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Cap device

a technology of a cap and a rotatable ring, which is applied in the direction of packaging, propulsion parts, vehicle components, etc., can solve the problems of rotatable ring against the mounting groove, rotatable ring no longer rotates smoothly around the mounting groove, etc., and achieves the effect of superior rotatability

Inactive Publication Date: 2007-03-01
TOYODA GOSEI CO LTD
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] An advantage of some aspect of the invention is provided with a fuel cap having a tether that does not become twisted and enjoys superior rotatability.
[0009] In the cap device according to the present invention, when the cap is removed from the tank opening, the cap is supported on a car-side member around the tank opening via the linking member. As a result, the cap can be prevented from being lost or left behind without closing the tank opening. The tether mechanism includes a rotatable connector. Because the rotatable connector is mounted such that the rotatable ring can rotate relative to the peripheral member around the longitudinal axis of the linking member main body, even if the linking member main body becomes twisted, it rotates by itself in a direction that will eliminate the twisting. Therefore the operation to rotate the cap is not hindered.
[0010] So long as the rotatable connector is disposed at a location at which twisting in the linking member can be eliminated, there is no particular limitation on its location, and it may be disposed on the first support end or second support end or in the middle of the linking member main body. In this case, if the rotatable connector is disposed on the first support end, which is close to the location at which the cap rotation operation is performed, twisting of the linking member main body can be quickly eliminated.
[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a construction may be adopted in which the rotatable connector includes a connector main body that is formed in a curved configuration and can extend along the longitudinal axis of the linking member, and at least the first support end or the second support end is rotatably connected to this connector main body. With such a construction, because the curved connector main body extends or contracts even where force is applied to stretch the linking member along its longitudinal direction, the linking member main body does not receive excessive force and does not easily break. Here, in a preferred embodiment of the connector main body, a U-shape, S-shape, W-shape or other configuration may be used.

Problems solved by technology

However, in the prior art, when the resistance encountered by the rotatable ring against the mounting groove becomes large due to errors in the dimensions of the fuel cap or deformation of the fuel cap over time, when the fuel cap is rotated, the rotatable ring no longer rotates smoothly around the mounting groove.

Method used

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Experimental program
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first embodiment

A. First Embodiment

[0026] (1) Summary Construction of Cap Device

[0027]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the rear end of an automobile with a cap device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the state in which a fuel supply lid is open. A recession 11 used to supply fuel is formed in the rear portion of the body panel 10 shown in FIG. 1, and the opening of the recession 11 is covered by a fuel supply lid 12. The fuel supply lid 12 is mounted such that it can be opened and closed via a hinge 13. A fuel supply opening 16a of a filler pipe 16 connected to the fuel tank (not shown) is disposed in a bottom wall 11a of the recession 11. The fuel supply opening 16a is opened and closed with a tight seal by the fuel cap 20. The fuel cap 20 is connected to the fuel supply lid 12 by a tether mechanism 30, and loss of the fuel cap 20 is prevented by hanging of the fuel cap 20 during fueling.

[0028] (2) Construction of Fuel Cap 20

[...

second embodiment

B. Second Embodiment

[0045]FIG. 6 shows the main components of a tether mechanism according to a second embodiment. The tether mechanism 30B of the embodiment has a construction in which one element of a rotatable connector 39B is disposed at the second support end 38B of the linking member 36B. The other element of the rotatable connector 39B is disposed at a mounting part 12Ba disposed on the fuel supply lid 12B. An engaging protrusion 12Bb is formed on the mounting part 12Ba. The rotatable connector 39B includes a connector main body 39Ba, and inserting the engaging protrusion 12Bb in an engaging hole 38Ba of the connector main body 39Ba causes the linking member 36B to rotate such that twisting of the linking member 36B is eliminated.

[0046] According to the second embodiment, since the rotatable connector 39B is mounted directly to the mounting part 12Ba of the fuel supply lid 12B, and the rotatable ring and first support end are integrally formed as a single unit, the operation...

third embodiment

C. Third Embodiment

[0047]FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the fuel cap according to a third embodiment. The rotatable connector 39C according to the embodiment has a construction in which the axis AX, around which the linking member 36C of the tether mechanism 30C rotates, is parallel to the rotational axis of the fuel cap 20. The tether mechanism 30C includes a mounting part 33C that protrudes outward from part of the rotatable ring 32C, and comprises an engaging protrusion 37Cc disposed at a first support end 37C of the linking member main body 36c inserted in an engaging hole 33Cc of the mounting part 33C. With this construction as well, even where the linking member main body 36Ca becomes twisted, this twisting can be eliminated by the linking member main body 36Ca rotating via the rotatable connector 39C.

D. Other Embodiments

[0048] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be implemented in any of various forms within the essential sc...

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PUM

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Abstract

A tether mechanism includes a rotatable ring rotatably mounted to a ring mounting element, a linking member and a rotatable connector. The linking member has a long linking member main body, a first support end that is formed at one end of the linking member main body and is connected to the rotatable ring and a second support end connected to the fuel supply lid. The rotatable connector has a U-shaped connector, and the linking member main body can rotate relative to the rotatable ring around the longitudinal axis thereof.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit of and priority from Japanese Application No. 2005-249099 filed Aug. 30, 2005, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a cap device in which one end of a long linking member is connected to a cap. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] In the prior art, in an automobile fuel tank, in order to prevent the fuel cap from becoming lost during refueling, the fuel cap is connected to the member around the fueling port of the fuel tank via a long linking member such as a tether. As a fuel cap with the tether is disclosed in JP-A- 2005-47293. In other words, a tether and integrated rotatable ring are rotatably mounted in a mounting groove formed in the outer circumference of the fuel cap cover, and the tether is movably mounted to a mounting member that protrudes from the rotatable ring. [0006] However, in the prior art, w...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B65D55/16
CPCB60K15/0406
Inventor HAGANO, HIROYUKIISHIDA, KAZUHISA
Owner TOYODA GOSEI CO LTD
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