Locking gas cap with torque override feature

A locking cap for threaded filler necks of vehicle fuel tanks, said cap comprising a closure member threaded to engage and close said filler neck, said closure member having a thread axis coinciding with the axis of said filler neck, an outer shell providing a hand grip secured to said closure member for rotation thereon about said axis, and means for locking said cap on said filler neck, in which the improvement comprises a race disposed for rotation in said shell about said axis, means for drivingly connecting said race and said closure member for rotation together about said axis, said locking means including a locking member carried by said shell for rotation therewith, said locking member being shiftable into and out of engagement with said race to provide a selective driving connection between said shell and race, and means for providing a frictional driving connection between said race and said shell in the direction which advances said closure member on said filler neck even when said locking member is out of engagement with said race.

A locking cap for a fuel tank having a threaded filler neck, said cap comprising an outer shell, a lock assembly, a lock assembly housing disposed within said outer shell and fixed against rotation relative thereto, said lock assembly including a lock and at least one locking bolt, said lock being operatively connected to said bolt for radially projecting and retracting said bolt from an annular space defined between said shell and said lock assembly housing, an annular race rotatable with respect to said shell and disposed within said space and having a first set of peripherally spaced apart, radially inwardly facing engaging means for drivingly engaging said locking bolt for rotating said race with said outer shell when said lock is in a cap removal position, said race further having a second set of peripherally spaced apart, axially inwardly facing engaging means, a closure member providing a threaded axially inner portion for engaging the threads on said filler neck, said outer shell and closure member being connected together for relative rotation, said closure member having means for drivingly engaging said second set of engaging means to provide a torque limited driving connection in the direction which advances said closure member into said neck and a positive driving connection in the opposite direction.

A locking gas cap for a fuel tank having a threaded filler neck, said cap comprising an outer shell, a lock assembly, a lock assembly housing disposed within said outer shell and fixed against rotation relative thereto, said lock assembly including a lock and at least one locking bolt, said lock being operatively connected to said bolt for radially projecting and retracting said bolt from an annular space defined between said shell and said lock assembly housing, an annular race disposed within said space and having a set of peripherally spaced apart, radially inwardly facing first engaging means for drivingly engaging said locking bolt for rotating said race with said outer shell when said lock is in a cap removal position, a closure member providing a threaded axially inner portion for engaging the threads of said filler neck, said outer shell and closure member being connected together for relative rotation, said race and closure member being connected for rotation together, and second engaging means for providing a driving connection between said race and said shell in the direction which advances said closure member into said neck even when said first engaging means are not drivingly engaged by said locking bolt.