Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Filling means with receiver or receiver coacting means – Supply means carried receiver flow control opening means
Patent
1997-02-10
1998-11-03
Jacyna, J. Casimer
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Filling means with receiver or receiver coacting means
Supply means carried receiver flow control opening means
141 98, 141368, 220 862, 901 6, B67D 508, B60K 1504
Patent
active
058294953
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an adapter for the automatic refueling of automotive vehicles.
Swedish Patent Specification No. 8901674-5 describes apparatus for the automatic refueling of automotive vehicles, primarily cars, in which a robot which includes a robot head having a fueling nozzle or like device is adapted to move the fueling nozzle automatically from a rest position to a vehicle fueling position in response to sensing and control means, subsequent to having placed the vehicle in a predetermined position relative to the robot.
According to this patent specification, the refueling nozzle includes a rigid, first tubular element, preferably a metal tube, which is intended to be moved by the robot to an adapter which is provided with a hole and which is attached to the upper orifice of the vehicle fuel-tank pipe. A flexible second tube, preferably a plastic tube, is arranged within the first rigid tube for movement from a first end position in which the outer, free end of the second tube is located within the first tube, to a second end position in which the second tube projects out from the first tube.
A tube connection is provided between said hole and the vehicle fuel-tank pipe. The robot is constructed to move the free end of the first tube into abutment with or to a position in the immediate vicinity of the adapter in a first step and to move the free end of the second tube out of the first tube and down into said tube connection or down into the fuel-tank pipe of the vehicle in a second step, and to pump fuel through the second tube and down into the fuel tank of the vehicle in a third step.
When refueling of the vehicle is completed, the robot functions to repeat the two first-mentioned steps, but in the reverse order.
The apparatus described in the aforesaid patent publication includes a positioning system in which a transceiver unit operating at microwave frequency is mounted on the robot head, and a passive transponder which is placed in the vehicle in a predetermined position relative to the fuel-tank pipe.
Swedish Patent Specification No. 9202549-3 also describes apparatus for the automatic refueling, including an adapter which is intended to be fitted to the fuel-tank pipe of a vehicle. The adapter has a conical part which is intended to coact with the first pipe but also with the free end of the second pipe when the second pipe is passed down through the adapter into the fuel-tank pipe.
Since the fuel-tank pipe orifices of generally all vehicles define an angle with the vertical plane, it is required that the conical part slopes to a lesser extent in the vertical plane and that it preferably lies in the vertical plane, since the first and second pipes of the robot are moved horizontally towards the vehicle as the robot docks therewith.
Since in practically all cases the adapter thus is constructed so that its bottom orifice at which the adapter is attached to the orifice of the fuel-tank pipe defines an angle which is different to the angle defined by the upper orifice at which docking takes place, it is essential that the adapter is positioned on the fuel-tank pipe in a correct position of rotation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention thus relates to an adapter for the automatic fueling of automotive vehicles, primarily cars, wherein there is provided a robot which includes a robot head which is movable relative to the robot so as to enable the robot head to be brought to a predetermined position relative to the vehicle fuel-tank pipe by means of a positioning system and therewith docked with said adapter, wherein the adapter is intended to be fastened to the upper orifice of the fuel-tank pipe and includes a conical part, wherein the robot head includes a pipe whose free forward end is intended to project down to a position in the fuel-tank pipe upon completion of said docking procedure, whereafter fuel is delivered through said pipe, and wherein the invention is characterized in that the adapter includes a base part and an adaptation fun
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Autofill Patent AB
Jacyna J. Casimer
Mangels Alfred J.
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