The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 26, 1997
Filed:
Apr. 25, 1995
Timothy P Neal, Harwington, CT (US);
Mark R Johansen, Cheshire, CT (US);
Walbro Corporation, Cass City, MI (US);
Abstract
A filler neck of a fuel tank extends from the gas cap to the interior of a fuel tank, and a fill valve insert is positioned adjacent the tank-interior end of the filler neck in a tank/neck coupler construction. The insert carries a flexible valve to close the interior end of the filler neck, and the valve is designed and mounted both to flex open and bodily move downstream to both open and rapidly enlarge the valve opened passageway in response to rapid inflow of fuel to the tank, and to return and revert to a closed position upon cessation of fuel inflow. The fill valve insert is positively positioned and held in the interior of a threaded spout on the fuel tank and is retained and sealed against the filler pipe by a threaded collar screwed onto the threaded spout. In the event the filler neck is pulled loose from its frictional clamp fit in the tank/spout collar by vehicle crash forces, the tank spout will remain closed and sealed by the valve insert remaining retained by the collar in the spout to thereby prevent fuel spillage from the tank.