeds a pre-set value.
A method of operating a forecourt fuel pump including a casing, a flexible hose for liquid fuel to be dispensed, a metering and delivery system disposed within the casing for pumping fuel to the flexible hose, and a processing unit arranged to monitor and control the delivery of fuel to the hose as well as to display information concerning the volume and cost of such delivery, which pump is provided with a first sensor within said casing but external to the metering and delivery system, said first sensor being arranged to sense free hydrocarbon vapor within the casing of the fuel pump and to provide an electrical output dependent thereon, in which method the processing unit periodically determines the electrical output of said first sensor and compares that electrical output with a pre-determined acceptable range of values for the output from the first sensor, the processing unit providing an indication if the sensed concentration of the hydrocarbon vapor exceeds a pre-set value.
A forecourt fuel pump comprising:
- a casing;
- a flexible delivery hose for fuel to be dispensed;
- a liquid fuel metering and delivery system located within the casing and arranged to deliver liquid fuel to the flexible delivery hose;
- a processing unit arranged to monitor and control the delivery of fuel by said delivery system, as well as to display information concerning the volume and cost of such delivery;
- a first sensor within the casing but external to the metering and delivery system, which first sensor senses free hydrocarbon vapor within the casing of the fuel pump;
- a second sensor also provided within the casing but external to the metering and delivery system, which second sensor senses one of temperature within the casing and liquid level within a lower region of the casing;
- a further sensor arranged to sense an environmental parameter external to the metering and delivery system, but which parameter is directly concerned with the safety of operation of the fuel pump;
- and
- each of said first, second and further sensors providing a respective electrical output which is supplied to the processing unit and the processing unit is arranged to monitor each said electrical output and provide an indication if the output of the respective sensor falls outside a pre-set range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.