Capless closure assembly for fuel-tank filler pipe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020361311-A1
Application number	US-201916701911-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 3, 2019
Priority date	May 14, 2019
Publication date	Nov 19, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A capless filler pipe closure is provided for a tank filler pipe. The capless closure permits a fuel pump nozzle to be inserted into the tank filler pipe without first removing a fuel cap form the outer end of the tank filler pipe.

First claim

1 . A filler pipe closure for a fuel filler pipe associated with a vehicle fuel tank, the filler pipe closure comprising
a nozzle-insertion housing sized to extend into the fuel filler pipe and formed to include an outer nozzle-receiving aperture opening into an outer chamber communicating with a fuel-conducting passageway formed in the fuel filler pipe, and an inner nozzle-receiving aperture that is located to interconnect the outer chamber in fluid communication with the fuel-conducting passageway formed in the fuel filler pipe when the nozzle-insertion housing is mated with an outer end of the fuel filler pipe, an outer flapper door mounted on the nozzle-insertion housing for pivotable movement about an outer door-pivot axis relative to the nozzle-insertion housing between a closed position closing the outer nozzle-receiving aperture and an opened position opening the outer nozzle-receiving aperture, an inner flapper door mounted on the nozzle-insertion housing for pivotable movement about an inner door-pivot axis relative to the nozzle-insertion housing between a closed position closing the inner nozzle-receiving aperture and an opened position opening the inner nozzle-receiving aperture, and wherein the nozzle-insertion housing further includes overflow fuel management means located in spaced-apart relation to the outer flapper door to locate the inner flapper door therebetween when the inner flapper door occupies the closed positon for capturing liquid fuel that has backed up in the fuel-conducting passageway of the fuel filler pipe into an inner chamber formed in the nozzle-insertion housing below the outer chamber at the end of the a vehicle fuel tank refueling activity and draining captured fuel back into the fuel-conducting passageway of the fuel filler pipe before and after movement of the inner flapper door to the closed position.

2 . A filler pipe closure for a fuel filler pipe associated with a vehicle fuel tank, the filler pipe closure comprising
a nozzle-insertion housing sized to extend into the fuel filler pipe and formed to include an outer nozzle-receiving aperture opening into an outer chamber communicating with a fuel-conducting passageway formed in the fuel filler pipe, and an inner nozzle-receiving aperture that is located to interconnect the outer chamber in fluid communication with the fuel-conducting passageway formed in the fuel filler pipe when the nozzle-insertion housing is mated with an outer end of the fuel filler pipe, an outer flapper door mounted on the nozzle-insertion housing for pivotable movement about an outer door-pivot axis relative to the nozzle-insertion housing between a closed position closing the outer nozzle-receiving aperture and an opened position opening the outer nozzle-receiving aperture, an inner flapper door mounted on the nozzle-insertion housing for pivotable movement about an inner door-pivot axis relative to the nozzle-insertion housing between a closed position closing the inner nozzle-receiving aperture and an opened position opening the inner nozzle-receiving aperture, and wherein the nozzle-insertion housing further includes overflow fuel management means located in spaced-apart relation to the outer flapper door to locate the inner flapper door therebetween when the inner flapper door occupies the closed position for capturing liquid fuel that has backed up in the fuel-conducting passageway of the fuel filler pipe into an inner chamber formed in the nozzle-insertion housing below the outer chamber at the end of the a vehicle fuel tank refueling activity and draining captured fuel back into the fuel-conducting passageway of the fuel filler pipe before and after movement of the inner flapper door to the closed position, and wherein the overflow fuel management means comprises a shell that is formed to define at least a portion of the inner chamber of the nozzle-insertion housing, a nozzle receiver that is surrounded by the shell and aligned with and located below the inner nozzle-receiving aperture to receive a tip of a moving fuel-dispensing pump nozzle as the pump nozzle moves through the outer and inner nozzle-receiving aperture into the fuel-conducting passageway of the fuel filler pipe, and a barrier arranged to interconnect the nozzle receiver and a portion of the surrounding shell to form a fuel-collection basin having an inlet facing upwardly toward the outer chamber and opening into the inner chamber to capture liquid fuel extant in the inner chamber that has backed up past a top edge of the nozzle receiver and having an outlet draining into the fuel-conducting passageway of the fuel filler pipe.

3 . The fuel filler pipe of claim 2 , wherein the barrier includes a floor arranged to interconnect an outwardly facing surface of the nozzle receiver and a companion inwardly facing surface of the portion of the surrounding shell and the floor is formed to include the outlet.

4 . The fuel filler pipe of claim 3 , wherein the barrier further includes a first side wall coupled to the nozzle receiver, the portion of the surrounding shell, and a first end of the floor to define a first end of the fuel-collection basin and a second side wall arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the first side wall and coupled to the nozzle receiver, the portion of the surrounding shell, and an opposite second end of the floor to define a second end of the fuel-collection basin.

5 . The fuel filler pipe of claim 4 , wherein the overflow management means further comprises a series of separated divider walls that lie in the fuel-collection basin in a space defined between the first and second side walls and are each coupled to the nozzle receiver, the portion of the surrounding shell, and the floor to define a series of side-by-side top-opening overflow reservoirs and the floor is formed to include a reservoir drain hole for each overflow reservoir to establish the outlet of the fuel-collection basin.

6 . The fuel filler pipe of claim 3 , wherein the overflow management means further includes a series of divider walls that lie in the fuel-collection basin and are arranged to partition the fuel-collection basin into a series of side-by-side top-opening overflow reservoirs.

7 . The fuel filler pipe of claim 4 , wherein the floor is formed to include a reservoir drain hole for each overflow reservoir to establish the outlet of the collection basin.

8 . The fuel filler pipe of claim 6 , wherein the nozzle receiver includes a curved inner wall having a convex outer surface defining a boundary of the fuel-collection basin and mating with each of the divider walls located in the fuel-collection basin and a concave inner surface facing away from the fuel-collection basin toward a central axis of the nozzle-insertion housing and a plurality of vertically oriented nozzle-receiver guides coupled to the concave inner surface and arranged to extend radically inwardly toward the central axis of the nozzle-insertion house.

9 . A filler pipe closure for a fuel filler pipe associated with a vehicle fuel tank, the filler pipe closure comprising
a nozzle-insertion housing sized to extend into the fuel filler pipe and formed to include an outer nozzle-receiving aperture opening into an outer chamber communicating with a fuel-conducting passageway formed in the fuel filler pipe, and an inner nozzle-receiving aperture that is located to interconnect the outer chamber in fluid communication with the fuel-conducting passageway formed in the fuel filler pipe when the nozzle-insertion housing is mated with an outer end of the fuel filler pipe, an outer flapper door mounted on the nozzle-insertion housing for pivotable movement about an outer door-pivot axis relative to the nozzle-insertion housing between a closed position closing t

Assignees

• Stant Usa Corp

Inventors

• Wetzel Paul C

Classifications

• B60K2015/053

  with hinged connection to the vehicle body · CPC title

• B60K2015/047

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

• B60K2015/0461

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

• B60K2015/0458

  Details of the tank inlet · CPC title

• B60K2015/0429

  actuated by the nozzle · CPC title