Lost motion fuel cap with cap closure indicator

A cap for use in the filler neck of a tank, the cap comprising

• a closure for closing the filler neck,
• a handle for rotating the closure relative to the filler neck to a sealed position engaging the filler neck and establishing a sealed connection between the closure end the filler neck,
• a delayed actuator providing a lost-motion driving connection between the handle and the closure, and
• indicator means or providing an indication of sealed closure of the filler neck upon movement of the closure in the filler neck to its sealed position, wherein the indicator means includes an indicator affixed to the delayed actuator and the indicator is a reflective member visible to a user of the fuel cap.

A cap for use in the filler neck of a tank, the cap comprising

• a closure for closing the filler neck,
• a handle for rotating the closure relative to the filler neck to a sealed position engaging the filler neck and establishing a sealed connection between the closure and the filler neck, the handle including a circular top wall, the circular top wall including an indicator window,
• a delayed actuator providing a lost-motion driving connection between the handle and the closure,
• a reflective member affixed to the delayed actuator, and
• alignment means for preventing alignment of the reflective member with the indicator window when rotating the closure relative to the filler neck until the closure is in its sealed position in the filler neck.

A fuel cap for closing the threaded filler neck of a fuel tank, the cap comprising

• a housing having threads for engaging the filler neck,
• a seal for sealingly engaging the filler neck upon rotation of the housing in a first direction, the seal being coupled to the housing,
• a shell including a top wall formed to include a window and a handle for rotating the housing relative to the filler neck, the handle being formed on the top wall,
• a hub providing a lost-motion driving connection between the shell and the housing, the lost motion of the hub acting to permit a predetermined amount or relative movement of the shell relative to the filler neck before rotating the housing relative to the filler neck sufficiently to break the sealing engagement provided by the seal, and
• indicator means for visually indicating that the seal sealingly engaged the filler neck upon rotation of the housing in the filler neck to its sealed position, the indicator means including a an indicator affixed to the hub and positioned to lie in the window in a position visible to an observer upon rotation of the housing in the filler neck to its sealed position.

A fuel cap for closing the threaded filler neck of a fuel tank, the cap comprising

• a housing having threads for engaging the filler neck,
• a seal for sealingly engaging the filler neck upon rotation of the housing in a first direction,
• a handle for rotating the housing relative to the filler neck,
• a hub providing a lost-motion driving connection between the handle and a housing, the lost motion of the hub acting to permit a predetermined amount of relative movement of the handle relative to the filler neck before rotating the housing relative to the filler neck sufficiently to break the sealing engagement provided by the seal, and
• indicator means for indicating that the seal sealingly engaged the filler neck upon rotation of the housing in the filler neck to its sealed position, wherein the indicator means includes an indicator affixed to the hub and the indicator is a reflective member visible to a user of the fuel cap.

A cap for use in the filler neck of a tank, the filler neck having an annular lip defining a mouth, the cap comprising

• a gasket,
• means blocking the filler neck for urging the gasket against the annular lip to establish a seal blocking outward flow of fluid and vapor in the filler neck through the filler neck mouth,
• means for applying a driving force to move the urging means relative to the annular lip of the filler neck from a gasket-tightening position establishing the seal to a gasket-releasing position breaking the seal, and the urging means and the applying means cooperating to provide means for permitting relative movement between the urging means and the applying means to delay establishment of a driving connection between the applying means and the urging means during movement of the applying means in a cap-removal direction, and
• means for indicating that the seal between the gasket and the annular lip is established upon urging the gasket to its sealed position, the indicating means including an indicator affixed to the applying means and the indicator in a reflective member visible to a user of the fuel cap.