US 11,807,514 B2
Control systems for liquid product delivery vehicles
Mark Dudley, Kansas City, MO (US); Erik Bjornebo, Kansas City, MO (US); and Randy Robinson, Smithville, MO (US)
Assigned to Knappco, LLC, Hamilton, OH (US)
Filed by Knappco, LLC, Hamilton, OH (US)
Filed on Aug. 20, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/998,298.
Application 16/998,298 is a continuation of application No. 16/154,185, filed on Oct. 8, 2018, granted, now 10,787,358.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/569,733, filed on Oct. 9, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0377359 A1, Dec. 3, 2020
Int. Cl. B67D 7/36 (2010.01); B67D 7/14 (2010.01); B67D 7/34 (2010.01); B60P 3/22 (2006.01); B67D 7/72 (2010.01); F17C 13/00 (2006.01)
CPC B67D 7/145 (2013.01) [B60P 3/228 (2013.01); B60P 3/2245 (2013.01); B67D 7/348 (2013.01); B67D 7/362 (2013.01); B67D 7/72 (2013.01); B67D 7/342 (2013.01); F17C 13/002 (2013.01); F17C 2270/0171 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A product delivery vehicle system comprising:
a product delivery vehicle comprising at least one tank compartment;
an internal valve fluidly coupled to the at least one tank compartment, wherein the internal valve has a normally closed configuration;
a control valve fluidly coupled to the internal valve, the control valve operable to control a flow of liquid product from the at least one tank compartment;
at least one overfill sensor coupled to the at least one tank compartment and operable to determine an overfill condition of the tank compartment and transmit an overfill signal;
an air system comprising a main air valve, an actuator operatively coupled to the main air valve and operable to transition the main air valve from a normally closed position to an open position, and at least one solenoid valve fluidly coupled to the main air valve and to the internal valve, the at least one solenoid valve operable to deliver compressed air to the internal valve to transition the internal valve from a normally closed configuration to an open configuration; and
an electronic control unit comprising a processor, a memory module communicatively coupled to the processor, and machine readable instructions stored in the at least one memory module, wherein the electronic control unit is communicatively coupled to the control valve and the at least one overfill sensor;
wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic control unit to perform at least the following:
receive the overfill signal from the at least one overfill sensor during a loading operation; and
transition the internal valve from an open configuration to the normally closed configuration when the overfill signal is received by the electronic control unit to prevent flow of materials into the tank compartment when an overfill signal is detected.