Apparatus and methods for controlling fluid dispensing
US5249612A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 24, 1992 |
| Grant date | Oct 5, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 24, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S141/01
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Devices and methods are disclosed for controlling the dispensing of fluid, particularly hazardous or flammable fluids, such as automobile gasoline. A recurring problem is the dispensing, particularly by untrained members of the public, into unsuitable or unapproved containers or into no container at all, which can cause leakage, fire, damage to the container, or environmental or health hazards. The invention detects the presence of a container closely adjacent to the outlet of the pump or other dispenser and attempts to determine whether a detected container is of a suitable type by generating a field, such as an electromagnetic field, and measuring the reaction of the container to the field, thus identifying information about selected physical characteristics of the container, such as its metallic or non-metallic material composition. Unless a suitable container is detected in a predetermined position, the invention will block dispensing of the fluid. More complex embodiments can determine several attributes, by measuring several types of response to a number of different tests or fields, and permitting more refined discrimination among containers, or recognize as suitable contain…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.