Cam-on filler neck cap

A closure assembly for a filler neck having a mouth, the closure assembly comprising an inner mounting flange formed to include a notch,

• means for coupling the inner mounting flange to the filler neck at its mouth,
• closure means for closing the mouth of the filler neck, the closure means including a body, an inner retaining member appended to the body and a detent appended to the inner retaining member and sized to fit into the notch formed in the inner mounting flange,
• handle means for rotating the closure means relative to the inner mounting flange about an axis of rotation to engage the inner retaining member and the inner mounting flange so that the closure means is retained by the inner mounting flange in an installed filler neck-closing position closing the mouth of the filler neck and to project the detent into the notch to hold the inner retaining member and the inner mounting flange in engagement,
• wherein the detent includes a resilient latch arm having a fixed end cantilevered to the inner retaining member and a free end and anti-drift means on the free end of the latch arm for releasably engaging the notch formed in the inner mounting flange upon rotation of the closure means in a cap-installation direction to its installed filler neck-closing position so that drifting rotation of the closure means about its axis of rotation in an opposite cap-removal direction is substantially blocked,
• wherein the body of the closure means includes an exterior wall and a recessed channel formed in the exterior wall, the inner retaining member is appended to the exterior wall, and the latch arm and anti-drift means are positioned to lie adjacent to the recessed channel and away from the exterior wall.

A closure assembly for a filler neck having a mouth, the closure assembly comprising an inner mounting flange formed to include a notch,

• means for coupling the inner mounting flange to the filler neck at its mouth,
• closure means for closing the mouth of the filler neck, the closure means including a body, an inner retaining member appended to the body, and a detent appended to the inner retaining member and sized to fit into the notch formed in the inner mounting flange,
• handle means for rotating the closure means relative to the inner mounting flange about an axis of rotation to engage the inner retaining member and the inner mounting flange so that the closure means is retained by the inner mounting flange in an installed filler neck-closing position closing the mouth of the filler neck and to project the detent into the notch to hold the inner retaining member and the inner mounting flange in engagement,
• wherein the detent includes a resilient latch arm having a fixed end cantilevered to the inner retaining member and a free end and anti-drift means on the free end of the latch arm for releasably engaging the notch formed in the inner mounting flange upon rotation of the closure means in a cap-installation direction to its installed filler neck-closing position so that drifting rotation of the closure means about its axis of rotation in an opposite cap-removal direction is substantially blocked,
• wherein the inner mounting flange includes a pair of spaced-apart vertical side walls and a horizontal top wall interconnecting the spaced-apart vertical side walls, the top wall and side walls cooperate to define a perimeter boundary of the notch therebetween, the inner retaining member includes an upwardly facing edge arranged to engage the inner mounting flange upon movement of the closure means to its installed filler neck-closing position, and the anti-drift means includes an anti-drift lug formed to include a peak tip lying in vertically spaced-apart relation both to the upwardly facing edge of the inner retaining member and to the top wall of the notch upon rotation of the closure means to its installed filler neck-closing position.

A closure assembly for a filler neck having a mouth, the closure assembly comprising an inner mounting flange formed to include a notch,

• means for coupling the inner mounting flange to the filler neck at its mouth,
• closure means for closing the mouth of the filler neck, the closure means including a body, an inner retaining member appended to the body, and a detent appended to the inner retaining member and sized to fit into the notch formed in the inner mounting flange,
• handle means for rotating the closure means relative to the inner mounting flange about an axis of rotation to engage the inner retaining member and the inner mounting flange so that the closure means is retained by the inner mounting flange in an installed filler neck-closing position closing the mouth of the filler neck and to project the detent into the notch to hold the inner retaining member and the inner mounting flange in engagement, and
• wherein the coupling means includes a mounting ring including means for attaching to the filler neck and an annular inner wall around the mouth of the filler neck and the inner mounting flange is appended to the annular inner wall.

A closure assembly for a filler neck having an annular lip forming a mouth, the closure assembly comprising

• an axially outer mounting flange coupled to the filler neck and arranged to lie adjacent to the mouth of the filler neck,
• an axially inner mounting flange coupled to the filler neck and arranged to lie in the filler neck in axially inwardly spaced-apart relation to the axially outer mounting flange,
• closure means for closing the mouth of the filler neck, the closure means being rotatable about an axis of rotation in the filler neck in a cap-installation direction to close the mouth and an opposite cap-removal direction to open the mouth, the closure means including a body, an annular seal carried on the body, an axially inner retaining member appended to the body and positioned to lie in axially spaced-apart relation to the annular seal, and an axially outer retaining member appended to the body and positioned to lie between the annular seal and the inner retaining member,
• detent means for releasably engaging the axially inner mounting flange to limit rotation of the closure means in the filler neck in the cap-removal direction, the detent means being appended to the axially inner retaining member, and
• handle means for rotating the body relative to the axially inner and outer mounting flanges about the axis of rotation in the cap-installation direction to engage the axially outer retaining member and the axially outer mounting flange and thereby draw the annular seal carried on the body in an axially downward direction against the annular lip of the filler neck to establish a tight sealed connection between the body and the filler neck without applying a loading force urging the detent means against the axially inner retaining member.

A closure assembly for a filler neck having an annular lip forming a mouth, the closure assembly comprising

• a collar appended to the filler neck, the collar including first and second annular inner mounting flanges lying in a first plane transverse to the filler neck and in circumferentially spaced-apart relation one to another and first and second annular outer mounting flanges lying in a second plane transverse to the filler neck and in circumferentially spaced-apart relation one to another, the first annular outer mounting flange being arranged to lie between the first annular inner mounting flange and the annular rim in a position vertically above the first annular inner mounting flange, the second annular outer mounting flange being arranged to lie between the second annular inner mounting flange and the annular rim in a position vertically above the second annular inner mounting flange,
• closure means for closing the mouth of the filler neck, the closure means being rotatable about an axis of rotation in the filler neck in a cap-installation direction to close the mouth and an opposite cap-removal direction to open the mouth, the closure means including a cylindrical body, an O-ring seal carried on the body, circumferentially spaced-apart first and second annular inner retaining members appended to the cylindrical body, circumferentially spaced-apart first and second annular outer retaining members appended to the cylindrical body and arranged to lie between the annular rim and the first and second annular inner retaining members,
• means for positively stopping rotation of the closure means about its axis of rotation relative to the collar in a cap-installation direction at an installed filler neck-closing position,
• detent means for releasably engaging the first and second annular inner mounting flanges to limit rotation of the closure means relative to the collar in the filler neck in the cap-removal direction, the detent means being appended to the first and second annular inner retaining members, and
• handle means for rotating the closure means relative to the collar about the axis of rotation in the cap-installation direction to slide the first annular outer retaining member into engagement with the first annular outer mounting flange and the second annular outer retaining member into engagement with the second annular outer mounting flange and to slide the first annular inner retaining member into engagement with the first annular inner mounting flange and the second annular inner retaining member into engagement with the second annular inner mounting flange until one of the first and second annular outer retainer members engages the stopping means so that the O-ring seal carried on the body is drawn in an axially downwardly direction against the annular lip of the filler neck to establish a tight sealed connection between the body and the filler neck without applying a loading force urging the detent means against the first and second axially inner mounting flanges.

A closure assembly for a vehicle filler neck having an annular lip forming a mouth, the closure assembly comprising:

• an axially outer mounting flange coupled to the filler neck and arranged to lie adjacent to the mouth of the filler neck,
• an axially inner mounting flange coupled to the filler neck and arranged to lie in the filler neck in axially inwardly spaced-apart relation to the axially outer mounting flange,
• a cap for closing the mouth of the filler neck, the cap being rotatable about an axis of rotation in the filler neck in a cap-installation direction to close the mouth and an opposite cap-removal direction to open the mouth, the cap including a body, an annular seal carried on the body, an axially inner retaining member appended to the body and positioned to lie in axially spaced-apart relation to the annular seal, and an axially outer retaining member appended to the body and positioned to lie between the annular seal and the inner retaining member,
• a detent for releasably engaging the axially inner mounting flange to limit rotation of the closure means in the filler neck in the cap-removal direction, the detent being appended to the axially inner retaining member, and
• handle means for rotating the body relative to the axially inner and outer mounting flanges about the axis of rotation in the cap-installation direction to engage the axially outer retaining member and the axially outer mounting flange and thereby draw the annular seal carried on the body in an axially downward direction against the annular lip of the filler neck to establish a tight sealed connection between the body and the filler neck without applying a loading force urging the detent against the axially inner retaining member.

A closure assembly for a filler neck having a mouth, the closure assembly comprising:

• an inner mounting flange having a cam surface portion, and a flat surface portion wherein said inner mounting flange is coupled to the filler neck adjacent its mouth,
• a closure means for closing the mouth of the filler neck comprising a body and an inner retaining member fixed to the body and having a cantilevered flexible portion,
• handle means for rotating the closure means toward a closed position in which the mouth of the filler neck is closed and wherein upon rotation of the closure means, initially the inner retainer member is cammed downwardly by the cam surface portion of the inner flange member without flexure of the cantilevered flexible portion to close the filler neck and wherein continued rotation of the closure means causes the cantilevered flexible portion to move to a position where it coacts with a notch to maintain the inner retainer member in its cammed downward position,
• wherein the cam surface portion of the inner mounting flange contacts a detent on the cantilevered flexible portion to initially flex the flexible portion away from the notch upon rotation of the closure means and wherein continued rotation of the closure means aligns the detent of the flexible portion with the notch and causes release of the detent from the cam surface allowing the detent on the flexible portion to flex back and enter into the notch, and
• wherein the detent does not contact any walls of the notch when fully entered therein.