Fuel cap for vehicle

• US 20070090113A1
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Otsuka, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,588,159 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/304
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/0406 Filler caps for fuel tanks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 220/33 Gasoline tank cap

Abstract

A fuel cap for closing a filler neck of a fuel tank for a vehicle includes a cover pivotally supporting a handle for movement between an extended position and a retracted position. The cover encloses an outwardly extending flange portion of a threaded closure body. Ratchet teeth are formed on a wall of the cover opposite from the wall pivotally supporting the handle. The handle operably engages a surface of the flange portion for moving the ratchet teeth toward the opposite surface of the flange portion. The opposite surface of the flange portion includes corresponding ratchet teeth engageable with the ratchet teeth of the cover when the handle is in an extended position. A biasing member urges the intermeshing ratchet teeth toward a disengaged position when the handle is in the retracted position.

Claims

1. A fuel cap assembly for use in a filler neck opening of a vehicle, comprising:

a closure body rotatable about a central axis in opening and closing directions and adapted for insertion into the filler neck opening;

a cover rotatable about the central axis in opening and closing directions and moveable axially inwardly and outwardly relative to the closure body;

a first clutch portion on the cover and a second clutch portion on the closure body, the first and second clutch portions operative when engaged with each other to effect rotational movement of the closure body in response to rotational movement of the cover, the first and second clutch portions being arranged to engage with each other in response to outward axial movement of the cover relative to the closure body, and to disengage with each other in response to inward axial movement of the cover relative to the closure body.

2. The fuel cap assembly according to claim 1 further comprising:

an actuator mounted on the cover and moveable from an inoperative position where the first and second clutches are disengaged to an operative position where the first and second clutch portions are engaged.

3. The fuel cap assembly according to claim 2 further comprising:

a biasing member operatively coupled to the cover and the closure body to urge the cover to inward axial movement relative to the closure body, and thereby disengage the first and second clutch portions.

4. The fuel cap assembly according to claim 1 further comprising:

each clutch portion including a series of circumferentially spaced ratchet teeth.

5. The fuel cap assembly according to claim 4 further comprising:

each ratchet tooth having an interlocking surface, extending in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis about which the cover and closure body rotate, and a sloped surface extending at a predetermined angle with respect to the interlocking surface; and

the teeth configured and arranged such that the respective sloped surfaces are engaged as the cover and the closure body are rotated in a closing direction and the respective interlocking surfaces are engaged as the cover and closure body are rotated in an opening direction.

6. The fuel cap assembly according to claim I further comprising:

the cover including an outer wall and an inner wall spaced apart to define a hollow interior therebetween;

the inner wall having an opening therethrough;

wherein the first clutch portion is provided on the inner wall of the cover; and

the closure body including a flange and a body portion extending from the flange and sized for insertion in the filler neck opening;

the flange positioned within the hollow interior, and the body portion extending through the opening in the inner wall of the cover;

wherein the second clutch portion is provided on the flange of the closure body.

7. The fuel cap assembly according to claim 6 further comprising:

the outer wall of the cover including opposing exterior and interior faces and an opening extending therethrough;

an actuator including a handle mounted on the exterior face of the outer wall for movement between a retracted position and an extended position in which a portion of the handle extends through the opening in the outer wall to engage the flange and force outward axial movement of the cover relative to the closure body.

8. The fuel cap for use with a opening of a fuel tank for a vehicle, comprising:

a cover having first and second walls and an interior chamber located between the walls, each of the walls having an opening therethrough, and a first clutch portion inside the interior chamber and associated with the second wall of the cover;

a closure body having a flange, a threaded portion depending from the flange and sized for insertion into a filler neck, the threaded portion defining an axis about which the cover and closure body may be rotated, and a second clutch portion associated with the flange;

wherein at least a portion of the flange and the second clutch portion are within the interior chamber of the cover, and the threaded portion extends through the opening of second wall of the cover;

wherein the cover is movable relative to the closure body between an axially inward disengagement position and an axially outward engagement position;

a hand-driven actuator mounted to the cover for movement between a retracted position and an extended position, where in the extended position, a portion of the actuator extends through the opening in the first wall and into the interior chamber of the cover to engage the closure body in an action that forces the cover to the axially outward engagement position; and

the first and second clutch portions being arranged to engage with each other to permit the transmission of rotational torque to the closure body from the cover when the cover is the axially outward engagement position.

9. The fuel cap according to claim 8 further comprising:

biasing means for urging the cover to the axially inward disengagement position when the hand-driven actuator is its retracted position.

10. The fuel cap according to claim 8 further comprising:

biasing means for urging at least a portion the flange of the closure body into engagement with at least a portion of the first wall of the cover when the handle of the cover is placed in its retracted position.

11. The fuel cap according to claim 8 further comprising:

a spring coaxially mounted on the threaded portion of the closure body within the interior chamber and coupled to the cover and the closure body.

12. The fuel cap according to claim 8 further comprising:

the clutch portion on the cover having a plurality of ratchet teeth having a substantially right triangular cross section including an interlocking surface and a sloped surface extending at a predetermined angle with respect to one another.

13. The fuel cap according to claim 12 further comprising:

the clutch portion on the closure body having a plurality of ratchet teeth having a substantially right triangular cross section including an interlocking surface and a sloped surface extending at a predetermined angle with respect to one another.

14. A fuel cap for closing a fuel tank comprising:

a rotatable cover having first and second walls and a hollow interior located between the walls;

a handle pivotally connected to the cover for movement between a standing position and a folded position, a portion of the handle operably extending inwardly into the hollow interior of the cover through at least one aperture located in the cover when the handle is in the standing position;

a plurality of ratchet teeth formed on a radially inwardly extending surface facing the hollow interior and associated with the cover;

a closure housing having a cylindrical portion and an annular flange extending outwardly from the cylindrical portion, the cylindrical portion for sealingly engaging with respect to the filler neck of the fuel tank to be closed, the inwardly extending portion of the handle operably engageable with the annular flange of the closure housing through the aperture located in the cover for axially moving the cover outwardly with respect to the closure housing between an axially inwardly located, ratchet-disengaged position and an axially outwardly located, ratchet-engaged position; and

a plurality of ratchet teeth located on a radially outwardly extending surface of the annular flange of the closure housing on a side of the flange opposite from the handle, where the plurality of ratchet teeth formed on the radially inwardly extending surface associated with the cover are in the ratchet-engaged position with respect to the plurality of ratchet teeth formed on the surface of the flange when the handle is in the standing position and the cover is thereby moved to the axially outwardly located, ratchet-engaged position.

15. The fuel cap according to claim 14 further comprising:

a biasing member located between the cover and the flange of the closure housing to bias the cover toward the axially outwardly located ratchet-disengaged position.

16. The fuel cap according to claim 14 further comprising:

each tooth of the ratchet teeth formed on the cover having a substantially right triangular cross section.

17. The fuel cap according to claim 16 further comprising:

each tooth having a substantially perpendicularly extending interlocking surface and a sloped surface extending at a predetermined angle with respect to one another.

18. The fuel cap according to claim 14 further comprising:

each tooth of the ratchet teeth formed on the flange of the closure housing having a substantially right triangular cross section.

19. The fuel cap according to claim 18 further comprising:

each tooth having a substantially perpendicularly extending interlocking surface and a sloped surface extending at a predetermined angle with respect to one another.