AU644187B2

AU644187B2 - LPG filler valve receptacle

Info

Publication number: AU644187B2
Application number: AU80239/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: David Batchen; John F. Treloar
Original assignee: LG Equipment Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Elaflex Pacific Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1990-07-05
Filing date: 1991-07-05
Publication date: 1993-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 2011-07-05
Also published as: AU8023991A

Description

644187 p00011 Regulation 3 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act, 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Original S. 9 @0 000*o 0

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0 TO BE COMPLETED BY THE APPLICANT NAME OF APPLICANT: L.G. EQUIPMENT PTY LIMITED ACTUAL INVENTOR(S): S ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: INVENTION TITLE: INVENTION

TITLE:

Peter Maxwell Associates Blaxland House, Suite 10, 5 Ross Street, NORTH PARRAMATTA NSW 2151 LPG FILLER VALVE RECEPTACLE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it know to me:- -2- The present invention relates to an LPG filler valve receptacle or shroud and more particularly to such a receptacle or shroud adapted to aid the venting of waste LPG gases in a harmless fashion.

LPG gas is dispensed to vehicles by way of a hose with a nozzle which can be connected temporarily in a predominantly gas tight manner to a filler valve mounted at an accessible location on the vehicle. In Australia and U.S.A. the outside of the neck of the filler valve is threaded whereby a correspondingly threaded sealing sleeve on the hose nozzle is rotated into engagement with the neck of the filler valve so as to provide a gas tight seal. In some countries a snap-on arrangement is used as an alternative 5, means of providing a temporary gas tight connection between the nozzle and the filler valve neck.

In certain categories of vehicle the filler valve neck is recessed below the body line of the vehicle. In some cases the recess is an integral part of the vehicle body work and in other cases the recess is a separate shroud or other e distinct component which is attached to the vehicle body structure. In the above described situations, and particularly where the filler valve neck is recessed, problems have been experienced with bursts of LPG fuel emanating from the hose nozzle while the nozzle is located within the recess. These bursts of LPG fuel can cause freeze burns to the unprotected skin of an operator of th-_ nozzle.

The very nature of the relationship between the hose nozzle and the aperture surrounding the filler valve neck is such as to tend to direct bursts of LPG fuel directly away from the recess and therefor in the direction of the operator of the hose nozzle.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate this potentially hazardous characteristic of the prior art.

Accordingly, in one broad form of the invention, there is provided an LPG filler valve shroud which shrouds a nozzle when connected to an LPG filler valve; said shroud incorporating a baffle adapted to be sealingly interposed between the nozzle and said shroud so as to act as a barrier to LPG fuel escaping from a nozzle to valve connection in the general direction of said nozzle.

Preferably said LPG fuel is physically contained within a volume defined by said baffle, said nozzle, said neck and said shroud before being vented in a direction away from said general direction of the nozzle.

Preferably said shroud is part of the body work of a vehicle in which said valve is mounted. In an alternative *e o 20 preferred form, said shroud is a separate component connected to the bodywork of a vehicle in which said valve is mounted.

Preferably said baffle is a diaphragm projecting "inwardly from an inside surface of said shroud a sufficient distance so as to seal against external surfaces of said 25 nozzle when said nozzle is (or is nearly) in engagement with said valve.

sees -3a- Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an LPG filler valve

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assembly incorporating a shroud and baffle of a first embodiment, Fig. 2 is a side section view of the LPG filler valve assembly of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a side section view of an LPG filler valve assembly incorporating a shroud and baffle of a second embodiment, and Fig. 4 is a side, part section view of an LPG nozzle which can be used in conjunction with the LPG filler valve assembly of the first and second embodiments.

Referring to Fig. 1, a first embodiment of the invention is shown which comprises a receptacle assembly o adapted to receive an LPG nozzle The receptacle assembly comprises a shroud 11 which envelops the threaded neck 12 of a filler valve 25. The top of the threaded neck 12 protrudes sufficiently into the

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volume of the shroud 11 so as to be attachable to nozzle by the action of rotating rotatable sleeve 16 so that the leading internally threaded portion 17 of rotatable sleeve 16 (best seen in Fig. 4) threadedly engages the threaded neck 12 of the filler valve A diaphragm 13 comprises a circular flange protruding from the inside walls of the shroud 11 as illustrated.

Dimension D is the protrusion of the diaphragm 13 into the internal volume of the shroud 11 which is sufficien. to cause mechanical interference between the leading edge 19 of the diaphragm 13 and the external surface of the sleeve 16 when the sleeve 16 is engaged with the threaded neck 12 of the tiller valve 25. In this manner the diaphragm 13 forms a baffle which physically prevents bursts of LPG fuel which might appear in the shroud volume on the filler valve side of the diaphragm 13 during a filling operation from progressing to the opposite (nozzle) side of the diaphragm 13.

At least one vent aperture 14 is provided in the shroud 11 whereby LPG fuel or gas trapped on the filler valve side of the diaphragm 13 can be vented to atmosphere in a controlled manner and in a direction generally away from the 'o 10 nozzle S. ,0 This arrangement is effective in preventing LPG fuel or gas which escapes from the nozzle/filler valve connection while the nozzle is connected to the filler valve or while the nozzle is engaged with the diaphragm 13 from "blowing back" in the direction of the nozzle The shroud 11 can form an integral part of the vehicle body panels 18 or can be attached to those panels by suitable mechanical attachment means.

6 The receptacle assembly 10 can be used in a freestanding mode as well as in the situation where the filler See 0 valve does not need to be hidden below the body line of a vehicle.

Fig. 2 shows a cross-section of the first embodiment of the receptacle assembly in a manner which is particularly suited to installation on motor vehicles and the like.

With reference to Fig. 2, describing the assembly of Fig. 1 in greater detail, the receptacle assembly comprises a shroud 11 which envelops a threaded neck 12 of a filler valve 25. The filler valve neck 12 has a top threaded portion 20 onto which a cap 21 is screwed when a hose nozzle is not uonnected. A non-gas-tight door or cover 22 covers across the very top of the shroud 11 so as to provide a cosmetic cover in alignment with vehicle body panels 18.

A diaphragm 13 engages in a slot 23 in the inner side wall of the shroud 11. The leading edge 19 of the diaphragm 13 is bloated in cross section.

The diaphragm 13, including dimension D, is sized so that leading edge 19 of diaphragm 13 forms an interference *406 S" fit with the external surface of sleeve 16 of nozzle 15 when the sleeve 16 is threadedly engaged with the threaded portion 20 of the filler valve neck as well as immediately before and after such engagement is made.

Vent aperture 14 allows LPG fuel or gas trapped within the volume defined by the nozzle 15, the diaphragm 13, the shroud 11 and the top of the filler valve neck to be vented from this volume in a direction away from the nozzle A retainer flange 24 is utilised to clamp the shroud 11 to the underside of body panels 18.

*The diaphragm 13 can be made from any suitably resilient material which will flex sufficiently to allow the nozzle 15 to pass therethrough so as to form a frictional or interference seal between the two.

With reference to Fig. 3, a second embodiment of the receptacle assembly is shown wherein like components are numbered as for the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, the shroud 11 is attached to body -7panels 18 so as to stand proud of the general plane of the body panels 18. A cap 21 is screwed onto the threads 20 of the filler valve 25 as well as being connected to an exterior portion of the shroud 11 by means of chain 26.

In this embodiment, the diaphragm 13 comprises a first portion 27 compressfbly held within a flange portion 28 of shroud 11 and a second portion 29 which projects downwardly therefrom in the direction of filler valve threaded neck 12 a sufficient distance such that at least the leading edge 19 i0O thereof will mechanically interfere with the external surface S S of sleeve 16 of nozzle 15 when sleeve 16 is threadedly engaged with the threaded neck 12 the filler valve In this embodiment, no vent apertures (such as the vent apertures 14 of the first embodiment) are provided. Instead, it is assumed that any gas trapped in region 30 whilst nozzle 15 is or is nearly engaged with the filler valve 25 will vent to atmosphere between the leading edge 19 of diaphragm 13 and the top of the threaded neck 12 of the filler valve 25 when nozzle 15 is removed entirely from the shroud 11. It is to be noted that this venting to atmosphere will be harmless as any initially explosive or skin burning effect of released fuel into region 30 will have been sufficiently dissipated whilst region 30 remains sealed by the seal created between leading edge 19 of diaphragm 13 and the exterior surface of rotatable sleeve 16.

The overall characteristics and method of utilisation of the assembly of Fig. 3 are essentially the same as that of Figs. 1 and 2.

-8- Fig. 4 shows a side section view of a gas nozzle assembly 15 suitable for use with embodiments of this invention. The nozzle 15 is more fully described in Australian Patent Application 79,191/87, the specification of which is incorporated herein by cross-reference.

The above describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications obvious to those skilled in the art can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

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Claims

1. An LPG filler valve shroud which shrouds a nozzle when connected to an LPG filler valve; said shroud incorporating a baffle adapted to be sealingly interposed between the nozzle and said shroud so as to act as a barrier to LPG fuel escaping from a nozzle to valve connection in the general direction of said nozzle.

2. The valve shroud of claim 1 wherein said LPG fuel escaping from said nozzle to valve connection is restrained within a volume defined by said baffle, said nozzle, said neck and said shroud before being vented in a direction away from said general direction of the nozzle.

3. The valve shroud of claim 2 wherein said shroud is part of the body work of a vehicle in which said valve is mounted.

4. The valve shroud of claim 2 wherein said shroud is a separate component connected to the bodywork of a vehicle in which said valve is mounted. 0*0

5. The valve shroud of any preceding claim wherein said s* baffle is a diaphragm projecting inwardly from an inside surface of said shroud a sufficient distance so as to seal against external surfaces of said nozzle when said nozzle is S, (or is nearly) in engagement wi+h said valve.

6. The valve shroud of claim 5 wherein said diaphragm 4 *4 includes a bulbous end portion adapted to seal against an extcrior surface of said nozzle.

7. The valve shroud of claim 5 or claim 6 wherein said diaphragm is connected to an upper inside edge of said shroud and is angled downwardly therefrom towards said valve.

8. An LPG filler valve shroud as hereinbefore particularly described with reference to what is shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

9. An LPG filler valve shroud as hereinbefore particularJV described with reference to what is shown in Fig. 3. DATED T'his 4th day of July, 1991. S a S0 L. G. EQUIPMENT PTY. LIMITED Patent Attorney-; for the Applicant: PETER MAXWELL &c ASSOCIATES. 0 we* ABSTRACT An improved LPG filler valve receptacle or shroud (11) adapted to house the temporary connection made between an LPG filler nozzle (15) and an LPG filler valve The improvement comprises incorporating a baffle or diaphragm (13) within an upper portion of the shroud (11) A such that, in use, the baffle (13) acts as a barrier to LPG fuel which escapes from the nozzle to valve connection in the d general direction of the nozzle 6 S 0 6 0m 06** *4 O e 6 406 *6 o