Tank cap

Details Tank cap Tank cap

2002-03-22

2004-09-21

Hylton, Robin A. (Department: 3727)

Receptacles

Closures

Removable closure guided in rotary movement

C220SDIG003, C220S086200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06793091

ABSTRACT:

This application claims the benefit of and priority from Japanese Application No. 2001-98088 filed Mar. 30, 2001, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tank cap, having a torque mechanism for closing the opening of a tank with a predetermined rotational torque.
2. Description of the Related Art
One example of known tank caps is described in JP No. 2000-344266A. As shown in
FIG. 15
, a fuel cap
100
comprises a casing main body
110
, a handle
120
, and a torque mechanism
130
. The torque mechanism
130
comprises handle engagement elements
122
formed on the handle
120
, a torque plate
140
having torque piece engagement elements
142
, and a spring
132
. When the handle
120
is rotated in the closing direction, the handle engagement elements
122
engage with the torque piece engagement elements
142
and disengage with the torque piece engagement elements
142
, giving the user a feeling of attachment by an audible click (first non-engaged state). At this time, the spring accumulates the pressing force applied in the opening direction.
The pressing force accumulated in the spring causes the handle engagement elements
122
to disengage with the torque piece engagement elements
142
with a small rotational torque (second non-engaged state). The handle
120
returns to an initial position relative to the casing main body
110
.
However, in the conventional the fuel cap
100
, the rotational torque for the handle engagement, element
122
to disengage torque piece engagement elements
142
is large. The rotational torque is particularly large when transitioning to the second non-engaged state, resulting in the problem of a large noise, which is hard on the ears, being caused by the operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is thus to provide a tank cap which can close a tank opening with a small value of rotating, has outstanding operability such as in regard to alignment for opening and closing, and also has reduced operating noise during opening and closing.
At least part of the above and the other related objects are obtained by a tank cap configured to open and close a tank opening and to engage with an opening engagement element disposed on a circumference of the tank opening.
The tank cap comprises a casing main body for sealing the tank opening, the casing main body including a casing engagement element configured to engage with the opening engagement element via rotation of the casing main body by a predetermined angle; a handle rotatably mounted on the casing main body; and a torque mechanism interposed between the handle and the casing main body, the torque mechanism including (i) a handle engagement element disposed on a lower portion of the handle and (ii) an elastic torque piece with a torque piece engagement element engaging wish the handle engagement element, the elastic torque piece configured to transmit rotational torque applied to the handle to the casing main body via engagement between the handle engagement element and the torque piece engagement.
The torque piece engagement element is configured to be selectively put one of in an engagement state, a first non-engaged state, and a second non-engaged state. In the engagement state, the torque piece engagement element engages with the handle engagement element so that the rotational torque applied to the handle is transmitted to the casing main body via the elastic torque piece when the handle is rotated in a closing direction of the tank opening. In the first non-engaged state, the torque piece engagement element is released from the handle engagement element with a first force due to a first rotational torque when the torque piece engagement element engages with the handle engagement element, and then the handle is rotated in the closing direction of the tank opening. In the second non-engaged state after being in the first non-engaged state, the torque piece engagement element is released from the handle engagement element with a second force due to a second rotational torque when the torque piece engagement element engages with the handle engagement element, and then the handle is rotated in the opening direction of the tank opening, a direction of the second force being different from that of the first force, and the second force being less than the first force.
With the tank cap of the present invention, when the handle is rotated in the closing direction, aligning the casing engagement element of the casing main body to the opening engagement element of the tank opening, the casing main body, via the torque mechanism, rotates as a unit with the handle and the casing engagement element engages the opening engagement element. At this time, when the torque piece engagement element of the torque mechanism goes into the engaged state where it engages with the handle engagement element of the handle, the rotational torque applied to the handle is transmitted to the casing main body. When the rotational torque exceeds a predetermined value and the torque piece engagement element disengages with the handle engagement element to change the first non-engaged state, the user can receives a feeling of attachment by an audible click and confirms that the cap has been closed with the predetermined torque.
On the other hand, in the state where the tank cap has closed the tank opening, when the rotational torque is applied to the handle in the opening direction, the handle engagement element and torque piece engagement element go into the second non-engaged state to disengage by means of a smaller torque than with the first non-engaged state. That is, the rotating force in the closing direction returns the positional relationship between the handle engagement element and the torque piece engagement element to an initial position. Thus, when the tank cap is to be closed again, the positional relationship of the torque piece engagement element and handle engagement element is fixed and alignment for closing the tank opening is facilitated.
Since the elastic deformation direction of the elastic torque piece is a different direction for first non-engaged state and for second non-engaged state, the cap allows a greater degree of freedom. For example, the torque mechanism can be easily designed such that the elastic torque piece has the elastic deformation of second non-engaged state markedly smaller than that of the first non-engaged state.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the torque mechanism comprises a torque plate interposed between the handle and the casing main body.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the torque mechanism is configured that the first force is applied to the torque piece engagement element from a radial direction relative to an axial direction of the tank cap, and the second force is applied to the torque piece engagement element from the axial direction.
In accordance with still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the handle engagement element includes a first engaging vertical surface, and the torque piece engagement element includes an engaging vertical surface conforming to the engaging vertical surface, the elastic torque piece being configured to deform by the first force when the handle is rotated in the closing direction, and wherein the handle engagement element includes an engaging inclined surface inclined by a predetermined angle relative to the axial direction, and the torque piece engagement element includes an engaging inclined surface conforming to the engaging inclined surface, the elastic torque piece being configured to deform by the second force when the handle is rotated in the opening direction.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the elastic torque piece is a cantilevered piece, the cantilevered piece being configured to deform more significantly in the second non-engaged state than in the first

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