Gas supply system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12584591-B2
Application number	US-202318494741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2023
Priority date	Dec 22, 2022
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A tank of a gas supply system is configured to be detachably attached to a gas consumption device. A control device is configured to, when the tank is detached, close an open/close valve to stop supply of gas from the tank, stop consumption of gas by the gas consumption device after the gas in the supply channel is consumed, and perform computation to permit detachment of the tank after confirming that pressure acquired from a pressure sensor is not rising to a predetermined level or higher.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A gas supply system comprising:
a gas consumption device; a tank that stores gas to be supplied to the gas consumption device, and that is configured to be detachably attached to the gas consumption device; and a control device, wherein the gas consumption device includes a supply channel configured such that the gas flows through the supply channel, and a pressure sensor configured to obtain in-channel pressure of the supply channel, the tank is configured to be connected to the supply channel, and is provided with an open/close valve at a portion where the tank is connected to the supply channel, and the control device is configured such that, in response to the control device receiving a signal regarding a start of the detachment of the tank, the control device closes the open/close valve to stop supply of gas from the tank, stops consumption of the gas by the gas consumption device after the gas in the supply channel is consumed, and the control device is further configured such that it permits detachment of the tank when the pressure rise is no greater than a predetermined threshold value.

2 . The gas supply system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the gas consumption device includes a connecting device and a locking member that is configured to restrict detachment of the tank from the gas consumption device, the locking member projecting from the connecting device and entering into the connecting portion in a status that the connecting device and the open/close valve are engaged; and the control device is configured to perform operations to release restriction by the locking member when the detachment of the tank is permitted.

3 . The gas supply system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the open/close valve is a check valve; the gas consumption device includes a push rod; the check valve is configured to open by the push rod pressing the check valve; the check valve is configured to close by the push rod releasing pressing of the check valve; and the control device is configured to perform operations of the push rod such that the check valve is closed when the tank is detached.

4 . The gas supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the open/close valve of the tank is a solenoid valve.

5 . The gas supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to output a result to be externally notified when a computation result that does not permit the detachment of the tank is obtained.

6 . The gas supply system according to claim 5 , further comprising a receiver that receives the result to be externally notified and performs notification.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hotta Yutaka
• Sugiura Koji
• Uchimura Chihiro

Classifications

• Y02E60/32

  Hydrogen storage · CPC title

• F17C2250/0636

  Flow or movement of content · CPC title

• F17C2250/043

  Pressure · CPC title

• F17C2205/0335

  Check-valves or non-return valves · CPC title

• F17C13/04

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