Closure for a filling tube of the tank of a motor vehicle and operation

Abstract

A closure for a filling tube of a motor vehicle with a swivel closure cover is arranged outside of a center opening of the filling tube in the tank and pivots around a swivel axis positioned in a plane perpendicular to the center axis of the opening. The closure is pre-stressed by a spring in a direction counter to the insertion movement of a filling pipe of a fuel supply nozzle. The closure is supported on a lower surrounding opening edge of the opening in the closed position to form a seal. An upstanding swivel facilitating element that can be contacted by the filling pipe is arranged on the closure. The closure cover is swiveled in a force-saving manner as a result of this swivel facilitating element. To achieve a safe and reliable closure operation of the closure cover for refuelling, and to reduce, as much as possible, an amount of force along the total insertion path of the filing tube, it is proposed to attach the swivel facilitating element to the upper side of the closure cover and to shape the element like a curved disc. The element has a guidance plane that faces the swivel axis. The highest geodetic position of the guidance plane, in the closed position, forms an end region farthest from the swivel axis of the course of the guidance plane that extends in the direction of the swivel axis. The swivel facilitating element is displaced from an edge of the closure cover in the direction of the closure cover center. An area section at the front of the filling pipe initially reaches the swivel facilitating element, during insertion into the filling tube, at an end region farthest from the swivel axis of the closure cover.