Seal for a joint or juncture – Seal between fixed parts or static contact against... – Contact seal for other than internal combustion engine – or...
Utility Patent
1998-09-10
2001-01-02
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3626)
Seal for a joint or juncture
Seal between fixed parts or static contact against...
Contact seal for other than internal combustion engine, or...
C285S379000, C277S626000, C277S616000, C277S614000
Utility Patent
active
06168168
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a coupling that can be quickly connected and disconnected and, in particular, to a nozzle that does not allow fluid to leak or spill. More particularly, the present invention is an improved fuel nozzle and seal that can be used with standard under-wing aircraft fuel systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional aircraft fueling systems include nozzles and valves for supplying fuel to aircraft fuel tanks. In general, one end of the fuel nozzle is connected to a fuel hose and the fuel hose is connected to a fuel source such as a fuel truck, underground fuel tank or fuel supply system. The other end of the fuel nozzle is connected to the aircraft fueling adaptor which is typically located on the lower wing surface of the aircraft.
A portion of a conventional aircraft fuel nozzle is shown in FIG.
1
. The conventional fuel nozzle
10
includes a nozzle body
12
which has a generally cylindrical configuration and a nozzle collar
14
which is connected to the outer surface of the nozzle body. As known, the nozzle collar
14
can be rotatably mounted to the nozzle body
12
by ball bearings
16
. The fuel nozzle
10
also includes a nozzle collar adaptor
18
which is configured to be mechanically connected to the fueling adaptor of the aircraft to create a fluid connection between the fueling nozzle and the fuel system of the aircraft. The nozzle collar adaptor
18
may be mechanically connected to the nozzle collar
14
or the adaptor and collar may be integrally formed as a single component. A nozzle collar bumper
20
is mounted around the outside of a portion of the nozzle collar
14
and nozzle collar adaptor
18
. The nozzle collar bumper
20
is constructed of a resilient material to absorb forces applied to the fuel nozzle
10
during use and the bumper assists in preventing damage to the nozzle.
Centrally located within the fuel nozzle
10
is a poppet valve
22
which has a generally circular exterior surface
24
. The poppet valve
22
is axially aligned with a vertical axis X—X which extends through the center of the fueling nozzle
10
. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the poppet valve
22
is in a closed position, but one skilled in the art understands that the valve can move upwardly along the vertical axis X—X into an open position.
An annular seal
26
with a generally circular configuration is attached by a seal support
46
to the fuel nozzle
10
, and the seal contacts and abuts the annular exterior surface
24
of the poppet valve
22
when the valve is in the closed position. The seal
26
, as best seen in
FIG. 2
, has cylindrical inner and outer surfaces
28
and
30
, and a cavity
32
divides the lower portion
33
of the seal
26
into a first leg
34
and a second leg
36
. The legs
34
,
36
and cavity
32
have a generally rectangular cross-section and inwardly extending into the cavity
32
from the first leg is an annular projection
38
. The annular projection
38
is located at about the midpoint of the height of the cavity and the projection extends less than halfway across the width ol the cavity. The upper portion
39
of the seal
26
includes an upwardly extending nose
40
with a base
41
and a curved cut-out section
42
. The base
41
has a width which is approximately equal to the width of the second leg
36
and cavity
32
combined and the cut-out section
42
is shallow. The nose
40
also includes an inwardly extending annular projection
45
with a frustoconical outer surface
44
which is inclined inwardly toward the vertical axis X—X of the nozzle
10
. The base of the projection
45
has a width which is approximately equal to the width of the second leg
36
and cavity
32
combined.
As seen in
FIG. 1
, the seal
26
is configured to fit over and be attached to a cylindrical seal support
46
. The seal support
46
includes an upwardly extending annular member
48
which is configured to be inserted into the cavity
32
of the seal
26
. The member
48
includes an annular groove
50
which is configured to receive the annular projection
38
located on the inside surface of the first leg
34
of the seal
26
. The seal
26
is attached to the seal support
46
by an adhesive or glue that bonds the seal to the seal support. The adhesive is required to prevent the seal
26
from being dislodged or removed from the seal support
46
by the fluid pressure, which would allow the fuel to leak or spill. Additionally, the flexible seal
26
has a nose
40
with a thick base
41
, shallow cut-out section
42
and short, blunt upwardly extending projection
45
because when the seal engages the aircraft fuel adaptor, these components prevent the seal from excessively deforming and allowing fuel to leak.
Another example of a conventional aircraft fuel nozzle
51
is shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
. The fuel nozzle
51
includes a seal
52
with a cylindrical first wall
54
and a cylindrical second wall
56
defining a cylindrical cavity
58
. The cavity
58
is configured to fit over and be attached to a seal support
60
, and the seal
52
is bonded to the seal support by an adhesive or glue. The other portions of the known fuel nozzle
51
are generally the same as the conventional fuel nozzle
10
shown in FIG.
1
.
The lower portion
53
of the first wall
54
of the seal
52
, as seen in
FIG. 4
, includes a radially outwardly extending flange
62
which has a groove
64
in its lower surface. The second wall
56
, which has a shorter length than the first wall
54
, has a curved lower surface
66
. The uppermost portion of the cavity
58
includes an inwardly extending projection
68
. The upper portion
69
of the seal
52
includes an inwardly extending annular lip
70
with a horizontal lower surface
72
and an angled upper surface
74
. The angled upper surface
74
is configured to engage a portion of the exterior surface
24
of the poppet valve
22
when the valve is ir the closed position to create a fluid tight seal. The upper portion
69
of the seal also includes a cylindrical nose
76
with a body portion
75
having a width approximately equal to the width of the second wall
56
and the cavity
58
combined. The nose
76
also includes an inwardly extending annular projection
77
with a tip
79
and a frustoconical outer surface
80
. The base of the annular projection
77
has a width approximately equal to the width of the second wall
56
and cavity
58
combined.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, a conventional aircraft fuel adaptor
82
, which is typically located on the lower surface of an aircraft wing
84
, includes a stiffener ring
86
attached to the lower surface of the aircraft wing. The fuel adaptor
82
also includes an annular sleeve
88
which is attached to the stiffener ring
86
by a plurality of screws
90
. The sleeve
88
provides a tank valve seat and allows the fuel nozzle
51
to be attached to the fuel adaptor
82
. An O-ring
92
fits into a groove
94
in the sleeve
88
to create a fluid tight joint between the sleeve and the wing, surface
84
.
The sleeve
88
also includes an inwardly extending annular rim
96
which is machined on its upper surface to provide a valve seat
98
. Resting on the valve seat
98
is a gasket
100
which is attached to a valve disc
102
. A shaft
104
extends upwardly from the valve disc
102
and the shaft is supported by a cage or spider element
106
. A valve spring
108
, which bears against the spider element
106
at its upper end and against the disc
102
at its lower end, tends to maintain the disc and its gasket
100
in a closed position against the rim
96
.
When conventional fuel nozzles, such as the fuel nozzles
10
or
51
described above, are connected to the conventional aircraft fuel adaptor
82
, the nose of the seal comes into contact with the lower surface of the inwardly extending annular rim of the adaptor and the nose of the seal is deformed. In particular, as seen in
FIG. 3
, the elongated nose
76
of the seal
52
contacts the annular rim
96
of the adaptor
Knight Anthony
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
Peavey E
LandOfFree
Fuel nozzle does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Fuel nozzle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Fuel nozzle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2515166