Multifunctional dispensing system with overhead fuel/air delivery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345587-B2
Application number	US-202016908624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2020
Priority date	Jun 22, 2020
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

Various multifunctional dispensing systems with overhead fuel/air delivery and methods for using the same are provided. Such a system can include a dispenser system and an overhead delivery unit suspended on tracks above a vehicle drive aisle at a fueling station. The overhead delivery unit can include a fuel dispensing nozzle and an air dispensing nozzle that can be moved about the tracks so as to optimally position the nozzles to be approximately overhead the fuel doors and tires, respectively. Such an arrangement allows a customer to refuel their vehicle and inflate their tire(s) without moving their car between each transaction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multifunctional dispensing system, comprising:
an overhead delivery unit configured to be disposed above a fueling/inflation location, the overhead delivery unit including a housing, a fuel dispensing component disposed at least partially in the housing and configured to dispense fuel, and an air dispensing component disposed at least partially in the housing and configured to dispense air, the fuel dispensing component having a fuel dispenser nozzle and the air dispensing component having an air dispenser nozzle; and
a dispenser system including:
an image sensor;
at least one data processor operatively connected to the image sensor and configured to
receive an image from the image sensor, the image including a visual depiction of a vehicle in the fueling/inflation location,
determine an identity of the vehicle from the received image,
determine a position of the vehicle in the fueling/inflation location from the received image,
receive, based on the determined identity, relative position data characterizing a relative position of a feature of the vehicle relative to an exterior dimension of the vehicle,
determine an actual position of the feature of the vehicle based on the received relative position data and the determined position of the vehicle,
determine, based on the determined actual position, a translation instruction configured to command the housing to translate such that at least one of the fuel dispenser nozzle and the air dispenser nozzle is positioned overhead of the vehicle feature, and
provide the translation instruction to the housing.

2. The multifunctional dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the fuel dispensing component includes a fuel hose disposed on a fuel hose reel, the fuel hose being coupled to the fuel dispenser nozzle, and the fuel hose being configured to supply fuel to the fuel dispenser nozzle; and
the air dispensing component includes an air hose disposed on an air hose reel, the air hose being coupled to the air dispenser nozzle, and the air hose being configured to supply air to the air dispenser nozzle.

3. The multifunctional dispensing system of claim 2 , wherein the fuel hose reel is configured to rotate in response to an instruction provided by the at least one data processor to thereby raise or lower the fuel dispenser nozzle.

4. The multifunctional dispensing system of claim 2 , wherein the air hose reel is configured to rotate in response to an instruction from the at least one data processor to thereby raise or lower the air dispenser nozzle.

5. The multifunctional dispensing system of claim 2 , wherein the air hose is in fluid communication with an air regulator configured to modulate a pressure level of air received at the air regulator based on a regulation instruction provided by the at least one data processor.

6. The multifunctional dispensing system of claim 5 , wherein the air regulator is at least partially disposed in the housing.

7. The multifunctional dispensing system of claim 2 , wherein the fuel hose reel and the air hose reel are each at least partially disposed in the housing.

8. The multifunctional dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the overhead delivery unit includes a cross member disposed proximate the housing and coupled thereto by a mounting bracket coupled to an exterior surface of the housing, the cross member having a first end and a second end opposite the first end.

9. The multifunctional dispensing system of claim 8 , wherein the housing is configured to translate along the cross member between the first end and the second end in response to the translation instruction.

10. The multifunctional dispensing system of claim 8 , wherein the overhead delivery unit further comprises a first track and a second track, each of the first track and the second track coupled to the cross member.

11. The multifunctional dispensing system of claim 10 , wherein the cross member is configured to translate along the first track and the second track in response to the translation instruction.

12. An overhead fluid delivery unit, comprising:
a housing;
a fuel dispensing component disposed at least partially in the housing and configured to dispense fuel, the fuel dispensing component having a fuel dispenser nozzle;
an air dispensing component disposed at least partially in the housing and configured to dispense air, the air dispensing component having an air dispenser nozzle;
a cross member configured to slidably couple to the housing; and
a plurality of tracks, each of the plurality of tracks configured to slidably couple to the cross member and to be disposed above a fueling/inflation location,
wherein the cross member and the plurality of tracks are configured to permit the housing to translate across the fueling/inflation location, and wherein the housing is in operable communication with a dispenser system, the dispenser system including
an image sensor;
at least one data processor operatively connected to the image sensor and configured to
receive an image from the image sensor, the image including a visual depiction of a vehicle in the fueling/inflation location,
determine an identity of the vehicle from the received image,
determine a position of the vehicle in the fueling/inflation location from the received image,
receive, based on the determined identity, relative position data characterizing a relative position of a feature of the vehicle relative to an exterior dimension of the vehicle,
determine an actual position of the feature of the vehicle based on the received relative position data and the determined position of the vehicle,
determine, based on the determined actual position, a translation instruction configured to command the housing to translate such that at least one of the fuel dispenser nozzle and the air dispenser nozzle is positioned overhead of the vehicle feature, and
provide the translation instruction to the housing.

13. The overhead fluid delivery unit of claim 12 , wherein the fuel dispensing component further comprises a fuel hose disposed on a fuel hose reel, the fuel hose being coupled to the fuel dispenser nozzle, and the fuel hose being configured to supply fuel to the fuel dispenser nozzle, and the air dispensing component further comprises an air hose disposed on an air hose reel, the air hose being coupled to the air dispenser nozzle, and the air hose being configured to supply air to the air dispenser nozzle.

14. The overhead fluid delivery unit of claim 13 , wherein the fuel hose reel is configured to rotate in response to an instruction provided by the at least one data processor to thereby raise or lower the fuel dispenser nozzle.

15. The overhead fluid delivery unit of claim 13 , wherein the air hose reel is configured to rotate in response to an instruction from the at least one data processor to thereby raise or lower the air dispenser nozzle.

16. The overhead fluid delivery unit of claim 13 , wherein the air hose is in fluid communication with an air regulator configured to modulate a pressure level of air received at the regulator based on a regulation instruction provided by the at least one data processor.

17. The overhead fluid delivery unit of claim 16 , wherein the air regulator is at least partially disposed in the housing.

18. The overhead fluid delivery unit of claim 13 , wherein the fuel hose reel and the air hose reel are each at least partially disposed in the housing.

19. The overhead fluid delivery unit of claim 12 , wherein the fuel dispenser nozzle is configu

Assignees

• Wayne Fueling Systems Llc

Inventors

• Krishnappa Vinod
• Gundappa Sangamesh

Classifications

• B67D7/84

  Casings, cabinets or frameworks; Trolleys or like movable supports · CPC title

• B67D7/40

  Suspending, reeling or storing devices (supports for storing lengths of hoses, in general B65H75/34) · CPC title

• B67D7/04 Primary

  for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants · CPC title

• B60S5/02

  Supplying fuel to vehicles; General disposition of plant in filling stations (apparatus for transferring measured quantities of petrol, oil, or the like from storage space to vehicles B67D) · CPC title

• B67D2007/0436

  according to a spatial coordinate system · CPC title