Fuel-dispensing nozzle inhibitor

• US 7,182,111 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stant USA Corporation (Vapor Acquisition Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Stant Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: McClung, Chad A., Frank, Kevin M., Harris, Wayne O.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAUST, TIMOTHY LEWIS
• Application Number:
  US11/196,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20060032549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 141/2, 141/18, 141/301, 141/302, 141348-352, 141/367, 141/368, 220/86.2, 220/DIG.33, 137/588
• US Class Current: 141/352
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/04 Tank inlets B60K15/077 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0461 comprising a filler pipe shutter, e.g. trap, door or flap for fuel inlet
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0483 Means to inhibit the introduction of too small or too big filler nozzles

Abstract

A nozzle inhibitor is positioned in a filler neck closure assembly between a pivotable outer door and a pivotable inner door to prevent a user from pumping unleaded fuel into a diesel fuel tank. The nozzle inhibitor blocks full insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into the filler neck closure assembly yet allows full insertion of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the filler neck closure assembly.

Claims

1. A nozzle inhibitor apparatus comprising

a fill tube adapted to be coupled to a fuel tank of a motor vehicle having a diesel engine, the fill tube having a nozzle-receiving aperture normally closed by an outer door mounted for movement relative to the fill tube between aperture-closing and aperture-opening positions, the outer door being arranged to be moved to an opened position by a nozzle inserted through the nozzle-receiving aperture, and

means positioned in the fill tube and responsive to movement of the outer door for preventing insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into the fill tube while allowing insertion of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fill tube.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fill tube includes a filler neck coupled to the fuel tank and a filler neck closure assembly coupled to the filler neck, the filler neck closure assembly includes a housing having an outer nozzle-receiving aperture normally closed by the outer door and an inner nozzle-receiving aperture normally closed by a pivotable inner door, and the preventing means is located in the filler neck closure assembly between the outer door and the pivotable inner door.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the preventing means includes a stop gate and a cam member coupled to the stop gate, a unit comprising the stop gate and the cam member coupled thereto is movable in a direction generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the filler neck closure assembly between a first position blocking insertion of the unleaded fuel nozzle into the filler neck closure assembly past the stop gate and a second position allowing insertion of the diesel fuel nozzle into the filler neck closure assembly past the stop gate, and the pivotable outer door engages the cam member to move the unit to the second position as the pivotable outer door moves to an opened position in response to the insertion of the large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the filler neck closure assembly through the outer nozzle-receiving aperture.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the preventing means includes means for supporting movement of the unit in the generally perpendicular direction between the first and second positions.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the supporting means includes a partition member and a bottom wall of the housing and the unit is supported for reciprocating movement between the first and second positions between a lower surface of the partition member and an upper surface of the bottom wall.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the preventing means includes a stop gate and a cam member coupled to the stop gate, a unit comprising the stop gate and the cam member coupled thereto is movable in a direction generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the fill tube between a first position blocking insertion of the unleaded fuel nozzle into the fill tube past the stop gate and a second position allowing insertion of the diesel fuel nozzle into the fill tube past the stop gate, the door engages the cam member to move the unit to the second position as the door moves to an opened position in response to the insertion of the large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fill tube through the outer nozzle-receiving aperture.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the cam member is integrally formed with the stop member.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the preventing means includes a spring biasing the unit to the first position, and the door engages the cam member to move the unit to the second position against the biasing spring as the door moves to an opened position in response to the insertion of the large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fill tube through the outer nozzle-receiving aperture.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the preventing means includes a stop gate arranged normally to intercept and block further movement of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle moving into the fill tube and a cam face located between the nozzle-receiving aperture formed in the fill tube and the stop gate and arranged to lie in an intercept position to intercept the outer door as the outer door is being moved by a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle moving into the fill tube and wherein the stop gate is coupled to the cam face for movement therewith relative to the fill tube.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the preventing means further includes spring means for yieldably urging the cam face toward the intercept position.

11. A nozzle inhibitor apparatus comprising

a fill tube adapted to be coupled to a fuel tank of a motor vehicle having a diesel engine, the fill tube having a nozzle-receiving aperture normally closed by a door mounted for movement relative to the fill tube between aperture-closing and aperture-opening positions, the door being arranged to be moved to an opened position by a nozzle inserted through the nozzle-receiving aperture,

a stop gate, and

a cam member coupled to the stop gate, a unit comprising the stop gate and the cam member coupled thereto being positioned in the fill tube and movable in a direction generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the fill tube between a first position blocking insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into the fill tube past the stop gate and a second position allowing insertion of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fill tube past the stop gate, the door engaging the cam member to move the unit to the second position as the door moves to an opened position in response to the insertion of the large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle, but not the small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle, into the fill tube through the outer nozzle-receiving aperture.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cam member is integrally formed with the stop member.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a spring biasing the stop gate and the cam member coupled thereto to the first position and wherein the door engages the cam member to move the unit to the second position against the biasing spring as the door moves to an opened position in response to the insertion of the large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fill tube through the outer nozzle-receiving aperture.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the fill tube includes a filler neck coupled the fuel tank and a filler neck closure assembly coupled to the filler neck, the filler neck closure assembly includes a housing having an outer nozzle-receiving aperture normally closed by a pivotable outer door and an inner nozzle-receiving aperture normally closed by a pivotable inner door, the unit is positioned in the filler neck closure assembly between the pivotable outer door and the pivotable inner door, and the pivotable outer door engages the cam member to move the unit to the second position as the pivotable outer door pivots to an opened position in response to the insertion of the large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the filler neck closure assembly through the outer nozzle-receiving aperture.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the insertion of the small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into the filler neck pivots the pivotable outer door through a first pivot angle to a first opened position, and the insertion of the diesel fuel nozzle into the filler neck pivots the pivotable outer door through a second pivot angle larger than the first pivot angle to a second opened position.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising means for supporting movement of the unit in the generally perpendicular direction between the first and second positions.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the supporting means includes a partition member and a bottom wall of the housing and the unit is supported for reciprocating movement between the first and second positions between a lower surface of the partition member and an upper surface of the bottom wall.

18. A nozzle inhibitor apparatus comprising

a fill tube including a filler neck coupled to a fuel tank of a motor vehicle having a diesel engine and a filler neck closure assembly coupled to the filler neck, the filler neck closure assembly including a housing having an outer nozzle-receiving aperture normally closed by a pivotable outer door and an inner nozzle-receiving aperture normally closed by a pivotable inner door,

a stop gate, and

a cam member coupled to the stop gate, a unit comprising the stop gate and the cam member coupled thereto being positioned in the filler neck closure assembly and movable in a direction generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the filler neck closure assembly between a first position blocking insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into the fill tube past the stop gate and a second position allowing insertion of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fill tube past the stop gate, and

a spring biasing the unit to the first position, the pivotable outer door engaging the cam member to move the unit to the second position against the biasing spring as the pivotable outer door moves to an opened position in response to the insertion of the large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle, but not the small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle, into the filler neck through the outer nozzle-receiving aperture.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the stop gate is movable in a direction generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the filler neck closure assembly between the first and second positions.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for supporting movement of the unit in the generally perpendicular direction between the first and second positions.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the supporting means includes a partition member and a bottom wall of the housing and the unit is supported for reciprocating movement between the first and second positions between a lower surface of the partition member and an upper surface of the bottom wall.

22. A nozzle inhibitor apparatus comprising

a fill tube formed to include a nozzle-receiving passageway extending between an outer nozzle-receiving opening and an inner nozzle-receiving opening, the fill tube further including an outer appearance door arranged normally to close the outer nozzle-receiving opening and an inner flapper door arranged to normally close the inner nozzle-receiving opening,

a stop gate mounted for movement in the nozzle-receiving passageway,

a spring arranged to urge the stop gate into a path of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle that has been moved relative to the fill tube to pivot the outer appearance door about a pivot axis through a first pivot angle to a first opened position to engage a tip of the small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle so that further movement of the small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle toward the inner flapper door is blocked, and

a cam face coupled to the stop gate and arranged to be moved by the outer appearance door against the spring to disable the stop gate, the cam face being located in the nozzle-receiving passageway to intercept the outer appearance door as the outer appearance door is being moved by a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle having a relatively large diameter than the small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle relative to the fill tube about the pivot axis through a larger second pivot angle to a second opened position to cause the outer appearance door to urge the cam face against the spring to compress the spring, thereby moving the stop gate in the nozzle-receiving passageway out of the path of the large diameter diesel fuel nozzle so that further movement of the large diameter diesel fuel nozzle to engage and move the inner flapper door from a normally closed position to an opened position admitting the large diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the inner nozzle-receiving opening.