US5240226A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fuel dispenser aid
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1993-01-07
•
Granted: 1993-08-31
•
Expires: 2013-01-07
Abstract
Abstract A fuel dispenser aid holds a trigger-like valve operating lever relative to a pistol grip-like handle portion of a valving device for dispensing gasoline or other fuels through a nozzle of the valving device without continuously manually holding the operating lever. The dispenser aid includes a mounting member formed of a material having a resilient, shape retaining character configured for mounting over the pistol grip-like handle portion of the valving device, a flexible strap secured at a first end thereof to the mounting member and extending freely therefrom so that it can be looped under the trigger-like valve operating lever and up to the mounting member and an arrangement for releasably and adjustably fastening the free portion of the strap to the mounting member. The mounting member is configured such that it can be held in one hand and clipped over the handle portion of the valving device in such a manner that the fingers of the one hand can both actuate the operating lever and loop the strap under and up to the mounting member to releasably fasten the strap thereon for securing the operating lever in the desired actuated dispensing position. The fuel dispenser aid offers the advantages of simplicity, relatively low cost and ease of use even for the handicapped operator.
Inventors
- 👤 Jules M. Bobst
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 13:09
CPC Classifications
B; B67; B67D; B67D7/00; B67D7/06; B67D7/42; B67D7/44; B67D7/50; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/20; Y10T74/20576; Y10T74/20582; Y10T74/2063
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
205 words
A fuel dispenser aid for holding a trigger-like valve operating lever relative to a pistol grip-like handle portion of a valving device for dispensing gasoline or other fuels through a nozzle of the valving device, said fuel dispenser aid comprising: a mounting member formed of a material having a resilient, shape retaining character and configured for mounting over the pistol grip-like handle portion of the valving device, a flexible strap secured at a first end thereof to the mounting member and extending freely therefrom such that when the mounting member is mounted over the pistol grip-like handle portion of the valving device the free portion of the strap can be looped under the trigger-like valve operating lever and up to the mounting member, and fastening means for releasably and adjustably fastening the free portion of the strap to the mounting member after the free portion of the strap has been looped under the valve operating lever and up to the mounting member whereby the valve operating lever can be held in a desired set position relative to the handle portion of the valving device for dispensing fuel without requiring that the operating lever of the valving device continuously be manually held in said set position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
205 words
A fuel dispenser aid for holding a trigger-like valve operating lever relative to a pistol grip-like handle portion of a valving device for dispensing gasoline or other fuels through a nozzle of the valving device, said fuel dispenser aid comprising: a mounting member formed of a material having a resilient, shape retaining character and configured for mounting over the pistol grip-like handle portion of the valving device, a flexible strap secured at a first end thereof to the mounting member and extending freely therefrom such that when the mounting member is mounted over the pistol grip-like handle portion of the valving device the free portion of the strap can be looped under the trigger-like valve operating lever and up to the mounting member, and fastening means for releasably and adjustably fastening the free portion of the strap to the mounting member after the free portion of the strap has been looped under the valve operating lever and up to the mounting member whereby the valve operating lever can be held in a desired set position relative to the handle portion of the valving device for dispensing fuel without requiring that the operating lever of the valving device continuously be manually held in said set position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 1, wherein said mounting member is a clip which has a shape such that it can be flexed and releasably clipped onto said handle portion of the valving device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 2, wherein said clip is in the form of a loop which is open on one side for receiving the handle portion of the valving device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 3, wherein one end of the loop of the mounting member is elongated and extends outwardly from said loop beyond the other end thereof for guiding the clip onto the handle portion of the valving device, said first end of said flexible strap being secured to said on end of the loop.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 1, wherein said mounting member is provided with gripping means for resisting slipping of the mounting member relative to the handle portion of the valving device when the fuel dispenser aid is mounted on the valving device.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 5, wherein said gripping means includes a grip pad attached to a surface of the mounting member which faces the handle portion when the mounting member is mounted thereon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 5, wherein said gripping means includes built-in gripping teeth formed integrally with said mounting member on a surface of the mounting member which faces the handle portion when the mounting member is mounted thereon.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 1, wherein said fastening means includes loop material and hook material adapted to be releasably fastened to each other, said loop material being provided on one of said flexible strap and said mounting member and said hook material being provided on the other of said flexible strap and said mounting member.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 8, wherein the one of the loop material and the hook material on the flexible strap extends along at least substantially the entire length of the strap for adjustably fastening the strap on the mounting member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 1, wherein said mounting member and said strap are each formed of molded plastic and wherein said fastening means includes built-in plastic fasteners integrally molded with each of said mounting member and said strap.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 1, wherein said strap is secured at said first end thereof to the mounting member by a rivet.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 1, wherein said strap is secured at said first end thereof to the mounting member by a snap arrangement between the mounting member and the strap.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 1, wherein the material of said mounting member is a composite formed of a resilient shape retaining clip molded within flexible outer material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 13, wherein said strap is composed of the same material as said flexible outer material of said mounting member and is formed integrally therewith.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 14, wherein said fastening means include grips formed integrally with the flexible molded material on respective surfaces of the mounting member and strap for interlocking with one another when engaged.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
A fuel dispenser aid according to claim 1, wherein said fastening means includes an upstanding projection on said mounting member and a plurality of holes in the strap for respectively accommodating said projection to adjustably fasten the strap to the mounting member.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
FR542607A
Cited
US4095629A
Cited
US4176695A
Cited
US4287736A
Cited
US4690182A
Cited
US4712766A
Cited
USD297810S
Cited
US4811765A
Cited
US4846447A
Cited
US4874151A
Cited
US5118074A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-08-30 | 1997-03-01 | 1997-08-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-08-30 | 2001-03-01 | 2001-08-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-08-30 | 2005-03-01 | 2005-08-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |