Abstract:
A fueling station is provided with apparatus for preventing accidental fires including communication with the person performing the fueling operation and preventing fuel delivery unless the person performing the fueling operation is safely purged of static electricity. Also a vehicle is provided with static discharge pad apparatus for safely discharging static electricity of a person leaving the vehicle.

Description:
TECHNICIAL FIELD  
         [0001]    This invention relates to apparatus and methods for prevention of accidental fires at fueling stations and more particularly to safely dissipating the static electricity of the person performing a fueling operation so as to prevent occurrence of a spark initiated ignition of gasoline fumes present during the fueling operation.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Accidental fires at fueling stations have been ignited by the static discharge from the person performing the fueling operation. The desirability of safely dissipating static electricity in the vicinity of fuel pumps has been recognized as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,767 issued Jun. 11, 2002 to J. P. Cohen et al for Apparatus and Method for Grounding Compressed Fuel Fueling Operator wherein the nozzle is locked in the fuel tank until the operator activates a grounding switch. U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,357 issued Feb. 16, 1993 to R. C. Foster for a Fuel Dispensing System Having A Flexible Hose with a Static Dissipater and a Fuel Leak Detector provides apparatus for detecting leakage between an underground storage tank and a fuel pump together with apparatus for dissipating static from the pump to the underground fuel tank. This last mentioned U.S. patent also discloses apparatus for dissipating the static electricity from the fuel pump hose used to fill the gas tank of an automotive vehicle.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    In one embodiment of the invention, a method and apparatus are provided for dissipating the electrostatic condition of a person fueling a vehicle from a gas pump. A static discharge sign at the gas pump includes a grounded touch area with instructions for discharging personal static.  
           [0004]    In a second embodiment of the invention a motion detector is provided at the pump to detect a person approaching the pump to engage in a fueling operation. The motion detector activates a recorded message module which includes a speaker. Upon detecting the presence of a person the message module automatically causes the recorded message to be issued through the speaker telling the fueling person to place his or her hand on the static discharge sign which is located on or adjacent the fuel pump. The static discharge sign includes a touch sensor which, when troubled, operates a switch in the fuel pump control circuit to permit it to run, provided the normal fueling steps have been taken i.e. payment, gasoline type selection and operation of the fueling nozzle.  
           [0005]    In a third embodiment of the invention, static discharge pads or signs are placed on the inside and/or outside of the driver&#39;s side door of a vehicle to facilitate personal static discharge as the driver leaves the vehicle.  
           [0006]    It is a primary object of the invention to reduce the fire hazard attendant the fueling of a vehicle. It is a further object of the invention to provide a fueling station where the person obtaining fuel must first discharge personal static electricity. It is also an object of the invention to provide static discharge pads on a vehicle facilitating safe discharge of personal static electricity when the driver leaves the vehicle. In all versions of the invention the touch pads are made of a material providing a sufficiently slow discharge of personal static electricity to avoid a spark when touched. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 shows a fuel pump with a static discharge sign having a touch area for discharging personal static;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the sign shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is an alternate sign to that shown in FIG. 2, which in addition to the static discharge touch area, includes a touch sensor, motion detector and speaker;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 shows a control system associated with the components of the fuel delivery and safety system of this invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 shows a static discharge pad on the outside of the driver&#39;s side door of a vehicle;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a pictorial view showing a static discharge pad on the inside of the driver&#39;s side door of a vehicle; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the static discharge pad applied to the inside and outside of the door as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]    Referring to FIG. 1, the fueling station or module  11  includes a fuel pump  12  driven by an elective motor  13 . An inlet hose  14  is connected to an underground storage tank, not shown and an outlet hose  16  is connected to a delivery hose  17  having an appropriate nozzle  18  on its end. The fueling module  11  has the usual visual indicator panel  21  showing total sales and gallons delivered by the fueling module  11 , a credit card payment device  22  and manually operated fuel grade selection pads  23 ,  24 ,  26 . In order to improve the safety of the fueling operation, a caution sign or panel  31  is attached to the fueling module  11  which not only includes safety instructions concerning fueling but also includes a hand print marked area or touch area  32  which is grounded to effect a controlled, non-spark discharge of the electro-static charge of the individual touching the area  32 . The touch area  32  or the entire panel  31  is made of a material providing sufficiently slow discharge of electrostatic electricity to avoid an electrical spark. Preferably the resistance of the touch area material is between 10 6  and 10 11  ohms. Thus a convenient static discharge structure is provided at or adjacent the pump module  11  to minimize possible ignition of gas fumes at a fueling station.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the caution panel  31  shown in FIG. 1. It includes instructions for discharging individual static, what to do in case of fire and refueling safety rules.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a safety system having control apparatus preventing fuel delivery if the customer does not discharge his or her static electricity. Also included is apparatus for alerting the attendant to the presence of a customer and advising whether or not the customer has discharged his or her static electricity. The safety control apparatus includes a panel  41  with instructions concerning discharge of personal static electricity. The panel  41  is on or adjacent the fueling module at a height permitting hand engagement by a standing person. The panel  41  includes a hand engageable area  42  carrying a hand image which is made of a material having a resistance of 10 6  to 10 11  ohms and is appropriately grounded to discharge individual static electricity without creating a spark. A static discharge touch sensor  43  is positioned at the hand image. The panel also includes a motion detector  46  and a speaker  47 .  
         [0018]    The motion detector  46  is connected to a speaker or speaker apparatus  47  by a lead  48  and includes the necessary mechanism for delivering a recorded message from the speaker  47  audible to the person obtaining fuel from the pump module  11 . The recorded message advises that fuel cannot be obtained until the customer places his or her hand on the hand image to discharge their static electricity. The motion detector  46  is also connected by a lead  49  to a switch  51  for a signal light  52  in a filling station attendant&#39;s cubicle  53 . When the motion detector  46  detects the presence of a person, the switch  51  closes to cause the light  52  to go on. When the customer engages the static discharge area  42  the touch sensor  43  sends a signal via a lead  54  to the switch  51  causing the light to go out thereby informing the attendant that the customer has discharged his or her static electricity. A buzzer could be substituted for the light  52 . The touch sensor  43  also delivers a signal via lead  56  to a static discharge or interruption switch  57  in an electric relay lead  58  from a source of electricity, not shown, to a solenoid operated gas pump motor switch  59  in the electric power supply lead  60  to the pump  13 . A payment switch  61 , a gasoline grade selection switch  62  and a nozzle switch  63  are also interposed in the solenoid power supply lead  58 . The switches  57 ,  61 ,  62 ,  63  have a series relationship with one another and they all must be closed in order to run the pump motor  13  to deliver gas to the customer.  
         [0019]    Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 5, a static discharge pad or sign  81  is secured to the upper rear of the outside panel  82  of the driver&#39;s side door  83  of a vehicle  84  near the outside door handle  96 . The door  83  is hinged at its front end to the chassis of the vehicle and the pad  81  is placed near the rear unhinged end of the door. FIG. 6 shows a static discharge pad  81  secured to the upper rear of an inside panel  92  of the door  83 . The discharge pad  81  is between the inside door handle  93  and the rear end of the door  83 . FIG. 7 shows the static discharge contact area  94  of the pad  81  and a preferred instructive wording for the discharge pad. The discharge pads  81  are grounded to the metal chassis of the vehicle and are made of a material which provides a sufficiently slow discharge of personal static electricity to avoid a spark when touched. Preferably the discharge pads  81  have a resistance of between 10 6  and 10 11  ohms.  
         [0020]    The static discharge pads  81  are positioned on the door where the vehicle driver customarily places his hand or hands when leaving the vehicle. The static electricity of the driver is discharged in a safe manner, thus increasing the safety of a fueling operation. Static discharge pads may be placed on all the doors of the vehicle to insure static discharge of any passenger leaving the vehicle to perform a fueling operation.