IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,448,274
Granted Patent B2
US 12,448,274 · App. 18/691,639 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

System unit and method for deicing a spigot of a petrol pump of a filling station device having such a system unit

Inventors: Claus Grote (Ansbach, DE); Matthias Brunner (Kornwestheim, DE)
Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
B67D7/80B67D7/78F17C5/007F17C2221/012
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,448,274
App. No.
18/691,639
Granted
Oct 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system unit ( 100 ) having a tank storage system ( 20 ) that can be filled with fuel, a consumer system ( 101 ), and a cooling circuit ( 10 ), which is connected to the consumer system ( 101 ), for cooling the consumer system ( 101 ). A latent heat store ( 30 ) is arranged in the system unit ( 100 ), which latent heat store ( 30 ) is in the form of a thermal coupling ( 33 ) between the consumer system ( 101 ) and the tank storage system ( 20 ) or between the tank storage system ( 20 ) and the cooling circuit ( 10 ).

Claims (18)

1. A system unit ( 100 ) having a tank storage system ( 20 ) configured to receive fuel, a consumer system ( 101 ) and a cooling circuit ( 10 ) connected to the consumer system ( 101 ) for cooling the consumer system ( 101 ), wherein a latent heat store ( 30 ) is arranged in the system unit ( 100 ), the latent heat store ( 30 ) being configured as a thermal coupling ( 33 ) between the consumer system ( 101 ) and the tank storage system ( 20 ) or between the tank storage system ( 20 ) and the cooling circuit ( 10 ), wherein the system unit ( 100 ) includes heat exchanger components ( 110 ), and wherein the latent heat store ( 30 ) is thermally connected to the heat exchanger components ( 110 ) such that the latent heat store ( 30 ) is configured to receive heat from the heat exchanger components ( 110 ).

2. The system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the consumer system ( 101 ) is configured as a fuel cell system ( 1 ) with at least one fuel cell ( 2 ) or as a hydrogen combustion system ( 1 ′).

3. The system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the tank storage system ( 20 ) has a tank nozzle ( 21 ) that is thermally connected to the latent heat store ( 30 ).

4. The system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the system unit ( 100 ) comprises a filling station device ( 400 ) that has at least one petrol pump ( 401 ) with a spigot ( 40 ) for filling the tank storage system ( 20 ).

5. The system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 4 , wherein the spigot ( 40 ) is thermally connected to the latent heat store ( 30 ) by the tank nozzle ( 21 ) of the tank storage system ( 20 ).

6. The system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the latent heat store ( 30 ) has a phase change material ( 31 ) that has a phase transition, wherein the phase transition is configured to be activated by an actuator ( 32 ) to release thermal energy.

7. The system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the phase transition of the latent heat store ( 30 ) is configured to be activated electrically, by pressure or by bending a metal plate by the actuator ( 32 ), and thermal energy is configured to be released.

8. The system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the phase transition of the latent heat store ( 30 ) is configured to be activated by opening a tank flap element ( 200 ) of the tank storage system ( 20 ) to release thermal energy.

9. The system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the phase change material ( 31 ) or the latent heat store ( 30 ) is arranged on the tank nozzle ( 21 ).

10. The system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the latent heat store ( 30 ) is arranged between the tank nozzle ( 21 ) and the consumer system ( 101 ) or the cooling circuit ( 10 ).

11. The system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein gaseous or liquid fuel is configured to be stored in the tank storage system ( 20 ).

12. A method for deicing a spigot ( 40 ) of a petrol pump ( 401 ) of a filling station device ( 400 ) with the system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

activating a phase transition of the latent heat store ( 30 ) by an actuator ( 32 ) arranged on the latent heat store ( 30 ) by electrical assistance, by pressure or by bending a metal plate to release thermal energy and transfer the thermal energy via a tank nozzle ( 21 ) to a spigot ( 40 ).

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein a phase transition of the latent heat store ( 30 ) is activated by opening a tank flap element ( 200 ) of the tank storage system ( 20 ) to release thermal energy.

14. A hydrogen-powered vehicle ( 90 , 91 ) with the system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 1 .

15. The system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the phase transition of the latent heat store ( 30 ) is configured to be activated by opening a tank flap element ( 200 ) of the tank storage system ( 20 ) to release thermal energy.

16. The system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 11 , wherein the gaseous or liquid fuel is gaseous or liquid hydrogen.

17. The system unit ( 100 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the latent heat store ( 30 ) is spaced from the tank storage system ( 20 ).

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2024
From: GROTE, CLAUS; BRUNNER, MATTHIAS
To: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
Reel/Frame 066852/0151 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2021 210 308.1 · Sep 17, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240400372A1 · Dec 5, 2024
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