BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a shutter-operated fuel filler port closing apparatus in which a dust cover is electrically connected to a filler neck through a hinged shaft of a dust cover; and
FIG. 2 is a plain view of the shutter-operated fuel filler port closing apparatus corresponding to FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an open-stated shutter-operated fuel filler port closing apparatus corresponding to FIG. 1
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings, an embodiment of the invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a shutter-operated fuel filler port closing apparatus in which a dust cover 7 is electrically connected to a filler neck 9 through a hinged shaft 66 of the dust cover 7, FIG. 2 is a plain view showing the shutter-operated fuel filler port closing apparatus in which the dust cover 7 is electrically connected to the filler neck 9 through the hinged shaft 66 of the dust cover 7, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, which corresponds to FIG. 1, showing a state in which the dust cover 7 is opened.
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the shutter-operated fuel filler port closing apparatus in this embodiment includes a body member which consist of a lower body member 1 and an upper body member 3, a guide plate 5 and a cover mounting base 6. The lower body member 1, the upper body member 3, the guide plate 5 and the cover mounting base 6 are assembled into the filler neck 9 in this sequence from the bottom to upward. The positional relationship between the lower body member 1 and the upper body member 3 is defined by mutual fitting, and the positional relationship among the upper body member 3, the guide plate 5 and the cover mounting base 6 is defined by inserting four positioning projections 32 formed on the upper surface of the upper body member 3 so as to project therefrom through the guide plate 5 and the cover mounting base 6 (see FIG. 2).
The lower body member 1 is formed of a resin cylindrical block to be fitted to the filler neck 9 from above. A shutter 2 is rotatably attached to a pivot shaft 21 supported by the inner surface of the lower body member 1, and is urged in a direction to close a fuel filler port 31 (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 1), which is opened through the upper body member 3, by a restoring force of a torsion coil spring 23 fitted around the pivot shaft 21. The shutter 2 in this embodiment includes a seal ring 24 having a size which can circumscribe the fuel filler port 31 and fitted on the upper surface of the shutter 2, and a fitting projection 25 formed integrally with the shutter 2 and projecting therefrom. The fitting projection 25 has a pair of rod-shaped engaging portions 27 protruding in the direction orthogonal to the tilting direction of the dust cover 7. The engaging portions 27 are protruded within a range which can be accommodated within the fuel filler port 31 (see FIG. 2).
The upper body member 3 is a resin cylindrical block to be fitted on the lower body member 1 from above and has the fuel filler port 31 within a track frame portion 33 to which a slide member 4 is to be fitted. Both side edges of the slide member 4 are pressed downward by guide rails 52 of the guide plate 5 described later. The upper body member 3 in this embodiment presses a seal packing 34 fitted on the outer surface thereof against the inner surface of an upper large-diameter portion of the filler neck 9. Furthermore, the upper body member 3 in this embodiment presses ends of the pivot shaft 21 supported by the inner surface of the lower body member 1 downward by holding member (not shown) for retaining the pivot shaft 21.
The guide plate 5 is a resin plate-shaped member to be assembled to the upper body member 3. The guide plate 5 is provided with a plate opening 51 which corresponds to the track frame portion 33 provided on the upper body member 3, and the guide rails 52 along edges of the plate opening 51. The guide plate 5 is provided with four positioning holes and, as described before, is positioned with respect to the upper body member 3 by having the four positioning projections 32 (see FIG. 2), provided on the upper surface of the upper body member 3, inserted through the four positioning holes.
The slide member 4 slides in the fore-and-aft direction with respect to the fuel filler port 31 in conjunction with the opening and closing motion of the dust cover 7 through the connection via a link arm 8. The slide member 4 moved forward in conjunction with the dust cover 7 tilted downward engages recesses of leaf springs 43 attached to the upper surface thereof with the engaging portions 27 protruded from the fitting projection 25 projected upwardly out of the fuel filler port 31 from below to constrain the shutter 2 from opening (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 2). When the dust cover 7 is tilted upward, the slide member 4 slides backward and releases the leaf springs 43 from the engaging portions 27, and engages the recesses of the leaf springs 43 in turn with detent projections 65 formed on the left and right sides of a guide block 64 from below. The shutter 2 in which the engagement between the engaging portions 27 and the leaf springs 43 is released (shown in FIG. 3) can be opened by being pressed and rotated downward, for example, with a fuel filler nozzle (not shown). The cover mounting base 6 is a resin box-shaped member to be fitted around the filler neck 9 from above after having the lower body member 1, the upper body member 3 and the guide plate 5 fitted integrally into the filler neck 9 as described before. The cover mounting base 6 has a cover opening 61, which corresponds to the track frame portion 33 provided on the upper body member 3, on the upper surface thereof. As described later, by forming the cover mounting base 6 of an electrically conductive resin material, it serves as an electrically conductive member like an electrically conductive leaf spring 68. The dust cover 7 is a box-shaped member formed of an electrically conductive resin material to be attached to the hinged shaft 66 held by bearing stand 67 and provided outside the cover opening 61, and includes the link arms 8 attached to a shaft in the inside thereof. In addition, as described before, the cover mounting base 6 is positioned with respect to the upper body member 3 and the guide plate 5 by inserting the four positioning projections 32 (see FIG. 2) formed on the upper surface of the upper body member 3.
The cover opening 61 in this embodiment is provided with a guide flange 62 and a guide rib 63 so as to surround the fuel filler port 31 for guiding the fuel filler nozzle toward the fuel filler port 31. The guide flange 62 is a fan-shaped flange extending over a range corresponding to half around the fuel filler port 31. The guide rib 63 is provided on the upper surface of the guide block 64 which is arranged at a position opposite to the guide flange 62. The guide rib 63 has a wall surface which is arranged in the direction of the radius of the fuel filler port 31. These members guide the fuel filler nozzle to the fuel filler port 31.
The shutter-operated fuel filler port closing apparatus in this embodiment employs the electrically conductive leaf spring 68 as the electrically conductive member. The electrically conductive leaf spring 68 is fixed at the lower end thereof to the filler neck 9 by opening a part of a side surface of the cover mounting base 6 and fitting an electrically conductive pin 69 over the lower end of the electrically conductive leaf spring 68 in the provided opening, and is brought into press contact with the hinged shaft 66 at the upper end thereof. Since the electrically conductive dust cover 7 is electrically connected to the metallic hinged shaft 66, static electricity charged in a hand or hands which touch the dust cover 7 can be discharged from the dust cover 7 to the filler neck 9 through the hinged shaft 66, the electrically conductive leaf spring 68 and the electrically conductive pin 69. Since the dust cover 7 must be opened with a hand or hands when it is opened for fueling, according to the shutter-operated fuel filler port closing apparatus in this embodiment, static electricity is discharged through the action to open the dust cover 7, so that the danger of spark discharge can be avoided.
Since the electrically conductive leaf spring 68 is pressed against the hinged shaft 66, the electrically conducted state is maintained even when the hinged shaft 66 is rotated in association with the opening and closing operation of the dust cover 7. Therefore, even in a state in which the dust cover 7 is opened for fueling as shown in FIG. 3, by touching the dust cover 7 with a hand or hands again static electricity can be discharged from the dust cover 7 to the filler neck 9 through the hinged shaft 66, the electrically conductive leaf spring 68 and the electrically conductive pin 69. As described before, when the cover mounting base 6 is made of the electrically conductive resin material, static electricity can be discharged from the dust cover 7 to the filler neck 9 through the hinged shaft 66, the bearing stand 67 and the cover mounting base 6 even when, for example, the hand or hands do not touch the dust cover 7 and touch only the cover mounting base 6. In this manner, by providing electrical conductivity with the dust cover 7 and the cover mounting base 6, static electricity can be discharged also when closing the dust cover 7 after fueling, so that the danger of spark discharge can be avoided.
Patent Application
20080035236
