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US 12,017,525 B2Granted
Fuel cap
AssigneeStant USA Corp.
InventorsMichael S. Brock, Lowell R. Bell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel cap in accordance with the present disclosure includes a closure body and a valve unit integrated with the valve body. The closure body is adapted to engage a fill neck coupled to a fuel tank. The valve unit is configured to selectively vent excess pressure and/or vacuum developed in the fuel tank through the closure body to manage pressure in the fuel tank.
Claims20
A fuel cap for use with a fill neck of a vehicle fuel tank, the fuel cap comprising
- a closure body adapted to engage the fill neck of the fuel tank,
- a valve unit configured to selectively vent excess pressure developed in the fuel tank through the closure body to manage pressure in the fuel tank, and
- valve-unit control means for switching the valve unit between a storage mode and a use mode, wherein in the storage mode the valve unit is disabled from venting excess pressure developed in the fuel tank through the closure body, and wherein in the use mode the valve unit in enabled to vent excess pressure developed in the fuel tank through the closure body,
- wherein the valve unit includes a pressure-relief valve member and a vacuum-relief valve member, wherein the pressure-relief valve member is mounted to move against a bias spring to an open position upon pressure in the fuel tank exceeding atmospheric pressure by a preset amount when the valve unit is in the use configuration, and wherein the vacuum-relief valve member mounted to move against a bias spring to an open position upon pressure in the fuel tank falling below atmospheric pressure when the valve unit is in the storage configuration or the use configuration.
1 more element
A fuel cap for use with a fill neck of a vehicle fuel tank, the fuel cap comprising
- a closure body adapted to engage the fill neck of the fuel tank,
- a valve unit configured to selectively vent excess pressure developed in the fuel tank through the closure body to manage pressure in the fuel tank, wherein the valve unit includes a pressure-relief valve member and a vacuum-relief valve member, wherein the pressure-relief valve member is mounted to move against a bias spring to an open position upon pressure in the fuel tank exceeding atmospheric pressure by a preset amount when the valve unit is in the use configuration, and wherein the vacuum-relief valve member mounted to move against a bias spring to an open position upon pressure in the fuel tank falling below atmospheric pressure when the valve unit is in the storage configuration or the use configuration, and
- valve-unit controller including a mode selector moveable relative to the closure body between (a) a closed position that sets arrangement of the valve unit to a storage mode in which the valve unit is disabled from venting excess pressure developed in the fuel tank through the closure body and (b) an open position that sets arrangement of the valve unit to a use mode in which the valve unit in enabled to vent excess pressure developed in the fuel tank through the closure body.
A fuel cap for use with a fill neck of a vehicle fuel tank, the fuel cap comprising
- a closure body adapted to engage the fill neck of the fuel tank,
- a valve unit configured to selectively vent excess pressure developed in the fuel tank through the closure body to manage pressure in the fuel tank, the valve unit including a pressure-relief valve member mounted to move against a bias spring from a normally closed position to an open position upon pressure in the fuel tank exceeding atmospheric pressure by a preset amount and a vacuum-relief valve member mounted to move against a bias spring from a normally closed position to an open position upon pressure in the fuel tank falling below atmospheric pressure, and
- valve-unit controller including a mode selector moveable relative to the closure body between (a) a closed position that sets arrangement of the valve unit to a storage mode in which the a spring between the mode selector and the pressure-relief valve is fully compressed to block movement of the pressure-relief valve member away from the closed position, and (b) an open position that sets arrangement of the valve unit to a use mode in which the bias spring of the pressure-relief valve member is decompressed to a preset length configured to allow movement of the pressure-relief valve member away from the closed position in response to upon pressure in the fuel tank exceeding atmospheric pressure by the preset amount.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.