Abstract:
A fueling valve for fueling a remote or radio-controlled vehicle or removing fuel therefrom has a sliding member in a cylinder to permit fuel to placed or removed from a vehicle as desired. Such a fueling valve greatly simplifies the transportation of the vehicle.

Description:
This invention relates to a fueling valve for fueling a remote control vehicle and more particularly to a fueling valve for fueling a remote control vehicle, which permits both efficient filling of the vehicle fuel tank and removing of fuel from the fuel tank, while avoiding or prohibiting the passage of fuel to the engine. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Radio-controlled, miniature vehicles are well known as amusement and competition devices. Such vehicles have miniature internal combustion engines. The miniature internal combustion engine requires accessories for supplying fuel to the engine. Some of the difficulties of fueling hobby equipment, such as remote controlled vehicles are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,304, by the same inventor, incorporated herein by reference, and need not be discussed here. 
     Whether those radio-controlled miniature vehicles are aircraft, automobiles, boats, helicopters, or other vehicles; each vehicle has fueling complications in common. It is very desirable to transport those vehicles with an empty fuel tank. To that end, an efficient manner of adding fuel to and removing fuel from that vehicle is very desirable. 
     Another fueling problem is caused by the requirement that no fuel enter the engine, until absolutely desired. So during the fueling process on the input side, the fuel must be directed to the tank only. So, the fuel tank must be filled with the engine protected. 
     After the remote or radio-controlled miniature vehicle is used at a desired site, it is very desirable, if not required, to remove fuel from the vehicle before transporting the vehicle to a storage location. It is still desired to keep the fuel away from the engine and remove the fuel to a proper storage facility or tank prior to such transport. 
     It is furthermore desirable to have such features contained in a relatively simple, easy to operate structure or device or tool. The device must also be efficient, compact, and easily transported. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Among the many objectives of the present invention is the provision of a fueling valve for fueling a remote or radio controlled, miniature vehicle to control a flow of fuel to a desired area. 
     Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a fueling valve for fueling a remote or radio controlled, miniature vehicle to add fuel to a tank. 
     Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of a fueling valve for fueling a remote or radio controlled, miniature vehicle to add fuel to a tank without the fuel flowing to the engine. 
     Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a durable fueling valve for fueling a remote or radio-controlled, miniature vehicle to remove fuel therefrom. 
     These and other objectives of the invention (which other objectives become clear by consideration of the specification, claims and drawings as a whole) are met by providing a fueling valve for fueling a remote or radio-controlled vehicle or removing fuel therefrom. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  depicts a front plan view of fueling valve  100  for fueling a remote or radio controlled, miniature vehicle  110  of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a top plan view of fueling valve  100  for fueling a remote or radio-controlled, miniature vehicle  110  based on  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 3  depicts a bottom plan view of fueling valve  100  for fueling a remote or radio controlled, miniature vehicle  110 . 
         FIG. 4  depicts a left side plan view of fueling valve  100  for fueling a remote or radio controlled, miniature vehicle  110 . 
         FIG. 5  depicts a right side view of fueling valve  100  for fueling a remote or radio controlled, miniature vehicle  110 , rotated 180 degrees about the vertical axis as based on  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  depicts a top perspective view of fueling valve  100  for fueling a remote or radio controlled, miniature vehicle  110  of this invention. 
         FIG. 7  depicts a bottom perspective view of fueling valve  100  for fueling a remote or radio controlled, miniature vehicle  110  of this invention. 
         FIG. 8  depicts a front plan cross-sectioned view of fueling valve  100  for fueling a remote or radio controlled, miniature vehicle  110  based on  FIG. 1 , in fueling or closed position  192 . 
         FIG. 9  depicts a front plan cross-sectioned view of fueling valve  100  for fueling a remote or radio controlled, miniature vehicle  110  based on  FIG. 1 , in open or running position  194 . 
         FIG. 10  depicts a block diagram of the fueling valve  100  for fueling a remote or radio controlled, miniature vehicle  110 . 
     
    
    
     Throughout the figures of the drawings, where the same part appears in more than one figure of the drawings, the same number is applied thereto. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments of the invention that are illustrated in accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same or similar reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts or steps. The drawings are in simplified form and are not to precise scale. For purposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms such as top, bottom, left, right, up, over, above, below, beneath, rear, and front, may be used with respect to the drawings. These and similar to directional terms are not to be construed to limit the scope of the invention in any manner. The words attach, connect, couple, and similar terms with their inflectional morphemes do not necessarily denote direct or intermediate connections, but may also include connections through mediate elements or devices. 
     The fueling valve for fueling a remote or radio-controlled vehicle is secured in the fuel line of the vehicle. This fueling valve has a housing with a slidable member therein. The housing has a first port and a second port. The first port can communicate with the fuel tank of the vehicle. The second port can communicate with the carburetor of the vehicle or the fuel receiver for the engine of the vehicle. In the closed position, the slidable member permits flow with the fuel to the tank, while blocking the carburetor. In a running position, the slidable member permits flow with the fuel from the tank to carburetor on the vehicle. 
     Also, with the fueling valve in the closed position, a suction device can be applied to the sliding port to remove fuel from the tank and the carburetor so that the vehicle can be safely transported. Thus, the sliding member has two working positions in the valve. As above stated, this fueling valve is usable with various types of vehicles, including, but not limited to aircraft, automobiles, boats, helicopters, or other vehicles; especially those miniature or toy vehicles of the remote control or powered type. 
     In  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , fueling valve  100  has a housing  120  with a sliding member  160  mounted therein. Housing  120  includes a housing cylinder  122 , having a closed housing end  124 , and an open housing end  126 . Adjacent to closed housing end  124  on the exterior of housing cylinder  122  is a tank port  128  extending therefrom. Diametrically opposed to tank port  128  and also extending from housing cylinder  122  is carburetor port  130 . A carburetor space  132 , measuring the distance between closed housing end  124  and carburetor port  130  is greater than a tank space  134 , which measures the distance between closed housing end  124  and tank port  128 . 
     At open housing end  126 , housing cylinder  122  has a male threaded member  136  for holding fueling valve  100  in a desired position. Adjacent to male threaded member  136  is an outer flange  138 . Valve strap  142  fits over male threaded member  136  and is secured adjacent to outer flange  138  by nut  140 . Valve strap  142  includes a housing aperture  144  to receive male threaded member  136  at one end. Valve strap  142  has a cover cylinder  146  at the other end thereof, with one end closed by valve strap  142 . 
     The cover cylinder  146  also has an open cover end  148  to receive supply nipple  166  ( FIG. 8 ). Carburetor nipple  150  is an enlarged tip at the end of carburetor port  130  to assist in holding a fuel line or hose thereon. Fuel nipple  152  is an enlarged tip at the end of tank port  128  to assist in holding a fuel line or hose thereon. Supply nipple  166  is an enlarged tip at the end of fuel supply port end  164  to assist in holding a fuel line or hose thereon. 
     Adding  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  to the consideration, sliding member  160  fits into open housing end  126 . Sliding member  160  is also generally cylindrical and has a housing port end  162  and a fuel supply port end  164 . Housing port end  162  approaches closed housing end  124 . Fuel supply port end  164  extends from open housing end  126 . 
     Sliding member  160  includes a fuel passage  168 , as a hollow tube, communicating along the cylindrical axis on the sliding member  160 . Adjacent to housing port end  162  is a first sealing O-ring  170  mounted in first O-ring slot  172 . Spaced from first O-ring slot  172  is second O-ring slot  174  which receives second sealing O-ring  176 . Between first sealing O-ring  170  and second sealing O-ring  176  is an indented passage  178 , which spaces the sliding member  160  from housing  120  and permits fuel to pass from tank port  128  to carburetor port  130 , to reach engine  114  ( FIG. 9 ). 
     Contained cap or sealing member  190  slides into housing  120  in a secure fashion at open housing end  126  and cooperates with sliding member  160  to secure sliding member  160  therein, due to the presence of second sealing O-ring  176 . With first sealing O-ring  170  positioned between carburetor port  130  and tank port  128  in closed position  192 , fuel may pass into tank  112  ( FIG. 10 ). 
     With first sealing O-ring  170  positioned adjacent to closed housing end  124  carburetor port  130  and tank port  128 , fuel may pass from tank  112  ( FIG. 10 ) through indented passage  178  of sliding member  160  into carburetor port  130 , to permit miniature vehicle  110 . In this manner, fueling valve  100  for fueling a remote or radio controlled, miniature vehicle  110  ( FIG. 10 ) based on  FIG. 1 , is in open or running position  194 , so that the engine  114  of miniature vehicle  110  may run. 
     Now adding  FIG. 10  to the consideration, the structure of the fueling valve  100  becomes more clear. Miniature vehicle  110  requires a fuel tank  112  connected to an engine  114  by a fuel line. For this invention, the fuel line is divided into a first fuel line  116  adjacent and connected to engine  114  of miniature vehicle  110 , and a second fuel line  118  adjacent to and connected to fuel tank  112 . Fueling valve  100  of this invention connects first fuel line  116  to second fuel line  118 . 
     More particularly, housing  120  has tank port  128  of housing  120  connected to second fuel line  118 . In a like manner, carburetor port  130  is connected to first fuel line  116 . As sliding member  160  moves back and forth in housing  120 , fuel valve  100  goes between closed position  192  ( FIG. 8  for example) and open position  194  ( FIG. 9  for example). 
     In closed position  192 , fuel passes from the fuel supply  102  to tank port  128  in housing  120  by passing through fuel passage  168 , into second fuel line  118 , finally into fuel tank  112 . During this transfer, carburetor port  130  is blocked. It is also possible at this point or subsequently to reverse the pressure on sliding member  160  and withdraw fuel from the miniature vehicle  110 . As sliding member moves to open position  194  ( FIG. 9  for example), fuel flow from fuel tank  112  reaches second fuel line  118 , tank port  128 , housing  120 , carburetor port, second fuel line  118 , and then engine  114 . This permits the engine  114  to start and miniature vehicle  110  to be used. 
     This application—taken as a whole with the abstract, specification, claims, and drawings—provides sufficient information for a person having ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention disclosed and claimed herein. Any measures necessary to practice this invention are well within the skill of a person having ordinary skill in this art after that person has made a careful study of this disclosure. 
     Because of this disclosure and solely because of this disclosure, modification of this tool can become clear to a person having ordinary skill in this particular art. Such modifications are clearly covered by this disclosure.