JP2008080946A - Cap device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tether mechanism 30 of a fuel cap 20 having excellent versatility with a simple constitution without any torsion of a string-like connection part body 37 during the turning operation of the fuel cap 20. <P>SOLUTION: The tether mechanism 30 comprises a turning ring 32 which is turnably supported by a ring fitting part 25 on an outer circumference of the fuel cap 20, a storage part 34 formed on an outer circumferential part of the turning ring 32, and a connection member 36 provided on the storage part 34 in a depressing manner. The connection member 36 is provided with a depressing part 38 having an expandable expansion/contraction part 38a on one end of a long, string-like connection part body 37, and advanced/depressed in/from a storage chamber 34S by the elastic deformation of the expansion/contraction part 38a by the force in the longitudinal direction to be applied to the connection part body 37. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cap device in which one end of a long connecting member is connected to a cap.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a fuel tank of an automobile, there is a configuration in which the fuel cap is connected in the vicinity of a fuel filler opening of the fuel tank by a long connecting member such as a tether in order to prevent the fuel cap from being lost during refueling. As a fuel cap having such a tether, techniques shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known. If the tether is twisted by the rotation operation of the fuel cap, it will hinder the opening and closing operation. In order to solve such a problem, a configuration in which a tether is wound around an outer peripheral portion of a fuel cap (Patent Document 1), a configuration in which the tether is stored in a storage portion in a vehicle body (Patent Document 2), and the like are known.

  However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, the winding mechanism of the tether becomes complicated, or the position where the cap is closed and the fixing position of the tether need to be determined in advance. Moreover, in the technique of Patent Document 2, there is a problem that a large space is required because the storage portion is provided in the vehicle body.

JP 2000-233653 A Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-54452

  The present invention solves the above-described problems of the conventional technology, and provides a cap device that eliminates the twist of the string-like connecting member during the rotation of the cap and is excellent in versatility with a simple configuration. With the goal.

The present invention made to solve the above problems
In a cap device provided with a tether mechanism for connecting a cap for opening and closing a tank opening to a vehicle body side member around the tank opening,
The tether mechanism is
A ring mounting portion formed along the outer periphery of the cap;
A turn mounted rotatably on the ring mounting part;
A storage portion formed on the outer periphery of the turn and having a storage chamber;
A long string-like connecting portion main body, a protruding and protruding portion formed at one end of the connecting portion main body, and a vehicle body side supporting end formed at the other end of the connecting portion main body and connectable to the vehicle body side member. A connecting member having,
With
The in / out part is stored in the storage room so as to be in / out by a longitudinal force applied to the connecting part main body;
It is characterized by.

  In the cap device according to the present invention, when the connecting member receives a force in the longitudinal direction during the operation of closing the tank opening by rotating the cap, the rotating ring rotates with respect to the lid, and the connecting member Therefore, the connecting member does not hinder the opening / closing operation of the cap.

  Further, when the cap is suspended from the vehicle body side member, the protruding and retracting portion of the connecting member is extended from the storage portion due to the weight of the cap, and hangs down at a position away from the vehicle body, and in this state, fuel can be supplied. That is, the cap can be disposed at a position away from the vehicle body during refueling, and does not interfere with the refueling gun.

  Furthermore, since the storage part of the tether mechanism is provided on a rotating ring that is rotatably supported on the outer periphery of the cap, the configuration is simple. In addition, since the protruding portion of the connecting member is provided so as to be able to protrude and retract in the storage portion formed integrally with the rotating ring, the position where the connecting member is drawn out from the storage portion of the connecting member is not determined, and it corresponds to various vehicle types. Can be excellent in versatility.

  As a preferred aspect of the present invention, the in / out part includes an expansion / contraction part that expands and contracts in the storage chamber by the longitudinal force, and a fixing part that is provided at one end of the expansion / contraction part and is fixed to the storage part. Can be configured. With this configuration, the expansion / contraction part can be extended by a small force in the longitudinal direction of the connecting member due to its spring action, and can be securely stored in the storage part. In addition, since the protruding portion of the connecting member is stored in the storage portion in a state where the cap closes the tank opening, the portion of the connecting portion main body that is exposed around the tank opening is shortened. There is no obstacle in the vicinity.

  Furthermore, as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the storage unit includes a storage-side stopper at a location on the inner wall of the storage chamber where the protruding / exiting part moves, and the protruding / extracting part comes into contact with the storage-side stopper. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which an in / out side stopper is provided that restricts the in / out part from being drawn out from the storage chamber beyond a predetermined length. With this configuration, when the in / out side stopper hits the storage side stopper, the in / out part is restricted from being extended beyond the predetermined length from the storage chamber, and the expansion / contraction part is not excessively damaged and damaged. There is no interference.

  In addition, the intruding portion may be configured to have a non-circular cross section so that rotation is restricted in the storage chamber. With this configuration, the connecting member is easy to handle without being twisted and entangled.

  Furthermore, as another preferred aspect of the above-mentioned in / out part, a configuration in which a spherical in / out side stopper that moves in the storage chamber by the longitudinal force can be provided. With this configuration, since the sphere's protrusion / retraction-side stopper can be rotated in the storage chamber, the twist of the connecting portion main body can be eliminated.

  Further, the rotating ring can be configured to be mounted on the ring mounting portion by elastically deforming a circular arc portion on which the storage portion is not formed. With this configuration, the assembly work of the rotating ring and the tether mechanism can be simplified.

  In order to further clarify the configuration and operation of the present invention described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

(1) Schematic Configuration of Cap Device FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a rear portion of an automobile equipped with a cap device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where an oil filler lid 12 is opened. A recess 11 for refueling is formed at the rear part of the vehicle body panel 10 shown in FIG. The oiling lid 12 is attached via a hinge 13 so that it can be opened and closed. The bottom wall 11a of the recess 11 is provided with a filler port 16a of a filler pipe 16 connected to a fuel tank (not shown). The fuel filler opening 16a is sealed with a fuel cap 20 so as to be opened and closed.

(2) Configuration of Fuel Cap 20 FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the fuel cap 20 attached to the filler pipe 16. The fuel cap 20 includes a casing 21 that is attached to the filler pipe 16, a lid 22 that is attached to a flange 21 b at the top of the casing 21, and a gasket GS that is attached to the upper portion of the casing 21. An engagement protrusion 21 a is formed on the outer periphery of the casing 21. The engagement protrusion 21 a is engaged with the engagement protrusion 16 b of the filler pipe 16. Therefore, the casing 21 presses the gasket GS against the inner wall of the filler pipe 16 by attaching the fuel cap 20 to the fuel filler opening 16a and rotating 2-3 times, and the gap between the inner wall and the fuel cap 20 is reduced. Sealed. The lid body 22 is formed in a cup shape by an upper wall 23 having an operation portion 23a for rotating by pinching with fingers, and a side wall 24 formed in a cylindrical shape from the outer periphery of the upper wall 23.

(3) Configuration of Tether Mechanism 30 The tether mechanism 30 is attached to the lid 22. 4 is a perspective view showing the fuel cap 20, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the tether mechanism 30. The tether mechanism 30 includes a ring mounting portion 25 (see FIG. 3) formed by a groove along the outer periphery of the lid body 22, a rotating ring 32 that is rotatably mounted on the ring mounting portion 25, and the rotating ring 32. And a connecting member 36, a part of which is provided so as to be able to protrude and retract, and these are formed of a soft material such as polyurethane (PUR) or thermoplastic elastomer (TPEE). Has been.

  Rotating ring 32 shown in FIG. 5 includes a projecting portion 32b for reducing sliding resistance between an annular ring main body 32a and the bottom surface of ring mounting portion 25 (FIG. 3) on the inner peripheral portion of ring main body 32a. 32c. The ring main body 32a is rotatably supported by the ring mounting portion 25 with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the ring mounting portion 25, and is formed so as to be able to be reduced in diameter by elastic deformation.

  FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the tether mechanism 30. The storage portion 34 is formed at a part of the outer peripheral portion of the rotating ring 32 and allows a part of the connecting member 36 to be projected and retracted. A storage receiving portion 34a that forms a storage chamber 34S, and a storage receiving portion A storage lid 34b for closing the upper opening of 34a and a connecting portion 34c for connecting the storage lid 34b to the storage receiving portion 34a are provided. A storage opening 34d for projecting and retracting the connecting member 36 and a storage side stopper 34e for preventing the connecting member 36 from being formed are formed at one end of the storage receiving portion 34a. Further, a fixing hole 34f is formed in the bottom of the other end of the storage receiving portion 34a, and is formed so as to be inserted into a fixing pin 34g protruding from the back surface of the storage lid 34b.

  The connecting member 36 includes a string-shaped connecting portion main body 37 having a circular cross section, a projecting / recessing portion 38 formed at one end of the connecting portion main body 37, and a vehicle body side support end 39 formed at the other end of the connecting portion main body 37. These are integrally formed. The in / out part 38 has a string-like shape with a circular cross-section connecting the expansion / contraction part 38a and the connection part main body 37, and the expansion / contraction part 38a that can expand and contract in the circumferential direction in the storage chamber 34S so as to have a bellows shape and perform a spring action. And a connecting portion 38b capable of appearing and retracting from the storage chamber 34S. A retractable side stopper 38c that contacts the storage side stopper 34e is formed between the expansion / contraction portion 38a and the connecting portion 38b of the retractable portion 38. In addition, a fixing portion 38d for fixing the protruding and protruding portion 38 by penetrating the fixing pin 34g is formed at the other end of the protruding and protruding portion 38. The cross-sectional shape of the in / out side stopper 38c is a rectangle, and the shape of the storage chamber 34S is also slightly larger than that of the in / out side stopper 38c. Therefore, the in / out portion 38 rotates when moving in the storage chamber 34S. Therefore, twisting can be prevented over the entire length of the connecting member 36.

  The vehicle body side support end 39, which is the other end of the connecting member 36, is a disk-shaped member having a support protrusion 39a. As shown in FIG. 2, the support protrusion 39 a is rotatably supported by the fixed portion 12 a by being press-fitted into the fixed portion 12 a formed on the back surface side of the fuel filler lid 12.

(4) Attaching work of the tether mechanism 30 To attach the tether mechanism 30, as shown in FIG. 6, the protruding portion 38 of the connecting member 36 is stored in the storage chamber 34 </ b> S of the storage portion 34. At this time, the connecting portion main body 37 is brought out from the storage opening 34d. Next, the storage lid 34b is closed and the upper opening of the storage unit 34 is closed. At this time, the fixing pin 34g is inserted into the fixing hole 34f through the fixing portion 38d to fix one end of the protruding and protruding portion 38 to the storage portion 34. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, to attach the tether mechanism 30 to the fuel cap 20, the rotating ring 32 is press-fitted into the ring mounting portion 25. At this time, the portion of the rotating ring 32 that does not have the storage portion 34 has a small width and is easily stretched, so that it is attached to the ring attachment portion 25 by extending it. Thereby, the storage lid 34b of the storage part 34 is prevented from being pressed and opened by the groove upper surface of the ring mounting part 25.

(5) Opening / Closing Operation of Fuel Cap 20 Next, the opening / closing operation of the fuel cap 20 will be described. From the state where the fuel cap 20 shown in FIG. 1 is removed, the fuel cap 20 is inserted into the fuel filler port 16a of the filler pipe 16, and the fuel filler port 16a is closed by rotating 2-3 times. At this time, the rotating ring 32 shown in FIG. 3 is rotatable with respect to the lid body 22, and when the connecting member 36 receives a force due to the rotation of the fuel cap 20, the expanding / contracting portion 38 a expands and contracts with a small force. The fuel cap 20 has no hindrance to the opening / closing operation. When the fuel cap 20 closes the fuel filler opening 16a and releases the hand from the fuel cap 20, even if the expansion / contraction portion 38a is extended, the spring force of the expansion / contraction portion 38a causes the portion of the connecting portion 38b of the protruding / extracting portion 38. Is stored in the storage portion 34.

  Next, the operation for removing the fuel cap 20 will be described. When the fuel filler lid 12 is opened, the projecting and retracting portion 38 of the connecting member 36 is extended along with the opening operation of the fuel filler lid 12. In other words, the connecting member 36 is extended by the bellows-shaped spring action of the extending / contracting portion 38 a of the protruding and retracting portion 38 to rotate the rotating ring 32. The fuel filler lid 12 is connected to the fuel cap 20 via the connecting member 36, but the opening and closing operation can be performed smoothly without receiving a large force from the connecting member 36 that may cause an obstacle in opening and closing. When the fuel cap 20 is removed from the hand, the expansion / contraction part 38a of the connecting member 36 is extended by the dead weight of the fuel cap 20, and the lid 22 of the fuel cap 20 is directed to the outer plate of the vehicle and separated from the vehicle body panel 10. In this state, oiling can be performed depending on the position. That is, since the fuel cap 20 can be disposed at a position away from the vehicle body panel 10 during refueling, it does not interfere with the refueling gun.

(6) Actions and effects of the examples Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the following actions and effects are exhibited.

(6) -1 When the connecting member 36 receives a force in the longitudinal direction during the operation of closing the fuel filler port 16a by rotating the fuel cap 20, the rotating ring 32 rotates with respect to the lid body 22. Since the expansion / contraction portion 38a of the connecting member 36 can expand and contract even with a small force, the connecting member 36 does not hinder the opening / closing operation of the fuel cap 20.

(6) -2 Since the storage portion 34 of the tether mechanism 30 is provided on the rotating ring 32 that is rotatably supported on the outer periphery of the fuel cap 20, a large space is not required and the configuration is simple.

(6) -3 When the fuel cap 20 is suspended from the fuel filler lid 12, the expansion / contraction part 38a of the connecting member 36 is extended by the own weight of the fuel cap 20, and also hangs down at a position away from the vehicle body panel 10. In this state, Refueling can be performed. That is, the fuel cap 20 can be disposed at a position away from the vehicle body panel 10 during refueling, and does not interfere with the refueling gun, and fuel attached to the casing 21 does not contaminate the vehicle body panel 10.

(6) -4 The projecting / retracting portion 38 of the connecting member 36 is provided so as to be capable of appearing and retracting in the storage portion 34 formed integrally with the rotating ring 32, so that the position to be extended from the storing portion 34 of the connecting member 36 is determined. Therefore, it can be used for various types of vehicles and has excellent versatility.

(6) -5 In the state where the fuel cap 20 closes the fuel filler port 16a, the projecting / retracting portion 38 of the connecting member 36 is contracted by the spring action of the expansion / contraction portion 38a and stored in the storage chamber 34S of the storage portion 34. The part exposed to the periphery of the fuel filler opening 16a of the coupling part main body 37 of the coupling member 36 is shortened, and a problem such as being pinched when the fuel filler lid 12 is closed does not occur.

(6) -6 The extending / retracting portion 38 of the connecting member 36 is restricted from being extended beyond the predetermined length from the storage chamber 34S by the protrusion / recessed stopper 38c hitting the storage-side stopper 34e. Will not grow too much damage. Moreover, since the expansion-contraction part 38a does not come out from the storage chamber 34S, it does not interfere with other parts.

(6) -7 The protrusion / extraction portion 38 is formed in a non-circular cross section so that the rotation is restricted in the storage chamber 34S, and therefore, the connection member 36 is not twisted and entangled and is easy to handle.

(6) -8 The rotating ring 32 can be mounted on the ring mounting portion 25 by elastically deforming the arc portion where the storage portion 34 is not formed, and the assembling work is simple.

(7) Other Embodiments The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the scope of the invention.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a tether mechanism 30B according to the second embodiment. The present embodiment is characterized by the configuration of the intruding portion 38B. That is, the intruding part 38B includes a string-like connecting part 38Bb having a circular cross section and a spherical intruding side stopper 38Bc that moves in the storage chamber 34S and is retained by the storage side stopper 34Be. The connecting portion main body 37B is connected to one end of the connecting portion. With this configuration, when a longitudinal force is applied to the connecting portion main body 37B, the protrusion / departure side stopper 38Bc of the protruding portion 38B slides inside the storage chamber 34S, thereby causing the length of the portion exposed to the outside of the connecting portion main body 37B. Change the height. In addition, since the intrusion-side stopper 38Bc is a sphere, it can rotate within the storage chamber 34S even if the connecting portion main body 37B is twisted, and the twisting of the connecting portion main body 37B can be eliminated.

  In the first embodiment, the bellows-shaped spring is used as the expansion / contraction portion of the in / out portion. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a coil spring may be used as long as it can be expanded and contracted.

  In the above-described embodiment, the structure in which the vehicle body side support end 39 of the connecting member is attached to the fuel filler lid 12 is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the vehicle body side member around the fuel filler port 16a, for example, the bottom wall 11a of the recess 11 and the like. The member is not particularly limited as long as it is a member that does not hinder the opening / closing operation of the fuel cap 20.

It is a perspective view which shows the rear part of the motor vehicle carrying the cap apparatus concerning 1st Example of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the oil supply cover. It is sectional drawing which shows a part of fuel cap with which the filler pipe was mounted | worn. It is a perspective view which shows a fuel cap. It is a perspective view which shows a tether mechanism. It is the perspective view which decomposed | disassembled the tether mechanism. It is a top view which shows the tether mechanism concerning 2nd Example.

Explanation of symbols

10 ... Body panel 11 ... Recess 11a ... Bottom wall 12 ... Refueling lid 12a ... Fixed part 13 ... Hinge 16 ... Filler pipe 16a ... Refueling port 16b ... Engaging protrusion 20 ... Fuel cap 21 ... Casing 21a ... Engaging protrusion 21b ... Flange 22 ... Lid 23 ... Upper wall 23a ... Operation part 24 ... Side wall 25 ... Ring mounting part 30 ... Tether mechanism 32 ... Rotating ring 32a ... Ring body 32b, 32c ... Projection 34 ... Storage part 34S ... Storage room 34a ... Storage Receiving part 34b ... Storage lid 34c ... Connection part 34d ... Storage opening 34e ... Storage side stopper 34f ... Fixing hole 34g ... Fixing pin 36 ... Connection member 37 ... Connection Main part 38 ... Extruding part 38B ... Extruding part 38a ... Expandable part 38b ... Connecting part 38c ... Extruding side stopper 38d ... Fixing part 38Bc ... Extruding side stopper 39 ... Car body side support end 39a ... Support bump GS ... gasket

Claims (6)

In a cap device comprising a tether mechanism (30) for connecting a cap for opening and closing a tank opening to a vehicle body side member around the tank opening,
The tether mechanism (30)
A ring mounting portion (25) formed along the outer periphery of the cap;
A rotating ring (32) rotatably mounted on the ring mounting portion (25);
A storage portion (34) formed on the outer peripheral portion of the rotating ring (32) and having a storage chamber (34S);
A long string-like connecting portion main body (37), a projecting and recessed portion (38) formed at one end of the connecting portion main body (37), and the other end of the connecting portion main body (37) formed on the vehicle body side. A connecting member (36) having a vehicle body side support end (39) connectable to the member;
With
The intruding part (38) is accommodated in the accommodating chamber (34S) so as to be able to appear in and out by a longitudinal force applied to the connecting part main body (37),
Cap device characterized by. The cap device according to claim 1,
The protrusion / extraction portion (38) is provided at an end of the expansion / contraction portion (38a), and is fixed to the storage portion (34). The expansion / contraction portion (38a) expands and contracts in the storage chamber (34S) by the longitudinal force. A fixing device (38d). The cap device according to claim 1 or 2,
The storage portion (34) includes a storage-side stopper (34e) at a location on the inner wall of the storage chamber (34S) where the protrusion / extraction portion (38) moves,
The protrusion / recession portion (38) is provided with a protrusion / recession side stopper (38c) that restricts the protrusion / recession portion (38) from being extended beyond a predetermined length from the storage chamber (34S) by hitting the storage-side stopper (34e). Cap device equipped. The cap device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The cap part (38) is a cap device having a non-circular cross section so that rotation is restricted in the storage chamber (34S). The cap device according to claim 1,
The cap part (38B) is a cap device provided with a spherical part of the stopper (38Bc) that moves in the storage chamber (34S) by the force in the longitudinal direction. The cap device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The rotating ring (32) is a cap device formed so as to be mounted on the ring mounting portion (25) by elastically deforming a circular arc portion on which the storage portion (34) is not formed.

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