Vehicle radiator cap with auxiliary vacuum seal
AssigneeStant Inc.
InventorLawrence H. Burke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A radiator cap including a manually manipulable crown provides an auxiliary vacuum seal for sealing a potential vacuum leak path around a member penetrating through a central aperture of the crown. The member may be a rivet or stud which secures the crown, a bell housing and a discoid spring in an assembled condition. Alternatively, the member may be a vent pin connected to a manually manipulable safety lever. The auxiliary vacuum seal preferably takes the form of a resilient O-ring which surrounds the member and is sealingly interposed between the discoid spring, the member and the bell housing to seal a potential vacuum leak path between the member and the discoid spring.
Claims9
In a coolant recovery system, a radiator cap for closing the filler neck of a radiator fluid reservoir, said filler neck including an overflow port, comprising:
- a manually manipulable crown covering said filler neck, said crown having a central aperture;
- a member extending through said aperture;
- a discoid spring having an inner peripheral portion defining a central aperture, said inner peripheral portion adjacent to said member;
- a bell housing having a central aperture;
- and
- an auxiliary vacuum seal sealingly engaging said bell housing, discoid spring and said member to seal a vacuum leak path between said discoid spring and said member, thereby permitting coolant to be recovered by said radiator fluid reservoir through said overflow port upon the development of subatmospheric pressure within said radiator fluid reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.