Dapco Industries, Inc.

Donald Koengeter

Willis E Tupper

An improved, panel-mounted fuel reserve valve for a recreational vehicle fuel system. The valve body is molded plastic with a cruciform-symmetrical arrangement of throughbores defining the fuel inlets, the fuel outlet and a valve bore for receiving an internal valve assembly. In the illustrated embodiment the fuel inlets are coaxial, the fuel outlet and the valve bore are coaxial, and the internal valve assembly includes a ball valve element which mates with O-ring type seals associated with the fuel inlets. In a preferred form the valve includes molded hose connectors inserted in the fuel inlets, the hose connectors having valve seat portions which define retainers for the O-rings to hold them firmly and precisely against the ball valve element in the valve body. The invention is also a method for achieving the inventive valve body structure with little or no 'flash' or injection leakage which would affect the valve sealing tolerances inside the valve body.

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Chelsea, MI, United States of America

Donald Koengeter