Filler neck closure with drainage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065496-B2
Application number	US-201615268010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2016
Priority date	Sep 16, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A fuel-tank filler apparatus includes a fuel-tank filler neck and a filler neck closure. A flapper door is provided to control access to a fuel-conducting passageway formed in the fuel-tank filler neck.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel tank filler apparatus comprises
a fill tube formed to include an outer chamber adapted to receive a fuel-dispensing nozzle during a tank-refueling activity and a fuel-conducting passageway coupled in fluid communication to the outer chamber and adapted to conduct fuel dispensed by the fuel-dispensing nozzle to a fuel tank associated with the fill tube, the fill tube being formed to include a nozzle-receiving aperture that is located to interconnect the outer chamber in fluid communication with the fuel-conducting passageway, the fill tube also being formed to include a drain to conduct collected liquid extant in the outer chamber to surroundings outside of the fill tube, wherein the fill tube includes an inner end adapted to be coupled to a fuel tank and an opposite outer end adapted to receive a fuel-dispensing nozzle therein, the fill tube includes an outer chamber at the opposite outer end and a fuel-conducting passageway arranged to extend from the nozzle-receiving aperture associated with the outer chamber toward the fuel tank,
a nozzle-actuated inner flapper door mounted on the fill tube for movement relative to the fill tube to open and close the nozzle-receiving aperture, and
a drain controller including a drainage plug mounted for sliding movement in a plug-motion channel formed in the fill tube from a drain-opening position to a drain-closing position to close an inlet arranged to open into the drain and communicate with the outer chamber to block flow of liquid from the outer chamber through the drain in response to movement of the inner flapper door to the opened position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inner flapper door is arranged to engage the drainage plug during movement of the inner flapper door from the opened position to the closed position and is configured to provide means for moving the drainage plug in the plug-motion channel relative to the fill tube from the drain-closing position to the drain-opening position in response to movement of the inner flapper door from the opened position to the closed position.

3. Apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fill tube includes a fuel-tank filler neck adapted to be coupled at an inner end thereof to a fuel tank and a filler neck closure coupled to an opposite outer end of the fuel-tank filler neck, the filler neck closure includes a nozzle-insertion housing formed to include the outer chamber and the nozzle-receiving aperture and mated to the opposite outer end of the fuel-tank filler neck, and the nozzle-insertion housing is formed to include the drain.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the nozzle-insertion housing is formed to include a drainage conduit that is configured to drain any liquid extant in the outer chamber toward surroundings outside of the nozzle-insertion housing and an inlet end of the drainage conduit communicates with the outer chamber and any collected liquid therein.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the fuel-tank filler neck is formed to include a drainage hole aligned with an outlet end of the drainage conduit formed in the nozzle-insertion housing to cause the drainage hole to cooperate with the drainage conduit to define the drain formed in the fill tube.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the nozzle-insertion housing is formed to include an inclined plug-motion channel that is arranged to communicate with the drainage conduit and the filler neck closure further includes a drainage plug mounted for movement in the inclined plug-motion channel formed in the nozzle-insertion housing between a conduit-closing position blocking flow of collected liquid from the outer chamber through the drainage conduit to an outlet end of the drainage conduit and a conduit-opening position allowing flow of collected liquid from the outer chamber through the drainage conduit to the outlet end so that any collected liquid extant in the outer chamber can drain to surroundings through the drainage conduit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the nozzle-actuated inner flapper door includes an edge portion that is arranged to engage the drainage plug and hold the drainage plug in the conduit-opening position when the nozzle-actuated inner flapper door occupies the closed position and the drainage plug is arranged to move in the inclined plug-motion channel formed in the nozzle-insertion housing to the conduit-opening position in response to movement of the nozzle-actuated inner flapper door to the opened position.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the fuel-tank filler neck is formed to include a drainage hole aligned with an outlet end of the drainage conduit formed in the nozzle-insertion housing to cause the drainage hole to cooperate with the drainage conduit to define the drain formed in the fill tube.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the filler neck closure further includes a nozzle-actuated outer flapper door mounted for movement relative to the nozzle-insertion housing to open and close an outer nozzle-receiving aperture opening into the outer chamber and the nozzle-actuated outer flapper door is arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the nozzle-actuated inner flapper door to locate the drainage plug therebetween when each of the inner and outer flapper doors is closed.

10. A fuel tank filler apparatus comprises
a fill tube formed to include an outer chamber adapted to receive a fuel-dispensing nozzle during a tank-refueling activity and a fuel-conducting passageway coupled in fluid communication to the outer chamber and adapted to conduct fuel dispensed by the fuel-dispensing nozzle to a fuel tank associated with the fill tube, the fill tube being formed to include a nozzle-receiving aperture that is located to interconnect the outer chamber in fluid communication with the fuel-conducting passageway, the fill tube also being formed to include a drain to conduct collected liquid extant in the outer chamber to surroundings outside of the fill tube,
a nozzle-actuated inner flapper door mounted on the fill tube for movement relative to the fill tube to open and close the nozzle-receiving aperture, and
a drain controller including a drainage plug mounted for movement from a drain-opening position to a drain-closing position to close the drain to block flow of liquid from the outer chamber through the drain in response to movement of the inner flapper door to the opened position,
wherein the fill tube includes a fuel-tank filler neck adapted to be coupled at an inner end thereof to a fuel tank and a filler neck closure coupled to an opposite outer end of the fuel-tank filler neck, the filler neck closure includes a nozzle-insertion housing formed to include the outer chamber and the nozzle-receiving aperture and mated to the opposite outer end of the fuel-tank filler neck, and the nozzle-insertion housing is formed to include the drain,
wherein the nozzle-insertion housing is formed to include a drainage conduit that is configured to drain any liquid extant in the outer chamber toward surroundings outside of the nozzle-insertion housing and an inlet end of the drainage conduit communicates with the outer chamber and any collected liquid therein,
wherein the fuel-tank filler neck is formed to include a drainage hole aligned with an outlet end of the drainage conduit formed in the nozzle-insertion housing to cause the drainage hole to cooperate with the drainage conduit to define the drain formed in the fill tube, and
wherein the nozzle-insertion housing is formed to include an inclined plug-motion channel that is arranged to communicate with the drainage conduit and the filler neck closure further includes a drainage plug mounted for movement in the inclined plug-motion channel formed in the noz

Assignees

• Stant Usa Corp

Inventors

• Frank Louis T
• Rude Joshua L
• Wetzel Ii Paul C

Classifications

• B60K2015/048

  Arrangements for sealing the fuel inlet during filling · CPC title

• B60K15/04 Primary

  Tank inlets (B60K15/077 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K2015/0429

  actuated by the nozzle · CPC title

• B60K2015/0461

  comprising a filler pipe shutter, e.g. trap, door or flap for fuel inlet · CPC title

• B60K2015/047

  Manufacturing of the fuel inlet or connecting elements to fuel inlet, e.g. pipes or venting tubes · CPC title