Receptacles – Closures – Tethered closure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-22
2001-05-29
Pollard, Steven M. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Closures
Tethered closure
C220SDIG003
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237798
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel filler cap adapted to open and close a pouring pipe for guiding fuel poured into a fuel tank.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A fuel tank of a vehicle is mounted with a tank body
20
, a pouring pipe
21
, a fuel gauge center unit
22
and the like, as illustrated in FIG.
4
.
The pouring pipe
21
for guiding the flow of the fuel is equipped at a tip end thereof with a fuel filler cap
23
.
In order to pour fuel into the fuel tank
20
, a fuel tank door (not shown) formed at a side panel of a rear part of the vehicle is opened, the fuel filler cap
23
is rotated to be separated from the pouring pipe
21
.
When the fuel filler cap
23
is separated, a fuel nozzle is inserted into the pouring pipe
21
for fuelling, and when the fuelling is finished, the fuel nozzle is taken out, the fuel filler cap
23
is mounted on the pouring pipe
21
and the fuel tank door is closed thereafter.
However, there is a problem in that, the fuel filler cap
23
, after removed from the pouring pipe
21
for fuelling, is being held by a fuel operator or left on a trunk lid of a vehicle due to inconvenience during fuelling, such that, when a proper attention is not given to the fuel filler cap
23
, the pouring pipe
21
is not closed by the fuel filler cap
23
and closed only by fuel door, resulting in frequent loss of the fuel filler cap
23
.
There is another problem in that, if the pouring pipe
21
is not closed by the fuel filler cap
23
, evaporated fuel gas is discharged from fuel in the fuel tank through the pouring pipe
21
, causing atmospheric contamination, which is also against the laws.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is disclosed to solve the aforementioned problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel filler cap adapted to prevent loss thereof during fuelling.
In accordance with the object of the present invention, there is provided a fuel filler cap, the cap having a threaded stopper for being inserted at a tip end of a pouring pipe for tight sealing, a handle unit provided for rotating the threaded stopper and a lid unit extended from the handle unit for encompassing a periphery of the pouring pipe in a state where the threaded stopper is inserted into the pouring pipe, the cap comprising:
a rotating unit rotatively mounted at a periphery of the lid unit; and
a connecting string fixed at one end thereof to the rotating unit and fixed to a body panel in the fuel door.
The rotating unit is ratably meshed into a guide rail unit formed at the periphery of the lid unit.
The rotating unit is bent at an upper end thereof in a
shape to cover an upper surface of the lid unit and is bent at a lower end thereof in a
shape to encompass a lower end of the lid unit.
The lid unit is formed at a periphery thereof with a guide rail unit by way of upper and lower round protruders, and the rotating unit encompasses the lower end of the lid unit in a “U” shape, where a support horizontally bent from a tip end of U-shaped body is accommodated into the guide rail unit to be supported by the lower protruder.
Furthermore, the upper protruder is farther extended in length than the lower protruder to encompass an upper part of the support.
According to the present invention, the rotating unit surface-contacts the lid unit in a broad surface, such that the fuel filler cap is not tilted or swayed during fuelling to thereby provide a stability and the connecting string does not stand in the way to thereby provide a convenience in mounting and demounting the fuel filler cap, and there is no problem of loss thereof.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4705190 (1987-11-01), Mizusawa
patent: 4776486 (1988-10-01), Mizusawa
patent: 5588853 (1996-12-01), Anthony
patent: 5720409 (1998-02-01), Asakura et al.
patent: 5732841 (1998-03-01), Jocic et al.
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Hyundai Motor Company
Pollard Steven M.
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