Abstract:
A locking fuel pump dispenser nozzle has a valved nozzle connected to a pressurized fuel supply and has an elongated spout for insertion into a vehicle filler tube of the type having an annular raised surface therein. The nozzle has a manually actuating valve for controlling the flow of fuel from the pressurized fuel supply through the nozzle into the vehicle filler tube and vehicle fuel tank. The improvement includes a locking mechanism for locking the nozzle spout in the filler tube when filling a vehicle fuel tank.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle apparatus and especially to a locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle having a locking mechanism for automatically locking the fuel nozzle spout in the vehicle filler tube whenever fuel is being pumped into the vehicle filler tube and fuel tank. 
   The refueling of vehicles usually employs a supply hose having a nozzle with a manually operated valve nozzle having a spout insertable into the vehicle fuel tank inlet or filler tube. The nozzle valve is manually operated by a handle and a tube within the spout senses the rising fuel within the inlet neck and automatically closes the nozzle valve upon sensing the presence of the fuel level to thereby prevent overflow and spillage. One problem has been for self-service stations in which patrons provide fuel for their vehicle and then leave without paying for the fuel. The present invention is directed towards locking of the nozzle spout into the vehicle filler tube until released by the station operator remotely upon payment being made for the supplied fuel. 
   The prior art U.S. patents relating to the fueling of vehicles include the Kulikowski et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,630 for an automatic shut-off and self-locking refueling nozzle. This refueling nozzle has means for attaching the nozzle to the vehicle tank inlet neck and inlet port and provides for automatic shut-off of the refueling nozzle. In one embodiment, a secondary control valve prevents fluid flow until the nozzle has been fully connected to the inlet tank. The Phillips U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,686 is a tax adjusting vehicle gasoline filler apparatus which suggests a locking system for the fuel nozzle which is released only by proper engagement with a receiver and connects the fuel nozzle to the filler neck with a bayonet type connection. The customer twists the nozzle after insertion into the filler neck of the gasoline tank passing the lugs against the stop provided in grooves. The Keller U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,827 is for an anti-theft mechanism for a gasoline pump and is designed to prevent drive-off by having a patron place his ignition key into a switch mechanism which automatically clamps and maintains the key until the key is released by operation of a remote switch. The Walkey et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,149 is for a monitored delivery system which provides on the fuel nozzle an optical bar code reader for reading a bar code for determining whether a given vehicle is authorized to receive fuel. The Hall U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,198 is for a pump lock fuel system which provides a communication link between a vehicle and a fuel distribution system prior to pumping fuel to the vehicle. The Foster, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,327 is for a vehicle safety fueling system for preventing accidental drive-off of the vehicle from a fuel pump without first removing a fuel dispensing nozzle. The Nusbaumer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,608 is for an automated fuel management system. A fuel dispenser station has a fuel dispensing nozzle adapted for mating with and being secured to a fuel receiving tank. The Sample U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,002 is for an electronic bar coded gasoline scanner. A bar code is imprinted within a top portion of a gasoline tank fill pipe and a laser scanner is secured to the gasoline dispensing nozzle. The Kelerich et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,501 is a fueling system identification system having an inductive communication loop arranged to surround a fuel intake pathway of a vehicle for reading and transmitting the vehicle identification number, credit information and the like. The Osborne U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,766 is a locking forecourt fuel pump for locking a delivery nozzle in the pump. The Terranova U.S. Pat. No. 6,157,871 is for a fuel dispensing system for preventing customer drive-off and provides a control system for detecting where the drive-off has taken place and using this signal to cause a remote communication to take measure to prevent future transactions involving that customer. The Rababy et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,474 is a breakaway separation detection and alert system for preventing and minimizing damage caused by breakaway separation in the fuel lines supplying the fuel nozzle. The present invention in contrast is a locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle which locks the spout of the fuel pump nozzle into the vehicle filler tube automatically when a patron starts to deliver fuel to the vehicle. The nozzle spout remains locked to the vehicle filler tube until released remotely by a station operator and therefore is directed towards preventing fuel theft by preventing drive-off of the patron filling the tank at a self-service station. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A locking fuel pump dispenser nozzle has a valved nozzle connected to a pressurized fuel supply and has an elongated spout for insertion into a vehicle filler tube of the type having an annular raised surface therein. The nozzle has a manually actuating valve for controlling the flow of fuel from the pressurized fuel supply through the nozzle into the vehicle filler tube and vehicle fuel tank. The improvement includes a locking mechanism for locking the nozzle spout in the filler tube when filling a vehicle fuel tank. The locking mechanism has a pair of radially extending locking wedges adapted to extend from an unlocked position to an extended locked position upon the presence of fuel pressure in the nozzle valve and associated diaphragm. A locking wedge activating diaphragm is mounted in the nozzle and coupled to the locking wedge to move the locking wedge from an unlocked to a locked position upon fluid pressure being applied to the diaphragm. Means are provided for holding the wedge in a locked position until released whenever the fuel is being pumped into the vehicle fuel tank filler tube. The locking mechanism includes a racheting mechanism activated by the diaphragm for rotating a locking member locking slide between slots of different depths for holding a pair of arms above the locking wedges in a locked extended position or in an unlocked retracted position. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the written description and the drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a section view of a fuel nozzle having the locking mechanism of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a vehicle filler tube having a locking nozzle attached thereto; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle in accordance with the present invention; and 
       FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic view of a fuel pump and fuel nozzle. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The present invention is for a locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle having a locking mechanism for automatically locking the fuel nozzle spout in the vehicle filler tube whenever fuel is pumped into the vehicle filler tube and fuel tank to thereby prevent removal of the nozzle spout from the filler tube until released remotely by a station attendant. 
   In  FIGS. 1–4  of the drawings, a gas station fuel pump  9  has the fuel pump fuel dispenser hose and nozzle  10  having a standard nozzle valve  11  actuated by a handle  12  having a filling handle lock  13 . The nozzle valve has a protruding spout  14  which is inserted into a fuel tank filler tube for a vehicle. In accordance with the present invention, when the spout  14  is inserted into a filler tube  15 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , and passes through the restricted inlet opening  16 , a pair of locking wedges  17  are automatically extended from the end of the spout when fuel pressure is present in the nozzle valve upon the fuel pump being turned on. The locking wedges  17  will extend to lock the spout  14  into the filler tube  15  even after fuel dispensing ceases and until the locking wedges  17  are released. Locking wedges  17  can be released remotely as hereinafter described. 
   The locking wedges  17  are attached to a pair of locking wedge springs  18  which in turn are attached to a pressed in sleeve  5 . A pair of connecting arms  20  are connected to an inner sleeve  7 . Moving the connecting arms  20  back and forth within the nozzle  10  spout  14 , extends or retracts the locking wedges  17  via the inner sleeve  7 . The arms  20  are attached to a ring  29  which rides against the rotating locking member  21  which is also the bottom racheting member. The arms  20  are attached through tensioning springs  22 , as seen in  FIG. 2 , but the rotating lock  21  is spring biased by a spring  23  which rides against ring  29  in a rearward direction so as to bias the arms  20  to hold the locking wedge members  17  in their retracted and unlocked position in a normal state. The rotating lock  21  has at least one locking slide  24  thereon. 
   The racheting locking mechanism for the present invention is made up of a racheting member  25 , the rotating lock  21  and the locking sleeve  26  which, in  FIG. 2 , fits over the racheting member  25  and locking member  21 . The locking sleeve has alternate long slots  27  alternating with short slots  28 . Each slot may have an angled edge  30  for assisting the rotating lock  24  slide into the long or short slots  27  or  28 . The racheting member  25  has a continuous annular set of pointed teeth  31 . The entire locking mechanism can be seen in  FIG. 1  which fits entirely within the standard nozzle valve spout and has a diaphragm  32  connected to a socket  33  which in turn is connected to a ball  34  which is attached to the upper racheting member  31  with a plurality of arms  35 . 
   In operation, when the fuel pump is turned on, a fluid pressure is applied to the diaphragm  32  which in turn drives the socket  33  and ball  34  to push the ratchet member  31  forward with the teeth  31  engaging the locking slides  24  and pushing the rotating lock  21  and arms  20  forward against the coil spring pressure of coil  23  and thereby pushing the inner sleeve  7  against the locking wedge springs  18  to move the locking wedges into a locking position where they will stay until fuel pressure is again present against the diaphragm  32 . However, when the teeth  31  push against the locking slots  24 , because of their angled surfaces, they will force the locking slide to rotate. The locking slides  24  is normally in rest position in the unlocked position of slot  27 . That is, the locking slide  24  is in a long slot  27  with the locking wedges in an unlocked position. The sleeve  26  extends over the racheting member  25  and the rotating lock  21  but with the locking slide members  24  extending above and into slots  27  or  28 . The rotating lock  21  cannot rotate as long as the slides  24  are in either the slot  27  or  28  until the ratchet member  25  drives the rotating lock  21  forward when fuel pressure is applied to the diaphragm  32 . This then forces the slide  24  to rotate since it is riding against the angle of one of the teeth  31  which rotates it slightly and along with the angled surfaces  30  adjacent the slots  27  and  28 , the locking slide  24  will rotate to the next adjacent slot such as rotating from a long slot to a short slot and then back to a long slot. Thus, when the fuel pressure is released from the diaphragm  32 , the racheting member  25  withdraws and allows the rotating locking member  21  to slide backward. The locking slide  24  has been rotated from a long slot  27  to a short slot  28  which prevents the rotating lock  21  and attached arms to retract far enough to retract the locking wedges  17  to an unlocked position. However, applying a momentary pressure, like activating the fuel pump for a penny&#39;s worth of gas, by a remote gas station attendant will momentarily push the diaphragm and the ratchet member  25  forward to push the rotating lock  21  forward while rotating the locking slide  24  to the next slot which will be the unlocked position. Since the pressure is immediately released, the wedges are unlocked by the slide  24  sliding into the long slot or unlocked position which retracts the arms through the pressure from the coil spring  23  to retract the locking wedge springs and locking wedge members  17 . 
   An emergency release is provided with a rotating shaft  40  located adjacent the arms  20  and having a key end  41  for inserting a special key for rotating the shaft  40 . The shaft  40  has a cam member  42  attached thereto so that rotating the shaft  40  rotates the cam and rotates the cam against a camming bar  43  attached between the arms  20  to thereby push the arms backwards against the coil spring  23  to pull the locking wedges  17  into an unlocked position. 
   In operation, the standard fuel nozzle spout  14  is removed from a gas station fuel pump  9  and inserted into a vehicle filler tube  15  until it passes the restrictor area  16  thereby moving the outer sleeve  39  upward where the patron begins to pump gas by pulling on the handle  12 . The upward movement of the outer sleeve  39  exposes and immediately extends the locking wedges  17  as long as there is pressure on the diaphragm  32  driving the arms  20  forward by pressure being applied to the racheting member  25  and rotating locking member  21 . However, in pushing the arms  20  forward with the racheting member, it forces the locking member  21  to rotate slightly by sliding on the angled surfaces of the teeth  31  once the locking slides are pushed forward enough to be removed from slot  27  to slot  28 . Thus, when pressure is released on the diaphragm  32 , the racheting member  25  retracts allowing the locking member  21  to slide backwards with the locking slide  24  falling into the adjacent locked position or short slot  28  and holding the arms  20  extended against the pressure of the coil spring  23  and thus leaving the locking wedges extended and locking the filler spout  14  in the filler tube  15  so that a patron cannot leave without paying for the dispensed gas. The station attendant can quickly and remotely unlock the filler spout  20  from the filler tube  15  by applying a brief and momentary pressure to the diaphragm  32  to force the rotation of the locking slides from the locking slot  28  into the unlocking slot  27 . 
   It should be clear at this time that a locking fuel pump fuel dispenser nozzle has been provided which has a locking mechanism for automatically locking the fuel nozzle spout in the vehicle filler tube whenever fuel is being pumped into the vehicle filler tube and fuel tank and leaving the nozzle spout locked into the filler tube until released by an attendant. Another feature of this device is that if someone attempts to defeat the locking mechanism by inserting the nozzle pipe  14  just slightly into the filler tube  15 , but not sufficient to allow the outer sleeve  39  to fully expose and extend the locking wedges outward while past the restrictor area  16 , the curved extensions  6  attached to the locking wedge springs  18  will be in the center of the fuel stream and redirect a sufficient amount of the fuel rearward into the auto-shutoff tube  8  ( FIG. 1 ) automatically closing the nozzle valve. This will continue to occur until the patron gives up and pushes the nozzle pipe  14  further into the filler tube  15  and past the restrictor area  16  thereby allowing the locking wedges  17  to extend into their locked position and moving the curved extensions  6  out of the main fuel stream. This action virtually eliminates any refueling prior to the locking wedges  17  being released past the restrictor area  16 . However, the present invention is not to be construed as limited to the forms shown which are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.