Fuel-dispensing nozzle inhibitor

An apparatus comprising

• a fill tube adapted to be coupled to a fuel tank of a motor vehicle having a diesel engine,
• a pair of spaced-apart blocking members positioned in the fill tube and movable toward and away from each other between respective first positions blocking insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into the fill tube and respective second positions allowing insertion of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fill tube,
• a pair of spaced-apart springs interposed between the blocking members to bias the blocking members to return to their respective first positions, and
• a pair of spaced-apart activator members positioned in the fill tube, a first one of the activator members being located alongside a first one of the springs and coupled to left-side portions of the blocking members, a second one of the activator members being located alongside a second one of the springs and coupled to right-side portions of the blocking members, and the activator members being operable to move the blocking members to their respective second positions in response to the insertion of the large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fill tube.

An apparatus comprising

• a fill tube adapted to be coupled to a fuel tank of a motor vehicle having a diesel engine,
• first and second spaced-apart blocking members positioned in the fill tube and movable toward and away from each other in a direction generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the fill tube between respective first positions blocking insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into the fill tube and respective second positions allowing insertion of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fill tube,
• first and second spaced-apart activator members positioned in the fill tube, and
• first and second wheel sets, the first wheel set including a first wheel mounted for rotation about a first axis and a second wheel mounted for rotation about a second axis parallel to the first axis, the first wheel carrying a third wheel that also rotates about the first axis, the first wheel mates with the first blocking member and the second wheel mates with the first activator member and the third wheel, the second wheel set including a fourth wheel mounted for rotation about a third axis and a fifth wheel mounted for rotation about a fourth axis parallel to the third axis, the fourth wheel carrying a sixth wheel that also rotates about the third axis, the fourth wheel mates with the second blocking member and the fifth wheel mates with the second activator member and the sixth wheel.

An apparatus for preventing insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into a filler neck of a fuel tank of a diesel motor vehicle while allowing insertion of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the filler neck, the apparatus comprising

• a filler neck closure assembly adapted to be coupled to the filler neck,
• at least one blocking member positioned to lie in the filler neck closure assembly and mounted for movement between a first position blocking insertion of the unleaded fuel nozzle into the filler neck past the at least one blocking member and a second position allowing insertion of the diesel fuel nozzle into the filler neck past the at least one blocking member,
• a spring biasing the at least one blocking member to the first position, and
• at least one activator member positioned to lie in the filler neck closure assembly and operable to move the at least blocking member to the second position in response to the insertion of the diesel fuel nozzle, but not the unleaded fuel nozzle, into the filler neck.