Safety and venting cap for vehicle fuel tanks

A cap for closing a fuel tank filling and venting tube, said cap being adapted to permit air and fuel vapor flow into or out of the tank but adapted to prevent liquid from escaping in any orientation of the tank from vertical to inverted, said cap comprising:

• a cap body;
• means associated with the cap body to secure it to the tube for closing;
• a cap cover plate secured to the cap body and adapted to extend across a portion of the cap in a direction generally transverse to the axis of the tube;
• means in said cap body defining a vent passageway having an inlet portion adapted to extend into the tube and having an outlet adapted to extend outwardly of the tube;
• a body passage connecting the exterior of the body with said outlet of the vent passageway adjacent said cap cover plate;
• said vent passageway having wall means defining a chamber having internal generally circular cross sections;
• at least one sidewall inlet opening into said chamber adjacent said inlet portion, said inlet opening including means to direct gas flow therethrough and into said chamber generally along the surface of said circular cross sections;
• a circular outlet opening at an end of said chamber inwardly of and connected to said outlet, axially outwardly of and away from said inlet opening;
• a light weight buoyant ball in said chamber, said ball having a larger diameter than said outlet opening;
• and
• means defining said chamber cross sections to prevent said light weight ball from seating in said outlet opening when gas is flowing through the chamber, whereby gas through the chamber will move the light weight ball around the chamber;
• said light weight ball being adapted to be lifted to seat on said outlet opening when liquid enters said chamber to a predetermined level to close said outlet opening.

A cap for closing a fuel tank filling and venting tube, said cap being adapted to permit air and fuel vapor flow into or out of the tank but adapted to prevent liquid to escape in any orientation of the tank from vertical to inverted, said cap comprising

• a cap body;
• means associated with the cap body to secure it to the tube for closing;
• a cap cover plate secured to the cap body and adapted to extend across a portion of the cap in a direction generally transverse to the axis of the tube;
• means in said cop body defining a gas venting valve having a valve body, a valve inlet portion adapted to extend into the tube and having an outlet portion adapted to extend outwardly of the tube;
• a cap body passage connecting the exterior of the cap body with said outlet portion adjacent said cap cover plate;
• said valve inlet portion having a valve inlet;
• a valve outlet joining said outlet portion;
• a flow passage between said valve inlet and said valve outlet in said valve body;
• a circular valve seat in said valve body adjacent said valve outlet;
• a chamber in said valve body adjacent said valve outlet and formed by a valve body wall;
• a light weight buoyant ball in said chamber to close the flow passage and valve outlet at the seat when liquid enters the passage to a predetermined level;
• flow means in said passage and said chamber to prevent the ball from seating and closing the passage when gas is being vented, said flow means including said valve inlet being through said valve body wall into said chamber to direct gas flow along an inner surface of said chamber and to move said ball generally along said surface;
• said flow means further including means defining said chamber between said valve inlet and adjacent means defining said chamber between said valve inlet and adjacent said seat to prevent the ball from seating when the gas is flowing and moving the ball along the said surface.

A cap for closing a fuel tank filling and venting tube, said cap being adapted to permit air and fuel vapor flow into or onto the tank but adapted to prevent liquid to escape in any orientation of the tank from vertical to inverted, said cap comprising:

• a cap body;
• means associated with the cap body to secure it to the tube for closing;
• a cap cover plate secured to the cap body and adapted to extend across a portion of the cap in a direction generally transverse to the axis of the tube;
• a venting passage in said body having an inlet portion and an outlet portion, the inlet portion being adapted to extend into the tube and the outlet portion being adapted to extend outwardly of the tube;
• a cap body passage connecting the exterior of the cap body with the outlet portion adjacent the cap cover plate;
• a gas venting valve in said venting passage, said valve having a valve body, a valve inlet, and a valve outlet;
• said valve inlet being connected to said passage inlet portion and said valve outlet being connected to said outlet portion;
• a flow path between said valve inlet and said valve outlet in said valve body;
• said path being a part of the venting passage;
• a valve member in the valve body operative in said flow path to close the path and passage when liquid enters the passage to a predetermined level;
• flow means in said flow path to prevent the valve member from closing the path and passage when the valve is venting gas;
• said flow means including at least one valve inlet;
• and
• a valve seat in said valve body extending around said valve outlet;
• said valve member being in a sealing relationship on said seat when it closes said passage;
• said valve body having a hollow portion in which said valve member may move toward and away from said seat;
• said hollow portion being elongated, generally vertically when said valve body is positioned generally vertically and not tilted significantly;
• said valve body having a wall surrounding said hollow portion;
• said flow means further including said valve inlet being directed tangentially into said hollow portion;
• said valve outlet and said seat being above said valve inlet.

A cap for closing a fuel tank filling and venting tube, said cap being adapted to permit air and fuel vapor flow into or out of the tank but adapted to prevent liquid from escaping in any orientation of the tank from vertical to inverted, said cap comprising;

• a cap body;
• means associated with the cap body to secure it to the tube for closing;
• a cap cover plate secured to the cap body and adapted to extend across a portion of the cap in a direction generally transverse to the axis of the tube;
• a venting passage in said body having an inlet portion and an outlet portion, the inlet portion being adapted to extend into the tube and the outlet portion being adapted to extend outwardly of the tube;
• a cap body passage connecting the exterior of the cap body with the outlet portion adjacent the cap cover plate;
• wall means defining a spin chamber in said venting passage;
• said chamber having an outlet connected to said outlet portion and an inlet connected to said inlet portion, said chamber having internal generally circular cross sections;
• said outlet being a circular opening at a normally upper end of said chamber;
• a closure ball in said chamber, said ball having a larger diameter than said outlet opening;
• at least one side wall inlet opening into said chamber being tangentially directed with respect to said chamber cross sections, whereby gas through the spin chamber will spin the closure ball around the chamber;
• and
• liquid flow response force means acting on said ball, for lifting said ball to seat on said outlet opening when liquid enters said chamber to a predetermined level, to in that manner close said outlet opening and block liquid flow out through the outlet opening.