Abstract
A system of multiple non-manifolded fuel tanks on a trailer and preferred embodiments which allow for improved access to the contents of each fuel tank and ability to transport multiple fuel types in a single system.
Claims
1. A multiple non-manifolded fuel tanks on a trailer system for the transportation, storage, and dispensing of liquid fuel, comprising: a plurality of non-manifolded fuel tanks; a fuel dispensing system consisting of a fuel pump, a fuel hose, and a nozzle; a trailer platform consisting of wheels, a frame sufficient to support the weight of the entire system while the fuel tanks are full of fuel, and the ability to be towed by a vehicle; a valve system to allow the fuel pump to select which of the plurality of fuel tanks it is connected to in order to dispense the liquid fuel from at least one particular fuel tank.
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising of a fuel purge system.
3. The system of claim 2, said fuel purge system comprising of at least one valve which reverses the flow of liquid fuel from within the fuel hose back into at least one of the plurality of fuel tanks as selected by an end user.
4. The system of claim 2, said fuel purge system utilizes the pump to invert the flow of the fuel.
5. The system of claim 3, said valve of the fuel purge system is an electronically activated valve.
6. The system of claim 5, said electronic activation is automatic once mechanically initiated by an end user.
7. The system of claim 5, said electronic activation is automatic once dispensing liquid fuel is completed.
8. The system of claim 5, said electronic activation is automatically controlled by a computer system.
9. The system of claim 3, said valve of the fuel purge system is a mechanically activated valve.
10. The system of claim 1, said valve system is a non-spill quick release valve system.
11. The system of claim 1, said fuel tanks each have an individual capacity of up to one hundred and nineteen gallons of liquid fuel.
12. The system of claim 1, further comprising of a custody-transfer flow meter.
13. A multiple non-manifolded fuel tanks on a trailer system for the transportation, storage, and dispensing of liquid fuel, comprising: a plurality of non-manifolded fuel tanks; a fuel dispensing system consisting of a fuel pump, a fuel hose, and a nozzle; a trailer platform consisting of wheels, a frame sufficient to support the weight of the entire system while the fuel tanks are full of fuel, and the ability to be towed by a vehicle; a valve system to allow the fuel pump to select which of the plurality of fuel tanks it is connected to in order to dispense the liquid fuel from at least one particular fuel tank; a custody-transfer flow meter.
14. The system of claim 13, further comprising of a fuel purge system.
15. The system of claim 14, said fuel purge system comprising of at least one valve which reverses the flow of liquid fuel from within the fuel hose back into at least one of the plurality of fuel tanks as selected by an end user.
16. The system of claim 14, said fuel purge system utilizes the pump to invert the flow of the fuel.
17. The system of claim 15, said valve of the fuel purge system is an electronically activated valve.
18. The system of claim 17, said electronic activation is automatic once mechanically initiated by an end user.
19. The system of claim 17, said electronic activation is automatic once dispensing liquid fuel is completed.
20. The system of claim 17, said electronic activation is automatically controlled by a computer system.
21. The system of claim 15, said valve of the fuel purge system is a mechanically activated valve.
22. The system of claim 13, said valve system is a non-spill quick release valve system.
23. The system of claim 13, said fuel tanks each have an individual capacity of up to one hundred and nineteen gallons of liquid fuel.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the present invention; and
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outside of the present invention; and
[0017] FIG. 3 is a top down view which depicts an embodiment of the present invention with four tanks and a potential configuration of the tanks; and
[0018] FIG. 4 is a top down view which depicts another embodiment of the present invention with three tanks and another potential configuration of the tanks; and
[0019] FIG. 5 is a rear view showing an embodiment of the present invention with a hatch back access configuration; and
[0020] FIG. 6 is a rear view showing another embodiment of the present invention with a dual door access configuration; and
[0021] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the internal components of the rear enclosure; and
[0022] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the fuel purge component; and
[0023] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the fuel pump controls; and
[0024] FIG. 10 is a rear view showing another embodiment of the present invention with electronic and semi-automated controls.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the present invention in an assembled state. The present invention has multiple non-manifolded fuel tanks 1, 2, 19, and 20; with tanks 19 and 20 not visible from the perspective of FIG. 1. It is understood that depending on the number of tanks in a given embodiment of the present invention, each tank 1, 2, 19, and 20 will have an individual independent fuel level gauge 3, pressure vent and roll over valve 4, and lockable fill cap 5. Further in a preferred embodiment the fuel level gauges 3 and the lockable fill caps 5 through which the tanks are filled, are laid out such that the fuel level gauges are easily visible from the outside edge of the system and the lockable fill caps 5 are located on the outside edge and next to each other to ease filling the tanks. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention includes a rear enclosure 6 and a front enclosure 17. The rear enclosure 6 can include an external camera 7 and handles with door locks 8 and 9. The present invention includes components typical of trailers such as right 10 and left 11 turn signals, tail lights, and brake lights, marker lights 12, enough wheels 14 and 15 to support the weight of the invention when all tanks 1, 2, 19, 20 are filled with fuel, and in a preferred embodiment a protective fender 16 may be added around the wheels 14 and 15. There is also a fuel line channel 13 which is housed on the bottom of the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view showing the outside of the present invention. From this view the configuration of the non-manifolded fuel tanks 1, 2, 19, 20 are visible. In a preferred embodiment the front enclosure may have a front facing camera 21 and a lockable door handle 22. The present invention is towed with a draw bar 25 which in a preferred embodiment may have a removable draw bar bracket 24. The draw bar 25 may further have a parking brake 23 control. In a preferred embodiment the rear enclosure 6 may have an outward facing camera 18 on each side to assist the driver with parking maneuvers and provide security surveillance. In this figure, the preferred configuration described above of the fuel level gauge 3, pressure vent and roll over valve 4, and lockable fill cap 5 are visible.
[0027] FIG. 3 is a top down view which depicts an embodiment of the present invention with four tanks and a potential configuration of the tanks. In a preferred embodiment, the non-manifolded fuel tanks 1, 2, 19, 20 are configured with the tanks being placed two by two. The draw bar 25 is attached to a standard coupler or tow hitch 26. Each tank 1, 2, 19, 20 has a fuel level gauge 3, pressure vent and roll over valve 4, and lockable fill cap 5. In a preferred embodiment the lockable fill cap 5 of the non-manifolded fuel tanks 1, 2, 19, 20 would be placed towards the outer most edge of the tank and towards any shared edges with other fuel tanks to allow for ease of access while filling the tanks. It is understood that while the present depiction shows four non-manifolded fuel tanks, the present invention allows for the expansion or contraction of the trailer size to incorporate additional or fewer non-manifolded fuel tanks as desired.
[0028] FIG. 4 is a top down view which depicts another preferred embodiment of the present invention with three non-manifolded fuel tanks 27, 28, 29 and another potential configuration of the fuel tanks. Each tank 27, 28, 29 has a fuel level gauge 3, pressure vent and roll over valve 4, and lockable fill cap 5. In a preferred embodiment the lockable fill cap 5 of the non-manifolded fuel tanks 27, 28, 29 would be placed towards the outer most edge of the tank to allow for ease of access while filling the tanks. It is understood that while the present depiction shows three non-manifolded fuel tanks, the present invention allows for the expansion or contraction of the trailer size to incorporate additional or fewer non-manifolded fuel tanks as desired.
[0029] FIG. 5 is a rear view showing an embodiment of the present invention with a hatch back style access to the rear enclosure 6. In a preferred embodiment, on the inside of the hatch back lid there is a pull down handle 30 and mounted interior dome lights 31. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the components inside of the rear enclosure 6 are a fuel pump 33, a battery 35, a fuel nozzle 32 which in a preferred embodiment is connected to the fuel hose 42 by a quick release fitting 34, a filter 45, a ground cable reel 36, a fuel purge system 46, non-spill quick connect tank valves 37 and 38 used to access fuel from specific tanks, a custody transfer flow meter 43 with a meter register 44, an air eliminator 39 with a vent tank 41, and a non-spill quick connect multi-tank selector valve 40 to pump intake. The fuel pump 33 is powered by the battery 35 and is able to be connected to each tank individually through the non-spill quick connect multi-tank selector valve 40 which connects to the pump intake and the non-spill quick connect tank valves 37 and 38 which connect to individual tanks. It is understood that depending on the number of tanks in a given embodiment of the present invention, each tank will have an individual non-spill quick connect tank valve 37 or 38 in the rear enclosure 6 allowing access to the fuel in a particular tank. In a preferred embodiment, the flow of fuel from the tanks is monitored by a custody transfer flow meter 43 which has a meter register 44 that allows the end user to monitor how much fuel has been dispensed. Once fueling is completed and in order to comply with federal regulations, a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel purge system 46 which once activated will reverse the flow of any remaining fuel out of the fuel hose 42 and back into a user selected tank.
[0030] FIG. 6 is a rear view showing another embodiment of the present invention with a dual door access configuration. This embodiment utilizes two rear swing doors 50 and 51 that open outward to provide access to the rear enclosure 6. In a preferred embodiment, the fuel pump 33 can be activated by a power switch 96. In a preferred embodiment, the hose reel 42 has the fuel hose 47 pass through a hose reel guide 49 and the fuel hose 47 would include a hose ball stop 48 to prevent the hose from fully retracting onto the hose reel 42.
[0031] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the internal components of the rear enclosure. From this view one is able to notice details of the preferred embodiment of the present invention's internal components. A preferred embodiment of the individual non-spill quick connect tank valves 37, 38, 53, 54 include a shut off handle 55 on each valve. As described earlier, each non-spill quick connect tank valve 37, 38, 53, 54 allows access to a particular non-manifolded fuel tank. In the present embodiment, the battery 35 is connected to the fuel pump 33 by an electrical line 63. In a preferred embodiment, the pump 33 is secured by mounting brackets 64 and connected to a pump intake fuel line 60 which connects to the fuel purge system 59. In a preferred embodiment, the fuel purge system 59 has a valve handle 46 which activates the fuel purge system mechanically. In a preferred embodiment the air eliminator 39 may have a temperature probe 52, an air output exhaust line 58, and a non-spill quick connect multi-tank selector valve 57. In a preferred embodiment, the fuel line 56 utilizes quick connector fittings 61 and 62 which are uniform throughout the present invention where possible to easily attach or detach fuel lines and fittings for maintenance.
[0032] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the fuel purge components. A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel purge system that allows the flow of fuel in the fuel line 56 to be reversed back into the fuel tanks in order to comply with federal regulations. Quick connect fittings 62 are used to easily attach the fuel line 56 to the reverse flow purge valve 59. In one preferred embodiment of the fuel purge system, the valve handle 46 mechanically activates the system by activating the reverse flow purge valve 59. The fuel purge system connects using a female dry-break quick connect coupler valve 65 which connects to a male dry-break quick connect adapter valve 66. The advantage of this style of valves are that there is no risk of fuel leaking at the valves when connecting or disconnecting them. Alternatively, in another embodiment of the fuel purge system, the system can be electronically activated to reverse the flow through the purge valve 59.
[0033] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the fuel pump controls. In a preferred embodiment of the fuel pump controls, the fuel pump 33 has an on/off switch 74 on the fuel pump 33. In another preferred embodiment, an accessible control box has a light switch 69, a power indicator light 70, a pump power emergency switch 71 with a protective cover 72 which is connected to a power control cable 73.
[0034] FIG. 10 is a rear view showing another embodiment of the present invention with electronic and semi-automated controls. In this preferred embodiment, many of the mechanical controls shown in the prior views have been replaced with electronic controls. In this preferred embodiment, there is a digital electronic register computer 93 with a keypad 92 and touch screen display 94 that has an Ethernet, USB, WI-FI, and cellular data connection system 75, light-emitting diode push button interface 76, and electronic transaction reporting computer system with global positioning system capabilities, tank level sensor reading, pump controller ability, meter reading, and security monitoring 77. In this preferred embodiment, there is an electronic control housing 83 that includes an emergency power disconnect switch 81, an on/off pump and purge controller switch 82, and a series of indicator lights 84 which can provide information on such functionality as valve position, pump status, and fueling controller. Notice that in this preferred embodiment the location of the fuel hose 78 the fuel hose reel 85, are different than in earlier described embodiments. It is understood that there are many variations on exactly how the disclosed and described components could be assembled or located in the present invention. In the present preferred embodiment, the purge system valve actuator 89 is an electronically activated version instead of mechanically activated.
[0035] While the invention has been described in conjunction with several specific embodiments, it is to be understood that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations which fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
