US 5,507,324 AGranted

Fuel fill devices for boats

AssigneeAttwood Corporation

InventorsWarwick M. Whitley, II, Donald L. Clark

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Abstract

A fuel filling assembly for liquid fuel tanks, especially on boats or the like, includes a fill tube adapted for mounting through a deck and a closure cap preferably hinged over the fill tube opening for selective opening and closing. Preferably, a positioning member allows the closure cap to be mounted in various positions with respect to the fill tube to accommodate various mounting locations on a boat. The fill tube may be angled or straight to further accommodate varied mounting positions. In one version, a separate vent tube joins the fill tube to provide continuous fuel tank venting, pressure equalization and return of fuel overflow to the fuel tank in case of tank overfill. In the vented version, a rigid shield on the closure cap extends over the opening to a vent passageway through the cap to restrict the escape of liquid fuel in the event of fuel surge due to extreme boat movements or the like when the closure cap is closed. The vent passageway is preferably tortuous to restrict ingestion of water or other contaminants and a baffle is mounted over the vent tube opening to prevent expulsion of fuel through the fill tube opening during tank filling when the closure cap is in open position. The positioning member and angled or straight fill tube may also be included in the vented version.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A fuel filling and venting assembly for a liquid fuel tank comprising:

a fill tube adapted for connection to the fuel tank by a fluid conduit and having an opening and a mount for mounting said fill tube on a support;
a vent tube adapted for connection to the fuel tank by a separate fluid conduit, said vent tube joined to said fill tube and having a vent opening in fluid communication with said fill tube adjacent said fill tube opening to allow venting of fuel vapor from the fuel tank and admission of atmospheric air to the fuel tank through said fill tube opening while returning liquid fuel overflow to the fuel tank through said fill tube;
a closure cap mounted on said fill tube for closing said fill tube opening, said closure cap having an interior and being removable to open said fill tube opening;
an air passageway in said closure cap operable to pass air and fuel vapor to and from said fill tube opening while restricting ingestion of water and other contaminants;
said closure cap including an opening to said air passageway on said interior of said closure cap, a first rigid member forming a shield over said opening to said air passageway in said closure cap to restrict escape of liquid fuel outside said assembly during fuel surge due to splashing or the like, said shield having a periphery around which air and fuel vapor pass to and from said fill tube, said vent opening and said opening to said air passageway, and a spacer for spacing said shield from said air passageway opening to prevent closure thereof;
and
a baffle member in said fill tube, said baffle member extending between said vent opening and said fill tube opening and said shield to prevent expulsion of fuel from said vent tube opening out of said fill tube opening, and to restrict expulsion of fuel from said vent tube toward said shield.

4 more elements

A fuel filling and venting assembly for a liquid fuel tank comprising:

a fill tube adapted for connection to the fuel tank by a fluid conduit and having an opening and a mount for mounting said fill tube on a support;
a vent tube adapted for connection to the fuel tank by a separate fluid conduit, said vent tube joined to said fill tube and having a vent opening in fluid communication with said fill tube adjacent said fill tube opening to allow venting of fuel vapor from the fuel tank and admission of atmospheric air to the fuel tank through said fill tube opening while returning liquid fuel overflow to the fuel tank through said fill tube;
a closure cap mounted on said fill tube for closing said fill tube opening, said closure cap being removable to open said fill tube opening;
an air passageway in said closure cap operable to pass air and fuel vapor to and from said fill tube opening while restricting ingestion of water and other contaminants;
said closure cap including a first rigid member forming a shield over said air passageway in said closure cap to restrict escape of liquid fuel outside said assembly during fuel surge due to splashing or the like;
said closure cap having an exposed side and an interior side;
said shield in said closure cap including a second rigid member mounted in spaced relationship to said interior side of said closure cap and defining said air passageway, said second rigid member having at least one opening therethrough for fluid communication between said fill tube opening, said vent opening and said air passageway;
said first rigid member spaced from said second rigid member and being positioned intermediate said opening in said second rigid member and said fill tube opening, said first rigid member adapted to obstruct and deflect liquid fuel from said opening in said second rigid member upon contact by liquid fuel during a fuel surge;
said closure cap also including a mounting post on said interior side;
said first rigid member including a rigid disc and an annular wall extending to and engaging said second rigid member adjacent said mounting post, said annular wall spacing said rigid disc from said opening to said air passageway in said second rigid member;
a fastener securing said rigid disc to said mounting post;
said rigid disc including a periphery;
said first rigid member also including an annular flange adjacent said disc periphery helping to rigidify said disc.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.