IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0424804
(2006-06-16)
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등록번호 |
US-7293586
(2007-11-13)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Groom,J Bradley
- McClung,Chad A.
- Brock,Michael S.
- Devall,Jeffrey E.
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출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
28 인용 특허 :
12 |
초록
▼
A nozzle inhibitor is positioned in a filler neck closure assembly between a pivotable outer door and a pivotable inner door to prevent a user from pumping unleaded fuel into a diesel fuel tank. The nozzle inhibitor blocks full insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into the filler neck
A nozzle inhibitor is positioned in a filler neck closure assembly between a pivotable outer door and a pivotable inner door to prevent a user from pumping unleaded fuel into a diesel fuel tank. The nozzle inhibitor blocks full insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into the filler neck closure assembly yet allows full insertion of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the filler neck closure assembly.
대표청구항
▼
The invention claimed is: 1. A nozzle inhibitor apparatus comprising a fill tube adapted to be coupled to a fuel tank of a motor vehicle having a diesel engine and inhibitor means for preventing insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into the fill tube while allowing insertion of a larg
The invention claimed is: 1. A nozzle inhibitor apparatus comprising a fill tube adapted to be coupled to a fuel tank of a motor vehicle having a diesel engine and inhibitor means for preventing insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into the fill tube while allowing insertion of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fill tube, wherein the inhibitor means includes a nozzle inhibitor housing formed to include an interior region communicating with a passageway formed in the fill tube, a first small-nozzle trap including a first blocker unit mounted in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing for pivotable movement about a first pivot axis between a small-nozzle blocking extended position and a large-nozzle admitting retracted position and a first return spring coupled to the first blocker unit, and a second small-nozzle trap including a second blocker unit mounted in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing for pivotable movement about a second pivot axis between a small-nozzle blocking extended position and a large-nozzle admitting retracted position and a second return spring coupled to the second blocker unit, wherein the first and second return springs cooperate normally to yieldably urge the first and second blocker units to the small-nozzle blocking extended positions where the first and second blocker units cooperate to contact a tip of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle having a first outer diameter and moving inwardly in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing toward the passageway formed in the fill tube to block further inward movement of the small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle, wherein the first and second blocker units cooperate, upon movement of the first and second blocker units to assume the large-nozzle admitting retracted positions, to define a widened nozzle-receiving opening therebetween to allow movement of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle having a second outer diameter larger than the first outer diameter past the first and second blocker units and through the widened nozzle-receiving opening further inwardly into the passageway of the fill tube, and wherein the first blocker unit includes a first pivot rod arranged to extend along the first pivot axis and a first blocker arm coupled to the first pivot rod, the first small-nozzle trap further includes a first actuator arm coupled to the first pivot rod for movement relative to the first blocker arm about the first pivot axis, the second blocker unit includes a second pivot rod arranged to extend along the second pivot axis and a second blocker arm coupled to the second pivot rod, the second small-nozzle trap further includes a second actuator arm coupled to the second pivot rod for movement relative to the second blocker arm about the second pivot axis, the first and second actuator arms cooperate to define means for establishing a small-nozzle channel therebetween adapted to receive the small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle therein upon movement of the small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing to contact the first and second blocker units while the first and second blocker units are urged to assume their small-nozzle blocking extended positions, the first return spring is coupled to the first actuator arm and configured to provide means for pivoting the first blocker unit about the first pivot axis relative to the first actuator arm normally to increase an included angle defined between the first blocker arm and the first actuator arm to cause the first blocker arm to move away from the large-nozzle admitting retracted position to assume the small-nozzle blocking extended position, and the second return spring is coupled to the second actuator arm and configured to provide means for pivoting the second blocker unit about the second pivot axis relative to the second actuator arm normally to increase an included angle defined between the second blocker arm and the second actuator arm to cause the second blocker arm to move away from the large-nozzle admitting retracted position to assume the small-nozzle blocking extended position. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second small-nozzle traps is constrained to move up and down in channels formed in the nozzle inhibitor housing between a raised position wherein the first and second blocker units are moved to assume the small-nozzle blocking extended positions and a lowered position wherein the first and second blocker units are moved to assume the large-nozzle admitting retracted positions, and the inhibitor means further includes a first lift spring configured to provide means normally for yieldably moving the first small-nozzle trap relative to the nozzle inhibitor housing to the raised position so that the first blocker unit is moved to assume the small-nozzle blocking extended position and the first actuator arm is arranged to be engaged and moved by a large-diameter nozzle moving in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing toward the passageway of the fill tube to cause movement of the first blocker unit to the large-nozzle admitting retracted position and a second lift spring configured to provide means for normally yieldably moving the second small-nozzle trap relative to the nozzle inhibitor housing to the raised position so that the second blocker unit is moved to assume the small-nozzle blocking extended position and the second actuator arm is arranged to be engaged and moved by a large-diameter nozzle moving in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing toward the passageway of the fill tube to cause movement of the second blocker unit to the large-nozzle admitting retracted position. 3. A nozzle inhibitor apparatus comprising a fill tube adapted to be coupled to a fuel tank of a motor vehicle having a diesel engine and inhibitor means for preventing insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into the fill tube while allowing insertion of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fill tube, wherein the inhibitor means includes a nozzle inhibitor housing formed to include an interior region communicating with a passageway formed in the fill tube, a first small-nozzle trap including a first blocker unit mounted in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing for pivotable movement about a first pivot axis between a small-nozzle blocking extended position and a large-nozzle admitting retracted position and a first return spring coupled to the first blocker unit, and a second small-nozzle trap including a second blocker unit mounted in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing for pivotable movement about a second pivot axis between a small-nozzle blocking extended position and a large-nozzle admitting retracted position and a second return spring coupled to the second blocker unit, wherein the first and second return springs cooperate normally to yieldably urge the first and second blocker units to the small-nozzle blocking extended positions where the first and second blocker units cooperate to contact a tip of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle having a first outer diameter and moving inwardly in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing toward the passageway formed in the fill tube to block further inward movement of the small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle, wherein the first and second blocker units cooperate, upon movement of the first and second blocker units to assume the large-nozzle admitting retracted positions, to define a widened nozzle-receiving opening therebetween to allow movement of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle having a second outer diameter larger than the first outer diameter past the first and second blocker units and through the widened nozzle-receiving opening further inwardly into the passageway of the fill tube, and wherein the inhibitor means further includes a first lift spring associated with the first small-nozzle trap, the nozzle inhibitor housing includes a first trap guide configured to provide means for guiding up-and-down movement of the first small-nozzle trap relative to the nozzle inhibitor housing during movement of the first small-nozzle trap from a raised position in the nozzle inhibitor housing in a downward direction toward the fill tube and a lowered position in the nozzle inhibitor housing to compress the first lift spring and also during movement of the first small-nozzle trap from the lowered position in an opposite upward direction toward the raised position in response to a lifting force applied by decompression of the first lift spring. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first blocker unit includes a pivot rod and a small-nozzle blocker arm coupled to the pivot rod, the first small-nozzle trap further includes an actuator arm mounted on the pivot rod and coupled to the first return spring, the small-nozzle blocker arm is arranged to pivot about a pivot axis established by the pivot rod relative to the actuator arm to decrease an included angle defined between the small-nozzle blocker arm and the actuator arm during movement of the first small-nozzle trap in the first trap guide from the raised position toward the lowered position. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the nozzle inhibitor housing includes a floor arranged to underlie the pivot rod and the first lift spring is interposed between and in engagement with the small-nozzle blocker arm and the floor. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first trap guide includes an arm-pivot wall coupled to the floor and arranged to extend in an upward direction away from the floor and the fill tube and to terminate at a top edge, the small-nozzle blocker arm includes an outer portion coupled to the pivot rod and an inner portion adapted to engage a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle moving in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing when the first blocker unit is located in the small-nozzle blocking extended position, the outer portion of the small-nozzle blocker arm is arranged to engage and to rotate in a first rotational direction about the top edge of the arm-pivot wall to compress the first return spring and to cause the small-nozzle blocker arm to pivot relative to the actuator arm about the pivot axis and decrease the included angle between the small-nozzle blocker arm and the actuator arm during movement of the first small-nozzle trap from the raised position to the lowered position, and the first return spring is configured to decompress to apply a yieldable torque to the small-nozzle blocker arm to urge the small-nozzle blocker arm to rotate in an opposite second rotational direction about the top edge of the arm-pivot wall during movement of the first small-nozzle trap from the lowered position to the raised position. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first trap guide includes a first upright member coupled to the floor and formed to include a vertically extending first rod-receiver channel and a second upright member coupled to the floor and formed to include a vertically extending second rod-receiver channel and arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the first upright member to locate the first lift spring and the arm-pivot wall therebetween, the pivot rod includes a first free end arranged to slide up and down in the first rod-receiver channel as the first small-nozzle trap moves between the raised and lowered positions, a second free end arranged to slide up and down in the second rod-receiver channel as the first small-nozzle trap moves between the raised position to uncompress the first lift spring and the lowered position to compress the first lift spring and a middle portion arranged to interconnect the first and second free ends and coupled to the small-nozzle blocker arm and to the actuator arm. 8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first trap guide includes a first upright member formed to include a first rod-receiver channel and a second upright member formed to include a second rod-receiver channel, the pivot rod includes a first free end arranged to slide up and down in the first rod-receiver channel as the first small-nozzle trap moves between the raised and lowered positions, a second free end arranged to slide up and down in the second rod-receiver channel as the first small-nozzle trap moves between the raised and lowered positions, and a middle portion arranged to lie between the first and second free ends and coupled to the small-nozzle blocker arm and to the actuator arm. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first trap guide further includes an arm-pivot wall located between the first and second upright members and arranged to terminate at a top edge underlying the small-nozzle blocker arm upon movement of the first blocker unit to assume the small-nozzle blocking extended position, the small-nozzle blocker arm includes an outer portion coupled to the pivot rod and an inner portion adapted to engage a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle moving in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing when the first blocker unit is located in the small-nozzle blocking extended position, the outer portion of the small-nozzle blocker arm is arranged to engage and to rotate in a first rotational direction about the top edge of the arm-pivot wall to compress the first return spring and to cause the small-nozzle blocker arm to pivot relative to the actuator arm about the pivot axis and decrease the included angle between the small-nozzle blocker arm and the actuator arm during movement of the first small-nozzle trap from the raised position to the lowered position, and the first return spring is configured to decompress to apply a yieldable torque to the small-nozzle blocker arm to urge the small-nozzle blocker arm to rotate in an opposite second rotational direction about the top edge of the arm-pivot wall during movement of the first small-nozzle trap from the lowered position to the raised position. 10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein inhibitor means further includes a lid coupled to the nozzle inhibitor housing the first trap guide further includes a first trap limiter coupled to the lid and arranged to extend downwardly from the lid into the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing, the first trap limiter includes spaced-apart downwardly extending first and second legs, each of the first and second legs includes a horizontally extending top wall, an inclined guide wall, and a vertically extending guide wall interconnecting the horizontally extending top wall and the inclined guide wall, and the first nozzle trap further includes a first pin coupled to the actuator arm and arranged to ride on the inclined and vertically extending guide walls of the first leg during movement of the first small-nozzle trap between the raised and lowered positions and a second pin coupled to the actuator arm and arranged to ride on the inclined and vertically extending guide walls of the second leg during movement of the first small-nozzle trap between the raised and lower positions. 11. A nozzle inhibitor apparatus comprising a fill tube adapted to be coupled to a fuel tank of a motor vehicle having a diesel engine and inhibitor means for preventing insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into the fill tube while allowing insertion of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fill tube, wherein the inhibitor means includes a nozzle inhibitor housing formed to include an interior region communicating with a passageway formed in the fill tube, a first small-nozzle trap including a first blocker unit mounted in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing for pivotable movement about a first pivot axis between a small-nozzle blocking extended position and a large-nozzle admitting retracted position and a first return spring coupled to the first blocker unit, and a second small-nozzle trap including a second blocker unit mounted in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing for pivotable movement about a second pivot axis between a small-nozzle blocking extended position and a large-nozzle admitting retracted position and a second return spring coupled to the second blocker unit, wherein the first and second return springs cooperate normally to yieldably urge the first and second blocker units to the small-nozzle blocking extended positions where the first and second blocker units cooperate to contact a tip of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle having a first outer diameter and moving inwardly in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing toward the passageway formed in the fill tube to block further inward movement of the small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle, wherein the first and second blocker units cooperate, upon movement of the first and second blocker units to assume the large-nozzle admitting retracted positions, to define a widened nozzle-receiving opening therebetween to allow movement of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle having a second outer diameter larger than the first outer diameter past the first and second blocker units and through the widened nozzle-receiving opening further inwardly into the passageway of the fill tube, and wherein the first blocker unit includes a first pivot rod arranged to extend along the first pivot axis and a first blocker arm coupled to the first pivot rod, the first small-nozzle trap further includes a first actuator arm coupled to the first pivot rod for movement relative to the first blocker arm about the first pivot axis, the second blocker unit includes a second pivot rod arranged to extend along the second pivot axis and a second blocker arm coupled to the second pivot rod, the second small-nozzle trap further includes a second actuator arm coupled to the second pivot rod for movement relative to the second blocker arm about the second pivot axis, the first and second actuator arms cooperate to define means for establishing a small-nozzle channel therebetween adapted to receive the small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle therein upon movement of the small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing to contact the first and second blocker units while the first and second blocker units are urged to assume their small-nozzle blocking extended positions, the first return spring is coupled to the first pivot rod and arranged to engage the nozzle inhibitor housing to provide means for pivoting the first blocker unit about the first pivot axis relative to the first actuator arm normally to decrease an included angle defined between the first blocker arm and the first actuator arm to cause the first blocker unit to move away from the large-nozzle admitting retracted position to assume the small-nozzle blocking extended position, and the second return spring is coupled to the second pivot rod and arranged to engage the nozzle admitting housing to provide means for pivoting the second blocker unit about the second pivot axis relative to the second actuator arm normally to decrease an included angle defined between the second blocker arm and the second actuator arm to cause the second blocker unit to move away from the large-nozzle admitting retracted position to assume the small-nozzle blocking extended position. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first actuator arm is constrained in the nozzle inhibitor housing to move up and down relative to the first blocker arm between raised and lowered positions, the second actuator arm is constrained in the nozzle inhibitor housing to move up and down relative to the second blocker arm between raised and lowered positions, the inhibitor means further includes first and second lift springs, the first lift spring is coupled to the nozzle inhibitor housing and to the first actuator arm and configured to provide means for yieldably moving the first actuator arm relative to the nozzle inhibitor housing and to the first blocker arm normally to the raised position to cause the first actuator arm to block movement of the first blocker unit from the small-nozzle blocking extended position to the large-nozzle admitting extended position, and the second lift spring is coupled to the nozzle inhibitor housing and to the second actuator arm and configured to provide means for yieldably moving the second actuator arm relative to the nozzle inhibitor housing and to the second blocker arm normally to the raised position to cause the second actuator arm to block movement of the second blocker unit from the small-nozzle blocking extended position to the large-nozzle admitting retracted position. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first and second actuator arms cooperate to engage a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle moving downwardly in the nozzle inhibitor housing are arranged to move downwardly in the nozzle inhibitor housing toward the lowered portions to compress the first and second lift springs in response to downward forces applied by the downwardly moving large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle, the first actuator arm is configured to include means for releasing the first blocker arm to allow pivoting movement of the first blocker arm about the first pivot axis to allow movement of the second blocker unit from the small-nozzle blocking extended position to the large-nozzle admitting retracted position in response to downward movement of the first actuator arm in the nozzle inhibitor housing toward the lowered position, and the second actuator arm is configured to include means for releasing the second blocker arm to allow unblocking pivoting movement of the second blocker arm about the second pivot axis to allow movement of the second blocker unit from the small-nozzle blocking extended position to the large-nozzle admitting retracted position in response to downward movement of the second actuator arm in the nozzle inhibitor housing toward the lowered position. 14. A nozzle inhibitor apparatus comprising a fill tube adapted to be coupled to a fuel tank of a motor vehicle having a diesel engine and inhibitor means for preventing insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle into the fill tube while allowing insertion of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle into the fill tube, wherein the inhibitor means includes a nozzle inhibitor housing formed to include an interior region communicating with a passageway formed in the fill tube, a first small-nozzle trap including a first blocker unit mounted in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing for pivotable movement about a first pivot axis between a small-nozzle blocking extended position and a large-nozzle admitting retracted position and a first return spring coupled to the first blocker unit, and a second small-nozzle trap including a second blocker unit mounted in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing for pivotable movement about a second pivot axis between a small-nozzle blocking extended position and a large-nozzle admitting retracted position and a second return spring coupled to the second blocker unit, wherein the first and second return springs cooperate normally to yieldably urge the first and second blocker units to the small-nozzle blocking extended positions where the first and second blocker units cooperate to contact a tip of a small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle having a first outer diameter and moving inwardly in the interior region of the nozzle inhibitor housing toward the passageway formed in the fill tube to block further inward movement of the small-diameter unleaded fuel nozzle, wherein the first and second blocker units cooperate, upon movement of the first and second blocker units to assume the large-nozzle admitting retracted positions, to define a widened nozzle-receiving opening therebetween to allow movement of a large-diameter diesel fuel nozzle having a second outer diameter larger than the first outer diameter past the first and second blocker units and through the widened nozzle-receiving opening further inwardly into the passageway of the fill tube, wherein the first blocker unit includes a first pivot rod arranged to extend along the first pivot axis and a first blocker arm coupled to the first pivot rod, and the first pivot rod is coupled to the nozzle inhibitor housing to establish a stationary location of the first pivot axis in the nozzle inhibitor housing and rotate about the first pivot axis during movement of the first blocker unit between the large-nozzle admitting retracted position and the small-nozzle blocking extended position, and wherein the nozzle housing is formed to include a first lower trap mount including a pair of spaced-apart walls arranged to define a space therebetween receiving the first blocker arm and each of the walls is formed to include a rod receiver channel configured to receive a portion of the first pivot rod therein to establish the stationary location of the first pivot axis and support the first pivot rod for rotation about the first pivot axis. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first small-nozzle trap further includes a first actuator arm associated with the first blocker unit, the first actuator arm is mounted for movement in the nozzle inhibitor housing between a raised position and a lowered position, the first actuator arm is configured to provide blocker means for blocking pivoting movement of the first blocker arm about the first pivot axis to block movement of the first blocker unit from the small-nozzle blocking extended position to the large-nozzle admitting retracted position as long as the first actuator arm remains in the raised position and until downward movement of the first actuator arm in the nozzle inhibitor housing toward the fill tube and the lowered position. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first blocker arm includes a nozzle barrier arranged and adapted to contact a nozzle moving in the nozzle inhibitor housing and first and second stop flanges coupled to the nozzle barrier and arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another to define a slot located therebetween and arranged to receive a partition included in the first actuator arm, blocker means includes a first pivot-blocking plate arranged to engage the first stop flange upon movement of the first actuator arm to the raised position to block pivoting movement of the first blocker unit from the small-nozzle blocking extended position to the large-nozzle admitting retracted position, and a second pivot-blocking plate arranged to engage the second stop flange upon movement of the first actuator arm to the raised position to block pivoting movement of the first blocker unit from the small-nozzle blocking extended position to the large-nozzle admitting retracted position, and an inwardly turned lip formed to include an upwardly and inwardly facing inclined cam ramp and coupled to the partition. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first actuator arm is formed to include a first stop flange receiver window located between the first pivot-blocking plate and the inwardly turned lip and sized to receive a portion of the first stop flange therein upon movement of the first actuator arm to the lowered position and the first blocker unit to the large-nozzle admitting retracted position and the first actuator arm is formed to include a second stop flange receiver window located between the second pivot-blocking plate and the inwardly turned lip and sized to receive a portion of the second stop flange therein upon movement of the first actuator arm to the lowered position and the first blocker unit to the large-nozzle admitting retracted position. 18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the nozzle inhibitor means further includes a first lift spring coupled to the nozzle inhibitor housing and to the first actuator arm and configured to provide means for yieldably moving the first actuator arm relative to the nozzle inhibitor housing and to the first blocker arm normally to the raised position. 19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first blocker arm includes a nozzle barrier arranged and adapted to contact a nozzle moving in the nozzle inhibitor housing and a first stop flange coupled to the nozzle barrier blocker means includes a first pivot-blocking plate arranged to engage the first stop flange upon movement of the first actuator arm to the raised position to block pivoting movement of the first blocker unit from the small-nozzle blocking extended position to the large-nozzle admitting retracted position. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first actuator arm is formed to include a first stop flange receiver window sized and arranged to receive a portion of the first stop flange therein upon movement of the first actuator arm to the lowered position and the first blocker unit to the large-nozzle admitting retracted position.
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