Cap device
AssigneeToyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
InventorsHiroyuki Hagano, Masayuki Nakagawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel cap 10 maintains high sealing even when subjected to external force; is easy to operate; and requires minimal space for accommodation. The cap device comprises a casing body 20 for closing the filler opening FNb in a sealed condition, a cover 40, a handle 45, a clutch mechanism 60 and a torque transmission mechanism 80. By upraising the handle to the handling position and applying rotational torque, rotational torque is transmitted to the casing body 20 via the clutch mechanism 60 and the torque transmission mechanism 80, closing the filler opening FNb. The handle 45 lowers back to the retracted position when released, whereupon the clutch mechanism 60 assumes non-transmission mode wherein the cover 40 and the handle 45 rotate freely if subjected to external force such as in a collision.
Claims20
A cap device comprising a cap configured to open and close a tank opening, the cap comprising:
- a closer for closing the tank opening with air-tight sealing at a closing position;
- a handle mechanism having a handle, the handle being switchable between a handling position and a retracted position, the handling position being a position allowing a user to operate the handle to open and close the closer, the retracted position being a position in which the tank opening is closed, the handle in the handling position being configured to project outwardly from an upper portion of the closer a greater distance than the handle is in the retracted position;
- and
- an interconnecting mechanism, provided between the handle mechanism and the closer, for transmitting to the closer rotational torque in a closing direction and opening direction when the rotational torque is applied to the handle mechanism,
- wherein the interconnecting mechanism comprises a clutch mechanism, the clutch mechanism setting the interconnecting mechanism in a transmission mode and a non-transmission mode, the transmission mode being a mode wherein the rotational torque in the closing direction and the opening direction is transmitted from the handle to the closer when the handle is placed in the handling position, the non-transmission mode being mode wherein the rotational torque in the opening direction is prevented from transmitting from the handle to the closer and the handle mechanism rotates freely in the opening direction when the handle is placed in the retracted position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.