Abstract:
A system and method for handling a hose, according to which the hose is clamped to a clamp and the clamp is moved between a first position in which the hose is retracted and a second position in which the hose is extended. Manual movement of the hose from its retracted position is sensed and the clamp is driven to its second position, and manual movement of the hose from its extended position is sensed and the clamp is driven to its first position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of provisional application Ser. No. 60/129,148 filed Apr. 14, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates to a hose handling system and method and, more particularly, to such a system and method utilizing power assistance to aid in handling a hose. 
     There are several applications in which relatively heavy hoses must be moved. For example, in self service gasoline service stations employing a number of gasoline pumps, or dispensing units, hoses are provided that connect the dispensing unit to a dispensing nozzle. Many of these installations utilize a simple “high hose” connection in which one end of the dispensing hose is mounted to the housing of the dispenser unit at a relative high elevation that exceeds the length of the hose. As a result, this type of connection eliminates hose drag, takes a good part of the weight of the hose, and allows customers good reach. 
     However, in these types of systems the hanging exposed hoses are somewhat unsightly and can obscure displays and pump controls. Also, they require a safety breakaway to prevent a fuel shower if the hose breaks away at the top. Further, in installations that require refueling on the far side of a vehicle, the length of the hose has to exceed the height at which it is mounted to the dispenser unit housing. Thus, the hose either drags on the ground, or some type of retractor system has to be used to keep the excess hose off the ground. 
     Other gasoline dispensing installations use a low hose connection in which one end of the dispensing hoses is mounted to the housing of the dispenser unit at a relative low elevation that is less that the length of the hose. Therefore these installations incorporate devices, such as retracts, spring arms, pulleys, weights, or the like, in the housing of the dispenser unit to enable a portion of the hose to be retracted into the housing during non-use. 
     However, in these low hose connections the customer usually has to provide the power to extend the hose during use. Since the hoses are relatively heavy, it is often difficult for a customer to extend, handle and retract the hose during the gasoline dispensing operation. 
     Therefore, what is needed is a hose handling and guide system according to which the hose can easily be extended, handled, guided, and retracted back into the dispenser unit. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention is directed to a hose handling system and method according to which the hose is clamped to a clamp and the clamp is moved between a first position in which the hose is retracted and a second position in which the hose is extended. Manual movement of the hose from its retracted position is sensed and the clamp is driven to its second position, and manual movement of the hose from its extended position is sensed and the clamp is driven to its first position. 
     Several advantages result from the above. For example, the hose can be easily extended from the dispensing unit, handled, guided, and retracted back into the dispenser unit. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the hose handling system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is cross-sectional view taken along the line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of the hose handling system of FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     FIG. 4 is a partial, front elevational view of a portion of the hose handling system shown in FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a gasoline dispenser unit is referred to, in general, by the reference numeral  10  and includes a two-tiered housing  12  having a slide guideway  14  formed in a front panel thereof. A dispensing hose  16  extends through the guideway  14  with one end of the hose being connected to a dispensing nozzle  18  and the other end of the hose connected to a fixture  20  in the housing. It is understood that the fixture  20  is also connected to a conduit (not shown) extending from an underground storage tank for supplying fuel to the hose  16  for dispensing through the nozzle  18 , in a conventional manner. 
     As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the guideway  14  consists of two spaced, parallel, upright members  24  and  26  mounted in the housing  12  in any conventional manner. A rectangularly-shaped hose clamp  30  is mounted for slidable movement in the guideway  14 . To this end, the members  24  and  26  are provided with a convex curve in a horizontal plane, and the corresponding outer surfaces of the clamp  30  are provided with a complementary concave curve. Thus, the corresponding surfaces of the clamp  30  mate with those of the members  24  and  26  in a manner to retain the clamp in the guideway  14  while permitting the slidable movement. The clamp  30  defines a rectangular opening which is sized so that it receives the hose in a clamping engagement. The hose  16  is not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 for the convenience of presentation. 
     A rubber tension cord  32  is connected at one end to the upper portion of the clamp  30  and, as shown in FIG. 2, extends around a pulley  34  rotatably mounted in the upper portion of the housing  12 , and is connected at its other end to a fixture  36  in the interior of the housing  12 . The design is such that the cord  32  is placed in tension when installed in the above manner and thus applies an upwardly directed force to the clamp  30 , as viewed in FIG.  2 . 
     A power source, such as a hydraulic or electric motor  40 , is mounted in the lower portion of the housing  12 , and a pulley  42  is connected to the output shaft  40   a  of the motor for rotation with the shaft. A rope  44 , preferably fabricated from wire, or the like, is connected at its ends to the pulley  42  and the lower portion of the clamp  30 , respectively. Rotation of the pulley  42  by the motor  40  in one direction places tension on the rope and thus applies a downwardly-directed force on the clamp  30  to pull it downwardly in the guideway  14 , as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     A magnetic wheel  50  mounted on the output shaft  40   a  of the motor  40  for rotation with the shaft, and at least one hall effect sensor  52  is mounted adjacent the wheel  50 . The sensor  52  is conventional and, as such, senses the direction and amount of any rotation of the wheel  50 , and therefore the output shaft  40   a  of the motor  40 , and generates a corresponding output signal. 
     A motor control mechanism  56  is mounted in the housing  12  and is electrically connected to the motor  40  and the sensor  52 . The control mechanism  56  receives the output signals from the sensor  52  corresponding to the amount and direction of rotation of the output shaft  40   a,  and controls the motor  40  accordingly. To this end, it is understood that the control mechanism  56  includes a forward/reverse valve or switch and a speed control (not shown), as well as a microprocessor running a software program to interpret the signals from the sensor  52  and generate corresponding output signals. Thus, the magnetic wheel  50  and the sensor  52  respond to the handling of the hose by the customer in a manner to be described and determine whether or not the hose  16  should be extended or retracted by corresponding movement of the clamp  30 , and the control mechanism  56  functions to control the motor  40  accordingly. 
     When the clamp  30 , and therefore the corresponding portion of the hose  16 , are in the uppermost position in the guideway  14  as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the effective horizontal length of the portion of the hose that extends from the housing  12  is at a minimum, which hereinafter will be referred to as the “retracted” position of the hose. Conversely, when the clamp  30  is in its lowermost position in the guideway  14  the effective horizontal length of the portion of the hose  16  that extends from the housing  12  is at a maximum, which hereinafter will be referred to as the “extended” position of the hose. 
     When the system is inactive, the motor  40  is shut off and the tension cord  32  urges the clamp  30  to a rest position in the upper portion of the guideway  14  as shown in FIG. 1 so that the hose  16  is in its retracted position. When a customer initially pulls on the hose  16  to initiate a dispensing operation, this causes a slight rotation of the pulley  40  and the wheel  50  in the corresponding direction, which rotation is sensed by the sensor  52 . A corresponding signal is sent to the control mechanism  56  which activates the motor  40  accordingly to rotate the pulley  42  in the latter direction which places a tension on the rope  44  and a force on the clamp  30  that is opposite, and slightly greater than, the force applied as a result of the tension on the cord  32 . Thus, the rope  44  winds on the pulley and pulls, or drives, the clamp  30 , and therefore the hose  16 , downwardly in the guideway  14  thus permitting the customer to pull the hose  16  to its extended position. During this movement additional tension is placed on the cord  32 . 
     This movement continues in small increments until no pull is felt on the hose  16  which occurs when the customer has placed the hose in the desired dispensing position. Thus, the sensor  52  does not sense any rotation of the wheel  50 , and a corresponding signal is sent to the control mechanism  56  which sends a signal to the motor  40  that locks the motor, and therefore the clamp  30 , in the dispensing position. 
     When the customer has finished fueling and moves to replace the nozzle  16  thus relaxing the hose  14 , this is sensed by the sensor  52  which releases the motor from its locked position. In this situation the force applied to the clamp  30  by the tensioned cord  32  slightly exceeds the force maintained on the clamp by the motor, via the rope  44 . This, in turn, causes a slight torque to be applied to the shaft  40   a  of the motor  40  to tend to rotate the shaft in a direction opposite the direction discussed above. This torque is detected by the sensor  52 , and the motor  40  is controlled accordingly to place a controlled amount of counter-force on the clamp  30  during this movement which continues to be less than the force resulting from the tension applied by the cord  32 . Thus, the hose  16  is driven relatively slowly from its extended position to its retracted position. When the clamp  30  reaches its uppermost position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rotation of the wheel  50  terminates and a signal is sent to the motor  40  in the above matter to shut it off and the tension in the cord  32  maintains the clamp  30  in the uppermost position. 
     Thus, the hose  16  can be easily extended from the housing  12 , handled, guided, and retracted back into the unit with the power assist from the motor  40  and the cord  32  described above. 
     It is understood that variations may be made in the foregoing without departing from the scope of the invention. For example the power source can be a hydraulic motor, a pneumatic motor or cylinder, a vacuum motor or actuator, a linear electric actuator, or a series of pulleys and weights. In this context, self-contained gasoline dispensing units usually include electric and hydraulic motors for use in the gasoline dispensing operation. Thus, these units could be used in the present system since they would always be available both before and after the fuel is being dispensed, which is when the system of the above embodiment operates. 
     Also, the sensing apparatus can be in the form of a pressure transducer, an attitude device, a strain gauge, a potentiometer; or a series of switches. It is understood that the spatial references referred to above, such as “upper”, “lower”, “downward”, “vertical”, “horizontal” etc. are made for the purposes of example only and are not intended to limit the specific orientation of the particular structure involved. 
     Since other modifications, changes, and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention.