I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automotive fuel filling systems.
II. Description of the Related Art
All automotive vehicles include fueling systems to allow the fuel tank for the vehicle to be refilled. Typically, the fueling system includes a funnel which is dimensioned to receive a conventional fuel filling nozzle. The funnel in turn is connected to the fuel tank for the vehicle. Many of these fuel filling systems also include an orifice inserted into or formed as a part of the funnel which is dimensioned to receive the neck of the fuel filling nozzle. A spring loaded flapper valve is also oftentimes mounted to the funnel and movable between an open and a closed position and urged towards its closed position by the spring. Upon insertion of the fuel filling nozzle into the orifice, the fuel filling nozzle contacts and moves the flapper valve to an open position to enable fueling of the vehicle.
One disadvantage of the conventional fuel filling systems for automotive vehicles is that the flapper valve which closes the funnel port is freely movable between an open and a closed position. Fuel nozzles, furthermore, have standardized diameters depending upon the type of fuel. For example, a fuel nozzle for unleaded gasoline has a first diameter while a fuel nozzle for diesel fuel has a second and larger diameter.
The size of the fuel port in the fuel funnel assembly is dimensioned for the type of fuel utilized by the engine. Consequently, since the fuel nozzle for diesel fuel has a larger diameter than the fuel nozzle for unleaded gasoline, the fuel, nozzle for diesel fuel cannot be inserted into the fuel funnel assembly for a vehicle which utilizes unleaded gasoline.
Unfortunately, the converse is not true. Instead, since the fuel nozzle for unleaded gasoline is smaller in diameter than the fuel nozzle for diesel fuel and also since the fuel flapper valve is normally freely pivotably mounted to the fuel funnel assembly, it is possible to inadvertently fuel the fuel tank of a vehicle having a diesel engine with unleaded gasoline. This, in turn, results in damage if not total destruction of the engine.
In order to prevent refueling a diesel engine fuel tank with unleaded gasoline, there have been previously known miss-fuel inhibitors (MFI) which prevent a diesel fuel tank from being filled with unleaded gasoline even though unleaded gasoline utilizes a smaller fuel filling nozzle size. One such MFI is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,968,874.
In the '874 patent, a pair of diametrically opposed latches engage and hold the flapper valve in its closed position. Each latch, furthermore, includes an actuator surface which, when physically engaged, forces the latch outwardly thus releasing the flapper valve.
With this previously known MFI, upon insertion of the larger diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fuel filling system, the diesel fuel filling nozzle has a diameter sufficiently large so that it engages the actuator surface on both latches thus moving both latches to an open position and allowing refueling of the fuel tank with diesel fuel. Conversely, upon insertion of a smaller diameter unleaded fuel nozzle, at most, a single actuator surface on one of the latches so that the other latch will maintain the flapper valve in a closed position and prevent refilling of the diesel fuel tank with unleaded gasoline.
A further complication, however, arises with diesel fuel since diesel fuel nozzles vary in size from about 24.5 millimeters to about 32 millimeters depending upon the type of automotive vehicle. For example, commercial vehicles utilizing diesel fuel oftentimes have the larger size fuel filling nozzle whereas passenger vehicles with diesel engines typically have the smaller diameter diesel nozzles.
It would, of course, be possible to simply design an MFI for diesel fuel in which the diesel fuel nozzle pivots the latches to an open position whenever the fuel filling nozzle is greater than 24.5 millimeters in diameter. However, if the larger diameter fuel filling nozzle of 32 millimeters were inserted into the same fuel filling system, the fuel filling nozzle would pivot the latches outwardly to such an extent that the overall diameter of the fuel filling system would necessarily be increased. Such an increase in the diameter of the fuel filling system is unacceptable for many automotive applications.
The present invention provides a miss-fuel inhibitor which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known fuel filling systems for diesel fuel. In particular, the fuel filling system of the present invention is able to accommodate a wide range of diameters of the diesel fuel filling nozzle, e.g. 24.5 millimeters to 32 millimeters, without increasing the overall size of the housing for the fuel filling system.
In brief, in the present invention, a collapsible bump is attached to each latch so that the humps protrude radially inwardly relative to the fuel filling system. These bumps, furthermore, are dimensioned so that, upon the insertion of a relatively small diameter diesel fuel nozzle, e.g. 24.5 millimeters, the fuel filling nozzle will engage the bumps and pivot the latches to their release position thus enabling fueling of the diesel fuel tank.
Conversely, upon the insertion of a larger diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fuel system, the fuel nozzle will contact the bumps and pivot the latches radially outwardly to a release position for the flapper valve. However, when the latches contact the housing for the fuel filling system, the continued insertion of the fuel filling nozzle toward the flapper valve will deform the bumps and still permit the fuel filling nozzle to engage and open the flapper valve for refilling of the diesel fuel tank.
A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:
With reference first to
A flapper valve 26 is contained within the housing 22 and movable between a closed position, illustrated in solid line in
Still referring to
With reference now to
Each bump also preferably includes a spring 36 having a free end 38 which abuts against the housing 22. This spring 36 thus urges the latches 28 with their attached humps 34 to the locked position for the latches 28. In addition, a free end 40 of each bump abuts against a radially outwardly sloping surface 42 on its associated latch 28.
With reference now to
With reference now to
With reference now to
Upon insertion of the diesel nozzle 54 into the housing 22, the diesel nozzle 54 will first contact the bumps 34 so that the free ends 40 of the bumps 34 slide along the sloping surfaces 42 of the latches 28. The compressed bumps assist in pivoting their associated latches 28 to their release position thus releasing the flapper valve 26 to pivot to its open position to permit fueling of the diesel fuel tank.
However, upon further insertion of the large diameter diesel fuel nozzle 54, the diesel fuel nozzle 54 compresses the bump 34 against the latch 28 so that the latch 28 is sandwiched in between the collapsed bump 34 and the housing 22. Upon further insertion of the fuel nozzle 54, the fuel nozzle 54 passes through the fuel port in the housing 22.
A primary advantage of utilizing the collapsible bumps 34 is that they enable opening of the latches 28 for a relatively small diesel fuel nozzle 52 (
Having described my invention, many modifications thereto will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains without deviation from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application 62/109,810 filed Jan. 30, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3730216 | Arnett | May 1973 | A |
6302169 | Pulos | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6994130 | Gabbey et al. | Feb 2006 | B1 |
7293586 | Groom | Nov 2007 | B2 |
20070034287 | Groom | Feb 2007 | A1 |
20090165891 | Candelise | Jul 2009 | A1 |
20100132838 | Cisternino | Jun 2010 | A1 |
20100175785 | Groom | Jul 2010 | A1 |
20140284329 | Frank | Sep 2014 | A1 |
20140352846 | Ryu | Dec 2014 | A1 |
20150048087 | Hagano | Feb 2015 | A1 |
20150298542 | Kim | Oct 2015 | A1 |
20160152133 | Hendler | Jun 2016 | A1 |
20170158048 | Giles | Jun 2017 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1690727 | Aug 2006 | EP |
138338 | Mar 2014 | RU |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20160221435 A1 | Aug 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
62109810 | Jan 2015 | US |