FUELLING GUN

Abstract: The invention relates to a Fuelling gun which avoid "after-drip" when used. The fuelling gun comprises an outlet pipe (2) and a valve (3) which is disposed at the free end (10) of the outlet pipe (2). As a result the fuel within the outlet pipe (2) cannot drop when the fuelling gun is extracted from the fuel tank.

Description: This invention relates to a fuelling gun connected to the end of a fuel supply hose, said fuelling gun comprising an outlet pipe, a valve, means for operating said valve and means responsive to subatmospheric pressure for automatically closing said valve. In a similar, generally known fuelling gun, the valve is disposed in a handle, and the means for manually operating the valve are disposed under the handle. Furthermore, an open connecting line extends through the outlet pipe, namely, from the free end of the outlet pipe to a point in the vicinity of the valve, with the result that when the relevant end of the connecting line is closed as a result of the level of the liquid in the tank being filled, a subatmospheric pressure arises at the other end disposed in the vicinity of the valve, as a result of which the valve is closed. Such a known device has various disadvantages, the first of which is that there is always after-drip as a result of the fact that the valve is spaced from the outlet pipe end. A further disadvantage is that the valve is operated by hand, and so can easily be opened before the outlet pipe end is within the tank to be filled. A third drawback is that the valve construction is such that in the vicinity of the valve the fluid being supplied is greatly whirled in the fuelling gun, resulting in a certain degree of foaming which is apt to cause premature closure of the means responsive to subatmospheric pressure for closing the valve. It is an object of the present invention to remove the above drawbacks and disadvantages. To this effect, according to the invention, the fuelling gun is in the first place characterized in that the valve is disposed at the free end of the outlet pipe, whereby after-drip is prevented. Furthermore, the outlet pipe may be connected to the supply hose end by means of a first bellows, while further releasable means are provided on the outside of said outlet pipe for keeping said first bellows in an extended position. In this way, when the outlet pipe is inserted into the filling hole, the releasable means can be operated, whereby subsequently the bellows can be compressed as the outlet pipe is inserted farther into the filling hole. In a further elaboration of the present invention, the valve may be fixedly connected through a tube member extending through said outlet pipe to one end of a second bellows, disposed within said first bellows, the other closed end of which second bellows is fixedly connected to the supply hose end. In a further preferred embodiment, the gun is provided with an open connecting line within the tube member, which connecting line terminates at one end in the second bellows, and at the other end laterally of the outer surface of the valve. By virtue of this arrangement, an automatic closure of the outlet opening between the valve and the relevant outlet pipe end can be obtained. In yet another preferred embodiment, the first bellows is connected to the supply hose at a point spaced from the end of said supply hose and in sealing relationship therewith, and the supply hose portion extending within the bellows is provided at its circumference with one or more fluid passages, and furthermore, the end of the outlet pipe extending within the first bellows is laterally provided with one or more fluid passages. There is thus provided a flow path for the fluid between the supply hose and the outlet end of the outlet pipe. The fuelling gun according to the present invention as described above, is hand-operated and self-closing; contains detection means for detecting the presence of the outlet pipe in a filling hole; contains few, if any, movable mechanisms; its valve is not operated by a lever mechanism to be squeezed; there is no foaming within the gun, while there can be no after-drip. Some embodiments of the fuelling gun according to the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In said drawings, Figs. 1-4 each show diagrammatic longitudinal sectional views of a fuelling gun connected to a supply hose end, in four different phases during the operation of the fuelling gun; and Fig. 5 shows a similar longitudinal sectional view of a second embodiment. Referring to the drawings, and in particular Fig. 1, the fuelling gun according to the present invention comprises a housing 1, an outlet pipe 2, and a valve 3. Furthermore, the end of a fuel supply tube 4 terminates within the housing. This end is closed with a disc 5. Connected to disc 5 is a bellows 6, the other end of which is closed by a disc 7. Connected to the front end of disc 7, in open communication with the interior of bellows 6 is a tube member 8, the other end of which is fixedly connected to valve 3, and extends up to the front end 25 thereof. Extending through tube member 8 is an open connecting line 9, one end of which terminates within bellows 6, while the other end 26 terminates laterally of the outer surface of valve 3. In order to prevent this projecting end from being damaged, a protective ring 10 is provided, which is connected to outlet pipe 2 by means of brackets 11. Provided outwardly of bellows 6 is a bellows 12, one end of which is fixedly connected through an annular member 13 and a flat ring 14 to the supply hose end 4. The other bellows end is fixedly connected through an annular disc 15 to the outlet pipe 2. Provided between outwardly extended portions of ring 14 and disc 15 is a helical spring 16 which provides for an extension or stretching of bellows 12. This helical spring is covered by a shell 17 which also serves as a stop for the impression of spring 16 and bellows 12. Bellows 6 is also provided with a stop: in this case, hook-shaped members 18 are provided at the rim portion of plate 7, which members 18 are arranged to cooperate with the outwardly extended portion of disc 5. As shown in Fig. 1, a bumper plate 19 is provided on outlet pipe 2. Extending through a slot in the bumper plate is a lever 20, which is pivotable about a pivot 21 fixedly connected to outlet pipe 2. The end 22 of lever 20 remote from bumper plate 19 is arranged to cooperate with bellows 12 so that, in the inoperative position of the fuelling gun, bellows 12 is maintained in its extended position. Between disc 5 and ring 14, the supply hose end 4 is provided with passages 23. Similarly, the end of outlet pipe 2 extending within bellows 12 is provided with passages 24. Taking the above into consideration and referring to Fig. 1 and the diagrammatic Figs. 2, 3 and 4, on a reduced scale, the operation of the device will be clear: Fig. 1 shows the inoperative position of the device; Fig. 2 shows a position in which the outlet pipe has been inserted into a filling pipe of a fuel tank not shown and in which, after the actuation of lever 20, by pushing against bumper plate 19, the outlet pipe has been pushed inwardly, thereby compressing spring 16 and bellows 12. As a consequence, liquid flows from the supply hose end through passages 23, the space within bellows 12 and passages 24 to the outlet pipe (Fig. 2). During operation, as a result of the passing liquid a venturi effect will occur in tube member 8 adjacent to the front 25 of the valve 25: as a consequence of the presence of the open connecting line 9, however, this will have no consequences. When the tank is getting full and the fuel level rises therein, however, the open connecting line 9 is closed, as a consequence of which a subatmospheric pressure is generated and bellows 6 contracts with the result that valve 3 closes the outlet pipe 2 (Fig. 3). Thereafter, under the influence of the pressure of the fuel present within the supply hose end, bellows 12 and spring 16 will be returned to their starting positions (Fig. 4). It will be clear that a large number of modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Thus, for example, instead of helical spring 16, use can be made of a resiliently elastic bellows 12. Similarly, all sorts of alternatives can be conceived of for the various parts. For example reference is made to the construction shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5 from which, relative to Fig. 1, as in Figs. 2-4, the obvious, largely similar parts have been omitted. The construction shown in Fig. 5 differs from the construction described hereinbefore in that the second bellows is not fixedly connected to the supply hose end, but arranged for limited movement within the first bellows. This restricted movability is accomplished by using a rod 27, one end of which is fixedly connected to the supply hose end 4 by means of arms 28, while the other end of rod 27 is slidingly received in the second bellows 6 and is provided with a stop 29. Stop 29 cooperates with stop arms 30 connected to the end of the second bellows remote from rod 27. A further structural modification is that the connecting line 9 in Fig. 1-4 is no longer housed within the tube member (8 in Figs. 1-4) fixedly connected to the valve, but extends through outlet pipe 2 as a separate conduit 31.

Claims: 1. A fuelling gun connected to the end of a fuel supply hose (4), said fuelling gun comprising an outlet pipe (2), a valve (3), means for operating said valve, and means responsive to subatmospheric pressure for automatically closing said valve (3), characterized in that the valve (3) is disposed at the free end of the outlet pipe (2). 2. A fuelling gun as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the outlet pipe (2) is connected to the supply hose end by means of a first bellows (12). 3. A fuelling gun as claimed in claim 2, characterized by the provision of releasable means (20) on the outside of said outlet pipe (2) for keeping said first bellows (12) in an extended position. 4. A fuelling gun as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the valve (3) is fixedly connected through a tube member (8) extending through said outlet pipe (2) to one end of a second bellows (6), disposed within said first bellows (12), the other, closed end of which second bellows (6) is fixedly connected to the supply hose end (4). 5. A fuelling gun as claimed in claim 4, characterized by an open connecting line (9) provided within the tube member (8) extending through the valve (3) to the front end thereof, which connecting line (9) terminates at one end in the second bellows (6), and at the other end (26) laterally of the outer surface of said valve (3). 6. A fuelling gun as claimed in any of claims 2-5, characterized in that the first bellows (12) is connected to the supply hose (4) at a point spaced from the end of said supply hose (4) and in sealing relationship therewith and the supply hose portion extending within the bellows (12) is provided at its circumference with one or more fluid passages (23). 7. A fuelling gun as claimed in any of claims 2-6, characterized in that the end of the outlet pipe (2) extending within the first bellows (12) is laterally provided with one or more fluid passages (24).

Inventors: DELAHAYE, FRANS
Applicants: KOPPENS AUTOMATIC FABRIEKEN B.V.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B67D5
IPC codes: B67D7