Abstract:
Method and apparatus are provided for limiting vehicle selector lever operation during fueling. The apparatus comprises, two levers for detecting whether (i) the vehicle selector lever is in the park position, and (ii) a cap is on the vehicle fuel filler pipe, two locking keys coupled to the levers receiving information therefrom to enable or disable the vehicle selector lever and fuel filler lid depending upon the lever outputs, thereby, disabling the vehicle fuel filler lid when the vehicle selector lever is not in park position and disabling the vehicle selector lever when a cap is not on the vehicle fuel filler pipe.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention generally relates to vehicle fueling safety and, more particularly, to disabling the operation of a vehicle selector lever during fueling without forcing the engine off. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Most fueling stations are self-service and customers may drive their cars right after fueling without removing the pump nozzle. 
     Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an apparatus and method that disables the vehicle selector lever when fueling, or when fueling is about to take place. In addition, it is desirable that the fueling safety system automatically reset so that the vehicle selector lever can once again be operated. Other desirable features and characteristics of the invention will be apparent from the following descriptions and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     A number of attempts have been made in the prior art to improve safe fueling procedures. Some examples include the disclosures of the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,990,945 (Kropinski) 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,577 (Madison). 
     These patents describe various methods and types of apparatuses for limiting engine operation during fueling for safety purposes by turning on a visual warning during the ongoing fueling operation. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention, in the field of safe vehicle fueling, to provide an improved fueling assembly for fueling conventional vehicles without requiring costly retrofitting of the vehicle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An apparatus is provided for limiting vehicle selector lever operation during fueling. The apparatus comprises, two levers for detecting whether (i) the vehicle selector lever is in the park position, and (ii) a cap is on the vehicle fuel filler pipe. Two locking keys coupled to the levers receive information therefrom to enable or disable the vehicle selector lever and a fuel filler lid depending upon the lever outputs, thereby, disabling the vehicle fuel filler lid when the vehicle selector lever is not in park position and disabling the vehicle selector lever when a cap is not on the vehicle fuel filler pipe. 
     A method is provided for limiting the vehicle selector lever operation during fueling. In a first embodiment, the method comprises determining whether a vehicle selector lever is in the park position, and if so, whether the vehicle fuel filler lid is open, and if so, whether a cap is on the vehicle fuel filler pipe, and if not, disabling operation of the vehicle selector lever. If the vehicle selector lever is not in a park position, the opening of the vehicle fuel filler lid is disabled. This invention has a mechanical base not electrical, so it would be easy to install and without a need for electricity. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures. The invention will be readily understood from the descriptions and drawings. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a selector lever of a vehicle in a park position. 
         FIGS. 2A-B , and C illustrate cross-sectional views of a vehicle selector lever in park and drive positions, a selector lever locking key, and a fuel filler lid enabling lever according to the present invention for enabling or disabling the fuel filler lid opener lever inside the car (if equipped) and/or unlocking or locking the vehicle fuel filler lid, if it is not equipped with a fuel filler lid opener lever inside the car. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a fuel filler lid opener lever inside the car (if equipped). 
         FIGS. 4A-B  illustrate a vehicle fuel filler lid equipped with either a double slot clamp (if equipped with the fuel filler lid opener lever inside the car) or a one slot clamp (if not equipped with the fuel filler lid opener lever inside the car). 
         FIGS. 5A-B  illustrate cross-sectional views of a vehicle fuel filler lid in closed and opened positions with a double slot clamp (if equipped with the fuel filler lid opener lever inside the car) along with the springs, locking keys, cables, vehicle selector lever enabling lever, and a cap that is closed over the vehicle fuel filler pipe (enabling the vehicle selector lever). 
         FIGS. 6A-B  illustrate cross-sectional views of a vehicle fuel filler lid in an opened position with a double slot clamp (if equipped with the fuel filler lid opener lever inside the car) along with the springs, locking keys, cables, and a vehicle selector lever enabling lever when a cap is off and on the vehicle fuel filler pipe (disabling or enabling the vehicle selector lever operations respectively). 
         FIGS. 7A-B  illustrate cross-sectional views of a vehicle fuel filler lid in closed and opened positions with a single slot clamp (if not equipped with the fuel filler lid opener lever inside the car) along with the spring, locking key, cable, vehicle selector lever enabling lever, and a cap that is closed over the vehicle fuel filler pipe (enabling the vehicle selector lever). 
         FIGS. 8A-B  illustrate cross-sectional views of a vehicle fuel filler lid in an opened position with a single slot clamp (if not equipped with the fuel filler lid opener lever inside the car) along with the spring, locking key, cable and vehicle selector lever enabling lever when a cap is off and on the vehicle fuel filler pipe (disabling or enabling the vehicle selector lever operations respectively). 
         FIGS. 9 and 10  illustrate the various elements of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary, or the following detailed description. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a vehicle selector lever  1  of a vehicle in a park position for fueling operation. The fueling operation cannot be started if the selector lever  1  is not in the park position according to the present invention. 
       FIGS. 2A-B , C illustrate cross-sectional views of a vehicle selector lever  1  in park and drive positions, and a fuel filler lid enabling lever  2  for enabling or disabling the fuel filler lid opener lever  3  (in  FIG. 3 ) inside the car (if equipped), and/or locking or unlocking the fuel filler lid  4  (in  FIG. 4 ) according to the present invention. With these simple devices, the fueling operations cannot be started, if the vehicle selector lever  1  is not in the park position for safety purposes. 
     An attached cable  5  to a fuel filler lid enabling lever  2  ( FIG. 2 ) would be in tension only if the vehicle selector lever  1  is in park position (as shown in  FIGS. 2B , C). In this case, a fuel filler lid opener lever  3  (in  FIG. 3 ) inside the car (if equipped) will be enabled, or a fuel filler lid  4  (in  FIG. 4 ) will be unlocked and can be opened manually (if not equipped with the fuel filler lid opener inside the car). 
     A cable  6  ( FIG. 2 ) from a vehicle selector lever enabling lever  7  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ) would be in tension if the fuel filler cap  8  is closed (as shown in  FIG. 5 ), and would be in normal position (without tension) if the fuel filler cap  8  is opened (as shown in  FIGS. 6A ,  8 A). Thus, the vehicle selector lever  1  has to be in a park position, otherwise the fuel filler lid  4  cannot be opened. If the fuel filler cap  8  is opened (as shown in  FIGS. 6A ,  8 A), the vehicle selector lever  1  would be disabled by a locking key  9  (as shown in  FIG. 2B ). 
     A spring  10  ( FIG. 2 ) turns the locking key  9  to a normal position (as shown in  FIG. 2B ) after opening the fuel filler cap  8  (as shown in  FIGS. 6A ,  8 A) and, in this case, the cable  6  will be without tension. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a fuel filler lid opener lever  3  inside the car (if equipped) along with a cable  11  that allows opening of the fuel filler lid  4  (as shown in  FIG. 5B ) provided that the vehicle selector lever  1  is in a park position. 
       FIGS. 4A-B  illustrate a fuel filler lid  4  equipped with either a double slot clamp  12  (if equipped with the fuel filler lid opener lever  3  inside the car), or a one slot clamp  13  (if not equipped with the fuel filler lid opener lever  3  inside the car) according to the present invention. Sections B-B, C-C, D-D, and E-E in  FIG. 4  show the invisible details, which are illustrated in  FIGS. 5 ,  6 ,  7 , and  8 . 
       FIGS. 5A-B  illustrate cross-sectional views of a fuel filler lid  4  in closed and opened positions and a double slot clamp  12  (if equipped with the fuel filler lid opener lever  3  inside the car) along with two springs  14  and  15  and two cables  5  and  11  from a fuel filler lid enabling lever  2  (in  FIG. 2 ) and a fuel filler lid opener lever  3  inside the car (in  FIG. 3 ), respectively. The fuel filler lid  4  can be opened (as shown in  FIG. 5B ) by the fuel filler lid opener lever  3  inside the car (in  FIG. 3 ) if and only if the vehicle selector lever  1  is in a park position (as shown in  FIGS. 2B , C). 
     The springs  14  and  15  turn the locking keys  16  and  17  to a normal position (as shown in  FIG. 5A ) if the vehicle selector lever  1  is not in a park position (as shown in  FIG. 2A ) and the fuel filler lid opener lever  3  inside the car is released, respectively. 
       FIGS. 6A-B  illustrate cross-sectional views of a fuel filler cap  8 , a fuel filler pipe  18 , a vehicle selector lever enabling lever  7 , a cable  6  that is connected to the vehicle selector lever locking key  9  (in  FIG. 2 ), and a double slot clamp  12 . Other cables and springs are described above. 
       FIG. 6A  (the fuel filler lid  4  and the fuel filler cap  8  are opened) illustrates the vehicle selector lever enabling lever  7  in a normal position without tension in cable  6  that disables the vehicle selector lever  1  by pushing forward the selector lever locking key  9  by a spring  10  (as shown in  FIG. 2B ). 
       FIG. 6B  illustrates a selector lever enabling lever  7  when the fuel filler lid  4  is opened and the fuel filler cap  8  is closed. In this case, the cable  6  would be in tension, so the vehicle selector lever  1  will be enabled by pulling back the selector lever locking key  9  (as shown in FIGS.  2 A,C). The cable  11  will turn to a normal position (without tension) after releasing the fuel filler lid opener lever  3  inside the car. 
       FIGS. 7A-B  illustrate cross-sectional views of a fuel filler lid  4  in closed and opened positions, a vehicle fuel filler cap  8  in a closed position, a one slot clamp  13  (if not equipped with a fuel filler lid opener lever  3  inside the car) along with a spring  14 , and two cables  5  and  6  that are attached to the fuel filler lid enabling lever  2  and the vehicle selector lever locking key  9  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ), respectively. 
     The fuel filler lid  4  ( FIG. 7B ) can be opened manually if and only if the vehicle selector lever  1  is in a park position (as shown in  FIGS. 2B , C). The spring  14  turns the locking key  16  to a normal position if the vehicle selector lever  1  is not in a park position (as shown in  FIG. 2A ). 
       FIGS. 8A-B  illustrate cross-sectional views of a fuel filler cap  8 , a fuel filler pipe  18 , a selector lever enabling lever  7 , two cables  5  and  6  that are connected to the fuel filler lid enabling lever  2  and the vehicle selector lever locking key  9  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ), respectively, and a one slot clamp  13 . 
       FIG. 8A  (the fuel filler lid  4  and the fuel filler cap  8  are opened) illustrates the vehicle selector lever enabling lever  7  in a normal position without tension in the cable  6  that disables the vehicle selector lever  1  by pushing forward the vehicle selector lever locking key  9  by the spring  10  (as shown in  FIG. 2B ).  FIG. 8B  shows the selector lever enabling lever  7  when the fuel filler lid  4  is opened, and the fuel filler cap  8  is closed (cable  6  is in tension), so the vehicle selector lever  1  will be enabled by pulling back the vehicle selector lever locking key  9  (as shown in FIGS.  2 A,C). 
       FIGS. 9 and 10  illustrate the different elements of this invention with and without a fuel filler lid opener lever  3  inside the car, respectively, to illustrate the relationship between the vehicle selector lever  1 , the fuel filler lid enabling lever  2 , the selector lever enabling lever  7 , the vehicle fuel filler lid  4 , and the fuel filler cap  8 .