Patents by Inventor Donald A. Kunz

Donald A. Kunz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11572267
    Abstract: A fuel dispensing system comprising a fuel tank adapted to contain a quantity of fuel. A fuel dispenser is in fluid communication with the fuel tank via piping. A pump operative to transfer fuel from the fuel tank to the fuel dispenser is also provided. The fuel dispensing system further comprises a corrosion detection assembly operative to identify presence of a corrosive substance in the fuel. The corrosion detection assembly includes at least one corrosion sensor positioned to be in contact with fuel vapor in the fuel dispensing system, the corrosion sensor producing a detector signal indicating presence of the corrosive substance. The corrosion sensor according to this aspect has a printed circuit multilayer structure in which at least one sensing element is positioned on an exposed surface of the multilayer structure and at least one reference element is positioned on an inner surface of the multilayer structure to be unexposed to the fuel vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Veeder-Root Company
    Inventor: Donald A. Kunz
  • Publication number: 20220017356
    Abstract: A fuel dispensing system comprising a fuel tank adapted to contain a quantity of fuel. A fuel dispenser is in fluid communication with the fuel tank via piping. A pump operative to transfer fuel from the fuel tank to the fuel dispenser is also provided. The fuel dispensing system further comprises a corrosion detection assembly operative to identify presence of a corrosive substance in the fuel. The corrosion detection assembly includes at least one corrosion sensor positioned to be in contact with fuel vapor in the fuel dispensing system, the corrosion sensor producing a detector signal indicating presence of the corrosive substance. The corrosion sensor according to this aspect has a printed circuit multilayer structure in which at least one sensing element is positioned on an exposed surface of the multilayer structure and at least one reference element is positioned on an inner surface of the multilayer structure to be unexposed to the fuel vapor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventor: Donald A. KUNZ
  • Patent number: 11034573
    Abstract: A fuel dispensing system includes a fuel tank adapted to contain a quantity of fuel. A fuel dispenser in is fluid communication with the fuel tank via piping. A pump is operative to transfer fuel from the fuel tank to the fuel dispenser. A corrosive detection assembly operative to identify presence of a corrosive substance in the fuel is also provided. The corrosive detection assembly has at least one thermoelectric detector positioned to be in contact with fuel vapor in the fuel dispensing system, the thermoelectric detector producing a detector signal indicating presence of the corrosive substance. Electronics are in electrical communication with the thermoelectric detector, the electronics being operative to interpret the detector signal and produce an output if the corrosive substance is present. The at least one thermoelectric detector may comprises a plurality of thermoelectric detectors at different locations in the fuel dispensing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: VEEDER-ROOT COMPANY
    Inventors: James T. Bevins, Donald Kunz, Lawrence Hunter, Kenneth D. Cornett, Adriano Baglioni, Gaston Berrio
  • Publication number: 20190062142
    Abstract: A fuel dispensing system includes a fuel tank adapted to contain a quantity of fuel. A fuel dispenser in is fluid communication with the fuel tank via piping. A pump is operative to transfer fuel from the fuel tank to the fuel dispenser. A corrosive detection assembly operative to identify presence of a corrosive substance in the fuel is also provided. The corrosive detection assembly has at least one thermoelectric detector positioned to be in contact with fuel vapor in the fuel dispensing system, the thermoelectric detector producing a detector signal indicating presence of the corrosive substance. Electronics are in electrical communication with the thermoelectric detector, the electronics being operative to interpret the detector signal and produce an output if the corrosive substance is present. The at least one thermoelectric detector may comprises a plurality of thermoelectric detectors at different locations in the fuel dispensing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: James T. Bevins, Donald Kunz, Lawrence Hunter, Kenneth D. Cornett, Adriano Baglioni
  • Patent number: 8872651
    Abstract: A fueling environment is equipped with leak detection probes and liquid level probes. Each of the probes is associated with a wireless transceiver. The wireless transceivers send probe data to a site communicator wireless transceiver. To ensure that the site communicator receives the probe data, repeaters are used within the fueling environment. The repeaters receive the probe data, and some period of time after the sensor transceivers stop transmitting, the repeaters retransmit the probe data to the site communicator. The site communicator discards duplicative information and processes the probe data as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Veeder-Root Company
    Inventors: Kent Reid, James J. Longworth, Donald A. Kunz
  • Publication number: 20090256700
    Abstract: A fueling environment is equipped with leak detection probes and liquid level probes. Each of the probes is associated with a wireless transceiver. The wireless transceivers send probe data to a site communicator wireless transceiver. To ensure that the site communicator receives the probe data, repeaters are used within the fueling environment. The repeaters receive the probe data, and some period of time after the sensor transceivers stop transmitting, the repeaters retransmit the probe data to the site communicator. The site communicator discards duplicative information and processes the probe data as needed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: Veeder-Root Company
    Inventors: Kent Reid, James J. Longworth, Donald A. Kunz
  • Patent number: 7561040
    Abstract: A fueling environment is equipped with leak detection probes and liquid level probes. Each of the probes is associated with a wireless transceiver. The wireless transceivers send probe data to a site communicator wireless transceiver. To ensure that the site communicator receives the probe data, repeaters are used within the fueling environment. The repeaters receive the probe data, and some period of time after the sensor transceivers stop transmitting, the repeaters retransmit the probe data to the site communicator. The site communicator discards duplicative information and processes the probe data as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Veeder-Root Company
    Inventors: Kent Reid, James J. Longworth, Donald A. Kunz
  • Publication number: 20060139169
    Abstract: A fueling environment is equipped with leak detection probes and liquid level probes. Each of the probes is associated with a wireless transceiver. The wireless transceivers send probe data to a site communicator wireless transceiver. To ensure that the site communicator receives the probe data, repeaters are used within the fueling environment. The repeaters receive the probe data, and some period of time after the sensor transceivers stop transmitting, the repeaters retransmit the probe data to the site communicator. The site communicator discards duplicative information and processes the probe data as needed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2004
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Applicant: VEEDER-ROOT COMPANY
    Inventors: Kent Reid, James Longworth, Donald Kunz