US 11905895

US patent 11905895, titled "Dual fuel lockout switch for generator engine," was issued on February 20, 2024, from an application filed on March 14, 2023. The patent is assigned to Champion Power Equipment Inc., and the inventors are Mark J. Sarder, Aleko D. Sotiriades, James J. Dehn, and Leigh Jenison.

Abstract:
The patent describes a mechanical fuel lockout switch for a dual fuel engine. This switch features a mechanical fuel valve that can be moved between a first position and a second position to control fuel flow from two different fuel sources (a first fuel source via a first fuel line, and a second fuel source via a second fuel line). The mechanical fuel valve is designed to allow communication from the first fuel source and prevent communication from the second fuel source when in the first position, and to prevent communication from the first fuel source when in the second position. The switch also includes a fuel lockout apparatus connected to the mechanical fuel valve, which prevents the second fuel source from connecting to its fuel line when the mechanical fuel valve is in the first position, and allows connection when in the second position.

Independent Claims Overview:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a mechanical fuel lockout switch for a dual fuel engine. It comprises a mechanical fuel valve with two positions:

  • In the first position, it enables fuel flow from a first fuel source to the engine via a first fuel line, and prevents fuel flow from a second fuel source via a second fuel line.
  • In the second position, it prevents fuel flow from the first fuel source.
    The switch also includes a fuel lockout apparatus connected to this valve. This apparatus prevents the second fuel source from connecting to its fuel line when the mechanical fuel valve is in the first position, and permits it to connect when the valve is in the second position.

• Claim 8: This claim also describes a mechanical fuel lockout switch for a dual fuel engine, focusing on preventing accidental fuel source activation. It includes a mechanical fuel valve that operates between a first position (allowing first fuel source communication, preventing second) and a second position (preventing first fuel source communication). The key feature is a fuel lockout apparatus coupled to the mechanical fuel valve, specifically designed to prevent the mechanical fuel valve from moving to the first position if the second fuel source is currently connected and supplying fuel to the engine.

• Claim 14: This claim defines a complete dual fuel generator and fuel delivery system. The system includes a dual fuel generator that runs on liquid fuel (from a liquid fuel source) and gaseous fuel (from a pressurized fuel source). A crucial part is a fuel regulator system located off-board the generator, which contains a primary pressure regulator (to reduce the high pressure from the pressurized fuel source) and a secondary pressure regulator (to further reduce it to the desired engine operating pressure). The system also incorporates a mechanical fuel valve that can open and close the liquid fuel line, and a fuel lockout apparatus connected to this valve. This lockout apparatus prevents the pressurized gaseous fuel source from connecting to the gaseous fuel line when the liquid fuel line is open, and allows it to connect when the liquid fuel line is closed by the mechanical fuel valve.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, a search of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) dockets for the specific patent number US11905895 did not yield any specific cases. The provided search results from the CAFC website primarily list general information such as scheduled cases, case records, and electronic filing procedures for various months in 2026, without mentioning any specific patent numbers in the brief snippets. Therefore, there is no authoritative information from the live search results indicating a CAFC 2026 docket specifically pertaining to US11905895.