Fuel door arrangement for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10336183-B2
Application number	US-201715827118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2017
Priority date	Dec 1, 2016
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

A fuel door arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a filler neck compartment, a fuel door and a pivot arm carrying the fuel door. The pivot arm is coupled to the filler neck compartment and can be pivoted between a closed position and an open position about a pivoting axis. The fuel door can be radially displaced on the pivot arm relative to the pivoting axis. The fuel door at least sectionally closes the filler neck compartment in a closed position. The filler neck compartment is sufficiently revealed for refueling the motor vehicle when the fuel door is in an open position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel door arrangement for a motor vehicle comprising:
a filler neck compartment;
a fuel door; and
a pivot arm supporting the fuel door and pivotally coupled to the filler neck compartment such that the fuel door is positionable about a pivoting axis between a closed position for at least sectionally closing the filler neck compartment, and an open position for revealing the filler neck compartment to enable refueling of the motor vehicle;
wherein the fuel door is displaceably supported on the pivot arm for relative radial movement with respect to the pivoting axis.

2. The fuel door arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the pivoting axis overlaps with the fuel door in a top view of the fuel door in its closed position.

3. The fuel door arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel door is pivotable by at least 75° between the open position and the closed position.

4. The fuel door arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising a coupler operably connected between the fuel door and the pivot arm and configured to radially displace the fuel door through the pivoting motion of the pivot arm.

5. The fuel door arrangement according to claim 4 , wherein the fuel door is arranged farther from the pivoting axis in the open position than in the closed position.

6. The fuel door arrangement according to claim 4 , is arranged farther from the pivoting axis in an intermediate position, which the fuel door temporarily assumes on its way from the closed position into the open position, than in the closed position.

7. The fuel door arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the pivoting axis is laterally offset relative to the fuel door in a top view of the fuel door in its open position.

8. The fuel door arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising tongues formed on opposite longitudinal edges of the pivot arm which engage facing grooves formed on the fuel door.

9. The fuel door arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising elongated ribs formed in the direction of displacement on the inner side of the fuel door, wherein the pivot arm is engaged between the elongated ribs.

10. The fuel door arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising a first wheel mounted on the pivot arm and configured to roll on a surface formed in the filler neck compartment and extending concentric to the pivoting axis.

11. The fuel door arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein the first wheel of the pivot arm is coupled to the fuel door by an eccentric mechanism.

12. The fuel door arrangement according to claim 11 , wherein the first wheel is rotatable about an axis that intersects the pivoting axis.

13. The fuel door arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein the pivot arm carries a second wheel that rolls on a surface of the fuel door.

14. The fuel door arrangement according to claim 13 , wherein the first and second wheels are rotatable about axes that extend parallel to the pivoting axis.

15. The fuel door arrangement according claim 10 , wherein the surface extending concentric to the pivoting axis and the first wheel comprise cooperating gears or frictional surfaces.

16. The fuel door arrangement according claim 10 , wherein the surface extending concentric to the pivoting axis and the first wheel comprise frictional surfaces.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Betzen Heiko
• Frommann Markus
• Gerst Klaus
• Huse Philipp

Classifications

• B60K2015/053

  with hinged connection to the vehicle body · CPC title

• E05Y2900/534

  Fuel lids, charger lids · CPC title

• B60K15/05 Primary

  Inlet covers · CPC title

• B60K2015/0523

  with sliding connection to the vehicle body · CPC title

• B60K2015/0538

  with open or close mechanism automatically actuated · CPC title