Apparatus and method for monitoring motor vehicle fuel tank cap

• US 6,285,934 B1
• Filed: 11/26/1999
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gas Cap Inc.
• Original Assignee: Richard J. Shaw
• Inventors: Shaw, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US09/450,281
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/29, 731/49, 732/90.R, 733/09, 73/250.1, 73/310.5, 733/04.C, 733/01, 220/288, 220/203, 220/303, 220/304, 220/203.05, 220/203.06, 220/295, 220/210, 220/DIG.3, 81/34, 811/211
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/0406 Filler caps for fuel tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/22 Strain gauge
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/225 Wheatstone bridge circuit

Abstract

Proper mounting of a motor vehicle fuel tank cap on a vehicle fill pipe is of major importance to reduce the vapors which on escaping from the fuel tank contributes to environ-mental pollution, to insure proper mounting of the gas cap there is provided in this invention apparatus and method for monitoring proper mounting of the motor vehicle fuel tank cap, on the fill pipe of the vehicle and the apparatus includes strain gauges, connected to a monitor computer and an alarm activated by the monitor computer to indicate proper or improper mounting of the fuel tank cap on the fill pipe of the vehicle fuel tank.

Claims

1. Apparatus for monitoring motor vehicle fuel tank caps comprising;

a a torsion plate and channel walls in said torsion plate;

b said channel walls providing channels in said torsion plate;

c a torsion plate cover extending over said torsion plate;

d a shaft of said torsion plate comprising torsion plate shaft pillars, and said pillars connected to a crown on shaft of said torsion plate;

e a strain gauge mounted on each of said torsion plate shaft pillars;

f said strain gauges comprising a wheatstone bridge circuit, with wires extending from said strain gauges to contact rings mounted inside of said torsion plate cover;

g one wire of said wires from each said strain gauge connected to a separate one of said contact rings;

h said contact rings are insulated each from the other by means of insulating ring spacers;

i said electric wires from said strain gauges attached to said contact rings and;

j contactor brushes for each said contact ring in contact with its respective said contact ring and said contactor brushes mounted on contactor arms;

k each said contact ring having its own set of a pair of said contact brushes mounted on said contactor arms and;

l a separate wire connected to each said contactor arm pair and said wire from each said contactor arm pair extending to a monitor computer alarm box, wherein response is made to a pre-set limit of electrical response as relayed by said strain gauges in response to torque developed on rotating said handle of said fuel tank cap torque monitoring apparatus on rotating said fuel tank cap on said filler pipe of said fuel tank.

2. Apparatus for monitoring motor vehicle fuel tank caps of claim 1 further comprising:

a monitor assembly and strain gauges mounted in said monitor assembly;

monitor computer alarm means responsive to output signals from said strain gauges for generating a signal to said monitor computer alarm.

3. Apparatus for monitoring motor vehicle fuel tank caps of claim 2, further comprising:

said strain gauges mounted on torsion plate shaft pillars of said torsion plate.

4. Method for monitoring motor vehicle fuel tank caps mounted on filler pipe comprising:

a a torsion plate and channel walls in said torsion plate;

b said channel walls providing channels in said torsion plate;

c a torsion plate cover extending over said torsion plate;

d a shaft of said torsion plate comprising torsion plate shaft pillars, and said pillars connected to a crown on shaft of said torsion plate;

e a strain gauge mounted on each of said torsion plate shaft pillars;

f said strain gauges comprising a wheatstone bridge circuit, with wires extending from said strain gauges to contact rings mounted inside of said torsion plate cover;

g one wire of said wires from each said strain gauge connected to a separate one of said contact rings;

h said contact rings are insulated each from the other by means of insulating ring spacers;

i said electric wires from said strain gauges attached to said contact rings;

j contactor brushes for each said contact ring in contact with its respective said contact ring arms;

k each said contact ring having its own set of a pair of said contact brushes mounted on said contactor arms and;

l a separate wire connected to each said contactor arm pair and said wire from each said contactor arm pair extending to a monitor computer alarm box wherein response is made to a pre-set limit of electrical response as relayed by said strain gauges in response to torque developed by the step of rotating clockwise said handle of said fuel tank cap torque monitoring apparatus on tightening said vehicle fuel tank cap on said filler pipe of said fuel tank.