Sealing System For Fill Pipe Head And Associated Pipe

Abstract

Sealing system for fuel tank fill head comprising: a valve (3) that can be moved between an open position, in which fuel may be introduced into a fill pipe, and a closed position in which the fill pipe is closed, the valve (3) passing from one position to the other under the effect of a pressure exerted by a filling nozzle head; and a locking system comprising at least two rotatable fingers (4) and an actuation system capable of controlling the moveable fingers (4), the system additionally comprising a rotatable ring (1) equipped with pins (5) that are capable of cooperating with the moveable fingers (4) and the valve (3) that comprises housings (6) that are capable of cooperating with the moveable fingers (4) when the sealing system is in a locking position. The invention also relates to a fill pipe equipped with such a sealing system.

Description

The present invention relates to a sealing system for a pipe for filling a fuel tank having a locking system capable of being activated by the introduction of a fuel nozzle.

The fill pipes present in fuel tanks, in particular the tanks aboard motor vehicles, are sealed during normal use of the tank, when not being filled. The sealing is generally achieved either by means of a cap or by means of a sealing system integrated into the fill pipe, often called a “capless” system.

More elaborate sealing systems are generally equipped with a locking system capable of keeping the valve in a closed position so that, when not being filled, the fill pipe is sealed against fuel losses and that access to the inside of the pipe is only possible when the locking system has been forced into an unlocked position.

Thus, known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,081 is a sealing system equipped with a locking system comprising a bayonet-type ring. The system described additionally comprises a flapper valve that pivots under the effect of introducing a filling nozzle head. The flapper is equipped with lugs which, when the system is locked, cooperate with the bayonet so as to lock the flapper in a closed position. The bayonet is also equipped with notches so that, in the unlocked position, the lugs no longer cooperate with the bayonet and are released from the bayonet via the notches. In such a system, the flapper is generally equipped with a gasket, for example of the O-ring type, positioned on the side of the flapper oriented towards the outside of the pipe and intended to come to bear against a seat of the head body to which the pivoting flapper is attached. Considering that the gasket is sized so as not to cause the release of the lugs relative to the notches of the bayonet, the size of the pipe head is increased. The size of the system described in U.S. Pat. No. '081 is additionally increased by the space occupied by the system (comprising the components 65 to 67 from FIGS. 2 and 3 of U.S. Pat. No. '081) for actuating the bayonet. This is because the actuation system is positioned at the side of the pipe head and is not integrated into it.

Such a system has the disadvantage of a large-sized pipe head.

The object of the invention is to overcome the disadvantage described above and to provide a sealing system equipped with a locking system so that the size of the pipe head is reduced.

For this purpose, the invention relates to a sealing system for a fuel tank fill head comprising:

• • a valve that can be moved between an open position, in which fuel may be introduced into a fill pipe, and a closed position in which the fill pipe is closed, the valve passing from one position to the other under the effect of a pressure exerted by a filling nozzle head;
  • a locking system comprising at least two rotatable fingers and an actuation system capable of controlling the moveable fingers,
    the system additionally comprising a rotatable ring equipped with pins that are capable of cooperating with the moveable fingers and the valve that comprises housings that are capable of cooperating with the moveable fingers when the sealing system is in a locking position.

The valve makes it possible to close the fill pipe of the fuel tank. In a “capless” type system (with automatic opening of the valve), the valve takes the place of the closure cap conventionally screwed onto the pipe head by the user. In such a system, the valve is generally firmly attached to a pipe head body so as to be able to be moved from a closed position to an open position under the effect of a pressure exerted by a filling nozzle head.

The expression “fuel tank” is understood to mean any type of tank able to store a liquid and/or gaseous fuel under varied pressure and temperature conditions. Those more particularly targeted are tanks of the kind found in motor vehicles. The expression “motor vehicle” is intended to include motor cars, motorcycles and trucks.

The fill pipe is a pipe which communicates with the inside of the tank and allows fuel to be introduced into it.

The tank and the pipe may be made of metal or of plastic.

The sealing system according to the invention is very suitable for a tank and fill pipe assembly in which at least one of the two components of the assembly is made of plastic. It is particularly suitable for an assembly in which the fill pipe is made of plastic. As a preference, this sealing system itself comprises at least one part made of plastic. As a strong preference, it is mainly made of plastic.

The term “plastic” is understood to mean any material comprising at least one synthetic polymer resin.

Any type of plastic may be suitable. Particularly suitable plastics belong to the category of thermoplastics.

The term “thermoplastic” is understood to mean any thermoplastic polymer, including thermoplastic elastomers, and also blends thereof. The term “polymer” is understood to mean both homopolymers and copolymers (especially binary or ternary copolymers). Examples of such copolymers are, non-limitingly: random copolymers, linear block copolymers, other block copolymers and graft copolymers.

Any type of thermoplastic polymer or copolymer, the melting point of which is below the decomposition temperature, is suitable. Synthetic thermoplastics having a melting range spread over at least 10 degrees Celsius are particularly suitable. Examples of such materials include those that exhibit polydispersion in their molecular weight.

In particular, it is possible to use polyolefins, polyvinyl halides, thermoplastic polyesters, polyketones, polyamides and copolymers thereof. A blend of polymers or copolymers may also be used, similarly it is also possible to use a blend of polymeric materials with inorganic, organic and/or natural fillers such as, for example but non-limitingly: carbon, salts and other inorganic derivatives, natural or polymeric fibres. In particular, fibre-filled (for example glass-fibre-filled) polyamides are particularly suitable. Advantageously, at least some of these polymeric materials contain a conductive filler (carbon black, for example) in order to avoid problems associated with static electricity. It is also possible to use multilayer structures composed of stacked and joined layers comprising at least one of the polymers or copolymers described above.

The sealing system that the invention aims to lock has the role of acting as a cap which seals the upper part of the fill pipe when the tank is not being filled, with a view to avoiding any release and loss of liquid fuel and vapour into the atmosphere when the tank contains fuel.

This sealing system according to the invention is built into the fill pipe head, that is to say is incorporated into a set of parts which are mounted on the upper end of the fill pipe and the purpose of which is to guide a fuel-dispensing nozzle and make filling easier. To do this, the pipe head comprises an opening that communicates with (is in the extension of) the fill pipe and that the valve of the system according to the invention makes it possible to seal, in a leaktight manner, when in the closed (locked) position. This fill opening generally emerges into a filling bowl (or concave indentation in the body of the vehicle and which is generally sealed by a flap known as a fuel filler flap).

The sealing system according to the invention preferably allows the pipe to be opened automatically via the action of the filling nozzle (obviously when the locking system is in the unlocked position). The expression “opened automatically” is to be understood as meaning opened by the action of the pump nozzle alone, to the exclusion of any other mechanical influence. The pump nozzle is the nozzle fitted to the flexible fuel pump hoses in service stations.

The sealing system comprises a valve, that is to say a device that prevents the passage of gases and liquids through the aforementioned opening in the pipe head. This valve may be in various forms. One form that is particularly suitable is the form of a moving plate which blocks the passage when in the closed position. As a preference, this plate pivots about an axis. It is advantageously made of plastic but is preferably equipped with a metal cover, particularly for aesthetic reasons and for resistance to abrasion (wear following numerous insertions of filling nozzles). A gasket is generally joined to the valve so as to enable leaktight closure of the head of the fuel tank fill pipe, thus avoiding contamination of the atmosphere by liquid or gaseous fuel. The gasket is generally positioned on a side of the valve oriented towards the outside of the pipe and is capable of cooperating with a seat positioned on the body of the pipe head. It may, for example, consist of an O-ring or flat gasket.

According to the invention, the valve is equipped with a locking system which comprises at least two rotatable fingers and an actuation system capable of controlling the movement of the moveable fingers.

The moveable fingers are generally able to be rotated about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fill head. For this purpose, each finger is preferably associated with a vertical rod firmly attached to the pipe head and onto which rod the finger is inserted (via an ad hoc opening made in the finger). Each of these rods respectively acts as an axis of rotation for the finger with which it is associated.

According to the invention, the valve also comprises at least two housings capable of cooperating with the moveable fingers when the sealing system is in a locking position, so that access to the pipe is not possible.

Preferably, the locking system comprises at least three moveable fingers that are positioned symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis of the fill head and therefore also at least three housings capable of cooperating with the moveable fingers. In the (most common) case where the valve and ring respectively have a disc and ring shape, that amounts to distributing the housings and the fingers at 120° to one another respectively in the lateral surface of the valve and over the lower surface of the ring.

Also preferably, the housings are produced in the valve and have an opening oriented substantially orthogonal relative to the longitudinal axis of the fill head. Most particularly preferably, these housings have at least one of their surfaces (that against which the moveable fingers press) sloped so that when the system is locked the moveable ring and the valve compress the gasket. In this variant, it is advantageous for the moveable fingers to be substantially thinner (narrower) than the openings in the valve and to be equipped with an excrescence of appropriate shape and size so that the fingers slide over the aforementioned sloped surface with the aid of said relief alone, which reduces the (un)locking force.

The actuation system comprises a rotatable ring (preferably that can rotate about an axis corresponding to that of the pipe head, i.e. that passes through the centre of the fill opening and that is substantially parallel to the axis of the upper part of the fill pipe) and equipped with pins that are capable of cooperating with the moveable fingers.

In one particular embodiment, each moveable finger has a guide—intended to receive a pin of the moveable ring so that when this ring is rotated, each pin exerts a force on the guide which has the effect of moving a moveable finger. This guide preferably has a suitable shape and size in order to ensure that the fingers effectively rotate about their axis when the ring turns. Preferably, this shape is substantially oblong.

The rotation of the ring may be actuated by any known means and in particular by the opening/closure of a fuel filler flap via a rod linkage system or by a train of gears and of pinions as described in Application FR 06.04579 in the name of the Applicant. It may also be controlled by any remote control system.

More preferably, the ring has a substantially circular shape.

The invention also aims to cover a fill pipe for a fuel tank equipped with a sealing system such as described above, and also a fuel tank equipped with such a pipe.

DESCRIPTION WITH THE AID OF FIGS. 1 TO 4

Other particularities and features of the invention will appear from the description of an advantageous embodiment given below, by way of illustration, with reference to the appended drawings which show:

FIG. 1: overview of a sealing system from the prior art.

FIG. 2 exploded view of the system according to the invention.

FIGS. 3 & 4: overviews of the embodiment from FIG. 2.

A “capless” type sealing system for a fill pipe head of a fuel tank is generally represented in FIG. 1. Such a system comprises a valve (3), a locking system for the valve comprising a bayonet-type ring (or more specifically: a closure system comprising a ring (1) equipped with notches intended to cooperate with lugs (8) on the valve according to a bayonet mechanism). In FIG. 1, the ring (1) is equipped with notches (7) capable of cooperating with lugs (8) positioned on the side oriented towards the outside of the valve (3). In the unlocked position of the sealing system, the lugs (8) do not cooperate with the ring (1) so that, under the effect of introducing a filling nozzle, the valve (3) may be retracted to an open position capable of giving access to the fill pipe. In the locked position, the lugs (8) cooperate with the ring (1) so that it is not possible to access the fill pipe. The opening/closing operating mode is known per se and is not described in detail in the present patent application. As will be seen by comparison with the following figures, such a system (although effective) has the disadvantage of being bulky, considering the size of the lugs (8) which are fixed. Moreover, the gasket (not represented) must be of a large size since it must go round the openings in the head which are necessary for the passage of the lugs (8) when the valve (3) pivots to allow the tank to be filled.

Represented in FIG. 2 is an embodiment of a system according to the invention with a valve (3) equipped with housings (6), a ring (1) equipped with pins (5) and moveable fingers (4). The moveable fingers (4) are positioned on a body (2) (which is in fact the body of the pipe head) and have guides (9) which cooperate with the pins (5) so that when the ring (1) is rotated, the moveable fingers (4) are also made to rotate. This rotation is carried out about rods (2′) which are firmly attached to the body (2) and over which the fingers (4) are slipped by passing through openings (4′).

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the system from FIG. 2 where the sealing system is in a locked position. In this position, the moveable fingers (4), which are firmly attached to the body (2) of the pipe head, cooperate with the housings (6) of the valve (3) so that this valve is in the closed position and so that a gasket (not represented) is compressed over a seat of the body (2). As can be seen in FIG. 4, the upper wall of these housings (6) is sloped so that the fingers (4) slide over this slope with their balls (4″) and by doing so (de)compress the gasket.

The moveable fingers (4) are moved under the effect of the rotation of the moveable ring (1). Specifically, the ring (1) is equipped with 3 pins (5) which each cooperate with a guide (9) made in a moveable finger (4) so that, when the ring (1) is moved, each pin (5) exerts a force on a guide (9) and has the effect of rotating a moveable finger (4).

Claims

1. A sealing system for fuel tank fill head comprising

a valve (3) that can be moved between an open position, in which fuel may be introduced into a fill pipe, and a closed position in which the fill pipe is closed, the valve (3) passing from one position to the other under the effect of a pressure exerted by a filling nozzle head; and

a locking system comprising at least two rotatable fingers (4) and an actuation system capable of controlling the moveable fingers (4),

the system additionally comprising a rotatable ring (1) equipped with pins (5) that are capable of cooperating with the moveable fingers (4) and the valve (3) that comprises housings (6) that are capable of cooperating with the moveable fingers (4) when the sealing system is in a locking position.

2. The sealing system according to the preceding claim, wherein each finger (4) is associated with a vertical rod (2′) firmly attached to a pipe head body (2) and onto which rod the finger (4) is inserted via an opening (4′) made in the finger (4).

3. The sealing system according to claim 1, wherein the locking system comprises at least three moveable fingers (4) that are positioned symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis of the fill head.

4. The sealing system according to claim 1, wherein the housings (6) are produced in the valve (3) and have an opening oriented substantially orthogonal relative to the longitudinal axis of the fill head.

5. The sealing system according to the preceding claim, in which the housings (6) have at least one sloping surface against which the moveable fingers (4) press, so that when the system is locked the moveable ring (1) and the valve (3) compress the gasket.

6. The sealing system according to the preceding claim, in which the moveable fingers (4) are substantially thinner (narrower) than the housings (6) and are equipped with an excrescence (4″) of appropriate shape and size so that the fingers (4) slide over the sloped surface of the housings (6) with the aid of said relief.

7. The sealing system according to claim 1, wherein each moveable finger (4) has a guide (9) intended to receive a pin (5) of the moveable ring (1) so that when this ring is rotated, each pin (5) exerts a force on the guide which has the effect of moving the moveable finger (4).

8. The sealing system according to the preceding claim, in which the guide has a substantially oblong shape.

9. A fill pipe for a fuel tank equipped with a sealing system according to claim 1.

10. The fuel tank equipped with a fill pipe according to the preceding claim.