Inlet tray of a car tank

• US 5,772,062 A
• Filed: 04/05/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ITW Ateco GmbH (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITW Ateco GmbH (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Gramss, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoap, Allan N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEWHOUSE, NATHAN JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US08/628,425
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 280/830, 280/834, 220/562, 220/581, 220/582, 220/4.12, 220/4.14, 220/329, 220/331, 220/332, 220/333, 220/334, 220/263, 220/264, 220/335, 220/86.1, 220/86.2, 220/324, 220/326, 292/141, 292/171, 292/DIG. 25, 292/DIG. 72, 296/97.22, 16/287, 16/297
• US Class Current: 220/829
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/05 Inlet covers

Abstract

An inlet tray of a car tank, comprising a tray body and a tank cap, the tank cap being pivotally supported by the tray body at one end thereof and being adapted to be brought from a closed position to an opened position and vice versa, the tank cap further including locking or arresting elements cooperating with locking or arresting elements of the tank tray, the tank cap being supported such that upon releasing the locking or arresting elements the tank cap can be moved towards the locking or arresting elements of the tray body, and a spring element is provided between the tray body and tank cap which pretensions the cap towards the mentioned direction of movement.

Claims

1. A system for mounting a closure member upon a support body, comprising:

a closure member;

a support body having an opening defined therein which is adapted to be covered by said closure member;

said closure member is mounted upon said support body for movement between an opened position at which said opening defined within said support body is uncovered, and a closed position at which said closure member covers said opening defined within said support body;

latching means defined between said support body and a first side portion of said closure member for maintaining said closure member in a latched state at said closed position with respect to said support body whereby said closure member covers said opening defined within said support body, and for releasing said closure member such that said closure member is disposed in an unlatched state and can be moved to said opened position; and

mounting arm means pivotally connected at one end thereof to said support body and pivotally connected at another end thereof to a second side portion of said closure member for mounting said closure member upon said support body such that when said latching means is released so as to permit said closure member to be moved from said latched closed position to said unlatched opened position, said closure member moves in a direction extending substantially from said second side portion thereof toward said first side portion thereof and then away from said closed position toward said opened position.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said support body comprises an inlet tray of an automotive fuel tank; and

said closure member comprises an automotive fuel tank cap.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

spring-biasing means interposed between said support body and said mounting arm means for biasing said mounting arm means in said direction extending from said second side portion of said closure member toward said first side portion of said closure member.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3 further comprising:

stop means disposed upon said support body for limiting said movement of said mounting arm means in said direction extending from said second side portion of said closure member toward said first side portion of said closure member under the biasing influence of said spring-biasing means.

5. The system as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

said first side portion of said closure member comprises an arcuate shaped portion for biasingly engaging an edge portion of said support body defining said opening within said support body such that as said mounting arm means is biased in said direction by said spring-biasing means, said arcuate shaped portion of said closure member and said edge portion of said support body cooperate to bias said closure member outwardly away from said closed position with respect to said support body and toward said opened position with respect to said support body.

6. The system as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

said spring-biasing means comprises a substantially U-shaped leaf spring comprising a pair of legs wherein a first one of said pair of legs is engaged with said mounting arm means and a second one of said pair of legs is engaged with said support body.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said mounting arm means has a first portion thereof pivotally connected to said support body, and a second portion thereof pivotally connected to said closure member, said first and second portions of said mounting arm being disposed at a predetermined obtuse angle with respect to each other.

8. A system for mounting a closure member upon a support body, comprising:

a support body having an opening defined therein;

closure means operatively associated with said support body for covering said opening of said support body when said closure means is disposed at a closed position with respect to said support body, and for uncovering said opening of said support body when said closure means is disposed at an opened position with respect to said support body;

releasable latching means defined between said support body and a first side portion of said closure means for maintaining said closure means at a first latched position at which said closure means is disposed at said closed position with respect to said support body, and for releasing said closure means to a second unlatched position from which said closure means can be moved to said opened position; and

mounting arm means pivotally connected at one end thereof to said support body and pivotally connected at another end thereof to a second side portion of said closure means for mounting said closure means upon said support body such that when said latching means releases said closure means so as to permit said closure means to move from said latched closed position to said unlatched opened position, said closure means undergoes compound movement comprising a first sidewise movement in a direction extending substantially from said second side portion thereof toward said first side portion thereof and subsequently a second movement away from said closed position toward said opened position.

9. The system as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

said mounting arm means comprises a first portion connected to said support body, and a second portion, integral with said first portion, connected to said closure means wherein said first and second portions of said mounting arm means are disposed at a predetermined obtuse angle with respect to each other.

10. The system as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

spring-biasing means interposed between said support body and said mounting arm means for biasing said mounting arm means in said sidewise direction extending from said second side portion of said closure means toward said first side portion of said closure means.

11. A system as set forth in claim 10, further comprising:

stop means disposed upon said support body for limiting said movement of said mounting arm means in said sidewise direction extending from said second side portion of said closure means toward said first side portion of said closure means under the biasing influence of said spring-biasing means.

12. A system as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

said first side portion of said closure means comprises an arcuate-shaped portion for biasingly engaging an edge portion of said support body which defines said opening within said support body such that as said mounting arm means is biased in said sidewise direction by said spring-biasing means, said arcuate-shaped portion of said closure means and said edge portion of said support body cooperate together so as to cause said closure means to undergo said second movement away from said closed position with respect to said support body and toward said opened position with respect to said support body.

13. The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

said spring-biasing means comprises a substantially U-shaped leaf spring comprising a pair of legs wherein a first one of said pair of legs is engaged with said mounting arm means and a second one of said pair of legs is engaged with said support body.

14. The system as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

said support body comprises an inlet tray of an automotive fuel tank; and

said closure means comprises an automotive fuel tank closure cap.

15. A system for mounting an automotive fuel tank closure cap upon an automotive fuel tank inlet tray, comprising:

an automotive fuel tank inlet tray having an opening defined therein which is adapted to be covered by a closure;

an automotive fuel tank closure cap mounted upon said automotive fuel tank inlet tray for movement between a closed position at which said closure cap covers said opening defined within said inlet tray, and an opened position at which said closure cap uncovers said opening defined within said inlet tray;

releasable latching means defined between a first side portion of said inlet tray and a first side portion of said closure cap for maintaining said closure cap at a latched position which corresponds to said closed position with respect to said inlet tray at which said closure cap covers said opening defined within said inlet tray, and for releasing said closure cap to an unlatched position such that said closure cap can be moved toward said opened position at which said closure cap uncovers said opening defined within said inlet tray; and

mounting arm means pivotally connected at one end thereof to a second side portion of said inlet tray and pivotally connected at another end thereof to a second side portion of said closure cap for mounting said closure cap upon said inlet tray such that when said latching means releases said closure cap so as to permit said closure cap to move from said closed and latched position toward said unlatched and opened position, said closure cap undergoes compound movement with respect to said inlet tray comprising a first sidewise movement in a direction extending substantially from said second side portion thereof toward said first side portion thereof, and subsequently, a second movement away from said closed position with respect to said inlet tray toward said opened position with respect to said inlet tray.

16. The system as set forth in claim 15, wherein:

said mounting arm means comprises a first portion connected to said inlet tray, and a second portion, integral with said first portion, connected to said closure cap wherein said first and second portions of said mounting arm means are disposed at a predetermined obtuse angle with respect to each other.

17. The system as set forth in claim 15, further comprising:

spring-biasing means interposed between said second side portion of said inlet tray and said mounting arm means for biasing said mounting arm means in said sidewise direction extending from said second side portion of said inlet tray toward said first side portion of said inlet tray.

18. The system as set forth in claim 17, further comprising:

stop means mounted upon said inlet tray for engaging said mounting arm means and thereby limiting said pivotal movement of said mounting arm means with respect to said inlet tray under the influence of the biasing force of said spring-biasing means.

19. A system as set forth in claim 17, wherein:

said first side portion of said closure cap comprises an arcuate-shaped portion for biasingly engaging an edge portion of said inlet tray which defines said opening within said inlet tray such that as said mounting means arm is biased in said sidewise direction by said spring-biasing means, said arcuate-shaped portion of said closure cap and said edge portion of said inlet tray cooperate together so as to cause said closure cap to undergo said second movement away from said closed position with respect to said inlet tray and toward said opened position with respect to said inlet tray.

20. The system as set forth in claim 17, wherein:

said spring-biasing means comprises a substantially U-shaped leaf spring comprising a pair of legs wherein a first one of said pair of legs is engaged with said mounting arm means and a second one of said pair of legs is engaged with said inlet tray.