GB2318200A

GB2318200A - Forecourt customer sensing IR heating system

Info

Publication number: GB2318200A
Application number: GB9621114A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David John Bennison
Original assignee: TRISK EDWIN SYSTEMS Ltd; Edwin Trisk Systems Ltd
Current assignee: TRISK EDWIN SYSTEMS Ltd; Edwin Trisk Systems Ltd
Priority date: 1996-10-10
Filing date: 1996-10-10
Publication date: 1998-04-15
Anticipated expiration: 2016-10-10
Also published as: GB2318200B; GB9621114D0

Abstract

A forecourt heating system is disclosed which comprises at least one infra-red heater 14 mounted to direct its heat in the general direction of a fuel dispensing pump 12, and a sensor 16 mounted to detect the presence of a person 17 within the region of the pump 12 and/or the removal of a filler gun of the pump 12 from its socket. The system is adapted to respond by switching the heater 14 to an on condition.

Description

Forecourt System The present invention is devised for use in the forecourt areas of garages and of filling stations in order to improve the conditions in which fuel is dispensed.

The forecourt areas of garages and of filling stations are necessarily open, exposed areas, both in order to provide ready access for vehicles and also for safety reasons. For that reason, they may be relatively uncomfortable places in which drivers must stand while drawing fuel for their vehicles from the pumps. The problem may be particularly pronounced in winter, when a driver must emerge from what is usually a warm vehicle and stand in cold conditions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a forecourt system in which these foregoing disadvantages are reduced or eliminated.

The invention is a forecourt heating system which comprises at least one infra-red heater mounted to direct its heat in the general direction of a fuel-dispensing pump, and a sensor mounted to detect the presence of a person within the region of the pump and/or the removal of the filler gun of the pump from its socket, and adapted to respond by switching the heater to an "on" condition.

Thus the sensor monitors the situation wherein a customer is about to draw fuel, by detecting either the customer's presence or the removal of the filler gun, and directs infra-red heat towards him during the filling operation. The fact that the heater is of the infra-red type enables it to reach a desirably high operating temperature very quickly.

In addition the radiation is conveyed to the customer with minimal loss of strength so the use of such heaters ensures efficient use of energy supplies.

While, at its simplest, the system according to the invention comprises a single infra-red heater, especially if there is a single fuel pump on the forecourt, it is much preferred to provide two or more heaters. Thus there may be a single heater directed towards each pump or, in the case of double-sided pumps,towards each filling position.

Because each heater may operate only when a customer is using one of the pumps, additional heaters may be provided without adding to the operating costs of the system.

Some or all of the heaters may be designed to operate at at least two power levels, one providing background heat and/or light which remains on even when there is no customer present and another power level providing enhanced heat in response to the detector(s).

Preferably the detectors are built into the same units as the heaters, providing one detector for each heater. However a single heater may respond to two or more sensors or two or more heaters may be switched by a single sensor.

The sensors employed in the forecourt system according to the present invention are preferably infra-red sensors, more preferably passive infra-red sensors, which may respond only to a combination of movement and heat (that is, body temperature), which therefore distinguishes between the presence of a customer on the one hand and other movement (for example of a vehicle or of blown rubbish) on the other. When the sensor is designed to detect the removal of a filler gun from its socket, it may take any simple mechanical form, for example some type of pressure switch, or again may be a movement detector, for example of an infra-red type.

In one form of the invention, one or more distance sensors may also be provided in the forecourt system, so that the distance of the customer from a heater may be determined, at least in the qualitative sense. The power level of the heater may then be varied to respond to that distance determination, or the heat from the heater may be focussed accordingly, for example by varying the geometry of a reflector located behind the heat source.

Additional means may be provided for varying the direction of the heat radiated by the heaters, for example to respond to the specific position of the customer during the filling operation or to reflect other ambient conditions such as wind direction.

Because the conditions of a vehicle-filling forecourt area are critical from a safety standpoint, the heaters will normally be mounted overhead. Preferably the heaters are mounted at a height above about 1.8 metres above ground level, most preferably in an overhead canopy, such as is usually already provided on most forecourts.

Typically the heaters may be mounted at between 3 and 6 metres above ground level.

The infra-red heaters are preferably short-wave heaters, for example emitting heat radiation a major part of which falls within the wave-length range from 0.5 to 5.0 micrometres, more particularly from 0.7 to 2.0 micrometres.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate respectively a schematic elevation and plan of one form of forecourt installation according to the invention.

The illustrated system comprises a conventional filling station forecourt comprising two islands 10, 11 having petrol and/or diesel pumps 12 under a protective canopy 13. In accordance with the invention, heaters 14, 15 are mounted upon the underside of the canopy in the positions shown.

The heaters are short-wave infra-red heaters, heaters 14 being single, uni-directional units and heaters 15 being dual units. Each heater has a passive infra-red sensor 16 incorporated in it, directed towards a position likely to be adopted by a person filling a car from one of the pumps 12.

As illustrated in Fig.l, when a driver 17 emerges from his car 18 and approaches one of the pumps 12, the detector 16 detects his presence by a combination of his movement and body heat and switches the heater 14 on (or to a higher power level), to provide an almost instant radiant heat flow to warm the customer. The heater may subsequently be switched off, or to a lower power level, either after a fixed time interval or in response to removal of the stimulus from the detector 16.

Claims

1. A forecourt heating system comprising at least one infrared heater mounted to direct its heat in the general direction of a fuel dispensing pump, and a sensor mounted to detect the presence of a person within the region of the pump and/or the removal of a filler gun of the pump from its socket, and adaptec to respond by switching the heater to an "on" condition.

2. A system according to Claim 1 comprising a single infra-rec heater.

3. A system according to Claim 1 comprising two or more heaters.

4. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one heater is designed to operate at at least two power levels, one providing background heat and/or light which remains on even when there is no customer present ane another power level providing enhanced heat in response to the ol each cooperating detector.

5. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each detector is built into the same unit as the corresponding heater.

6. A system according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein c single heater responds to two or more sensors or two or more heaters are switched by a single sensor.

7. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each sensor is an infra-red sensor.

8. A system according to Claim 7, wherein the or each sensor is a passive infra-red sensor which may respond to a combination of movement and heat.

9. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising one or more distance sensors.

10. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means for varying the direction of the heat radiated by the or each heater.

11. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each heater is mounted overhead.

12. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each heater emits heat radiation a major part of which falls within the wave-length range 0.5 to 5.0 micrometres.

13. A system according to Claim 12, wherein a major part of the heat radiation emitted by the or each heater falls within the wave-length range 0.7 to 2.0 micrometres.

14. A forecourt heating system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.