Fuel dispensing swivel breakaway assembly
AssigneeHealy Systems, Inc.
InventorJames W. Healy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A coaxial hose, dual plane, swivel breakaway assembly for use in combination with a fuel dispenser apparatus is disposed between a hose attached to a fuel dispenser unit and a nozzle. The swivel breakaway assembly 30 has body portions with a first, assembled condition and a second condition in which the body portions are separated. A fuel valve located in the dispenser-end body portion permits flow of fuel when the body portions are assembled and resists flow upon separation. An element securing the body portions together releases engagement upon application of tension force above a predetermined maximum level to the hose and nozzle across the swivel breakaway assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the hose is coaxial, and a vapor valve is also disposed within the swivel breakaway assembly.
Claims18
A swivel breakaway assembly for use in combination with a fuel dispenser apparatus, said swivel breakaway assembly comprising:
- a breakaway body having a first body portion and a second body portion,
- said first body portion and said second body portion, in an assembled state, defining a first conduit for flow of fuel from a fuel dispenser hose in communication with said first body portion to a fuel dispensing nozzle in communication with said second body portion, and defining a second conduit for flow of vapor from the fuel dispensing nozzle to the fuel dispenser hose,
- a fuel shut-off valve disposed in said first conduit and having a first, open position for flow of fuel when the first body portion and second body portion are in the assembled state and a second, closed position for resisting flow of fuel when the first body portion and second body portion are in a separated state, the fuel shut-off valve adapted to move from the first, open position to the second, closed position upon separation of the second body portion from the first body portion,
- a vapor shut-off valve disposed in said second conduit and having a first, open position for flow of vapor when the first body portion and second body portion are in the assembled state and a second, closed position for resisting flow of vapor when the first body portion and second body portion are in the separated state, the vapor shut-off valve adapted to move from the first, open position to the second, closed position upon separation of the second body portion from the first body portion, and
- a securement assembly securing the first body portion and the second body portion in the assembled state, said securement assembly responsive to a separation force of predetermined magnitude to permit separation of said second body portion from said first body portion, said securement assembly comprising a unitary shear member disposed in a pair of radially aligned orifices of the first body portion and the second body portion, the first body portion defining a plurality of radial orifices for use serially with a singular radial orifice of the second body portion.
A method for connecting a fuel dispensing nozzle to a fuel dispenser hose in a dual plane, swiveling engagement employing a breakaway assembly having a first body portion connected to the fuel dispenser hose and a second body portion connected to the fuel dispensing nozzle, the first body portion joined to the second body portion by releasable engagement responsive to a separation force of predetermined magnitude, said method comprising
- joining the first body portion and the second body portion with a securement assembly comprising a unitary shear member disposed in a pair of radially aligned orifices comprising one radial orifice of a series of radial orifices defined by the first body portion and a radial orifice defined by the second body portion, and
- after a drive-off incident in which a separation force of predetermined magnitude is applied to separate the second body portion from the first body portion, joining the first body portion to a second body portion with a replacement unitary shear member disposed in a pair of radially aligned orifices comprising another orifice of the series of radial orifices defined by the first body portion and the radial orifice defined by the second body portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.