Static charge dissipater for filler neck closure
AssigneeStant Manufacturing Inc.
InventorsJeffery Griffin, Gary L. Dunkle, Wallace D. Tallent
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel cap is provided for use in a filler neck of a tank of a vehicle having body portions which are conductive. The fuel cap includes a housing sized to fit into the filler neck and a cover coupled to an upper end of the housing. The cover is made of a non-conductive resin and an electrically conductive coating covering at least a portion of the non-conductive resin. The coating has a thickness of between approximately 0.1 and 0.6 mil. The fuel cap further includes a conductive discharge member having a first end engaged with the electrically conductive coating of the cover and a second end adapted to be coupled to one of the filler neck and the body of the vehicle to dissipate static charge.
Claims26
A fuel cap for use in a filler neck of a tank of a vehicle having body portions which are conductive, the fuel cap comprising:
- a housing sized to fit into the filler neck,
- a cover coupled to an upper end of the housing, the cover being made of a non-conductive resin and an electrically conductive coating covering at least a portion of the non-conductive resin, the coating including a particulate conductor dispersed in a solid polymer matrix comprising a covalently cross-linked thermoset polymer and a non-covalently cross-linked thermoplastic polymer, the coating having a thickness of between approximately 0.1 and 0.6 mil, and
- a conductive discharge member having a first end engaged with the electrically conductive coating of the cover and a second end adapted to be coupled to one of the filler neck and the body of the vehicle to dissipate static charge.
A fuel cap for use in a filler neck of a tank of a vehicle having body portions which are conductive, the fuel cap comprising:
- a conductive housing sized to fit into the filler neck, and
- a cover coupled to an upper end of the conductive housing, the cover being made of a non-conductive resin and an electrically conductive coating coupled to the non-conductive resin, the coating including a particulate conductor dispersed in a solid polymer matrix comprising a covalently cross-linked thermoset polymer and a non-covalently cross-linked thermoplastic polymer, and having a thickness of between approximately 0.1 and 0.6 mil.
A method for making a fuel cap for use on a filler neck of a tank of a vehicle and through which an accumulated static charge can be discharged, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) molding the resin to form a cover of the fuel cap,
- (b) applying a conductive composition at least to an outer surface of the cover, and
- (c) drying the conductive composition on the cover to form a conductive coating on the cover including a particulate conductor dispersed in a solid polymer matrix comprising a covalently cross-linked thermoset polymer and a non-covalently cross-linked thermoplastic polymer.
A method for coating at least a portion of a plastic handle component of a fuel cap for a vehicle fuel tank with a relatively thin, durable, and fuel resistant layer of material that has sufficient conductive particles to dissipate a static charge from the hand of a person gripping the handle component, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a mixture of a thermosetting resin, a thermoplastic resin, conductive particles, and solvents,
- (b) applying a relatively thin layer of the mixture on at least a portion of the handle component, and
- (c) curing the mixture layer to set the mixture layer on the handle component portion.
A fuel cap for closing a vehicle fuel filler neck of the type in which one of the fuel filler neck and the vehicle body surrounding the neck is conductive, the fuel cap comprising:
- an cover to serve as a grip for hand engagement and removal of the cap, the cover being molded of resin to have an outer surface to face away from the filler neck, an inner surface to face toward the filler neck and a side wall to extend peripherally and axially inwardly relative to the filler neck,
- a conductive layer coating at least a portion of the outer surface of the cover to be a contact to be gripped by hand, and
- a discharge member to connect the conductive layer to one of the filler neck and the vehicle body surrounding the filler neck,
- the conductive layer comprising a coating comprising a particulate conductor dispersed in a solid polymer matrix comprising a covalently cross-linked thermoset polymer and a non-covalently cross-linked thermoplastic polymer and having a thickness of approximately 0.1 mil-0.6 mil.
A fuel cap for closing a vehicle fuel filler neck of the type in which the neck or the vehicle body surrounding the neck is conductive, the fuel cap comprising:
- a conductive particle filled resin coating formed by applying a coating composition comprising a thermosetting resin, a thermoplastic resin, and conductive particles in a solvent solution to at least a portion of the fuel cap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.