GB2351959A

GB2351959A - A Container

Info

Publication number: GB2351959A
Application number: GB9923336A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barney Hughes
Original assignee: Castrol Ltd
Current assignee: Castrol Ltd
Priority date: 1999-07-16
Filing date: 1999-10-04
Publication date: 2001-01-17
Anticipated expiration: 2019-10-04
Also published as: GB2351959B; KR20020059333A; US6585015B2; GB9923336D0; US20020056488A1

Abstract

A container for a fuel system additive, comprises a sealable first part 1 for storing the fuel system additive and a funnel shaped second part 2 that is capable of opening a flap on the vehicle's fuel tank; the two parts being capable of relative motion which unseals the first part 1 so that the fuel system additive can leave the first part 1 and travel through the second part 2 into the vehicle's fuel tank. The two parts have interlocking members capable of securing the parts together and are made of moulded plastics. The first part 1 is sealed with a screw lid in the form of a child resistant nut 3. The container may be designed for a single use only. Also disclosed is a method for filling a fuel tank with a fuel system additive using the container described whereby either the nut 3 of the container may be loosened prior to engagement with the funnel, or the two parts are combined and then the nut 3 is loosened by rotation of the container with respect to the funnel.

Description

2351959 A CONTAINER This invention concerns a container that is suitable

for pouring an additive such as a fuel system additive into a vehicle's fuel tank.

Fuel system additives are available to consumers to allow them to improve the performance of their vehicles or to maintain a vehicle's performance on a regular basis. Fuel system additives include, for example, carburetor sprays, diesel fuel additives, fuel system cleaners, gas treatments, octane boosters, fuel injection cleaners, carburetor cleaners, combined fuel injection and carburetor cleaners, and dry gas and winter fuel products. The fuel system additive enters a vehicle's fuel system by being poured into a vehicle's fuel tank by a consumer.

Current fuel system additives claim to: clean carburetors and injectors; reduce intake valve deposits; r6rhove water; fight gas line freeze; save gas; boost octane up to 7 points; improve mileage and performance; clean the entire fuel system and remove power-robbing deposits.

Current fuel system additives tend to be in liquid form and be a blend of detergents and odorless mineral spirits.

Most containers for fuel system additives tend to have a 2 to 4 inch narrow bottleneck which is designed to open the flap of a fuel tank and allow the fuel system additives to be poured into a vehicle's fuel tank. The container usually has a screw lid.

The lengths of the bottlenecks vary, and so do the distances between fuel tank flaps and the side of the vehicle. Therefore a bottleneck may not always be the right size and shape for a particular vehicle. In order to use these containers, a user needs to remove the screw lid and then open the flap of the fuel tank using the open end of the bottleneck. If the user does not move quickly, the fuel system additive can be spilt on the user, on the users clothes, on the side of the vehicle and on the ground around the vehicle. Spillage of the fuel system additive is a waste of money and reduces the benefit of the system because not all of the fuel system additive enters the fuel tank. Consumers are known to be dissatisfied with these containers and they can deter consumers from using fuel system additives.

2 Many consumers attempt to overcome the spillage issue by using tools or foreign objects to pry open the flap of a fuel tank before pouring the fuel system additive into the fuel tank. Some consumers use, for example, a screw driver or a stick. The fuel system additive comes into contact with the foreign object so the foreign object needs 5 to be cleaned afterwards. Any debris on the foreign object may enter the fuel tank.

A user may also pry open the flap of a fuel tank using a funnel having a long neck. After prying open the flap with the funnel, the fuel system additive is poured into the funnel. After using the funnel, it needs to be cleaned by the user.

Qualitative research with consumers has been conducted in four US cities by the applicant's assignee and significant concerns about filling a fuel tank with a fuel system additive have been identified (Calle Research, 1999). This research also identified the methods discussed above.

An aim of the present iiinvention is to provide a container for a fuel system additive that overcomes the problems identified above with current containers.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a container for a fuel system additive, the container comprising a sealed first part for storing the fuel system additive and a second part that is capable of opening a flap in a vehicle's fuel tank; the two parts being capable of relative movement which unseals the first part so that the fuel system additive can leave the first part, and travel through the second part into a vehicle's fuel tank.

The first part and the second part are preferably capable of locking together so that they become one. The parts therefore preferably have interlocking members.

The first part is preferably sealed using a lid. The lid is preferably a screw-lid. The screw-lid is preferably a nut. The nut may, for example, be square or hexagonal.

When the first part has a lid, the second part preferably has a receiving member which is shaped to receive the lid and lock the two parts together.

The lid or seal on the first part is preferably child-resistant.

The second part is preferably funnel-shaped with a spout end and a wider end.

in use, a user of the container is able to unseal remotely the sealed first part containing the fuel system additive so that the fuel system additive is not spilt on to the user's hands or clothes.

3 The second part of the container is shaped so that it is capable of opening the flap of a fuel tank. A foreign object is therefore not required to open the flap of a fuel tank.

The first and second parts are preferably formed from molded plastics, e. g. 5 injection molded or blow molded of any suitable conventional plastic.

The first part preferably holds 8, 12 or 16 ounces of liquid (e.g. fuel additive).

The container may be designed and/or manufactured for single use only.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the following drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows first and second parts of the container disassemblies; FIGURE 2 shows first and second parts of the container joined together; and FIGURE 3 shows the inside of the second part, looking into the wider end of the second part.

FIGURE 1 shows the first part 1 and the second part 2 of the container. The first part 1 holds the fuel system additive and has an open end which is sealed using a hexagonal nut 3, or any other suitable conventional sealing element. The hexagonal nut 3 is screwed on to the open end of the first part 1.

The second part 2 is capable of opening the flap of a fuel tank. The second part 2 is substantially funnel-shaped with a spout end 4 and a wider end 5. The wider end 5 has a receiving member 6 which is shaped to receive the hexagonal nut 3. The receiving member 6 is shown in FIGURE 3.

When the receiving member 6 receives the hexagonal nut 3, twisting of the two parts, the first part 1 and the second part 2, relative to each other causes the hexagonal nut to be unscrewed from part 1, and thereby unseal part 1. Once part 1 has been unsealed, the fuel system additive can be poured into a fuel tank.

Since part 1 of the container is unsealed remotely, the risk of spillage of the fuel system additive is significantly reduced.

Any other suitable interrelationship may be provided between the parts 1, 2 aside from the substantially hexagonal nut 3 and corresponding substantially hexagonal receiving member 6, including other inter-engaging shapes, keys, or the like, The nut 3 may allow flow therethrough when opened in any conventional manner.

4 The inter-engagement between end 5 of part 2 and the corresponding surface 7 (see FIGURE 2) of part 1 may be made completely liquid tight if desired, for example, by making part 2 of a flexible or elastomeric material (in whole or in part), or by providing an accessory sealing element (such as an O-ring on part 2, and/or a ledge on part 1). The engagement between 5 and 7 will be substantially liquid tight even without these special efforts, however.

The container can be used by, for example, using one of the following two methods:

(1) Inserting the spout end 4 of part 2 into a fuel tank of a vehicle to open the flap of the fuel tank; inserting the sealed end of part 1 into the wider end 5 of part 2 so that the receiving member 6 of part 2 receives the hexagonal nut 3 of part 1; manually (by haRd, orwith a suitable hand tool) twisting the two parts 1, 2 relative to each other so that the hexagonal nut 3 is unscrewed and part 1 is unsealed; and causing or allowing the fuel system additive in part 1 of the container, which is now unsealed, to pass through part 2 of the container and into the fuel tank. Or (2) Inserting the sealed end of part 1 of the container into the wider end 5 of part 2 so that the receiving member 6 of part 2 receives the hexagonal nut 3 of part 1; manually (by hand or with a suitable hand tool) twisting the two parts 1 and 2 relative to each other so that the hexagonal nut 3 is unscrewed and part 1 is unsealed; inserting the spout end 4 of part 2 Into a vehicle's fuel tank to open the flap on the fuel tank; and causing or allowing the fuel system additive in part 1 of the container, which is now unsealed, to pass through part 2 of the container and into the fuel tank.

The invention should be interpreted as broadly as allowed by the prior art.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1 1. A container for a fuel system additive, the container comprising a sealable 2 first part for storing the fuel system additive and a second part that is capable of 3 opening a flap on a vehicle's fuel tank; the two parts being capable of relative 4 movement which unseals the first part so that the fuel system additive can leave the first part and travel through the second part into a vehicle's fuel tank.

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2. The container claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second parts have 2 interlocking members so that the parts are capable of being locked together.

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3. The container claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first 2 part is sealed using a lid.

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4. The container claimed in claim 3, wherein the lid is a screw-lid.

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5. The container claimed in claims 3 or 4, wherein the lid is a nut.

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6. The container claimed in claims 3, 4 or 5, wherein the lid is childresistant.

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7. The container claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the second 2 part is funnel-shaped.

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8. The container claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first 2 and second parts are formed from molded plastics.

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9. The container claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the 2 container is manufactured and/or designed for single use only.

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10. A method for filling a vehicle's tank with a fuel system additive, the method 2 comprising the step of using the container claimed in any one of the preceding claims to 3 pour the fuel additive system into the tank.

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11. A method of adding a fuel additive to a vehicle fuel tank by practicing either 2 of the procedures (1) or (2) described above.