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:
Sep. 21, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 30, 1997
Gary H Leadford, Canton, MI (US);
G.T. Products, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Abstract
In a two piece valve assembly comprising a non-weldable lower valve body portion inserted into the fuel tank through an opening in the tank wall, and an upper valve body portion or cover made from a weldable material and designed to be connected to the lower valve body portion and welded to the upper surface of the fuel tank wall, an improved assembly structure comprising a plurality of circumferentially-spaced support/retention tabs formed on the upper end of the lower valve body portion to provide a self-supporting option for the lower valve body so that it may rest with the tabs on the upper surface of the fuel tank when inserted into the fuel tank opening, and/or further to be securely sandwiched between the upper valve body/cover and the upper surface of the fuel tank wall when a weldable portion of the cover is welded to the tank and melts over the tabs, thereby strengthening the connection between the upper and lower valve body portions. In a preferred form the tabs interact with a plurality of downwardly-extending lock fingers on the upper valve body to help rotationally align and secure the lower valve body with the upper valve body when they are assembled.