JP2006182421A - Cap device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel cap 10 capable of enhancing the operability and sealability while the position of an operation unit 42 is constant when tightening of an inlet FNb is completed. <P>SOLUTION: A male thread part 21 is formed on the outer peripheral part of a cap body 20, and a female thread part FNc is formed on an inner wall of a filler neck FN. By turning the operation portion 42 in the closing direction, the male thread part 21 is screwed from a starting end FNc1 of the female thread part FNc, and a stopper 21d of the male thread part 21 abuts on the starting end FNc1 of the female thread part FNc to complete the tightening. A gasket GS is compressed and displaced in the axial direction, and sealed with the seal bearing pressure of the predetermined value or higher. A restriction part 21e to narrow a gap between the male thread part 21 and the female thread part FNc is provided on the opposite side of the stopper 21d of the cap body 20 to suppress the force tilting toward the cap body 20 when the stopper 21d rides over the starting end 21c of the male thread part 21. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a cap mechanism having a cap screwed by being screwed into a tank opening.

  The conventional fuel cap has a structure in which the handle is rotated by two to three times to screw it to the filler neck (opening forming member). Further, in order to tighten the gasket with a constant torque, A ratchet mechanism that idles at a certain torque or more is provided. Such a fuel cap has to be operated a plurality of times, and because of the ratchet mechanism, the position of the handle is not constant when the fuel cap is mounted, resulting in poor operability.

  In order to solve such a problem, a so-called quick turn type cap, that is, a neck side engagement protrusion having a notch for insertion is provided on the inner wall of the filler neck, and a circumferential position of 180 ° is provided on the outer periphery of the cap. A configuration is known in which a cap-side engagement protrusion is provided on the cap-side engagement protrusion, and the cap-side engagement protrusion is engaged with the neck-side engagement protrusion by rotating about 180 ° after the cap-side engagement protrusion is inserted through the insertion notch. (For example, Patent Document 1). Furthermore, the position of the handle is kept constant by providing a stopper for stopping the rotation of the cap on the inner wall of the filler neck. However, according to this technique, since the neck side engaging protrusions and stoppers are formed on the inner wall of the filler neck, the shape becomes complicated, especially when the filler neck is formed of a metal pipe. There was a problem that production was troublesome.

JP 2000-142738 A

  The present invention solves the above-described problems of the prior art, and with a small number of rotation operations, the position of the operation unit at the completion of tightening of the tank opening is constant, and the cap device has excellent operability and excellent sealing properties. The purpose is to provide.

The present invention made to solve the above problems
A pipe-shaped opening forming member having a tank opening and a flow path connected to the tank from the tank opening;
A cap having a closing body that closes the tank opening, and an operation unit that is provided at an upper portion of the closing body and that rotates the closing body in a closing direction or an opening direction;
A gasket interposed between the outer periphery of the closing body and the sealing surface of the opening forming member;
A first screw portion formed on an inner wall of the opening forming member; and a second screw portion formed on an outer peripheral portion of the closing body and screwed into the first screw portion, and in a closing direction of the operation portion. The second screw part is screwed into the first screw part from the start end of the first screw part by rotating the first screw part, thereby compressing and displacing the gasket with respect to the inner wall of the opening forming member, thereby opening the cap to the opening part. A screwing mechanism for screwing the forming member;
With
The screwing mechanism includes a stopper that abuts the second threaded portion on the start end of the first threaded portion, the second threaded portion, and is axially symmetric with respect to the closing body, on the opposite side of the stopper. A restraining portion for narrowing a gap between the second screw portion and the first screw portion;
The stopper is configured to restrict rotation of the closing body in the closing direction when the gasket is compressed to a predetermined displacement or more in the axial direction,
The restraining portion is configured to reduce the inclination of the closing body when the stopper comes into contact with the starting end portion.

  In the cap mechanism of the present invention, the tank opening is closed with the cap by holding the operating portion, inserting the closing body into the tank opening, and screwing the cap through the screwing mechanism. The screwing mechanism includes a first screw portion formed on the inner wall of the opening forming member and a second screw portion formed on the outer peripheral portion of the cap, and the second screw portion is rotated by rotation of the cap in the closing direction. Is screwed into the first screw portion from the start end portion of the first screw portion, and a stopper formed near the end portion of the second screw portion comes into contact with the start end portion of the first screw portion, and the tightening is completed. At this time, the gasket interposed between the closing body and the inner wall of the opening forming member is compressed and displaced in the axial direction, and seals against the seal surface with a predetermined seal surface pressure at a position where it hits the stopper.

  In the configuration of the present invention, the position of the operating portion at the start of cap tightening is determined at the start end of the first screw portion, and the position of the operating portion at the end of cap tightening is determined by the stopper. Therefore, the operation unit is excellent in operability because it is set at a fixed position in the rotation direction in both the closing operation and the opening operation. Moreover, since the amount of displacement of the gasket in the axial direction is regulated by a stopper formed on the closing body, overtightening of the gasket can be prevented and durability can be improved.

Moreover, the restraint part is provided in the 2nd screw part. The restraining portion is provided so as to narrow the gap between the second screw portion and the first screw portion on the side opposite to the stopper, which is symmetrical with respect to the closing body. Although the stopper causes the shaft to shift when the stopper tries to ride on the starting end of the first screw portion due to the rotation of the closing member in the closing direction, the restraining portion includes the second screw portion and the first screw. Since it is formed so as to narrow the gap with the part, the axial displacement of the closing body is prevented. Therefore, the gasket is not uniform and excessively elastically deformed, and the sealing performance is not deteriorated.
Here, the constraining portion may be formed in a rib shape in the thread groove, and may have various configurations in which the groove width is partially narrowed or protruded.

  In order to further clarify the configuration and operation of the present invention described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

(1) Schematic Configuration of Fuel Cap 10 FIG. 1 is a half sectional view showing a fuel cap 10 (cap device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a fuel cap 10 is attached to a filler neck FN having an inlet FNb (tank opening) for supplying fuel to a fuel tank (not shown), and a cap body 20 (made of a synthetic resin material such as polyacetal). A closure body), a lid body 40 having an operation portion mounted on the upper portion of the cap body 20 and formed of a synthetic resin material such as nylon, and an inner lid for closing the upper opening of the cap body 20 to form the valve chamber 25. 30, a pressure regulating valve 50 accommodated in the valve chamber 25, a torque mechanism 80, and an annular gasket GS that is attached to the upper outer periphery of the cap body 20 and seals between the filler neck FN.

(2) Configuration of Each Part of Fuel Cap 10 Next, the configuration of each part of the fuel cap 10 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.
(2) -1 Configuration of Cap Main Body 20 The cap main body 20 has a substantially cylindrical shape having a male threaded portion 21 that engages with a female threaded portion FNc on the inner wall of a pipe-shaped filler neck FN (opening forming member). An outer tube 20a and a valve chamber forming body 20b provided inside the lower portion of the outer tube 20a are provided. The valve chamber forming body 20b houses a positive pressure valve and a negative pressure valve that act as the pressure regulating valve 50. The inner lid 30 covers the valve chamber 25 by being press-fitted into the upper portion of the valve chamber forming body 20b.

 A gasket GS is sheathed on the lower surface of the flange portion 22 at the top of the cap body 20. The gasket GS is interposed between the seal holding portion 24 of the flange portion 22 and the seal surface FNf of the filler neck FN, and is pressed against the seal holding portion 24 when the fuel cap 10 is tightened into the inlet FNb. To achieve a sealing action.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory view illustrating a state where the fuel cap 10 is screwed to the filler neck FN and the inlet FNb is closed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state before the fuel cap 10 is mounted on the filler neck FN. FIG. 2 and 3, a screwing mechanism is formed across the inner peripheral wall of the filler neck FN and the outer peripheral portion of the outer tubular body 20a. The screwing mechanism is a mechanism for screwing the fuel cap 10 to the filler neck FN, and includes a female screw portion FNc formed on the inner wall of the filler neck FN and a male screw formed on the lower outer periphery of the outer tube body 20a. Part 21. The female screw portion FNc is a ridge formed in a spiral shape from the start end portion FNc1 formed on the injection port FNb side toward the back side (fuel tank side). The male screw portion 21 includes a screw thread 21a that is a screw-shaped protrusion and a screw groove 21b of the screw thread 21a. The lower end portion of the screw thread 21a is a start end portion 21c that first engages with the start end portion FNc1 of the female screw portion FNc (FIG. 2). Further, a stopper 21d is erected so as to cross the screw groove 21b. The stopper 21d is formed at a position of about 200 ° from the start end portion 21c of the male screw portion 21, and abuts against the start end portion FNc1 of the female screw portion FNc when the fuel cap 10 is tightened into the injection port FNb. Thus, the rotation of the fuel cap 10 in the closing direction is restricted. Here, the screw pitch of the female screw portion FNc is formed by one turn advanced 6.35 mm per rotation.

  In the above configuration, when the fuel cap 10 is rotated in the closing direction from the state where the fuel cap 10 is mounted on the inlet FNb, the male screw portion 21 is screwed in along the female screw portion FNc, and the gasket GS is compressed to a predetermined displacement or more in the axial direction. Then, the stopper 21d hits the starting end portion FNc1 of the female screw portion FNc, and the rotation is restricted. In this state, the fuel cap 10 is attached to the filler neck FN.

(2) -2 Gasket GS and seal holding part 24
(2) -2-1 Configuration of Gasket GS FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the gasket GS attached to the seal holding portion 24 of the fuel cap. The gasket GS is made of fluororubber, has a substantially C-shaped cross section, and includes a gasket body GSa that is compressed so as to shorten the length in the bending direction. The gasket body GSa is formed in a C-shaped cross section so as to surround a substantially U-shaped slit GSb opened on the outer peripheral side, that is, a first lip GSc pressed against the seal surface FNf of the filler neck FN, 2 lips GSd, and a connecting portion GSe for connecting the first lip GSc and the second lip GSd, and the first lip GSc, the second lip GSd, and the second lip GSd have a C-shaped cross section. The rubber material of the gasket is not limited to the above-described fluororubber, and other materials such as an elastomer such as NBR / PVC can be used.

  The first lip GSc is formed longer than the second lip GSd so that when the gasket GS is compressed by being pushed by the seal surface FNf, the tip of the first lip GSc contacts the first seal wall surface 24a. Yes. Further, an anti-rotation portion GSf is formed so as to protrude from the inner peripheral portion of the gasket body GSa and between the second lip GSd and the connecting portion GSe. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the gasket GS, and FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the gasket GS. An air passage GSp is formed in a portion of the opening of the slit GSb of the second lip GSd where the first lip GSc is in close contact. As shown in FIG. 5, the air passage GSp is formed by groove-shaped notches formed at eight positions at equal intervals of 45 ° in the circumferential direction. The air passage GSp is a passage formed so as to allow air in the slit GSb to escape when the gasket GS is compressed so that the slit GSb is crushed. The action of the air passage GSp will be described later together with the compression operation of the gasket GS accompanying the closing operation of the fuel cap 10.

(2) -2-2 Configuration of Seal Holding Portion 24 In FIG. 4, the seal holding portion 24 is an annular recess that supports the outer peripheral surface of the gasket GS, and the first seal wall surface 24a that supports the second lip GSd. And a stopper step portion 24b acting as a stopper portion, a second seal wall surface 24c, and a seal lower surface 24d. The stopper step portion 24b acts as a detent when the first lip GSc is pressed by the seal surface FNf by positioning the detent portion GSf of the gasket GS.

  The second seal wall surface 24c is formed so as to have the gap Gp between the second seal wall surface 24c and the connecting portion GSe of the gasket GS. When the first lip GSc receives a compressive force from the seal surface FNf, the gasket GS The gap Gp is narrowed by elastic deformation.

(2) -2-3 Sealing Action by Gasket GS FIGS. 7 and 8 are explanatory views for explaining a process of compressing the gasket GS when the fuel cap 10 is closed. In the initial tightening of the fuel cap 10, the first lip GSc of the gasket GS hits the seal surface FNf (FIG. 7A), and when further tightened, the opening of the slit GSb is narrowed and compressed in the bending direction (FIG. 7 ( B)). At this time, the gasket GS has its rotation stopper GSf positioned and stopped by the stopper step 24b, so that the connecting portion GSe narrows the gap Gp with respect to the second seal wall surface 24c as the first lip GSc is pushed. It deforms as follows. As shown in FIG. 8A, the opening end surface of the first lip GSc is in close contact with the opening end surface of the second lip GSd. At this time, an air gap AG is formed by the slit GSb. When a compression force is further applied to the gasket GS, the air compressed in the gap AG is discharged to the outside through the air passage GSp, and the gasket GS is crushed. Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, the gasket GS is crushed until the gap AG is almost eliminated, and the front end of the first lip GSc is lateral to the front end of the second lip GSd and the first seal wall surface 24a. , The compression of the gasket GS is completed, and the fuel cap 10 closes the inlet FNb. The gasket GS is deformed so that the slit is a gap on the surface where the first lip GSc hits the second lip GSd, but the notch on the contact surface does not seal the gap and provides a path for venting air to the outside. . Therefore, when compressing the gasket GS, the compression force for narrowing the gap AG can be reduced.
Further, in the opening operation of the cap device, that is, when the gasket GS is returned from the close contact state as shown in FIGS. 8B and 8A to FIG. Therefore, the gap AG formed by the slit GSb does not become negative pressure, and the first lip GSc is not fixed to the second lip GSd.

  FIG. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the bending allowance of the gasket GS and the reaction force, where the solid line is the gasket of the example, the one-dot chain line is the gasket without the air passage GSp, and the broken line is the C-shaped according to the prior art. Each gasket is shown. Here, the bending allowance refers to a length (compression amount) in which the gasket is compressed in the bending direction and contracts. Also, the relationship between the deflection allowance and the rotation angle of the fuel cap varies depending on parameters such as the hardness and shape of the gasket, but if the 6.35 mm deflection allowance occurs due to the 360 ° rotation of the fuel cap, When the tightening angle of the fuel cap 10 is set to 198 °, a bending allowance of 3.5 mm is generated, and when the fuel cap is returned 90 ° from the closed state, a bending allowance of 1.9 mm is generated. .

  When the fuel cap is tightened, the reaction force increases because the gasket is bent. In such closing operation of the fuel cap, if the reaction force exceeds 150 N, the operability deteriorates. Therefore, it is preferable to set it to 150 N or less, particularly 130 N or less, but in the range of the reaction force of 150 N in the conventional gaskets. In this embodiment, the bending allowance of 4.5 mm or more in the fully-closed state is secured, whereas only a bending allowance of about 1.5 mm can be secured and the operability is inferior because the reaction force increases rapidly In addition, it has excellent operability because there is no sudden increase in reaction force.

FIG. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the deflection allowance of the gasket and the seal surface pressure. The solid line indicates the gasket of the example, and the broken line indicates the C-shaped gasket according to the prior art. Here, the seal surface pressure refers to a pressure generated by the gasket on the seal surface FNf. When the fuel cap 10 is tightened, the seal surface pressure increases as the deflection of the gasket GS increases.
In addition to ensuring a seal surface pressure exceeding a predetermined level obtained by the bending allowance of the gasket GS, a tightening amount that can be tightened by the stopper 21d in FIG. 2 is 2 mm so that excessive stress is not applied to the gasket GS. As mentioned above, Preferably it is 3-5 mm.

(2) -2-4 Effects of Gasket GS (2) -2-4-1 The gasket GS is positioned and stopped by the stopper step 24b by the stopper GSf, and is provided with a gap Gp. Therefore, as the first lip GSc is pushed by the seal surface FNf, the connecting portion GSe easily deforms so as to narrow the gap Gp between the second seal wall surface 24c and the connecting portion GSe. A large seal surface pressure can be obtained, and excellent operability can be obtained.

(2) -2-4-2 An air passage GSp is formed at the opening end of the second lip GSd of the gasket GS, and the air passage GSp is a sealed gap even when the slit GSb is crushed. However, since the air vent path to the outside is provided, the compression force for narrowing the gap AG can be reduced when the gasket GS is compressed.

(2) -2-4-3 Since the air passage GSp is provided at a plurality of locations (eight locations in the embodiment) along the mating surface of the gasket GS, even if one air passage GSp is clogged with dust, Since the other air passage GSp functions as an air vent, its function is not impaired.

(2) -2-4-4 When the first lip GSc is pushed by the seal surface FNf and the gasket GS is compressed, the first lip GSc is arranged so that the tip of the first lip GSc contacts the first seal wall surface 24a. Since it is formed longer than the two lips GSd, the first lip hits the second lip GSd and the deformation is not hindered, and a high displacement can be obtained with a lower load.

(2) -2-4-5 When the fuel cap 10 is used in a quick turn configuration in which the injection port FNb is opened and closed only by rotating at a predetermined angle, for example, about 180 °, the lid 40 receives external force. In order to prevent the seal surface pressure of the gasket GS from being reduced, a so-called lost motion mechanism that idles within a predetermined angle range is provided on the lid 40. However, if the gasket GS is used, the lid 40 receives an external force and rotates about 90 ° in the opening direction, and maintains a high sealing performance even if the bending allowance is reduced to about 1.6 mm. Even if a lost motion mechanism having a simple structure is not provided, a seal surface pressure exceeding a predetermined level can be ensured.

(2) -2-4-6 The operability is excellent because the cap body 20 can be opened and closed with a small rotation angle by using a screw with a large pitch that moves 3 mm or more in the axial direction by 180 ° rotation. ing.

(2) -2-4-7 The gasket GS preferably has a reaction force of 100 N or less and a seal surface pressure of 0.5 MPa or more when the deflection margin is 4 mm. In this case, it is preferable that the movement amount in the axial direction is 1.4 to 1.6 mm when the closing body is rotated 80 to 90 ° from the tightening start position. According to this configuration, even if the closing body returns from the tightened state by about 90 ° in the opening direction by an external force, high sealing performance by the gasket can be maintained.

(2) -3 Configuration of Lid 40 In FIG. 1, the lid 40 constitutes an operation mechanism, and is rotatably and detachably attached to the flange portion 22 via a torque mechanism 80. The lid 40 includes an upper wall 41, an operation part 42 protruding from the upper surface of the upper wall 41, and a side wall 43 formed on the outer peripheral part of the upper wall 41, and is integrated by injection using a conductive resin. Molded. In addition, four engaging protrusions 43a are provided on the inner side of the side wall 43 at regular intervals along the circumferential direction. The engagement protrusion 43 a is a protrusion for assembling the lid body 40 to the cap body 20 via the torque mechanism 80. The attachment structure of the lid 40 will be described later.

(2) -4 Configuration of Torque Mechanism 80 (2) -4-1 Schematic Configuration of Torque Mechanism 80 FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing the torque mechanism 80 provided over the lid 40 and the upper portion of the cap body 20, and FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing the torque mechanism 80 from above. The torque mechanism 80 includes a torque transmission unit 82 shown in FIG. 12 and a click sound generation unit 84, and is transmitted by the torque transmission unit 82 when the fuel cap 10 shown in FIG. 3 closes the inlet FNb. When the rotational torque exceeds a predetermined rotational torque, a click sound is generated by the click sound generator 84, and it can be confirmed that the fuel cap 10 is attached to the filler neck FN with the predetermined rotational torque.

  In FIG. 11, the torque mechanism 80 includes a torque plate 90 that is rotatably interposed between the lid body 40 and the cap body 20. The torque plate 90 includes a disk-shaped torque main body 91 made of resin. The torque main body 91 includes a disk-shaped arm support portion 91a and an annular outer ring portion surrounding the arm support portion 91a. 91b, and a connecting portion 91c connected to the arm support portion 91a and the outer ring portion 91b. The torque body 91 is formed with a guide groove, a torque arm, a flexure spring, a spring piece, and the like. Thus, the torque transmission part 82 and the click sound generation part 84 are configured.

(2) -4-2 Torque transmission part 82
The torque transmission unit 82 includes two first transmission mechanisms that transmit rotational torque from the lid 40 to the torque plate 90, and a second transmission mechanism that transmits rotational torque from the torque plate 90 to the cap body 20.
The first transmission mechanism includes a torque transmission rib 44 formed on the lid body 40 and a bending spring 93 protruding from the torque plate 90 so as to be elastically deformable. The torque transmission ribs 44 are ribs extending in the radial direction on the lower wall 42 a of the operation unit 42, and projecting at two positions with a predetermined distance from the central axis of the lid body 40. The flexure spring 93 is integrally projected in the vertical direction in a columnar shape on the torque main body 91, enters into the recess 42 b of the operation portion 42, and an engagement end whose tip engages with the torque transmission rib 44. 93a.

  FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the first transmission mechanism of the torque transmission unit 82. As shown in FIG. 13A, the torque transmitting rib 44 engages with the engaging end 93a of the flexure spring 93 by the operation of the operating portion 42 in the closing direction, and as shown in FIG. The rotational torque is transmitted to the plate 90, and the spring force in the opening direction is accumulated as the elastic deformation increases by tilting the bending spring 93. The action of this spring force will be described later.

  11 and 12, the first transmission mechanism further includes a guide protrusion 46 projecting from the lower surface of the upper wall 41 of the lid 40, and a rib guide part 95 formed on the torque plate 90. ing. The guide protrusion 46 is a cylindrical protrusion for mainly transmitting rotational torque in the opening direction. The rib guide portion 95 is an arc-shaped notch formed in the torque plate 90, and both end sides thereof are a pressing end 95 a and a pressing end 95 b, and the guide protrusion 46 is inserted into the guide protrusion 46. Is supported movably.

  The second transmission mechanism includes a guide protrusion 92 formed on the lower surface of the torque plate 90 and a main body side engaging portion formed on the upper portion of the cap body 20 in order to transmit rotational torque from the torque plate 90 to the cap body 20. 23. The main body side engaging portion 23 is arranged on the inner peripheral portion of the flange portion 22, and includes a pressing protrusion 23a and a pressing protrusion 23b spaced by a predetermined gap, and a guide step 23c is provided therebetween. . The guide protrusion 92 is inserted in the guide step 23c and hits the pressing protrusion 23a when the torque plate 90 rotates in the closing direction, while the guide protrusion 92 presses when the torque plate 90 rotates in the opening direction. Rotating torque is transmitted from the torque plate 90 to the cap body 20 by hitting the portion 23b.

(2) -4-3 Click sound generator 84
The click sound generating portion 84 includes a first engaging portion 45 protruding from the lower wall of the upper wall 41 of the lid 40 and a click arm 94 formed on the torque plate 90. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the click sound generating portion 84, and FIG. 15 is an explanatory view for explaining the engagement relationship between the first engaging portion 45 and the click arm 94 of FIG. The first engagement portion 45 is a substantially triangular pyramid projecting from the lower surface of the upper wall 41 and chamfered, and includes a first guide surface 45a that is a radial plane, an outer peripheral regulation surface 45b, an inner periphery And a curved second guide surface 45c formed on the side. The click arm 94 includes an arm main body 94a protruding from the arm support portion 91a, and a second engagement portion 94c protruding upward from the free end of the arm main body 94a. The click arm 94 is formed of a cantilever beam having the support base 94 b as a fulcrum, and the second engagement portion is spaced from the torque body 91 by a predetermined gap. The second engaging portion 94c includes a vertical wall 94c1 pressed against the first guide surface 45a, an inclined surface 94c2 pressed against the second guide surface 45c via the regulating surface 45b, and a corner surface 94c3 chamfered at the upper end. It has a mountain shape protruding substantially upwards.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the click sound generator 84. The click sound generator 84 reciprocates the first engagement portion 45 with the rotation of the lid 40 in the closing direction, and elastically deforms the click arm 94 while the second engagement portion 94c causes the first engagement portion 45 to move. A click sound is generated in the process.
That is, when the lid 40 rotates in the closing direction, as shown in FIGS. 16A to 16B, the first guide surface 45a of the first engagement portion 45 is a vertical wall of the second engagement portion 94c. By pushing 94c1, the click arm 94 is bent in the outer peripheral direction with the support base 94b as a fulcrum. Then, the second engagement portion 94c gets over the restriction surface 45b from the first guide surface 45a (FIG. 17A), and the second engagement portion 94c becomes the arm support portion by the spring force of the return of the click arm 94. A click sound is generated by colliding with the outer periphery of 91a.
Then, as shown in FIG. 17B, after the inclined surface 94c2 hits the second guide surface 45c, the first engagement portion 45 is rotated in the opening direction of the lid 40 by the restoring force of the flexure spring 93. When moved, the second guide surface 45c pushes the inclined surface 94c2 obliquely downward, and pushes the click arm 94 down with the support base 94b as a fulcrum.
Then, after the amount of elastic deformation of the click arm 94 is maximized, the inclined surface 94c2 rises on the slope of the second guide surface 45c. Since the second guide surface 45c is a triangular pyramid (or may be a conical surface), the inclined surface 94c2 is imitated and the corner surface 94c3 is imitated immediately. That is, the click arm 94 initially bends obliquely downward, but gradually rises and returns to reduce the bend.

Further, the operation of the click sound generator will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19. 18 and 19, the left side of the drawing shows a state seen from the horizontal direction, and the right side shows a state seen from above. 18A to 18B, the first guide surface 45a pushes the vertical wall 94c1 to bend the click arm 94 in the outer peripheral direction (arrow direction), and the first engagement is performed in FIG. 18C. The portion 45 gets over the second engaging portion 94c, and the second engaging portion 94c hits the side surface of the torque main body 91 in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 18E, when the elastic deformation of the click arm 94 is restored, the inclined surface 94c2 comes into contact with the second guide surface 45c of the first guide surface 45a. In FIG. 18E, since the inclined surface 94c2 follows the second guide surface 45c, it does not return to the regulating surface 45b. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 19A, when the first engagement portion 45 moves in the opening direction, the second guide surface 45c is bent downward by the restoring force of the bending spring 93 to push the inclined surface 94c2 diagonally downward. 94 is pushed down with the support base 94b as a fulcrum. Then, after the amount of elastic deformation of the click arm 94 is maximized, the second guide surface 45c returns to gradually reduce the deflection of the click arm 94 while guiding the inclined surface 94c2 (FIG. 19B). ), Further overcoming as shown in FIG. 19C to FIG. 19D and returning to the original position.
Accordingly, the elastic deformation of the click arm 94 does not return abruptly. That is, as shown in FIG. 19B, the second guide surface 45c gradually returns the click arm 94 while following the inclined surface 94c2. The elastic deformation amount when the click arm 94 returns is L2 shown in FIG. 19C, which is smaller than L1 when the click arm 94 in FIG. When the portion 94c gets over the first engaging portion 45, no loud noise is generated and the user does not feel uncomfortable. As shown in FIG. 19D, when the elastic deformation of the click arm 94 returns to the lower surface of the lid body 40 and around the first engagement portion 45, the second engagement portion 94c is the lid. If the recess 41a for preventing the lower surface of the body 40 from being hit is formed, even if the click arm 94 is bent in the axial direction, the generation of sound can be prevented more reliably.

(2) -4-4 Attaching Mechanism of Torque Plate 90 and Lid 40 Next, a mounting structure (plate mounting mechanism) between the cap body 20 and the torque plate 90, and a mounting structure between the torque plate 90 and the lid 40 ( The handle mounting mechanism) will be described. 20 is a perspective view showing the main part of FIG. 11, and FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing the side part of the fuel cap 10. On the inner peripheral side of the outer ring portion 91b of the torque plate 90, an engagement claw 98a of the plate engagement portion 98 is formed. The engaging claw 98a is a position that can be seen from above through the notch 98b, and is a tongue piece projecting from the inner wall of the outer ring portion 91b toward the central axis, and is formed to be elastically deformable in the axial direction. ing. On the other hand, an arcuate engagement protrusion 22 b is formed on the outer periphery of the upper portion of the flange portion 22 of the cap body 20. The torque plate 90 is rotatably mounted on the upper outer periphery of the cap body 20 by press-fitting the engaging claw 98a into the engaging protrusion 22b.

  A mounting portion 99 is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the outer ring portion 91b. The mounting portion 99 includes an engagement recess 99b that forms an engagement claw 99a. The engagement protrusions 99a on the inner wall of the side wall 43 of the lid 40 are engaged with the engagement recess 99b, so that the torque plate 90 supports the lid 40 so as to be rotatable (about 20 °). Where the engagement protrusion 43a is engaged with the engagement recess 99b of the mounting portion 99, the engagement claw 98a of the plate engagement portion 98 is engaged with the engagement protrusion 22b of the flange portion 22. It is arranged above the location.

  In order to assemble the torque plate 90 and the lid 40 to the fuel cap 10, the engagement claw 98 a of the plate engagement portion 98 of the torque plate 90 is press-fitted into the engagement protrusion 22 b of the cap body 20, and the torque plate 90 is capped. The lid body 40 is assembled to the torque plate 90 by assembling the main body 20 and engaging the engagement protrusion 43a of the lid body 40 with the engagement claw 99a of the torque plate 90.

(2) -4-5 Supporting Mechanism for Torque Plate 90 FIG. 22 is an explanatory view for explaining the peripheral portion of the torque plate 90. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 22, the torque plate 90 includes a first spring piece 96 for supporting the torque plate 90 between the lower surface of the upper wall 41 of the lid body 40 and the upper portion of the cap body 20. A second spring piece 97 is formed. In other words, four first spring pieces 96 are formed at 90 ° in the circumferential direction on the central upper surface of the torque plate 90. The first spring piece 96 applies a vertical spring force to the lower surface of the upper wall 41 of the lid 40. The first spring piece 96 shown in FIG. 23 is the same as the upper surface of the torque plate 90 and has an arm 96a formed of a cantilever extending in the circumferential direction, and the upper surface of the torque plate 90 at the tip of the arm 96a. A pressing protrusion 96b that protrudes further is provided. The second spring piece 97 is a cantilever beam inclined slightly downward, and includes an arm body 97a and a pressing protrusion 97b that presses against the upper surface 22a of the flange portion 22 at the tip of the arm body 97a. One end tilts in the notch 97 c on the upper surface of the plate 90. The second spring piece 97 is positioned in both the vertical direction and the radial direction in order to press the inclined upper surface 22a of the pressing protrusion 97b.

(3) Opening / Closing Operation of Fuel Cap 10 Next, the operation of the torque mechanism 80 when an operation of opening / closing the inlet FNb of the filler neck FN with the fuel cap 10 is performed will be described. Note that the torque transmission rib 44, the guide protrusion 46, the bending spring 93, and the like of the torque mechanism 80 are provided around the rotation axis of the lid 40, and therefore will be described with reference to one side of the figure.

(3) -1 Closing Operation of Fuel Cap 10 As shown in FIG. 3, with the injection port FNb open, hold the operating portion 42 of the lid 40 by hand and place the cap body 20 on the injection port FNb. Insert in the direction. At this time, the start end portion 21c of the male screw portion 21 is aligned with the start end portion FNc1 of the female screw portion FNc. When the clockwise rotation is applied to the operation unit 42 and the closing operation is performed, the torque mechanism 80 performs a series of operations as shown in FIG. 27 from FIG. 24 through FIG. 25 and FIG.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 24, the clockwise rotational force applied to the operation unit 42 is generated when the torque transmission rib 44 is engaged with the engaging end 93a of the bending spring 93 and the bending spring 93 is tilted. When the first engagement portion 45 engages with the second engagement portion of the click arm 94, the torque plate 90 is transmitted to the torque plate 90 and rotates in the same direction. As the torque plate 90 rotates, the guide protrusion 92 presses the pressing protrusion 23 a of the main body side engaging portion 23. Thereby, the cover body 40, the torque plate 90, and the cap main body 20 rotate integrally, and advance to the direction which closes the injection port FNb. At this time, as shown in FIG. 13, the rotational torque transmitted from the operation unit 42 to the cap body 20 increases as the angle at which the torque transmission rib 44 bends and tilts the spring 93 increases.

  When the reaction force generated by the engaging force becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined rotational torque, the first engaging portion 45 gets over the click arm 94 as shown in FIG. At this time, since the first engagement portion 45 gets over the second engagement portion 94c and the second engagement portion 94c collides with the outer periphery of the arm support portion 91a, a click sound is produced, so the user confirms a sense of moderation. be able to. At the same time, the guide protrusion 46 is guided in the rib guide portion 95 and moves to a state where it hits the pressing end 95a. In this state, even if the user further rotates the operation portion 42 in the closing direction, the stopper 21d hits the start end portion FNc1 of the filler neck FN, so that the cap body 20 is not overtightened.

  When the operator removes his / her finger from the operation unit 42, the bending spring 93 applies a force for rotating the lid 40 counterclockwise via the torque transmission rib 44 as shown in FIG. 27. Then, as the cover body 40 rotates counterclockwise, the first engagement portion 45 pushes down the click arm 94 and gets over the second engagement portion 94c, as shown in FIG. When the guide protrusion 46 moves along the rib guide portion 95 and comes into contact with the pressing end 95b, the rotation of the lid body 40 is stopped. In this state, the fuel cap 10 closes the inlet FNb.

(3) -2 Opening operation of the fuel cap 10 To open the fuel cap 10, from the state shown in FIG. 27, the operating portion 42 of the lid 40 is picked with a finger and a force that rotates counterclockwise is applied. Accordingly, the guide protrusion 46 of the lid 40 presses the pressing end 95b of the rib guide portion 95 of the torque plate 90 to rotate the torque plate 90. As the torque plate 90 rotates, the guide protrusion 92 presses the pressing protrusion 23 b of the main body side engaging portion 23. Thereby, the rotational force applied to the lid 40 is transmitted to the cap body 20 via the guide projection 46, the torque plate 90, and the pressing projection 23 b of the main body side engagement portion 23, and the lid 40 and the torque plate 90. The cap body 20 rotates counterclockwise as a unit. When the cap main body 20 rotates about 180 ° integrally with the lid body 40 (state of FIG. 24), the male screw portion 21 comes off from the start end portion FNc1 of the female screw portion FNc of the filler neck FN, and the cap main body 20 Release from the restraining force on the filler neck FN. Then, the fuel cap 10 can be removed from the filler neck FN, and the inlet FNb is opened.

(4) With the configuration of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(4) -1 In the operation process of closing the fuel cap 10, when the first engaging portion 45 of the lid body 40 gets over the second engaging portion 94c, a moderation feeling can be confirmed, and the fuel cap 10 is tightened with a predetermined torque. Therefore, it can be tightened with a constant torque regardless of the elasticity of the gasket GS or the like.

(4) -2 Since the bending spring 93 constituting the torque transmitting portion 82 is formed integrally with the torque plate 90, the coil spring as described in the prior art is not used, and the number of parts is reduced. The configuration can be simplified.

(4) -3 The bending spring 93 is erected from the torque plate 90 in a substantially vertical direction and protrudes into the recess 42b of the operation portion 42. Therefore, the bending spring 93 can be formed long in the vertical direction. The amount of elastic deformation can be increased.

  The fuel cap 10 only needs to be operated at a small rotation angle of about 180 ° due to the engagement between the male screw portion 21 and the female screw portion FNc.

(4) -4 The torque plate 90 is positioned at a normal position by the first and second spring pieces 96, 97 in a state where there is no backlash between the lid 40 and the cap body 20, so that the product Stable click sound and torque characteristics can be obtained by suppressing the variation between the two.

  28 is a side view of the fuel cap 10, and FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of the fuel cap 10 in the horizontal direction. A constraining portion 21e formed of a rib is formed on the opposite side of the stopper 21d of the screwing mechanism, that is, in the screw groove 21b that is rotationally symmetric about the axis of the cap body 20. The restraining portion 21e acts so as to reduce the inclination of the cap body 20 against the force with which the stopper 21d tries to ride on the starting end portion FNc1. That is, as shown in FIG. 29, a force that further rotates in the closing direction of the fuel cap 10 is applied from the state in which the cap body 20 is stopped by the stopper 21d as shown in FIG. 30, and the stopper 21d becomes the female screw portion FNc. When trying to get on the starting end portion FNc1, the center axis of the cap body 20 is displaced in the direction opposite to the stopper 21d. However, since the restraining portion 21e is formed so as to narrow the gap between the male screw portion 21 and the female screw portion FNc, the cap body 20 is prevented from being misaligned. Therefore, the gasket GS is not uniform and excessively elastically deformed, and the sealing performance is not deteriorated.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the following modifications are possible.

(5) -1 In the above-described embodiment, the configuration suitable for the fuel cap used in the fuel tank of the automobile has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be used for other caps, for example, the cap of the radiator tank.

(5) -2 In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the bending spring 93 protrudes from the torque plate 90 has been described. However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and the bending spring 93 may protrude from the lower surface of the lid 40. In this case, the lid is preferably formed from polyacetal that can generate a large spring force.

(5) -3 The click sound generation unit 84 is formed at two locations, but is not limited to this, and may be at one location or three or more locations as long as the click sound can be suitably generated.

(5) -4 The fuel cap is configured to apply a torsional force to the gasket by its rotational operation, but if the force is applied in the bending direction (the direction of the rotation axis), the fuel cap is configured to close with an operational force in the vertical direction. There may be.

1 is a half sectional view showing a fuel cap according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining the state which the fuel cap is screwed by the filler neck and the inlet is closed. It is a perspective view explaining the state before a fuel cap is mounted | worn with a filler neck. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows the vicinity of the gasket with which the seal | sticker holding | maintenance part of the fuel cap was mounted | worn. It is a top view of a gasket. It is a side view showing a gasket with a half section. It is explanatory drawing explaining the process in which the gasket is compressed when closing a fuel cap. It is explanatory drawing explaining the process following FIG. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the bending allowance of a gasket, and reaction force. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the bending allowance of a gasket, and a seal surface pressure. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the torque mechanism provided over the cover body and the upper part of the cap main body. It is explanatory drawing which shows a torque mechanism from upper direction. It is explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of the 1st transmission mechanism of a torque transmission part. It is a perspective view which shows the vicinity of a click sound generation part. It is explanatory drawing explaining a click sound generation part. It is explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of a click sound generation part. It is explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement following FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of a click sound generation part. It is explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement following FIG. It is a perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the side part of a fuel cap. It is sectional drawing of a part of fuel cap. It is explanatory drawing explaining the peripheral part of a torque plate. It is explanatory drawing explaining the effect | action of a 1st spring piece and a 2nd spring piece. It is explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of a torque mechanism. It is explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement following FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement following FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement following FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the state which the fuel cap is screwed by the filler neck and the inlet is closed. FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view in the vicinity of a stopper of a fuel cap. It is explanatory drawing explaining the effect | action of the stopper and restraint part of a fuel cap.

Explanation of symbols

10 ... Fuel cap 20 ... Cap body 20a ... Outer tube body 20b ... Valve chamber forming body 21 ... Male thread 21a ... Thread 21b ... Thread groove 21c ... Start end 21d ... Stopper 21e ... Restraining part 22 ... Flange part 22a ... Upper surface 22b ... engaging protrusion 23 ... main body side engaging part 23a ... pressing protrusion 23b. ..Pressing protrusion 23c ... Guide step 24 ... Seal holding portion 24a ... First seal wall surface 24b ... Stopper step portion 24c ... Second seal wall surface 24d ... Seal lower surface 25 .. Valve chamber 30 ... Inner lid 40 ... Lid 41 ... Upper wall 41a ... Recess 42 ... Operation part 42a ... Lower wall 42b ... Recess 43 ... Side wall 43a ... engagement protrusion 44 ... torque transmission rib 45 ... first engagement part 45a ... first guide surface 45b ... regulating surface 45c ... second guide surface 46 ... Guide protrusion 50 ... Pressure adjustment valve 80 ... Torque mechanism 82 ... Torque transmission part 84 ... 90. Torque plate 91 ... Torque body 91a ... Arm support part 91b ... Outer ring part 91c ... Connecting part 92 ... Guide projection 93 ... Deflection spring 93a ... engagement end 94 ... click arm 94a ... arm body 94b ... support base 94c ... second engagement part 94c1 ... vertical wall 94c2 ... inclined surface 94c3 ... Corner surface 95 ... Rib guide portion 95a ... Pressing end 95b ... Pressing end 96, 97 ... First and second spring pieces 96a ... Arm 96b ... Pressing protrusion 97a ... Arm body 97b ... Pressing protrusion 97c ... Notch 98 ... Plate engagement part 98a ... Engagement claw 98b ... Notch 99 ... Mounting part 99a ... Engagement claw 99b ... Engaging recess FN ... Filler neck FNb ... Injection port FNc ... Female thread FNc1 ... Starting end FNf ... Seal surface GS ... Gasket GSa ... Gasket body GS ... slit GSc ... first lip GSd ... second lip GSe ... connecting portion GSf ... detent portions GSp ... air passages Gp ... gap AG ... void

Claims (2)

A pipe-shaped opening forming member having a tank opening and a flow path connected to the tank from the tank opening;
A cap having a closing body that closes the tank opening, and an operation unit that is provided at an upper portion of the closing body and that rotates the closing body in a closing direction or an opening direction;
A gasket interposed between the outer periphery of the closing body and the sealing surface of the opening forming member;
A first screw portion formed on the inner wall of the opening forming member; and a second screw portion formed on an outer peripheral portion of the closing body and screwed into the first screw portion. The gasket (GS) is compressed and displaced with respect to the inner wall of the opening forming member by screwing the second screw portion into the first screw portion from the starting end portion of the first screw portion by rotation in the closing direction. A screwing mechanism for screwing the cap onto the opening forming member;
With
The screwing mechanism includes a stopper (21d) that contacts the second screw portion and the start end portion (FNc1) of the first screw portion, the second screw portion, and an axis symmetry of the closing body. A restraining portion (21e) for narrowing a gap between the second screw portion and the first screw portion on the opposite side to the stopper (21d),
The stopper (21d) is configured to restrict rotation of the closing body in the closing direction when the gasket is compressed to a predetermined displacement or more in the axial direction.
The restraining portion (21e) is configured to reduce the inclination of the closing body when the stopper (21d) contacts the start end portion (FNc1),
Cap device characterized by. The cap device according to claim 1,
The cap device is a cap device in which the restraining portion (21e) is a rib projecting along the screw groove (21b).

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