Auto venting fuel cap
First Claim
1. A fuel cap comprising:
- a threaded housing;
a crown covering said threaded housing and having an aperture;
a pressure relief valve carried by said threaded housing; and
interconnecting means for selectively establishing a driving relationship between said threaded housing and said crown and for opening said pressure relief valve,whereby said interconnecting means is manually operable through said aperture to open said pressure relief valve and simultaneously establish a driving relationship between said threaded housing and said crown in a cap-removal direction, enhancing the safety of said cap.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fuel cap for closing a threaded filler neck of a fuel tank is disclosed. The can has a central button or driver which reciprocates within an opening in the crown of the cap. When the cap is installed on a filler neck, the driver is in an upper position and the crown freely rotates relative to the threaded housing in a cap-removal direction. When the driver is depressed, a pressure relief valve is opened and a driving relationship is created between the crown and the threaded housing in a cap-removal direction, permitting the cap to be removed from the filler neck. When the crown is rotated in a cap-installation direction, the driver is moved to the upper position and the pressure relief valve is closed.
132 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A fuel cap comprising:
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a threaded housing; a crown covering said threaded housing and having an aperture; a pressure relief valve carried by said threaded housing; and interconnecting means for selectively establishing a driving relationship between said threaded housing and said crown and for opening said pressure relief valve, whereby said interconnecting means is manually operable through said aperture to open said pressure relief valve and simultaneously establish a driving relationship between said threaded housing and said crown in a cap-removal direction, enhancing the safety of said cap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 18)
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3. A cap for closing a threaded filler neck of a fuel tank, comprising:
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a threaded housing which rotatably engages said filler neck; a means for establishing a seal between said cap and said filler neck; a pressure relief valve carried by said threaded housing; a manually rotatable crown covering said threaded housing and having an aperture; a driver reciprocable axially within said aperture between upper and lower positions and rotatably coupled to said crown; actuator means connected to said driver for opening said pressure relief valve, said actuator means reciprocating axially with said driver between first and second positions; and a ratchet ring operatively connected to said driver and said actuator establishing a driving connection between said threaded housing and said crown; whereby, when said driver is in said upper position, said actuator means is in said first position and said pressure relief valve is closed, said crown is freely rotatable relative to said housing in a cap-removal direction, and said ratchet ring rotatably establishes a driving connection between said housing and said crown in a cap-installation direction, and when said driver is manually depressed to said lower position, said actuator means is moved to said second position to open said pressure relief valve and said ratchet ring rotatably establishes a driving connection between said housing and said crown in a cap removal direction, enhancing the safety of said cap. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification