Liquid supply nozzle

Abstract

To provide a liquid supply nozzle capable of inhibiting a valve of an opening / closing mechanism from moving to a position where an air inflow passage is blocked, due to a liquid flowing in from an opening of the air inflow passage.SOLUTION: An opening 35 to be a liquid surface detection hole is provided on a tip side of a discharge pipe 23 of an oil supply nozzle 21. When a tip of the discharge pipe 23 points downward, a closing ball 41 is displaced from a position where a connection passage 39A of a joint member 39 is blocked to a position where the connection passage is opened, causing an air introduction pipe line opening / closing mechanism 37 of the oil supply nozzle 21 to switch blocking / opening of the connection passage 39A according to a vertical direction of the discharge pipe 23. A shielding part 51B (partition member) protruding from a bottom face side towards the inside of the connection passage 39A, and shielding the liquid from the opening 35, is provided in a portion of an internal face of the connection passage 39A that is more on the opening 35 side than the closing ball 41 displaced to the position where the inside of the connection passage 39A is opened and that serves as the bottom face side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid supply nozzle for supplying a liquid (liquid fuel) to, for example, a tank (fuel tank) of a vehicle (automobile).

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a fuel supply device including a fuel supply nozzle. The fuel supply nozzle has a discharge pipe, and the discharge pipe is inserted into a fuel supply destination (supply destination) of a liquid fuel such as gasoline, light oil, kerosene, etc., that is, a fuel supply port (liquid supply port) of a fuel supply object (supply object) such as a fuel tank or a poly tank. When a valve (main valve) provided in the internal flow path of the fuel supply nozzle opens and the liquid fuel (liquid) flowing in the flow path is discharged from the discharge pipe, fuel (liquid) is supplied to the fuel supply object (supply object).

[0003] The fuel supply nozzle of Patent Document 1 includes a fuel supply automatic stop mechanism (automatic closing mechanism) and an air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism (opening / closing mechanism). The fuel supply automatic stop mechanism closes the fuel (liquid) flow path when the liquid level detection hole (opening) of the air introduction pipe (air inflow path) provided at the tip side of the discharge pipe is blocked by fuel (liquid) and the inflow of air into this air introduction pipe is blocked. The air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism switches between closing and opening of the air introduction pipe according to the vertical direction of the discharge pipe by displacing a closing ball (valve) from a position where the air introduction pipe is closed to a position where it is opened when the discharge pipe is downward.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, when liquid is being discharged from the discharge pipe of the liquid supply nozzle (fuel supply nozzle), there is a possibility that the liquid (oil droplets) that bounces back against the inner wall of the liquid supply port (fuel supply port) flows into the air inflow passage (air introduction pipe line) through the opening (liquid level detection hole) provided on the tip side of the discharge pipe and moves the valve (shut-off ball) of the opening and closing mechanism (air introduction pipe line opening and closing mechanism). At this time, if the valve of the opening and closing mechanism moves to a position where it blocks the air inflow passage and this valve blocks the air inflow passage, the inflow of air into the air inflow passage is blocked, and there is a possibility that the automatic closing mechanism will operate. As a result, even before the liquid (liquid level) in the body to be supplied reaches the opening of the discharge pipe, that is, even though there is room to supply liquid to the body to be supplied, the supply of liquid may stop.

[0006] One object of the present invention is to provide a liquid supply nozzle capable of suppressing the valve of the opening and closing mechanism from moving to a position where it blocks the air inflow passage due to the liquid flowing in from the opening of the air inflow passage.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] The present invention is preferably a liquid supply nozzle that supplies liquid through a discharge pipe inserted into a liquid supply port, and includes a main valve provided in a liquid flow path through which the liquid flows, a negative pressure generating unit that generates negative pressure based on the flow of the liquid due to the opening of the main valve, an opening provided on the tip side of the discharge pipe that communicates with the negative pressure generating unit, and an air inflow passage through which air flows into the opening due to the negative pressure generated in the negative pressure generating unit, an automatic closing mechanism that closes the liquid flow path when the inflow of air into the air inflow passage is blocked, an opening and closing mechanism provided in the air inflow passage that switches between blocking and opening the air inflow passage according to the vertical direction of the discharge pipe by displacing the valve from a position where it blocks the air inflow passage to an open position when the tip of the discharge pipe faces downward, and a partition member that limits the amount of movement of the valve in the direction of opening the air inflow passage and partitions the opening and the valve in the air inflow passage.

Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the liquid flowing in from the opening of the air inflow passage from moving the valve of the opening / closing mechanism to a position where the air inflow passage is blocked.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, as a liquid supply nozzle according to an embodiment and a modification, a fuel supply nozzle of a fuel supply device provided at a fuel supply station (gasoline station, service station) that supplies fuel to a vehicle such as an automobile will be taken as an example and described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] FIGS. 1 to 11 show the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, a fuel supply station 1 serving as a fuel supply source includes a meter 2 that supplies (refuels) fuel to a vehicle (not shown). At the fuel supply station 1, fuel such as regular gasoline, premium gasoline, and light oil can be refueled (supplied) to the vehicle using the meter 2. The meter 2, which is a fuel supply device (fueling device), is installed in the fueling lane (fueling booth) of the fuel supply station 1. In FIGS. 1 and 2, in order to avoid complicating the drawing, only one of the plurality of meters 2 installed at the fuel supply station 1 is shown.

[0012] The ground-mounted meter 2 has a housing 3 having a substantially rectangular shape. On the front side of the housing 3, a monitor device 17, a setting device 18, etc. are provided. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the meter 2 includes a liquid supply pipeline 6, a supply pump 12 (hereinafter referred to as a fueling pump 12), a flow meter 13, a liquid supply hose 8 (hereinafter referred to as a fueling hose 8), and a liquid supply nozzle 21 (hereinafter referred to as a fueling nozzle 21). As shown in FIG. 2, inside the housing 3 of the meter 2, a liquid supply pipeline 6, a fueling pump 12, a flow meter 13, a pump motor 14, a control valve 16, a fueling control device 19 (hereinafter referred to as a control device 19), etc. are provided.

[0013] On one hand, underground at a gas station, for example, storage tanks 4 (hereinafter referred to as underground tanks 4) for storing fuels such as regular gasoline, premium gasoline, and light oil are buried. The underground tanks 4 are provided separately or fractionally in a plurality, and fuels with different liquid types (for example, regular gasoline, premium gasoline, light oil) are stored in each tank. The liquid level 5 in the underground tank 4 is detected using, for example, a dedicated liquid level detector (not shown), and thereby, the remaining liquid amount in the underground tank 4 is monitored.

[0014] In addition, in FIG. 2, the internal structure of the fuel dispenser 2 (that is, the piping structure such as the liquid supply pipeline 6, the fuel pump 12, the flow meter 13, the control valve 16, etc.) is shown in a simplified manner. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality (for example, three) of fuel hoses 8 are provided in the housing 3 for each liquid type, but in FIG. 2, one fuel hose 8 is shown, and other fuel hoses and the like are omitted for the sake of simplifying the explanation. The same applies to the underground tank 4.

[0015] The liquid supply pipeline 6 connects between the underground tank 4 and the fuel hose 8. That is, one end (lower end) side of the liquid supply pipeline 6 extends downward from inside the housing 3. One end side of the liquid supply pipeline 6 becomes a suction pipe 6A and is connected to the underground tank 4. On the other hand, the other end (tip) side of the liquid supply pipeline 6 is connected to a flexible fuel hose 8 via, for example, a joint 7. The liquid supply pipeline 6, together with the fuel hose 8, constitutes a fuel supply path.

[0016] At the tip side of the fuel hose 8, a fueling nozzle 21 for supplying a liquid (liquid fuel) to a supply object (liquid supply object, fuel supply object) such as a fuel tank of a vehicle is provided. The fueling nozzle 21 is hooked on the nozzle hanger 10 during the standby of the fueling operation. For example, a fueler (including a self-service fueler) who performs fueling removes the fueling nozzle 21 from the nozzle hanger 10 and performs fueling to the fuel tank of the vehicle in this state.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, the fuel nozzle 21 includes a nozzle body 22, a discharge pipe 23 serving as a nozzle tip portion, and a nozzle lever 24 manually operated by an operator. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a main valve 26 whose opening degree is adjusted by operating the nozzle lever 24 is provided in the nozzle body 22. A vehicle is provided with a fuel inlet 61 (fuel filling port, supply port) for supplying (refilling) fuel to a fuel tank. The fuel nozzle 21 can start fuel supply by operating the nozzle lever 24 with the discharge pipe 23 inserted into the fuel inlet 61. The configuration of the fuel nozzle 21 will be described in detail later.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a nozzle hook 10 as a nozzle storage portion is provided on the housing 3 of the meter 2. The fuel nozzle 21 is detachably hooked on the nozzle hook 10. That is, the fuel nozzle 21 is normally stored in the nozzle hook 10. When the vehicle arrives at the gas station 1, the fuel nozzle 21 is removed from the nozzle hook 10 by an operator and inserted into the fuel inlet of the vehicle's fuel tank. A nozzle switch 11 is attached to the nozzle hook 10. The nozzle switch 11 is connected to the control device 19.

[0019] The nozzle switch 11 detects whether or not the fuel nozzle 21 is hooked on the nozzle hook 10 and outputs the detection signal to the control device 19. While the fuel nozzle 21 is hooked on the nozzle hook 10, for example, an ON signal (energization) is output from the nozzle switch 11 to the control device 19. While the fuel nozzle 21 is removed from the nozzle hook 10, an OFF signal (non-energization) is output from the nozzle switch 11 to the control device 19. Note that the nozzle switch 11 may output an ON signal (energization) while the fuel nozzle 21 is removed from the nozzle hook 10 and output an OFF signal (non-energization) while the fuel nozzle 21 is hooked on the nozzle hook 10.

[0020] In the middle of the liquid supply pipe 6, an oil supply pump 12, a flow meter 13, and a control valve 16 are arranged inside the housing 3. The liquid fuel (e.g., regular gasoline) in the underground tank 4 sucked up from the suction pipe 6A by the oil supply pump 12 has its flow rate measured by the flow meter 13 when flowing through the liquid supply pipe 6. The oil supply pump 12 is rotationally driven by a pump motor 14 to supply the fuel in the underground tank 4 to the fueling nozzle 21 side. In this case, the rotation of the pump motor 14 is transmitted to the rotating shaft of the oil supply pump 12 via a belt 15 wound between the drive pulley 14A of the pump motor 14 and the driven pulley 12A of the oil supply pump 12.

[0021] The flow meter 13 is a flow rate detection device that individually measures the fuel supply amount of the liquid fuel supplied to the fueling nozzle 21 by the oil supply pump 12 for each fueling nozzle 21. For example, a flow rate pulse transmitter 13A is attached to the flow meter 13. The flow rate pulse transmitter 13A is connected to the control device 19. The flow rate pulse transmitter 13A outputs a flow rate pulse signal corresponding to the flow rate of the liquid fuel flowing through the liquid supply pipe 6 to the control device 19.

[0022] The control valve 16 is composed of an electromagnetic flow control valve whose valve opening degree is variably controlled. The control valve 16 adjusts the flow rate of the liquid fuel supplied from the liquid supply pipe 6 to the fueling nozzle 21 via the fueling hose 8. The control valve 16 is connected to the control device 19. The control valve 16 has its valve opening degree variably controlled, for example, by variably controlling the drive current supplied to the control valve 16 according to the frequency and duty ratio of the control signal output from the control device 19. Regarding the opening and closing of the control valve 16, an ON / OFF control (fully open / fully closed control of the valve opening degree) using pulse width modulation may be used to continuously control the flow rate of the liquid fuel.

[0023] On the front side of the housing 3, there are provided a monitor device 17 as a display means (display) for displaying the fuel supply amount, amount of money, etc. by the fuel dispenser 2, and a setting device 18 as a setting means (input unit) for performing settings related to the fuel supply amount, etc. by manual operation of the fueler. The monitor device 17 is configured to include, for example, a liquid crystal monitor and a speaker (acoustic output device). On the liquid crystal monitor (display screen) of the monitor device 17, the fuel supply amount, etc. are displayed. Also, from the speaker of the monitor device 17, voice information, warning sounds, etc. are output as required. The monitor device 17 constitutes a notification means for notifying (displaying, voice output) necessary information to the fueler.

[0024] Also, on the display screen of the monitor device 17, for example, the set items selected by the setting device 18 are displayed. The fueler can perform operations such as selecting full-tank fueling and setting an arbitrary preset fuel supply amount by operating each switch of the setting device 18. In FIGS. 1 and 2, a configuration in which the monitor device 17 and the setting device 18 are provided separately is shown. However, for example, by configuring the monitor device 17 with a touch panel, the monitor device 17 and the setting device 18 may be integrally configured.

[0025] Inside the housing 3 of the fuel dispenser 2, a control device 19 is provided as a control means for performing control related to fuel supply based on the fuel supply amount set by the setting device 18. The control device 19 causes the fuel supply amount measured by the flow meter 13 during fuel supply by the fuel nozzle 21 to be displayed on the monitor device 17. As shown in FIG. 2, the input side of the control device 19 is connected to the nozzle switch 11 of the nozzle holder 10, the flow pulse transmitter 13A of the flow meter 13, the setting device 18, etc. The output side of the control device 19 is connected to the pump motor 14 for driving the fuel pump 12, the control valve 16, the monitor device 17, etc.

[0026] When the fueling nozzle 21 is removed from the nozzle hanger 10 and an OFF signal from the nozzle switch 11 is input, the control device 19 activates the pump motor 14. As a result, the fuel pump 12 sucks the fuel in the underground tank 4 from the liquid supply pipeline 6. Also, the control device 19 controls the control valve 16 by outputting a drive signal of a predetermined frequency to the control valve 16. In this case, the control device 19 controls the control valve 16 so as to maintain a predetermined valve opening degree by changing the duty ratio of the drive signal.

[0027] In this state, when the nozzle lever 24 of the fueling nozzle 21 is operated, fueling to the fuel tank of the vehicle is started. At this time, a flow pulse is output from the flow pulse transmitter 13A of the flow meter 13 to the control device 19. The control device 19 integrates the flow pulses output from the flow pulse transmitter 13A and displays the fueling amount on the display screen of the monitor device 17. Also, the control device 19 stops the fueling when the set fueling amount set by the setting device 18, such as preset fueling control, is reached.

[0028] The control device 19 controls various devices such as the pump motor 14, the control valve 16, and the monitor device 17 of the fuel dispenser 2. For this purpose, the control device 19 is configured to include, for example, a microcomputer, a power supply circuit, a drive circuit, and the like. The microcomputer of the control device 19 has a memory composed of a ROM, a RAM, and / or a non-volatile memory, etc., in addition to an arithmetic processing unit called a CPU. The memory stores (stores) a processing program for controlling fueling such as preset fueling control.

[0029] Next, the fueling nozzle 21 will be described.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fuel supply nozzle 21 is connected to the tip of the fuel supply hose 8. As shown in FIG. 3, the fuel supply nozzle 21 includes a nozzle body 22, a discharge pipe 23, and a nozzle lever 24. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the nozzle body 22 has a fuel supply passage 25 as a liquid flow passage through which fuel flows, a main valve 26 provided in the fuel supply passage 25 and opening based on the operation of the nozzle lever 24, and a negative pressure generating portion 29 that generates a negative pressure when fuel flows through it.

[0031] The main valve 26 is displaced in a direction away from the main valve seat 28 by the movement of the valve shaft 27 (movement in the right direction in FIG. 5) based on the operation of the nozzle lever 24, thereby opening the valve. The discharge pipe 23 as the nozzle tip is inserted into the fuel inlet 61 of the fuel recipient (for example, the fuel tank of a vehicle) when fuel is supplied. As shown in FIG. 4, an opening 35 serving as a detection hole (liquid level detection hole) is provided on the tip side of the discharge pipe 23. The nozzle lever 24 is manually operated by the fuel supplier when fuel is supplied.

[0032] The negative pressure generating portion 29 is provided in the fuel supply passage 25. The negative pressure generating portion 29 is composed of an ejector valve that generates a negative pressure by the flow of liquid (fuel). That is, the negative pressure generating portion 29 has a valve seat member 30 having a tapered valve seat 30A, a valve body 31 that closes the valve seat member 30 from the discharge side, a spring 32A that biases the valve body 31 in the closing direction, and a guide member 32 that guides the moving direction of the valve body 31 in the opening and closing direction.

[0033] When the main valve 26 opens based on the operation of the nozzle lever 24 and the supply of liquid (fuel) is started, the valve body 31 of the negative pressure generating portion 29 operates to open by the discharge pressure of the liquid (fuel). As a result, the liquid (fuel) passes between the valve seat 30A of the valve seat member 30 and the tapered portion 31A of the valve body 31 and is sent to the discharge pipe 23. At this time, a negative pressure is generated by the flow rate of the liquid (fuel) passing between the valve seat 30A of the valve seat member 30 and the tapered portion 31A of the valve body 31. The valve seat member 30 has a passage 30B that communicates the inner peripheral side valve seat 30A and the outer peripheral side annular passage 33.

[0034] In addition, the fuel supply nozzle 21 is provided with a detection unit 34 (liquid level detection unit) for detecting whether or not the liquid level of the liquid (fuel) of the fuel recipient has reached the tip of the discharge pipe 23. The detection unit 34 includes an opening 35 provided on the outer periphery of the tip of the discharge pipe 23, an air introduction pipeline 36 communicated with the opening 35, an air introduction pipeline opening and closing mechanism 37 as an opening and closing mechanism communicated with the air introduction pipeline 36, and a communication path 38 having one end communicated with the air introduction pipeline 36 via the air introduction pipeline opening and closing mechanism 37 and the other end penetrating through the inside of the guide member 32 and communicated with the annular passage 33.

[0035] When negative pressure is generated in the negative pressure generation unit 29, the air from the opening 35 is sucked inside the valve seat 30A of the valve seat member 30 through the air introduction pipeline 36, the air introduction pipeline opening and closing mechanism 37, the communication path 38, the annular passage 33, and the passage 30B of the valve seat member 30. The air introduction pipeline opening and closing mechanism 37 includes a cylindrical joint member 39 connected to the guide member 32, a valve seat 40 provided inside the joint member 39, and a closing ball 41 serving as a valve made of a metal ball that moves to a position closing the valve seat 40 when the fuel supply nozzle 21 is in an upward state (for example, a state of being hooked on the nozzle hanger 10).

[0036] The joint member 39 is provided between the guide member 32 and the air introduction pipeline 36, and its inside serves as a connection path 39A connecting the air introduction pipeline 36 and the communication path 38 of the guide member 32. The closing ball 41 rolls to a lower position by gravity. For this reason, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, when the fuel supply nozzle 21 is made substantially horizontal so that the tip of the discharge pipe 23 extends downward in order to insert the discharge pipe 23 into the fuel filler opening 61 of the vehicle's fuel tank, the closing ball 41 separates from the valve seat 40 and opens the air introduction pipeline 36. On the contrary, when the discharge pipe 23 is withdrawn from the fuel filler opening 61 of the vehicle's fuel tank and the fuel supply nozzle 21 is turned upward so that the tip of the discharge pipe 23 extends upward, for example, when it is turned upward by about 15° to 35° with respect to the horizontal, as shown in FIG. 7, the closing ball 41 closes the valve seat 40 and shuts off the air introduction pipeline 36.

[0037] Also, although illustration is omitted, an annular passage 33 on the outer peripheral side of the guide member 32 communicates with a fuel supply automatic stop mechanism (not shown) that detects that the liquid level of the fuel tank has risen to the opening 35 of the discharge pipe 23 and stops fuel supply. For this reason, when the opening 35 of the discharge pipe 23 is blocked by the liquid (fuel) supplied to the fuel tank, the air supply to the negative pressure generating portion 29 is stopped, and the negative pressure generated in the negative pressure generating portion 29 is introduced into the fuel supply automatic stop mechanism via the annular passage 33. The fuel supply automatic stop mechanism has, for example, a diaphragm, and the diaphragm is displaced by the negative pressure. The fuel supply automatic stop mechanism closes the main valve 26 by releasing the connection (engagement) between the nozzle lever 24 (more specifically, the valve shaft rod that is displaced as the nozzle lever 24 is operated) and the main valve 26 based on the displacement of the diaphragm. Thereby, the fuel supply to the fuel tank can be stopped.

[0038] As described above, the fuel supply nozzle 21 is provided with an air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 that switches between opening and closing of the air introduction pipe 36 according to the vertical orientation of the fuel supply nozzle 21. For this reason, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, when the fuel supply nozzle 21 is made substantially horizontal, the closing ball 41 separates from the valve seat 40 and opens the air introduction pipe 36. That is, the closing ball 41 moves in a direction to open the air introduction pipe 36. Thereby, when the discharge pipe 23 is inserted into the fuel filler neck 61 of the vehicle's fuel tank, the fuel supply automatic stop mechanism does not operate, and fuel can be supplied to the vehicle's fuel tank. On the other hand, when the fuel supply nozzle 21 is directed upward (for example, directed upward by about 15° to 35° with respect to the horizontal), as shown in FIG. 7, the closing ball 41 seats on the valve seat 40, and the air introduction pipe 36 is blocked. Thereby, the fuel supply automatic stop mechanism operates, and the fuel supply is automatically stopped. Note that since the basic configuration of the fuel supply nozzle 21 is described in detail, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-103500 and the like, further description thereof is omitted.

[0039] Incidentally, the air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 is a mechanism for automatically stopping fuel supply to prevent liquid (fuel) from flowing out of the discharge pipe 23 when the nozzle lever 24 is operated with the tip of the fuel supply nozzle 21 facing upward. That is, the air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 is provided in the middle of an automatic fuel supply stop mechanism that detects an increase in the liquid level based on the negative pressure generated by the negative pressure generating section 29 during fuel supply and automatically stops fuel supply. When the fuel supply nozzle 21 faces upward, the internal closing ball 41 moves to close the negative pressure path, making it a posture detection mechanism (posture detection mechanism) for automatically stopping fuel supply.

[0040] However, depending on the shape of the fuel filler opening 61, for example, the air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 may malfunction during fuel supply. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, during fuel supply, due to the splashing back of the liquid (oil droplets) in the fuel filler opening 61, this liquid (oil droplets) may flow into the air introduction pipe 36 from the opening 35 of the discharge pipe 23. Then, the flowing-in liquid (oil droplets) may push up the closing ball 41 of the air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37, potentially causing the fuel supply to stop (false stop).

[0041] Arrow F1 in FIG. 4 corresponds to the liquid (fuel) discharged from the discharge pipe 23 of the fuel supply nozzle 21. Arrow F2 in FIG. 4 corresponds to the liquid (oil droplets) that bounce back after hitting the inner wall of the fuel filler opening 61 of the fuel tank. Arrow F3 in FIG. 4 corresponds to the liquid (oil droplets) that flow into the air introduction pipe 36 from the opening 35 of the discharge pipe 23. As shown in FIG. 4, when the liquid (fuel) is discharged from the discharge pipe 23 of the fuel supply nozzle 21, the liquid (oil droplets) that bounce back after hitting the inner wall of the fuel filler opening 61 may flow into the air introduction pipe 36 through the opening 35 of the discharge pipe 23.

[0042] And in this case, the liquid (oil droplets) flowing into the air introduction pipeline 36 may reach the air introduction pipeline opening / closing mechanism 37 and push up the closing ball 41 of the air introduction pipeline opening / closing mechanism 37. At this time, if the closing ball 41 moves to the position where it blocks the air introduction pipeline 36, that is, the position of the valve seat 40, the inflow of air into the air introduction pipeline 36 will be blocked, and there is a possibility that the automatic fuel supply stop mechanism (automatic closing mechanism) will operate. As a result, before the opening 35 of the discharge pipe 23 is blocked by the liquid (liquid level) in the fuel tank, that is, in a state where there is still room to supply liquid into the fuel tank, the fuel supply may stop.

[0043] Therefore, in the first embodiment, in the vicinity of the closing ball 41 of the air introduction pipeline opening / closing mechanism 37 (more specifically, on the opening 35 side with respect to the closing ball 41), a shielding portion 51B is provided to prevent the liquid (oil droplets) flowing into the air introduction pipeline 36 from flowing toward the closing ball 41 side. Thereby, while allowing air to flow through so as to exceed the top of the shielding portion 51B, the liquid (oil droplets) flowing toward the closing ball 41 side can be blocked by the shielding portion 51B. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the closing ball 41 being pushed by the liquid (oil droplets) flowing toward the closing ball 41 side, thereby blocking the air introduction pipeline 36, that is, suppressing the malfunction of the air introduction pipeline opening / closing mechanism 37. Further, the shielding portion 51B is provided with a discharge port 51D. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the liquid from staying (stagnating) on the closing ball 41 side by the discharge port 51D. Hereinafter, these points will be described in detail.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4, the fuel supply nozzle 21 as a liquid supply nozzle supplies a liquid (for example, liquid fuel such as gasoline, light oil, kerosene, etc.) to a container (liquid recipient) such as a fuel tank or a poly tank of a vehicle through a discharge pipe 23 inserted into a fuel supply port 61. The fuel supply port 61 corresponds to a liquid supply port (supply port) provided in the container (recipient). The fuel supply nozzle 21 includes a main valve 26, a negative pressure generating portion 29, an air introduction pipe line 36 as an air inflow path, a connection path 39A of a joint member 39, a communication path 38 of a guide member 32, an annular passage 33, and a passage 30B of a valve seat member 30, a fuel supply automatic stop mechanism (not shown) as an automatic closing mechanism (automatic valve closing mechanism), and an air introduction pipe line opening and closing mechanism 37 as an opening and closing mechanism.

[0045] The main valve 26 is provided in an oil supply path 25 as a liquid flow path through which a liquid (fuel) flows. The negative pressure generating portion 29 generates a negative pressure based on the flow of the liquid due to the opening of the main valve 26. The negative pressure generating portion 29 generates a negative pressure by the flow velocity of the liquid (fuel) passing between the valve seat 30A of the valve seat member 30 and the tapered portion 31A of the valve body 31. The air introduction pipe line 36 communicates an opening 35 provided at the tip side of the discharge pipe 23 with the negative pressure generating portion 29. More specifically, the space between the opening 35 and the negative pressure generating portion 29 is communicated by the air introduction pipe line 36, the connection path 39A of the joint member 39, the communication path 38 of the guide member 32, the annular passage 33, and the passage 30B.

[0046] Air flows into the opening 35 due to the negative pressure generated in the negative pressure generating portion 29 in the air introduction pipe line 36. The air flowing in from the opening 35 is sucked into the liquid (fuel) passing between the valve seat 30A of the valve seat member 30 and the tapered portion 31A of the valve body 31 through the air introduction pipe line 36, the connection path 39A of the joint member 39, the communication path 38 of the guide member 32, the annular passage 33, and the passage 30B. The fuel supply automatic stop mechanism closes the oil supply path 25 when the inflow of air into the air introduction pipe line 36 is blocked.

[0047] The automatic fuel supply stop mechanism is connected to, for example, the annular passage 33 and has a diaphragm that is displaced by negative pressure. The automatic fuel supply stop mechanism closes the main valve 26 and blocks the fuel supply passage 25 by releasing the connection (engagement) between the nozzle lever 24 (more specifically, the valve shaft rod that is displaced as the nozzle lever 24 is operated) and the main valve 26 based on the displacement of the diaphragm. Note that the automatic fuel supply stop mechanism may be configured to block the fuel supply passage 25 by, for example, detecting the displacement of the diaphragm with a sensor and closing an electromagnetic valve provided in a fuel supply path (liquid flow path) including the fuel supply passage 25, the liquid supply pipe 6, and the fuel supply hose 8. That is, the automatic fuel supply stop mechanism can use various mechanisms that block the liquid flow path when the inflow of air into the air introduction pipe 36 is blocked.

[0048] The air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 is provided in the air inflow path, more specifically, in the connection path 39A of the joint member 39. The air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 has a closing ball 41 as a valve. The air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 displaces the closing ball 41 from a position (see FIG. 7) where the connection path 39A of the joint member 39 is blocked to an open position (see FIG. 6) when the tip of the discharge pipe 23 faces downward. That is, the closing ball 41 moves in a direction to open from the position where the connection path 39A of the joint member 39 is blocked. Thereby, the air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 can switch between blocking and opening the air introduction pipe 36 (more specifically, the connection path 39A) according to the vertical direction of the discharge pipe 23. For example, when the fuel supply nozzle 21 is upward (for example, vertical), the closing ball 41 of the air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 seats on the valve seat 40 and blocks the connection path 39A of the joint member 39. When the fuel supply nozzle 21 is lowered from this state until it is oriented about 15° to 35° upward with respect to the horizontal, the closing ball 41 of the air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 separates from the valve seat 40 and opens the connection path 39A of the joint member 39.

[0049] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a shielding portion 51B for shielding the liquid (oil droplets) from the opening 35 is provided in the connection path 39A of the joint member 39. The shielding portion 51B is constituted by the bottom portion of the bottomed cylindrical member 51. That is, the air introduction pipe 36 is fitted inside the joint member 39 together with the bottomed cylindrical member 51 in a state of being fitted inside the bottomed cylindrical member 51. The bottomed cylindrical member 51 includes a cylindrical portion 51A and a shielding portion 51B serving as the bottom. The upstream end of the air introduction pipe 36 is fitted inside the cylindrical portion 51A having a cylindrical shape. One end side of the cylindrical portion 51A, that is, the side opposite to the opening into which the air introduction pipe 36 is inserted, serves as the shielding portion 51B for covering (guarding) the closing ball 41.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 10, the shielding portion 51B is constituted by a portion of the bottom of the bottomed cylindrical member 51 other than the air passage 51C provided penetrating the bottom. The cross-sectional area of the shielding portion 51B (the area of the cross-section cut in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction) is larger than the cross-sectional area of the air passage 51C (the area of the cross-section cut in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction). That is, the shielding portion 51B is larger than a semi-circle of the bottom of the bottomed cylindrical member 51, and the air passage 51C is smaller than a semi-circle of the bottom of the bottomed cylindrical member 51.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 6, the bottomed cylindrical member 51 is provided between the air introduction pipe 36 and the joint member 39 such that the shielding portion 51B is located between the upstream end of the air introduction pipe 36 and the valve seat 40 of the joint member 39. In this case, the shielding portion 51B is provided on the opening 35 side with respect to the closing ball 41 in the connection path 39A of the joint member 39 in the air flow direction (axial direction of the bottomed cylindrical member 51). Further, the shielding portion 51B protrudes (extends / bulges) from the bottom surface side (lower side) to the inside of the connection path 39A (the inner wall of the connection path 39A facing the bottom surface side) at a portion of the inner surface of the connection path 39A that becomes the bottom surface side when the closing ball 41 is displaced to open inside the connection path 39A.

[0052] That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fuel supply nozzle 21 is made horizontal, and the closing ball 41 is displaced to a position where the inside of the connection path 39A is opened as shown in FIG. 6. At this time, the shielding portion 51B is provided on the opening 35 side (the left side in FIG. 6) of the inner surface of the connection path 39A with respect to the closing ball 41. Further, the shielding portion 51B is provided on the bottom surface side which is the lower side in FIG. 6 of the inner surface of the connection path 39A. And the shielding portion 51B protrudes from this bottom surface side toward the upper side in FIG. 6. Thereby, the shielding portion 51B entirely covers the closing ball 41 when viewed from the left side (the upstream side in the air flow direction) in FIG. 6. Also, between the protruding end 51B1 which is the upper end (upper surface) of the shielding portion 51B and the cylindrical portion 51A, an air passage 51C is formed. For this reason, the air in the air introduction pipe 36 flows between the protruding end 51B1 of the shielding portion 51B and the inner surface of the connection path 39A facing the protruding end 51B1.

[0053] Further, the shielding portion 51B is provided with a discharge port 51D for discharging the liquid to the opening 35 side at a position where the height is lower than the center of the closing ball 41 when the closing ball 41 is displaced to a position where the inside of the connection path 39A is opened. That is, the shielding portion 51B is provided with a discharge port 51D penetrating the shielding portion 51B in the axial direction. The discharge port 51D discharges the liquid that has entered the side of the closing ball 41 rather than the shielding portion 51B to the opening 35 side. As shown in FIG. 6, when the height position of the center of the closing ball 41 when the closing ball 41 is displaced to a position where the inside of the connection path 39A is opened is defined as "A", the discharge port 51D is provided at a position lower than the height position A of the center of the closing ball 41.

[0054] Further, the height of the protruding end 51B1 of the shielding portion 51B is higher than the height of the highest portion of the closing ball 41 when the closing ball 41 is displaced to the position where it opens inside the connection path 39A. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the height position of the highest portion of the closing ball 41 when the closing ball 41 is displaced to the position where it opens inside the connection path 39A is defined as "B", and the height position of the protruding end 51B1 of the shielding portion 51B is defined as "C". In this case, the height position C of the protruding end 51B1 of the shielding portion 51B is higher than the height position B of the highest portion of the closing ball 41. Thereby, in the state of FIG. 6, when the closing ball 41 is viewed from the left side of FIG. 6, the entire closing ball 41 is covered by the shielding portion 51B.

[0055] The fuel nozzle 21 according to the first embodiment has the configuration as described above, and next, its operation will be described.

[0056] When refueling the fuel tank of a vehicle, the refueler removes the fuel nozzle 21 of the meter 2 from the nozzle hanger 10 and inserts the discharge pipe 23 of the fuel nozzle 21 into the fuel filler opening 61 of the fuel tank. In this state, the refueler operates the nozzle lever 24 of the fuel nozzle 21. Thereby, the fuel pump 12 is activated, and the liquid fuel in the underground tank 4 is supplied to the fuel nozzle 21 through the liquid supply pipeline 6 and the fuel hose 8, and the liquid fuel discharged from the discharge pipe 23 can be supplied to the fuel tank of the vehicle or the like. At this time, the flow rate of the liquid fuel flowing through the liquid supply pipeline 6 is measured by the flow meter 13, and the measured flow rate of the liquid fuel is displayed on the monitor device 17 provided on the outer surface of the housing 3.

[0057] When the liquid (fuel) fed from the fuel supply nozzle 21 approaches full in the fuel tank and the opening 35 of the discharge pipe 23 of the fuel supply nozzle 21 is blocked by the liquid (fuel), the air supply to the negative pressure generating section 29 is stopped. As a result, the negative pressure generated in the negative pressure generating section 29 is introduced into the automatic fuel supply stop mechanism via the annular passage 33. At this time, the automatic fuel supply stop mechanism closes the main valve 26 by releasing the connection between the nozzle lever 24 (more specifically, the valve shaft rod that displaces as the nozzle lever 24 is operated) and the main valve 26 based on the displacement of the diaphragm due to the negative pressure. Thereby, the fuel supply to the fuel tank is stopped. When the fuel supply stops, the fueler returns the fuel supply nozzle 21 to the nozzle hanger 10 and ends the fuel supply operation.

[0058] Next, the operation of the air introduction pipe closing mechanism 37 will be described.

[0059] In a standby state such as when the fuel supply nozzle 21 is hung on the nozzle hanger 10 (the state where the fuel supply nozzle 21 faces upward), the closing ball 41 of the air introduction pipe closing mechanism 37 is positioned on the valve seat 40, closing the connection path 39A of the joint member 39. As a result, even if the nozzle lever 24 is operated in the standby state where the fuel supply nozzle 21 is removed (the state where the discharge pipe 23 faces upward), air is not supplied from the opening 35 to the negative pressure generating section 29. For this reason, when the main valve 26 is opened by operating the nozzle lever 24 and the liquid (fuel) flows, the valve body 31 is also opened and the negative pressure generated in the negative pressure generating section 29 is introduced into the automatic fuel supply stop mechanism. However, since air is not supplied to the automatic fuel supply stop mechanism, the main valve 26 in the fuel supply path 25 is not opened (or the sub-valve is not opened) due to the displacement of the diaphragm in the automatic fuel supply stop mechanism, and the liquid is not discharged from the fuel supply nozzle 21. On the other hand, when the discharge pipe 23 is turned downward (inserted into the fuel filling port 61), the closing ball 41 separates from the valve seat 40, and the connection path 39A of the joint member 39 is opened. As a result, air is supplied from the opening 35 to the negative pressure generating section 29, and the liquid supply can continue.

[0060] Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the liquid discharged from the fuel nozzle 21 hits the inner flow path of the fuel filler opening 61 of the vehicle and bounces back, and there is a possibility that this bounced-back liquid (oil droplets) flows into the air introduction pipe 36 through the opening 35. Then, when this liquid (oil droplets) flows to the air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37, there is a possibility that the closing ball 41 moves to the position of the valve seat 40. On the other hand, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a shielding portion 51B standing up from the inner surface (bottom surface) of the connection path 39A is provided in the connection path 39A of the joint member 39. Therefore, it is possible to suppress, by the shielding portion 51B, the liquid (oil droplets) that has flowed to the air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 from flowing to the closing ball 41. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the closing ball 41 from moving to the position of the valve seat 40. Further, an air passage 51C serving as an air inflow path is formed in the upper portion of the shielding portion 51B. The air in the air introduction pipe 36 is supplied to the negative pressure generating portion 29 through the air passage 51C.

[0061] Further, the shielding portion 51B is provided with a discharge port 51D serving as a through hole (liquid discharge hole) at a position lower than the central position A of the closing ball 41. Therefore, even if the amount of the liquid flowing in from the opening 35 is large and, in the unlikely event that the liquid level exceeds the height of the shielding portion 51B and the liquid flows into the negative pressure generating portion 29 side from the shielding portion 51B, the liquid is discharged to the opening 35 side through the discharge port 51D. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the liquid from staying (stagnating) on the negative pressure generating portion 29 side from the shielding portion 51B and the closing ball 41 from moving due to this staying (stagnating) liquid. Although not shown, when the discharge port is provided near the central position of the closing ball 41, the flow (liquid pressure) of the liquid passing through the discharge port may act on the center of the closing ball 41, making it easier for the closing ball 41 to move. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, in the first embodiment, the discharge port 51D opens at a position lower than the height position A of the center of the closing ball 41 when the closing ball 41 is displaced to the position where it opens the connection path 39A.

[0062] Furthermore, the shielding portion 51B is provided to be higher than the closing ball 41. That is, the height C of the upper surface (the protruding end 51B1) of the shielding portion 51B is higher than the height B of the apex of the closing ball 41. Thereby, it is possible to block the liquid up to the amount (predetermined amount) that reaches the apex of the closing ball 41. Also, even if by any chance, liquid exceeding the height of the shielding portion 51B flows into the side of the closing ball 41, it is possible to suppress this liquid flow (hydraulic pressure) from directly hitting the closing ball 41. Thereby, the influence exerted on the closing ball 41 by the liquid flow (hydraulic pressure) can be reduced.

[0063] In addition, the shielding portion 51B also has a function of preventing the closing ball 41 from falling off from the opening 35. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, in the connection path 39A of the joint member 39, a step portion 39C is provided between the inner peripheral surface 39B of the joint member 39 and the valve seat 40. This step portion 39C serves as a barrier when the closing ball 41 moves toward the valve seat 40 side. That is, the closing ball 41 needs to get over the step portion 39C when moving toward the valve seat 40 side. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the closing ball 41 from easily moving toward the valve seat 40 side by the step portion 39C.

[0064] As described above, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, in the portion of the inner surface of the connection path 39A of the joint member 39 that is on the opening 35 side and the bottom surface side (lower side) from this closing ball 41 when the closing ball 41 is displaced to the position where it opens the connection path 39A, a shielding portion 51B is provided that protrudes from the bottom surface side toward the inside of the connection path 39A and shields the liquid from the opening 35. And the air that flows into the connection path 39A from the opening 35 side flows through the air passage 51C between the protruding end 51B1 of the shielding portion 51B and the inner surface of the connection path 39A facing this protruding end 51B1.

[0065] Therefore, for example, even if the liquid that bounces back against the inner wall of the fuel tank filling port 61 flows into the connection path 39A from the opening 35 provided on the tip side of the discharge pipe 23, the shielding portion 51B can suppress the inflowing liquid from hitting the closing ball 41 forcefully. As a result, it is possible to prevent the closing ball 41 from moving to a position where it closes the connection path 39A due to the liquid flowing in from the opening 35 of the air introduction pipe 36. That is, the shielding portion 51B can suppress the air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 from operating (malfunctioning) due to the flow of the liquid flowing into the connection path 39A.

[0066] In the first embodiment, the shielding portion 51B is provided with a discharge port 51D for discharging the liquid to the opening 35 side at a position lower in height than the center position A of the closing ball 41. Therefore, even if the liquid flows into the side of the closing ball 41 rather than the shielding portion 51B, this liquid can be discharged to the opening 35 side through the discharge port 51D of the shielding portion 51B. As a result, it is possible to prevent the liquid that has flowed into the side of the closing ball 41 rather than the shielding portion 51B from staying (stagnating) at that position and causing the closing ball 41 to move.

[0067] In the first embodiment, the height C of the protruding end 51B1 of the shielding portion 51B is higher than the height B of the highest part of the closing ball 41. Therefore, the shielding portion 51B can entirely shield the closing ball 41. Also, even if the liquid exceeds the shielding portion 51B, it is possible to prevent the exceeding liquid from directly hitting the closing ball 41. As a result, it is possible to prevent the closing ball 41 from moving to a position where it closes the connection path 39A even from this aspect.

[0068] In the first embodiment, the case where the inner diameter dimension of the discharge port 51D of the shielding portion 51B is constant in the axial direction was described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, as in the first modification shown in FIG. 12, the inner diameter dimension of the discharge port 51D may be made larger toward the closing ball 41 side. That is, the discharge port 51D may be a substantially conical through hole. According to this configuration, it is possible to make it difficult for the liquid to enter from the opening 35 side through the discharge port 51D toward the closing ball 41 side, and it is possible to easily discharge the liquid from the closing ball 41 side through the discharge port 51D to the opening 35 side.

[0069] In the first embodiment, the case where the shielding portion 51B is configured to protrude in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction (the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 51A) which is the air flow direction was described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, as in the second modification shown in FIG. 13, the shielding portion 51B may be configured to protrude obliquely toward the side opposite to the closing ball 41. That is, the shielding portion 51B may be inclined such that the protruding end 51B1 side is away from the closing ball 41. According to this configuration, the liquid (oil liquid) flowing in from the opening 35 side can be guided by the shielding portion 51B in the returning direction (the opening 35 side).

[0070] In the first embodiment, the case where the shielding portion 51B is constituted by the bottom portion of the bottomed cylindrical member 51 was described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the shielding portion may be constituted by a disk-shaped member provided with an air passage penetrating a circular plate body. Further, the shielding portion may be constituted by a substantially semicircular plate body. In any case, the shielding portion can be provided so as to protrude inward from the inner surface of the air inflow path (connection path, air introduction pipe).

[0071] In the first embodiment, the case where the shielding portion 51B is provided in the vicinity of the closing ball 41 of the air introduction pipe closing mechanism 37, that is, the case where the shielding portion 51B is provided adjacent to the closing ball 41, has been described as an example. More specifically, in the first embodiment, the shielding portion 51B is provided in the joint member 39. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the shielding portion may be provided at a position separated from the opening side from the closing ball, for example, at the downstream end of the air introduction pipe or at a position closer to the opening side than the downstream end of the air introduction pipe. That is, the shielding portion can be provided on the opening side of the valve (closing ball) in the air inflow path (joint member, air introduction pipe).

[0072] In the first embodiment, the case where the air introduction pipe 36 serving as the air inflow path, the connection path 39A of the joint member 39, etc. are circular pipes with a circular cross-section has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to this. The air inflow path may be a pipe with a non-circular cross-section, such as a pipe with a square cross-section. In any case, the shielding portion can be configured to protrude inward from the inner surface of the air inflow path. In this case, the shielding portion can be configured to protrude from the bottom side (lower side) to the inner side (upper side) of the air inflow path when the valve (closing ball) is displaced to a position where it opens inside the air inflow path on the inner surface of the air inflow path.

[0073] Next, FIGS. 14 to 16 show the second embodiment. The second embodiment is configured to provide a housing member for housing a valve in the air inflow path. In the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the first embodiment described above, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0074] In the foregoing first embodiment, a shielding portion 51B is provided near the closing ball 41 of the air introduction pipeline closing mechanism 37 to suppress the liquid (oil droplets) flowing into the air introduction pipeline 36 from flowing toward the closing ball 41. When the closing ball 41 is displaced to a position where it opens the connection path 39A, this shielding portion 51B partitions the air introduction pipeline 36 and the closing ball 41 so as to reduce the influence of the liquid (oil droplets) from the opening 35 on the closing ball 41. That is, the shielding portion 51B restricts the moving amount of the closing ball 41 in the direction of opening the connection path 39A and corresponds to a "partitioning member" that partitions the opening 35 and the closing ball 41 in the connection path 39A. The shielding portion 51B is provided to protrude from the bottom surface side toward the inside of the connection path 39A at a portion of the inner surface of the connection path 39A that is on the opening 35 side of the closing ball 41 and on the bottom surface side (lower side). Therefore, when the closing ball 41 that has moved in the opening direction abuts against the shielding portion 51B, the movement of the closing ball 41 to the opening 35 side from the shielding portion 51B is restricted (the moving amount of the closing ball 41 is restricted).

[0075] In contrast, in the second embodiment, a housing member 71 is provided in the joint member 39. When the closing ball 41 is displaced to a position where it opens the connection path 39A, the housing member 71 partitions the air introduction pipeline 36 and the closing ball 41 so as to reduce the influence of the liquid (oil droplets) from the opening 35 on the closing ball 41. That is, the housing member 71 restricts the moving amount of the closing ball 41 in the direction of opening the connection path 39A and corresponds to a "partitioning member" that partitions the opening 35 and the closing ball 41 in the connection path 39A. The housing member 71 houses the closing ball 41 so that the closing ball 41 that has been displaced to a position where it opens the connection path 39A and the bottom surface of the connection path 39A are in a non-contact state. In this case, the housing member 71 is formed in a mesh-like cylindrical shape. That is, the housing member 71 has a permeable structure. Hereinafter, the housing member 71 and a pressing member 72 for holding the housing member 71 in the joint member 39 will be described.

[0076] In the second embodiment, instead of the bottomed cylindrical member 51 of the first embodiment, a pressing member 72 and a housing member 71 are provided. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the pressing member 72 has a cylindrical portion 72A and a pressing portion 72B. The cylindrical portion 72A is formed in a cylindrical shape. The upstream end of the air introduction pipe 36 is inserted into the inside of the cylindrical portion 72A from one end side (the left side in FIG. 14). A pressing portion 72B is provided at the opening on the other end side of the cylindrical portion 72A (the right side in FIG. 14), that is, the opening on the side opposite to the opening on the one end side into which the air introduction pipe 36 is inserted, to prevent the housing member 71 from being displaced in the axial direction within the joint member 39. The pressing portion 72B is bridged over the opening on the other end side of the cylindrical portion 72A. A small-diameter portion 72C that fits into the opening of the joint member 39 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical portion 72A. In a state where the small-diameter portion 72C is fitted into the joint member 39, the pressing portion 72B abuts against the bottom portion 71B of the housing member 71.

[0077] The housing member 71 has a cylindrical portion 71A, a bottom portion 71B, and a flange portion 71C. The housing member 71 is entirely formed in a shape like a top hat by a mesh-like net member. Note that in FIGS. 16 and FIGS. 18 and 19 described later, the meshes are exaggeratedly shown. That is, in these drawings, the meshes are described to clearly show that they are members of the mesh, which is different from the actual meshes.

[0078] The cylindrical portion 71A of the housing member 71 is formed in a cylindrical shape. As shown in FIG. 14, when the closing ball 41 is separated from the valve seat 40 (when the air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 is in the open valve state), the closing ball 41 enters the cylindrical portion 71A. The bottom portion 71B of the housing member 71 closes the opening on one end side (the left side in FIG. 14) of the cylindrical portion 71A, that is, the opening on the pressing member 72 side. The flange portion 71C is located on the other end side (the right side in FIG. 14) of the cylindrical portion 71A, that is, on the side opposite to the pressing member 72, and protrudes over the entire circumference toward the outside in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 71A. The flange portion 71C abuts against the stepped portion 39C within the joint member 39. The housing member 71 is sandwiched between the stepped portion 39C of the joint member 39 and the pressing portion 72B of the pressing member 72. In this case, the flange portion 71C may be adhered to the stepped portion 39C with an adhesive.

[0079] Here, the closing ball 41 rolls to a lower position due to gravity. Therefore, when the fuel supply nozzle 21 is made substantially horizontal so that the tip of the discharge pipe 23 extends downward in order to insert the discharge pipe 23 of the fuel supply nozzle 21 into the fuel inlet 61 of the vehicle's fuel tank, the closing ball 41 separates from the valve seat 40 and opens the air introduction pipe 36 (connection path 39A). At this time, as shown in FIG. 14, the closing ball 41 enters the cylindrical portion 71A of the housing member 71. As a result, the closing ball 41 is housed in the housing member 71 (cylindrical portion 71A) so as not to be in contact with the bottom surface of the joint member 39. The bottom surface of the joint member 39 is a portion on the lower side among the inner peripheral surface 39B of the joint member 39 when the closing ball 41 is displaced to a position where it opens the connection path 39A. When the tip side of the fuel supply nozzle 21 is in an upward state (for example, a state of being hooked on the nozzle hanger 10), the closing ball 41 moves from the housing member 71 (cylindrical portion 71A) toward the valve seat 40 and closes the air introduction pipe 36 (connection path 39A).

[0080] The housing member 71 is provided with an air circulation portion through which air circulates. For this purpose, the housing member 71 is entirely formed of a mesh-like net member. That is, the cylindrical portion 71A, the bottom portion 71B, and the flange portion 71C of the housing member 71 are formed of a mesh-like net member. Therefore, air can circulate between the meshes of the net member that forms the air circulation portion in the housing member 71 (cylindrical portion 71A, bottom portion 71B, flange portion 71C). That is, as indicated by the two-dot chain line arrow 81 in FIG. 14, the air in the air introduction pipe 36 passes through the air circulation portion (between the meshes) of the housing member 71 (cylindrical portion 71A, bottom portion 71B, flange portion 71C) and circulates to the communication path 38 side of the guide member 32 on the downstream side.

[0081] Incidentally, instead of the mesh member, the housing member 71 may be formed by, for example, a punching member (punching plate) in which a plurality of holes are formed. In this case, the holes of the punching member (punching plate) correspond to the air circulation portions of the housing member. The specific configuration of the air circulation portion, that is, the material of the mesh, the wire diameter, the mesh opening, the porosity, the shape, the size, the interval, etc. of the punches (holes) can be set so as not to cause a large resistance to the air circulation and to sufficiently suppress the momentum (force) of the liquid (oil droplets) when the liquid (oil droplets) passes through.

[0082] As described above, in the second embodiment, a housing member 71 capable of housing the closing ball 41 is provided at a portion of the joint member 39 where the closing ball 41 is mounted. The housing member 71 is formed of a mesh-like or punched member that allows gas and liquid to pass through. The housing member 71 is a holding member that holds the closing ball 41 at the center of the connection path 39A when the negative pressure path of the air introduction pipe closing mechanism 37 is open, that is, when the closing ball 41 is separated from the valve seat 40. As a result, the liquid (oil droplets) flowing into the air introduction pipe 36 from the opening 35 of the discharge pipe 23 is prevented from hitting the closing ball 41 in the housing member 71 forcefully. As a result, the housing member 71 can prevent the closing ball 41 from being pushed toward the valve seat 40 by the liquid (oil droplets) flowing into the air introduction pipe 36 (that is, the negative pressure path from being accidentally closed).

[0083] The second embodiment includes the pressing member 72 and the housing member 71 as described above, and there is no significant difference in its basic operation from that of the first embodiment described above. That is, according to the second embodiment, it includes the housing member 71 which is a net-like or punched part, and is configured such that the closing ball 41 opened by this housing member 71 can be held in the center within the joint member 39. For this reason, also in the second embodiment, for example, when the liquid rebounded against the inner wall of the fuel tank filling port 61 flows into the connection path 39A from the opening 35 provided on the tip side of the discharge pipe 23, the housing member 71 can suppress the inflowing liquid from hitting the closing ball 41 forcefully. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the closing ball 41 from moving to a position where it blocks the connection path 39A due to the liquid flowing into the connection path 39A. That is, the housing member 71 can suppress the air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 from operating (malfunctioning) due to the flow of the liquid flowing into the connection path 39A. As a result, it is possible to suppress the malfunction of the air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 while maintaining the function of detecting the posture of the fueling nozzle 21.

[0084] Moreover, the housing member 71 is formed in a mesh-like cylindrical shape. For this reason, the air circulation part of the housing member 71 can be constituted by between the meshes (mesh openings). And the housing member 71 guides the air in the air introduction pipe 36 through between the meshes toward the communication path 38 side of the guide member 32, and suppresses the liquid flowing into the connection path 39A from the opening 35 of the discharge pipe 23 from hitting the closing ball 41 forcefully. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism 37 from operating (malfunctioning).

[0085] In the second embodiment, the case where the entire housing member 71 (the cylindrical portion 71A, the bottom portion 71B, and the flange portion 71C) is formed by a mesh-like net member or a punching member (punching plate) with a plurality of holes was described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as in the third modification shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the entire housing member 71 does not necessarily have to be formed by a net member or a punching member (punching plate). That is, the bottom portion 75 (the surface facing the air inlet passage) of the housing member 71 may serve as a shielding portion for shielding the liquid. For example, the bottom portion 75 may be formed of a shielding member such as a plate material. Thus, a part of the housing member 71 may have a configuration other than a mesh or a punch.

[0086] In the second embodiment, the case where the housing member 71 has a configuration including a cylindrical cylindrical portion 71A and a circular bottom portion 71B was described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as in the fourth modification shown in FIG. 19, the cylindrical portion 76 may be semi-cylindrical and the bottom portion 77 may be semi-circular. In this case, the semi-cylindrical cylindrical portion 76 and the semi-circular bottom portion 77 may be formed of a shielding member (plate-like member) for shielding the liquid. Thus, the housing member 71 may have a configuration such that when the closing ball 41 is housed (placed) in the housing member 71, the upper portion of the closing ball 41 is opened. In this case, this opened portion corresponds to the air circulation portion of the housing member 71.

[0087] That is, the air circulation portion of the housing member 71 includes not only the spaces between the meshes and the holes of the punches but also the portions opened to the closing ball 41. Further, when the semi-cylindrical cylindrical portion 76 and the semi-circular bottom portion 77 are formed of a shielding member (plate-like member) for shielding the liquid, a discharge port 78 for discharging the liquid can be provided on the bottom surface of the semi-cylindrical cylindrical portion 76. When the housing member 71 has a cylindrical shape, the movement of the closing ball 41 within the housing member 71 can be restricted as compared with the case where the housing member 71 has a semi-cylindrical shape. That is, when the housing member 71 has a cylindrical shape, it is possible to suppress the closing ball 41 from moving largely (protruding) within the housing member 71.

[0088] Summarizing the above embodiments and modified examples, in addition to the fueling nozzle 21 being provided with an air introduction pipeline opening / closing mechanism 37 that switches between closing and opening the air introduction pipeline 36 (connection path 39A), it is also provided with a "partition member" that partitions the air introduction pipeline 36 (connection path 39A) and the closing ball 41 of the air introduction pipeline opening / closing mechanism 37. The "partition member" restricts the amount of movement of the closing ball 41 in the direction of opening the air introduction pipeline 36 (connection path 39A), and partitions the opening 35 and the closing ball 41 within the air introduction pipeline 36 (connection path 39A). More specifically, the "partition member" partitions the air introduction pipeline 36 (connection path 39A) and the closing ball 41 so as to reduce the influence of the liquid (liquid fuel) from the opening 35 of the discharge pipe 23 on the closing ball 41 when the closing ball 41 is displaced to a position where it opens the air introduction pipeline 36 (connection path 39A).

[0089] The "partition member" includes the shielding part 51B of the first embodiment, the first modified example, and the second modified example. Also, the partition member includes the housing member 71 of the second embodiment, the third modified example, and the fourth modified example. The shielding part 51B is provided on the inner surface of the connection path 39A of the joint member 39. The air in the air introduction pipeline 36 flows between the protruding end of the shielding part 51B and the inner surface of the connection path 39A. On the other hand, the housing member 71 houses the closing ball 41 so that the closing ball 41 and the bottom surface of the connection path 39A are in a non-contact state when the closing ball 41 is displaced to a position where it opens the connection path 39A. The air in the air introduction pipeline 36 flows through the air flow-through part (between the meshes, punch holes) of the housing member 71. The air flow-through part is not limited to between the meshes and punch holes, and various configurations that can allow air to flow through and suppress the momentum (force) of the liquid can be adopted.

[0090] In the embodiments and modified examples, a ground-installed fueling device (fuel supply device) has been described as an example of the meter 2. However, it is not limited to this, and for example, a pendant-type fueling device that raises and lowers the fueling nozzle may be used as the meter.

[0091] In the embodiments and modified examples, the fuel supply target (supply object, supplied object) to which the meter 2 supplies fuel was described by taking the fuel tank of a vehicle as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the meter serving as the fuel supply device may supply fuel to a fuel supply target other than the fuel tank of a vehicle, such as a gasoline can or a poly tank.

[0092] In the embodiments and modified examples, the meter 2 installed at a gas station (service station) was described by taking it as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the meter serving as the fuel supply device may be installed at a refueling station other than a gas station (service station), such as a factory, a store, or a home center.

[0093] In the embodiments and modified examples, the fuel supply nozzle 21 that supplies liquid fuels such as gasoline and light oil was described by taking it as an example of the liquid supply nozzle. However, the liquid supply nozzle is not limited to liquid fuels and can be used for supplying various liquids such as liquids other than fuels.

[0094] According to the embodiments and modified examples described above (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments"), the movement amount of the valve of the opening / closing mechanism in the direction of opening the air inflow passage is restricted, and a partition member that partitions the opening and the valve in the air inflow passage is provided. For this reason, it is possible to suppress, by the partition member, the valve of the opening / closing mechanism from moving to a position where the air inflow passage is blocked by the liquid flowing in from the opening of the air inflow passage.

[0095] According to the embodiment, the partition member is provided at a portion on the opening side and the bottom side of the valve of the opening and closing mechanism displaced to a position opening the inside of the air inflow passage among the inner surfaces of the air inflow passage, and protrudes from the bottom side toward the inside of the air inflow passage to form a shielding portion that shields the liquid from the opening. Then, the air in the air inflow passage flows between the protruding end of the shielding portion and the inner surface of the air inflow passage facing the protruding end. Therefore, for example, even if the liquid rebounded by hitting the inner wall of the fuel filling port of the object to be supplied flows into the air inflow passage from the opening provided on the tip side of the discharge pipe, the shielding portion can suppress the flowing-in liquid from hitting the valve of the opening and closing mechanism forcefully. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the valve of the opening and closing mechanism from moving to a position where it closes the air inflow passage due to the liquid flowing into the air inflow passage. That is, the shielding portion can suppress the opening and closing mechanism from operating (malfunctioning) due to the flow of the liquid flowing into the air inflow passage.

[0096] According to the embodiment, the shielding portion is provided with a discharge port that discharges the liquid to the opening side at a position lower in height than the center of the valve of the opening and closing mechanism. Therefore, even if the liquid flows into the valve side from the shielding portion, this liquid can be discharged to the opening side through the discharge port of the shielding portion. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the valve from moving due to the liquid flowing into the valve side from the shielding portion staying (stagnating) at that position.

[0097] According to the embodiment, the height of the protruding end of the shielding portion is higher than the height of the highest portion of the valve of the opening and closing mechanism. Therefore, the valve of the opening and closing mechanism can be entirely shielded by the shielding portion. Further, even if the liquid exceeds the shielding portion, it is possible to suppress the exceeding liquid from directly hitting the valve. Thereby, also from this aspect, it is possible to suppress the valve of the opening and closing mechanism from moving to a position where it closes the air inflow passage.

[0098] According to the embodiment, the partition member is composed of a housing member that houses a valve of an opening / closing mechanism displaced to a position where the air inlet passage is opened, such that the valve and the bottom surface of the air inlet passage are in a non-contact state. The housing member is provided with an air flow portion through which air flows. Therefore, for example, even if liquid that has bounced back after hitting the inner wall of the fuel filling port of the object to be supplied flows into the air inlet passage from an opening provided on the tip side of the discharge pipe, the housing member can suppress the inflowing liquid from hitting the valve of the opening / closing mechanism forcefully. As a result, it is possible to prevent the valve of the opening / closing mechanism from moving to a position where it closes the air inlet passage due to the liquid flowing in from the opening of the air inlet passage. That is, the housing member can suppress the opening / closing mechanism from operating (malfunctioning) due to the flow of the liquid that has flowed into the air inlet passage.

[0099] According to the embodiment, the housing member is formed in a mesh-like cylindrical shape. Therefore, the air flow portion of the housing member can be configured by the spaces between the meshes.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0100] 21 Fuel filling nozzle (liquid supply nozzle) 23 Discharge pipe 61 Fuel filling port (liquid supply port) 26 Main valve 29 Negative pressure generating portion 30B Passage (air inlet passage) 33 Annular passage (air inlet passage) 36 Air introduction pipe (air inlet passage) 38 Communication passage (air inlet passage) 39A Connection passage (air inlet passage) 37 Air introduction pipe opening / closing mechanism (opening / closing mechanism) 35 Opening 41 Closing ball (valve) 51B Shielding portion (partition member) 51B1 Protruding end 51D Discharge port 61 Fuel filling port (liquid supply port) 71 Housing member (partition member)

Claims

1. A liquid supply nozzle that supplies liquid through a discharge pipe inserted into a liquid supply port, comprising: a main valve provided in a liquid flow path through which the liquid flows; a negative pressure generating unit that generates a negative pressure based on the flow of the liquid due to opening of the main valve; an air inflow path that communicates an opening provided at the tip side of the discharge pipe with the negative pressure generating unit, and through which air flows into the opening due to the negative pressure generated in the negative pressure generating unit; an automatic closing mechanism that closes the liquid flow path when the inflow of air into the air inflow path is blocked; a switching mechanism that is provided in the air inflow path and switches between closing and opening of the air inflow path according to the vertical orientation of the discharge pipe, by displacing a valve from a position where the air inflow path is closed to a position where it is opened when the tip of the discharge pipe faces downward; a liquid supply nozzle, characterized in that it includes a partition member that limits the amount of movement of the valve in a direction to open the air inflow path and partitions the opening and the valve in the air inflow path.

2. The partition member is provided as a shielding portion that protrudes from the bottom surface side toward the inside of the air inflow path on the opening side of the valve displaced to a position opening the air inflow path among the inner surfaces of the air inflow path and that shields the liquid from the opening, wherein the air in the air inflow path flows between the protruding end of the shielding portion and the inner surface of the air inflow path facing the protruding end. The liquid supply nozzle according to claim 1.

3. The liquid supply nozzle according to claim 2, wherein the shielding portion is provided with a discharge port that discharges the liquid toward the opening side at a position lower in height than the center of the valve displaced to a position opening the air inflow path.

4. The liquid supply nozzle according to claim 2, wherein the height of the protruding end of the shielding portion is higher than the height of the highest portion of the valve displaced to a position opening the air inflow path.

5. The partition member is a housing member that houses the valve such that the valve and the bottom surface of the air inflow path are in a non-contact state when the valve is displaced to a position opening the air inflow path, wherein the housing member is provided with an air flow portion through which air flows. The liquid supply nozzle according to claim 1.

6. The liquid supply nozzle according to claim 5, wherein the housing member is formed in a mesh-like cylindrical shape.

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