JP2528030B2 - Fuel cap with lock - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a fuel cap with a lock in which a fuel tank is tightened (mounted) and loosened (removed) with respect to a filler net based on a key operation.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, as a fuel cap with a lock, JP-A-56-4
The one described in Japanese Patent No. 561 is known (9th, 10th, 11th).
See figure).

The lockable fuel cap 1 has two paths for transmitting torque applied to the lid body 4 to the cap body 3.
There are two routes. The first route is from the lid body 4,
A bottomed cylindrical body 29 integrally attached to the back surface of the lid body 4,
Donut-shaped ratchet having on its inner peripheral surface engaging projections 32, 32, 32, 32 capable of engaging with the arms 30, 30 at the upper end of the bottomed cylindrical body 29 and the engaging portions 31, 31 at the tips of the arms 30, 30. It is a path to the cap body 3 which has claws 12, 12, 12, 12 at the upper end which can be engaged with the innumerable ratchet projections 13 on the lower surface of the ratchet plate 8 through the Etch plate 8 in order. The second path is an engagement capable of engaging with the lock pin 19 of the locking mechanism 33 from the lid 4 through the bottomed cylindrical body 29 and the locking mechanism 33 housed in the bottomed cylindrical body 29 in this order. Protrusions 34, 34, 34, 34, 34, 34, 34,
It is a route to the cap body 3 having 34 on the inner peripheral surface.

When the key is off, the lock pin 19 is in the retracted state, the lock pin 19 and the engaging projection 34 are kept in the non-engaged state, and the second path is kept in the closed state. Torque is transmitted through the path of the lock pin 19 at the time of key-on, when tightening (attaching), the torque is transmitted through the first path, and when loosening (removing), the lock pin 19 is moved by the operating piece 7 at the lower end of the lock 6. Protruding state, engaging protrusion
A second path is formed by being in engagement with one of 34, 34, 34, 34, 34, 34, and torque is transmitted via this second path.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the fuel cap 1 with a lock, a bottomed cylindrical body is formed on the back surface of the lid body 4 during assembly.
After placing 29, the bottomed cylindrical body 29 on the back surface of the lid 4
When the ratchet plate 8 is placed around the armature, the arm engaging portions 31, 31 and the ratchet plate engaging projection 32,
There is a problem that the assembling work must be done while positioning so as not to interfere with 32, 32, 32.

Further, since there are two arm engaging portions 31, 31, it is possible to obtain a uniform rotational torque at two places which engage with two of the ratchet plate engaging protrusions 32, 32, 32, 32. Therefore, it is considered that relatively high precision is required for manufacturing the bottomed cylindrical body 29 and the ratchet plate 8.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lockable fuel cap which pays attention to the above-mentioned problems and facilitates the assembling work, and which does not require the high precision as in the conventional example.

[Means for Solving the Problem] In order to solve this problem, a lockable fuel cap of the present invention has a cap body that is screwed with a filler net, a lid body that covers the cap body above, and a lid body. A fuel cap with a lock, which is held and has an operating piece that operates in response to a key operation on the lower end surface, and which is locked and loosened based on the key operation, and is a hollow that is housed in the cap body. A ratchet plate integrally formed with a cylindrical portion and an annular flange portion extending outward from the hollow cylindrical portion, wherein a vertical groove is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the hollow cylindrical portion in the circumferential direction. And a lock case housed in the hollow cylindrical portion, in which a lock pin and a spring receiving chamber are formed, and a tip face with respect to the vertical groove. A lock pin having an engageable vertical protrusion formed thereon, which is kept in a retracted state by receiving a pressing force applied backward by the operating piece when the key is off, and the vertical protrusion and the vertical groove are disengaged from each other. On the other hand, when the key is turned on, a lock pin is provided, which is kept in an advanced state and in which the vertical protrusion and the vertical groove are maintained in an engaged state.

[Advantageous Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, since the longitudinal groove is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the ratchet plate over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction, the lock case is inserted into the ratchet plate without considering the positioning in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the assembly work is facilitated. Further, since the rotational torque is transmitted by the engagement between the vertical protrusion on the tip of the lock pin and the vertical groove on the inner peripheral surface of the ratchet plate, sufficient torque transmission can be performed without requiring the accuracy of the conventional example. You can

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(1) First Embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 6) A fuel cap 1 with a lock according to this embodiment includes a cap body 3 made of a synthetic resin such as polyacetal that is screwed with a filler net 2. The cap body 3 is a lid 4
And the outer peripheral edge portion 4a are relatively rotatably engaged.
A vertical through hole 5 is formed in the center of the lid 4. A lock (cylinder lock) 6 is inserted into the through hole 5. The lock 6 has an operating piece 7 on the lower end surface that operates according to a key operation.

A hollow cylindrical portion 9 of a ratchet plate 8 made of synthetic resin such as 6-nylon is housed in the cap body 3. A vertical groove 10 is formed along the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the hollow cylindrical portion 9,
A minimum inner diameter portion 10a is formed at the upper end of the vertical groove 10. The ratchet plate 8 is formed with an annular flange portion 11 extending outward from the hollow cylindrical portion 9. On the lower surface of the annular flange portion 11, innumerable ratchet projections 13 are formed circumferentially on the upper surface of the cap body 3 to engage with the claws 12, 12, 12, 12 formed along the circumferential direction.

A lock case 14 made of synthetic resin such as glass reinforced nylon is housed in the hollow cylindrical portion 9 of the ratchet plate 8.
The lock case 14 has a recess 15 formed in the lower surface of the lid 4 at the upper end thereof.
The convex portion 16 press-fitted into the upper part has a lock receiving chamber 17 for accommodating the lock 6 at the center of the upper part, a lock pin / spring receiving chamber 18 at the lower part, and an opening 20 for allowing the lock pin 19 to move back and forth on the lower side surface.
Each is formed.

A lock pin 19 and a spring 21 are housed in the lock pin / spring receiving chamber 18. The lock pin 19 is made of a synthetic resin such as polyacetal, and has one or more vertical protrusions 22 engageable with the vertical groove 10 of the hollow cylindrical portion 9 on its tip surface.
On the rear side, the pressure receiving surface 23 that receives the spring biasing force to the front,
Engaging portions 24 capable of engaging with the operating piece 7 of the lock 6 are formed in the central portion, respectively. In the lock pin 19, when the key is off, the engaging portion 24 receives a rearward pressing force from the operating piece 7,
It is kept in a retracted state against the spring bias, and the vertical projection 22 and vertical groove
10 and 10 are maintained in the disengaged state, while at the time of key-on, the engagement portion 24 is maintained in the disengaged state with the operating piece 7 and is kept in the advanced state by the spring 21 so that the vertical protrusion 22 and the vertical groove 10 To remain engaged.

In the figure, reference numeral 25 is a key, 26 is an O-ring, 27 is a gasket, and 28 is a coil spring.

As is clear from the above description, the torque transmission path of this fuel cap with lock is from the lid 4 to the lock case 1.
4, the lock pin 19 and the ratchet plate 8 in this order to reach the cap body 3. And lock pin 19
Torque transmission from the ratchet plate 8 to the ratchet plate 8 is controlled by key operation, and when the key is off, the vertical projection 22 and the vertical groove 10
Since they are kept in the disengaged state as described above, they cannot be transmitted.On the other hand, when the key is turned on, the vertical protrusion 22 and the vertical groove
And are in the engaged state as described above, and can be transmitted.

Therefore, at the time of key-off, the cap body 3 is not rotated even if a torque for loosening or a torque for tightening is applied to the lid body 4, and neither the tightening nor the loosening can be performed. On the other hand, when keying on, tighten,
It can be loosened.

An example of an assembling process of the lockable fuel cap 1 will be described below.

First, the O-ring 26 is assembled to the lid body 4 by press fitting or the like.

Next, the convex portion 16 of the lock case 14 is assembled into the concave portion 15 of the lid body 4 by press fitting or the like.

Next, the lock pin 19 and the spring 21 are attached to the lock pin / spring receiving chamber 18 of the lock case 14.

Next, the ratchet plate 8 is attached to the lock case 14. After this assembly, the vertical projection 22 of the lock pin 19 is in engagement with the vertical groove 10 of the ratchet plate 8 by the biasing force of the spring 21.

Next, the lock 6 is pressed into the lock receiving chamber 17 of the lock case 14.
By such working steps, the lid body structure 35 shown in FIG.
Is obtained.

Next, the coil spring 28 is set in the cap body 3.

 Next, the cap body 3 is press-fitted into the lid structure 35.

Through the above steps, the lockable fuel cap 1 is obtained.

According to the first embodiment, since the vertical groove 10 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the ratchet plate 8 over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction, the lock case 14 is attached to the ratchet plate 8 without considering the positioning in the circumferential direction. It can be inserted, thus facilitating the assembly work. Further, since the rotational torque is transmitted by the engagement between the vertical protrusion 22 at the tip of the lock pin 19 and the vertical groove 10, sufficient torque transmission can be performed without requiring the accuracy of the conventional example.

(2) Second embodiment (FIGS. 7 and 8) The lockable fuel cap 1 according to this embodiment has an engagement projection 36 along the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of the upper surface of the annular flange portion 11 of the ratchet plate 8. , 36, 36, 36, and engaging portions 37, 37 engageable with the engaging protrusions 36, 36, 36, 36.
Arms 38, 38 each having a tip are formed by adding a ratchet piece 39 formed on the outer peripheral portion. Here, the ratchet piece 39 is made of synthetic resin such as polyacetal,
It is fitted onto the lock case 14 so as not to rotate.

The torque transmission path in the lockable fuel cap 1 is composed of two torque transmission paths. The first transmission path is from the lid 4 to the lock case 14 and the lock pin 1 as in the first embodiment.
9. This is the path to the cap body 3 through the ratchet plate 8 in order. The second transmission path is a path from the lid 4 to the cap body 3 through the lock case 14, the ratchet piece 39, and the ratchet plate 8 in this order. The torque transmission from the ratchet piece 39 to the ratchet plate 8 is such that the engaging portions 37, 37 are kept in engagement with two of the engaging projections 36, 36, 36, 36 facing each other when tightening at the time of key-off. On the other hand, when the keys 38 are loosened at the time of key-off, since the arms 38, 38 can be slid in the radial direction, the engaging portions 37, 37 are kept in the disengaged state with the engaging protrusions 36, 36, 36, 36. It is said that it will not be transmitted.

Therefore, even when a torque for loosening is applied to the lid body 4 at the time of key-off, the cap body 3 is not rotated as in the first embodiment. However, when a torque for tightening is applied when the key is turned off, the cap body 3 is rotated unlike the first embodiment. At the time of key-on, both tightening and loosening can be performed as in the first embodiment.

The assembling process of the fuel cap 1 is almost the same as that of the first embodiment, but the work of assembling the ratchet piece 39 into the lock case 14 is added.

Also with this fuel cap 1, similar to the above-described first embodiment, there is an effect that a sufficient torque can be obtained even if the assembling work is easy and the accuracy is high.

In the first and second embodiments, the valve is not provided in the cap body 3, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is needless to say that the present invention is also applicable to the fuel cap provided with the valve. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a fuel cap with a lock according to the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fuel cap, FIG. 3 is a top view of a ratchet plate, and FIG. Is a partial sectional side view of the same, FIG. 5 is a partial sectional side view of the lock case, FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a lid structure in an assembly process, and FIG. 7 is a lock according to a second embodiment. Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the fuel cap with a lock, Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fuel cap, Fig. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the conventional fuel cap with a lock, and Fig. 10 is the same as the fuel cap. FIG. 11 is a partial bottom view of the fuel cap, and FIG. 11 is a partial bottom view of the fuel cap. 1 ... Fuel cap with lock, 2 ... Filler net, 3 ... Cap body, 4 ... Lid body, 6 ... Lock, 7 ...
… Operating piece, 8 …… Ratchet plate, 9 …… Hollow cylinder part, 10 …… Vertical groove, 11 …… Annular flange part, 14 …… Lock case, 18 …… Lock pin / spring receiving chamber, 19 …… Lock pin , 21 …… Spring, 22 …… Vertical protrusion.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cap main body to be screwed with a filler net, a lid for covering the cap main body from above, and a lock having an operating piece which is held by the lid and which operates in response to a key operation on a lower end surface thereof. In a fuel cap with a lock, which is tightened or loosened based on a key operation, a hollow cylindrical portion housed in the cap main body and an annular flange portion extending outward from the hollow cylindrical portion are integrally formed. A ratchet plate that is formed integrally, in which a vertical groove is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the hollow cylindrical portion over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction, and a lock case housed in the hollow cylindrical portion. A lock case having a lock pin and a spring receiving chamber formed therein, and a lock pin having a vertical projection capable of engaging with the vertical groove formed on a front end surface thereof. The vertical protrusion and the vertical groove are maintained in a disengaged state by receiving a rearward pressing force by the rearward, and the vertical protrusion and the vertical groove are maintained in a forward state at the time of key-on. A fuel cap with a lock, characterized in that a lock pin for maintaining the engagement of and is provided, and.