Patent Application
20090050625
The present invention relates to a fuel tank inlet device which may typically be mounted in the inlet of a fuel tank of a vehicle, and a part for such a fuel tank inlet device which part enables the fuel tank inlet device to be readily mounted in the inlet of a fuel tank.
Fuel tank inlet devices are well known to those skilled in the art. They are typically mounted to a fuel tank or filler neck in one of many ways, including gluing or by using bolts. Bayonet type fittings have also been used. In such bayonet fittings, a male part of the fitting is provided as part of the device. The male parts mate with apertures or recesses provided in the fuel tank or filler neck. The aperture or recess is typically formed by a camming surface. The camming surface provides a recess that is wedge shaped, with a large opening to initially receive the male part. Subsequent rotation of the device after insertion of the male parts into the recess or aperture causes the projections on the device to be moved against the camming surface. This camming surface allows insertion and rotation of the device and is arranged to move the device into engagement with the filler neck or fuel tank. The operation of the bayonet arrangement relies on the camming surface provided on part of the neck or tank.
In many countries, the filler neck or fuel tank is not provided with such a camming arrangement. Devices with conventional male parts of bayonet fittings may not be satisfactorily mounted on such filler necks or fuel tanks without difficulty.
The present invention provides a fuel tank inlet device which mitigates one or more of the prior art problems.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a fuel tank inlet device for attachment to a fuel tank or filler neck, the fuel tank or filler neck comprising a filler opening, a fuel tank or filler neck abutment surface and one or more projections extending inwardly into the filler opening,
the fuel tank inlet device comprising a clamping member and a mounting portion, the mounting portion being provided with a first, clamping surface,
the fuel tank inlet device being provided with an inlet for the ingress of fuel and an outlet for the egress of fuel into a fuel tank
one or both of the mounting portion and the clamping member being movable relative to the other of the mounting portion and the clamping member from:
In the clamping configuration, a portion of the filler neck or fuel tank is typically clamped between the mounting portion and the clamping member. In the clamping configuration, a surface of the clamping member typically abuts the projection, said surface typically being a flat planar surface.
In certain embodiments of the invention, in the non-clamping configuration the clamping member is remote from the first, clamping surface provided by the mounting portion.
In certain embodiments of the invention, in the clamping configuration the clamping member is less remote from the first, clamping surface provided by the mounting portion. In this way, movement from the non-clamping configuration to the clamping configuration may cause a decrease in the separation of the clamping member and the first, clamping surface provided by the mounting portion. For example, in the clamping configuration the clamping member may be proximal to the first, clamping surface provided by the mounting portion.
The device of the present invention provides a suitable means for attaching the device to a fuel tank or filler neck.
In certain embodiments, the clamping member may be movable relative to the mounting portion from the non-clamping configuration to the clamping configuration.
In other embodiments, the mounting portion may be movable relative to the clamping member from the non-clamping configuration to the clamping configuration.
In other further embodiments, the clamping member and the mounting portion may both be movable from the non-clamping configuration to the clamping configuration.
Those skilled in the art will realize that the present invention could be arranged to function when used with known types of fuel tank or filler neck. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the fuel tank or filler neck may be specially arranged to function with the fuel tank inlet device of the invention.
The device may be arranged so that, once the device has been fitted to a fuel tank or filler neck, movement of one or both of the mounting portion and the clamping member from the clamping configuration to the non-clamping configuration may be resisted.
Alternatively, the device may be arranged so that, once the device has been fitted to a fuel tank or filler neck, movement of one or both of the mounting portion and the clamping member from the clamping configuration to the non-clamping configuration is permitted.
The device of the present invention is suitable for use with fuel tanks provided with a filler neck or fuel tanks which are not provided with a filler neck. Those skilled in the art will realise that a filler neck may not be integral with a fuel tank; the filler neck may be fitted to a fuel tank, for example.
The mounting portion may comprise a seal member. The seal member may provide the first, clamping surface.
The first, clamping surface may be suitable for abutment with an annular surface. The filler neck or fuel tank abutment surface may be annular, and may be curved in cross-section. The filler neck or fuel tank abutment surface may, therefore, be hemi-toroidal. The filler neck or fuel tank abutment surface may be provided by a lip, which may be an annular lip. The first, clamping surface may be suitable for abutment with such fuel tank or filler neck abutment surfaces.
The first, clamping surface may be defined by a recess. The recess may be annular. The first, clamping surface may be curved in cross-section. The first, clamping surface may be concave.
The mounting portion may be provided as part of an upper part of a device. The mounting portion may be provided by a flange or a collar.
The fuel inlet device may comprise the mounting portion and a portion for insertion into the filler neck or fuel tank.
The fuel inlet device may comprise the mounting portion and a substantially tubular portion extending away from the mounting portion. The tubular portion may be arranged so that it may receive fuel from a dispensing apparatus. The substantially tubular portion may be provided with one or more outlets for egress of fuel from the device into a fuel tank. The tubular portion may be elongate.
The mounting portion may be associated with a fuel inlet body for the receipt of fuel. For example, the mounting portion may be attached to a fuel inlet body (for example, by welding, screws or the like). In this case, movement of the mounting portion may provide movement of the fuel inlet body. The mounting portion may be provided as part of a fuel inlet body for the receipt of fuel.
The fuel inlet body may comprise a substantially tubular portion which extends away from the mounting portion. The tubular portion may be arranged so that it may receive fuel from a dispensing apparatus. The substantially tubular portion may be provided with one or more outlets for egress of fuel from the device into a fuel tank. The tubular portion may be elongate.
The fuel tank inlet device may typically mate with the fuel tank or filler neck via the filler opening. For example, if the device comprises a tubular portion extending away from the mounting portion, the tubular portion may extend into the fuel tank or filler neck via the filler opening.
The device may be adapted to inhibit theft of liquid fuel from a fuel tank to which the device is attached. This may be achieved by providing a device which inhibits insertion of a siphon tube into the fuel tank through the device. This may be achieved, for example, by the device being in the form of a cage, or by providing a device comprising a tubular portion which is provided with one or more guard members which inhibit insertion of a siphon tube into the fuel tank through the device.
The device may be provided with a plurality of clamping members. The device may typically be provided with three or four clamping members. The number of clamping members may typically correspond to the number of projections provided on the filler neck or fuel tank.
One or both of the mounting portion and more than one (and preferably all) clamping member(s) may be movable relative to the other of the mounting portion and the more than one (and preferably all) clamping member(s) from the non-clamping configuration to the clamping configuration.
At least one (and optionally more than one and further optionally all) clamping member(s) may be arranged to engage with a respective projection when the respective clamping member is in the clamping configuration. If there is more than one clamping member, optionally each clamping member engages with a respective (and different) projection. Optionally, at least one (and optionally more than one and further optionally all) clamping member(s) may be arranged to engage with the underside of a respective projection.
At least one (and optionally more than one and further optionally all) clamping member(s) may be provided by a clamping member carrier. At least one (and optionally more than one and further optionally all) clamping member(s) may be in the form of a flange which projects from a body of the clamping member carrier. The flange may project outwardly from the body of the clamping member carrier. At least one (and optionally more than one and further optionally all) clamping member(s) may be integrally formed with the body of the clamping member carrier (for example, by machining the clamping member carrier and the clamping member from one piece of metal). The clamping member carrier facilitates the relative movement from the non-clamping to the clamping configurations. A clamping member carrier also facilitates the use of more than one clamping member.
The body of the clamping member carrier may be substantially annular.
If the device comprises a fuel inlet body or a tubular portion extending away from the mounting portion (the tubular portion optionally being provided as part of a fuel inlet body), the clamping member carrier may be adapted to be received around the periphery of a portion of the fuel inlet body or tubular portion. For example, the clamping member carrier may be annular, a portion of the fuel inlet body or the tubular portion being receivable into the aperture formed by the annulus.
The clamping member carrier may be readily detachable from the fuel inlet body or tubular portion. This may facilitate the use of one clamping member carrier with one of many suitably adapted fuel inlet bodies.
The clamping member carrier may be provided with a mounting configuration for mating with a corresponding mounting configuration on the fuel inlet body or tubular portion. The mounting configuration and the corresponding mounting configuration facilitate the mounting of the clamping member carrier onto the fuel inlet body or tubular portion. The mounting configuration and the corresponding mounting configuration may each be in the form of a screw thread.
The corresponding mounting configuration may be provided around the external periphery of a part of the fuel inlet body or tubular portion. The fuel inlet body may comprise a part for insertion into a fuel tank or filler neck. The corresponding mounting configuration may be provided around the external periphery of the part for insertion into a fuel tank or filler neck.
The clamping member carrier may be provided with the mounting configuration on an internal periphery of the clamping member carrier body. This is particularly useful if the clamping member carrier body is annular.
In the case where the clamping member carrier body is substantially annular, the clamping member carrier body has a longitudinal axis orthogonal to the annulus and the clamping member carrier body has a height in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis. The mounting configuration may optionally not be provided over the whole height of the clamping member carrier body. The mounting configuration may be provided over 30-70% of the height of the clamping member carrier body.
The provision of a screw thread on both the fuel inlet body (or tubular portion) and the clamping member carrier body facilitates the device to be readily mounted to a filler neck or fuel tank.
The device may be provided with at least one stop member (and optionally more than one stop member) for inhibiting rotational motion of the clamping member relative to the filler neck or fuel tank. Typically, at least one (and optionally more than one and further optionally all) stop member(s) may permit limited rotational motion so that at least one clamping member may undergo rotational motion into a position opposite a projection of the filler tank or neck. The at least one stop member would inhibit further rotational motion by, for example, abutting a part of the filler neck or fuel tank.
The device may be provided with one stop member for each clamping member. The stop members may be associated with a respective clamping member.
At least one (and optionally more than one and further optionally all) stop member(s) may be provided by the clamping member carrier. At least one (and optionally more than one and further optionally all) stop members may be integrally formed with the body of the clamping member carrier (for example, by machining the body of the clamping member carrier, the clamping member and the stop member from one piece of metal).
At least one (and optionally more than one and further optionally all) stop member(s) may project from one or both of the body of the clamping member carrier and a respective clamping member.
At least one (and optionally more than one and further optionally all) stop member(s) may extend in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the clamping member carrier body.
In certain embodiments, spaces may be formed in the upper part of the clamping member carrier body proximate to a stop member. This has been found to be particularly effective when the mounting configuration comprises a screw thread. It has been found that the presence of the space decreases distortion of the clamping member carrier body.
The device may be provided with a user-operable lever arrangement, wherein at least one clamping member and the mounting portion may be movable from the non-clamping configuration to the clamping configuration by operation of the lever arrangement.
The lever arrangement may be operable to move at least one clamping member from the non-clamping configuration to the clamping configuration. At least one clamping member may be provided by a clamping member carrier which may be connected via a connector rod to a lever. The connector rod may be pivotally connected to the level so that movement of the lever causes movement of the connector rod which moves the at least one clamping member from the non-clamping configuration to the clamping configuration.
In one embodiment of the invention, the device is optionally provided with a clamping member carrier having a clamping member carrier body, the clamping member carrier body being provided with a plurality of fastener-receiving apertures. The fastener receiving apertures may be peripherally arranged around the clamping member carrier body. The mounting portion may be provided with fastener-receiving apertures which may be aligned with the fastener-receiving apertures provided in the clamping member carrier body so that fasteners may pass through the fastener-receiving apertures of the mounting portion and into the fastener-receiving apertures of the clamping member carrier body. The fasteners may secure the device to the filler neck or the fuel tank. The fastener-receiving apertures of the mounting portion and/or the clamping member carrier body may be provided with screw threads. Such screw threads would typically correspond to screw threads provided on the fasteners.
The mounting configuration of the clamping member carrier and the corresponding mounting configuration of the fuel inlet body (or tubular portion extending from the mounting portion), if present, may be arranged to permit movement from a non-clamping position to a clamping position, but resist movement from a clamping position to a non-clamping position. This may typically be achieved by providing the clamping member carrier or the fuel inlet body (or said tubular portion) with one or more protrusions which permit movement from a non-clamping position to a clamping position, but resist movement from a clamping position to a non-clamping position. Such protrusions may be in the form of barbs. The one or more protrusions provided on the clamping member carrier or the fuel inlet body (or tubular portion) may interact with a corresponding aperture, recess or the like provided on the other of the clamping member carrier or the fuel inlet body (or tubular portion) to resist movement from a clamping position to a non-clamping position.
Reference above to “the clamping member” is taken to include “at least one clamping member”, “more than one clamping member” and “all clamping members”.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clamping member carrier suitable for use in the device of the first aspect of the present invention.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a clamping member carrier for the attachment of a fuel inlet body of a fuel inlet device to a filler neck or a fuel tank, the fuel tank or filler neck comprising filler opening, a fuel tank or filler neck abutment surface and one or more projections extending inwardly into the filler opening,
the clamping member carrier comprising a substantially annular clamping member carrier body, one or more clamping members for engagement with a projection of the fuel tank or filler neck and one or more stop members for engaging with a projection of the filler neck or fuel tank so as to inhibit rotational movement of the clamping member carrier body relative to the fuel tank or filler neck.
The clamping member carrier is typically adapted to facilitate interaction with a fuel inlet body so that the fuel inlet body portion and clamping member may be urged into clamping engagement with the filler neck or the fuel tank.
The clamping member carrier may comprise those features described above with reference to the device of the first aspect of the present invention.
Those skilled in the art will realise that the fuel inlet devices described above are suitable for fitting to filler necks of a tank for containing any fluid (preferably liquids) or the tanks for containing any fluid (preferably liquids). Hence, the devices may also be referred to as fluid inlet devices or liquid inlet devices and references to “fuel” elsewhere should also be taken to mean “fluid” and in particular “liquid”.
A further embodiment of an invention may be used to address one or more of the problems associated with the prior art mentioned above. In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fuel tank inlet device for attachment to a fuel tank or filler neck, the fuel tank or filler neck comprising a filler opening, a fuel tank or filler neck abutment surface and one or more projections extending inwardly into the filler opening,
the fuel tank inlet device comprising a clamping member and a fuel inlet body portion for the receipt of fuel, the fuel tank inlet device being provided with an inlet for the ingress of fuel, an outlet for the egress of fuel into a fuel tank and a first, clamping surface associated with the fuel inlet body portion,
the clamping member being provided with a deformable member which is arranged so that, in use, movement of the device from a non-clamping position in which the device is not attached to the fuel tank or filler neck to a clamping position in which the device is attached to the filler neck or fuel tank causes deformation of the deformable member.
This facilitates the use of a suitably-adapted male bayonet fitting to be used in relation to a fuel tank or filler neck which is not generally suitable for use with a standard male bayonet fitting. A deformable material may be placed on a surface of the clamping member, typically an upper surface.
In the clamping position, the first, clamping surface associated with the fuel inlet body portion abuts the fuel tank or filler neck abutment surface. This abutment typically forms a gas-tight seal which resists egress of gaseous fuel from a fuel tank.
It is preferred that the position of the clamping member is fixed relative to the fuel inlet body portion.
Movement from the non-clamping position to the clamping position may comprise a rotational motion.
It is preferred that the deformable member is wedge-shaped.
The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following figures of which:
An example of an embodiment of a device in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention will now be described with reference to
Referring to
The device will now be described in more detail with reference to
Device 1 comprises fuel inlet body 2 and clamping member carrier 6. The fuel inlet body comprises a mounting portion 2a. Clamping member carrier 6 will now be described with reference to
Fitting of the device 1 to the filler neck of
Rotation of the fuel inlet body 2 is then continued. Because the clamping member carrier 6 is inhibited from further rotation, rotation of the fuel inlet body 2 causes further screwing of the fuel inlet body 2 onto the screw thread 9 of the clamping member carrier 6. This causes movement of the fuel inlet body 2 (including the mounting portion 2a) towards the clamping member carrier 6, and towards the top portion of the filler neck 20. The threads 9, 10 are arranged so that further rotation of the fuel inlet body 2 causes the clamping surface 11 of mounting portion 2a to be urged into abutment with surface 22 provided on the filler neck 20. Furthermore, clamping members 5a, 5b, 5c are urged into engagement with the undersides U of projections 23a, 23b, 23c so that a portion of the filler neck is clamped between surface 11 of mounting portion 2a and clamping members 5a, 5b, 5c. This configuration is shown schematically in
Mounting portion 2a is provided with an annular sealing member 31 for forming a gas-tight seal with surface 22 provided on the filler neck 20.
Referring to
The clamping member carrier 6 of the present invention is manufactured by machining from a single piece of metal (typically aluminium). Those skilled in the art will realise that the stop members and clamping members need not be integral with the clamping member carrier body 7.
The device 1 is typically adapted to receive a filler cap or the like, such a cap being a conventional bayonet fitting cap (for example) or a cap such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,216. The provision of a bayonet cap is described in International patent application no. WO2006/106238, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference.
The device 1 once fitted to a filler neck is suitable for facilitating the introduction of fuel into the fuel tank, whilst inhibiting theft of fuel from a fuel tank. Such theft would typically occur by inserting a siphon tube into the fuel tank. The device 1 inhibits insertion of a siphon tube into the fuel tank.
The device 1 is further secured to the filler neck by use of grub screws (not shown). Once the device is in a clamped configuration as described above and as shown schematically in
The operation of device 1, once the device has been fitted to a filler neck, is substantially as described in WO2006/106238, but is discussed here for completeness.
A fuel nozzle (not shown) is inserted into inlet region 3 and activated. Fuel flows through outlets 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h into the fuel tank. Outlets 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h are provided in a substantially tubular portion 40 of the device, the substantially tubular portion extending away from the mounting portion 2a. Outlets 4g, 4h flare outwardly from the interior to the exterior of the device as disclosed in WO2006/106238. This flaring has been found to assist in decreasing problems with backflow. Outlets 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d are part of an array of outlets 4′ as shown in
The device 1 is provided with vent holes (two of which are labelled 15a, 15b) formed in the tubular portion, the vent holes allowing venting of gas when the fuel tank is being provided with fuel. The use of such vent holes is well-known to those skilled in the art.
In the present embodiment, the device fuel inlet body 2 is made by machining from a block of aluminium. Those skilled in the art will realise that the fuel inlet body may be made from several separate parts. Furthermore, different materials may be used.
The example of the device described with reference to
The device 1 has many features in common with the fuel inlet device described in WO2006/106238; those skilled in the art will realise that this need not be the case. For example, it is anticipated that the example of the fuel inlet device in accordance with the present invention may comprise alternative features that have been described in relation to other fuel inlet devices (such as the float valve arrangement in GB2406333 of Tiss Limited). Such features may be readily incorporated into the device of the present invention.
The device described with reference to
As a further alternative, barbs or projections may be provided on one or both of the clamping member carrier and the fuel inlet body to permit the body inlet portion to be urged onto the filler neck, but to inhibit removal of the device. This is shown schematically in
The fitting and operation of the device of
Device 103 is a device for the inhibition of theft of fuel from a fuel tank.
Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional.
