JP4405890B2 - Cap device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cap device that can be removed from a tank opening by operating a key.

  Conventionally, as this type of cap device, for example, the technique of Patent Document 1 is known. That is, the cap device includes a closing body that closes the tank opening, a handle mechanism that is rotatably supported on the top of the closing body, a closing torque transmission mechanism, and an opening torque transmission mechanism. The closing torque transmission mechanism has a handle side engaging portion that interlocks with the rotation of the handle mechanism in the closing direction, and a closing body side engaging portion that interlocks with the closing body, and the handle side engaging portion and the closing body side engaging portion. Rotational torque in the closing direction is transmitted to the closing body through the engagement with. The opening torque transmission mechanism includes a torque pin that is interlocked by key operation, and the torque pin engages with the main body side engaging portion on the closing body side to transmit the rotational torque in the opening direction to the closing body. The opening torque transmission mechanism is configured so that the handle device cannot rotate and the cap device cannot be removed from the tank opening unless the key is operated. Further, when the tank opening is closed after the cap device is removed by key operation, the torque pin returns to the original position in conjunction with the closing torque transmission mechanism.

  However, in the conventional cap device described above, since the handle mechanism is rotated at a large angle until the handle side engaging portion engages with the closing body side engaging portion, the operability is not good. Further, when the key is operated, depending on the positional relationship between the handle side engaging portion and the closing body side engaging portion, it is difficult to engage with each other, and there is a problem that the cap device cannot be removed.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,347

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and to provide a cap device that can be reliably removed from a tank opening by operating a key and that is excellent in operability.

The present invention made to solve the above problems
In the cap device that opens and closes the tank opening,
A closing body that closes the tank opening in a sealed state;
A handle mechanism rotatably disposed above the closure body;
A closing torque transmission mechanism that is interposed between the handle mechanism and the closing body and transmits a rotational torque in a closing direction applied to the handle mechanism to the closing body;
An opening torque transmission mechanism that is interposed between the handle mechanism and the closing body, and transmits a rotational torque in an opening direction applied to the handle mechanism to the closing body;
With
The closing torque transmission mechanism is
A first engagement portion that rotates in conjunction with rotation in the closing direction of the handle mechanism; and a second engagement portion that is provided in association with the closing body and engages with the first engagement portion. , the rotational torque of the closing direction by the engagement between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion is transmitted to the closer, the rotational torque is the first engaging portion when exceeding the predetermined value It is configured to rotate and get over the second engaging portion,
The opening torque transmission mechanism is
A key cylinder that shifts from a closed position to an open position by a key operation, a third engagement portion that interlocks with the closing body, an engagement position that engages with the third engagement portion, and the third engagement portion. An opening torque transmission member having a fourth engagement portion that selectively takes a non-matching standby position, and the opening torque transmission member is moved to the open position of the key cylinder by the fourth engagement portion. Shifts from the standby position to the engagement position, and in conjunction with the rotation torque in the opening direction of the handle mechanism at the engagement position, the rotation torque is transmitted to the closing body,
Further, the opening torque transmitting member is configured such that when the first engagement portion rotates and gets over the second engagement portion, the fourth engagement portion reacts with the third engagement portion. In response to the shift from the engagement position to the standby position, and the fourth engagement portion that has shifted to the standby position is operated by the key operation to the open position of the third engagement portion. It is positioned in a state where it can be transferred to the joint position,
Further, the closing torque transmission mechanism transmits the rotational torque from the handle mechanism to the first engaging portion in conjunction with the rotation of the handle mechanism in the closing direction, and rotates the handle mechanism in the opening direction. A clutch member that does not transmit the rotational torque to the first engagement portion even when the fourth engagement portion is located when the opening torque transmission member is set at the standby position. The third engaging portion is configured to be positioned after being rotated by a predetermined angle so that the third engaging portion can move to the engaging position .

In the cap device according to the present invention, the closing body is closed via the closing torque transmission mechanism by rotating the handle mechanism. That is, the first engaging portion that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the handle mechanism in the closing direction is engaged with the second engaging portion, and the rotation torque in the closing direction is transmitted to the closing body by the engagement. When the rotational torque exceeds a predetermined value, the first engagement portion rotates by a predetermined engagement / disengagement angle and engages / disengages with respect to the second engagement portion. As a result, the cap device can close the tank opening with a predetermined tightening force.
In order to open the cap device, the key is operated to rotate the closing body via the opening torque transmission mechanism. That is, by operating the key, the fourth engaging portion of the opening torque transmitting member is engaged with the third engaging portion, and the closing body is rotated by rotating the handle mechanism in the opening direction, thereby closing the closing mechanism. The body opens the tank opening.
Further, when the first engagement portion of the closing torque transmission mechanism is engaged / disengaged with respect to the second engagement portion, the fourth engagement portion shifts from the engagement position to the standby position. The fourth engagement portion that has shifted to the standby position is positioned in a state that allows the third engagement portion to shift to the engagement position by operating the key operation to the open position. Therefore, the fourth engagement portion does not interfere with the third engagement portion by the opening operation of the key operation, and reliably moves from the standby position to the engagement position and engages with the third engagement portion. The tank opening can be opened with a cap device.

  As a preferred aspect of the present invention, the opening torque transmission member is configured to move between the standby position and the engagement position by moving back and forth in the radial direction with respect to the rotation shaft of the handle mechanism. Can do. Further, the number of the second engaging portion and the third engaging portion is the same, and when the first engaging portion is positioned in a disengaged state with respect to the second engaging portion, The positional relationship between the fourth engaging portion and the third engaging portion facing the four engaging portions can be configured to be constant.

As a preferred aspect of the present invention, the closing torque transmission mechanism includes an elastic torque piece made of an elastically deformable cantilever and includes a circular closing torque member. A plurality of the second engagement portions are provided along the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral portion of the closing body, and the engagement maximizes the elastic deformation of the elastic torque pieces. A protrusion, an engagement recess that minimizes elastic deformation of the elastic torque piece, and an elastic deformation of the elastic torque piece that is formed between the engagement protrusion and the engagement recess are gradually reduced. The structure provided with a gentle slope can be taken.
In addition, the play angle at which the first engagement portion rotates in the circumferential direction within the engagement recess is set in a range in which the opening torque transmission member can be shifted from the standby position to the engagement position. it is Ru can.

  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 Fuel Cap 10 FIG. 1 is a side view partially showing a cap device provided with a fuel cap according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the fuel cap. 1 and 2, a fuel cap 10 is attached to a filler neck FN having an inlet FNa (tank opening) for replenishing fuel to a fuel tank (not shown), and is formed from a synthetic resin material such as polyacetal. A casing body 20 (closed body), a lid body 30 and an inner lid body 40 which are mounted on the upper portion of the casing body 20 and constitute a handle mechanism, a clutch member 50, a closing torque member 60, and an opening torque transmission member 70. The key cylinder 90 and a gasket GS which is attached to the upper outer periphery of the casing body 20 and seals between the casing body 20 and the filler neck FN. In the fuel cap 10, a closing torque transmission mechanism is configured by the clutch member 50, the closing torque member 60, and the like, and an opening torque transmission mechanism is configured by the opening torque transmission member 70, the key cylinder 90, and the like.

  In the configuration of the fuel cap 10, in order to close the inlet FNa with the fuel cap 10, the handle torque is attached to the inlet FNa from the casing body 20 and a closing torque is applied by applying a rotational torque of a predetermined value or more in the closing direction. On the other hand, in order to open the inlet FNa with the fuel cap 10 by operating the transmission mechanism, a key is inserted into the key cylinder 90 and rotated, and a rotational torque is applied in the opening direction of the handle mechanism to open the torque transmission mechanism. It is performed by the operation of.

(2) Configuration of Each Part Next, the configuration of each part of the fuel cap 10 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.
(2) -1 Casing body 20
A gasket GS is sheathed on the lower surface of the flange 21 at the top of the casing body 20. The gasket GS is interposed between the seal holding portion 23 of the flange 21 and the inlet FNa of the filler neck FN. When the fuel cap 10 is tightened into the inlet FNa, the gasket GS is pressed against the seal surface of the filler neck FN. To achieve a sealing action. An outer ring body 22 is disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the flange 21. The outer ring body 22 rotatably supports a handle mechanism constituting the lid body 30 and the inner lid body 40.

 A male screw 20 a is formed at the lower outer periphery of the casing body 20. On the other hand, an internal thread FNb is formed on the inner periphery of the filler neck FN. If the fuel cap 10 is rotated 2-3 times in a state where the fuel cap 10 is inserted into the inlet FNa of the filler neck FN, the male screw 20a is engaged with the female screw FNb, so that the fuel cap 10 becomes the filler neck. Mounted on FN.

(2) -2 Handle Mechanism FIG. 3 is a side view showing the handle mechanism partially broken. The lid 30 constituting the handle mechanism includes an upper wall 31 and a side wall 32 formed on the outer peripheral portion of the upper wall 31, and is integrally formed in a cup shape. An operation handle 33 that is opened and closed by a user is formed on the upper portion of the lid 30. On the other hand, the inner lid body 40 is integrated with the lower surface of the lid body 30. The inner lid 40 includes an upper wall 41, a side wall 42 projecting downward from the outer peripheral portion of the upper wall 41, and a support cylinder 43 projecting in a cylindrical shape downward from the center of the upper wall 41. I have. Engaging protrusions 42 a are provided on the outer periphery of the side wall 42, and the inner cover 40 is attached to the lid 30 by engaging with the support protrusions 32 a formed on the lower inner side of the side wall 32 of the lid 30. It is integrated. Further, an engagement protrusion 42 b is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the side wall 42, and the inner lid body 40 is rotatably assembled to the casing body 20 by engaging with the outer ring body 22 of the casing body 20. It has been.
A storage hole 31 a for storing the key cylinder 90 and a storage hole 41 a are formed in the center of the lid body 30 and the inner lid body 40. Further, a key hole 43 a that allows the key plate of the key cylinder 90 to appear and retract is formed in a side portion of the support cylinder 43. Further, a storage chamber 44 is formed in the support cylinder 43. The storage chamber 44 is configured to slidably store the opening torque transmission member 70 (see FIG. 1), and the shape thereof will be described later together with the configuration of the opening torque transmission member 70.

(2) -3 Closing torque transmission mechanism The closing torque transmission mechanism shown in FIG. 1 transmits the rotational torque applied to the operation handle 33 to the casing body 20 during the operation of closing the injection port FNa with the fuel cap 10, and exceeds a predetermined level. This is a mechanism that gives a feeling of moderation when the rotational torque reaches the predetermined value, and confirms that the fuel cap 10 is attached to the filler neck FN with a predetermined rotational torque. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of the closing torque transmission mechanism. The closing torque transmission mechanism is a clutch member 50, a closing torque member 60, and a first inner portion formed on the inner periphery of the casing body 20. The two engaging portions 25 are the main components.

  The clutch member 50 has a one-way clutch function of transmitting the rotational torque from the inner lid body 40 only in the closing direction to the closing torque member 60. The clutch member 50 is a plate material integrally formed by injection molding, and includes a disc-shaped clutch main body 51. Three engagement holes 51 a are formed in the outer peripheral portion of the clutch body 51. The engagement hole 51 a engages with the engagement protrusion 41 b on the lower surface of the inner lid body 40, whereby the clutch member 50 is integrated with the inner lid body 40 in the rotational direction. In addition, the clutch member 50 is formed with six clutch arms 52 inclined in the circumferential direction so as to surround the outer periphery of the torque member 60. Each clutch arm 52 includes a cantilever arm main body 52a, and an engagement end 52b is formed at the tip thereof.

The closing torque member 60 has a function of transmitting the rotational torque in the closing direction from the clutch member 50 to the casing body 20 within a range not exceeding a predetermined value. The closing torque member 60 is disposed in a space 53 surrounded by the clutch arm 52 of the clutch member 50, and includes a torque member main body 61 having a through hole 61 a and a clutch engagement projectingly provided on the outer periphery of the torque member main body 61. A mating protrusion 62 and three elastic torque pieces 63 protruding from the outer periphery of the torque member main body 61 are provided.
The support cylinder 43 of the inner lid body 40 passes through the through hole 61a of the torque member main body 61, and the closing torque member 60 is rotatably supported by the support cylinder 43.
The clutch engagement protrusion 62 is a protrusion having two continuous triangular cross-sections, and is provided at three positions at intervals of 120 °. Each clutch engagement protrusion 62 is formed with an engagement surface 62a that engages with the engagement end 52b of the clutch arm 52 and an inclined surface 62b that deflects and slides the clutch arm 52 in the radial direction.
The elastic torque piece 63 is provided at three positions below the outer periphery of the torque member main body 61 and below the clutch engagement protrusion 62. The elastic torque piece 63 includes an arm main body 64 formed of a cantilever and an arm main body 64. And a first engaging portion 65 projecting outward in the radial direction. The first engagement portion 65 includes an engagement surface 65 a that is inclined with respect to the radial direction, and is formed to engage with a second engagement portion 25 that protrudes from the upper portion on the inner peripheral side of the casing body 20. Has been.

  5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the closing torque transmission mechanism from above. FIG. 5A shows the engagement relationship between the clutch member 50 and the closing torque member 60, and FIG. 5B shows the closing torque member 60 and the casing body. The relationship with 20 second engaging portions 25 is shown. Twelve second engaging portions 25 are formed at an interval of 30 ° over the entire inner periphery of the casing body 20, and engage with the engaging protrusions 25a, the engaging recesses 25b, and the engaging protrusions 25a. It is formed by a gentle slope 25c formed between the recess 25b. The second engagement portion 25 is formed so as to bend the elastic torque piece 63 by pressing the first engagement portion 65 of the elastic torque piece 63 by the clockwise rotation of the closing torque member 60. The portion 25a maximizes the elastic deformation of the elastic torque piece 63, the engagement recess 25b minimizes the elastic deformation of the elastic torque piece 63 (0), and the gentle slope 25c gradually reduces the elastic deformation of the elastic torque piece 63. It is formed to be small.

  Next, the operation of the closing torque transmission mechanism will be described. In FIG. 1, in order to close the inlet FNa with the fuel cap 10, the male screw 20 a of the casing body 20 is aligned with the female screw FNb of the filler neck FN, and the lid 30 is rotated by rotating the operation handle 33 in the closing direction. And the inner cover body 40 rotates integrally. 6 and 7 are explanatory views for explaining the operation of the closing torque transmission mechanism subsequent to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the handle mechanism is rotated in the closing direction (indicated by a solid line arrow), the engagement protrusion 41b of the inner lid body 40 and the engagement hole 51a of the clutch member 50 are engaged with each other through the engagement. The member 50 rotates integrally. Since the engagement end 52b of the clutch arm 52 of the clutch member 50 is engaged with the engagement surface 62a of the clutch engagement protrusion 62 of the closing torque member 60, the closing torque member 60 is turned clockwise as the clutch member 50 rotates. Rotate in the direction. As the closing torque member 60 rotates, the first engaging portion 65 of the closing torque member 60 shown in FIG. 5B presses the engaging protrusion 25 a of the second engaging portion 25 of the casing body 20. As a result, the lid body 30, the inner lid body 40, the clutch member 50, the closing torque member 60, and the casing body 20 rotate together to advance in the direction of closing the inlet FNa, and the male screw 20a engages with the female screw FNb. Power increases. When the reaction force generated by the engaging force between the male screw 20a and the female screw FNb becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined rotational torque, the first engaging portion 65 is moved to the second engaging portion 25 as shown in FIG. Over the engagement protrusion 25a. That is, the first engagement portion 65 is pressed in the radial direction by the reaction force from the engagement protrusion 25a of the second engagement portion 25, so that the elastic torque piece 63 is elastically deformed so as to narrow the width of the space, and The first engagement portion 65 gets over the engagement protrusion 25a of the second engagement portion 25, and the first engagement portion 65 follows the gentle slope 25c, as shown in FIG. Move to 25b. Accordingly, the closing torque member 60, the inner lid body 40, and the like rotate by 30 ° relative to the casing body 20, and the user can confirm a sense of moderation. In this state, the fuel cap is closed to the inlet with a predetermined tightening torque.
The first engagement portion 65 of the elastic torque piece 63 moves over the engagement protrusion 25a and then moves to the engagement recess 25b after following the gentle slope 25c. Therefore, the elastic torque piece 63 rapidly returns to the original state due to the elastic force. Thus, it does not collide with the peripheral portion of the second engagement portion 25 to produce a loud sound, and the user does not feel uncomfortable.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, when the handle mechanism rotates in the opening direction (indicated by a broken arrow), that is, counterclockwise, the clutch arm 52 follows the inclined surface 62 b of the clutch engagement protrusion 62 and has a diameter. By being pressed in the direction, it bends and gets over the clutch engaging protrusion 62. At this time, the handle mechanism is idled at a rotation angle of 30 ° while the clutch arm 52 is positioned with respect to the clutch engagement protrusion 62 at a rotation angle of 30 °.

(2) -4 Opening Torque Transmission Mechanism FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing components of the opening torque transmission mechanism. The opening torque transmission mechanism mainly includes a key cylinder 90, an opening torque transmission member 70 housed in the housing chamber 44 of the inner lid body 40, and a third engagement portion 26 formed in the casing body 20. .
The key cylinder 90 is a mechanism that allows the fuel cap 10 to be removed from the filler neck FN by operating a key, and includes a cylinder body 90a having a key mechanism. A key hole 90b for inserting a key is formed in the upper part of the cylinder main body 90a, and a key pin 90c is projected at a position eccentric from the axis of the cylinder main body 90a. When the key pin 90c is rotated counterclockwise by the operation of the key, the key pin 90c is rotated in the same direction.

The opening torque transmission member 70 is slidably supported in the storage chamber 44 of the inner lid body 40. The opening torque transmission member 70 includes a transmission member main body 71, and a guide portion 71a, a fourth engagement portion 72, a key guide recess 73, and an engagement arm 74 are formed in the transmission member main body 71 as a recess and a protrusion. Has been.
The guide portion 71 a is a portion that is formed on the side portion of the transmission member main body 71 and guides in the horizontal direction following the guide protrusion 44 a of the storage chamber 44.
The fourth engagement portion 72 is a protrusion having a triangular cross section formed at the front portion of the transmission member main body 71 and is formed so as to be pressed and engaged with the third engagement portion 26 of the casing main body 20.
The key guide recess 73 is recessed in the upper part of the transmission member main body 71, and is formed so that the key pin 90c of the key cylinder 90 enters and presses the key guide wall 73a of the curved surface.
The engagement arm 74 is formed on the lower side of the transmission member main body 71, and projects from the arm main body 74 a that is a cantilever projecting from the lower portion of the side wall of the transmission member main body 71 and the tip of the arm main body 74 a. And an engaging projection 74b.

  The third engaging portion 26 formed on the inner peripheral portion of the casing body 20 presses the fourth engaging portion 72 during the closing operation to open and return the inclined torque transmission member 70 to its original position. And a vertical surface 26b that engages with the fourth engagement portion 72 of the opening torque transmission member 70 is formed.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view for explaining the opening torque transmission member 70. 9A is a horizontal cross-sectional view of a portion where the fourth engagement portion 72 of the opening torque transmission member 70 is provided, and FIG. 9B is a horizontal cross-sectional view of a portion where the engagement arm 74 of the opening torque transmission member 70 is provided. is there. The solid line in FIG. 9 indicates the standby position of the opening torque transmission member 70, and the two-dot chain line in FIG. 9 indicates the engagement position. The standby position of the opening torque transmitting member 70 is the first engagement in which the engagement protrusion 74 b of the engagement arm 74 is engaged with the engagement portion 44 b and the fourth engagement portion 72 is accommodated in the storage chamber 44. The engagement position is a second engagement state in which the engagement protrusion 74 b of the engagement arm 74 is disengaged from the engagement portion 44 b and the fourth engagement portion 72 protrudes from the storage chamber 44. . Here, when the engagement protrusion 74 b is in the second engagement state, the fourth engagement portion 72 can maintain the protruding state from the storage chamber 44 even if the key is removed.
When the key pin 90c of the key cylinder 90 rotates and pushes the key guide wall 73a at the standby position of the opening torque transmission member 70 shown by the solid line in FIG. 9, the engagement protrusion 74b of the engagement arm 74 is engaged with the engagement portion 44b. The guide portion 71a is guided by the guide protrusion 44a, the fourth engagement portion 72 indicated by a two-dot chain line protrudes from the storage chamber 44, and the opening torque transmission member 70 is switched to the engagement position.
On the other hand, when the support cylinder 43 rotates in the clockwise direction integrally with the inner lid body 40 at the engagement position of the opening torque transmission member 70 shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 9, the inclined surface 72a of the fourth engagement portion 72 is rotated. Is pressed from the inclined surface 26a of the third engaging portion 26 and retracts so as to slide. Then, the engaging protrusion 74b of the engaging arm 74 engages with the engaging portion 44b and is stopped by the engaging wall 44c, so that the opening torque transmitting member 70 moves to the standby position.

  Next, the operation of the opening torque transmission mechanism will be described. 10 to 12 are explanatory diagrams for explaining a series of operations of the opening torque transmission mechanism. FIG. 10 shows the state of the opening torque transmission mechanism when the fuel cap closes the inlet. In this state, since the fourth engagement portion 72 of the opening torque transmission member 70 is not engaged with the third engagement portion 26, the handle mechanism is free to rotate in the opening direction. The cap cannot be removed.

  The key is inserted into the key cylinder 90 and rotated 45 ° counterclockwise, and then returned to 45 ° clockwise before being removed from the key cylinder 90. When the key is operated, as shown in FIG. 11, the key pin 90 c at the lower part of the key cylinder 90 rotates counterclockwise and pushes the key guide wall 73 a of the opening torque transmission member 70. The opening torque transmission member 70 slides when the engagement protrusion 74b of the engagement arm 74 shown in FIG. 11B is engaged and disengaged from the engagement portion 44b of the support cylinder 43, and the elasticity of the engagement arm 74 is further increased. Due to the force, as shown in FIG. 12, the fourth engagement portion 72 protrudes from the opening of the storage chamber 44 and becomes a position where it can engage with the third engagement portion 26 of the casing body 20. At this engagement position, the rotational torque in the opening direction of the handle mechanism is transmitted from the handle mechanism to the opening torque transmission member 70, and further, the fourth engagement portion 72 of the opening torque transmission member 70 and the third engagement of the casing body 20. It is transmitted to the casing body 20 through engagement with the vertical surface 26 b of the joint portion 26. Thereby, the handle mechanism, the opening torque transmission member 70, and the casing body 20 are integrally rotated in the opening direction, and the fuel cap is detached from the filler neck. When the engagement protrusion 74b is in the second engagement state, the state where the fourth engagement portion 72 protrudes from the storage chamber 44 is maintained even if the key is removed.

  Next, a return operation in which the opening torque transmission member 70 of the opening torque transmission mechanism interlocked with the closing torque transmission mechanism returns from the engagement position to the standby position will be described. The returning operation is performed at the time of closing the injection port with the fuel cap. FIGS. 13 to 15 are explanatory views for explaining the return operation of the opening torque transmission mechanism in conjunction with the closing torque transmission mechanism. Here, (A) shows the positional relationship between the closing torque member 60 and the casing body 20, (B) shows the positional relationship between the opening torque transmission member 70 and the casing body 20, and (C) shows the opening torque transmission member 70. The state of the engagement arm 74 is shown respectively.

  When the closing torque member 60 is rotated in the closing direction by rotation of the handle mechanism in the closing direction, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the engaging surface 65a of the first engaging portion 65 of the closing torque member 60 becomes the casing body. The engagement protrusion 25a of the 20 second engagement portion 25 is pushed. As a result, the handle mechanism, the clutch member 50, the closing torque member 60, and the casing body 20 rotate together to advance in the direction of closing the injection port, and the binding force on the filler neck increases. When the reaction force generated by the engaging force becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined rotational torque, the engaging surface 65a of the first engaging portion 65 is moved to the second engaging portion 25 through the processes shown in FIGS. The elastic torque piece 63 is elastically deformed so as to reduce the width of the space by being pressed in the radial direction by the reaction force from the engagement protrusion 25a, and the first engagement portion 65 gets over the second engagement portion 25. At this time, the handle mechanism and the closing torque member 60 rotate by 30 ° relative to the casing body 20. In this state, the fuel cap is closed to the inlet with a predetermined tightening torque.

  When the closing torque member 60 gets over the second engaging portion 25, when the handle mechanism rotates by 30 ° with respect to the casing body 20, the opening torque transmission member 70 also rotates. However, FIG. As shown in B), the gentle slope 72a of the fourth engagement portion 72 is pushed by the slope 26a of the third engagement portion 26 of the casing body 20 and slides away. Then, after the engaging arm 74 of the opening torque transmitting member 70 is elastically deformed, the engaging protrusion 74b at the tip thereof is engaged with the engaging portion 44b, and the opening torque transmitting member 70 is in the retracted position in the storage chamber 44. (States of FIGS. 15B and 15C). In this state, the fourth engagement portion 72 of the opening torque transmission member 70 is in a non-engagement standby state with the third engagement portion 26 of the casing body 20, so that rotational torque in the opening direction applied to the handle mechanism is transmitted. do not do. That is, the fuel cap cannot be removed from the inlet unless the key operation is performed.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 15, the fourth engagement portion 72 of the opening torque transmission member 70 is in a positional relationship with the third engagement portion 26 of the casing body 20. The positional relationship is easy to enter between the joint portions 26. That is, the position where the first engagement portion 65 of the closing torque member 60 is positioned in the engagement recess 25 b is a positional relationship in which the fourth engagement portion 72 can easily enter between the third engagement portions 26. It is. Therefore, the fourth engagement portion 72 of the opening torque transmission member 70 does not have a positional relationship that directly contacts the third engagement portion 26, and the opening operation of the opening torque transmission member 70 is not hindered.
As shown in FIG. 15, the play angle θ at which the first engagement portion 65 of the elastic torque piece 63 rotates within the engagement recess 25 b of the second engagement portion 25 is such that the fourth engagement portion 72 is the first. 3 The opening angle transmission member 70 can be reliably transferred from the standby position to the engagement position because it is set at a small angle that can be inserted between the three engagement portions 26 without hitting it.
When the handle mechanism is idled in the opening direction without operating the key, the clutch arm 52 of the clutch member 50 is pressed following the inclined surface 62b as described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 15B, the opening torque transmitting member 70 that rotates integrally with the handle mechanism also rotates every 30 °. Therefore, the fourth engaging portion 72 is set between the third engaging portions 26 and does not reach the third engaging portion 26, so that the key operation can be smoothly performed and the opening operation can be reliably performed. .

(3) Other functions and effects of the fuel cap The above-described fuel cap has the following functions and effects.
(3) -1 When the first engagement portion 65 of the closing torque transmission mechanism is engaged with and disengaged from the second engagement portion 25, the fourth engagement portion 72 shifts from the engagement position to the standby position. The fourth engagement portion 72 that has shifted to the standby position is positioned in a state that allows the third engagement portion 26 to shift to the engagement position by operating the key operation to the open position. Therefore, the fourth engagement portion 72 does not interfere with the third engagement portion 26 by the opening operation of the key operation, and reliably shifts from the standby position to the engagement position and engages with the third engagement portion 26. Therefore, the tank opening can be opened by the cap device.

(3) -2 The first engagement portion 65 can be rotated at a play angle within the engagement recess 25b of the second engagement portion 25. The handle mechanism is rotated at this play angle. However, the fourth engagement portion 72 can reliably move from the standby position to the engagement position without colliding with the third engagement portion 26.

(3) -3 Since the first engaging portion 65 of the elastic torque piece 63 moves over the engaging protrusion 25a and then moves to the engaging recess 25b after following the gentle slope 25c, it is abruptly caused by the elastic force. Since it does not return to the original state and does not collide with the peripheral portion of the second engaging portion 25 and no loud sound is generated, the user does not feel uncomfortable.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the scope of the invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the fuel cap that opens and closes the inlet of the fuel tank of the automobile has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this and can be suitably applied to a cap device for a radiator tank.

It is a side view which shows a cap apparatus provided with a fuel cap concerning one example of the present invention partially fractured. It is a disassembled perspective view of a fuel cap. It is a side view which shows a handle mechanism partially broken. It is a perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows each component of a closing torque transmission mechanism. It is explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of a closing torque transmission mechanism. It is explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement following FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement following FIG. It is a perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows each component of an opening torque transmission mechanism. It is explanatory drawing explaining an opening torque transmission mechanism. It is explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of an opening torque transmission mechanism. It is explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement following FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement following FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the return operation | movement of the opening torque transmission mechanism interlocked with the closing torque transmission mechanism. It is explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement following FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement following FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Fuel cap 20 ... Casing main body 20a ... Male screw 21 ... Flange 22 ... Outer ring body 23 ... Seal holding part 25 ... 2nd engaging part 25a ... Engaging protrusion 25b ... engaging recess 25c ... slow slope 26 ... third engaging portion 26a ... inclined surface 26b ... vertical surface 30 ... lid 31 ... upper Wall 31a ... Housing hole 32 ... Side wall 32a ... Supporting protrusion 33 ... Operation handle 40 ... Inner lid 41 ... Upper wall 41a ... Housing hole 41b ... Engagement Projection 42 ... Side wall 42a ... engagement projection 42b ... engagement projection 43 ... supporting cylinder 43a ... key hole 44 ... storage chamber 44a ... guide projection 44b. .. engaging portion 44c ... engaging wall 50 ... clutch member 51 ... clutch body 51a ... engaging hole 52 ... clutch arm 52a ... arm body 52b ... engaging end 53 ... Space 60 ... Closed torque member 61 ... Torque member body 61a ... Through hole 62 ... Engaging projection 62a ... engaging surface 62b ... inclined surface 63 ... elastic torque piece 64 ... arm body 65 ... first engaging portion 65a ... engaging surface 70. Opening torque transmission member 71 ... Transmission member body 71a ... Guide part 72 ... Four engagement part 72a ... Inclined surface 73 ... Key guide recess 73a ... Key guide wall 74 ... engagement arm 74a ... arm body 74b ... engagement projection 90 ... key cylinder 90a ... cylinder body 90b ... key hole 90c ... key pin FN ... filler neck GS ... Gasket FNa ... Inlet FNb ... Female thread

Claims (5)

In the cap device that opens and closes the tank opening,
A closing body that closes the tank opening in a sealed state;
A handle mechanism rotatably disposed above the closure body;
A closing torque transmission mechanism that is interposed between the handle mechanism and the closing body and transmits a rotational torque in a closing direction applied to the handle mechanism to the closing body;
An opening torque transmission mechanism that is interposed between the handle mechanism and the closing body, and transmits a rotational torque in an opening direction applied to the handle mechanism to the closing body;
With
The closing torque transmission mechanism is
A first engagement portion (65) that rotates in conjunction with rotation of the handle mechanism in the closing direction, and a second engagement that is provided in association with the closing body and engages with the first engagement portion (65). And a rotational torque in the closing direction is transmitted to the closing body by the engagement of the first engaging portion (65) and the second engaging portion (25). There was the first engagement portion (65) is rotated when it exceeds a predetermined value configured to ride over against the second engagement portion (25),
The opening torque transmission mechanism is
A key cylinder (90) that shifts from a closed position to an open position by a key operation, a third engagement portion (26) interlocked with the closing body, and an engagement position that engages with the third engagement portion (26) And an open torque transmission member (70) having a fourth engagement portion (72) that selectively takes a standby position not engaged with the third engagement portion (26). 70), when the key cylinder (90) is shifted to the open position, the fourth engagement portion (72) is shifted from the standby position to the engagement position, and the handle mechanism is moved to the engagement position. In conjunction with the rotational torque in the opening direction, the rotational torque is transmitted to the closing body,
Further, the opening torque transmitting member (70) is configured such that when the first engaging portion (65) rotates over the second engaging portion (25) and gets over the fourth engaging portion (72). ) Receives the reaction force from the third engagement portion (26) and moves from the engagement position to the standby position, and the fourth engagement portion (72) that has shifted to the standby position moves to the third position. The engaging portion (26) is positioned so as to be able to shift to the engaging position by operating the key operation to the open position.
Further, the closing torque transmission mechanism transmits the rotational torque from the handle mechanism to the first engagement portion (65) in conjunction with the rotation of the handle mechanism in the closing direction, and opens the handle mechanism. A clutch member (50) that does not transmit the rotational torque to the first engaging portion (65) even when the clutch is rotated, the clutch member (50) has the opening torque transmitting member (70) in the standby position. The fourth engagement portion (72) is positioned after being rotated by a predetermined angle so that the fourth engagement portion (72) can move to the engagement position with respect to the third engagement portion (26). That is structured as
Cap device characterized by. The cap device according to claim 1,
The cap device configured such that the opening torque transmission member (70) moves between the standby position and the engagement position by moving forward and backward in a radial direction with respect to the rotation shaft of the handle mechanism. The cap device according to claim 2,
The number of the second engaging portion (25) and the third engaging portion (26) is the same, and the first engaging portion (65) gets over the second engaging portion (25) . And a cap device configured such that the positional relationship between the fourth engaging portion (72) and the third engaging portion (26) facing the fourth engaging portion (72) is constant when positioned in a state. The cap device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The closing torque transmission mechanism has an elastic torque piece (63) made of an elastically deformable cantilever and includes a circular closing torque member (60), and the first engaging portion (65) Projecting on the torque piece (63),
A plurality of the second engaging portions (25) are provided along the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral portion of the closing body, and the engaging protrusion (25a) that maximizes the elastic deformation of the elastic torque piece (63). ), An engagement recess (25b) that minimizes elastic deformation of the elastic torque piece (63), and the engagement protrusion (25a) and the engagement recess (25b). A cap device comprising a gentle slope (25c) that gradually reduces the elastic deformation of the elastic torque piece (63). The cap device according to claim 4, wherein
The play angle at which the first engagement portion (65) rotates in the circumferential direction within the engagement recess (25b) is such that the opening torque transmission member (70) can move from the standby position to the engagement position. Cap device set to range.

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