Pressure-vacuum relief fuel tank cap with roll-over safety valve feature

• US 4,162,021 A
• Filed: 09/26/1975
• Issued: 07/24/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stant Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stant Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Crute, Billy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoap, Allan N.
• Application Number:
  US05/616,960
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 137/43, 137/533.15, 220/203, 220/303, 220/202
• US Class Current: 220/202
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/0406 Filler caps for fuel tanks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0874 Vent opening or closing on tipping container
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7912 Separable seat

Abstract

A pressure-vacuum cap for a chamber such as an automobile gas tank having a normally upwardly extending filler neck formed with a peripherally and radially extending, upwardly facing sealing surface concentric with the longitudinal axis of the neck, the cap comprising a cover, a concentric housing extending downwardly from the cover into the filler neck and a gasket or gaskets providing a seal between the housing and the sealing surface, the housing providing a valve body having a centrally disposed, concentric passageway extending axially therethrough and in communication with the chamber. A pressure-vacuum valve assembly is disposed in that passageway for normalizing the pressure in the chamber, venting the chamber to atmosphere when the pressure in the chamber exceeds a predetermined superatmospheric level and when the pressure in the chamber drops below a predetermined subatmospheric level. The cap also provides, in addition to the pressure-vacuum valve assembly, a roll-over valve assembly. Particularly, a rubber-like insert is disposed in the passageway to provide a downwardly facing, generally conical valve seat, and a ball is disposed in the passageway to move against the valve seat to close the passageway against movement of fluid from the chamber when the filler neck is tilted downwardly to a predetermined angle relative to a horizontal plane. The rubber-like insert also provides a seal against the pressure-vacuum valve assembly.

Claims

1. A pressure-vacuum cap for a vehicle fuel tank having a normally upwardly extending filler neck formed with a peripherally and radially extending, upwardly facing sealing surface concentric with the longitudinal axis of said neck, said cap comprising a cover, means providing a concentric housing extending downwardly into said filler neck and connected to said cover, said housing means including a valve body providing a centrally disposed concentric passageway extending axially therethrough and in communication with said tank, a pressure-vacuum valve subassembly disposed in said passageway for normalizing the pressure in such a tank, venting the tank to atmosphere when the pressure in the tank exceeds a predetermined superatmospheric level and when the pressure in the tank drops below a predetermined subatmospheric level, said subassembly including an outer closure shell, means providing a seal between said closure shell and said sealing surface of said filler neck, said shell terminating with an axially inner portion formed with a central vent opening therein, in which the improvement comprises a rubber-like insert disposed in said passageway axially inwardly from said shell, said insert having a concentric vent passageway extending axially therethrough and an axially downwardly facing valve seat bounding said vent passageway, said insert also having an upper portion in sealing engagement with said shell inner portion about said central vent opening, and a ball disposed in said passageway to move into closing engagement with said valve seat when the filler neck is tilted downwardly.

2. The improvement of claim 1 in which said insert upper portion is formed to receive and sealably engage said shell inner portion.

3. The improvement of claim 2 in which said valve body passageway is provided with an axially outwardly facing ledge upon which said insert rests, said housing means holding said shell downwardly in sealing engagement with said insert.

4. A pressure-vacuum cap for a vehicle fuel tank having a normally upwardly extending filler neck formed with a peripherally and radially extending sealing surface concentric with the longitudinal axis of said neck, said cap comprising a cover, a valve body providing a centrally disposed passageway extending axially therethrough concentric with and in communication with said filler neck, means for connecting said valve body to said cover so that said valve body extends axially downwardly into said filler neck, said valve body and its passageway having an axially upper end portion and an axially lower end portion, pressure-vacuum valve means disposed in the upper end portion of said passageway for normalizing the pressure in such a tank, venting the tank to atmosphere when the pressure in the tank exceeds a predetermined superatmospheric level and when the pressure in the tank drops below a predetermined subatmospheric level, said valve means including an axially downwardly projecting, generally concentric shell portion having a central vent opening therein, in which the improvement comprises a rubber-like insert disposed in the lower portion of said passageway and sealably engaging said shell portion about said vent opening, said insert having a venting passageway extending axially therethrough in communication with said vent opening, said insert being formed to have an axially downwardly facing concentric valve seat about its said venting passageway, and a ball disposed in the lower portion of said valve body passageway to move into closing engagement with said valve seat.

5. In a pressure-vacuum cap for a chamber having a normally upwardly extending filler neck formed with a peripherally and radially extending, upwardly facing sealing surface concentric with the longitudinal axis of said neck, said cap comprising a cover, means providing a concentric housing extending downwardly into said filler neck and connected to said cover, means providing a seal between said housing means and said sealing surface, said housing means including a valve body providing a centrally disposed concentric passageway extending axially therethrough and in communication with said chamber, pressure-vacuum valve means disposed in said passageway for normalizing the pressure in such a chamber, venting the chamber to atmosphere when the pressure in the chamber exceeds a predetermined superatmospheric level and when the pressure in the chamber drops below a predetermined subatmospheric level, said valve body including, in said passageway, a resilient plug providing a concentric, axially downwardly facing valve seat with a concentric venting opening extending axially therethrough, and a ball disposed in said passageway to move into closing engagement with said valve seat to close said passageway against the movement of fluid from said chamber when the filler neck is tilted downwardly to a predetermined angle relative to a horizontal plane, the improvement wherein said pressure-vacuum valve means includes an outer closure shell for housing a pressure-vacuum valve assembly, said shell terminating with an axially inner portion formed with a central vent opening therein, and said resilient plug comprising a rubber-like insert disposed in said passageway axially inwardly from said shell, said insert having a concentric vent passageway extending axially therethrough and an axially downwardly facing valve seat bounding said vent passageway, said insert also having an upper portion in sealing engagement with said shell axially inner portion about said central vent opening, and a ball disposed in said passageway to move into closing engagement with said valve seat when said filler neck is tilted downwardly.