GB2212484A

GB2212484A - Universal petrol cap

Info

Publication number: GB2212484A
Application number: GB8727313A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Michael Dinnis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-11-20
Filing date: 1987-11-20
Publication date: 1989-07-26
Anticipated expiration: 2007-11-20
Also published as: GB8727313D0; GB2212484B

Abstract

A cap for the filler tube leading to the fuel tank of a motor vehicle has an end plate (1), and a column (3) fixed to, and projecting from, one surface of the end plate. A seal (5) is fixed to said one surface of the end plate (1) and surrounds the column (3). The seal (5) is engageable with the rim of the filler tube. A vane assembly (6) is associated with the column (3), the vane assembly including a plurality of vanes (8a, 8b) which spiral out away from the column. The vanes (8a, 8b) are made of a resilient material, whereby their free end portions will engage with the internal walls of filler tubes of varying dimensions. The vanes are preferably integral with a hollow stem (7) which is a friction fit on the column (3). One pair of opposed vanes preferably carry latches (9) at their free ends which can be inserted through slots in a lip of the filler tube before rotation. The lower edge of each vane is preferably convex to aid insertion. <IMAGE>

Description

UNIVERSAL PETROL CAP This invention relates to a cap for the filler tube leading to the fuel tank of a motor vehicle, and in particular to a 'universal' petrol cap.

Because the filler tubes leading to the fuel tanks of motor vehicles are of varying diameter, depending upon the make and model of vehicle, the associated filler caps are also of varying size. This means that manufacturers of motor vehicle spare parts must make a large number of different filler caps.

Similarly, retailers of motor vehicle spare parts must stock many different types of filler cap. Clearly, this is disadvantageous for both the manufacturer and the retailer. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a 'universal' filler cap that could be used for any motor vehicle.

One known type of 'universal' filler cap has a cruxiform-shaped projection extending inwardly from the cap end. This projection is made of a semi-rigid plastics material, and is sized and shaped to be a friction fit in the largest known size of filler tube. In order to use this type of filler cap with smaller filler tubes, it is necessary to trim the four arms of the projection to size. This trimming operation is difficult to do accurately, so caps of this type are often a poor fit.

Moreover, they tend to leak.

The aim of the invention is to provide a filler cap which can be used with any type of motor vehicle, and which does not suffer from the disadvantages of known 'universal' filler caps.

The present invention provides a cap for the filler tube leading to the fuel tank of a motor vehicle, the cap comprising an end plate, a column fixed to, and projecting from, one surface of the end plate, a seal fixed to said one surface of the end plate and surrounding the column, the seal being engageable, in use, with the rim of the filler tube, and a vane assembly associated with the column, the vane assembly including a plurality of vanes which spiral out away from the column, the vanes being made of a resilient material whereby their free end portions will engage, in use, with the internal wall of the filler tube.

In a preferred embodiment, the vanes are integral with a central hollow stem which surrounds the column. Advantageously, the hollow stem is a friction fit on the column. Conveniently, the vane assembly is made of a flexible plastics material.

Preferably, there are four equispaced vanes. A first pair of opposed vanes may be formed with latches at their lateral free ends. In use, these latches can be inserted through slots in an inwardly-extending lip of the filler tube, and can then engage behind the lip when the cap is fully inserted and then rotated.

Advantageously, the lower edge of each of the vanes is convex. This facilitates insertion of the cap, and also helps ensure centralised insertion.

Conveniently, the end plate and the column are made of a rigid plastics material or a metal, and the seal is made of rubber or synthetic rubber.

One form of motor vehicle filler cap constructed in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the filler cap; Fig. 2 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow A shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an underneath view of the filler cap; and Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2, but with the vane assembly of the cap removed.

Referring to the drawings, a filler cap includes a disc 1 which constitutes the cap proper. The upper side of the disc 1, that is to say the side that in use is remote from the vehicle fuel filler tube (not shown), is provided with an upstanding flange 2 which can be gripped by the user for insertion and removal of the filler cap. An axially-extending cylindrical column 3 extends away from the opposite (underneath) side of the disc 1. A flange 4 is formed at the free end of the column 3. The disc 1, the flange 2, the column 3 and the flange 4 are preferably formed integrally from a rigid plastics material. Alternatively, these parts can be metallic.

An annular seal 5 made of rubber or synthetic rubber is fixed to the underneath side of the disc 1 by means of a suitable adhesive. The seal 5 surrounds the column 3 and seals, in use, against the free outer end of the fuel filler tube of a motor vehicle.

A vane assembly 6 made of a flexible plastics material is associated with the column 3. The assembly 6 is constituted by a hollow cylindrical stem 7 and two pairs of vanes 8a and 8b. Preferably, the vane assembly is a one-piece moulding, and the stem 2 has a length and internal diameter such that it is a tight fit on the column 3. Because of its flexibility, the stem 7 can be forced over the flange 4 so as to snap into position tightly gripping the column 3. As shown best in Fig. 3, the vanes 8a and 8b spiral out from the central stem 7.

Moreover, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the lower edges of the vanes 8a and 8b are convex. The vanes 8a are locking vanes, and their lateral free edges are shaped to define latches 9, whose use will be described below.

Because the vanes 8a and 8b are flexible and spiral out from the central stem 7, they can resiliently engage with the internal cylindrical wails of filler tubes of varying dimensions, so that the filler cap has 'universal' application. Moreover, the convex shape of the lower edges of the vanes 8a and 8b helps to ensure that the vanes engage the inside of a filler tube with a smoothly increasing force, thereby ensuring the cap is easy to push into place. The curvature of the vanes 8a and 8b also helps ensure that the filler cap is centralised as it is pushed into a filler tube. When the filler cap is fully pushed home, the seal 5 is firmly pressed against the rim of the filler tube, thereby preventing fuel leakage.

Another advantage of the filler cap is that, where it is used with a filler tube having an inwardly-extending lip formed with a pair of diametrically-opposed slots, the latches 9 can be inserted through the slots, and the cap can then be 0 rotated (through say 90 ) so that the latches engage underneath the lip, thereby locking the filler cap to the filler tube.

The filler cap of the invention can, therefore, be used as a push-in friction fit in practically any size of filler tube, and can also be used as a 'lockable' cap with filler tubes of the type having slots in an inwardly-extending lip. When the cap is used in a filler tube with an inwardly-projecting lip, it should be noted that, because the upper edges of the vanes 8b curve away from the seal 5, these vanes do not catch under the lip and prevent easy removal.

It will be apparent that the filler cap described above could be modified in a number of ways.

For example, the vane assembly could be made of springy metal instead of plastics material. Moreover, where proper locking is required, the cap could be modified by the inclusion of any suitable known type of lock, so that the cap could not be removed from its filler tube without being unlocked by a special key.

Claims

Claims:

1. A cap for the filler tube leading to the fuel tank of a motor vehicle, the cap comprising an end plate, a column fixed to, and projecting from, one surface of the end plate, a seal fixed to said one surface of the end plate and surrounding the column, the seal being engageable, in use, with the rim of the filler tube, and a vane assembly associated with the column, the vane assembly including a plurality of vanes which spiral out away from the column, the vanes being made of a resilient material whereby their free end portions will engage, in use, with the internal wall of the filler tube.

2. A cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vanes are integral with a central hollow stem which surrounds the column.

3. A cap as claimed in claim 2, wherein the hollow stem is a friction fit on the column.

4. A cap as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vane assembly is made of a flexible plastics material.

5. A cap as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein there are four equispaced vanes, the vanes constituting first and second pairs of opposed vanes.

6. A cap as claimed in claim 5, wherein the vanes of the first pair of opposed vanes are formed with latches at their lateral free ends, whereby the latches can be inserted through slots in an inwardly-extending lip of the filler tube, and can then engage behind the lip when the cap is fully inserted and then rotated.

7. A cap as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lower edge of each of the vanes is convex.

8. A cap as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the end plate and the column are made of a rigid plastics material or a metal, and the seal is made of rubber or synthetic rubber.

9. A filler cap substantially as hereinbefore decribed with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.