Cap-installation signal system for filler neck cap

A filler neck cap having a cap-installation management system for a filler neck, the system comprising

• an outer handle rotatable about an axis of rotation,
• a closure including a base adapted to close the filler neck and a torque receiver coupled to the base and arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the axis of rotation, the torque receiver including several torque teeth,
• a torque-transmission member rotatable about the axis of rotation, the torque-transmission member being positioned to lie between the outer handle and the closure and coupled to the outer handle to rotate therewith during rotation of the outer handle about the axis of rotation in a cap-advancing direction, the torque-transmission member including a central hub surrounding the axis of rotation and a deflectable closure rotator arranged to engage the torque teeth included in the torque receiver to transmit torque from the torque-transmission member to the closure during installation of the base of the closure in the filler neck to cause the base to rotate in the filler neck in response to rotation of the outer handle in the cap-advancing direction relative to the filler neck, and
• handle-rotation travel-limit means for producing a predetermined number of separate discernable warning signals generated by engagement and subsequent disengagement of the deflectable closure rotator and torque teeth included in the torque receiver of the closure after the base of closure is rotated about the axis of rotation in the cap-advancing direction to reach a closure hard-stop position in the filler neck and cease further rotation in the cap-advancing direction and before the outer handle is rotated from an initial position about the axis of rotation in the cap-advancing direction relative to the closure in the closure hard-stop position to reach a handle hard-stop position and cease further rotation in the cap-advancing position relative to the closure so that continued rotation of the outer handle about the axis of rotation in the cap-advancing direction after the closure has reached the closure hard-stop position causes at most the predetermined number of separate discernable warning signals to be produced before the outer handle is rotated about the axis of rotation in the cap-advancing direction relative to the base of the closure to reach the handle hard-stop position,
• wherein the handle-rotation travel-limit means includes an anti-rotation stop coupled to the closure to rotate therewith and a rotation-inhibitor tab coupled to the outer handle to rotate therewith and to engage the anti-rotation stop to block further rotation of the outer handle in the cap-advancing direction relative to the closure that is stationary in the closure hard-stop position when the outer handle reaches the handle hard-stop position, and
• wherein the handle-rotation travel-limit means further includes handle-reset means for automatically rotating the closure about the axis of rotation relative to the outer handle in a cap-removal direction opposite to the cap-advancing direction while a user is gripping the outer handle as soon as the base of the closure is separated from the filler neck during a cap-removal activity to move the rotation-inhibitor tab to an initial position and establish a predetermined arcuate distance between the anti-rotation stop coupled to the closure and the rotation-inhibitor tab to cause a number of torque teeth included in the torque receiver that is equal to the predetermined number of separate discernable warning signals to lie in a signal-generation zone provided between the anti-rotation stop, the rotation-inhibitor tab, and the axis of rotation so that the deflectable closure rotator will engage and subsequently disengage said number of torque teeth during movement of the rotation-inhibitor tab relative to the base of the closure from the initial position to the handle hard-stop position.