Kerosene pump unit

Abstract

To provide a kerosene pump unit that incorporates a secondary battery, mainly a lithium ion battery, and is equipped with a detachable light attachment. [Solution] The kerosene pump unit A comprises a pump body and a light attachment detachable from the pump body, the pump body having a built-in electric pump, the light attachment having a built-in light source, a secondary battery, and a control circuit, the control circuit controlling the charging and discharging of the secondary battery and the drive circuit that drives the electric pump and the light source, the drive circuit being built into either the pump body or the light attachment, the kerosene pump body not operating on its own but only operating when assembled and connected to the light attachment. By assembling and connecting the kerosene pump unit A, which is configured to enable refueling, it eliminates the need for troublesome dry cell battery replacement, has a lighting function, and improves battery life and ease of use.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a kerosene pump unit that has a built-in secondary battery and a detachable light attachment. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional kerosene pumps are powered by batteries and are limited to simply transporting kerosene. They are primarily used outdoors in winter, i.e., in low-temperature environments, for short periods of time to fill kerosene stoves. However, the performance of batteries drops significantly in low temperatures, causing problems such as the pump stopping during refueling.

[0003] Additionally, some models have a function to notify the user when refueling is complete using a buzzer or similar, but the volume decreases in low temperatures, making it difficult to hear the sound from indoors. Some models also have a separate lighting function, but many of them do not provide enough light to reduce costs, making it impossible to coordinate functions such as flashing indicators that indicate the refueling status.

[0004] Furthermore, in low-temperature environments, battery performance may decline, rendering the device unusable regardless of the remaining charge. To prevent this, it is desirable to store batteries indoors and install them only when using the device, but the reality is that this is difficult for ordinary users to get used to. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-033512 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems associated with use in low-temperature environments such as those described above. Specifically, by providing a light attachment that uses reusable secondary batteries (such as lithium-ion batteries) instead of dry batteries, it is possible to reliably drive the fuel pump and enable efficient charging and operation. In particular, because the light attachment is detachable, it is easy to charge and store the battery indoors, preventing deterioration of battery performance and leading to efficient energy utilization.

[0007] In addition, the device has a built-in light source (LED) that visually notifies the user when refueling is complete or an abnormality occurs by changing the light intensity, flashing, or color, thereby compensating for the weaknesses of sound notifications and improving visibility from indoors.

[0008] In addition, the light attachment can function as a lighting fixture on its own, helping to ensure visibility during dark hours in winter and when refueling. This aims to comprehensively resolve the usability and safety issues of conventional battery-powered kerosene pumps. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above technical problems can be solved by the present invention as follows.

[0010] A kerosene pump unit comprising a pump body and a light attachment detachable from the pump body, wherein the pump body incorporates an electric pump, and the light attachment incorporates a light source, a secondary battery, and a control circuit, the control circuit controls the charging and discharging of the secondary battery, a drive circuit that drives the electric pump, and the light source, the drive circuit being incorporated into either the pump body or the light attachment, and the kerosene pump body does not operate on its own, but only operates as a pump when assembled and connected to the light attachment.

[0011] The light source of the light attachment is one or more LEDs, and the light attachment operates as a lighting fixture by itself.

[0012] The control circuit of the light attachment has a function of switching the light intensity of the light source in multiple stages, a function of varying the blinking cycle, and a function of changing the color.

[0013] The control circuit has a function of notifying the user when refueling is complete, when the battery charge level is low, or when an abnormality occurs by changing the light intensity, the blinking cycle, or the color of the light source.

[0014] The light attachment is equipped with a USB Type-C terminal, and when not assembled and connected to the pump body, the USB Type-C terminal is exposed to the outside and a USB Type-C cable can be inserted for charging. However, when assembled and connected to the pump body, the USB Type-C terminal is partially or completely concealed by the joint with the pump body, or the wiring route of the USB Type-C cable is concealed, making it physically difficult to insert the USB Type-C cable.

[0015] The secondary battery is any one of a lithium ion battery, a lithium polymer battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, and a nickel-cadmium battery. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the rear view of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of a light attachment core according to the present invention; [Figure 5] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a kerosene pump unit according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0018] The kerosene pump unit A according to this embodiment is a rechargeable kerosene pump that is comprised of two main components: a light attachment B and a pump body C, and is driven by a detachable columnar battery 18.

[0019] The light attachment B has an upper cover 1 at its top, which houses an LED board 19, a main board 21, and a columnar battery 18. One or more light sources are mounted on the LED board 19, and it can illuminate the surrounding area through the light cover 2. The light is turned on and off by pressing a light switch 3 mounted on the main board 21, and has a multi-level light intensity switching function via a CPU mounted on the main board 21. When the refueling operation is complete, the light source mounted on the LED board 19 flashes to notify the user.

[0020] The light attachment B is detachable and can be charged via the USB Type-C terminal 22. This configuration eliminates the need to replace batteries, improving convenience. The charging status can also be visually confirmed by the charging lamp 4.

[0021] The light attachment B can be removed from the pump body C and used as a standalone lighting device, and will function effectively even during a power outage during a disaster.

[0022] The pump body C has a suction pipe 7 and a suction port 10 on the suction side, and a fuel supply hose 6 and a nozzle 16 on the discharge side, through which kerosene is drawn in and discharged.

[0023] The transfer of kerosene is driven by a motor 24 and a pump board 23 provided inside the pump body C. The pump board 23 controls the power supplied from the prismatic battery 18 and drives the motor 24.

[0024] The main board 21 also includes a sensor unit 17 that detects the kerosene level. When the sensor detects the level, refueling is complete, or when a refueling error occurs, such as when the motor 24 has been running for a certain period of time but the refueling level cannot be detected, or when an excessive current occurs due to a drop in power in the columnar battery 18 or a motor failure, the main board 21 visually notifies the user by changing the blinking cycle and light intensity. This eliminates the need for audible notifications, allowing use in quiet environments, and the ability to change the blinking cycle and light intensity allows for more effective notifications. In addition to changing the blinking cycle and light intensity, it is also possible to change the color or location of the light, or to add variations in light emission, such as gradually increasing and decreasing brightness like a firefly, in addition to simple blinking.

[0025] Furthermore, the light attachment B and the pump body C can be easily separated using the attachment / detachment button 11, and the attachment can be reliably fixed to the fuel tank using the clamp 14 and clamp lever 15.

[0026] The pump body C is powered by a prismatic battery 18 attached to the light attachment B, and can only operate when assembled with the kerosene pump unit A, which has an electrical connection with the prismatic battery. Therefore, the pump body C cannot be started on its own, and must be used in combination with the light attachment B.

[0027] Furthermore, pump body C has a structure that includes only pump board 23 and does not have a prismatic battery 18 or a charging function for prismatic battery 18, and safety is enhanced by the absence of prismatic battery 18, which is the power source, and an electrical circuit with a charging function for prismatic battery 18, in components that may come into contact with kerosene. In addition, pump body C cannot be started on its own and functions as a kerosene pump only when light attachment B and pump body C are assembled and connected, but when light attachment B and pump body C are assembled and connected, USB Type-C terminal 22 is concealed by the connection part with pump body C, making it physically impossible to insert a USB Type-C cable, and refueling while charging is not possible, which eliminates the risk of a user handling kerosene while charging when handling the device.

[0028] The secondary battery of the prismatic battery is not limited to the secondary battery described above, but may be a secondary battery such as a sodium ion battery or an all-solid-state battery, which is not yet common.

[0029] Also, charging methods other than USB Type-C terminals may be used.

[0030] In addition, this invention can of course be applied to infusion pumps for water, diesel, etc. in addition to kerosene pumps. [Industrial Applicability]

[0031] The device uses a detachable light attachment with a built-in secondary battery, typically a lithium-ion battery, and is connected to the pump body to enable refueling. The light attachment can also be used as a light on its own, making it usable all year round, improving convenience and helping with nighttime and disaster preparedness. Furthermore, the device cannot be used while charging, eliminating the risk of handling kerosene while charging, providing a highly safe kerosene pump unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1 Top lid 2 Light Cover 3. Light Switch 4 Charging lamp 5 Power switch 6 Fuel hose 7. Intake pipe 8 Oil return port 9 Motor case 10 Intake port 11 Detachable button 12 Hose holder 13 clips 14 Clamp 15 Clamp lever 16 nozzles 17 Sensor section 18 Pillar battery 19 LED boards 20 Bracket 21 Main board 22 USB Type-C terminal 23 Pump board A Kerosene pump unit B Light Attachment B' Light Attachment Core C Pump body

Claims

1. A kerosene pump unit comprising a pump body and a light attachment detachable from the pump body, wherein the pump body has an electric pump built in, the light attachment has a light source, a secondary battery, and a control circuit built in, the control circuit controls the charging and discharging of the secondary battery and the drive circuit that drives the electric pump and the light source, the drive circuit being built in either the pump body or the light attachment, and the kerosene pump body does not operate alone but only operates as a pump when assembled and connected to the light attachment.

2. 2. The kerosene pump unit according to claim 1, wherein the light source of the light attachment is one or more LEDs, and the light attachment alone operates as a lighting fixture.

3. 2. The kerosene pump unit according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit of the light attachment has a function of switching the light intensity of the light source in multiple stages, a function of varying the blinking cycle, and a function of changing the color.

4. The kerosene pump unit according to claim 3, characterized in that the control circuit has a function of notifying the user by changing the light intensity, the flashing cycle or the color of the light source when refueling is complete, when the battery charge level is low or when an abnormality occurs.

5. The kerosene pump unit described in claim 1, characterized in that the light attachment is equipped with a USB Type-C terminal, and when not assembled and connected to the pump body, the USB Type-C terminal is exposed to the outside and a USB Type-C cable can be inserted to charge the light attachment, but when assembled and connected to the pump body, the USB Type-C terminal is partially or completely concealed by the joint with the pump body, or the wiring route of the USB Type-C cable is concealed, making it physically difficult to insert the USB Type-C cable.

6. 2. The kerosene pump unit according to claim 1, wherein the secondary battery is one of a lithium ion battery, a lithium polymer battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, and a nickel-cadmium battery.

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