Patent Publication Number: US-10308498-B2

Title: Methods and devices for handling a fuel dispenser hose

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/719,485, filed May 22, 2015, and entitled “Device for Handling a Hose and a Fuel Dispensing Unit Having Such a Device,” which is a national application of Swedish Patent application No. 1450622-4, filed on May 26, 2014, and entitled “Device for Handling a Hose and a Fuel Dispensing Unit Having Such a Device,” which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The field of the invention generally relates to the field of fuel dispensing units and more particularly to a device for handling a hose. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A fuel dispensing unit, such as a petrol pump typically comprises a pump part standing on the ground, a display part positioned above the pump part and showing the chosen type of petrol, cash readout, volume readout etc., and a column or frame to which one or more petrol hoses are connected. 
     When the tank of a vehicle is to be filled up, the driver parks the vehicle beside the petrol pump and opens the cover or cap of the petrol tank. The driver then selects the desired type of petrol and places the pump nozzle in the inlet of the vehicle&#39;s petrol tank and puts in the desired volume of petrol. 
     A difficulty that may arise in connection with filling-up is that the hose does not reach to the vehicle if parked a distance from the petrol pump. The reason why the vehicle has not been parked sufficiently close to the pump may be difficulty in maneuvering owing to a limited space round the petrol pump. To allow the hose to reach the vehicle, it is usually necessary for the driver to park his vehicle so that the side of the vehicle where the filler cap is positioned faces the petrol pump. It is not always known to a driver of an unfamiliar vehicle whether the filler cap is positioned on the left or right side. This may result in the driver by mistake parking the vehicle on the wrong side of the pump and thus not being able to fill up the tank without moving the vehicle to the other side of the petrol pump since the hose does not reach all the way round the vehicle. 
     One way of facilitating access to the petrol pump is to provide it with a longer hose. This may, however, cause problems since a longer hose may tend to land on the ground when not used and thus get stuck in or be damaged by passing cars or other vehicles. To prevent this, the column or frame may be provided with some kind of returning mechanism for the hose. 
     A problem common for the hose returning devices described above is their size, or their extension within the fuel dispensing unit, which results in bulky and complicated structures. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the invention include a device for handling a hose and a fuel dispensing having such a device. 
     Such embodiments generally aim at eliminating or at least reducing the problems discussed above as well as other problems known in the art. 
     In one embodiment, a device for handling a hose comprises a frame element, said frame element being hollow and including a guiding element, a hose guiding means arranged outside of said frame element and adapted to guide said hose, and an elastic element which is attached to a fixed point in relation to said frame element at one end and to said hose guiding means at the other end. The device is characterized in that said elastic element is adapted to extend within said frame element and to be guided by said guiding element, and that said hose guiding means is movable away from said frame element allowing said hose to be pulled from an idle position to an operating position when said elastic element is extended. This is advantageous in that a robust and space-saving device is provided, which enables a smooth and flexible handling of the hose. Further, due to the design of the frame element and the guiding element included therein, the risk of entangling with the hose is eliminated. 
     According to another aspect a fuel dispensing unit comprises such a device for handling a hose. 
     Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to “a/an/the [element, device, component, means, step, etc.]” are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of said element, device, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. 
     As used herein, the term “comprising” and variations of that term are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps. 
     The term “vertically” means the vertical direction in relation to the device when in an upright position. 
     The term “horizontally” means the horizontal direction in relation to the device when in an upright position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the appended drawings, where the same reference numerals will be used for similar elements, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a fuel dispensing unit having a device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention, 
         FIG. 2 a    is a perspective view the device when the hose is in an idle position, 
         FIG. 2 b    is a perspective view the device when the hose is in an operating position, and 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a fuel dispensing unit having a device according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a fuel dispensing unit  1  having a device  2  for handling a hose  3  provided on each side of the fuel dispensing unit  1 . The fuel dispensing unit  1  has an electrical cabinet  5  containing all the electronics for the fuel dispensing unit  1 , a hydraulic cabinet  4  containing fuel dispensing means (not shown), e.g. fuel metering means, valves, vapour recovery system etc, and a column  6  (on each side of the fuel dispensing unit  1 ) extending upwards vertically above the electrical cabinet  5 . The fuel dispensing unit  1  is connected to an underground reservoir (not shown) containing fuel. When filling up the tank of a motor vehicle, the fuel is pumped from the underground reservoir by means of a pump (not shown) which is located in the hydraulic cabinet  4 , and from there to a hose connection (not shown) and out to a nozzle  7  via the hose  3 . 
     In  FIG. 2 a   , the device  2  is illustrated when the hose  3  (both of the hoses  3 ) is in an idle position. In this exemplary embodiment, the device  2  is arranged to handle two hoses  3 . The device  2  comprises a frame element  8  which is hollow and includes a first, second, third and fourth guiding element  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12 . Each guiding element comprises a roller which is rotatable around an axis. The device  2  further comprises a first and second elastic element  13 ,  14 , and a first and second hose guiding means  15 ,  16 . The frame element  8  comprises first and second side parts  17 ,  18  which are constituted the columns  6  provided on each side of the fuel dispensing unit  1 , and a top part  19 . The top part  19  extends in a horizontal direction and connects the first and second side parts  17 ,  18  at an upper end  20 ,  28  of the first and second side parts  17 ,  18 , respectively. The frame element  8  further comprises a support element  23  arranged horizontally between the first and second side parts. The first elastic element  13  is attached to a first fixed point P 1  at one end and to the first hose guiding means  15  at the other end. The first elastic element  13  is adapted to extend from the first fixed point P 1 , upwards vertically through the first side part  17  to a first outer end  21  of the top part  19 , over the first guiding element  9  which is arranged at the first outer end  21  of the top part  19 , horizontally through the top part  19  to a second outer end  22  of the top part  19 , over the second guiding element  10  which is arranged at the second outer end  22  of the top part  19 , out of the frame element  8  and to the first hose guiding means  15 . The first hose guiding means  15  is thereby movable away from the frame element  8  allowing the hose  3  to be pulled from an idle position to an operating position when the first elastic element  13  is extended. The first hose guiding means  15  is adapted to enclose the hose  3  and is arranged adjacent to the second outer end  22  of said top part  19  when the hose  3  is in said idle position. Thus, the hose  3  is not accommodated in the frame element  8  and does not form part of the device  2 . Instead, the hose  3  is held in place on the side of the fuel dispensing unit  1  by means of the hose guiding means  15 . The second elastic element  14  is attached to a second fixed point P 2  at one end and to the second hose guiding means  16  at the other end. The second elastic element  14  is adapted to extend from the second fixed point P 2 , upwards vertically through the second side part  18  to the second outer end  22  of the top part  19 , over the third guiding element  11  which is arranged at the second outer end  22  of the top part  19 , horizontally through the top part  19  to a first outer end  21  of the top part  19 , over the fourth guiding element  12  which is arranged at the first outer end  21  of the top part  19 , out of the frame element  8  and to the second hose guiding means  16 . The second hose guiding means  16  is thereby movable away from the frame element  8  allowing the hose  3  to be pulled from an idle position to an operating position when the second elastic element  14  is extended. The second hose guiding means  16  is adapted to enclose the hose  3  and is arranged adjacent to the first outer end  21  of said top part  19  when the hose  3  is in said idle position. 
     In  FIG. 2 b   , the device  2  is illustrated when one of the hoses  3  (on the left side of the fuel dispensing unit  1 ) is in an operating position. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the device  2  according to a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the device  2  is arranged to handle two hoses  3  and the frame element  8  further comprises a fifth and a sixth guiding element  24 ,  25 . The first elastic element  13  is attached to a third fixed point P 3  (located at the first outer  21  end of the top part  19 ) at one end and to the first hose guiding means  15  at the other end. The first elastic element  13  is adapted to extend from the third fixed point P 3 , downwards vertically through the first side part  17  to a lower end  26  of the first side part  17 , below the fifth guiding element  24  arranged at the lower end  26  of the first side part  14 , upwards vertically through the first side part  17  to the first outer end  21  of the top part  19 , over the first guiding element  9  arranged at the first outer end  21  of the top part  19 , horizontally through the top part  19  to the second outer end  22  of the top part  19 , over the second guiding element  10  arranged at the second outer end  22  of the top part  19 , out of the frame element  8  and to the first hose guiding means  15 . The second elastic element  14  is attached to a fourth fixed point P 4  (located at the second outer  22  end of the top part  19 ) at one end and to the second hose guiding means  16  at the other end. The second elastic element  14  is adapted to extend from the fourth fixed point P 4 , downwards vertically through the second side part  18  to a lower end  27  of the second side part  18 , below the sixth guiding element  25  arranged at the lower end  27  of the second side part  18 , upwards vertically through the second side part  18  to the second outer end  22  of the top part  19 , over the third guiding element  11  arranged at the second outer end  22  of the top part  19 , horizontally through the top part  19  to the first outer end  21  of the top part  19 , over the fourth guiding element  12  arranged at the first outer end  21  of the top part  19 , out of the frame element  8  and to the second hose guiding means  16 . 
     When the hose  3  is to be used to refuel a vehicle, the hose  3  is merely pulled by a user. The hose guiding means  15 ,  16  will follow the hose  3  and move away from the frame element  8  to an operating position, thereby extending the elastic element  13 ,  14  attached to the same. When the vehicle has been refueled and the user releases the pressure applied to the hose  3 , the elastic element  13 ,  14  will pull the hose guiding means  15 ,  16  as well as the hose  3  back to the idle position. 
     The skilled person realizes that a number of modifications of the embodiments described herein are possible without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims. 
     For instance, elastic element can be made of any suitable material, such as a rubber band, a spring wire, wire connected to a spring, and a roll of spring-loaded coiled wire. 
     The hose guiding means can be of any suitable shape and size. In one embodiment of the hose guiding means, the hose can slide freely through the same during use. 
     The guiding elements can be of any suitable shape and size and are not limited to rollers. The guiding element can, for example, be made of low friction materials and be shaped as a curved groove in which the hose can slide. 
     The fixed point can be located at any suitable location, both within and outside of the device as well as the fuel dispensing unit.