Locking fuel cap with plastic mechanism

• US 4,299,102 A
• Filed: 12/03/1979
• Issued: 11/10/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mr. Gasket, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Orion Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Aro, Ernesto
• Primary Examiner(s): Frazier, Roy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pietruszka, Carl F.
• Application Number:
  US06/099,538
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 70/165, 70/173, 70/169, 220/210, 220/DIG. 33
• US Class Current: 70/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/0409 Provided with a lock
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 220/33 Gasoline tank cap
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5571 Freely movable when locked
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5606 Latching bolt

Abstract

A threaded cap for sealing an automotive vehicle fuel tank is provided with a unitary molded central plastic core and a bonnet rotatably mounted on the plastic core. A pair of concentric races are defined on the plastic core. The inner race carries a unitary molded plastic frame which has a pair of resilient, closely spaced transverse cantilevered arms defining a gap therebetween. The frame is also provided with a resilient catch. A unitary molded plastic bolt is reciprocally movable along the gap to engage and disengage the core for rotation with the bonnet. The bolt has two detents which coact with the catch on the frame to hold the bolt at selected unlocking and locking dispositions of movement. The bolt includes a stud which projects into the gap between the arms so that the arms spring bias the bolt toward the locking disposition. A lock mechanism is used to shift the bolt to an unlocking disposition so that the fuel cap be disengaged from the fuel tank inlet pipe. Counter-rotation of the bonnet returns the bolt to a locking position.

Claims

1. A locking fuel tank cap comprising:

an externally threaded plastic core having a radial sealing lip and defining an inner annular race,

a bonnet which affords an external hand grip and which is coupled to said core for relative rotation thereto,

a unitary plastic frame mounted for rotation in said inner race having a resilient catch and a pair of resilient, transverse, cantilevered arms defining a gap therebetween that extends through the axial center of said inner race, and having,

a unitary plastic bolt having lugs at both ends, each one of which is engageable in an opposite direction of rotation, and said bolt has at least two detents for alternatively engaging said catch to hold said bolt in selected unlocking and locking dispositions of movement along said gap, and said bolt includes a stud which projects into said gap between said arms, whereby said arms spring bias said bolt toward said locking position,

a track for guiding said bolt for movement relative to said bonnet and said frame,

a unitary plastic latching ring coupled to said core for rotation therewith and having at least one radially inwardly directed tooth for engagement with said lugs of said bolt, and

a lock mechanism for shifting said bolt to an unlocking disposition in which said tooth is engaged with one of said lugs to rotate said core in a disengaging direction, and in which counter-rotation of said bonnet shifts said bolt to a locking disposition.

2. A locking fuel tank cap according to claim 1 further characterized in that said arms have bases and diverge to cantilevered extremities and said gap is narrow between said bases and widens at the cantilevered extremities of said arms and said stud is of wedge-shaped configuration with an apex directed toward the narrow end of said gap.

3. A locking fuel tank cap according to claim 2 further characterized in that said catch is a knob held on a cantilevered support.

4. A locking fuel tank cap according to claim 2 further characterized in that said track is formed by a plurality of parallel ribs on the upper side of said frame and by corresponding parallel ribs on the inside of said bonnet.

5. A locking fuel tank cap according to claim 2 further characterized in that said inner race includes a wall with an annular corrugated surface, and said frame includes a follower that ratchets across said corrugated surface as said frame rotates relative to said inner race.

6. A locking fuel tank cap comprising:

a hollow central unitary plastic core externally threaded at one end for mating engagement with a corresponding internally threaded fuel tank inlet pipe, and having a radially outwardly directed circumferential sealing lip at the other end, and said core defines a central axial recess with inner and outer annular transversely disposed races located within said lip,

a bonnet for providing a hand grip and positioned to coaxially encircle said sealing lip of said central core,

means for securing said bonnet against axial movement relative to said core,

a unitary transverse plastic frame rotatably supported by said inner race and including a resilient detent catch, a pair of smooth, elastically resilient transverse cantilevered arms joined at proximately located bases on said frame and extending radially inwardly from said frame to define a narrow gap therebetween which widens to a mouth at the cantilevered extremities thereof,

a unitary plastic bolt reciprocally movable relative to said frame along said gap and having diametrically opposite lugs facing in opposite clockwise and counterclockwise directions, and having a stud depending into said gap between said cantilevered arms, and a plurality of recesses that receive said detent catch when said bolt is moved along said track, whereby said stud forces said cantilevered arms apart when moved toward said bases thereof, and the countervailing elasticity of said arms tends to force said guide stud toward said mouth, thereby pushing said bolt away from said bases of said arms, and said detent catch coacts with said recesses in said bolt to resist the force of said arms,

a transverse track to restrict movement of said bolt to a longitudinal path along said gap,

a locking mechanism actuable for moving said bolt along said track, and

a latching ring mounted in said outer race and having at least one radially inwardly directed tooth which is engagable by opposite ones of said lugs of said bolt moving in opposite directions of rotation, and said latching ring is engageable with said core in torque limiting fashion when rotated in a direction to tighten said core onto said fuel tank inlet pipe.

7. A locking fuel tank cap according to claim 6 further characterized in that a lubricating grease is applied to said inner and outer races.

8. A locking fuel tank cap according to claim 6 further characterized in that said cantilevered extremities of said arms are configured to define convex surfaces, and said stud is of wedge-shaped configuration with an apex directed along the center of said gap toward said bases of said arms.