Pressure-vacuum relief fuel filler cap
First Claim
1. A pressure-vacuum relief fuel filler cap comprisinga cover,said cover comprising a base and a peripheral flange,a body of synthetic plastic material mounted at least partially within said cover with said peripheral flange surrounding a portion of said body,said body including an outer threaded end adapted to engage a threaded filler opening,said body having the other end thereof opposite said threaded end thereof engaging the base of said cover,a pressure relief valve and associated valve seat within said body,a vacuum relief valve and associated valve seat within said body,and torque limiting means between said body and said cover for limiting the torque applied to said cover during application to a filler opening,said torque limiting means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially inwardly extending portions on the inner surface of said peripheral flange of said cover,and a plurality of integral radially yieldable teeth on the periphery of said body adjacent said portions on said cover,said teeth including a ramp surface and a notch surface such that when the cover is rotated in one direction in applying the cap to a filler opening and a predetermined torque is reached, the cover can be rotated relative to said body with said radially inwardly extending portions moving along said ramp surfaces to succeeding notches, and when the cap is rotated in the opposite direction, said radially inwardly extending portions on the cover are engaged with the notches so that there can be no relative movement between the cover and the body,said body including radially extending circumferentially spaced integral projections extending outwardly into contact with the inner surface of the peripheral flange of the cover.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pressure-vacuum relief fuel filler cap comprising a cover, having a base and a peripheral flange, and a sub-assembly mounted at least partially within the cover with said peripheral flange surrounding a portion of the sub-assembly. The assembly comprises a body of synthetic plastic material including an outer threaded end adapted to engage a threaded filler opening, and an enlarged upper end with portions thereof engaging the base of the cover. A pressure relief valve and associated valve seat are mounted within the body and a vacuum relief valve and associated valve seat are mounted within the body. Torque limiting means are provided between the body and the cover for limiting the torque applied to the body during application to a filler opening, so that when a predetermined torque is reached, the cover can be rotated relative to the body and when the cap is rotated in the opposite direction, there can be no relative movement between the cover and the body.
22 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A pressure-vacuum relief fuel filler cap comprising
a cover, said cover comprising a base and a peripheral flange, a body of synthetic plastic material mounted at least partially within said cover with said peripheral flange surrounding a portion of said body, said body including an outer threaded end adapted to engage a threaded filler opening, said body having the other end thereof opposite said threaded end thereof engaging the base of said cover, a pressure relief valve and associated valve seat within said body, a vacuum relief valve and associated valve seat within said body, and torque limiting means between said body and said cover for limiting the torque applied to said cover during application to a filler opening, said torque limiting means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially inwardly extending portions on the inner surface of said peripheral flange of said cover, and a plurality of integral radially yieldable teeth on the periphery of said body adjacent said portions on said cover, said teeth including a ramp surface and a notch surface such that when the cover is rotated in one direction in applying the cap to a filler opening and a predetermined torque is reached, the cover can be rotated relative to said body with said radially inwardly extending portions moving along said ramp surfaces to succeeding notches, and when the cap is rotated in the opposite direction, said radially inwardly extending portions on the cover are engaged with the notches so that there can be no relative movement between the cover and the body, said body including radially extending circumferentially spaced integral projections extending outwardly into contact with the inner surface of the peripheral flange of the cover.
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5. A pressure-vacuum relief fuel filler cap comprising
a cover, said cover comprising a base and a peripheral flange, a body of synthetic plastic material mounted at least partially within said cover with said peripheral flange surrounding a portion of said body, said body including an outer threaded end adapted to engage a threaded filler opening, said body having the other end opposite said threaded end thereof engaging the base of said cover, a pressure relief valve and associated valve seat within said body, a vacuum relief valve and associated valve seat within said body, and torque limiting means between said body and said cover for limiting the torque applied to said cover during application to a filler opening, said torque limiting means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially inwardly extending portions on the inner surface of said peripheral flange of said cover, and a plurality of integral radially yieldable teeth on the periphery of said body adjacent said radially inwardly extending portions on said cover, said teeth including a ramp surface and a notch surface such that when the cover is rotated in one direction in applying the cap to a filler opening and a predetermined torque is reached, the cover can be rotated relative to said body with said radially inwardly extending portions moving along said ramp surfaces to succeeding notches, and when the cap is rotated in the opposite direction, said radially inwardly extending portions on the cover are engaged with the notches so that there can be no relative movement between the cover and the body, said other end of said body engaging the base of said cover comprising axially extending circumferentially spaced integral fingers spaced radially inwardly from the periphery of said body.
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16. A fuel filler cap comprising
a cover, said cover comprising a base and a peripheral flange, a body of synthetic plastic material mounted at least partially within said cover with said peripheral flange surrounding a portion of said body, said body including an outer threaded end adapted to engage a threaded filler opening, said body having the other end thereof opposite said threaded end engaging the base of said cover, and torque limiting means between said body and said cover for limiting the torque applied to said cover during application to a filler opening, said torque limiting means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially inwardly extending portions on the inner surface of said peripheral flange of said cover, and a plurality of integral radially yieldable teeth on the periphery of said body, said teeth including a ramp surface and a notch surface such that when the cover is rotated in one direction in applying the cap to a filler opening and a predetermined torque is reached, the cover can be rotated relative to said body with said radially inwardly extending portions moving along said ramp surfaces to succeeding notches, and when the cap is rotated in the opposite direction, said radially inwardly extending portions on the cover are engaged with the notches so that there can be no relative movement between the cover and the body, said body including radially extending circumferentially spaced integral projections extending outwardly into contact with the inner surface of the peripheral flange of the cover.
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20. For use in a pressure-vacuum relief fuel filler cap a sub-assembly comprising
a body of synthetic plastic material adapted to be mounted at least partially within a cover with a peripheral flange of the cover surrounding a portion of said body, said body including an outer threaded end adapted to engage a threaded filler opening, said body having the other end thereof opposite said threaded end engaging the base of said cover, and torque limiting means on said body adapted to coact with a cover for limiting the torque applied to said cover during application to a filler opening, said torque limiting means comprising a plurality of integral radially yieldable portions on the periphery of said body, said teeth including a ramp surface and a notch surface such that when a cover is rotated in one direction in applying the cap to a filler opening, and a predetermined torque is reached, the cover can be rotated relative to said body and when the cap is rotated in the opposite direction, that there can be no relative movement between the cover and the body, said body including radially extending circumferentially spaced integral projections extending outwardly and adapted to contact the inner surface of the peripheral flange of a cover.
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33. In a fuel filler cap comprising
a cover, said cover comprising a base and a peripheral flange, a body of synthetic plastic material mounted at least partially within said cover with said peripheral flange surrounding a portion of said body, said body including an outer threaded end adapted to engage a threaded filler opening, said body having a radially extending flange on the other end thereof, said body including radially extending circumferentially spaced integral projections extending outwardly into contact with the inner surface of the peripheral flange of the cover, a washer provided on the underside of said projections, said cover having portions thereof extending radially inwardly for axially locating said body within said cover, and torque limiting means between said body and said cover for limiting the torque applied to said cover during application to a filler opening, said torque limiting means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially inwardly extending portions on the inner surface of said peripheral flange of said cover, and a plurality of integral radially yieldable teeth on the periphery of said flange of said body adjacent said radially inwardly extending portions on said cover, said flange having circumferentially elongated openings extending axially therethrough, the portion of said flange between each said opening and the periphery of said flange and defining a beam portion having ends which are joined to said flange, each said beam portion being yieldable intermediate its ends, said teeth being on said beam portions, said teeth including a ramp surface and a notch surface such that when the cover is rotated in one direction in applying the cap to a filler opening and a predetermined torque is reached, the cover can be rotated relative to said body with said radially inwardly extending portions moving along said ramp surfaces to succeeding notches, and when the cap is rotated in the opposite direction, the radially inwardly extending portions on the cover are engaged with the notches so that there can be no relative movement between the cover and the body.
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43. A pressure-vacuum relief fuel filler cap comprising
a cover, said cover comprising a base and a peripheral flange, a body of synthetic plastic material mounted at least partially within said cover with said peripheral flange surrounding a portion of said body, said body including an outer threaded end adapted to engage a threaded filler opening, said body having the other end thereof opposite said threaded end thereof engaging the base of said cover, a pressure relief valve and associated valve seat within said body, a vacuum relief valve and associated valve seat within said body, and torque limiting means between said body and said cover for limiting the torque applied to said cover during application to a filler opening, said torque limiting means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially inwardly extending portions on the inner surface of said peripheral flange of said cover, and a plurality of integral radially yieldable teeth on the periphery of said radially extending flange of said body, said teeth including a ramp surface and a notch surface such that when the cover is rotated in one direction in applying the cap to a filler opening and a predetermined torque is reached, the cover can be rotated relative to said body with said radially inwardly extending portions moving along said ramp surfaces to succeeding notches, and when the cap is rotated in the opposite direction, said radially inwardly extending portions on the cover are engaged with the notches so that there can be no relative movement between the cover and the body, said body including radially extending circumferentially spaced integral projections extending outwardly into contact with the inner surface of the peripheral flange of the cover.
Specification