Fluid Dispensing Apparatus Indicator System

Abstract

A fuel dispensing system having an indicator subsystem with a liquid crystal indicating device adapted to be operated for displaying, one at a time, the established unit volume price of fuel, the volume of fuel delivered and the total cost of the fuel delivered. A sequencing switch provides for operating the indicating device to display the cost, volume and price information in sequence at the beginning and end of a fuel delivery and a manual selector provides for selectively operating the indicating device to continuously display the cost or volume or sequentially display the cost, volume and price during the delivery. The price is displayed between deliveries and a recycle button provides for temporarily displaying the cost, volume and price information both during and between deliveries. A two-product dispensing system schematically shown in FIG. 2 comprises two indicator subsystems and a manual selector for selection the product information to be displayed by each subsystem.

Description

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to fluid dispensing apparatus of the type having notable usefulness in dispensing fuel and relates more particularly to an indicator system for indicating information respecting the delivery of fluid, for example the established unit volume fluid price and the volumetric and monetary amounts of the fluid delivered.

It is a principal aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved indicator system for fluid dispensing apparatus for indicating, one at a time, the volumetric amount of the fluid delivered, the cost amount of the fluid delivered, and the unit volume price amount of the fluid. The indicating system may notably employ a liquid crystal indicator, for example a liquid crystal indicator of the type shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,322,485 of Richard Williams dated May 30, 1967 and entitled "Electro-Optical Elements Utilizing an Organic Nematic Compound."

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved indicator system for fluid dispensing apparatus having an indicator for displaying different types of information applicable to the delivery of fluid on a time sharing basis.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved indicator system for fuel dispensing apparatus adapted for displaying the volumetric amount of the fuel delivered, the monetary amount of the fuel delivered and the unit volume price amount of the fuel in sequence on a single indicator.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved indicator system for fluid dispensing apparatus adapted for displaying the established unit volume price amount of the fluid prior to the commencement of a delivery and for selectively continuously displaying during the delivery either the volumetric or monetary amount of the fluid delivered.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved indicator system for fluid dispensing apparatus for selectively continuously displaying during the delivery either the monetary or volumetric amount of the delivery and for sequentially displaying at the completion of the delivery both the volumetric and monetary amounts of the delivery.

It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide in a fluid dispensing system adapted for delivering a plurality of separate fluids, a new and improved indicator system selectively operable for displaying information respecting the delivery of each of the fluids.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings of illustrative applications of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a generally schematic view, partly broken away, of a single product fuel dispensing system incorporating an embodiment of an indicator system of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a generally schematic view, partly broken away, of a two-product fuel dispensing system incorporating another embodiment of an indicator system of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals represent like parts, and referring particularly to FIG. 1, a fuel dispensing system incorporating an embodiment of an indicator system of the present invention is shown comprising a fuel pump 22 operated by an electric motor 24 for delivering fuel via a fuel meter 25 to a delivery nozzle 26. The meter 25 is suitably connected to rotate an input shaft 30 of a variator 32 in accordance with the volumetric amount of fuel delivered. The variator 32 is settable for establishing the unit volume price amount of the fuel and is connected for operating a cost counter or register (storage device) 34 to continuously register (store) the monetary amount of fuel delivered in accordance with the volumetric amount of fuel delivered and the established unit volume price. A volume counter or register 36 is provided for continuously registering the volumetric amount of fuel delivered, and a price register 38 is provided for registering the unit volume price amount established by the variator setting.

The cost, volume and price registers may be mechanical registers and if desired have suitable indicators for indicating the monetary and volumetric amounts of fuel delivered and the established unit volume price. Alternatively the registers 34, 36 may be suitable electronic counters with or without cost and volume indicators as desired.

The variator 32 and the price register 38 may for example be the type disclosed in my copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 868,070 filed Oct. 21, 1969, and entitled "Computing Device," wherein the price register is employed for setting the variator to establish the unit volume price as well as provide for storing the established price. Alternatively the variator could be of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,413,867 of Richard B. Hamlin dated Dec. 3, 1968, and entitled "Variator" and provide for mechanically driving the cost and volume registers 34, 36 and for mechanically setting the price register 38.

The cost, volume and price registers 34, 36, 38 have suitable readout circuitry for providing a coded electrical signal of the amounts stored in the registers. For example, where the registers 34, 36, 38 are electrically operated, each register could comprise a plurality of individual decades 40 of the type shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,445,636 of Joseph A. Richards dated May 20, 1969 and entitled "Single Wheel Counter Circuit" and having a number wheel 42 (for visually displaying the cost, volume and unit volume price, as applicable, stored in the register) and a binary readout circuit for providing a binary electrical signal in the readout leads 43--46 of the wheel reading.

In particular each of the registers 34, 36, 38 is shown having three decades 40 with corresponding banks 50--52 of four binary readout leads 43--46. The readout leads are connected to a suitable selector switch 80 which is adapted to be selectively operated by "cost," "volume" and "price" control leads 81--83 respectively to selectively connect the registers 34, 36, 38 via suitable decoder-driver circuits 84--86 for operating three numeral indicators 90--92 of a multiple place indicator 94 of an indicating device 96. The three indicators 90--92 are shown employing "figure-eight" or 7-bar figures for selectively indicating each indicia of the sequence 0--9 in a known manner and therefore provide for selectively indicating the numerical amounts stored in the registers 34, 36, 38 as determined by the operation of the selector switch 80.

The indicating device preferably employs liquid crystals for effecting the visual readout, and for example may be a liquid crystal indicating device of the type shown and described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,322,485, in which case the indicating device can be made sufficiently large to be easily read by the attendant making the delivery as well as the operator of the vehicle to which the fuel is being delivered.

The indicating device 96 also comprises separate "gallons," "dollars" and "cents/gallon" descriptive indicators 97--99 which are selectively energized with the leads 81--83 to describe or label the numerical information being displayed by the numerical indicator 94. In addition decimal point indicators 112, 114 are provided between the numeral indicators and are connected to be selectively energized by the leads 81--83 to properly place the decimal point in accordance with the operation of the numerical indicator 94. Thus, the decimal point indicator 112 would be energized when the indicator 94 is operated to display the monetary amount of the fuel delivered (in dollars and cents) and the decimal point indicator 114 would be energized when the indicator 94 is operated to display the volumetric amount of the fuel delivered (in gallons and tenths) or the unit volume fuel price amount (in cents and tenths of cent).

A storage receptacle 110 is provided for the dispensing nozzle 26, and a control handle 112 is shown mounted adjacent the storage receptacle 110 to require, in a conventional manner, the handle 112 to be turned to a vertical or "off" position shown in FIG. 1 before the nozzle can be returned to its storage receptacle and to permit the handle 112 to be turned (counterclockwise in the shown embodiment) to its horizontal or "on" position only after the nozzle 26 has been removed from the storage receptacle 110.

The cost and volume registers 34, 36 are preferably resettable to zero and the handle 112 is connected for resetting the registers 34, 36 when the handle 112 is turned to its "on" position. The registers 34, 36 are preferably unaffected by the operation of the handle 112 to its "off" position at the end of a fuel delivery so that the cost and volume amounts of the prior delivery remain stored in the registers 34, 36 and may therefore be indicated by the indicating device 96 during the nondelivery phase of operation of the fuel dispensing system.

A suitable sequence switch 120 is provided for energizing the control leads 81--83 in sequence to provide for operating the selector switch such that the stored amounts of the cost, volume and price registers are displayed in sequence by the numeral indicator 94. For example, the sequence switch could have a repeating 6 second operating cycle during which the cost, volume and price are individually displayed in sequence for 2 seconds each. Also the sequence switch functions to operate the descriptive indicators 97--99 and decimal point indicators 112, 114 in accordance with the operation of the selector switch 80.

In the shown embodiment the sequence switch 120 is adapted to be automatically energized for a predetermined interval at, but prior to, the commencement of a fuel delivery and at, but after, the completion of a fuel delivery. For this purpose an OFF timer 126 is connected to be operated by the handle 112 when it is turned to its "off" position to operate the sequence switch 120 for a predetermined interval, for example 30 seconds, and an ON timer 128 is provided for operating the sequence switch 120 for a predetermined interval, for example 18 seconds, when the handle is turned to its "on" position. Preferably, when the handle is turned to its "on" position the OFF timer is deactivated even though the timer has not completed its full time cycle, and when the handle is turned to its "off" position the ON timer 128 is similarly deactivated. Also, when the handle 112 is turned to its "on" position, the ON timer 128 will preferably function to operate the sequence switch 120 after the cost and volume registers 34, 36 are fully reset to zero to provide that the indicator sequencing at the beginning of a delivery will give zero cost and volume readings.

The ON timer 128 at the completion of its predetermined timer interval deenergizes the sequence switch 120 and energizes a control lead 132 for (a) energizing the pump motor 24 and thereby condition the system for delivering fluid and (b) activating a manually settable selector 134 which provides for controlling the operation of the selector switch 80 during the delivery of fuel. The selector switch 134 is shown having "cost," "volume" and "sequence" positions such that when the selector is in its "cost" position as shown in FIG. 1 the "cost" lead 81 is energized during the delivery of fuel to provide for continuously displaying the cost amount of fuel delivered. The "volume" position provides for continuously displaying the volume of fuel delivered and the "sequence" position provides for energizing the sequence switch 120 to provide for displaying the cost, volume and price in sequence during the fuel delivery. Typically the manual selector 134 would be set at its "cost" position where a particular monetary amount of fuel is to be delivered and would be set at its "volume" position where a particular volumetric amount of fuel is to be delivered. The "sequence" position could be used where no particular volumetric or monetary amount of fuel is to be delivered and for example when a fuel tank is to be filled.

On completion of a fuel delivery and operation of the control handle 112 to its "off" position the OFF timer 126 as previously indicated will temporarily energize the sequence switch 120 for a predetermined interval. Thereafter the OFF timer 126 will provide for energizing the "price" lead 83 to provide for displaying the unit volume price between deliveries. A manual recycle button 140 is provided for operating the OFF timer (when the handle 112 is in its "off" position) or ON timer 128 (when the handle 112 is in its "on" position) through its operating cycle to flash the cost, volume and price readouts in sequence when desired by the attendant or the party receiving fuel.

A two-product dispensing system schematically shown in part in FIG. 2 employs a modified embodiment of the indicator system of the present invention. The two fuel products (designated by the letter A and B which are also used as identifying numeral suffixes to designate the respective delivery system components) are adapted to be dispensed by the two fuel nozzles 26A, 26B having storage receptacles 110A, 110B which are preferably located on opposite sides of the pump housing in a conventional manner. Corresponding variators 32A, 32B, meters 25A, 25B, etc., are provided for each of the fuel products.

The indicator system comprises two separate but substantially identical indicator subsystems 190, 192 (only one subsystem 190 being fully shown in FIG. 2). The subsystems 190, 192 are generally like the indicator system described with reference to FIG. 1 and comprise indicating devices 194, 196 like the indicating device 96 but modified to provide indicators 202, 203 for selectively indicating the fuel products and corresponding delivery nozzles. The indicating devices 194, 196 are for example positioned on the opposed front faces respectively of a gasoline pump, and a suitable manually operable product selector 204 (preferably mounted in association with the corresponding indicating device) is provided for each indicator subsystem for selectively connecting the indicator subsystem to the desired fuel product delivery system. The manual selectors 204 may be mechanically connected as shown in FIG. 2 such that when one of the manual selectors 204 is manually positioned to select product A, the other selector is automatically positioned to select product B. Also, the manual selectors 204 are preferably interlocked with the control handles 112A and 112B so that the selectors 204 may be repositioned only when both control handles are in their vertical or "off" positions.

The manual selectors 204 are connected to operate a product selector 205 such that each indicator subsystem may be selectively connected to the handle operated controls 206--208, variator outputs 209, 210 and motor control 211 of each product delivery system. Where such controls and outputs 206--211 are provided by electrical signals the product selector 205 may be a suitable electrical switch. Alternatively the selector 205 could include mechanical interconnections where the handle operated controls 206--208 or variator outputs 209, 210 are mechanical rather than electrical.

The price registers 38A and 38B are preferably associated with and form a part of the product delivery systems for registering the established unit volume prices of the fuel products. However, the cost and volume registers 34, 36 are preferably associated with and form a part of the indicator subsystems.

A price selector switch 216 is provided in each indicator subsystem for selectively connecting the price registers 38A and 38B of the product delivery systems for operating the indicating device 194 (when the corresponding selector switch 80 is operated to provide price information). A price control switch 220 is provided for setting the price selector switch 216 in accordance with the setting of the corresponding manual selector 204 to provide for displaying the price of the selected fuel product during the delivery of that product. Also, the product indicators 202, 203 of the indicating device 194 are operated in accordance with the operation of the price selector switch 216 to indicate the fuel product and appropriate nozzle for the information being displayed.

A suitable "memory" switch 222 is interposed in the control lead from the manual selector 204 to the price control switch 220 to provide for resetting the price control switch 220 only when the control handle 112 of the selected fuel product is in its "on" position. Consequently between fuel deliveries the control switch 220 will remain positioned in accordance with the setting of the prior delivery until a subsequent delivery is initiated by turning the control handle 112 of the selected fuel product to its "on" position. Accordingly the indicator subsystem will continue to indicate the product and product price of the prior completed delivery when the sequence switch 120 is operated by the OFF timer 126 at the end of the delivery and at any time between deliveries by the recycle button 140.

After the completion of the sequencing interval provided by the OFF timer 126, the main sequence switch 120 is deactivated (as in the embodiment of FIG. 1) and a price sequence switch 230 is energized to operate the price selector switch 216 to sequentially display, for example for 3 seconds each, the established unit volume prices of the two fuel products. The price sequence switch 230 thereby provides for continuously and sequentially displaying the two fuel product prices during the period the subsystem is inactive (unless the recycle button 140 is operated to obtain information respecting the prior delivery). A control relay 234 is provided for deenergizing the price control switch 220 when the sequencing switch 230 is energized.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications, adaptations and variations of the foregoing specific disclosure can be made without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. In a fluid dispensing system having a plurality of registers connected for continually registering different numerical amounts respecting the delivery of fluid during fluid delivery, the improvement wherein each of said plurality of registers comprises readout means providing a signal of the existing numerical amount registered thereby and wherein the system comprises an indicating device having a selectively operably multiple place numerical indicator adapted to be selectively operated by the readout means of each of the plurality of registers to display the existing numerical amount registered by the selected register, selector means operable for selectively connecting the readout means of each of the plurality of registers for operating the numerical indicator, and control means for operating the selector means including sequencing means for operating the selector means for displaying the numerical amounts of said plurality of registers in sequence.

2. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of registers comprise a cost register connected to continually register the monetary amount of the delivery of fluid during a fluid delivery, a volume register connected to continually register the volumetric amount of the delivery of fluid during a fluid delivery and a price register settable to continually register the established unit volume price amount for fluid during a fluid delivery.

3. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 2 wherein the system has an operating cycle with delivery and nondelivery phases, wherein the cost and volume registers are resettable to zero and wherein the control means is operable for activating and deactivating the dispensing system for delivering fluid and to automatically reset the cost and volume registers to zero during the nondelivery phase between fluid deliveries just prior to activation of the dispensing system for delivering fluid.

4. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the indicating device comprises selectively operable descriptive indicator means adapted for providing descriptive indicators of the numerical amounts of the registers respectively and connected to be operated in accordance with the operation of the selector means to provide the corresponding descriptive indicator for the numerical amount displayed by the numerical indicator.

5. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 4 wherein the descriptive indicator means comprises a separate selectively operable descriptive indicator for each register.

6. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the indicating device comprises a plurality of selectively operable decimal point indicators between different places of the multiple places of the numerical indicator and connected to be operated in accordance with the operation of the selector means to provide a corresponding decimal point indicator for the numerical amount displayed by the numerical indicator.

7. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the system has an operating cycle with delivery and nondelivery phases and wherein the control means is operable for temporarily operating the sequencing means during at least one predetermined part of the operating cycle of the fluid dispensing system.

8. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 7 wherein the control means is operable for temporarily operating the sequencing means in conjunction with the commencement of a fluid delivery.

9. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 7 wherein the control means is operable for temporarily operating the sequencing means in conjunction with the termination of a fluid delivery.

10. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 9 wherein the plurality of registers comprise a cost register connected to continually register the monetary amount of the delivery of fluid during a fluid delivery, a volume register connected to continually register the volumetric amount of the delivery of fluid during a fluid delivery, and a price register settable to continually register the established unit volume price amount for fluid during a fluid delivery, and wherein the control means provides for operating the selector means for displaying the unit volume price amount of the price register after temporarily operating the sequencing means in conjunction with the termination of a fluid delivery.

11. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of registers comprise a cost register connected to continually register the monetary amount of the delivery of fluid during a fluid delivery and a volume register connected connnected to continually register the volumetric amount of the delivery of fluid during a fluid delivery and wherein the control means comprises manually settable means having at least volume and cost settings adapted for selectively operating the selector means to selectively connect the cost and volume registers for operating the numerical indicator.

12. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 11 wherein the control means comprises sequencing means for operating the selector means for displaying the numerical amounts of the registers in sequence and wherein the manually settable means comprises a sequence setting for connecting the sequencing means for operating the selector means.

13. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the control means comprises manually settable means for selectively operating the selector means for selectively connecting each of the plurality of registers for operating the numerical indicator.

14. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the system is operable for independently dispensing each of a plurality of separate fluids and wherein said plurality of registers comprise a plurality of price registers settable to register the established unit volume price amounts of the separate fluids respectively.

15. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 14 wherein the indicating device comprises selectively operable descriptive indicator means adapted for providing descriptive indicators of the separate fluids respectively and connected to be operated in accordance with the operation of the selector means to provide the fluid descriptive indicator corresponding to the unit volume price amount displayed by the numerical indicator.

16. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the system is operable for independently dispensing each of a plurality of separate fluids and comprises a corresponding plurality of indicating devices and banks of registers, each having at least one register, for registering numerical amounts respecting the delivery of the separate fluids respectively and wherein the selector means is operable for selectively connecting the register banks for operating each numerical indicator for registering each numerical amount respecting the delivery of a selected fluid.

17. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 16 wherein each register bank comprises a plurality of registers.

18. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the system is operable for independently dispensing each of a plurality of separate fluids, and wherein said plurality of registers comprise at least one fluid related register associated with each of said separate fluids for registering a numerical amount respecting the delivery of the associated fluid only, and wherein the selector means is operable for selectively connecting each said fluid related register for operating the numerical indicator for registering a numerical amount respecting the delivery of the corresponding fluid.

19. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 18 wherein said one registers are price registers settable in accordance with the established unit volume price amounts of the corresponding separate fluids respectively.

20. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 18 wherein said plurality of registers comprise at least one indicator related register associated with the indicating device and wherein the selector means is operable for selectively connecting the indicator related register and a selected fluid related register for operating the numerical indicator.

21. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the system is operable for independently dispensing each of a plurality of separate fluids, wherein there is at least one register of said plurality of registers connected for registering a numerical amount respecting the delivery of each of said plurality of separate fluids, and wherein the selector means is selectively operable for selectively connecting each of said plurality of registers for operating the numerical indicator for registering a numeral amount respecting the delivery of a selected fluid.

22. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the system is operable for dispensing a plurality of separate fluids, wherein said plurality of registers comprise at least one indicator related register associated with the indicating device, and wherein the selector means is operable for selectively connecting the indicator related register for registering numerical information respecting the delivery of each of the plurality of separate fluids.

23. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 22 wherein the control means comprises interlock means for preventing operation of the selector means for connecting the indicator related register for registering numerical information respecting the delivery of one fluid to a different fluid during the delivery of either of said fluids.

24. In a fluid dispensing system having a cost register of the monetary amount of the delivery of fluid and a volume register of the volumetric amount of the delivery of fluid, the improvement wherein the system further comprises a liquid crystal indicating device having a selectively operable multiple place liquid crystal numerical indicator, and selector means operable for selectively connecting the cost and volume registers for operating the liquid crystal indicator to display the cost and volume amounts respectively of the delivery of fluid.

25. In a fluid dispensing system adapted for dispensing a plurality of separate fluids comprising register means for registering numerical information respecting the delivery of the fluids, the improvement wherein the system comprises an indicating device having a selectively operable multiple place numerical indicator adapted to be operated by the register means to display said numerical information, and selector means operable for selectively operating the numerical indicator to display numerical information respecting the delivery of each of the plurality of separate fluids.

26. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 25 having a separate dispensing nozzle for each of the fluids and wherein the selector means comprises manually settable means for selectively connecting the numerical indicator to be operated for displaying numerical information respecting the delivery of fluid from each of the nozzles.

27. A fluid dispensing system according to claim 26 wherein the dispensing system is adapted for dispensing two separate fluids, wherein the system comprises two of said indicating devices, and wherein the manually settable means is operable for selectively connecting one indicator for displaying numerical information respecting the delivery of fluid from either one of the nozzles and for simultaneously connecting the other indicator for displaying information respecting the delivery of fluid from the other nozzle.

28. In a fuel dispensing system having a delivery nozzle, a nozzle storage receptacle for storing the nozzle between fuel deliveries, control means associated with the storage receptacle and operable to an "ON" position in conjunction with the removal of the nozzle from the receptacle at the commencement of a fuel delivery to activate the system for delivering fuel and operable to an "OFF" position in conjunction ON" the replacement of the nozzle in the storage receptacle at the end of a fuel delivery to deactivate the system for delivering fuel, meter means for metering the amount of fuel delivered, variator means driven by the meter means and settable for establishing a unit volume price for the fuel, a resettable cost register connected to be operated by the variator for storing the cost of the fuel delivered in accordance with the unit volume price established by the setting of the variator means and to be reset to zero when the control means is operated to its "ON" position, a resettable volume register connected to be operated for storing the volume of fuel delivered and to be reset to zero when the control means is operated to its "ON" position, and a price register connected to the variator adapted for storing the unit volume price established by the variator setting, the improvement wherein the fuel dispensing apparatus comprises an indicating device having a plurality of selectively operable indicator digits and separate volume, cost and price identifying indicators, selector means for selectively connecting the cost, volume and price registers for operating the indicating device for selectively indicating the cost, volume and price respecting a fuel delivery and the corresponding cost, volume and price identifying indicators, sequencing means for operating the selector means for indicating the cost, volume and price in sequence, and control means for temporarily operating the sequencing means upon operation of the control means to its "ON" and "PFF" positions.

29. An indicating device comprising a liquid crystal indicator with a first multiple place numerical indicator selectively operable to display selected multiple place numerical information and a plurality of separate descriptive indicators individually operable for displaying an appropriate descriptive indicator for the numerical information displayed by the numerical indicator.

30. An indicating device according to claim 29 comprising a plurality of selectively operable decimal point indicators between different places of the multiple place numerical indicator and connected to be individually operated in accordance with the operation of the descriptive indicators.