Receptacles – Closures – With condition responsive vent or valve
Patent
1998-06-23
2000-05-02
Cronin, Stephen K.
Receptacles
Closures
With condition responsive vent or valve
22020326, 220303, 220304, 220DIG33, B65D 5116
Patent
active
060561408
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filler neck cap assembly, especially of an automotive fuel tank, with an approximately pot-shaped insert sealingly insertable into the filler neck end, which insert is provided with projections for engaging in bayonet or helical slots of the filler neck, at its upper end protruding from the filler neck end is circumferentially embraced by a top cap, and contains a pressure vacuum relief valve, which communicates between the filler neck interior and the atmosphere via apertures in the bottom of the insert on the one hand and in the upper end of the insert and/or in the top cap on the other hand, the pressure vacuum relief valve being encased in a self-contained valve housing, which is enclosed in the insert and equipped with a circumferential flange.
2. Background of the Invention
Such a cap assembly is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,346 which shows a filler neck cap assembly with a pressure vacuum relief valve encased in a sheet-metal housing. The sheet-metal housing of the valve is press-fitted into an insertable plastic closure engaging in the filler neck end. This design has the disadvantage that a separate plastic injection-molding process is necessary for manufacture of the insert, and that the pressure vacuum relief valve, once pressed into the insert, can not be replaced without being destroyed. Modular replacement of the valve to select a specified valve function is not possible.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a cap assembly which can be fabricated and assembled more simply and more inexpensively. This object is achieved according to the invention by the fact that the insert is formed from sheet metal and the pressure relief has a circumferential flange which is secured by the rebent rim of the insert.
By assembling the pressure vacuum relief valve by simple rebending of the insert made from sheet metal in the manner according to the invention, prefabrication, stocking of modular components, and simple in situ assembly of cap assemblies with different valve functions or standardized valve casings with different external cap assembly forms is achieved. The insert is formed inexpensively from sheet metal and is stiffened by the enclosed pressure vacuum relief valve. As a result the danger of deformation and inadvertent opening of the valve is very slight.
Preferably the rim of the insert is provided with tongues foldable over inwardly, preferably made from a welded-on ring, for securing the circumferential flange of the valve housing, thus making it a very simple matter to fix the valve housing.
According to a further preferred feature of the invention, a collar depending downwardly from the circumference of the bottom of the insert is formed from a fold of the wall material of the insert, and at two places at least distributed over the circumference is forced radially outward to obtain thereat the respective projections by taking advantage of the yielding behavior of the wall material. This integrated type of fabrication of the projections represents a decisive cost benefit.
In a particularly favorable embodiment, the rim of the insert is prolonged at the connection to its rebending section securing the circumferential flange of the valve housing and is outwardly folded over at an obtuse angle, preferably 160.degree., the top cap being snapped onto the cuff by means of snap-in locking projections. The cuff thus forms a sliding surface, which deflects the top cap away from the insert under the effect of a radial force, thus further increasing crash safety.
In each case, it is advantageous for the insert to be equipped at its upper end with radial notches for engagement with internals ribs of the top cap. This represents a simple and effective way of transferring the torque necessary for operation of the cap assembly from the top cap to the insert .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter by means of an exam
REFERENCES:
patent: 2154113 (1939-04-01), Smith
patent: 3809282 (1974-05-01), Blau et al.
patent: 3825147 (1974-07-01), Noponen et al.
patent: 3968897 (1976-07-01), Rodgers
patent: 3974936 (1976-08-01), Gerdes
patent: 4013191 (1977-03-01), Gerdes
patent: 4133346 (1979-01-01), Smith et al.
patent: 5052571 (1991-10-01), Susa et al.
Muth Manfred Karl Joachim
Palvolgyi Sandor
Cronin Stephen K.
Tesma Motoren und Getriebetechnik Ges.m.b.H
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