Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Access cover for gas tank filler pipe
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-21
2001-05-15
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Access cover for gas tank filler pipe
C220SDIG003
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231106
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cap unit for a fuel tank of a vehicle.
Vehicles, such as a motorcycle, incorporate a fuel tank for storing fuel which is supplied to an engine thereof, the fuel tank having a fuel supply port, at its upper end portion when mounted, which is closed by a cap unit.
A cap unit
5
has a structure formed as shown in FIG.
5
and incorporate a cap body
2
for closing a fuel supply port
1
which is brought to a locked state by engaging a front claw
3
a
of one lock bar
3
to an engaging portion
4
provided for the fuel supply port
1
.
The cap body
5
is brought to an unlocked state by disengaging the front law
3
a
of one lock bar
3
from the engaging portion
4
.
The cap unit
5
further incorporates a mount base
6
having the cap body
2
extending therefrom. The mount base
6
is secured to a mount base securing portion a fuel tank
7
by one of more bolts (not shown) and is pivotable around a hinge pin. Thus, in the unlocked state, pivotally rotating the mount base
6
rotates the cap body and thereby opens or closes of the fuel supply port
1
. However, if the one or more bolts are loosened because of inadequate maintenance or intentional removal, the overall body of the cap unit
5
, even in the locked state, may be removed by, for example, scooping out the cap unit
5
. If the cap unit
5
in its locked state can be removed from the fuel supply port
1
, fuel may be stolen easily. Furthermore, there is a possibility that fuel may rapidly leak out of the fuel tank
7
unknowingly. There has been provided (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 9-24874) which incorporates an engaging projection
8
provided for the outer wall, side portion, of the cap body
2
on the rear of the lock bar
3
. When the overall body of the cap unit
5
is moved upward in the lock state in which the front claw
3
a
of the lock bar
3
is engaged to the engaging portion
4
, the engaging projection
8
is engaged to the engaging portion
4
.
The contact of the engaging projection
8
to the engaging portion
4
must be prevented during a usual operation for opening or closing the cap body
2
. Therefore, as shown in
FIG. 5
, somewhat long distance x is required between a locus
9
of the engaging projection
8
when the cap body
2
is opened or closed and the lower end of the engaging portion
4
. However, if the distance x is too long, the original function, that is, prevention of the removal of the overall body of the cap unit
5
owning to the scoop-out of the cap unit
5
cannot be realized. Therefore, each of distances y and z between the engaging projection
8
and the engaging portion
4
must have great dimension accuracy.
If the distance y between the upper surface of the engaging projection
8
and the lower end of the engaging portion
4
is too large in order to prevent contact of the engaging projection
8
to the engaging portion
4
when the cap body
2
is opened or closed, looseness sometimes takes place in a state in which the bolt for securing the mount base
6
to the fuel tank
7
is loosened or in a state of no bolt. Therefore, the hermeticity of the fuel, tank
7
is sometimes deteriorated. If the distances y and z between the engaging projection
8
and the engaging portion
4
are too short, there is apprehension that the engaging projection
8
is brought into contact to the fuel supply port
1
when the cap body
2
is opened or closed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a cap unit for a fuel tank of a vehicle which has a simple structure and which is capable of preventing the overall body of the cap unit from coming off without requiring the improvement of dimension accuracy.
This and other objects can be achieved according to the present invention by providing a cap unit for a fuel tank of a vehicle for closing a fuel supply port formed to the fuel tank, comprising:
a cap body to be applied in a pivotal manner through a pivot shaft to the fuel supply port formed to the fuel tank;
a mount base through which the cap body is mounted to the fuel supply port; and
a lock means provided for the cap body,
the lock means including a lock bar formed to a side portion of cap body, an engaging portion formed to the fuel supply port to be engageable with the the lock bar to lock the cap body when the cap body is applied to the fuel support port, and an engaging projection formed to another side portion of the cap body substantially at an opposite portion of the lock bar to be engageable with the engaging portion formed to the fuel supply port, the engaging projection having a surface inclining upward towards a center portion of the cap body in an installed state of the fuel tank.
In a preferred embodiment, the inclining surface is formed to be in parallel to a tangent of a circular arc, with the pivot shaft being a center thereof, which passes through a lower end of the engaging portion, the tangent being a tangent passing through a lower end portion of the engaging portion in a state in which the cap body is closed. The engaging portion, with which the lock bar and the engaging projection are engaged, is formed by bending inward an opening end portion of the fuel supply port.
According to the characteristic structure of the present invention mentioned above, the cap unit for a fuel tank includes a cap body which is pivotally joined to the fuel supply port. The lock bar of the locking unit mounted in the cap body is engaged with an engaging portion provided for the fuel supply port so that the cap body is brought to a lock state, and an engaging projection which can be engaged with the engaging portion is provided for the side portion of the cap body on the rear side of the lock bar, and the upper surface of the engaging projection is formed to an inclined surface which is raised towards the center of the cap body. Therefore, only a simple structure is required to prevent the overall body of the cap unit from coming off. Furthermore, if the secured cap unit is loosened, occurrence of coming-off can be prevented. As a result, the hermeticity of the fuel tank can be improved.
The inclined surface is formed to be in parallel to a tangent of a circular arc, the center of which is a pivot shaft of the cap body and which passes through a lower end of the engaging portion, the tangent being a tangent passing through a lower end of the engaging portion. Therefore, great dimension accuracy is not required for the distance between the engaging projection and the engaging portion to reduce looseness of the cap unit. Therefore, only a simple structure is required to prevent the overall body of the cap unit from coming off.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4784423 (1988-11-01), Pardy
patent: 5066062 (1991-11-01), Sekulovski
patent: 5253920 (1993-10-01), Eldridge
patent: 5533766 (1996-07-01), Farber
patent: 5658036 (1997-08-01), Benoist
patent: 5732842 (1998-03-01), Krause et al.
patent: 5884958 (1999-03-01), Oddenino
Blankenship G
Dayoan D. Glenn
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Suzuki Kaisha Toshiba
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