Fuel gas charging device

Abstract

To prevent the interference between a plurality of suspension arms which support charging nozzles.SOLUTION: A fuel gas charging device 1 comprises a gas supply conduit 4, charging nozzles 6A, 6B which are attached to charging hoses 5A, 5B connected to the gas supply conduit 4, and a nozzle suspension device 27. The nozzle suspension device 27 has a lower-side suspension arm 31 and an upper-side suspension arm 35 which suspend the charging nozzles 6A, 6B via ropes 36, 38, respectively, while rotating with respect to a dispenser housing 3. The lower-side suspension arm 31 and the upper-side suspension arms 35 independently rotate about the same center axis A with the arms being on top of each other in a vertical direction. With this constitution, when using the two charging nozzles 6A, 6B to charge hydrogen gas to a fuel tank 105 which has two connection ports 105A, 105B provided at close positions, interference between the lower-side suspension arm 31 and the upper-side suspension arms 35 can be prevented.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fuel gas filling device that is suitably used for filling a fuel gas, such as hydrogen gas, into a fuel tank of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, there is known a fuel gas filling device that fills and supplies high-pressure fuel gas such as hydrogen gas to a fuel supply object (a fuel tank mounted on a vehicle such as a four-wheeled automobile) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A fuel gas filling device according to the prior art includes a gas supply pipe provided in a dispenser housing and through which fuel gas stored in a gas accumulator is supplied, a filling nozzle attached to a filling hose connected to the gas supply pipe and connected to a connection port of a fuel tank, and a nozzle hanging device that suspends and supports the filling nozzle.

[0003] The nozzle hanging device has a hanging arm rotatably attached at one end to the dispenser housing, and the filling nozzle is supported at the other end of the hanging arm via a rigging. This makes it possible to prevent the filling nozzle from accidentally dropping when attaching or detaching the filling nozzle to the connection port of the fuel tank during the fuel gas filling operation. This makes it possible to prevent the filling nozzle from colliding with the ground or the like and being damaged, and to improve the operability and reliability of the fuel gas filling device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-133825 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Here, it is considered to provide two filling nozzles and two nozzle hanging devices in a dispenser housing constituting the fuel gas filling device. With such a fuel gas filling device, fuel gas can be filled into fuel tanks mounted on two vehicles, two fuel tanks mounted on one vehicle, or one fuel tank with two connection ports using two filling nozzles supported by two hanging arms, respectively, and the fuel gas filling operation can be performed efficiently.

[0006] However, for example, when filling a fuel tank having two connection ports with fuel gas through two filling nozzles, the tips of the two hanging arms will be directed toward the single fuel tank, which could cause the hanging arms to come into contact with each other and be damaged.

[0007] An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a fuel gas filling device capable of preventing interference between a plurality of hanging arms that respectively support filling nozzles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A fuel gas filling device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises one or more gas supply pipelines provided within a dispenser housing to which fuel gas stored in a gas accumulator is supplied, a plurality of filling nozzles attached to a plurality of filling hoses connected to the one or more gas supply pipelines and connected to a fuel tank, and a nozzle hanging device provided on an upper portion of the dispenser housing and having a plurality of hanging arms which rotate relative to the dispenser housing and hang the plurality of filling nozzles via rigging, and the plurality of hanging arms of the nozzle hanging device are configured to rotate individually around the same central axis while overlapping each other in the vertical direction. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, multiple hanging arms rotate individually around the same central axis while overlapping each other in the vertical direction, thereby preventing interference between the multiple hanging arms when performing fuel gas filling operations using multiple filling nozzles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a fuel gas filling device according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 1 is a front view showing a fuel gas filling device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 2 is a left side view of the fuel gas filling device as viewed from the left side. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which fuel gas is filled into fuel tanks mounted on two vehicles using two filling nozzles. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which fuel gas is filled into two connection ports provided on one fuel tank mounted on a vehicle using two filling nozzles. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a nozzle hanging device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting structure of a lower suspension arm and an upper suspension arm to a dispenser housing, as viewed in the direction of arrows VII-VII in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a left side view of a fuel gas filling device according to a second embodiment, as viewed from the left side. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a nozzle hanging device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a base member, a base stopper, etc. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which a base member is attached to a dispenser housing. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a movable range of a base member. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which a first suspension arm and a second suspension arm are attached to a base member. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which fuel gas is filled into fuel tanks mounted on two vehicles using two filling nozzles. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which fuel gas is filled into two connection ports provided on one fuel tank mounted on a vehicle using two filling nozzles. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A fuel gas filling device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, taking as an example a case in which the device is applied to a hydrogen gas filling device. Figures 1 to 7 show a first embodiment.

[0012] 1, fuel gas filling device 1 is a device that fills a fuel tank mounted on a vehicle with pressurized compressed fuel gas (e.g., hydrogen gas), and is installed in a facility (gas filling station) generally called a gas supply station or hydrogen station. Fuel gas filling device 1 includes a gas supply pipe 4 provided in a dispenser housing 3 described later, filling nozzles 6A, 6B attached to filling hoses 5A, 5B connected to the gas supply pipe 4, and a nozzle hanging device 27 that hangs filling nozzles 6A, 6B via ropes 36, 38 while rotating with respect to the dispenser housing 3.

[0013] The fuel gas filling device 1 has a dispenser unit 2 that fills a vehicle fuel tank with hydrogen gas from a gas accumulator 20, which will be described later. A dispenser housing 3 that forms the outer shell of the dispenser unit 2 houses a gas supply pipe 4, a flow rate control valve 8, a shutoff valve 9, a heat exchanger 11, a pressure sensor 14, a temperature sensor 15, a control device 18, and the like, which will be described later.

[0014] The dispenser housing 3 constitutes a building that forms the outer shell of the dispenser unit 2, and is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the vertical direction as shown in Fig. 2. The dispenser housing 3 is formed in a box shape surrounded by a front plate 3A, a left side plate 3B, a right side plate 3C, a top plate 3D, a rear plate 3E, etc. A display unit 19 described later is provided on the front plate 3A of the dispenser housing 3, and a storage unit 21 described later that forms part of the dispenser housing 3 is provided on the outside of the left side plate 3B.

[0015] The gas supply pipe 4 is disposed in the dispenser housing 3 and supplies pressurized hydrogen gas from the gas accumulator 20 to the filling hoses 5A and 5B. One end of the gas supply pipe 4 is connected to the gas accumulator 20 disposed outside the dispenser housing 3. The other end of the gas supply pipe 4 is provided with branch pipes 4A and 4B that are bifurcated. One branch pipe 4A is connected to the filling hose 5A via an emergency release coupling 24 described later, and the other branch pipe 4B is connected to the filling hose 5B via an emergency release coupling 24. That is, the two filling hoses 5A and 5B are connected in parallel to the other end (downstream end) of the gas supply pipe 4, which is downstream in the flow direction of the hydrogen gas, via the branch pipes 4A and 4B.

[0016] In this embodiment, as described above, the branch pipes 4A and 4B are provided at the other end of one gas supply pipe 4, so that hydrogen gas can be filled from each of the two filling nozzles 6A and 6B into the fuel tank of a vehicle that uses hydrogen gas as fuel. However, the configuration for supplying hydrogen gas from each of the two filling nozzles 6A and 6B is not limited to the configuration in which the branch pipes 4A and 4B are provided at the other end of one gas supply pipe 4. For example, instead of one gas supply pipe 4, two (multiple) gas supply pipes (gas supply pipes 4 in this embodiment) extending from the gas accumulator 20 to the filling nozzles 6A and 6B (filling hoses 5A and 5B) may be provided in parallel, and the filling nozzles 6A and 6B (filling hoses 5A and 5B) may be connected to each of the two gas supply pipes. In this case, the two gas supply pipelines are each provided with instruments such as the flow meter 13 provided in the gas supply pipeline 4 of this embodiment, and the hydrogen gas filling control by the control device 18 is performed independently for each of the two gas supply pipelines.

[0017] The filling hoses 5A and 5B are formed of flexible pressure-resistant hoses and extend to the outside of the dispenser housing 3. The base end of the filling hose 5A is connected to the downstream end of the branch pipeline 4A, and the filling nozzle 6A is connected to the tip of the filling hose 5A. The base end of the filling hose 5B is connected to the downstream end of the branch pipeline 4B, and the filling nozzle 6B is connected to the tip of the filling hose 5B.

[0018] The filling nozzle 6A is airtightly connected to the tip of one filling hose 5A, and the filling nozzle 6B is airtightly connected to the tip of the other filling hose 5B. These filling nozzles 6A and 6B incorporate valves (neither shown) for opening and closing the filling ports provided at the tip. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the filling port of the filling nozzle 6A is airtightly and detachably connected to a connection port 101A provided in a fuel tank 101 of a vehicle 100 fueled by hydrogen gas. The filling port of the filling nozzle 6B is airtightly and detachably connected to a connection port 103A provided in a fuel tank 103 of a vehicle 102 fueled by hydrogen gas.

[0019] Furthermore, the filling nozzle 6A is provided with a locking mechanism that can be detachably locked to the connection port 101A of the fuel tank 101, and the filling nozzle 6B is provided with a locking mechanism that can be detachably locked to the connection port 103A of the fuel tank 103. When the filling port of the filling nozzle 6A is connected to the connection port 101A of the fuel tank 101, high-pressure hydrogen gas in the gas accumulator 20 is filled into the fuel tank 101 through the gas supply pipe 4, the filling hose 5A, and the filling nozzle 6A. Similarly, when the filling port of the filling nozzle 6B is connected to the connection port 103A of the fuel tank 103, high-pressure hydrogen gas in the gas accumulator 20 is filled into the fuel tank 103 through the gas supply pipe 4, the filling hose 5B, and the filling nozzle 6B.

[0020] In the gas supply pipeline 4, there are provided an inlet valve 7, a flow rate control valve 8 arranged downstream of the inlet valve 7, and a shutoff valve 9 arranged downstream of the flow rate control valve 8, and a flow meter 13 is provided between the inlet valve 7 and the flow rate control valve 8. Note that the arrangement (attachment order) of the flow meter 13, the flow rate control valve 8, and the shutoff valve 9 is not limited to the order shown in FIG.

[0021] The inlet valve 7 is provided at one end (upstream side) of the gas supply pipeline 4 and opens and closes the gas supply pipeline 4, for example, by manual operation. The inlet valve 7 is attached as necessary and may be removed if unnecessary. The flow rate adjustment valve 8 and the shutoff valve 9 constitute control devices that control the flow rate and pressure of the hydrogen gas flowing through the gas supply pipeline 4. The flow meter 13, the pressure sensor 14 and the temperature sensor 15 constitute measurement devices that measure the flow rate, pressure and temperature of the hydrogen gas flowing through the gas supply pipeline 4.

[0022] The flow rate control valve 8 is provided downstream of the inlet valve 7. The flow rate control valve 8 is controlled to an arbitrary valve opening degree by commands based on a control program of a control device 18 described later, and variably controls the flow rate and hydrogen gas pressure of the hydrogen gas flowing through the gas supply pipeline 4.

[0023] The shutoff valve 9 is provided downstream of the flow rate adjustment valve 8. The shutoff valve 9 is opened and closed by a control signal from the control device 18, thereby controlling the flow and cut-off of hydrogen gas (fuel) in the gas supply pipeline 4. That is, the control device 18 controls the opening and closing of the flow rate adjustment valve 8 and the shutoff valve 9, thereby controlling the filling of hydrogen gas into the fuel tank 101 of the vehicle 100 and the fuel tank 103 of the vehicle 102.

[0024] The cooler 10 cools the hydrogen gas flowing through the gas supply pipeline 4. The cooler 10 includes a heat exchanger 11 provided in the middle of the gas supply pipeline 4, and a chiller unit 12 connected to the heat exchanger 11 via refrigerant pipelines 10A and 10B. The chiller unit 12 circulates a refrigerant between the heat exchanger 11 and the chiller unit 12 via the refrigerant pipelines 10A and 10B. Thus, the heat exchanger 11 of the cooler 10 exchanges heat between the hydrogen gas flowing through the gas supply pipeline 4 and the refrigerant, and lowers the temperature of the hydrogen gas supplied toward the filling hoses 5A and 5B to a specified temperature (for example, −33 to −40° C.).

[0025] Flow meter 13 is provided in gas supply pipeline 4, located between inlet valve 7 and flow rate control valve 8. Flow meter 13 measures the flow rate (mass flow rate) of hydrogen gas flowing in gas supply pipeline 4 between inlet valve 7 and flow rate control valve 8, and outputs the measurement result to control device 18. Control device 18 then calculates the amount of hydrogen gas filled into fuel tank 101 of vehicle 100 or fuel tank 103 of vehicle 102, and displays the amount of hydrogen gas dispensed (corresponding to the amount of refueling) on ​​display unit 19.

[0026] The pressure sensor 14 is provided in the gas supply pipe 4, located downstream of the shutoff valve 9. The pressure sensor 14 detects the pressure of the hydrogen gas supplied from the gas pressure accumulator 20. The pressure sensor 14 measures the pressure in the gas supply pipe 4 near the filling nozzles 6A, 6B, and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the measured pressure to the control device 18.

[0027] The temperature sensor 15 is provided in the gas supply pipe 4, located between the shutoff valve 9 and the pressure sensor 14. The temperature sensor 15 detects the temperature of the hydrogen gas flowing in the gas supply pipe 4, and outputs the detection result to the control device 18. The positional relationship between the temperature sensor 15 and the pressure sensor 14 is not limited to the position shown in Fig. 1, and may be, for example, reversed.

[0028] A depressurization pipeline 16 is provided downstream of the shutoff valve 9 of the gas supply pipeline 4, branching off therefrom. The depressurization pipeline 16 is for releasing gas pressure, for example, from the filling hoses 5A and 5B side, and a depressurization valve 17 is provided midway along the depressurization pipeline 16. The depressurization valve 17 is controlled to open by a signal from a control device 18 when the hydrogen gas filling operation using the filling nozzles 6A and 6B is completed and the shutoff valve 9 is closed.

[0029] When removing the filling port of the filling nozzle 6A from the connection port 101A of the fuel tank 101, or when removing the filling port of the filling nozzle 6B from the connection port 103A of the fuel tank 103, it is necessary to reduce the pressure in the filling hoses 5A and 5B to the atmospheric pressure level. For this reason, when the gas filling operation is completed, the depressurization valve 17 is temporarily opened to open the tip side of the depressurization pipe 16 to the atmosphere. This causes the hydrogen gas in the filling hoses 5A and 5B to be released to the outside, and the pressure in the filling hoses 5A and 5B is reduced to the atmospheric pressure level. As a result, the filling port of the filling nozzle 6A can be removed from the connection port 101A of the fuel tank 101, and the filling port of the filling nozzle 6B can be removed from the connection port 103A of the fuel tank 103.

[0030] The control device 18 controls the supply of hydrogen gas (fuel gas) to the fuel tanks 101, 103 by controlling the flow rate adjustment valve 8, the shutoff valve 9, the depressurization valve 17, etc. The flow meter 13, the pressure sensor 14, the temperature sensor 15, a nozzle detector 23 described below, a filling start switch 25, a filling stop switch 26, etc. are connected to the input side of the control device 18. On the other hand, the flow rate adjustment valve 8, the shutoff valve 9, the depressurization valve 17, the display unit 19, etc. are connected to the output side of the control device 18. The control device 18 has a memory 18A. The memory 18A stores, in an updatable manner, control processing programs and the like for controlling the filling of hydrogen gas using, for example, the filling nozzles 6A, 6B.

[0031] The display unit 19 is provided on the front panel 3A of the dispenser housing 3. The display unit 19 is disposed at a height position that is easily visible to an operator who performs the hydrogen gas filling operation, and displays information necessary for the hydrogen gas filling operation. The display unit 19 may be configured to be provided in a location other than the front panel 3A of the dispenser housing 3, or may be configured to be provided in a specific position spaced apart from the dispenser housing 3.

[0032] The gas accumulator 20, together with the dispenser unit 2, constitutes the fuel gas filling device 1. The gas accumulator 20 constitutes a gas storage unit that stores highly compressed hydrogen gas on the upstream side of the gas supply pipeline 4, and serves as a supply source of hydrogen gas.

[0033] The storage 21 is provided on the outside of the left side panel 3B of the dispenser housing 3 and constitutes a part of the dispenser housing 3. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the storage 21 has upper and lower overhangs 21A, 21B overhanging leftward from the left side panel 3B, and front and rear vertical plate parts 21C, 21D that face each other in the front-rear direction and connect the overhangs 21A, 21B. Between the front and rear vertical plate parts 21C, 21D is an opening 21E that extends in the up-down direction between the overhangs 21A, 21B, and the opening 21E is covered by a door (not shown) so as to be openable and closable. A nozzle hanger 22, which will be described later, is provided inside the storage 21, and the filling nozzles 6A, 6B and filling hoses 5A, 5B, etc., hung on the nozzle hanger 22, are stored in the storage 21.

[0034] The nozzle hanger 22 is disposed inside (at the back) of the storage 21 and fixed to the left side panel 3B of the dispenser housing 3. The two filling nozzles 6A, 6B inserted into the storage 21 from the opening 21E side are attached and detachably hung on the nozzle hanger 22. The nozzle hanger 22 is also provided with a nozzle detector 23 (see FIG. 1) that detects whether the filling nozzles 6A, 6B are hung. The nozzle detector 23 detects whether the filling nozzles 6A, 6B are hung on the nozzle hanger 22 and outputs a detection signal according to the detection result to the control device 18.

[0035] 3, the connection between one branch pipe 4A and one filling hose 5A arranged in the storage 21 of the dispenser housing 3, and the connection between the other branch pipe 4B and the other filling hose 5B are provided with emergency release couplings 24 as safety devices. For example, if the vehicle 100 erroneously starts when hydrogen gas is being filled into the fuel tank 101, or if the vehicle 102 erroneously starts when hydrogen gas is being filled into the fuel tank 103, the emergency release couplings 24 are separated. This can prevent damage to the filling nozzles 6A, 6B, the filling hoses 5A, 5B, etc., and can prevent the hydrogen gas in the gas supply pipe 4 and the filling hoses 5A, 5B from being released to the outside.

[0036] 1, the operation section of the dispenser unit 2 is provided with a filling start switch 25 and a filling stop switch 26. The filling start switch 25 is manually operated by an operator when, for example, filling hydrogen gas. The filling stop switch 26 is manually operated by an operator when stopping filling of hydrogen gas. The filling start switch 25 and the filling stop switch 26 each output a signal according to their operation state to the control device 18, and the control device 18 opens or closes the shutoff valve 9 in response to these signals.

[0037] Next, the nozzle hanging device 27 used in this embodiment will be described.

[0038] The nozzle hanging device 27 is provided on the upper part of the dispenser housing 3 (the overhanging part 21A of the storage 21). The nozzle hanging device 27 supports the filling nozzle 6A connected to the filling hose 5A and the filling nozzle 6B connected to the filling hose 5B by individually hanging them via ropes 36, 38, etc., which will be described later. The nozzle hanging device 27 includes a lower support mechanism 28, a lower hanging arm 31, an upper support mechanism 32, an upper hanging arm 35, ropes 36, 38, and an arm stopper 40, which will be described later.

[0039] The lower support mechanism 28 is provided between the overhanging portion 21A of the storage 21 and the lower hanging arm 31, and supports the lower hanging arm 31 rotatably in the horizontal direction with respect to the dispenser housing 3. As shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, the lower support mechanism 28 includes a bearing unit 29 provided on the upper surface of the overhanging portion 21A, and a lower arm mounting base 30 rotatably supported by the bearing unit 29.

[0040] The bearing unit 29 has a flanged cylindrical casing 29B that extends vertically and has a bearing fitting hole 29A on its inner periphery, and two bearings 29C that are fitted vertically adjacent to each other in the bearing fitting hole 29A of the casing 29B. A large-diameter disk-shaped flange 29D is provided at the upper end of the casing 29B. The casing 29B is fitted into a mounting hole 21F formed in the upper surface of the overhang 21A, and the flange 29D abuts against the upper surface of the overhang 21A. In this way, the bearing unit 29 is fixed to the overhang 21A of the storage 21.

[0041] The lower arm mounting base 30 has a cylindrical rotating shaft 30A extending in the vertical direction, and a disk 30B fixed to the upper end of the rotating shaft 30A. The disk 30B is disk-shaped with a larger diameter than the rotating shaft 30A, and is provided with a plurality of (e.g., four) bolt holes (female thread holes) 30C extending in the vertical direction (plate thickness direction). The rotating shaft 30A of the lower arm mounting base 30 is inserted into the inner periphery of a bearing 29C (inner ring) of the bearing unit 29, and the lower arm mounting base 30 rotates about a central axis A that is perpendicular to the upper surface of the overhanging portion 21A.

[0042] The lower hanging arm 31 is attached to the lower arm mounting base 30 of the lower support mechanism 28 via a bearing unit 33. The lower hanging arm 31 is a rectangular parallelepiped cylindrical body having a lower plate 31A and an upper plate 31B facing each other in the vertical direction, and extends in the horizontal direction. The lower plate 31A located at one end (base end) of the lower hanging arm 31 in the longitudinal direction is provided with four bolt insertion holes 31C corresponding to the bolt holes 30C of the lower arm mounting base 30. The upper plate 31B located at the base end side of the lower hanging arm 31 is formed with a rectangular hole 31D, and the upper support mechanism 32 is arranged in the lower hanging arm 31 through the hole 31D. Meanwhile, one end of a rope 36 is attached to the tip 31E side of the lower hanging arm 31 (see FIG. 3).

[0043] The upper support mechanism 32 is provided between the lower arm mounting base 30 and the upper hanging arm 35, and supports the upper hanging arm 35 so that it can rotate horizontally relative to the lower arm mounting base 30. The upper support mechanism 32 includes a bearing unit 33 provided in the lower hanging arm 31, and an upper arm mounting base 34 rotatably supported by the bearing unit 33.

[0044] The bearing unit 33 has a cylindrical casing 33B with a bearing fitting hole 33A on the inner periphery side and extending in the vertical direction, and two bearings 33C fitted adjacent to the bearing fitting hole 33A of the casing 33B in the vertical direction. Four bolt insertion holes 33D corresponding to the bolt holes 30C of the lower arm mounting base 30 are provided on the outer periphery side of the bearing fitting hole 33A of the casing 33B. A bolt 33E is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 33D of the casing 33B, and the bolt 33E is screwed into the bolt hole 30C of the lower arm mounting base 30 through the bolt insertion hole 31C of the lower hanging arm 31. Therefore, the bearing unit 33 is attached to the lower arm mounting base 30 integrally with the lower hanging arm 31. As a result, the lower hanging arm 31 is rotatable about the central axis A with respect to the dispenser housing 3 while being supported by the bearing unit 29.

[0045] The upper arm mounting base 34 has a cylindrical rotating shaft 34A extending in the vertical direction, and a disk 34B fixed to the upper end of the rotating shaft 34A. The disk 34B is disk-shaped with a larger diameter than the rotating shaft 34A, and is provided with a plurality of (e.g., four) bolt holes (female thread holes) 34C extending in the vertical direction (plate thickness direction). The rotating shaft 34A of the upper arm mounting base 34 is inserted into the inner periphery of the bearing 33C (inner ring) of the bearing unit 33, and the upper arm mounting base 34 rotates about the same central axis A as the lower arm mounting base 30.

[0046] The upper suspension arm 35 is attached to the upper arm mounting base 34 of the upper support mechanism 32. The upper suspension arm 35 is a rectangular parallelepiped tubular body having a lower plate 35A and an upper plate 35B facing each other in the vertical direction, and extends in the horizontal direction. The length dimension of the upper suspension arm 35 is set to be larger than that of the lower suspension arm 31. The lower plate 35A located at one end (base end) of the upper suspension arm 35 in the longitudinal direction is provided with four bolt insertion holes 35C corresponding to the bolt holes 34C of the upper arm mounting base 34. Bolts 35D are inserted into the bolt insertion holes 35C, and the bolts 35D are screwed into the bolt holes 34C of the upper arm mounting base 34. As a result, the upper suspension arm 35 is fixed to the upper arm mounting base 34 supported by the bearing unit 33. In addition, four through holes 35E are formed in the top plate 35B of the upper hanging arm 35, facing the bolt insertion holes 35C in the vertical direction, and the hole diameter of the through holes 35E is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the head of the bolt 35D. Meanwhile, one end of a rope 38 is attached to the tip 35F side of the upper hanging arm 35 (see FIG. 3).

[0047] In this manner, the lower hanging arm 31 supported by the bearing unit 29 and the upper hanging arm 35 supported by the bearing unit 33 can rotate individually (independently of each other) about the same central axis A while being overlapped in the vertical direction. In this case, the length dimension of the upper hanging arm 35 is set to be greater than that of the lower hanging arm 31. For this reason, as shown in Fig. 4, the length L1 from the tip 35F of the upper hanging arm 35 to the central axis A is set to be greater than the length L2 from the tip 31E of the lower hanging arm 31 to the central axis A (L1>L2).

[0048] A rope 36 made of a wire rope is attached to the tip 31E of the lower hanging arm 31. One end of the rope 36 is attached to the lower plate 31A of the lower hanging arm 31 via a connector 37, and the other end of the rope 36 is attached to the stuffing nozzle 6A. The length of the rope 36 is set so that the stuffing nozzle 6A does not contact the ground when it is hung from the tip 31E of the lower hanging arm 31. The connector 37 is formed using a brittle member such as a synthetic resin material, and is configured to break preferentially when a predetermined or greater excessive external force is applied to the stuffing nozzle 6A hung from the rope 36. Note that, as the connector 37 that breaks preferentially when a predetermined or greater excessive external force is applied to the stuffing nozzle 6A, in addition to a brittle member made of a synthetic resin material, for example, a shear pin that breaks when a predetermined or greater excessive external force is applied may be used.

[0049] A rope 38 made of a wire rope is attached to the tip 35F of the upper hanging arm 35. One end of the rope 38 is attached to the lower plate 35A of the upper hanging arm 35 via a connector 39, and the other end of the rope 38 is attached to the stuffing nozzle 6B. The length of the rope 38 is set to a dimension such that the stuffing nozzle 6B does not contact the ground when the stuffing nozzle 6B is suspended from the tip 35F of the upper hanging arm 35. The connector 39 is formed using a brittle material, and is configured to break preferentially when an excessive external force of a predetermined value or more is applied to the stuffing nozzle 6B suspended from the rope 38. As the brittle material, a synthetic resin material or a shear pin may be used, as in the case of the connector 37 described above.

[0050] Here, the length L1 from the tip 35F of the upper hanging arm 35 to the central axis A is set to be greater than the length L2 from the tip 31E of the lower hanging arm 31 to the central axis A. For this reason, even if the lower hanging arm 31 and the upper hanging arm 35 completely overlap each other in the vertical direction, as shown in Fig. 5, for example, a sufficient gap is ensured between the connector 37 and the connector 39. This makes it possible to prevent the rope 36 suspended from the tip 31E side of the lower hanging arm 31 via the connector 37 and the rope 38 suspended from the tip 35F side of the upper hanging arm 35 via the connector 39 from becoming entangled.

[0051] Two arm stoppers 40 as arm rotation restricting members are provided on the overhanging portion 21A of the storage 21 constituting the dispenser housing 3. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the two arm stoppers 40 are arranged at two positions symmetrically across the central axis A, and the lower hanging arm 31 or the upper hanging arm 35 rotating around the central axis A abuts against the arm. This restricts (limits) the range in which the lower hanging arm 31 and the upper hanging arm 35 can rotate. Specifically, the range in which the lower hanging arm 31 and the upper hanging arm 35 can rotate is limited to an angle θ (for example, 180°) around the central axis A. This prohibits, for example, the tip 31E of the lower hanging arm 31 from moving carelessly above the upper plate 3D of the dispenser housing 3, and prevents damage caused by contact between the rope 36 and the dispenser housing 3.

[0052] 6, the arm stopper 40 has an L-shaped bracket 40A fixed to the upper surface of the overhanging portion 21A and rising vertically upward, a plate-shaped magnet 40B fixed to the bracket 40A, and a plate-shaped buffer material 40C attached to the surface of the magnet 40B. The buffer material 40C absorbs the impact when the lower suspension arm 31 or the upper suspension arm 35 abuts against the arm stopper 40. The magnet 40B attracts and holds the lower suspension arm 31 and the upper suspension arm 35 that are abutting against the arm stopper 40, thereby preventing the lower suspension arm 31 and the upper suspension arm 35 from coming off the arm stopper 40 and flapping due to wind force.

[0053] The fuel gas filling device 1 according to this embodiment has the configuration as described above. Next, the hydrogen gas filling operation using the fuel gas filling device 1 will be described.

[0054] The fuel gas filling device 1 according to this embodiment has two filling hoses 5A, 5B connected to the gas supply pipeline 4. As a result, as shown in Fig. 4, when two vehicles 100, 102 are parked on either side of the fuel gas filling device 1, the filling nozzle 6A suspended from the lower hanging arm 31 via the rope 36 is connected to the connection port 101A of the fuel tank 101 mounted on the vehicle 100, and the filling nozzle 6B suspended from the upper hanging arm 35 via the rope 38 is connected to the connection port 103A of the fuel tank 103 mounted on the other vehicle 102, thereby making it possible to efficiently fill the two fuel tanks 101, 103 with hydrogen gas.

[0055] That is, when filling fuel tank 101 with hydrogen gas, the worker removes filling nozzle 6A stored in storage 21 of dispenser housing 3 from nozzle hanger 22, carries filling nozzle 6A suspended from lower hanging arm 31 via rope 36 to the vicinity of fuel tank 101, and connects it to connection port 101A. Next, the worker removes filling nozzle 6B from nozzle hanger 22, carries filling nozzle 6B suspended from upper hanging arm 35 via rope 38 to the vicinity of fuel tank 103, and connects it to connection port 103A. In this manner, with filling nozzle 6A connected to connection port 101A of fuel tank 101 and filling nozzle 6B connected to connection port 103A of fuel tank 103, the worker operates filling start switch 25 to operate fuel gas filling device 1. As a result, the hydrogen gas in the gas accumulator 20 is filled into the fuel tank 101 of the vehicle 100 through the gas supply pipeline 4, branch pipeline 4A, filling hose 5A and filling nozzle 6A, and is filled into the fuel tank 103 of the vehicle 102 through the gas supply pipeline 4, branch pipeline 4B, filling hose 5B and filling nozzle 6B.

[0056] Then, after the work of filling fuel tank 101 with hydrogen gas is completed, the worker removes filling nozzle 6A from connection port 101A of fuel tank 101, carries filling nozzle 6A to storage compartment 21 of dispenser housing 3, and then hangs filling nozzle 6A on nozzle hanger 22. Similarly, after the work of filling fuel tank 103 with hydrogen gas is completed, the worker removes filling nozzle 6B from connection port 103A of fuel tank 103, carries filling nozzle 6B to storage compartment 21 of dispenser housing 3, and then hangs filling nozzle 6B on nozzle hanger 22.

[0057] Here, when an operator carries the filling nozzle 6A when filling the fuel tank 101 of the vehicle 100 with hydrogen gas, the lower suspending arm 31 rotates about the central axis A to make the rope 36 follow the movement of the filling nozzle 6A. This makes it possible to prevent the filling nozzle 6A suspended by the rope 36 from falling to the ground even if the operator accidentally drops the filling nozzle 6A. Similarly, when an operator carries the filling nozzle 6B when filling the fuel tank 103 of the vehicle 102 with hydrogen gas, the upper suspending arm 35 rotates about the central axis A to make the rope 38 follow the movement of the filling nozzle 6B. This makes it possible to prevent the filling nozzle 6B suspended by the rope 38 from falling to the ground even if the operator accidentally drops the filling nozzle 6B.

[0058] Next, as shown in FIG. 5, there is a case where two connection ports 105A, 105B are provided on a fuel tank 105 of a vehicle 104 that uses hydrogen gas as fuel. In this case, the worker carries one of the filling nozzles 6A suspended from the lower hanging arm 31 via the rope 36 to the vicinity of the fuel tank 105 and connects it to one of the connection ports 105A. Next, the worker carries the other filling nozzle 6B suspended from the upper hanging arm 35 via the rope 38 to the vicinity of the fuel tank 105 and connects it to the other connection port 105B. In this state, the fuel gas filling device 1 is operated. As a result, hydrogen gas in the gas accumulator 20 is filled into the fuel tank 105 from the filling hose 5A and the filling nozzle 6A through the connection port 105A, and is also filled into the fuel tank 105 from the filling hose 5B and the filling nozzle 6B through the connection port 105B. As a result, hydrogen gas can be efficiently filled into the fuel tank 105 in a short time.

[0059] In the nozzle hanging device 27 according to the present embodiment, the lower hanging arm 31 and the upper hanging arm 35 provided on the upper part of the dispenser housing 3 (the overhanging part 21A of the storage 21) can be rotated individually around the same center line AA while overlapping vertically. Therefore, even if the connection ports 105A and 105B of the fuel tank 105 are arranged close to each other, as in the above-mentioned hydrogen gas filling work for the fuel tank 105, when the filling nozzles 6A and 6B are attached to and detached from the connection ports 105A and 105B, the lower hanging arm 31 that hangs the filling nozzle 6A via the rope 36 and the upper hanging arm 35 that hangs the filling nozzle 6B via the rope 38 can be prevented from interfering with each other.

[0060] Also, the length L1 from the tip 35F of the upper hanging arm 35 to the central axis A is set to be greater than the length L2 from the tip 31E of the lower hanging arm 31 to the central axis A. For this reason, even if the lower hanging arm 31 and the upper hanging arm 35 completely overlap each other in the vertical direction, as shown in Fig. 5, for example, a sufficient gap is ensured between the connector 37 and the connector 39. This makes it possible to prevent the rope 36 suspended from the tip 31E side of the lower hanging arm 31 via the connector 37 and the rope 38 suspended from the tip 35F side of the upper hanging arm 35 via the connector 39 from becoming entangled.

[0061] In addition, two arm stoppers 40 are provided on the overhanging portion 21A of the storage 21 constituting the dispenser housing 3, and the range in which the lower hanging arm 31 and the upper hanging arm 35 can rotate is limited to an angle θ (for example, 180°) centered on the central axis A by the arm stoppers 40. This makes it possible to prevent the tip 31E of the lower hanging arm 31 from inadvertently moving above the upper plate 3D of the dispenser housing 3, and the tip 35F of the upper hanging arm 35 from inadvertently moving above the upper plate 3D of the dispenser housing 3. As a result, it is possible to prevent the ropes 36, 38 from coming into contact with the dispenser housing 3, and to prevent damage to the ropes 36, 38 or the dispenser housing 3.

[0062] Thus, the fuel gas filling device 1 according to the present embodiment includes the gas supply pipeline 4, the filling nozzles 6A, 6B attached to the filling hoses 5A, 5B connected to the gas supply pipeline 4, and the nozzle suspending device 27 having the lower suspending arm 31 and the upper suspending arm 35 that are provided on the upper portion of the dispenser housing 3 and suspend the filling nozzles 6A, 6B via ropes 36, 38, respectively, while rotating relative to the dispenser housing 3, and the lower suspending arm 31 and the upper suspending arm 35 are configured to rotate individually about the same central axis A while overlapping vertically. With this configuration, when hydrogen gas is filled into a fuel tank 105 having two connection ports 105A, 105B provided at close positions, the lower suspending arm 31 that suspends the filling nozzle 6A and the upper suspending arm 35 that suspends the filling nozzle 6B can be prevented from interfering with each other.

[0063] In the embodiment, the upper hanging arm 35 arranged on the upper side in the vertical direction is set to have a length dimension larger than that of the lower hanging arm 31 arranged on the lower side in the vertical direction. With this configuration, when the lower hanging arm 31 and the upper hanging arm 35 rotate independently about the central axis A, it is possible to prevent the rope 36 suspended from the tip 31E side of the lower hanging arm 31 via the connector 37 and the rope 38 suspended from the tip 35F side of the upper hanging arm 35 via the connector 39 from becoming entangled.

[0064] In the embodiment, the dispenser housing 3 is provided with an arm stopper 40 that restricts the range within which the lower hanging arm 31 and the upper hanging arm 35 can rotate relative to the dispenser housing 3. This configuration prohibits the tip 31E of the lower hanging arm 31 or the tip 35F of the upper hanging arm 35 from moving carelessly above the upper plate 3D of the dispenser housing 3, and prevents the ropes 36, 38 from coming into contact with the dispenser housing 3 and damaging both of them.

[0065] Next, Fig. 8 to Fig. 15 show a second embodiment of the present invention. The feature of this embodiment is that a base member is rotatably provided on the upper part of the dispenser housing, and a plurality of hanging arms are attached to the base member so as to be rotatable about different central axes. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0066] In the figure, fuel gas filling device 41, like fuel gas filling device 1 according to the first embodiment, is configured to include gas supply pipeline 4 provided in dispenser housing 3, filling nozzles 6A, 6B attached to filling hoses 5A, 5B, and nozzle hanging device 42, which will be described later. However, the configuration of nozzle hanging device 42 is different from that of nozzle hanging device 27 according to the first embodiment.

[0067] Nozzle hanging device 42 is provided on the upper part of dispenser housing 3 (projecting portion 21A of storage 21). Nozzle hanging device 42 supports filling nozzle 6A connected to filling hose 5A and filling nozzle 6B connected to filling hose 5B by individually suspending them via ropes 36, 38, etc. Nozzle hanging device 42 includes a base member 43, a base stopper 45, a first hanging arm 46, a second hanging arm 48, the ropes 36, 38, and an arm stopper 50, which will be described later.

[0068] The base member 43 is provided on the overhanging portion 21A of the storage 21 constituting the dispenser housing 3. As shown in Figs. 10 to 12, the base member 43 is formed of a rectangular plate. A bearing 44 that rotatably supports the base member 43 is provided between the center of the length of the base member 43 and the upper surface of the overhanging portion 21A. This allows the base member 43 to rotate along the upper surface of the overhanging portion 21A of the storage 21 around a central axis B extending in the vertical direction.

[0069] At one end 43A and the other end 43B of the base member 43 in the length direction, bearing fitting holes 43C are formed at positions symmetrical with respect to the central axis B. Bearings 47 and 49, which will be described later, are fitted into these bearing fitting holes 43C. A stopper mounting plate 43D is fixed to the upper surface side of the center part of the base member 43 by using a plurality of bolts 43E. Plate-shaped protruding pieces 43F are fixed to the lower surface sides of the one end 43A and the other end 43B of the base member 43, respectively, adjacent to the bearing fitting holes 43C. These two protruding pieces 43F protrude downward from the lower surface of the base member 43 and rotate together with the base member 43 while maintaining a gap between them and the upper surface of the overhanging portion 21A, thereby coming into contact with an abutment plate 45C of the base stopper 45, which will be described later (see FIG. 12).

[0070] The base stopper 45 is provided on the overhanging portion 21A of the storage 21 near the bearing 44, and regulates the range in which the base member 43 can rotate with respect to the dispenser housing 3. The base stopper 45 has a base plate 45B fixed to the upper surface of the overhanging portion 21A by using a bolt 45A, and two abutment plates 45C provided at both ends in the length direction of the base plate 45B and protruding upward from the base plate 45B. The range in which the base member 43 can rotate around the central axis B is regulated to the range in which the protruding piece 43F of the base member 43 abuts against the abutment plate 45C of the base stopper 45. Specifically, the range in which the base member 43 can rotate is regulated to an angle α (for example, 300°) around the central axis B (see FIG. 12).

[0071] The first suspension arm 46 is provided on one end 43A of the base member 43. A bearing 47 is fitted into a bearing fitting hole 43C provided on one end 43A of the base member 43, and the first suspension arm 46 is supported by the bearing 47. As a result, the first suspension arm 46 is rotatable around the central axis C1 with respect to the base member 43. The first suspension arm 46 includes an arm body 46A attached to the bearing 47 and a payout arm 46B that is movable along the arm body 46A. As a result, the first suspension arm 46 is extendable in the length direction between the position shown by the solid line and the position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8. One end of the rope 36 is attached to the tip 46C of the payout arm 46B via a connector 37. The other end of the rope 36 is attached to the filling nozzle 6A. The configuration of the extension mechanism of the first hanging arm 46, etc. is similar to that of the nozzle hanging device described in JP 2020-133825 A.

[0072] The second suspension arm 48 is provided on the other end 43B side of the base member 43. A bearing 49 is fitted into a bearing fitting hole 43C provided on the other end 43B side of the base member 43, and the second suspension arm 48 is supported by the bearing 49. As a result, the second suspension arm 48 is rotatable around the central axis C2 with respect to the base member 43. The second suspension arm 48 has the same configuration as the first suspension arm 46, and is configured to include an arm body 48A attached to the bearing 49 and a payout arm 48B that is movable along the arm body 48A. As a result, the second suspension arm 48 is extendable in the length direction between the position shown by the solid line and the position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8. One end of the rope 38 is attached to the tip 48C side of the payout arm 48B via a connector 39. The filling nozzle 6B is attached to the other end of the rope 38.

[0073] Thus, in this embodiment, the first hanging arm 46 and the second hanging arm 48 are arranged in parallel on the upper surface side of the base member 43, sandwiching the central axis B therebetween, and are configured to rotate within the same plane relative to the base member 43, centering on mutually different central axes C1 (the central axis of the first hanging arm 46) and C2 (the central axis of the second hanging arm 48).

[0074] An arm stopper 50 serving as an arm rotation restricting member is provided on the base member 43. The arm stopper 50 restricts the range within which the first suspension arm 46 and the second suspension arm 48 can rotate relative to the base member 43. As shown in Fig. 10, the arm stopper 50 has a central stopper 51 attached to a stopper mounting plate 43D of the base member 43, a one end stopper 52 attached to one end 43A of the base member 43, and an other end stopper 53 attached to the other end 43B of the base member 43.

[0075] The central stopper 51 has a U-shaped bracket 51A with both ends in the length direction rising upward, and plate-shaped buffer materials 51B, 51C provided on both ends of the bracket 51A. The bracket 51A is fixed to the stopper mounting plate 43D of the base member 43 by using a bolt. As shown by the solid line in FIG. 13, when the first suspension arm 46 rotates to a position perpendicular to the base member 43, it abuts against the buffer material 51B, thereby restricting further rotation. Similarly, when the second suspension arm 48 rotates to a position perpendicular to the base member 43, it abuts against the buffer material 51C, thereby restricting further rotation. Magnets (not shown) are arranged between the bracket 51A and the buffer material 51B, and between the bracket 51A and the buffer material 51C. The first suspension arm 46 in contact with the cushioning material 51B is held in a position in contact with the cushioning material 51B by being attracted to the magnet, and the second suspension arm 48 in contact with the cushioning material 51C is held in a position in contact with the cushioning material 51C by being attracted to the magnet. The attraction force of the magnet is set to such an extent that the first suspension arm 46 in contact with the cushioning material 51B and the second suspension arm 48 in contact with the cushioning material 51C are not separated from the cushioning materials 51B and 51C by wind force.

[0076] The one-end stopper 52 is provided at one end 43A of the base member 43. The one-end stopper 52 has a bracket 52A fixed to the upper surface of the base member 43 and rising vertically upward, and a plate-shaped buffer material 52B attached to the bracket 52A, and a magnet (not shown) is disposed between the bracket 52A and the buffer material 52B. As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 13, when the first suspension arm 46 rotates to a position parallel to the base member 43, it abuts against the buffer material 52B, thereby restricting further rotation. The first suspension arm 46 abutting against the buffer material 52B is attracted to the magnet, and thus maintains its position abutting against the buffer material 52B without coming off due to wind force.

[0077] The other end stopper 53 is provided at the other end 43B of the base member 43. The other end stopper 53 has a bracket 53A fixed to the upper surface of the base member 43 and rising vertically upward, and a plate-shaped buffer material 53B attached to the bracket 53A, and a magnet (not shown) is disposed between the bracket 53A and the buffer material 53B. As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 13, when the second suspension arm 48 rotates to a position parallel to the base member 43, it abuts against the buffer material 53B, thereby restricting further rotation. The second suspension arm 48 abutting against the buffer material 53B is attracted to the magnet, and thus maintains its position abutting against the buffer material 53B without coming off due to wind force.

[0078] In this way, the range in which the first suspension arm 46 can rotate about the central axis C1 relative to the base member 43 is restricted to a range in which it abuts against the buffer material 51B of the central stopper 51 and the buffer material 52B of the one-end side stopper 52. Specifically, the range in which the first suspension arm 46 can rotate is limited to an angle β1 (e.g., 90°) about the central axis C1. On the other hand, the range in which the second suspension arm 48 can rotate about the central axis C2 relative to the base member 43 is restricted to a range in which it abuts against the buffer material 51C of the central stopper 51 and the buffer material 53B of the other-end side stopper 53. Specifically, the range in which the second suspension arm 48 can rotate is limited to an angle β2 (e.g., 90°) about the central axis C2. In this way, the range in which the base member 43 can rotate is restricted by the base stopper 45, and the range in which the first suspension arm 46 and the second suspension arm 48 can rotate is restricted by the arm stopper 50. This prevents the tip 46C of the first hanging arm 46 or the tip 48C of the second hanging arm 48 from inadvertently moving above the upper plate 3D of the dispenser housing 3, and prevents the ropes 36, 38 from coming into contact with the dispenser housing 3 and damaging both.

[0079] 14, when two vehicles 100, 102 are stopped on either side of the fuel gas filling device 41, the filling nozzle 6A suspended from the first suspension arm 46 via the rope 36 is connected to the connection port 101A of the fuel tank 101 mounted on the vehicle 100, and the filling nozzle 6B suspended from the second suspension arm 48 via the rope 38 is connected to the connection port 103A of the fuel tank 103 mounted on the other vehicle 102. This allows the two fuel tanks 101, 103 to be efficiently filled with hydrogen gas.

[0080] Here, when an operator carries filling nozzle 6A when filling fuel tank 101 of vehicle 100 with hydrogen gas, first suspension arm 46 rotates about central axis C1 to cause rope 36 to follow the movement of filling nozzle 6A. Similarly, when an operator carries filling nozzle 6B when filling fuel tank 103 of vehicle 102 with hydrogen gas, second suspension arm 48 rotates about central axis C2 to cause rope 38 to follow the movement of filling nozzle 6B. This makes it possible to prevent filling nozzles 6A and 6B suspended by ropes 36 and 38 from falling to the ground and being damaged, even if an operator accidentally drops filling nozzles 6A and 6B.

[0081] Moreover, the first suspension arm 46 and the second suspension arm 48 are each configured to be extendable and contractible in the length direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, by setting the first suspension arm 46 (the extension arm 46B) in the extended position shown by the two-dot chain line and setting the second suspension arm 48 (the extension arm 48B) in the extended position shown by the two-dot chain line, hydrogen gas can be safely filled into the fuel tanks 101, 103 using the filling nozzles 6A, 6B even when the vehicles 100, 102 are parked at a location away from the fuel gas filling device 41. As a result, the range in which the hydrogen gas filling operation can be performed using the filling nozzles 6A, 6B can be expanded. In other words, the restriction on the parking position of the vehicles 100, 102 relative to the fuel gas filling device 41 can be relaxed.

[0082] Next, as shown in FIG. 15, in the case where the fuel tank 105 of the vehicle 104 is provided with two connection ports 105A, 105B, the worker carries the filling nozzle 6A suspended from the first suspension arm 46 via the rope 36 to the vicinity of the fuel tank 105. At this time, the base member 43 rotates about the central axis B to a position where the protruding piece 43F and the abutment plate 45C of the base stopper 45 abut against each other. In addition, the first suspension arm 46 rotates toward the vehicle 104 about the central axis C1. This allows the filling nozzle 6A suspended from the first suspension arm 46 via the rope 36 to be connected to one of the connection ports 105A of the fuel tank 105. Next, the worker carries the filling nozzle 6B suspended from the second suspension arm 48 via the rope 38 to the vicinity of the fuel tank 105. At this time, the second suspension arm 48 rotates about the central axis C2 to a position where it abuts against the buffer material 51C of the central stopper 51. This allows the filling nozzle 6B suspended from the second suspension arm 48 via the rope 38 to be connected to the connection port 105B of the fuel tank 105. By operating the fuel gas filling device 41 in this state, hydrogen gas is filled into the fuel tank 105 from the filling nozzle 6A through the connection port 105A, and also filled into the fuel tank 105 from the filling nozzle 6B through the connection port 105B. As a result, hydrogen gas can be filled into the fuel tank 105 efficiently in a short time.

[0083] In this case, the base member 43 is rotatable about the central axis B relative to the dispenser housing 3, and the first hanging arm 46 and the second hanging arm 48 are rotatable about different central axes C1 and C2 relative to the base member 43. Therefore, even if the connection ports 105A and 105B of the fuel tank 105 are arranged close to each other, as in the above-mentioned operation of filling the fuel tank 105 with hydrogen gas, when attaching and detaching the filling nozzles 6A and 6B to the connection ports 105A and 105B, it is possible to prevent the first hanging arm 46, which suspends the filling nozzle 6A via the rope 36, and the second hanging arm 48, which suspends the filling nozzle 6B via the rope 38, from interfering with each other.

[0084] Thus, the fuel gas filling device 41 according to this embodiment includes a gas supply pipeline 4, filling nozzles 6A, 6B attached to filling hoses 5A, 5B connected to the gas supply pipeline 4, respectively, and a nozzle hanging device 42 provided on the upper part of the dispenser housing 3 and having a first hanging arm 46 and a second hanging arm 48 which hang the filling nozzles 6A, 6B via ropes 36, 38, respectively, while rotating relative to the dispenser housing 3, and a base member 43 which rotates along the upper surface of the overhanging portion 21A of the storage facility 21 is provided on the upper part of the dispenser housing 3, and the first hanging arm 46 and the second hanging arm 48 are each rotatably attached to the base member 43 about different central axes C1 and C2.

[0085] According to this configuration, when filling hydrogen gas into a fuel tank 105 having two connection ports 105A, 105B provided at close positions using two filling nozzles 6A, 6B, it is possible to prevent interference between the first hanging arm 46 that suspends the filling nozzle 6A and the second hanging arm 48 that suspends the filling nozzle 6B. Moreover, the first hanging arm 46 and the second hanging arm 48 are arranged in parallel on the upper surface side of the base member 43, and rotate in the same plane relative to the base member 43 around the central axis C1 and the central axis C2. Therefore, the protruding length of the first hanging arm 46 and the second hanging arm 48 from the overhanging portion 21A of the storage 21 can be reduced, and the height dimension of the entire fuel gas filling device 41 can be reduced.

[0086] In the embodiment, the first suspension arm 46 and the second suspension arm 48 of the nozzle suspension device 42 are configured to be extendable in the length direction. With this configuration, by extending the first suspension arm 46 and the second suspension arm 48, for example, even if multiple vehicles are parked in a location away from the fuel gas filling device 41, hydrogen gas can be safely filled into the fuel tanks mounted on these multiple vehicles using the filling nozzles 6A, 6B. As a result, the range in which hydrogen gas filling work can be performed using the filling nozzles 6A, 6B can be expanded.

[0087] In the embodiment, the dispenser housing 3 is provided with a base stopper 45 that restricts the range in which the base member 43 can rotate relative to the dispenser housing 3, and the base member 43 is provided with an arm stopper 50 that restricts the range in which the first suspension arm 46 and the second suspension arm 48 can rotate. This configuration prohibits the tip 46C of the first suspension arm 46 or the tip 48C of the second suspension arm 48 from accidentally moving above the top plate 3D of the dispenser housing 3, and prevents the ropes 36, 38 from coming into contact with the dispenser housing 3 and damaging both of them.

[0088] In the first embodiment, the lower suspension arm 31 and the upper suspension arm 35 are each set to a fixed length. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the arm may be configured to be extendable and contractible in the length direction, for example, like the first suspension arm 46 in the second embodiment. In this case, it is desirable to always keep the length of the upper suspension arm 35 greater than the length of the lower suspension arm 31.

[0089] In the first embodiment, the case where the lower suspension arm 31 and the upper suspension arm 35 are provided is exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured to include, for example, three or more suspension arms. The same applies to the second embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1,41 Fuel gas filling device 3 Dispenser housing 4 Gas supply pipeline 5A,5B Filling hose 6A,6B Filling nozzle 20 Gas Accumulator 27,42 Nozzle hanging device 31 Lower hanging arm (hanging arm) 35 Upper hanging arm (hanging arm) 36,38 Rope (rigging) 40,50 Arm stopper (arm rotation restriction member) 43 Base material 45 Base stopper (base rotation restriction member) 46 First hanging arm (hanging arm) 48 Second Hanging Arm (Hanging Arm)

Claims

1. one or more gas supply lines provided in the dispenser housing and through which the fuel gas stored in the gas accumulator is supplied; a plurality of filling nozzles attached to a plurality of filling hoses connected to the one or more gas supply lines, respectively, and connected to a fuel tank; a nozzle hanging device provided on an upper portion of the dispenser housing and having a plurality of hanging arms that rotate relative to the dispenser housing and hang the plurality of filling nozzles via riggings, A fuel gas filling device, wherein the plurality of hanging arms of the nozzle hanging device are configured to rotate individually about the same central axis while overlapping each other in the vertical direction.

2. 2. The fuel gas filling device according to claim 1, wherein the length of the upper hanging arms among the plurality of hanging arms in the vertical direction is set to be greater than that of the lower hanging arms in the vertical direction.

3. 3. The fuel gas filling device according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser housing is provided with an arm rotation restricting member that restricts a range within which the suspension arms can rotate relative to the dispenser housing.

4. one or more gas supply lines provided in the dispenser housing and through which the fuel gas stored in the gas accumulator is supplied; a plurality of filling nozzles attached to a plurality of filling hoses connected to the one or more gas supply lines, respectively, and connected to a fuel tank; a nozzle hanging device provided on an upper portion of the dispenser housing and having a plurality of hanging arms that rotate relative to the dispenser housing and hang the plurality of filling nozzles via riggings, A base member that rotates along an upper surface of the dispenser housing is provided on an upper portion of the dispenser housing, The fuel gas filling device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of suspension arms are attached to the base member so as to be rotatable about different central axes.

5. 5. The fuel gas filling device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of hanging arms of the nozzle hanging device are configured to be extendable and contractible in a length direction.

6. a base rotation restricting member that restricts a range within which the base member can rotate relative to the dispenser housing; 6. The fuel gas filling device according to claim 4, wherein the base member is provided with an arm rotation restricting member that restricts a range within which the plurality of hanging arms can rotate.

Images