Tamper resistant fuel receptacles

Abstract

Fuel receptacles and related systems are described that are tamper resistant. A fuel receptacle can include a housing having an opening through which fuel contained therein may be delivered to a fuel consuming device along a fuel path and a biased element. The biased element can be contained with the housing having an orifice and a notch and it can sealing the opening when biased into a first position. The fuel consuming device can contain a protruding member to contact the notch and cause the biased element to move along a plane perpendicular to the fuel path into a second position when the fuel receptacle is coupled to the fuel consuming device. The second position can cause the orifice to be aligned with the opening thereby permitting fuel to be delivered to the fuel consuming device along the fuel path.

1 . A fuel receptacle to deliver fuel to a fuel consuming device, the receptacle comprising: 
 a housing having an opening through which fuel contained therein may be delivered to the fuel consuming device along a fuel path; and    a biased element contained with the housing having an orifice and a notch, the biased element sealing the opening when biased into a first position, the fuel consuming device containing a protruding member to contact the notch and cause the biased element to move along a plane perpendicular to the fuel path into a second position when the fuel receptacle is coupled to the fuel consuming device, the second position causing the orifice to be aligned with the opening thereby permitting fuel to be delivered to the fuel consuming device along the fuel path.    
   
   
       2 . A fuel receptacle as in  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a top portion and a bottom portion.  
   
   
       3 . A fuel receptacle as in  claim 2 , wherein each of the top portion and the bottom portion contain a guiding track into which the biased element slides from the first position to the second position.  
   
   
       4 . A fuel receptacle as in  claim 1  further comprising a spring biasing the biasing element into the first position.  
   
   
       5 . A fuel receptacle as in  claim 1 , wherein the biased element retracts from the second position into the first position when the fuel consuming device is decoupled from the fuel receptacle.  
   
   
       6 . A fuel receptacle as in  claim 1 , wherein the protruding member is wedge shaped.  
   
   
       7 . A fuel receptacle as in  claim 1 , wherein the housing contains a slot aligned with the notch when the biased element is in the first position, wherein the protruding member extends through to contact the notch when the fuel receptacle is coupled to the fuel consuming device.  
   
   
       8 . A fuel receptacle as in  claim 1  further comprising a wedge shield positioned between the fuel and the biased element to impede access to the fuel within the housing.  
   
   
       9 . A fuel receptacle as in  claim 1 , wherein the fuel receptacle is a fuel cartridge and the fuel consuming device is a fuel cell.  
   
   
       10 . A fuel receptacle as in  claim 9 , wherein the fuel is methanol.  
   
   
       11 . A fuel receptacle as in  claim 10 , wherein the fuel cell is a liquid feed direct methanol fuel cell.  
   
   
       12 . A fuel receptacle as in  claim 1 , wherein the biasing element is substantially circular and rotatable along a central axis from the first position to the second position.  
   
   
       13 . A fuel receptacle as in  claim 1 , wherein the biasing element is substantially rectangular and slidable from the first position to the second position.  
   
   
       14 . A fuel receptacle as in  claim 1 , wherein the fuel is liquid, gas, or solid.  
   
   
       15 . A system comprising: 
 a fuel receptacle comprising: 
 a housing having an opening through which fuel contained therein may be delivered to the fuel consuming device along a fuel path; and  
 a biased element contained with the housing having an orifice and a notch, the biasing element sealing the opening when biased into a first position, the fuel consuming device containing a protruding member to contact the notch and cause the biased element to move along a plane perpendicular to the fuel path into a second position when the fuel receptacle is coupled to the fuel consuming device, the second position causing the orifice to be aligned with the opening thereby permitting fuel to be delivered to the fuel consuming device along the fuel path; and  
   a fuel consuming device.    
   
   
       16 . A system as in  claim 15 , wherein the fuel consuming device is a fuel cell.  
   
   
       17 . A system as in  claim 16 , further comprising a portable computing device powered by the fuel cell.  
   
   
       18 . A system as in  claim 17 , wherein the fuel is methanol.  
   
   
       19 . A system as in  claim 18 , wherein the fuel cell is a liquid feed direct methanol fuel cell.  
   
   
       20 . A liquid receptacle to deliver liquid to a liquid consuming device, the receptacle comprising: 
 a housing having an opening through which liquid contained therein may be delivered to the liquid consuming device along a flow path; and    sealing means contained with the housing having an orifice and a notch, the sealing means sealing the opening when biased into a first position, the liquid consuming device containing a protruding member to contact the notch and cause the sealing means to move along a plane perpendicular to the flow path into a second position when the liquid receptacle is coupled to the fuel consuming device, the second position causing the orifice to be aligned with the opening thereby permitting fuel to be delivered to the liquid consuming device along the flow path.