Low emission nozzles and receptacles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10883665-B2
Application number	US-201916538534-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2019
Priority date	Dec 3, 2015
Publication date	Jan 5, 2021
Grant date	Jan 5, 2021

Abstract

A method consistent with the present disclosure may include: (a) equalizing pressure between a nozzle inner void and a receptacle main inner void by pressing a nozzle check against a receptacle check to open the nozzle check and the receptacle check; (b) extending the nozzle into the receptacle such that a receptacle main body surrounds at least a portion of the nozzle probe; (c) flowing fluid from the nozzle inner void into the receptacle main inner void.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for coupling a nozzle with a receptacle, the method comprising:
inserting the nozzle into the receptacle, wherein the nozzle includes a nozzle probe defining a check void and a nozzle check at least partially disposed in the check void, wherein the receptacle includes a receptacle check;
pressing the nozzle check against the receptacle check to cause the nozzle check and the receptacle check to open, wherein pressure between a nozzle inner void of the nozzle and a receptacle main inner void of the receptacle equalizes when the nozzle check and the receptacle check is opened;
extending the nozzle into the receptacle to an extended position where at least a portion of the nozzle probe is surrounded by a receptacle main body of the receptacle to fluidly connect the nozzle inner void of the nozzle with the receptacle main inner void; and
permitting fluid to flow from the nozzle inner void into the receptacle main inner void when the nozzle inner void and the receptacle main inner void are fluidly connected.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is extended into the receptacle to the extended position upon equalizing the pressure between the nozzle inner void and the receptacle main inner void.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein opening the nozzle check and the receptacle check to equalize the pressure comprises opening the nozzle check before opening the receptacle check.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the nozzle into the receptacle comprises pressing a nozzle flat annular surface of the nozzle against a receptacle poppet of the receptacle.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising, prior to causing the nozzle check and the receptacle check to open, inserting a nozzle check seal of the nozzle into a first receptacle void defined by the receptacle poppet.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the receptacle includes a receptacle annular packing that is compressed between the receptacle main body and the receptacle poppet when the receptacle poppet is in a closed position.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the receptacle annular packing is compressed between a nozzle main body of the nozzle and the receptacle main body when the nozzle is in the extended position.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising at least momentarily causing the receptacle annular packing to be compressed by the receptacle main body, the receptacle poppet, and the nozzle main body when the nozzle is in the extended position.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the receptacle includes a first receptacle poppet, a second receptacle poppet and a receptacle spring, wherein the second receptacle poppet is downstream of the first receptacle poppet, wherein the receptacle spring biases the second receptacle poppet to a closed position.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising opening the second receptacle poppet by pressurizing the receptacle main inner void.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising opening the second receptacle poppet by causing a receptacle stem to contact a receptacle stop connected to the second receptacle poppet.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting when the nozzle is in the extended position via one or more sensors in electrical communication with a controller.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of permitting fluid to flow from the nozzle inner void into the receptacle main inner void includes automatically causing, via the controller, the fluid to flow in response to the controller detecting that the nozzle is in the extended position.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising slidably disposing the nozzle probe in a nozzle main body of the nozzle.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising surrounding a first portion of the nozzle probe by the nozzle main body when the nozzle probe is in the extended position.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising surrounding a second portion of the nozzle probe by the nozzle main body when the nozzle probe is in a retracted position, the second portion being greater than the first portion.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising transitioning the nozzle between the retracted position and the extended position comprises, wherein, when the nozzle transitions between the retracted position and the extended position, the nozzle main body translates a first distance and the nozzle probe translates a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein transitioning the nozzle between the retracted position and the extended position comprises:
moving the nozzle probe and the nozzle main body together as a common unit until the first distance is reached; and
subsequently moving the nozzle probe beyond the nozzle main body until the second distance is reached.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, to cause the nozzle check and the receptacle check to open, pressing the nozzle check against the receptacle check until a spring that biases the nozzle check to a closed position is overcome.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the nozzle check extends beyond an annular seal of the nozzle probe in the closed position.

Assignees

• Engineered Controls Int Llc

Inventors

• Thomas Chad
• Konishi Howard M
• Howard Jeffrey S

Classifications

• F17C2205/0388

  Arrangement of valves, regulators, filters · CPC title

• F17C2205/0323

  Valves · CPC title

• F17C13/04 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of valves (valves per se F16K {; snap-coupling of nipples F16L37/00}) · CPC title

• F17C9/00

  Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied or solidified gases from vessels not under pressure · CPC title

• F17C6/00

  Methods and apparatus for filling vessels not under pressure with liquefied or solidified gases · CPC title