Patent ID: 7967042
Filing Date: 2011-06-28
Classification: B60K

Abstract:
1. A filler neck closure assembly associated with a vehicle fuel tank filler neck, the assembly comprising inhibitor means in a fill tube for preventing insertion of a small-diameter unleaded fuel-dispensing nozzle into a fuel-conducting passageway formed in a filler neck interconnecting the fill tube and a vehicle fuel tank while allowing insertion of a large-diameter diesel fuel-dispensing nozzle into the fuel-conducting passageway formed in the filler neck, wherein the inhibitor means includes a fill-tube closure formed to include an aperture opening into the fuel-conducting passageway formed in the filler neck and a flapper door mounted for movement relative to the fill tube to open and close the aperture, a flapper door lock including a lock ring mounted for rotation about an axis between a flapper door-locking position blocking movement of the flapper door relative to the fill tube and a flapper door-unlocking position allowing movement of the flapper door from the closed position to the opened position, and a door lock opener coupled to the flapper door lock and configured to impart rotation to the lock ring to rotate the lock ring from the flapper door-locking position to the flapper door-unlocking position in response to exposure to the large-diameter diesel fuel-dispensing nozzle during movement of the large-diameter diesel fuel-dispensing nozzle in the fill tube toward the aperture formed in the fill-tube closure.