EP4031481B1 - Dispensing valve with locking control lever - Google Patents

Description

The subject matter of the present invention is a dispensing valve for dispensing a fluid. The dispensing valve includes a manually operable control lever movable between a closed position and an open position to control fluid dispensing.

Such nozzles are used, for example, to dispense fuel into the tank of a vehicle. For this purpose, the dispensing valve can be connected, for example, to a connecting piece of the tank. The control lever can then be moved from the closed position to the open position by means of the manual force of the user. This usually opens a main valve to allow fuel delivery.

The main valve is usually urged into the closed position by a spring force. The user must therefore exert a certain amount of force in order to keep the control lever in the open position. This is exhausting for the user in the long run. It is known from public prior use to provide a locking hook which can be pivoted with the aid of an additional hand movement in order to fix the control lever in the open position. However, the need to perform an additional hand movement makes it uncomfortable to use.

Furthermore, it is from the DE 603 032 79 known to provide a locking device which allows locking of the control lever solely by moving the control lever in the open position. To this end, the locking device comprises a spring-loaded arm with a slidable shuttle which enables a portion of the control lever to be selectively latched in order to hold the control lever in the open position to keep. The locking device is released by moving the control lever in the opening direction. A disadvantage of this prior art is that the locking device is made in small parts and is therefore susceptible to wear and requires maintenance.

Furthermore, a nozzle according to the preamble of claim 1 is from the document US 2016/0347602 A1 known.

Proceeding from this state of the art, it is the object of the present invention to provide a nozzle of the type mentioned at the outset, which has a structurally simple and easy-to-operate locking option for the control lever.

This object is achieved with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims. According to the invention, the control lever has a latch, which is designed to engage in a connecting link of the nozzle, the latch being designed to follow an opening movement of the control lever along an opening direction. In addition, the latch is designed to follow a closing movement of the control lever along a closing direction. The pawl can also be moved relative to the control lever along a direction perpendicular to the opening or closing direction into a catch position, in which the pawl fixes the control lever in the open position, by interaction with the connecting link.

First, some terms used within the scope of the invention are explained. If the latch is designed to follow an opening movement or a closing movement of the control lever, this means that the latch is carried along by the control lever when it is moved.

The control lever can, for example, be connected in an articulated manner to a housing of the dispensing valve, so that it executes a circular path during an opening or closing movement. It is also possible that the control lever performs a (e.g. linear) displacement or a combination of displacement and pivoting during the opening or closing movement. If the pawl follows the opening or closing movement of the control lever, this means that the pawl is also moved in the opening or closing direction, in the above examples it executes a circular movement or a linear movement or a combination thereof. The movement of the pawl along the opening or closing direction is superimposed on the movement perpendicular to the opening or closing direction. A movement is already considered "perpendicular to the opening or closing direction" if it does not run along the opening or closing direction. The latch itself can also perform a linear displacement, a rotary movement or a superimposition of these movements along the direction perpendicular to the opening or closing direction relative to the control lever.

The latch according to the invention engages in the link and is thereby displaced by the link in such a way that it can reach a catching position. In the catch position, the pawl fixes the control lever in the open position. For example, the connecting link can have a bearing surface on which the latch rests in the catching position. As a result, forces exerted on the control lever in the closing direction can be introduced into the bearing surface due to the connection to the latch. In this case, in the catching position, a counterforce is exerted on the latch, which counteracts the opening force acting on the control lever, so that the control lever remains in the open position. It has shown that this configuration can be implemented in a structurally simple and reliable manner and ensures that the control lever is securely fixed.

Preferably, the latch is located at a rear end of the control lever which is opposite a point of connection of the control lever to the housing of the nozzle. The range of motion is greatest at this rear end, particularly in the case of an articulated control lever, which simplifies the guidance of the latch in the connecting link.

In a preferred embodiment, the link has a link path along which the latch can be moved, the link path having a starting position and the catching position, and the link path preferably being self-contained. When the link path is self-contained, the latch can be moved along the link path from the home position through the catch position back to the home position without having to traverse a portion of the link path twice. The sequence of movements of the control lever can thus be clearly associated with a corresponding sequence of movements of the latch within the link, which increases the reliability of actuation.

It can be provided that the latch is arranged in the initial position when the control lever is in the closed position. Starting from the starting position, the latch can then be moved into the catching position by an opening movement of the control lever along the connecting link path in order to fix the control lever in the open position. For this purpose, the connecting link can have a catch position entry path, along which the latching pawl can be moved, starting from the starting position into the catch position. More preferably, the tuck position entry path includes a first portion along which the latch is moved by movement of the control lever in the opening direction, and a second section along which the latch is driven by a movement of the control lever in the closing direction. The first portion of the catch position entry path may have an upper end defined by a stop that limits mobility of the control lever in the opening direction. It can be provided, for example, that the stop is designed to interact with the latch. However, as a result, very large forces would act on the latch when it hits the stop, which would necessitate a reinforced version of the latch. It is therefore preferred if the stop is designed to interact with the control lever or to interact with a stop element connected to the control lever. The movement of the control lever and thus also of the latch can be limited in this way by the stop in the opening direction. By reversing the sequence of movements at the end of the first section, the user receives tactile feedback, which shows him that the latch is inserted into the catch position and the control lever will thus safely arrive in the open position if the movement is continued.

The link path preferably also has a catch position exit path, along which the latching pawl can be moved from the catch position to the starting position, the catch position exit path having a first section along which the latching pawl is carried along by a movement of the control lever in the opening direction, and a second section, along which the latch is carried along by a movement of the control lever in the closing direction. In this case, the first section of the catch position exit path can have an upper end which is formed by a stop which limits the movability of the control lever in the opening direction limited. It is also preferred here if the stop is designed to interact with the control lever or to interact with a stop element connected to the control lever. Movement along the first portion of the tucked position exit path can be used to release the latch from the tucked position. The limitation of movement and the subsequent reversal of movement of the control lever during the transition from the first to the second section also provide the user with tactile feedback, which indicates that the latch is now free and the control lever can therefore be moved back into the closed position.

According to the invention, the connecting link has at least one guide surface for the latch, the guide surface forming an angle with the opening or closing direction. By means of the guide surface of the connecting link, which is inclined towards the opening or closing direction, the latch can be moved perpendicularly to the opening or closing direction in a simple manner, in order to steer it into the catching position.

According to the invention, the guide surface comprises at least one steering section, which can be deflected against a restoring force by interacting with the latch. The steering section can preferably be moved back into a rest position by the restoring force. In the rest position, no restoring forces act on the steering section, so in this case the steering section can be deflected elastically.

Preferably, the connecting link path comprises at least one constriction having a steering section, which can be passed by the latch when the control lever is moved in a first direction, in that the latch deflects the steering section when passing. More preferably, the constriction blocked during a movement of the control lever in a second, the first opposite direction the link path for the latch. With this configuration it can be achieved that the latching pawl can pass the constriction during the movement in the first direction by deflecting the steering section, in particular by displacing it. After the latch has passed the constriction in this way, movement in the opposite direction through the constriction is no longer possible. As a result of this configuration, the latching pawl is deflected in a particularly effective and simple manner after passing the constriction.

The constriction can be formed by the steering section and a guide surface opposite it, the distance between the steering section and the guide surface being increased by the deflection of the steering section when the control lever is moved in the first direction, and the distance between the steering section and the guide surface being increased by the deflection of the Steering section is reduced upon movement of the control lever in the second direction. For example, the constriction may be located in the tuck position entry path, in which case the first direction is the opening direction and the second direction is the closing direction. It is possible to provide further constrictions at other points of the link to improve the deflection of the locking element, which ensure a deflection of the locking pawl when the direction of movement of the control lever is reversed.

Figur 1:

eine Längsschnittansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Zapfventils;

Figur 2:

eine vergrößerte seitliche Schnittansicht des in Figur 1 markierten Ausschnittes B.

Figur 3:

eine Querschnittansicht eines Ausschnitts des erfindungsgemäßen Zapfventils entlang der in Figur 1 gezeigten Linie D-D;

The invention is explained below by way of example using a preferred embodiment with reference to the attached drawings. Show it:

Figure 1:

a longitudinal sectional view of a nozzle according to the invention;

Figure 2:

an enlarged side sectional view of the in figure 1 marked section B.

Figure 3:

a cross-sectional view of a detail of the dispensing valve according to the invention along the in figure 1 shown line DD;

figure 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view through a dispensing valve 13 according to the invention. The dispensing valve comprises on one side a connection 14 for connecting the dispensing valve 13 to a dispensing hose (not shown) and on the other side an outlet pipe 12 which can be inserted, for example, into the tank of a motor vehicle , in order to discharge a fuel supplied via the port 14 into the tank. The application of the fuel can be controlled with the aid of a control lever 15.

The control lever 15 is articulated to a housing 17 of the nozzle 13 and also connected in a known manner to a main valve which, depending on the position of the control lever 15, allows or blocks the flow of fuel through the nozzle. The movement of the control lever 15 takes place along an opening or closing direction, which in figure 1 is marked by a double arrow 18. For the sake of simplicity, both the opening direction and the closing direction are identified below by reference number 18 . Due to the articulated connection between the control lever 15 and the housing 17, the direction 18 runs along a circular path. Thus, the opening and closing direction 18 also runs along a circular path.

A closing force acts on the control lever 15, so that in order to move the control lever 15 from the closed to the open position, an external force (for example the manual force of a user) must be applied against the closing force. In figure 1 the control lever 15 is in an open position in which the fuel can flow through the fuel nozzle.

A connecting link 22 according to the invention is arranged on the dispensing valve 13, into which a figure 1 unrecognizable latch engages. The control lever 15 can be locked in the open position with the help of the interaction of link 22 and latch. This is explained below with reference to the Figures 2 and 3 explained in detail.

figure 2 shows an enlarged view of a section of the figure 1 , which is marked there with the letter B. In the view of figure 2 it can be seen that at the rear end of the control lever 15 a latch 23 is attached. The latch 23 is connected to the control lever 15 via an articulated connection 20 which prevents movement of the latch 23 relative to the control lever 15 along the direction 18 . When the control lever 15 moves in the direction 18 , the latching pawl 23 is therefore carried along by it and is moved along the direction 18 together with the control lever. On the other hand, the articulated connection 20 enables a rotational movement of the latch 23 relative to the control lever 15 by the in figure 2 axis 21 indicated by a dashed line.

The latching pawl 23 comprises a latching projection 19 which, due to the rotatability about the axis 21, can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the direction 18. The locking projection 19 engages in the setting 22 of the dispensing valve. Due to the mobility of the latch 23 along the axis 18 and the rotatability of the latch 23 about the axis 21, the latching projection 19 is guided within the link 22 when the control lever 15 is moved.

In particular, when the control lever 15 moves from the closed to the open position, the latching projection 19 can be moved into a catch position of the connecting link 22 . In this catch position, the latch 23 fixes the control lever 15 in the open position, so that the control lever 15 remains in the open position even without an external application of force. This is explained below with reference to figure 3 explained.

figure 3 shows a cross section along the in figure 1 Axis DD shown in the area of the section marked with the letter B. In this view it can be seen that the link 22 has a link base 35 which is parallel to the plane of the figure 3 is aligned, and a plurality of wall elements 28 and a plurality of guide projections 29a, 29b, 29c which protrude from the link base. The wall elements 28 and the guide projections 29a, 29b, 29c have guide surfaces which are at least partially inclined relative to the opening or closing direction 18. The guide surfaces define a connecting link path 27 along which the latch or its latching projection 19 can be moved. In figure 3 different positions of the locking projection 19 are illustrated by the reference numerals 19a and 19b. The link path 27 includes a catch position entry path 32 leading counterclockwise from a latch home position 26 to a catch position 25 of the latch. In addition, the connecting link path 27 includes a catch position exit path 33 which leads counterclockwise from the catch position 25 back to the starting position 26 . Together, the tuck position entry path 32 and the tuck position exit path 33 form a closed path.

Between the guide surfaces of the guide projections 29a, 29b, 29c and the wall elements 28, 27 constrictions 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d are formed at different positions of the connecting link path. The constrictions 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d are characterized by this that the distance between the guide surfaces forming the connecting link path is smaller than a cross-sectional extension of the locking projection along this distance, so that the locking projection cannot initially pass through the constrictions 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d. In the area of the constrictions 30a-30d, however, the guide projections 29a, 29b, 29c are designed to be movable and thereby form steering sections within the meaning of the present invention, which can be deflected against a restoring force. The steering sections can therefore be deflected by interacting with the latching projection 19, so that the latching projection 19 can overcome the bottlenecks 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d in this way along a predetermined direction. The deflectability of the steering sections can be achieved, for example, by forming them from an elastic material, with a connection between the guide projections and the link base 35 preferably being weakened or interrupted in the area of the steering sections, so that the steering sections can be moved relative to the link base 35.

If the control lever 15 is moved by the manual force of a user from the closed position in the direction of the open position, the latch 23 or the latching projection 19 engaging in the connecting link 22 is moved upwards along the opening direction 18 starting from the starting position 26. In doing so, it hits the guide projection 29a and is moved by the inclined guide surface located there essentially along the catching position entry path 32 in the direction of the constriction 30a, which is formed by a deflectable steering section and a fixed guide surface of a wall element 28 opposite the steering section.

Once there, the locking projection 19 moves the movable steering section in figure 3 to the left and in this way increases the distance between the steering section and the fixed guide surface. The latching projection 19 can then pass through the constriction 30a.

After passing the constriction 30a, the latching projection 19 can be moved a short distance further in the opening direction until the control lever 15 strikes a stop, which is not shown in the figures. The portion of the tuck position entry path 32 from the home position to this upper end 31a of the tuck position entry path 32 is also referred to herein as the first portion of the tuck position entry path 32 . The movability of the control lever 15 and of the latching projection 19 in the opening direction is thus limited upwards by the stop.

With a subsequent movement of the control lever in the closing direction 18, the latching projection 19 is not guided through the constriction 30a again, but instead is guided in the direction of the catching position 25 by guide surfaces of the guide projections 29a, 29b, 29c. In doing so, it passes another constriction 30b, which is formed by two deflectable steering sections of the guide projections 29a and 29b. When passing the constriction 30b, the steering section of the guide projection 29a in figure 3 deflected to the right and the steering section of the guide projection 29b to the left, so that the latching projection 19 can pass through the constriction 30b and can assume the catching position 25 . The portion of the tuck position entry path 32 from the upper end 31a of the tuck position entry path 32 to the tuck position 25 is also referred to herein as the second portion of the tuck position entry path 32 .

In the catching position, the latching projection 19 rests on a bearing surface of the connecting link 22, so that closing forces introduced into the latching pawl 23 in the closing direction 18 via the control lever 15 are absorbed by the bearing surface. In the catching position 25, the support surface is also through upward-facing guide surfaces of the guide projections 29a, 29c limited to the side, so that the locking projection 19 is held securely in the catching position. The control lever 15 is therefore fixed by the latching projection 19 located in the catch position, so that the refueling process can be carried out conveniently without the user having to exert an opening force with his hands.

After completing the refueling process, the user can return the control lever 15 to the closed position by first moving the control lever 15 in the opening direction, causing the latching projection 19 to move out of the catching position 25 along the catching position exit path 33 (along a first section of the catching position exit path 33) up to an upper end 31b of the tuck position exit path 33 is moved. The upper end of the catch position exit path 33, like the upper end of the catch position entry path 32, is defined by a stop, not shown in the figures, which limits the mobility of the control lever 15 (and thus also the locking projection 19) in the opening direction. During the subsequent movement of the control lever 15 and the locking projection 19 in the closing direction 18, the locking projection 19 follows the remaining part of the catch position exit path 33 (second section of the catch position exit path 33) and returns to the starting position 26 via the constriction 30d. The constriction 30b, which can only be passed in one direction analogous to the manner already described above, ensures that the latching projection 19 enters the catch position exit path 33 as desired and does not run backwards through the catch position entry path 32 . The further constriction 30d serves to direct the latching projection 19 into the path 32 for entering the catching position during a subsequent refueling process.

Claims (14)

1. Filling nozzle (13) for dispensing a fluid, having a manually operatable control lever (15) which, for controlling the dispensing of fluid, is movable between a closing position and an opening position and which has an engaging pawl (23) which is configured for engaging in a gate guide (22) of the filling nozzle (13), wherein the engaging pawl (23) is configured for following an opening movement of the control lever (15) along an opening direction (18) as well as a closing movement of the control lever (15) along a closing direction (18), wherein the engaging pawl (23) by interacting with the gate guide (22) is movable relative to the control lever (15) along a direction perpendicular to the opening or closing direction (18) into a catch position (25) in which the engaging pawl (23) fixes the control lever (15) in the opening position, wherein the gate guide (22) has at least one guide face for the engaging pawl (23) that conjointly with the opening or closing direction (18) encloses an angle, characterized in that the guide face comprises at least one directing portion which, by interacting with the engaging pawl (23), is able to be deflected counter to a restoring force.
2. Filling nozzle according to Claim 1, wherein the gate guide (22) has a gate path (27) along which the engaging pawl (23) is movable, wherein the gate path (27) has an initial position (26) and the catch position (25), and wherein the gate path (27) is preferably inherently closed.
3. Filling nozzle according to Claim 2, wherein the gate path (27) has a catch position entrance path (32) along which the engaging pawl (23), proceeding from the initial position (26), is movable into the catch position (25) .
4. Filling nozzle according to Claim 3, wherein the catch position entrance path (32) has a first portion along which the engaging pawl is entrained by a movement of the control lever (15) in the opening direction (18), and a second portion along which the engaging pawl (23) is entrained by a movement of the control lever (15) in the closing direction.
5. Filling nozzle according to Claim 4, wherein the first portion of the catch position entrance path (32) has an upper end (31a) which is formed by a detent for the engaging pawl (23) and/or for the control lever (15).
6. Filling nozzle according to one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the gate path (27) has a catch position exit path (33) along which the engaging pawl (23), proceeding from the catch position (25), is movable into the initial position (26).
7. Filling nozzle according to Claim 6, wherein the catch position exit path (33) has a first portion along which the engaging pawl (23) is entrained by a movement of the control lever (15) in the opening direction (18), and a second portion along which the engaging pawl (23) is entrained by a movement of the control lever (15) in the closing direction (18).
8. Filling nozzle according to Claim 7, wherein the first portion of the catch position exit path (33) has an upper end (31b) which is formed by a detent for the engaging pawl (23) and/or for the control lever (15).
9. Filling nozzle according to one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the directing portion is able to be returned to a resting position by the restoring force.
10. Filling nozzle according to Claim 9, wherein the gate path (27) has at least one point of constriction (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) which comprises the directing portion and which in a movement of the control lever (15) in a first direction is able to be passed by the engaging pawl (23) in that the engaging pawl (23) in passing deflects the directing portion, wherein the point of constriction (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) in a movement of the control lever (15) in a second direction, counter to the first direction, blocks the gate path (27) for the engaging pawl (23).
11. Filling nozzle according to Claim 10, wherein the point of constriction (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) is formed by the directing portion and a guide face which lies opposite said directing portion, wherein the spacing between the directing portion and the guide face is enlarged by the deflection of the directing portion in a movement of the control lever (15) in the first direction, and wherein the spacing between the directing portion and the guide face is reduced by the deflection of the directing portion in a movement of the control lever (15) in the second direction.
12. Filling nozzle according to Claim 10 or 11, wherein the point of constriction (30a) is disposed in the catch position entrance path (32), wherein the first direction is the opening direction and the second direction is the closing direction.
13. Filling nozzle according to one of Claims 10 to 12, wherein the point of constriction (30b) is disposed in the catch position entrance path (32), wherein the first direction is the closing direction and the second direction is the opening direction.
14. Filling nozzle according to one of Claims 10 to 13, wherein the point of constriction (30c) is disposed in the catch position exit path (33), wherein the first direction is the opening direction and the second direction is the closing direction, and/or wherein the point of constriction (30d) is disposed in the catch position exit path (33), wherein the first direction is the closing direction and the second direction is the opening direction.

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