Filler cap assembly
AssigneeShaw Aero Devices, Inc.
InventorJames R. Shaw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A filler cap assembly including a filler cap and an adapter member for attachment to the opening in a fuel tank. The adapter has a central opening therein for receipt of the filler cap. The inner periphery of the adapter about the central opening has a raised convex seat and the cap has a flanged outer periphery with the undersurface grooved to form a concave surface mating with the raised seat of the adapter. The cap also includes seal means along the concave surface of the flange for sealing against the seat of the adapter.
Claims15
In a filler cap assembly for a tank having an opening in the wall thereof, an adapter connected to the tank around the opening and an inner periphery defining a central opening therethrough, a filler cap having a base member with a lower end adapted to be received within said central opening and an upper end adapted to face outwardly thereof, a retaining member connected to the lower end of the base member for cooperating with the adapter to lock the cap within the central opening, an operating handle disposed at the upper end of the base member and connected to the retaining member for moving the latter between locked and unlocked positions with respect to the adapter, and seal means attached to the base member of the cap for sealing engagement with the adapter when the retaining member is in the locked position, the improvement wherein:
- (a) the periphery of the adapter is raised from the radially outwardly adjacent portion of the tank wall and includes a raised convexly curved seat of predetermined radius facing outwardly of the central opening in the adapter;
- (b) the upper end of the base member of the cap includes a radially outwardly extending flange portion adapted to be received over the seat of the adapter, said flange portion having an upper surface exposed to impact striking and a lower concave surface complementary in shape to the curved seat for mating therewith for direct surface to surface engagement upon impact striking of the upper surface of said flange portion;
- (c) the concave surface of the flange portion of the base member includes an O-ring groove;
- and
- (d) said seal means comprises a resilient o-ring disposed within said groove and only partially extending outward thereof beyond the concave surface of the flange portion to normally space the concave surface of the flange portion and the convex seat of the adapter from each other while permitting said surface to surface engagement upon impact striking of the upper surface of said flange portion.
In a filler cap assembly for a tank having an opening in the wall thereof, an adapter connected to the tank around the opening and having a periphery defining a central opening therethrough, a filler cap having a base member with a lower end adapted to be received within said central opening and an upper end adapted to face outwardly thereof, a retaining member connected to the lower end of the base member for cooperating with the adapter to lock the cap within the central opening, an operating handle disposed at the upper end of the base member and connected to the retaining member for moving the latter between locked and unlocked positions with respect to the adapter, and seal means attached to the base member of the cap for sealing engagement with the adapter when the retaining member is in the locked position, the improvement wherein:
- (a) the adapter includes a raised portion defining an outwardly facing, convexly curved seat of a first predetermined radius of curvature and having a top, circumferential crest extending around the central opening, an outer surface extending downward and radially outward from said top crest, and an inner surface extending downward and radially inward from said top crest;
- (b) the base member of the cap includes a radially outwardly extending flange portion having an upper surface exposed to impact striking, said flange also defining an inwardly facing, concave seat cover of a second predetermined radius of curvature, and extending over and in a complementary fit with the convex seat defined by the raised portion of the adapter having an upper surface for direct surface to surface engagement upon impact striking of the upper surface of said flange portion;
- (c) said seal means is radially located outside the crest of the raised portion of the adapter, engages the outer surface of said raised portion, and urges the seat and seat cover from each other;
- and
- (d) the second radius of curvature is slightly greater than the first radius of curvature whereby the seat and seat cover are normally in the complementary fit while slightly spaced apart.
A filler cap assembly for use with a tank having a wall defining a tank opening, the filler cap assembly comprising:
- (a) an adapter including:
- (1) an outside portion for connecting the adapter to the wall of the tank around the tank opening,
- (2) an inside portion defining a central adapter opening, and
- (3) a raised portion extending between the inside and outside portions of the adapter, the raised portion of the adapter having:
- (i) a top, circumferential crest annularly extending around the adapter opening,
- (ii) an outside surface extending downward and radially outward from the circumferential crest, and
- (iii) an inside surface extending downward and radially inward from the circumferential crest,
- the inside and outside surfaces of the raised portion being radially spaced from each other;
- (b) a cap including:
- (1) a base supported by the adapter and extending within the central opening thereof and having a radially extending flange defining an inside surface extending over and complementary to both the inside and outside surfaces of the raised portion of the adapter to inhibit distortion of the complementary fit between the raised portion of the adapter and the radial flange of the base, and
- (2) retaining means attached to the base for securely connecting the cap to the adapter;
- and
- (c) seal means attached to the base and engaging the raised portion of the adapter to inhibit fluid flow between the cap and the adapter said seal means normally spacing the complementary surfaces of the flange and adapter while permitting surface to surface engagement upon impact striking of said flange.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.