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US 8,556,327 B1Granted
Fuel housing assemblies with integrated sealing retainer assemblies
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorChristopher Michael Higgins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel housing assembly for a vehicle includes a fuel housing having sidewalls and an interior wall defining a fuel nozzle receiving volume for receiving a fuel nozzle. A sealing retainer assembly includes a retainer base integrally formed with the fuel housing and a seal member that engages a locking shaft of a fuel door lock system in both unlocked and locked configurations.
Claims17
A fuel housing assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
- a fuel housing having sidewalls and an interior wall defining a fuel nozzle receiving volume for receiving a fuel nozzle;
- and
- a sealing retainer assembly comprising a retainer base integrally formed with the fuel housing and a seal member that engages a locking shaft of a fuel door lock system in both unlocked and locked configurations;
- wherein the retainer base is integrally molded with the fuel housing.
1 more element
A vehicle comprising:
- a fuel door;
- a fuel door lock system comprising a locking shaft having a locked configuration where a locking end of the locking shaft engages a locking member of the fuel door to inhibit opening of the fuel door and an unlocked configuration where the locking end of the locking shaft is removed from the locking member to allow opening of the fuel door;
- a body panel;
- and
- a fuel housing assembly comprising:
- a fuel housing connected to the body panel having sidewalls and an interior wall defining a fuel nozzle receiving volume for receiving a fuel nozzle;
- and
- a sealing retainer assembly comprising a retainer base integrally formed with the fuel housing and a seal member that engages the locking shaft of the fuel door lock system in both unlocked and locked configurations;
- wherein the retainer base is integrally molded with the fuel housing.
6 more elements
A method of locking and unlocking a fuel door of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- engaging a locking member of the fuel door within a fuel housing with a locking shaft of a fuel lock system providing a locked configuration;
- disengaging the locking member of the fuel door within the fuel housing with the locking shaft of the fuel lock system providing an unlocked configuration;
- and
- sealing against the locking shaft in both the locked and unlocked configurations using a sealing retainer assembly comprising a retainer base integrally formed with the fuel housing and a seal member that engages the locking shaft of the fuel door lock system in both the unlocked and locked configurations;
- wherein the retainer base is integrally molded with the fuel housing.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.