Method and arrangement for automatically refueling automotive vehicles
OwnerSten Corfitseninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for opening and closing a cover-plate on an automotive vehicle, wherein the plate lies in line with the vehicle outer body panel and can be swung between an open and a closed position about a vertical or horizontal hinge axis and covers the space in which the mouth of the vehicle refuelling pipe is located. The cover-plate is opened in two stages, wherein the plate is opened slightly to a limited open position by a first opening device in a first opening stage, thereby enabling a second opening device to be inserted between the cover-plate and the outer body panel, and wherein the plate is opened completely by the second opening device in a second opening stage. The cover plate is swung from its open to its closed position by the second opening device.
Claims9
An arrangement having first and second opening devices for opening and closing a cover-plate on an automotive vehicle having an outer body panel and a refuelling pipe including a mouth, said plate lying in the line of the vehicle outer body panel and capable of being swung between an open and a closed position about a generally vertical or a generally horizontal hinge axis and covering the space in which the mouth of the vehicle refuelling pipe is located, comprising:
- a first opening means positioned to abut and to releasably engage an outer surface of the cover-plate for opening the cover-plate slightly to a limited open position in a first opening stage;
- a second opening means for insertion between the cover-plate and the outer body panel with the cover-plate in its limited open position, wherein said second opening means opens the cover-plate completely in a second opening stage by effecting a lateral movement of the cover-plate about its hinge axis with said second opening device in abutment with a rear side of said cover-plate;
- positioning means for positioning the first and second opening means adjacent to the cover-plate;
- and
- wherein the second opening means swings the cover-plate from its open to its closed position, by moving said second opening means laterally while in abutment with an outer surface of the cover-plate.
A method for opening and closing a cover-plate on an automotive vehicle having an outer body panel and a refuelling pipe including a mouth, said plate lying in the line of the vehicle outer body panel and capable of being swung between an open and a closed position about a generally vertical or a generally horizontal hinge axis and covering the space in which the mouth of the vehicle refueling pipe is located, wherein a first opening device is positioned relative to the cover-plate and wherein a second opening device is positioned to be inserted between the cover-plate and the outer body panel, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a first opening means that is arranged to abut and to releasably engage an outer surface of the cover-plate, and a second opening means that is arranged to be inserted between the cover-plate and an adjacent outer body panel of the vehicle;
- b) positioning the first and second opening means externally of and adjacent to the cover-plate;
- c) opening the cover-plate a limited distance to a first, limited open position with the first opening means to enable the second opening means to be inserted between the cover-plate and the adjacent portion of the vehicle outer body panel;
- and
- d) opening the cover-plate from the first, limited open position to a second, fully-open position with the second opening means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.