Flexible dispenser modules
AssigneeTokheim Holding B.V.
InventorDean P. Stanley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel-dispenser station which comprises one or more fuel hoses with fuel-dispenser nozzles useable to control a flow of fuel, which has been purchased from a fuel vendor, from the fuel vendor's fuel storage tank to the customer's fuel storage reservoir. The fuel-dispenser station comprises one or more hydraulics modules, fuel-hose modules, and/or head electronics modules. Each of the modules of the fuel-dispenser station constitutes a subsystem of the fuel-dispenser station and comprises a module frame-structure to which all of the other components of the module are engaged. Such a module of a fuel dispenser station can be assembled as a unit before being mounted to the fuel-dispenser station and can further be removed from the fuel-dispenser station as an assembled unit.
Claims38
A fuel-dispenser station useable by a customer to transfer fuel, which the customer has purchased from a fuel vendor, from the fuel vendors fuel-storage tank to a fuel reservoir of the customer, said fuel-dispenser station comprising:
- fuel-dispenser station frame-structure to which other components of said fuel-dispenser station are directly or indirectly engaged and from which said other components of said fuel-dispenser station derive support directly or indirectly;
- a hydraulics system through which fuel is transferred between the fuel vendors fuel-storage tank and one or more fuel dispenser hoses when said fuel-dispenser station is operated;
- a hydraulics module that comprises a hydraulics-module frame-structure and hydraulics components of said hydraulics system that are mounted to and supported by said hydraulics module frame structure;
- wherein said hydraulics module comprises one or more pairs of an inlet connection-component and an outlet connection component which are engaged directly or indirectly to and are supported directly or indirectly by said hydraulics-module frame-structure;
- wherein said inlet connection-component and said outlet connection-component of each pair of an inlet connection-component and an outlet connection-component of said hydraulics module are in fluid communication with one another through a fuel-flow path defined through a series of hydraulics components connected in series between said inlet-connection-component and said outlet connection-component;
- wherein all active and reactive hydraulics components of said hydraulics system that are downstream of said inlet connection-components of said hydraulics module are connected in series between said inlet connection-component and said outlet connection-component;
- wherein said hydraulics components that are connected in series between said one or more pairs of an inlet connection-component and an outlet-connection-component are engaged directly or indirectly to and derive support directly or indirectly from said hydraulics-module frame structure;
- and
- wherein said hydraulics module further comprises any and all electrical connections-components and/or mechanical connection-components necessary to connect all components of said hydraulics module to one another to enable proper functioning of said fuel-dispenser station.
A fuel-dispenser station useable by a customer to transfer fuel, which the customer has purchased from a fuel vendor, from the fuel vendors fuel-storage tank to a fuel reservoir of the customer, said fuel-dispenser station comprising:
- fuel-dispenser station frame structure to which other components of said fuel-dispenser station are directly or indirectly engaged and from which said other components of said fuel-dispenser station derive support directly or indirectly;
- a hydraulics system through which fuel flows as it is transferred from the fuel vendor's fuel-storage tank to the customer's fuel reservoir;
- a fuel-hose module which comprises one or more fuel hoses, one or more fuel-dispenser nozzles, nozzle-hanging structure, and a hose-module frame structure to which said fuel hoses, said fuel-dispenser nozzles, and said nozzle-hanging structure are all directly or indirectly engaged and from which said fuel hoses, said fuel-dispenser nozzles, and said nozzle-hanging structure directly or indirectly derive support;
- wherein said fuel-hose module further comprises an inlet connection-component for each of said fuel hoses of said fuel-hose module;
- wherein each of said inlet connection-components of said fuel-hose module is mounted directly or indirectly to said hose-module frame-structure, is in fluid communication with an inlet end of one of said fuel hoses and is connected to and in fluid communication with an outlet connection-component of said hydraulics system and receives fuel therefrom when fuel is being transferred from the fuel vendor's fuel-storage tank to the customer's fuel reservoir;
- wherein said fuel-hose module further comprises any and all electrical connections-components and/or mechanical connection-components necessary to connect all components of said fuel-hose module to one another to enable proper functioning of said fuel-dispenser station;
- and
- said hose-module frame structure is releasably engaged directly or indirectly to said fuel-dispenser station frame-structure.
A hydraulics module for inclusion as part of a fuel-dispenser station and for connection between a fuel-storage tank and one or more fuel hoses of the fuel-dispenser station so that fuel flows from the fuel-storage tank, through the hydraulics module, and subsequently to one or more of the fuel hoses of the fuel dispenser station, when the fuel-dispenser station is operated to transfer fuel from the fuel-storage tank to a customer's fuel reservoir, said hydraulics module comprising:
- a hydraulics-module frame-structure;
- hydraulics components that are all directly or indirectly engaged to and derive support directly or indirectly from said hydraulics-module frame-structure;
- wherein said hydraulics components comprise one or more pairs of an inlet connection-component and an outlet connection-component;
- wherein said hydraulics components comprise a flow-control valve and a fuel-metering device connected in series between said inlet connection-component and said outlet connection-component of each of said pairs of an inlet connection-component and an outlet connection-component;
- wherein each of said inlet connection-components is in fluid communication with its complimentary outlet connection-component through a fuel-flow path that is defined through hydraulics components, including said flow-control valve and said fuel-metering device, connected in series between said inlet connection-component and said outlet connection component;
- and
- wherein said hydraulics module further comprises any and all electrical connections-components and/or mechanical connection-components necessary to connect all components of said hydraulics module to one another to enable proper functioning of said fuel-dispenser station.
A fuel-hose module for inclusion in a fuel-dispenser station and for controlling flow of fuel from a hydraulics system of the fuel-dispenser station, through the fuel-hose module and into a customer's fuel reservoir, said fuel-hose module comprising:
- a hose-module frame structure;
- one or more fuel hoses, one or more fuel-dispenser nozzles, and one or more nozzle-hanging structures, all of which are directly or indirectly engaged to and directly or indirectly derive support from said hose-module frame structure;
- wherein each of said fuel-dispenser nozzles is attached to one of said fuel hoses at a dispensing end thereof and is in fluid communication with said fuel hose to which it is attached;
- wherein each of said nozzle-hanging structures is constructed and positioned such that one or more of said fuel-dispenser nozzles may be hung upon it when said fuel-dispenser nozzles are not in use;
- and
- one or more inlet connection components each of which is directly or indirectly mounted to and directly or indirectly derives support from said hose-module frame-structure and each of which is in fluid communication with an inlet end of one of said fuel hoses;
- and
- wherein said fuel-hose module further comprises any and all electrical connections-components and/or mechanical connection-components necessary to connect all components of said fuel-hose module to one another to enable proper functioning of said fuel-dispenser station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.