Ratcheted fuel cap
First Claim
1. A fuel tank cap engageable with a neck of a fuel tank, the fuel tank having a fuel chamber adapted to contain fuel, the fuel tank cap comprising:
- a cap shell including a cover portion and a substantially cylindrical wall extending from the cover portion to at least partially define a substantially cylindrical chamber;
an arm extending from the cover portion toward the fuel chamber of the fuel tank when the fuel tank cap is installed on the fuel tank; and
an inner shell at least partially disposed within the cylindrical chamber, the inner shell including an engagement portion that is engageable with the neck and a protrusion engageable with the arm to selectively couple the cap shell and the inner shell for rotation in unison.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fuel tank cap that is engageable with a neck of a fuel tank. The fuel tank cap includes a cap shell that has a cover portion and a substantially cylindrical wall extending from the cover portion to define a substantially cylindrical chamber. An arm extends from the cover portion toward the fuel tank. An inner shell is at least partially disposed within the cylindrical chamber. The inner shell includes an engagement portion that is engageable with the neck and a protrusion that is engageable with the arm to selectively couple the cap shell and the inner shell for rotation in unison.
76 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A fuel tank cap engageable with a neck of a fuel tank, the fuel tank having a fuel chamber adapted to contain fuel, the fuel tank cap comprising:
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a cap shell including a cover portion and a substantially cylindrical wall extending from the cover portion to at least partially define a substantially cylindrical chamber;
an arm extending from the cover portion toward the fuel chamber of the fuel tank when the fuel tank cap is installed on the fuel tank; and
an inner shell at least partially disposed within the cylindrical chamber, the inner shell including an engagement portion that is engageable with the neck and a protrusion engageable with the arm to selectively couple the cap shell and the inner shell for rotation in unison. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A fuel tank cap engageable with a neck that defines a neck axis, the fuel tank cap comprising:
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an inner shell rotatable relative to the neck to move between an engaged position and a disengaged position;
a cap shell including an arm that defines an arm axis; and
a protrusion extending from the inner shell, the protrusion cooperating with the arm to couple the inner shell and the cap shell for rotation in unison from the disengaged position to the engaged position, the protrusion displacing the arm such that the cap shell rotates independent of the inner shell when rotated beyond the engaged position, the protrusion engaged with the arm to couple the inner shell and the cap shell for rotation in unison from the engaged position to the disengaged position. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A fuel tank cap engageable with a neck of a fuel tank that defines a neck axis, the fuel tank also having a fuel chamber adapted to contain fuel, the fuel tank cap comprising:
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a cap shell including a cover portion that is substantially normal to the neck axis and a substantially cylindrical wall extending from the cover portion to at least partially define a substantially cylindrical chamber;
an arm extending from the cover portion toward the fuel chamber of the fuel tank;
an inner shell at least partially disposed within the cylindrical chamber and engageable with the neck, the inner shell rotatable relative to the neck to move between a disengaged position and an engaged position; and
a protrusion having a first side and a second side, the first side engageable with the arm to couple the cap shell and inner shell for rotation from the engaged position to the disengaged position, the second side engageable with the arm to couple the cap shell and inner shell for rotation from the disengaged position to the engaged position when a rotational torque is below an engaged value, the second side operable to displace the arm such that the cap shell rotates independent of the inner shell when the rotational torque exceeds the engaged value. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification