# US 4,393,980 A · Liquid container arranged to limit undesirable drainage

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- Number: US 4,393,980 A
- Document ID: US4393980A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/268,030
- Filed: 1981-05-28
- Granted: 1983-07-19
- Earliest claimed: 1980-06-17
- Assignees: The Minister of Transport in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Inventors: John S. Armour; Peter M. F. Watson; Graham L. Donne
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4393980A

## CPC

- B62J 35/00: Fuel tanks specially adapted for motorcycles or engine-assisted cycles; Arrangements thereof (fuel tanks forming part of cycle frames B62K11/00; tanks in general B60K {; closure caps for fuel tanks B60K15/0406})
- Y10T 137/0753: Control by change of position or inertia of system
- Y10T 137/86308: Tank access opening and bottom outlet
- Y10T 137/86324: Tank with gas vent and inlet or outlet
- B62J: CYCLE SADDLES OR SEATS; AUXILIARY DEVICES OR ACCESSORIES SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO CYCLES AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. ARTICLE CARRIERS OR CYCLE PROTECTORS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A fuel or other liquid tank for, for example, a motor cycle, comprises a nonreturn vent arranged to vent the tank when the tank is in a generally upright attitude, a filler arranged to admit liquid into the tank below the upper surface thereof, whereby in use an air space remains in the tank at all times, and a pipe for supplying liquid from the tank, said pipe extending from the base of the tank at a first side thereof and terminating as an open-ended vent in the region of the top of the tank opposite said first side, said pipe including a supply portion extending as a branch from a part of the pipe opposite said first side in the region of the base of the tank.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A liquid tank having a vent arranged to vent the tank when the tank is in a generally upright attitude, a filler arranged to admit liquid into the tank below the upper surface thereof, whereby in use an air space remains in the tank at all times, and a pipe for supplying liquid from the tank, said pipe extending from the base of the tank at a first side thereof and terminating as an open-ended vent in the region of the top of the tank opposite said first side, said pipe including a supply portion extending as a branch from a part of the pipe opposite said first side in the region of the base of the tank.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A liquid tank as in claim 1 having a well formed in the top surface of the tank, said filler being located in said well.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A liquid tak as in claim 1 wherein said tank has a sideways extending protuberant wall portion, said pipe having an inlet adjacent said protuberant wall portion whereby, when said tank is tipped in one direction from its generally upright attitude, the air space in said tank is displaced from the top of the tank to the region of said protuberant wall portion and functions to isolate said pipe inlet from the liquid in said tank.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A liquid tank as in claim 1 wherein said tank has sides which taper generally inwardly towards the top of said tank.

### Claim 5

A motor cycle fuel tank adapted to limit the drainage of fuel from the tank when the tank is tipped from its normal generally upright attitude, said tank having a vent arranged to vent the tank when the motor cycle is in a generally upright attitude, a filler arranged to admit fuel into the tank below the upper surface of the tank, whereby in use an air space remains in the tank at all times, and a fuel pipe connected to the tank, said fuel pipe extending from the base of the tank at a first side thereof and terminating as an open-ended vent in the region of the top of the tank opposite said first side, said pipe including a supply portion extending as a branch from a part of the pipe opposite said first side of the tank in the region of the base of the tank.