Abstract:
Flexible conduit tubing used throughout a fuel dispenser. flexible conduit separately houses wiring and supplies fuel for the operation of the dispenser. The ends of individual segments of the flexible conduit tubing contain fittings which allow easy connection and disconnection with another conduit segment or other dispenser components.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to conduit tubing within a fluid dispenser, and in particular, flexible conduit tubing used within a fuel dispenser for separately housing wiring and supplying fuel. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventional fuel dispensers are composed of various components. A typical dispenser contains a fuel supply, a fuel meter, a display, a dispenser hose and a nozzle. 
     Fuel enters the dispenser from the fuel supply. The fuel is delivered to the fuel meter for measuring the quantity of fuel to be dispensed. Then, the fuel continues on to the dispenser hose and out through the nozzle. Electrical wiring runs between the meter and the display which displays the quantity of fuel being dispensed. Further, electrical wiring may run through the dispenser to a fuel pump associated with the fuel supply. 
     Typical fuel dispensers contain conduit through which wiring and fuel run. The conduit travels between the various components within the fuel dispenser such as the fuel meter, display, fuel supply lines, and dispenser hose. It is necessary for the conduit, which houses the wiring, to prevent fluid and fuel vapor from contacting the wiring. Currently, conduit tubing is composed of copper and steel tubing. 
     There are several disadvantages of using copper and steel conduit tubing. The first problem with copper and steel conduit is that individual pieces of conduit tubing need to be cut to size and fit precisely. The need for precision is a direct consequence of the material being rigid and not flexible. 
     A second consequence of the current copper and steel conduit composition is the complexity of conduit installation within the dispenser. Conduit within a dispenser is custom-fit for each specific use, e.g. conduit running between the fuel meter and the display. A piece of conduit tubing is cut to specific lengths and is individually shaped to fit within the dispenser. In addition, separate pieces of conduit tubing are permanently joined together to form a single, continuous piece of conduit. 
     A third consequence of the present copper and steel conduit composition is the obsolescence of the previously cut and formed conduit tubing. Since each piece of conduit is custom-fit, if one needs to replace a piece or section of conduit, wishes to change the conduit pathway, or change the dispenser shape, new pieces of conduit tubing would need to be cut and shaped to fit within the dispenser. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, flexible conduit tubing is used within a fuel dispenser. The conduit separately houses wiring and supplies fuel during the operation of the dispenser. 
     The invention, in one form thereof, includes a dispenser cabinet in which flexible conduit is used and disposed. In a further embodiment, separate paths of flexible conduit house wiring and transmit fuel. 
     In another embodiment, a fitting means attaches two segments of flexible conduit to one another. In a further embodiment, a quick-connect means removably connects two segments of flexible conduit such that the two segments can be disconnected from one another and re-connected to a third segment of flexible conduit tubing. In a particular embodiment, this quick-connect means includes a fitting located at the junction of the two segments of flexible conduit tubing. The quick-connect means permits one segment of flexible conduit tubing to be quickly and easily connected, disconnected, and re-connected to a second segment of flexible conduit tubing to be quickly and easily connected and disconnected to various components within the dispenser including, for example, a meter, a display, and a fuel supply. 
     In yet another embodiment, the invention contains a segment of flexible conduit tubing which houses wiring for the dispenser. In one particular embodiment, a wiring connector means is used for establishing electrical conductivity between the wiring housed within the segment of conduit and the wiring within another segment of conduit or other dispenser component. In one particular embodiment, the conduit connection is vapor and fluid proof. 
     In a further embodiment, the flexible conduit tubing attaches to various dispenser components such as a meter or display. Electrical continuity is established between the flexible conduit tubing and the component when the flexible conduit and the component are joined. In one particular embodiment, the conduit connection is vapor and fluid proof. 
     An advantage of the present invention is the ease of installation of pieces of flexible conduit tubing within a fuel dispenser. The flexibility of the conduit allows for minor variations in the length and shape of the conduit tubing used throughout the dispenser. Consequently, the conduit length and shape does not need to be made as precisely as with traditional, rigid conduit. 
     In addition, an advantage of the present invention is the ability to change the shape of a dispenser housing without having to replace the conduit tubing enclosed. The flexible conduit can be disconnected, reconnected, bent, and extended to accommodate the new housing. 
     An additional advantage of the present invention is the use of the same flexible conduit tubing across varying dispenser designs or platforms. Standardized lengths of flexible conduit tubing can be joined together and shaped to form a continuous segment of flexible conduit as required for placement in varying dispenser designs. 
     Another advantage of one embodiment of the present invention is the simplicity of connecting conduit tubing segments together to form a single, continuous piece of conduit. This invention, in one embodiment, uses quick-connect means for easy connection and disconnection of segments from one another. The length and shape of the conduit is easily altered by adding and subtracting varying length and shape conduit tubing, as well as, bending and extending the flexible conduit tubing to alter the flexible conduit&#39;s length and shape. 
     A further advantage of one embodiment of the invention is the ability to re-use conduit. Unlike, traditional conduit, in which segments are permanently joined together, this invention uses fittings at the ends of the conduit segments for easy connection and disconnection. 
     An additional advantage of one particular embodiment, is the construction of electrically continuous conduit by simply connecting individual segments of conduit tubing together. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagram of a cross-sectional view of a fuel dispenser; 
     FIG. 2 is a diagram of cross-sectional view of flexible conduit; and 
     FIG. 3 is a is a diagram of a flexible conduit fitting. 
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a cross-sectional, front view of a conventional fuel dispenser with the addition of the present invention. In accordance with the present invention, dispenser cabinet  44  houses various dispenser components of dispenser  36 . Such dispenser components include flexible conduit  12 ,  24 ,  25 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32 ,  33 ,  42 , meter  14 , fuel supply  10  and display  34 . 
     Flexible conduit  12 ,  24 ,  25 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32 ,  33 ,  42  is composed of material which allows it to flex from a substantially linear configuration, such as flexible conduit  12 , to a bent configuration, such as flexible conduit  32 ,  42 . Flexible conduit  12 ,  24 ,  25 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32 ,  33 ,  42  is composed of petroleum resistant material, for example nylon, and is fluid proof and vapor proof. Flexible conduit  12 ,  24 ,  25 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32 ,  33 ,  42  can be-composed of other material which provides for fluid and vapor proof conduit. Other material include but are not limited to polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon composite. 
     Individual flexible conduit segments are joined together by quick-connection means. The quick-connection means permits a segment of flexible conduit to be removably connected to another segment of flexible conduit or other dispenser component. For example, the quick-connect means includes fitting  11  which removably connects flexible conduit  12  to meter  14 . Alternately, the conduit segments may be joined by threading, compression fitting, or snap-fit insertion. 
     Flexible conduit  12  supplies fuel from fuel supply  10  to fuel meter  14 . Meter  14  measures the quantity of fuel delivered. Fitting  11  contains sealing nut  40  and compression gland  38 . (best shown in FIG.  3 ). Fitting  11  is composed of a petroleum resistant material such as nylon and contains compression gland  38  composed of a chemically resistant material, such as TPE. Fitting  11  may also be formed of polypropylene, polyethylene, and nylon composites. Fitting  11  fits over the end of conduit  12 . Tightening sealing nut  40  on compression gland  38  provides a fuel vapor and fluid tight connection. Fitting  11  permits conduit  12  to be disconnected from supply  10  and meter  14 . 
     Flexible conduit  26  supplies fuel from meter  14  to right-angle conduit  16 . Right-angle conduit  16  is a substantially rigid segment of conduit which connects flexible conduit  26  to flexible conduit  28 . Fittings  11  joins right-angle conduit  16  to flexible conduit  26  and flexible conduit  28 . 
     Flexible conduit  32  connects flexible conduit  28  to flexible conduit  30 . Flexible conduit  30  attaches to flexible conduit  33  which, in turn, is connected to dispenser hose  18 . Dispenser hose  18  supplies fuel to nozzle  20 . 
     In another embodiment of this invention, a flexible wiring conduit  22  is flexible conduit which houses wiring  25  for the operation of dispenser  36 . Fittings  11  located on the ends of conduit  22  is connected to meter  14  and wiring conduit  42 . Fitting  11  provides a vapor and fluid proof connection. Wiring conduit  22  is attached to flexible conduit  42 . Flexible conduit  42  joins wiring conduit  22  to wiring conduit  24 . Wiring conduit  24  is connected to display  34 . Display  34  receives signals from meter  14  and displays the fuel quantity being dispensed. 
     FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a piece of conduit housing wiring for a fuel dispenser. Wiring conduit  22  also contains wiring conduit connector  23  at its ends. Wiring conduit connector  23  provides electrical continuity between wiring  25  of conduit  22  and meter  14 . Similarly, wiring conduit connector  23  provide electrical continuity between wiring  25  of conduit  23  and wiring  25  of flexible connector  42 . In addition, wiring conduit can be used to house dispenser wiring  25  connected to other dispenser components, e.g. a fuel pump. 
     While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.