Patent ID: 6035883
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: B60K,Y10T

Abstract:
A weldable vent valve assembly capable of being welded to a polymeric fuel tank, the vent valve assembly comprising:a main valve body comprising a polymer material not suitable for welding to the fuel tank, the main valve body having a lower portion adapted to extend into the fuel tank through an aperture, the main valve body defining a vapor flow path from the interior to the exterior of the fuel tank through a vertical vent outlet in an upper end wall of the main valve body;a weldable connector adapted to be assembled to the main valve body, the weldable connector comprising a polymer material suitable for welding to the fuel tank, at least a portion of the weldable connector designed to be in contact with the fuel tank for welding to the fuel tank when the weldable connector is assembled to the main valve body and the main valve body is operatively positioned in the fuel tank aperture; and,a first number of spaced, continuous, concentric vertical ribs being formed on a lower surface of the weldable connector, and a second number of spaced, continuous, concentric vertical ribs being formed on an outer surface of the upper end wall of the main valve body around the vertical vent outlet, the vertical ribs on the weldable connector and on the main valve body adapted to mate axially in an interlocking, sealing fit such that at least one vertical rib from the weldable connector is sandwiched between two vertical ribs from the main valve body, and at least one vertical rib from the main valve body is sandwiched between two vertical ribs from the weldable connector.