US 10598101

Here is a concise summary of US Patent 10,598,101.

Title: Dual fuel selector switch

Assignee: Champion Power Equipment Inc

Inventors:

• Mark J. Sarder
• Leigh Jenison
• Ian Schmit

Filing Date: February 4, 2016

Issue Date: March 24, 2020

Abstract:
A fuel selector for use with a dual fuel generator includes a selector plate, a first fuel valve assembly positioned adjacent the selector plate and actuatable between an ON position and an OFF position to selectively control a first fuel flow to an engine of the dual fuel generator, and a second fuel valve assembly positioned adjacent the selector plate and actuatable between an ON position and an OFF position to selectively control a second fuel flow to the engine of the dual fuel generator. A selector switch coupled to the selector plate is linearly translatable from a first position to a second position, so as to enable positioning of only one of the first fuel valve assembly and the second fuel valve assembly in the ON position at a given time, such that the first and second fuel valve assemblies cannot be in the ON position concurrently.

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Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

Independent Claim 1: This claim describes a fuel selector for a dual-fuel generator. It includes a valve assembly connected to two different fuel sources (like gasoline and propane). This assembly has two separate mechanical valves, one for each fuel source, to control which fuel flows to the engine. A user can manually operate a selector switch on this valve assembly to choose one of the two fuels.

Independent Claim 10: This claim also describes a fuel selector for a dual-fuel generator with a valve assembly connected to two fuel sources. This assembly has a first mechanical valve and a second mechanical valve to control the flow of each fuel. The key element is at least one valve handle that is mechanically linked to both valves. When a user moves this handle, it physically opens one valve while closing the other, ensuring only one fuel can flow to the engine at a time.

Independent Claim 17: This claim focuses on a fuel selector with an electrical component. It includes a selector switch with two modes, one for each fuel. It also has a solenoid switch and a fuel solenoid, which are electrically operated valves. When the user moves the selector switch to the first fuel mode, it closes the solenoid to shut off the second fuel's flow. When switched to the second fuel mode, it opens the solenoid. This works in conjunction with a mechanical valve assembly to ensure only one fuel is selected and flowing at any given time.

Independent Claim 18: This claim describes a fuel selector with a valve assembly that has two separate inputs, one for each fuel source, and two fuel outputs that deliver fuel to the engine. The core of this claim is that the selector switch ensures that fuel is only supplied from one of the fuel sources at a time through two mechanical valves that control the flow from each source. This selector is operated manually by the user.

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I have high confidence in the information provided, as it is sourced directly from the full text of US Patent 10,598,101. A search of the CAFC 2026 dockets for this specific patent number did not yield any results as of today's date.