Fuel Cap

• US 20130048639A1
• Filed: 08/27/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: WIESE, RICHARD W., STEC, JONATHAN J., MCCARTHY, TIMOTHY E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,701,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/315
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/03504 adapted to avoid loss of fuel or fuel vapour, e.g. with vapour recovery systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/0406 Filler caps for fuel tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/0409 Provided with a lock
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0438 using screw or bayonet

Abstract

A fuel cap for a filler neck on a fuel tank includes a cap body having threads for engaging the filler neck when the fuel cap is installed on the filler neck and a cap handle rotatably mounted on the cap body. A clutch acts between the cap handle and the cap body to permit the cap handle to rotate freely on the cap body when the clutch is disengaged. When the clutch is engaged, rotation of the cap handle will rotate the cap body so that the user can remove the fuel cap from the filler neck to refuel the vehicle. A pressure-sensing diaphragm disengages the clutch when the pressure differential between the fuel vapor pressure and the atmospheric pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold and engages the clutch when the pressure differential between the fuel vapor pressure and the atmospheric pressure is less than the predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A fuel cap for capping a filler neck on a fuel tank having fuel stored therein, said filler neck venting a volume of fuel vapor to the atmosphere when the fuel cap is removed by a user, and the volume of fuel vapor escaping depending upon the difference between the fuel vapor pressure and the atmospheric pressure, comprising:

a cap body having threads for engaging the filler neck when the fuel cap is installed on the filler neck;

a cap handle rotatably mounted on the cap body;

a clutch acting between the cap handle and the cap body to permit the cap handle to rotate freely on the cap body when the clutch is disengaged, and to lock the cap handle to the cap body when the clutch is engaged so that rotation of the cap handle by the user will remove the fuel cap from the filler neck; and

a pressure-sensing diaphragm mounted in the fuel cap and acting to disengage the clutch when the pressure differential between the fuel vapor pressure and the atmospheric pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold and engage the clutch when the pressure differential between the fuel vapor pressure and the atmospheric pressure is less than the predetermined threshold.

2. The fuel cap of claim 1 further comprising the pressure-sensing diaphragm being a disc of flexible material mounted on one of the cap handle and cap body and having a first side of the diaphragm exposed to fuel vapor pressure and a second side of the diaphragm exposed to atmospheric pressure.

3. The fuel cap of claim 1 further comprising said clutch including first teeth formed on one of the cap handle and the cap body, and a clutch plate that is movably mounted on the other of the cap handle and the cap body.

4. The fuel cap of claim 1 further comprising the pressure sensing diaphragm being a disc of flexible material mounted on the cap body.

5. The fuel cap of claim 1 further comprising the clutch including first teeth formed on the cap body and a clutch plate that is movably mounted on the cap handle, said clutch plate having second teeth thereon that respectively engage or disengage with the first teeth depending upon the position of the clutch plate within the cap handle.

6. The fuel cap of claim 5 further comprising the pressure-sensing diaphragm being mounted in the cap body and engaging the clutch plate to move the clutch plate up and down within the cap handle.

7. The fuel cap of claim 6 further comprising a spring acting on the pressure-sensing diaphragm and urging the pressure-sensing diaphragm in the direction to disengage the clutch.

8. The fuel cap of claim 6 further comprising a spring acting on the clutch plate urging the clutch plate to the clutch engaged position.

9. The fuel cap of claim 1 further comprising an indicator carried by the clutch plate and the cap handle having a window opening through which the indicator is visible to indicate whether the clutch is engaged or disengaged.

10. The fuel cap of claim 1 further comprising a window opening provided in the cap handle through which an implement can be inserted to manually engage the clutch irrespective of the pressure differential between the fuel vapor pressure and the atmospheric pressure.

11. A fuel cap for capping a filler neck on a fuel tank having fuel stored therein, said filler neck venting a volume of fuel vapor to the atmosphere when the cap is removed by a user, and the volume of fuel vapor escaping depending upon the difference between the fuel vapor pressure and the atmospheric pressure, comprising:

a cap body having threads for engaging and disengaging the filler neck when the cap body is rotated;

a cap handle rotatably mounted on the cap body;

a first set of clutch teeth provided on the cap body;

a clutch plate having a second set of clutch teeth for selectively engaging with the first set of clutch teeth so that rotation of the cap handle will rotate the cap body and for selectively disengaging the second set of clutch teeth from the first set of clutch teeth so that rotation of the cap handle will not rotate the cap body;

and a pressure-sensing diaphragm acting on the clutch plate to disengage the second set of clutch teeth from the first set of clutch teeth when the pressure differential between the fuel vapor pressure and the atmospheric pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold and to engage the second set of clutch teeth with first set of clutch teeth when the pressure differential between the fuel vapor pressure and the atmospheric pressure is less than the predetermined threshold.

12. The fuel cap of claim 11 further comprising:

the pressure-sensing diaphragm being a disc of flexible material mounted on the cap body and having a first side of the diaphragm exposed to fuel vapor pressure and a second side of the diaphragm exposed to atmospheric pressure.

13. The fuel cap of claim 11 further comprising said clutch plate being mounted on the cap handle in a manner that permits up and down movement of the clutch plate within the cap handle and the clutch plate is connected to the cap handle for rotation therewith.

14. The fuel cap of claim 11 further comprising a spring acting on at least one of the clutch plate and the pressure sensing diaphragm to establish a threshold of pressure differential at which the pressure sensing diaphragm will move the clutch plate to disengage the second set of clutch teeth from the first set of clutch teeth.

15. The fuel cap of claim 11 in which the first set of clutch teeth and the second set of clutch teeth are shaped to minimize the occurrence of a tip-on-tip engagement of the first and second sets of clutch teeth with one another.

16. The fuel cap of claim 11 further comprising an indicator carried by the clutch plate and the cap handle having a window opening through which the indicator is visible to indicate whether the clutch is engaged or disengaged.

17. The fuel cap of claim 11 further comprising a window opening provided in the cap handle through which an implement can be inserted to manually engage the clutch irrespective of the pressure differential between the fuel vapor pressure and the atmospheric pressure.

18. A fuel cap for capping a filler neck on a fuel tank having fuel stored therein, said filler neck venting a volume of fuel vapor to the atmosphere when the cap is removed by a user, and the volume of fuel vapor escaping depending upon the difference between the fuel vapor pressure and the atmospheric pressure, comprising:

a cap body having threads for engaging and disengaging the filler neck when the cap body is rotated;

a cap handle rotatably mounted on the cap body;

a first set of clutch teeth provided on the cap body;

a clutch plate mounted on the cap handle for up and down movement within the cap handle and rotation with the cap handle;

a pressure-sensing diaphragm of flexible material mounted within the cap body and having a first side of the diaphragm exposed to fuel vapor pressure and a second side of the diaphragm exposed to atmospheric pressure, said pressure-sensing diaphragm being operably coupled to the clutch plate for moving the clutch plate up and down within the cap handle; and

a second set of clutch teeth provided on the clutch plate for engaging and disengaging with the first set of clutch teeth provided on the cap body so that rotation of the cap handle will be either effective or ineffective to rotate the cap body depending upon the pressure differential sensed by the pressure-sensing diaphragm.

19. The fuel cap of claim 18 further comprising an indicator carried by the clutch plate and the cap handle having a window opening through which the indicator is visible to indicate whether the clutch is engaged or disengaged.

20. The fuel cap of claim 18 further comprising a window opening provided in the cap handle through which an implement can be inserted to manually engage the clutch irrespective of the pressure differential between the fuel vapor pressure and the atmospheric pressure.