MXPA00005422A - Filler cap for motor vehicle fuel tank has base with cap and catch on cap selectively engaging retainers on the base - Google Patents

Abstract

The filler cap for a motor vehicle fuel tank has a base (10) with a cap (20) to allow opening and closing. A catch (24) is fixed to the cap and engages with retainers (15a-b) in an unlocked position of the cap. Springs (27) hold the catch in contact with the retainers in the locked position. The catch is released by an opening rotation of the cap against the action of the springs.

Description

BLOCKABLE PLUG WITH BASE OF ONE SINGLE PIECE The present invention relates to a lockable plug comprising a one-piece base adapted to seal an orifice. In particular, it contemplates the filling of a hole used to fill a fuel tank, for example for automobiles. In order to limit the permeability of the plugs, a plug with a one-piece base that serves to seal the filling head of a reservoir is increasingly used. The sealing or sealing can thus be carried out in a single plane by means of a sealing gasket which is compressed between the contour of the hole and the base of the cap. Such plugs also have a cap or a maneuvering cap that allows the base to be moved between an open position and a closed position of the plug inside the hole. To achieve this, in the unlocked position, the cap and the base are integrated to effect a rotation by means of a latch rotationally attached to the cap and adapted to be secured or communicated with retaining elements of the base.

In addition, it is necessary to ensure the inviolability of the cap by providing blocking elements generally operated by a key, which prohibit any opening of the cap without the key. For this purpose it is known to disintegrate the cap of the base in the blocked position of the cap in such a way that the cap rotates in a "crazy" or "empty" manner since its rotary movement does not modify the position of the base in the hole. In general terms, the locking elements are adapted to move the latch in order to detach the latter from the retaining elements of the base, in the locked position of the stopper. On the other hand, blocking this plug becomes difficult when it is in its locked position, since to remove the key it is necessary to keep the cap in a sustained condition in order to immobilize it in terms of its rotation. In addition to the need to use both hands to block the plug, often the operation is uncomfortable and in some cases it is even impossible to hold the cap of the cap in immobile condition due to the restricted dimensions of the housing provided in the body where it ends. the filling hole of the tank. The object of the present invention is to propose a plug comprising a one-piece base and which is easy to maneuver during locking. For this purpose contemplates the present invention, a lockable plug comprising a one-piece base adapted to seal a hole, a maneuvering cap of said base between an open position and a closed position of the plug in the hole and a latch integral with the cap in its rotation and which is adapted to be fixed to the retention elements of the base in an unlocked position of the cap. According to the present invention this plug comprises elastic elements adapted to hold the latch in contact with the retaining elements of the base in a locked position of the cap, the latch being adapted to detach from the retaining elements by rotation of the cap in a opening sense, against the action exerted by the elastic elements. Thus, thanks to the elastic elements, the latch is held in contact position with the retaining elements of the base in the locked position of the cap in such a way that the cap does not turn in "crazy" or "passive" condition, in the locked position of the plug. The key of the locking elements can thus be turned until it reaches the locked position of the cap and can then be removed without the user having to hold and immobilize the cap with the other hand. In addition, the cap and the base remain in contact both in the locked and unlocked positions and thus it is possible to turn the key in the cap, also to keep the base in rotation. In this way it is possible to obtain the fixation of the plug in the hole directly by means of the key of the blocking elements. According to a preferred feature of the invention, the plug comprises movable blocking elements between the locked position and the unlocked position of the plug, these locking elements being adapted to keep the latch in contact with the retaining elements of said base, in the unlocked position of the plug. Thus, contrary to the plugs used to date, in which the locking elements are adapted to keep the latch separated from the retaining elements of the base in locked position, the plug according to the invention on the other hand carries blocking elements adapted to maintain the latch in contact with the retaining elements of the base in the unlocked position of the plug. The elastic elements provided to keep the latch in contact with the retaining elements of the base in this locked position can have a rather low stiffness. The copy or the torque of rotation beyond which the rotation exerted on the cap causes the detachment of the latch of the retaining elements of the base when the cap is rotated in a direction of opening the cap, it is the less when the rigidity of the elastic elements. Thus any risk of opening the plug in the hole, in a locked position, is avoided in a prudent manner. In a practical manner, the locking elements comprise a so-called finger adapted to block during its movement the latch in said unlocked position and which is adapted to be retracted in the locked position. According to a characteristic of the invention, the latch is adapted to detach from the retaining elements of the base by rotating the cap in a closing direction, more Go beyond a limit of the torque that is exerted on the cap, higher than the torque of rotation of the locking elements in said cap and the closing torque of the cap in the hole. In this way any deterioration in the cap and especially in the retaining elements of the base and / or of the bolt is prevented when the plug, in its locked position, is forced in the closing direction. The torque of limit limit beyond which the latch of the retaining elements of the base is released when the cap is rotated in the closing direction, is at the same time the torque required for the activation of the blocking elements so as not to have to hold the cap with the other hand during the locking of the cap by the key, as well as the closing torque of the cap in the hole so that the base remains in contact with the cap during the closure of the cap . According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the retaining elements of the base comprise a series of ribs, which define between them a throat adapted to receive the latch. The grooves thus defined create an equal number of different positions in which the latch comes into contact with the base.

As an alternative, the retaining elements of the base comprise a series of teeth adapted to engage in a hollow or cavity complementary to the latch. This embodiment allows to define successive positions in which the cap and the base are in contact with each other, and substantially without playing margin. Advantageously, the retaining elements on the base are diametrically opposed. Thus, the cap can occupy two diametrically opposite positions on the base so that in a normal use of the cap it is possible to keep a slot of the blocking elements provided in the cap vertically oriented so as to be able to insert the key. This is particularly interesting for plugs not protected by a trap in which water can penetrate the groove. The vertical orientation of this groove facilitates water runoff and avoids congestion of the blocking elements, especially in the case of ice. According to another preferred feature of the invention, the base has at least one protruding element adapted to enter a butt contact with a flange of the hole in said closed position of the cap. This structure makes it possible to define an angular position of the plug in the hole, whatever the fixing door exerted on the cap. This defined position of the plug in the hole advantageously allows the use of a flexible leaf switch in which the detection of the correct closure of the cap is made by the exact positioning of a magnet integrated in the cap and which faces this switch. Other features and advantages of the invention will also appear in the description presented below and in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a plug according to a mode of embodiment according to the invention. - Figure 2 is a sectional view according to line II-II of the cap of figure 1 in unlocked position. Figure 3 is a view analogous to Figure 2 of the plug in an unlocked position, in an improved embodiment.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a plug according to a third embodiment of the invention. Now, a first embodiment of a lockable plug according to the present invention is to be described, with reference to FIG. 1. This lockable plug 1 is adapted, for example, to seal a filling hole in a fuel tank. It is important that this plug closes the orifice of the tank in a sealed manner in order to avoid any leakage of liquid or gas from the tank. For this purpose it comprises a base 10 in one piece, which is adapted to seal a hole. The base 10 thus constitutes a monoblock, and thus a single plane of a sealing gasket can be formed between this stopper and the filling head of the tank. In this way, a seal 11 can be maintained between the contour of the filling hole and a collar 12 of the base 10. A cap 20 allows the base 10 to be maneuvered to move it between an open position and a closed position of the cap 1 , in the filling hole.

The cap 20 comprises a contact upper part 21 and a shaft or support 22 mounted coaxially in the base 10. The coaxial assembly of the base 10 and the support 22 of the cap 20 is carried out in this example in the base 13 of the base 10 , by means of a cylindrical housing 14 formed in a cantilevered condition on the bottom 13 and which is adapted to receive a complementary cylindrical lug 23 located at the end of the support 22 of the cap 20. A latch 24 is mounted on the support 22 of the cap 20 to be integrated in the rotation of this last piece. The latch 24 is located on the bottom of the support 22, and a light is provided in a side wall of the support 22. The latch 24 passes through this light of the support 22 to project in a cantilevered manner inside the base 10. In this outgoing position the latch 24 is adapted to come into contact with the retaining elements 15 of the base 10. In this embodiment, as best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the retaining elements comprise a base 10 a series of ribs 15 which define between them the grooves 16 adapted to receive the latch 24. In this example, the base 10, which has a substantially cylindrical shape, carries ribs 15, distributed over the entire inner face of the base 10 (these ribs 15). they are represented only in their half, in figures 2 and 3). It is evident that the ribs 15 could only be made on a portion of the inner face of the base 10. This particular arrangement makes it possible to globally define two positions of the cap 20 with respect to the base 10, at an angle of 180 ° with respect to the other . In order to ensure the inviolability of the cap in the closed position, it also carries blocking elements 24 housed in the cap 20. These blocking elements 24 carry a cylinder 25 that extends in the support 22 of the cap 20 and whose end, located opposite at the bottom of the support 22 and the latch 24, it is equipped with a locking finger 26. These locking elements 25 can be operated in a conventional manner by means of a key (not shown) that allows the cylinder 25 to pivot inside the support 22 of the cap 20 and thereby move the locking finger 26 between an unlocked position as illustrated in figures 2 and 3 and a locked position illustrated in dashed and striped lines in figures 2 and 3. In the unlocked position of the plug 1, that is, in a position in which the plug can be opened and closed in the hole to be sealed, the blocking elements 25 and 26 are adapted to keep the latch 24 in contact with the ribs 15 of the base 10. For this purpose, and as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the locking finger 26 of the cylinder 25 is located in this unlocked position in the extension of the latch 24. This last part has a flange 24a adapted to cooperate in stop position with the locking finger 26 so as to prevent any movement of the latch 24 towards the interior of the support 22. In this unlocked position of the plug 1, the latch 24 thus remains in a cantilevered position on the support 22 and in contact with the base 10, between the ribs 15. On the other hand, when the cap is in a locked position, the cylinder 25 is pivoted for example by a quarter turn until the locking finger 26 reaches a state of butt contact with a flange 22a provided inside the support 22 of the cap 20. The blocking finger 26 is thus adapted to be retracted with respect to the latch 24 in the locked position of the plug 1. With the invention, the elastic elements 27, here constituted by a helical spring disposed in the extension of the latch 24, are adapted to keep the latch in contact with the ribs 15 of the base 10 in the locked position of the plug 1. The latch 24 thus remains in a cantilevered position inside the grooves 16 only with the force of elastic attraction exerted by the spring 27 maintained in compression between the bolt 24 and the support 22 of the cap 20. In addition, in order to ensure locking, the latch 24 is adapted to detach from the ribs 15 by rotating the cap 10 in an opening direction which is illustrated by the arrow O in FIGS. 2 and 3. It carries the latch 24 for this purpose. at its end, a slope 24b adapted to cooperate with the ribs 15 to push the latch 24 into the support 22 against the elastic action exerted by the spring 27. Thus it is understood that the torque that should be exercised on the cap 20 to move the latch 24 inside the support 22 is regulated by the rigidity of the spring 27. In view of the fact that the spring 27 does not have the function of holding the latch 24 in the cantilevered position in the unblocked position of the plug 1, it can be relatively low its rigidity. Thus the cap 20 rotates without displacing the base 10 when it is pivoted in the opening direction defined by the arrow O, the plug 1 being here in the locked position. Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, in the locked position of the plug 1, the latch 24 remains in contact position in a groove 16 of the base 10 when the cap is turned in a direction of closure opposite to the direction opening defined above. Eventually, beyond a certain torque or rotational force exerted in the closing direction on the cap 20, the latch and / or the rib 15 defining the groove 16 in which the latch 24 is lodged, could break. In order to avoid this deterioration of the cap, and as illustrated in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the latch 24 can also be adapted to detach from the ribs 15 by rotation of the cap 20 in the closing direction. For this purpose, the latch 24 carries a second slope 24c opposite the slope 24b and intended to cooperate with the ribs 15 in a closing direction of the cap. This slope 24c is determined in such a way that the bolt 24 moves against the action exerted by the spring 27 for a torque limit of rotation exerted on the cap 20 at the same time as the rotation torque of the locking means 25 and especially of the cylinder 25 in the cap 20 and the closing torque, of the plug 1 of the hole and especially of the base 10 in the hole. This precaution makes it possible to ensure that the closing of the cap and the rotation of the cylinder 25 inside the cap 20 can take place while the latch 24 remains in contact in a groove 16 of the base 10. During the closing and locking of the cap 1 , - the user has no need to keep the cap 20 immobile. It is evident that the shape of the retaining elements 15 and 16 of the base 10 could be different as well as the shape of the latch 24. fifteen . ^ & s _? _ fl_ * ¿- -.

As illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the retaining elements could have teeth 15a adapted to be keyed in a complementary housing located at the end of the latch 24. Preferably, the base has 10 teeth 15a, 15b in the whole of its internal face. Here only two series of three teeth 15a, 15b, diametrically opposed on the internal face of the base 10 have been represented. A diametrically opposite arrangement of the retaining elements 15a, 15b, allows to define in addition two normal positions of the cap 20 on the base 10 when the cap 1 is closed, at an angle of 180 ° between them, so as to allow a vertical positioning of the insertion slot of the key in the cylinder 25 that appears in the upper part 21 of the cap 20. This vertical positioning of the groove of the cylinder 25 prevents the water from going to congestion in the cylinder to eventually block the operation of the latter in case of ice or a freeze. In the example of Figure 4, each tooth 15a has a front face that relatively extends in the direction of opening O that remains virtually 16 , ÍMt-J¡É -? I * lMIÍM--. The above-mentioned face of the tooth 15a is adapted to block any displacement of the latch 24 when the cap 20 * is turned in the closing direction. On the other hand, the rear face that extends relatively in the opening direction or of this tooth 15a forms a slope with respect to the base 10 to thus allow the detachment of the latch 24 of the tooth 15a when the cap 20 is turned in this direction. opening O. The operation of this embodiment shown in FIG. 4 then corresponds substantially to the operation of the plug illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 illustrates a plug in an improvement analogous to that illustrated in FIG. 3. Thus, in this example there are teeth 15b having front and rear faces that extend relatively in the opening direction O which form a slope with respect to the internal face of the base 10 so that the detachment of the latch 24 in the locked position of plug 1 can be obtained both in the opening direction and in the closing direction. The base 10 also carries two cantilevered elements 17 which are adapted to enter 17 -'-- ^^^^^^^^^^ -. a butt contact with a flange 2 of the hole which is closed in the closed position of the plug 1. These projected elements 17 thus allow a defined position of closing of the plug 1 to be defined in the contact position abutting the flange 2 in the hole It must be sealed. Generally, the hole carries a single stop 2, and the base 10 carries two projected elements 17 which thus form diametrically opposed closing handles. This configuration allows to define two closing positions in 180 ° interrelation, belonging to the plug 1 that is in the hole. Thanks to this defined position of closure of the plug 1 in the hole, a magnet 18 housed in each projected element 17 can be adapted to drive a flexible leaf switch 3 which is schematically represented in FIGS. 2 to 5, in the closed position of FIG. plug 1. This flexible leaf switch 3 conventionally allows electrical detection of the correct closed position of the plug in the obturable hole. The operation of the plug 1 as illustrated in the embodiment of Figure 3 will now be described in greater detail. During closure of the hole, the plug 1 remains in an unlocked position so that the locking finger 26 holds the latch 24 in the cantilevered or projected position of the support 22 of the cap 20. The plug 1 is inserted into the hole to be sealed and the cap 20 is pivoted in the closing direction. Thanks to latch 24, the rotation of the cap 20 has the effect of also causing the base 10 to rotate until any of the cantilevered elements of this base 10 comes to be in a position of abutting contact with the flange 22 provided for that purpose in the orifice that must be clogged The detection of closure of the plug can then be carried out electrically by the magnet 18 located opposite the flexible leaf switch 3. The locking of the cap can then be carried out by means of a key, with rotation of the cylinder 25, in such a way that the locking finger 26 is pivoted by a quarter of a fly until it comes in contact with butt with the flange 22a provided for this purpose in the cap 20. It will be noted that in the embodiment of Figure 2, or analogously in Figure 4, the closure of the cap 1 can also be obtained by pivoting the cap 20 by means of the key of the locking elements 25. In fact, the rotation of the cylinder 25 until reaching the stop position of the finger 26 in the cap 20 then allows the cap to be rotated 20 and the base 10 thanks to the latch 24 kept in contact in a groove 16 of the retaining elements of the base 10 by the force of elastic attraction exerted. by the spring 27 until the closed position of the plug 1 is reached in the hole. In this blocked position of the plug 1, any rotation in the direction of opening of the cap 20 has the effect of detaching the latch 24 from the ribs 15 against the elastic force exerted by the spring 27, without otherwise causing the rotation of the base 10 which thus remains in its closed position. Any attempt to force the plug in the closing direction is likewise ineffective, that is to say, in the example of FIG. 2, it is possible to prevent any removal of the latch 24 unless a rib 15 of the cap is broken or broken, or, as in the example of FIG. 3, this is achieved thanks to the tab 24c of the latch 24, which allows the latter piece to be detached from a groove 16 beyond a certain rotational limit torque exerted on the cap 20. The plug in this way can not be violated in the closing direction. It is further noted that in the locked position of the plug 1, the spring 27 makes it possible to keep the latch 24 in contact with a throat 16 defined by the ribs 15 so that the key of the locking elements 25 can be turned without having to keep cap 20 in position. The locking and unlocking of this plug can be achieved by using only one hand. During the opening of this plug, the locking elements are again actuated by a key so that the cylinder is pivoted inside the cap 20 and thus the locking finger will be aligned with the latch 24 and will be butted with the flange 24th provided for that purpose. In this unlocked position, the rotation in the opening direction of the cap 20 also allows the base 10 of the cap 1 to be actuated to obtain the opening of the hole. It is evident that numerous modifications can be introduced in the embodiments described above, without exceeding the scope of the invention. twenty-one ^^^ & Thus, the number of ribs or teeth 15a, 15b may be different. 22

Claims (9)

1. CLAIMS 1. A lockable plug comprising a one-piece base adapted to seal a hole such as a maneuvering cap of the base between an open position and a closed position of the plug in the hole and a latch integrated in the rotary movement of the cap and adapted to remain in contact with the retention elements of the base in an unlocked position of the stopper, characterized in that it comprises elastic elements adapted to keep the latch in contact with the retention elements of the base in a blocked position of the stopper, remaining here the bolt adapted to detach from the retaining elements by rotation of the cap in an opening direction against the action exerted by the elastic elements. The lockable plug according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises movable blocking elements between the locked position and the unlocked position of the plug, the locking elements being adapted to keep the latch in contact with the retaining elements of the base in the unlocked position of the plug. The lockable plug according to claim 2, characterized in that the locking elements comprise a finger adapted to block in movement the latch in said unlocked position and which is adapted to be retracted in the locked position. The lockable plug according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the latch is adapted to detach from the retaining elements by rotating the cap in a closing direction, beyond a torque limiting rotation exerted on the cap is superior to a pair of rotation of the locking elements within the cap and a pair of closure of the cap within the hole. 5. The lockable plug according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the retaining elements of the base comprise a series of ribs that between them define a throat adapted to receive the latch. 6. The lockable plug according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the retaining elements of the base comprise a series of teeth adapted to be keyed in a cavity complementary to the latch. 7. The lockable plug according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized 24 ^ * 3 ^ ß ^^ w ^ a ^^ because the retention elements are diametrically opposed on the base. The lockable plug according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the base carries at least one swirl element adapted to enter a butted contact position with a flange of the hole within the closed position of the plug. The lockable plug according to claim 8, characterized in that a magnet is housed in an element located in a cantilevered position, this magnet being adapted to act on a flexible leaf switch within the closed position of the plug.