Fueling device

Abstract

To provide a refueling device that quickly and easily inactivates viruses, etc. by using deep ultraviolet rays (UV-C) and has excellent operability and safety.SOLUTION: A refueling device 1 includes: a refueling mechanism that supplies fuel oil; a refueling hose connected to the refueling mechanism; a refueling nozzle 6 provided at a tip of the refueling hose and includes a grip part 6a, a lever part 6b, and a discharge pipe 6c; and a nozzle hook 11 where the refueling nozzle can be hung in a housing body 2, an ultraviolet generation part 7 that generates a deep ultraviolet ray is arranged in the housing body, the deep ultraviolet ray from the ultraviolet generation part is irradiated to the refueling nozzle. The ultraviolet ray generation part is provided within a pressure-resistant explosion-proof case 10, and the deep ultraviolet ray from the ultraviolet ray generation part can be irradiated through a tempered glass 12 provided on a surface of the pressure-resistant explosion-proof case. Two ultraviolet ray generation parts can be provided horizontally facing each other with the nozzle hook in between.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuel supply device for supplying fuel oil to a fuel tank of a vehicle or the like, and particularly to a fuel supply device provided with countermeasures against bacteria, mold, and viruses.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, self-service gas stations where customers perform fueling operations themselves have increased in order to reduce labor costs. In the fueling operations at these self-service gas stations, since an unspecified number of customers touch the fueling nozzle, bacteria, mold, viruses, etc. adhere to the fueling nozzle, and in recent years, there is a risk of becoming an infection source of the novel coronavirus infection.

[0003] In order to maintain the cleanliness of the fueling nozzle for fueling a vehicle with fuel oil, alcohol disinfection of the fueling nozzle is effective, but each disinfection operation burdens the operator, so excellent bactericidal and virus-removing performance with good workability is desired.

[0004] Therefore, in Patent Document 1, a sterilization chamber is partitioned by a partitioning member so that an irradiation chamber and a non-irradiation chamber are alternately adjacent, a sterilization object is moved so as to pass through the irradiation chamber and the non-irradiation chamber, an ultraviolet irradiation lamp is arranged facing the irradiation chamber, the sterilization object is alternately passed through the irradiation chamber and the non-irradiation chamber, and the sterilization object is intermittently irradiated with ultraviolet rays to sterilize viruses and bacteria adhering or floating thereon. A device has been proposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Although the invention described in Patent Document 1 above is effective, it requires the operation of placing the object to be disinfected into the irradiation chamber. When used in a refueling device, the refueling nozzle must be removed from the refueling device each time disinfection is performed, which worsens operability and hinders the refueling operation.

[0007] Furthermore, since customers operate the fuel nozzles themselves in fueling equipment installed at self-service gas stations, a means of preventing the effects of ultraviolet light on the human body is necessary. The invention described in Patent Document 1 intermittently irradiates ultraviolet light (irradiating sometimes and not irradiating at other times), but this is intended to prevent the lifespan of the light source lamp from being shortened, and is not a means of preventing harm to the human body when a hand is placed inside the device.

[0008] Furthermore, while it is conceivable that the operator of the fuel nozzle would wear antiviral gloves during the fueling operation, there are issues with the effort required to put them on and the subsequent disposal of the gloves.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art described above, and aims to provide a refueling device that rapidly and easily inactivates viruses and the like using deep ultraviolet light (UV-C), while also being excellent in terms of operability and safety. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a fuel supply device comprising a fuel supply mechanism for supplying fuel oil, a fuel supply hose connected to the fuel supply mechanism, a fuel supply nozzle provided at the end of the fuel supply hose and comprising a grip portion, a lever portion, and a discharge pipe, and a nozzle holder on which the fuel supply nozzle is hung, all of which are provided in a housing body, and an ultraviolet light generating unit that generates deep ultraviolet light is disposed in the housing body, and the deep ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light generating unit is irradiated onto the fuel supply nozzle. ru oil equipment The ultraviolet light generating unit is positioned diagonally below the fuel nozzle and irradiates the lower part of the grip and lever portion of the fuel nozzle with deep ultraviolet light. The housing body is equipped with an ultraviolet light reflector above the ultraviolet light generating unit and reflects downward the deep ultraviolet light that has passed through the grip and lever portion of the fuel nozzle and is not irradiated thereon, irradiating the upper part of the grip and lever portion of the fuel nozzle. It is characterized by the following.

[0011] According to the present invention, by diffusing deep ultraviolet light into the fuel nozzle and the space in which the fuel nozzle is housed, disinfection of the grip and other parts of the fuel nozzle, and inactivation of viruses, etc., can be performed quickly, easily, and reliably. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to remove the fuel nozzle from the fueling device for disinfection, operability is not impaired. Furthermore, by irradiating the lower part of the grip and lever of the fuel nozzle with deep ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light generating unit, the lower part of the grip and other parts that people touch during fueling operations can be reliably disinfected, and the upper part of the grip and other parts that cannot be directly irradiated with deep ultraviolet light by the ultraviolet light generating unit can be efficiently and reliably disinfected by deep ultraviolet light reflected through the ultraviolet light reflector.

[0012] In the above-described refueling device, the ultraviolet (UV) generating unit is installed inside a pressure-resistant explosion-proof case, and deep UV light from the UV generating unit can be irradiated through tempered glass provided on the surface of the pressure-resistant explosion-proof case. The UV generating unit is installed in a hazardous location where flammable vapors accumulate, but because the UV generating unit is installed inside a pressure-resistant explosion-proof case, damage to the UV generating unit can be prevented even if electrical sparks occur in the vicinity. Furthermore, since tempered glass has excellent thermal shock resistance, safety in the surrounding area can be maintained even if a fire ignites inside the pressure-resistant explosion-proof case. In addition, tempered glass has very high light transmittance, which can improve the efficiency of sterilization and inactivation of viruses, etc.

[0014] Furthermore, deep ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light generating unit can be irradiated along the longitudinal direction of the grip portion of the fuel nozzle. This allows for efficient disinfection of areas touched by people during fueling operations, thus preventing infection for subsequent users.

[0017] By irradiating the fuel nozzle with deep ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light generating unit while it is hanging on the nozzle holder, the fuel nozzle is disinfected only when it is inside the nozzle holder, thus ensuring no harm to the human body and making it safe.

[0018] The housing body is equipped with a human detection sensor, and when the human detection sensor detects a person, it can stop the irradiation of deep ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light generating unit. When a customer or worker approaches the refueling device to refuel, the irradiation of deep ultraviolet light stops, eliminating the possibility of exposure to deep ultraviolet light that can affect the human body, thereby enabling safe refueling operations. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] As described above, according to the fuel supply device of the present invention, it is possible to quickly and simply inactivate viruses and the like using ultraviolet rays, and to provide a fuel supply device excellent in operability, safety, and the like.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is an overall perspective view showing an embodiment of the fuel supply device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a schematic perspective view for explaining the attachment requirements of the ultraviolet ray generation device and the like provided in the fuel supply device of FIG. 1 to the housing body. [Figure 3] It is an enlarged perspective view of the ultraviolet ray generation device shown in FIG. 2 and its vicinity. [Figure 4] It is a schematic view when the ultraviolet ray generation device shown in FIG. 3 and its vicinity are viewed from above the fuel nozzle. [Figure 5] It is a block diagram of the fuel supply device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart showing the operation of the fuel supply device shown in FIG. 1.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Next, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the fuel supply device according to the present invention. This fuel supply device 1 includes a fuel supply mechanism (not shown), an outdoor data input / output device 4, a display 5, a fuel nozzle 6, an ultraviolet ray generation unit 7 (7A, 7B), an ultraviolet ray irradiation lamp 8, a human detection sensor 9, etc. inside or on the surface of the housing body 2. A joint 3 at the leading end of the fuel pipe is arranged at the upper part of the housing body 2, and the joint 3 and the fuel nozzle 6 are connected by a fuel hose (not shown). The back side of the fuel supply device 1 is configured in the same manner as above.

[0023] The fuel supply mechanism has the same structure and operation as those provided in conventional fuel dispensers, and includes a fuel pump, a pump motor, a flow meter, a fuel supply hose, a fuel nozzle 6, etc. Three systems of the fuel supply mechanism are provided on the front side and the back side of the fuel dispenser 1, respectively.

[0024] The outdoor data input / output device 4 is provided to control the input / output of fuel supply setting data, and performs various settings incidental to the fuel supply operation, fee settlement, etc. This outdoor data input / output device 4 and the display 5 also have the same structure and operation as those provided in conventional fuel dispensers.

[0025] The ultraviolet ray generation part 7 (7A, 7B) is for generating deep ultraviolet rays (UV-C) of 100 to 280 nm, and the ultraviolet ray generation part 7 (7A, 7B) is housed in the case 10 via a pressure-resistant explosion-proof case 19. As shown in FIG. 2, a front bracket 14 is connected to a side bracket 17 fixed to the support column 18 of the housing main body 2, and the ultraviolet ray generation part 7 (7A, 7B) is fixed to a mounting bracket 16 erected on the front bracket 14.

[0026] As clearly shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, two ultraviolet ray generation parts 7 (7A, 7B) are provided facing each other horizontally in the obliquely downward direction of the fuel nozzle 6, sandwiching a nozzle hanger 11 for hanging the fuel nozzle 6. The deep ultraviolet rays UV-C generated by the ultraviolet ray generation parts 7A and 7B are irradiated to the outside through reinforced glasses (for example, borosilicate glass) 12A and 12B provided on the surface of the pressure-resistant explosion-proof case 19.

[0027] Above the ultraviolet ray generation part 7 (7A, 7B), ultraviolet ray reflectors 13 (13A, 13B) are supported by the inner surface of the case 10. Among the deep ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet ray generation parts 7A and 7B, the parts that are not irradiated to the grip part 6a and the lever part 6b of the fuel nozzle 6 are reflected downward after passing through these parts. For this ultraviolet ray reflector 13, MIRO-UV (registered trademark) etc. that show a high reflectance at a wavelength of 250 nm to 400 nm can be used.

[0028] The ultraviolet irradiation lamp 8 shown in Figure 1 lights up when deep ultraviolet light is irradiated from the ultraviolet light generation unit 7 and turns off when the deep ultraviolet light irradiation stops. The human detection sensor 9 detects people approaching the refueling device 1. The human detection sensor 9 is activated when a person approaches within the set range, for example, using a microwave sensor with a set detection range.

[0029] As shown in Figure 5, the refueling device 1 includes a refueling control device 21 and a nozzle sterilization control unit 22. The refueling control device 21 controls three refueling mechanisms (refueling pump, pump motor, flow meter, refueling nozzles 6 (6-1, 6-2), etc.) on each of the two sides 1 and 2 of the refueling device 1, and supplies fuel oil from each of the refueling nozzles 6-1, 6-2, etc. Furthermore, the nozzle sterilization control unit 22 controls the sterilization of the refueling nozzles 6 using ultraviolet light generating units 7A-1, 7B-1, 7A-2, 7B-2, etc., ultraviolet irradiation lamps 8-1, 8-2, and human detection sensors 9-1, 9-2 on both sides 1 and 2, as will be described later.

[0030] Next, the sterilization operation by the refueling device 1 having the above configuration will be explained, mainly with reference to Figure 6.

[0031] In step S1, it is determined whether the nozzle switch (SW) of the refueling device 1 is OFF, that is, whether the refueling nozzle 6 is hung on the nozzle holder 11. If the refueling nozzle 6 is hung on the nozzle holder 11, in step S2, it is determined whether the human detection sensor 9 has detected a person.

[0032] If no person is detected in step S2 (step S2; No), the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 8 is turned ON in step S3, and deep ultraviolet light is irradiated from the ultraviolet generating unit 7 in step S4.

[0033] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, deep ultraviolet UV-C is irradiated from the ultraviolet generating unit 7 (7A, 7B) through the tempered glass 12 (12A, 12B) along the longitudinal direction of the grip portion 6a of the fuel nozzle. As a result, deep ultraviolet light is irradiated to the lower part of the grip portion 6a and lever portion 6b of the fuel nozzle 6, excluding the discharge pipe 6c.

[0034] Of the deep ultraviolet UV-C emitted from the ultraviolet generating units 7A and 7B, the deep ultraviolet UV-C that does not reach the grip portion 6a and lever portion 6b of the fuel nozzle 6 and passes through them is reflected downward by the ultraviolet reflector plates 13 (13A, 13B) and irradiates the upper parts of the grip portion 6a and lever portion 6b of the fuel nozzle 6. This ensures complete disinfection of the grip portion 6a and lever portion 6b, which are touched by people during fueling operations.

[0035] In step S4, when the ultraviolet light generator 7 is irradiating with deep ultraviolet light, if the human detection sensor 9 detects a person (step S5; Yes), or if a predetermined time t1 has elapsed (step S6; Yes), the irradiation of deep ultraviolet UV-C is stopped in step S7, and the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 8 is turned OFF in step S8 to end the operation.

[0036] In the above explanation, we used a fuel nozzle used at a gas station to supply fuel oil to a vehicle as an example, but deep ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light generator may also be used to irradiate charging nozzles that supply electricity to electric vehicles at EV stations, or refueling nozzles that supply hydrogen to fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen engine vehicles at hydrogen stations.

[0037] The illustrated embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1. Fueling device 2 Housing body 3. Joints 4. Outdoor data input / output device 5 Display 6. Fuel nozzle 7. UV-emitting part 8. UV irradiation lamp 9-person detection sensor 10 Pressure-resistant explosion-proof cases 11 Nozzle holder 12 Tempered Glass 13 UV reflector 14 Front bracket 16 Mounting brackets 17 Side bracket 18 Posts 19 Pressure-resistant explosion-proof case 21 Fueling control device 22 Nozzle sterilization control unit

Claims

1. A refueling mechanism that supplies fuel oil, A fuel hose connected to the fuel supply mechanism, A fuel nozzle provided at the tip of the fuel hose, comprising a grip, a lever, and a discharge pipe, The housing body is equipped with a nozzle holder on which the fuel nozzle is hung. The housing body is equipped with an ultraviolet light generating unit that generates deep ultraviolet light, A fuel supply device that irradiates the fuel supply nozzle with deep ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light generating unit, The ultraviolet light generating unit is provided diagonally below the fuel nozzle and irradiates the lower part of the grip and lever portion of the fuel nozzle with deep ultraviolet light. The refueling device is characterized in that the housing body is provided with an ultraviolet reflector above the ultraviolet light generating section, and the deep ultraviolet light that has passed through the grip and lever sections of the refueling nozzle and has not been irradiated thereon is reflected downward by the ultraviolet reflector and irradiated onto the upper parts of the grip and lever sections of the refueling nozzle.

2. The refueling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the ultraviolet light generating unit is provided inside a pressure-resistant explosion-proof case, and deep ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light generating unit is irradiated through reinforced glass provided on the surface of the pressure-resistant explosion-proof case.

3. The refueling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that deep ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light generating unit is irradiated along the longitudinal direction of the grip portion of the refueling nozzle.

4. The refueling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that deep ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light generating unit is irradiated when the refueling nozzle is hung on the nozzle holder.

5. The refueling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing body is equipped with a human detection sensor, and when the human detection sensor detects a person, the irradiation of deep ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light generating unit is stopped.

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