FUEL ADDITIVE BOTTLE FOR COMPATIBILITY WITH CAPLESS FUEL TANK
A bottle for dispensing fuel additives into a capless filler system, the bottle configured with an elongated smooth neck designed for insertion into a capless filler opening to actuate and displace one or more flapper seals when emptying the fuel additives into the capless filler. The bottle is sealed with a cap with a first set of screw threads that engages the neck at a top portion with a second set of screw threads on an interior surface of the top portion of the neck. The length of the smooth elongated neck is at least half the length of a wider storage portion of the bottle. The cap can be a child proof cap. The bottle can be made of plastic that is clear or opaque.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/680,728, filed on Apr. 7, 2015, which claims priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/980,141 filed on Apr. 16, 2014; the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention in general relates to containers, and in particular to a bottle for dispensing fluids directly into a fuel system filler neck equipped with a capless filler.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONA recent design trend has been the introduction of capless filler systems for vehicle fuel systems. A capless filler does away with the traditional screw-on fuel cap in favor of an automatic seal which is opened upon the insertion of the nozzle of a fuel hose from a gas station pump. A capless filler has one or more spring loaded flappers that are actuated by the insertion of a nozzle, and the flapper automatically springs back to a closed sealing position with the withdrawal of the inserted nozzle. The seal provided by the spring loaded flapper is generally tighter and more reliable than the traditional screw-on fuel cap, which is important to maintain the pressure in a vehicle fuel system, and to prevent gas fumes from escaping into the environment.
Capless fillers provide several benefits to a user including reducing the chance for a gas smell on their hands, since the user simply flips open the fuel door and inserts the pump nozzle in the opening of the capless filler. Not having a twist-on/off gas cap is one less contact with a gasoline-vapor odor source, and prevents the discomfort experienced by people with arthritis or other impairments that make the act of twisting a cap awkward or painful. The possibility of a gas cap dangling and scratching the paint during fueling in eliminated, as well as the embarrassment of a forgotten gas cap left dangling or lost if forgotten by the driver after the refueling stop.
While there are many positive aspects to the use of capless fillers, existing automotive fuel additive packaging, and certain other fuel loading containers are incompatible with the capless mechanism. In general, existing fuel and additive treatment packages and fuel handling containers have external threads that get caught up in the flapper seals, and cannot be retracted after insertion into the filler neck to the gas tank. Furthermore, existing containers are not shaped or contoured for insertion and actuation of flapper seals in a vehicles capless filler system.
Thus, there exists a need for containers that are compatible with capless filler systems for manually dispensing fuel, fuel treatments, fuel additives, and engine treatments into the vehicles fuel system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA bottle adapted to dispense fuel additives into a capless filler system on a vehicle having one or more flapper seals, the bottle configured with an elongated smooth neck with a bottle opening designed for insertion into a capless filler opening to actuate and displace the one or more flapper seals when emptying the fuel additive into the capless filler. The bottle is sealed with a cap with a first set of screw threads that engages the neck at a top portion with a second set of screw threads on an interior surface of the top portion of the neck. The cap may be a child proof cap. The bottle may be made of plastic that is clear or opaque.
The subject matter that is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The detailed description explains the preferred embodiments of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention has utility as a container or bottle for dispensing fuel, fuel additives, and engine treatments into a fuel system equipped with a capless filler. Embodiments of the inventive bottle have an elongated neck dimensioned to allow insertion into the capless filler opening and to actuate and displace one or more flapper seals along the fuel fill tube leading to the vehicle gas tank. In certain embodiments the elongated neck is terminated with a ledge or flared out area that forms a tangible stopping point when inserting the bottle or container into the capless filler of a vehicle fuel system. Furthermore, the base area of embodiments of the inventive bottle or container is widened to serve as a grab point when the bottle is inserted in the fuel system. Embodiments of the inventive bottle have internal threads at the top inner portion of the elongated bottle neck for engagement with a twist off cap, so as to facilitate removal of the inserted bottle from the capless filler. Existing bottle designs with the threads on the exterior perimeter of a bottle top have a tendency to engage the flapper of a capless filler, and the inserted bottle is then hard to retract and remove, and may ultimately get stuck. In a specific embodiment of the inventive bottle, the bottle cap may be a child proof cap.
Embodiments of the inventive container or bottle may be opaque or clear, and formed from various plastics and composites. An example of a thermoplastic that may be used to form embodiments of the inventive bottle is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Depending on the processing and thermal history of the polyethylene terephthalate, the PET may exist both as an amorphous (transparent) and as a semi-crystalline polymer. The semicrystalline material might appear transparent (particle size <500 nm) or opaque and white (particle size up to a few microns) depending on its crystal structure and particle size. PET is a recyclable material.
Embodiments of the inventive bottle may be formed through a blow molding process. Blow molding is a manufacturing process by which hollow plastic parts are formed. In general, there are three main types of blow molding: extrusion blow molding, injection blow molding, and injection stretch blow molding. The blow molding process begins with melting down the plastic and forming it into a parison or in the case of injection and injection stretch blow molding (ISB) a preform. The parison is a tube-like piece of plastic with a hole in one end through which compressed air can pass. The parison is then clamped into a mold and air is blown into it. The air pressure then pushes the plastic out to match the mold. Once the plastic has cooled and hardened the mold opens up and the part is ejected.
Embodiments of the inventive bottle may be formed by placing a threaded insert into an injection mold. In a specific embodiment, the internal threads on the inner wall of the top portion of the neck may be formed during the molding process with a threaded insert that serves as part of the preform injection mold and then the injection molded preform would be heated and formed into the final form.
In other embodiments of the inventive bottle, the inner threads may be tapped with a tool following the bottle's formation. And in still other embodiments, the internal threads may be manufactured by creating a separate component, with the threads included, that would then be joined to the top portion of the neck of the container.
Referring now to the figures,
The foregoing description is illustrative of particular embodiments of the invention, but is not meant to be a limitation upon the practice thereof. The following claims, including all equivalents thereof, are intended to define the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A bottle adapted to dispense fuel additives into a capless filler system on a vehicle having one or more flapper seals, said bottle comprising:
- an elongated smooth neck having a bottle opening and_an exterior surface free of perceptible projections, lumps, or indentations configured for insertion into a capless filler opening to actuate and displace the one or more flapper seals;
- a cap with a first set of screw threads;
- a storage portion in fluid communication with a bottom portion of said neck for holding a liquid; and
- wherein said neck has a top portion with a second set of screw threads on an interior surface of said top portion proximate said bottle opening, said second set of screw threads configured to engage said first set of screw threads to secure said cap to said neck.
2. The bottle of claim 1 wherein said cap is a child proof cap.
3. The bottle of claim 1 wherein said bottle is clear or opaque.
4. The bottle of claim 1 wherein said bottom portion of said elongated smooth neck further comprises a ledge or flared out area that forms a tangible stopping point when inserting said bottle into the capless filler opening of a vehicle fuel system.
5. The bottle of claim 1 wherein said elongated smooth neck has a circular cross section.
6. The bottle of claim 1 further comprising a base at a bottom of a storage portion; and
- wherein said storage portion has a top area that is in mechanical communication with said elongated smooth neck.
7. The bottle of claim 1 wherein said bottle is made of plastic.
8. The bottle of claim 7 wherein the plastic is polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
9. The bottle of claim 1 wherein the storage portion has a first length extending from a bottom of said storage portion to a top area of said storage portion that is in fluid communication with said bottom portion of said elongated smooth neck; wherein said elongated smooth neck has a second length extending from said bottle opening to said bottom portion of said neck; and wherein said second length is at least half of the first length.
Type: Application
Filed: May 8, 2017
Publication Date: Aug 24, 2017
Inventors: John Samuel McKenzie (Aurora, OH), Nicholas Emile Stanca (Westlake, OH), Bernard Kwame Asante (Houston, TX)
Application Number: 15/589,386