Quick-on cap with removal delay mechanism

• US 5,480,055 A
• Filed: 05/06/1994
• Issued: 01/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stant USA Corporation (Vapor Acquisition Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Stant Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Harris, Robert S., Griffin, Jeffery
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US08/239,217
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 220/203, 220/209, 220/297, 220/300, 220/301, 220/303, 220/DIG. 33, 220/203.06, 220/203.07
• US Class Current: 220/203.26
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/0406 Filler caps for fuel tanks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 220/33 Gasoline tank cap

Abstract

A quick-on cap includes a closure body for engaging a filler neck and a handle for rotating closure body. Cap also includes a control mechanism for initially providing a lost-motion driving connection between closure body and handle during cap removal and always providing a direct-drive driving connection during cap installation.

Claims

1. A cap engageable with a filler neck having a mouth, the cap comprising

closure means for closing the filler neck, the closure means having an axis of rotation,

handle means for rotating the closure means about the axis of rotation and relative to the filler neck in one of a cap-installation direction toward the filler neck and a cap-removal direction away from the filler neck, and

control means for providing a lost-motion driving connection between the handle means and the closure means during rotation of the handle means about the axis of rotation relative to the filler neck in a cap-removal direction and for the handle means against the closure means to provide a direct-drive driving connection between the handle means and the closure means during rotation of the handle means about the axis of rotation in a cap-advancing direction.

2. The cap of claim 1 wherein the bias is created by a spring coupled to the closure and the handle means.

3. A cap engageable with a filler neck having a mouth, the cap comprising

closure means for closing the filler neck, the closure means having an axis of rotation,

handle means for rotating the closure means about the axis of rotation and relative to the filler neck in one of a cap-installation direction toward the filler neck and a cap-removal direction away from the filler neck, and

control means for providing a lost-motion driving connection between the handle means and the closure means during rotation of the handle means about the axis of rotation relative to the filler neck in a cap-removal direction and providing a direct-drive driving connection between the handle means and the closure means during rotation of the handle means about the axis of rotation in a cap-advancing direction, the control means including a torsion spring coupled to the closure means and the handle means.

4. The cap of claim 3, wherein the closure means includes a valve housing containing a pressure-relief valve and a vacuum-relief valve and the torsion spring includes a first finger coupled to the handle means, a second finger coupled to the valve housing, and a coiled portion appended to the first and second fingers.

5. The cap of claim 3, wherein the control means further includes a drive lug coupled to the handle means and a driven lug coupled to the closure means, the handle means includes a top spring mount in spaced-apart relation to the drive lug, the closure means includes a bottom spring mount in spaced-apart relation to the driven lug, the torsion spring includes a top finger coupled to the top spring mount, a bottom finger coupled to the bottom spring mount, and a coiled portion interconnecting the top and bottom ends and having a central axis, and the torsion spring is oriented to lie between the handle means and the closure means and to align the central axis in parallel relation to the axis of rotation of the closure means.

6. The cap of claim 3, wherein the control means further includes a drive lug coupled to the handle means and a driven lug coupled to the closure means, the drive lug includes installation drive means for engaging the driven lug during rotation of the handle means to rotate the closure means in the cap-installation direction and removal drive means for engaging the driven lug during rotation of the handle means to rotate the closure means in the cap-removal direction, and the torsion spring yieldably biases the driven lug on the closure means into engagement with the installation drive means on the handle means.

7. The cap of claim 6, wherein the drive lug is a C-shaped member having an elongated annular body, a first arm located at one end of the elongated annular body and configured to define the installation drive means, and a second arm located at an opposite end of the elongated annular body facing toward the first arm and configured to define the removal drive means.

8. The cap of claim 6, wherein the handle means includes a top spring mount in spaced-apart relation to the drive lug, the closure means includes a bottom spring mount in spaced-apart relation to the driven lug, the torsion spring includes a top finger coupled to the top spring mount, a bottom finger coupled to the bottom spring mount, and a coiled portion interconnecting the top and bottom ends and having a central axis, and the torsion spring is oriented to lie between the handle means and the closure means and to align the central axis in parallel relation to the axis of rotation of the closure means.

9. The cap of claim 6, wherein the closure means includes a cylindrical sleeve, an annular flange appended to the cylindrical sleeve, an annular seal coupled to the annular flange and arranged to lie around the cylindrical sleeve, and a core assembly having a lower portion lying inside the cylindrical sleeve and an upper portion lying above the annular flange and annular seal, and the driven lug is appended to the upper portion of the core assembly and arranged to extend along a vertical axis toward the handle means.

10. A cap engageable with a filler neck having a mouth, the cap comprising

closure means for closing the filler neck, the closure means having an axis of rotation,

handle means for rotating the closure means about the axis of rotation and relative to the filler neck in one of a cap-installation direction toward the filler neck and a cap-removal direction away from the filler neck, and

control means for providing a lost-motion driving connection between the handle means and the closure means during rotation of the handle means about the axis of rotation relative to the filler neck in a cap-removal direction and providing a direct-drive driving connection between the handle means and the closure means during rotation of the handle means about the axis of rotation in a cap-advancing direction, the control means interconnecting the closure means and the handle means to provide means for limiting relative movement of the closure means and the handle means to establish first and second positions of the handle means relative to the closure means so that the handle means is mounted for limited rotation through a predetermined angle relative to the closure means between the first and second positions to establish said lost-motion driving connection, the control means further including spring means for yieldably biasing the handle means to the first position.

11. The cap of claim 10, wherein the means for limiting relative movement of the closure means and the handle means includes a pair of drive members coupled to the handle means and a driven lug coupled to the closure means for rotation therewith, a first of the drive members is situated to engage the driven lug during rotation of the handle means in a cap-installation direction to establish the first position of the handle means, and a second of the drive members is situated in spaced-apart relation to the first of the drive members to engage the driven lug during rotation of the handle means in the cap-removal direction to establish the second position of the handle means.

12. The cap of claim 11, wherein the spring means is a torsion spring having a first finger coupled to the handle means, a second finger coupled to the closure means, and a coiled portion appended to the first and second fingers.

13. A cap for use in the filler neck of a tank, the filler neck having an annular lip defining a mouth, the cap comprising

gasket means,

closure means blocking the filler neck for urging the gasket means against the annular lip to establish a seal blocking outward flow of fluid and vapor through the filler neck mouth, the closure means being movable relative to the filler neck between a gasket means-releasing position breaking said seal and a gasket means-tightening position establishing said seal during movement of the closure means in the filler neck, and

handle means urged to a position so as to apply a direct driving force to move the closure means relative to the annular lip of the filler neck in a cap-advancing direction from the gasket means-releasing position breaking said seal to the gasket means-tightening position establishing said seal during installation of the closure means in the filler neck, the closure means and the handle means cooperating to provide means for permitting relative movement between the closure means and the handle means to delay establishment of a driving connection between the closure means and the handle means during movement of the handle means in a cap-removal direction.

14. The cap of claim 13 wherein the bias is created by a spring coupled to the closure and the handle means.

15. The cap of claim 13, wherein the closure means includes a cylindrical sleeve and an annular flange appended to the cylindrical sleeve and the gasket means is an annular seal coupled to the annular flange and arranged to lie around the cylindrical sleeve.

16. A cap for use in the filler neck of a tank, the filler neck having an annular lip defining a mouth, the cap comprising

gasket means,

closure means blocking the filler neck for urging the gasket means against the annular lip to establish a seal blocking outward flow of fluid and vapor through the filler neck mouth, the closure means including a cylindrical sleeve and an annular flange appended to the cylindrical sleeve, the gasket means being an annular seal coupled to the annular flange and arranged to lie around the cylindrical sleeve, the closure means being movable relative to the filler neck between a gasket means-releasing position breaking said seal and a gasket means-tightening position establishing said seal during movement of the closure means in the filler neck, and

handle means for applying a direct driving force to move the closure means relative to the annular lip of the filler neck in a cap-advancing direction from the gasket means-releasing position breaking said seal to the gasket means-tightening position establishing said seal during installation of the closure means in the filler neck, the closure means and the handle means cooperating to provide means for permitting relative movement between the closure means and the handle means to delay establishment of a driving connection between the closure means and the handle means during movement of the handle means in a cap-removal direction, the closure means further including a valve housing lying inside the cylindrical sleeve and containing a vent valve assembly, and

a torsion spring coupled to the valve housing and the handle means.

17. The cap of claim 16, wherein the closure means further includes means for moving the cylindrical sleeve into the filler neck to urge the gasket means against the annular lip of the filler neck in response to rotation of the handle means in the cap-advancing direction, the moving means including a cam on the valve housing, a cam follower on the cylindrical sleeve, spring means for yieldably urging the cam follower into engagement with the cam, and the valve housing includes an upper core adjacent to the annular flange and a lower core coupled to the upper core and formed to include the cam, the closure means further includes a driven lug appended to the upper core, and the handle means includes a drive lug normally engaging the driven lug in response to a biasing force provided by the torsion spring.

18. A cap for use in the filler neck of a tank, the filler neck having an annular lid defining a mouth, the cap comprising

gasket means,

closure means blocking the filler neck for urging the gasket means against the annular lip to establish a seal blocking outward flow of fluid and vapor through the filler neck mouth, the closure means being movable relative to the filler neck between a gasket means-releasing position breaking said seal and a gasket means-tightening position establishing said seal during movement of the closure means in the filler neck, and

handle means for applying a direct driving force to move the closure means relative to the annular lip of the filler neck in a cap-advancing direction from the gasket means-releasing position breaking said seal to the gasket means-tightening position establishing said seal during installation of the closure means in the filler neck, the closure means and the handle means cooperating to provide means for permitting relative movement between the closure means and the handle means to delay establishment of a driving connection between the closure means and the handle means during movement of the handle means in a cap-removal direction, the closure means including a closure assembly and a driven lug appended to the closure assembly, the handle means including an outer shell, a cap-installation drive lug appended to the outer shell, and spring means for yieldably biasing the cap-installation drive lug into engagement with the cap-installation driven lug normally to establish a direct-drive connection between the handle means and the closure means so that the cap-installation drive lug applies the direct-driving force to the driven lug to move the closure means to the gasket means-tightening position during movement of the handle means in the cap-advancing direction.

19. The cap of claim 18, wherein the permitting means includes a cap-removal drive lug situated in spaced-apart relation to the cap-installation drive lug and arranged to engage the driven lug during rotation of the handle means in the cap-removal direction to establish a delayed driving connection between the closure means and the handle means.

20. A cap engageable with a filler neck having a mouth, the cap comprising

means for closing the mouth of the filler neck, the closing means including a core carrying a driven lug, a sleeve adjacent to the core, and a handle carrying a drive lug having a cap-installation arm and a cap-removal arm, the sleeve being movable relative to the core and carrying a sealing ring configured to engage the filler neck at the mouth upon insertion of the core in an axially inward direction into the filler neck,

means for gripping the filler neck to compress the sealing ring between the sleeve and the filler neck so that a liquid and fuel vapor seal is established between the closing means and the filler neck in response to movement of the core relative to the sleeve in a cap-installation direction, the gripping means being coupled to the core and the sleeve, and

spring means for yieldably biasing the cap-installation arm of the drive lug into engagement with the driven lug on the core so that a direct-drive driving connection is established between the handle and the core during rotation of the handle about an axis of rotation in a cap-advancing direction and the cap-removal arm of the drive lug is disengaged from the driven lug on the core until the handle has been rotated a predetermined amount relative to the core in a cap-removal direction.

21. The cap of claim 20, wherein the spring means is a torsion spring coupled to the handle and the core.

22. The cap of claim 20, wherein the handle includes a top spring mount in spaced-apart relation to the drive lug, the core includes a bottom spring mount in spaced-apart relation to the driven lug, and the torsion spring includes a top finger coupled to the top spring mount, a bottom finger coupled to the bottom spring mount, and a coiled portion interconnecting the top and bottom ends and having a central axis.

23. The cap of claim 22, wherein the torsion spring is oriented to lie between the handle and the core and to align the central axis in parallel relation to the axis of rotation of the handle.

24. The cap of claim 20, wherein the drive lug is a C-shaped member having an elongated annular body, the cap-installation arm is located at one end of the elongated annular body, and the cap-removal arm is located at an opposite end of the elongated annular body and arranged to face toward the cap-installation arm.