Receptacles – Closures – Removable closure guided in rotary movement
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-09
2001-04-10
Newhouse, Nathan J. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Closures
Removable closure guided in rotary movement
C220S297000, C220S304000, C220SDIG003
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213331
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
Caps for providing air-tight or water-tight seals over openings in containers and pipes are known in the art. Many of these devices are cumbersome to operate in that they require multiple turns of a handle or enough applied force to compress a spring to achieve closure. Further repeated opening and closing of the cap leads to undesirable wear of the seal, because the turning of the handle causes the seal to turn relative to the opening of the container.
A sealing cap for a gasoline tank is disclosed with a sealing ring for sealing a filler neck of the gasoline tank (U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,219). The sealing ring is attached to a lower shoulder portion of the sealing cap. A spring is disposed between the lower shoulder portion and a turning stop. When the sealing cap is inserted into the filler neck and rotated, the turning stop of the sealing cap engages tabs on the interior of the filler neck preventing further rotation of the turning stop and those parts non-rotatably engaged thereto. Subsequent rotation of the sealing cap compresses the spring disposed between the turning stop and the lower shoulder portion seating the sealing ring against the filler neck.
A cap is desired which achieves a sealed closure with only a one quarter turn in rotation without rotating the seal relative to the sealing surface of an opening of a container to prevent excessive seal wear. In addition, a cap is desired which achieves a seal closure under the force of an expanding spring upon rotation of the handle to eliminate the necessity of applying a compressive force to the spring to achieve closure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, Applicants have discovered a one quarter turn fuel cap assembly having a sleeve and a fuel cap and capable of achieving a sealed closure with a maximum rotation of the cap of 90°.
The sleeve attaches to the fuel container and provides a non-circular opening for filling the container. The non-circular opening includes a sealing surface. The cap includes a handle, an anchor disk, and a sealing member. The sealing member includes a flexible seal for sealing against the sealing surface. A spring is disposed between the handle and the sealing member for biasing the seal into engagement with the sealing surface. A cam is disposed between the sealing member and the anchor disk.
The cap is inserted into the sleeve such that the anchor disk passes completely through the opening and the sealing member non-rotatably engages the opening. The handle is then rotated relative to the sleeve, causing the anchor disk to rotate. The seal, under the action of the cam and the expanding spring, axially engages the sealing surface upon rotation of the handle but at no time rotates relative to the sealing surface. Upon rotation of the handle, the anchor disk engages the opening to anchor the cap in the sleeve. A slot in the anchor disk prohibits rotations greater than one quarter. The cap is thus sealed with only a one quarter turn in rotation.
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Juleff David Charles
Morgan Thomas G.
Newhouse Nathan J.
Pennie & Edmonds LLP
Shaw Aero Development Inc.
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