FUEL FILLER NOZZLE FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE

• US 20080000544A1
• Filed: 06/28/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Aitken, Brian, Beier, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,530,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/350
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/005 Spouts
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/42 Filling nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/425 including components powered by electricity or light

Abstract

A fuel filler nozzle for an automotive vehicle includes an axially insertable guide spud for opening a capless filler pipe closure device. A vacuum shroud is mounted to the guide spud, and a fuel supply tube is telescopically mounted within the guide spud and the shroud. The fuel supply tube has a retracted position within the guide spud and an extended position in which a flexible portion of the fuel supply tube extends through the vacuum shroud and guide spud.

Claims

1. A fuel filler nozzle for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a generally tubular, axially insertable guide spud for opening a capless filler pipe closure device;

a generally tubular shroud mounted to said guide spud; and

a fuel supply tube having at least a retracted position in which the fuel supply tube extends through said shroud and is telescoped into said guide spud, and an extended position, for introducing fuel into a filler pipe, in which the fuel tube extends through said shroud and said guide spud and into said filler pipe.

2. A fuel filler nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said shroud comprises a vacuum shroud which is slidably mounted to said guide spud upon a plurality of rails, with each of said rails having a resilient separator for maintaining a clearance between the shroud and the guide spud.

3. A fuel filler nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said guide spud and said shroud are unitary.

4. A fuel filler nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said shroud is slidably mounted to said guide spud upon a plurality of rails, with said shroud having a slide lock interposed between said shroud and at least one of said rails, with said slide lock being activatable when said fuel supply tube is in said retracted position, as well as when the fuel supply tube is in said extended position.

5. A fuel filler nozzle according to claim 4, further comprising a fuel flow control switch positioned between said shroud and said fuel supply tube, with said flow control switch being operated by a resiliently loaded plunger.

6. A fuel filler nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said fuel supply tube has a flexible end extending into said filler pipe.

7. A fuel filler nozzle according to claim 2, wherein said resilient separator comprises a compression spring.

8. A fuel filler nozzle according to claim 2, wherein said resilient separator comprises an air spring.

9. A fuel filler nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said shroud is slidably mounted to said guide spud.

10. A fuel filler nozzle according to claim 1, wherein adjoining ends of said guide spud and said shroud are bell-mouthed.

11. A method for filling a fuel tank of an automotive vehicle equipped with a filler pipe having a capless closure device, comprising the steps of:

inserting a generally tubular guide spud portion of a nozzle into said capless closure device, so as to open the closure device;

extending a flexible fuel supply tube telescopically from said guide spud and into said fuel filler pipe for a predetermined distance;

pumping a supply of fuel into said tank through said fuel supply tube;

withdrawing said fuel supply tube into said guide spud; and

removing said nozzle from said capless closure device.

12. A method for filling a fuel tank according to claim 11, further comprising the step of extracting fugitive fuel vapor from the vicinity of said capless closure device when the fuel supply tube is extended into said fuel filler pipe.

13. A fuel filler nozzle for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a generally tubular, axially insertable guide spud for opening a capless filler pipe closure device;

a generally tubular vacuum shroud mounted to said guide spud upon a plurality of rails;

a plurality of slide locks, with at least one of said locks being interposed between said shroud and each of said rails; and

a fuel supply tube having at least a retracted position in which the fuel supply tube extends through said vacuum shroud and is telescoped into said guide spud, and an extended position, for introducing fuel into a filler pipe, in which the fuel tube extends through said vacuum shroud and said guide spud and into said filler pipe, with said slide locks being arranged so that relative movement between said guide spud and said vacuum shroud is prevented when said fuel supply tube is in either said retracted position or said extended position.

14. A fuel filler nozzle according to claim 13, further comprising a fuel flow control switch interposed between said guide spud and said vacuum shroud.

15. A fuel filler nozzle according to claim 13, further comprising a fuel flow control switch interposed between said vacuum shroud and said fuel supply tube.

16. A fuel filler nozzle according to claim 13, wherein each of said slide locks comprises a remotely operated latch.

17. A fuel filler nozzle according to claim 13, wherein each of said slide locks comprises a latch remotely operated by a linear actuator.

18. A fuel filler nozzle according to claim 17, wherein said linear actuator comprises an air cylinder.