Patent EP0349316A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0349316A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle fleet fuel monitoring system
Assignee: Meggitt UK Ltd
•
Filing: 1989-06-29
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2009-06-29
Abstract
Abstract A data monitoring system for use in the operation of a fleet of commercial vehicles, comprising a fuel supply means comprising a fuel pump (30) connected to a fuel dispensing nozzle (22) by way of a flexible fuel delivery hose (28). A fuel management system (18) is coupled to the fuel pump (30) for controlling the amount of fuel dispensed via the nozzle (22). One end of a fibre optic (20) is carried by the pump nozzle (22) for receiving information from a radiation transmitter (14) on any of said commercial vehicles when the pump nozzle (22) is inserted into the fuel entry port (24) of that vehicle, the other end of the fibre optic being positioned to supply the information to the fuel management system (18). The fibre optic is run from the top of the nozzle (22), through a special fitting (26) into the interior of the hose (28), the fibre optic then running the length of the delivery hose, surrounded by the fuel product, until it reaches the region of the fuel pump (30), where it emerges from the hose via a gland (40) and runs on to the fuel management system (18).
Inventors
- 👤 Iain Andrew James Lamont
- 👤 Stuart Darryl Finch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 06:59
CPC Classifications
B; B67; B67D; B67D7/00; B67D7/06; B67D7/08; B67D7/14; B67D7/145; B67D7/32; B67D7/34; B67D7/42; B67D7/425; G; G07; G07C; G07C5/00; G07C5/008
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
247 words
A data monitoring system for use in the operation of a fleet of commercial vehicles, comprising a fuel supply means comprising a fuel pump means (30) connected to a fuel dispensing nozzle (22) by way of a flexible fuel delivery conduit (28); a fuel management system (18) coupled to said fuel pump means (30) for controlling the amount of fuel dispensed via the nozzle (22), and a sensor means carried by the nozzle (22) for receiving information from a radiation transmitter (14) on any of said commercial vehicles when the pump nozzle (22) is inserted into the fuel entry port (24) of that vehicle, whereby to transmit information concerning that vehicle to the fuel management system (18); characterised in that the sensor comprises a fibre optic (20) whose one end is disposed on the pump nozzle (22) in a position to enable it to communicate optically with the radiation transmitter (14) when the pump nozzle is inserted into that fuel entry port, the radiation transmitter being disposed on said vehicle in a position external to said fuel entry port (24), the other end of the fibre optic (20) being positioned to supply information, received from the transmitter (14), to said fuel management system (18), which interrogates the fibre optic and processes signals received therefrom, and at least part of the length of the fibre optic (20) being carried within said flexible fuel delivery conduit (28) in extending between the pump nozzle (22) and the fuel pump (30).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
247 words
A data monitoring system for use in the operation of a fleet of commercial vehicles, comprising a fuel supply means comprising a fuel pump means (30) connected to a fuel dispensing nozzle (22) by way of a flexible fuel delivery conduit (28); a fuel management system (18) coupled to said fuel pump means (30) for controlling the amount of fuel dispensed via the nozzle (22), and a sensor means carried by the nozzle (22) for receiving information from a radiation transmitter (14) on any of said commercial vehicles when the pump nozzle (22) is inserted into the fuel entry port (24) of that vehicle, whereby to transmit information concerning that vehicle to the fuel management system (18); characterised in that the sensor comprises a fibre optic (20) whose one end is disposed on the pump nozzle (22) in a position to enable it to communicate optically with the radiation transmitter (14) when the pump nozzle is inserted into that fuel entry port, the radiation transmitter being disposed on said vehicle in a position external to said fuel entry port (24), the other end of the fibre optic (20) being positioned to supply information, received from the transmitter (14), to said fuel management system (18), which interrogates the fibre optic and processes signals received therefrom, and at least part of the length of the fibre optic (20) being carried within said flexible fuel delivery conduit (28) in extending between the pump nozzle (22) and the fuel pump (30).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
73 words
A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fibre optic (20) is run from the top of the nozzle, through an adaptor (26) into the interior of the fuel delivery conduit (28), the fibre optic then running the length of the delivery conduit (28), surrounded by the fuel product, until it reaches the region of the fuel pump (30), where it emerges from the delivery conduit (28) via a gland means (40).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system according to claim 2, wherein the fibre optic (20) is surrounded by a protective metal sleeve.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A system according to claim 3, wherein the metal sleeve in the exposed region of the fibre optic (20) before it enters the fuel delivery conduit (28) is stainless steel tubing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system according to claim 4, wherein the said metal sleeve on the part of the fibre optic disposed within the fuel delivery conduit (28) is itself flexible.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
97 words
A system as claimed in claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the adaptor (26) comprises a metal tube (34), one end of which is fitted to the nozzle (22) and the other end of which is coupled to the flexible fuel delivery conduit (28) by way of a swivel device (33,39), the fibre optic (20) passing into the interior of the adaptor (32) by way of an aperture (36) in the wall of the tube (34), the metal sleeve which surrounds the fibre optic being welded to the tube (34) where it passes through the aperture (36).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the region around the weld is covered by a protective sleeve (35) held in place around the metal tube (34) by means of a locking ring (38).
Claim 9
Independent Claim
40 words
A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the vehicle also includes a radiation receiver and wherein the sensor is adapted to enable two-way communication with the vehicle by means of said radiation transmitter and receiver.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.