MEANS FOR PLACING INFORMATION/ADVERTISING ON A FUEL DISPENSING NOZZLE OF A PETROL DISPENSING APPARATUS

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device attachable to a filler gun of a fuel pump of the kind having in series a gun barrel, a gun head and a gun handle, said gun barrel having its rear end joining a front end of said gun head at a first junction on said filler gun, and said gun head having its rear end joining a front end of said gun handle at a second junction on said filler gun, said device providing a display surface supported by a carrying body, for displaying one or more graphic messages readily viewable by a gun user, means being provided for detachably securing said carrying body to the filler gun.

[0002] A device of the above type is known from US A-5 058 637 which in order to overcome prior art placement of a permanent advertisement on a part of a filler gun boot fitted onto the filler gun head, viz. the substantially flat region of the gun head, provides a platform for supporting a replaceable message placard at said flat region. However, said flat region only forms a small part of the top of the filler gun.

[0003] The present invention however aims at solving the problem of optimizing the size of the viewable display area, in particular when filling up the fuel tank of a car, without causing any risk of damaging the car body adjacent the filling hole therein and without the disadvantage of having at least parts of a message non-readable when carrying out such filling operation.

[0004] This is achieved according to the present invention, which is distinguished essentially in that said carrying body has a first portion and a second portion each having a generally planar top face, said faces having a common line of contact and forming a mutual angle with each other when the device is attached to said filler gun, and in that said display surface is divided into first and second display portions disposed on said first and second top faces, respectively, so as to meet and to form an angle which is equal to the mutual angle between said top faces, the entire display surface extending longitudinally along the filler gun from approximately said first junction to approximately the second junction.

[0005] A larger display surface, with space for both information and advertising, is thus provided in that the display surface of the carrying body extends over a substantial part of the length of the head of the gun.

[0006] By way of example, the invention will now be described more in detail in the following with reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates a carrying body with two display surfaces at an angle to one another, Figure 2 depicts a transparent cover designed for contact with the whole of the display surface, Figure 2a shows an information and advertising sticker adapted to fit the extra long display surface, Figure 3 illustrates the carrying body with a downwardly projecting skirt for enveloping the sides of the gun head and with an opening for interaction with the gun barrel, Figure 4 shows the back of the display surface and the skirt in Figure 3 which is pivotally attached to the front and can be secured in an angular position by means of securing means, Figure 5 illustrates the front of the carrying body according to Figure 3, and Figure 6 shows a filler gun seen from the side.

[0007] The drawings thus show a flat carrying body 3 with a display surface 4 surrounded by an upwardly projecting edge 10, whereby a recess 11 is formed for accommodating information/advertising 1 in the form of a sheet of paper or card. A transparent cover 12 having securing means 13 in the form of projecting lugs can be placed in the recess 11 on top of the information/advertising label 1 and is secured by the lugs being brought into engagement with complementary securing means 14 in the form of openings in said upwardly projecting edge 10. It is shown clearly on the drawing that the carrying body, and thus the sheet containing information/advertising, is elongate, which gives rise to a large display area 4 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the gun head 2a approximately from the rear edge 2b' of the gun barrel 2b at the foremost edge 2a' of the gun head 2a and backwards to the foremost edge 2c' of the handle 2c of the gun head 2a, cf. Figure 6. This display surface 4 can contain clear information regarding, for example, the quality and brand of the fuel on one part, and an advertisment on the other part.

[0008] The attachment component of the carrying body 3 comprises an attachment band fixed to the underside of the carrying body 3 by means of an eye/groove 6. The eye/groove 6 may optionally be grooved on the side which faces down towards the filler gun. The attachment band may, of course, optionally be attached to the underside of the carrying body 3 by any kind of means whatsoever such as adhesives or welding. The attachment band may consist of a conventional tension adjusting band where one end of said band comprises a leading-in means for securing the other end of the band when it is fed in and tightened. The attachment band can also be made of a hose clip secured to the underside of the carrying body 3. These various forms of attachment bands are designed first and foremost to grip the foremost part of the gun head 2a or around the barrel 2b of the filler gun 2. On moderate tightening of the attachment band, the carrying body will be held secure in the correct position on the head 2a of the gun.

[0009] The attachment component can, in a special design not shown in the drawing, consist of a sleeve attached to the underside of the carrying body 3 which is designed to be fed onto the gun barrel 2b thereby holding the carrying body in a fixed position on the gun head. The sleeve can be elastic thereby being provided with a clamp effect which reinforces the holding effect.

[0010] Said sleeve can be made in a special way as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 where the carrying body 3 is made with a skirt 7 which projects downwardly from the display surface 4 in order to envelop the sides of the gun head 2a and having an opening 5b, the function of which corresponds to that of the aforementioned sleeve, which constitutes attachment component 5 in the skirt 7. The opening 5b is arranged at one end 3a of the carrying body 3 to enable said carrying body to be fed onto the gun barrel 2b and optionally onto the foremost end of the gun head 2a.

[0011] The back 3b of the carrying body 3 is attached to the forward part 3a thereof so as to be upwardly pivotal via a hinge 8 across the display surface 4. The skirt 7 is split at this point, the split extending from each end of the hinge 8 and out to the edge 7a of the skirt and releasable securing organs 9 are arranged in the facing splits in the skirt 7. In this way said back 3b can be pivoted downwards in the mounted position on the filler gun and interlock with the back of the gun head 2a. In this design of the carrying body 3, the display surface will be divided into two surfaces 4a,4b, each of which can carry appropriate information/advertising. This design of the carrying body 3 thus provides a display surface 4 which extends over a substantial part of the length of the gun head 2a.

[0012] A corresponding elongate display surface 4 consisting of two part surfaces 4a,4b of an angle to one another is shown in Figure 1 which illustrates a carrying body with a rounded front part and having an extension at it rear end, whereby the total display surface 4 comprises a front and a back part 4a,4b at an angle to one another.

[0013] The carrying body 3 and the attachment component 5, optionally in the form of said skirt 7 with opening 5b, can be manufactured in an elastic material, e.g., in that all parts are moulded in one piece.

[0014] Thus the carrying body 3 can be mounted on the filler gun 2 in that the gun barrel 2b, or the front part of the gun head 2b, is inserted into the attachment component 5 which has an opening 5b. Optionally, the attachment component can be made of said resilient clamp, whereby the carrying body 3 quite simply is pressed into place from the top of the gun head.

[0015] Advertising/information labels can be attached to the display surface 4 of the carrying body 3 in any expedient manner whatsoever such as by using an adhesive. However, to facilitate changing the labels and at the same time achieve protection of the information/advertising label 1, the solution according to Figures 1 and 3-5 is desirable. The label can hereby be placed in the recess 11 and covered by means of the transparent cover or cover plate 12.

[0016] The device according to the invention will, on use, provide a petrol/fuel customer with clear and full information with regard to the brand and quality of the fuel. This should prevent a vehicle from being filled with the wrong fuel and thereby save the customer from the problems this would cause and save the petrol station/company from any liability for damages in that the filler gun carries clear information about the fuel quality which the customer could not possibly fail to see. During the actual process of filling his vehicle, the consumer will, at the same time, have ample opportunity to read the advertisement/message that has been affixed to the display surface.

Claims

1. A device attachable to a filler gun (2) of a fuel pump of the kind having in series a gun barrel (2b), a gun head (2a) and a gun handle (2c), said gun barrel (2b) having its rear end (2b') joining a front end (2a') of said gun head (2a) at a first junction on said filler gun, and said gun head (2a) having its rear end joining a front end (2c') of said gun handle at a second junction on said filler gun, said device providing a display surface (4) supported by a carrying body (3), for displaying one or more graphic messages readily viewable by a gun user, means (5) being provided for detachably securing said carrying body (3) to the filler gun, characterized in that said carrying body (3) has a first portion (3a) and a second portion (3b) each having a generally planar top face, said faces having a common line (8) of contact and forming a mutual angle with each other when the device is attached to said filler gun (2), and in that said display surface (4) is divided into first and second display portions (4a, 4b) disposed on said first and second top faces, respectively, so as to meet and to form an angle which is equal to the mutual angle between said top faces, the entire display surface extending longitudinally along the filler gun from approximately said first junction to approximately the second junction.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the width of said display surface (4) is, at least over part of its entire length, greater than the width of the gun head (2a).

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in said first display surface portion (4a) being substantially parallel to the gun head (2a) and to the gun handle (2c) and in said second display surface portion (4b) being substantially parallel to the gun barrel (2b).

4. The device according to any of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that said carrying body (3) includes a downwardly projecting peripheral skirt portion (7) extending from at least that portion of the carrying body which underlies said display surface so as to envelop the sides of the gun head portion (2a) of the filler gun (2).

5. The device according to any of claims 1 - 4, characterized in that said carrying body (3) defines therein an aperture (5b) in its first end portion which is disposed adjacent said first junction to thereby secure said carrying means (3) to said filler gun (2).

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that said carrying body (3) defines a second end portion for interlocking with said gun head (2a) at said second junction.

7. The device according to any of claims 1 - 6, characterized in that it includes a transparent cover (12) having first and second surface portions forming said mutual angle with each other, said cover configured for removable attachment to the display surface (4) of said carrying body (3) to thereby facilitate changing of the graphic message viewable by said user.

8. The device according to any of claims 1 - 7, characterized in said carrying body (3) having a forward portion (3a) and rearward portion (3b) which are pivotally interconnected by a hinge portion (8), said forward and rearward portions (3a; 3b) having a forward and rearward skirt portions (7), respectively, and means (9) being provided for joining said skirt portions (7).

Ansprüche

1. Vorrichtung, anbringbar an einer Einfüllpistole (2) einer Kraftstoffpumpe der Art, die der Reihe nach einen Pistolenlauf (2b), einen Pistolenkopf (2a) und einen Pistolengriff (2c) aufweist, wobei das hintere Ende (2b') des Pistolenlaufs (2b) an einer ersten Verbindungsstelle auf der Einfüllpistole mit einem Vorderende (2a') des Pistolenkopfes (2a) verbunden ist und das hintere Ende des Pistolenkopfes (2a) an einer zweiten Verbindungsstelle auf der Einfüllpistole mit einem Vorderende (2c') des Pistolengriffs verbunden ist, welche Vorrichtung eine von einem Tragkörper (3) getragene Anzeigefläche (4) zum Anzeigen einer oder mehrerer, für einen Pistolenbenutzer leicht sichtbarer graphischer Nachrichten vorsieht, wobei eine Einrichtung (5) zum abnehmbaren Befestigen des Tragkörpers (3) an der Einfüllpistole vorgesehen ist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Tragkörper (3) einen ersten Teil (3a) und einen zweiten Teil (3b) hat, die jeweils eine im allgemeinen ebene Oberfläche aufweisen, welche Flächen eine gemeinsame Berührungslinie (8) haben und einen Zwischenwinkel miteinander bilden, wenn die Vorrichtung an der Einfüllpistole (2) angebracht ist, und die Anzeigefläche (4) in einen ersten und zweiten Anzeigeteil (4a, 4b) geteilt ist, die auf der ersten bzw. zweiten Oberfläche angeordnet sind, so daß sie sich treffen und einen Winkel bilden, der gleich dem Zwischenwinkel zwischen den Oberflächen ist, wobei sich die ganze Anzeigefläche in Längsrichtung entlang der Einfüllpistole von annähernd der ersten Verbindungsstelle zu annähernd der zweiten Verbindungsstelle erstreckt.

2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Breite der Anzeigefläche (4) zumindest über einen Teil ihrer ganzen Länge größer als die Breite des Pistolenkopfes (2a) ist.

3. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der erste Teil (4a) der Anzeigefläche im wesentlichen parallel zum Pistolenkopf (2a) und zum Pistolengriff (2c) ist und der zweite Teil (4b) der Anzeigefläche im wesentlichen parallel zum Pistolenlauf (2b) ist.

4. Vorrichtung nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Tragkörper (3) einen nach unten vorstehenden Umfangsschürzenteil (7) einschließt, der von zumindest dem Teil des Tragkörpers ausgeht, der unter der Anzeigefläche liegt, um so die Seiten des Pistolenkopfes (2a) der Einfüllpistole (2) zu umhüllen.

5. Vorrichtung nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Tragkörper (3) darin eine Öffnung (5b) in seinem ersten Endteil definiert, der der ersten Verbindungsstelle benachbart ist, um dadurch den Träger (3) an der Einfüllpistole (2) zu befestigen.

6. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Tragkörper (3) einen zweiten Endteil zum Verriegeln mit dem Pistolenkopf (2a) bei der zweiten Verbindungsstelle definiert.

7. Vorrichtung nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 6, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß sie eine transparente Abdeckung (12) mit ersten und zweiten Oberflächenteilen enthält, die miteinander den Zwischenwinkel bilden, wobei die Abdeckung zur abnehmbaren Anbringung an der Anzeigefläche (4) des Tragkörpers (3) angeordnet ist, um dadurch einen Wechsel der für den Benutzer sichtbaren graphischen Nachricht zu erleichtern.

8. Vorrichtung nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Tragkörper (3) einen vorderen Teil (3a) und einen hinteren Teil (3b) aufweist, die durch ein Gelenk (8) schwenkbar miteinander verbunden sind, wobei die vorderen und hinteren Teile (3a, 3b) einen vorderen bzw. einen hinteren Schürzenteil (7) aufweisen, und eine Einrichtung (9) zum Verbinden der Schürzenteile (7) vorgesehen ist.

Revendications

1. Un dispositif pouvant être monté sur un pistolet de remplissage (2) d'une pompe à carburant du type comportant en série un bec de pistolet (2b), une tête de pistolet (2a) et une poignée de pistolet (2c), ledit bec de pistolet (2b) ayant son extrémité arrière (2b') reliée à une extrémité avant (2a') de ladite tête de pistolet (2a) à une première jonction sur ledit pistolet de remplissage, et ladite tête de pistolet (2a) ayant son extrémité arrière reliée à une extrémité avant (2c') de ladite poignée de pistolet à une seconde jonction sur ledit pistolet de remplissage, ledit dispositif fournissant une surface d'affichage (4) supportée par un corps de support (3) pour afficher un ou plus d'un message graphique facilement visible par un utilisateur du pistolet, des moyens (5) étant prévus pour fixer de manière séparable ledit corps de support (3) au pistolet de remplissage, caractérisé en ce que ledit corps de support (3) présente une première partie (3a) et une seconde partie (3b) ayant chacune une surface supérieure dans l'ensemble plane, lesdites faces ayant une ligne commune (8) de contact et formant entre elles un angle mutuel lorsque le dispositif est monté sur ledit pistolet de remplissage (2), et en ce que ladite surface d'affichage (4) est divisée en des première et seconde parties d'affichage (4a, 4b) disposées respectivement sur lesdites première et seconde faces supérieures, de manière à se rejoindre et à former un angle qui est égal à l'angle mutuel entre lesdites faces supérieures, la surface totale d'affichage s'étendant longitudinalement le long du pistolet de remplissage depuis approximativement ladite première jonction jusqu'à approximativement la seconde jonction.

2. Le dispositif selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que la largeur de ladite surface d'affichage (4) est, au moins sur une partie de toute sa longueur, supérieure à la largeur de la tête de pistolet (2a).

3. Le dispositif selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que ladite première partie (4a) de surface d'affichage est essentiellement parallèle à la tête de pistolet (2a) et à la poignée de pistolet (2c), et en ce que ladite seconde partie (4b) de surface d'affichage est essentiellement parallèle au bec de pistolet (2b).

4. Le dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1-3, caractérisé en ce que ledit corps de support (3) comporte une partie en jupe périphérique (7) en saillie vers le bas, s'étendant depuis au moins la partie du corps de support qui est sous-jacente à ladite surface d'affichage de manière à envelopper les côtés de la partie tête de pistolet (2a) du pistolet de remplissage (2).

5. Le dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1-4, caractérisé en ce que ledit corps de support (3) définit intérieurement une ouverture (5b) dans sa première partie d'extrémité, qui est située en adjacence à ladite première jonction pour assujettir ainsi lesdits moyens de support (3) audit pistolet de remplissage (2).

6. Le dispositif selon la revendication 5, caractérisé en ce que ledit corps de support (3) définit une seconde partie d'extrémité pour l'inter-verrouillage avec ladite tête de pistolet (2a) à ladite seconde jonction.

7. Le dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1-6, caractérisé en ce qu'il comporte un couvercle transparent (12) présentant des première et seconde parties de surface formant entre elles ledit angle mutuel, ledit couvercle étant configuré pour être fixé de manière séparable à la surface d'affichage (4) dudit corps de support (3) pour faciliter ainsi le changement du message graphique visible par ledit utilisateur.

8. Le dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1-7, caractérisé en ce que ledit corps de support (3) comporte une partie avant (3a) et une partie arrière (3b) qui sont interconnectées de manière pivotante par une partie en charnière (8), lesdites parties avant et arrière (3a ; 3b) comportant respectivement des parties en jupe avant et arrière (7), et des moyens (9) étant prévus pour relier lesdites parties en jupe (7).

Drawing