Abstract:
A filling apparatus for attachment to a neck of a fluid reservoir is disclosed. The apparatus has a container for fluid and a stem projecting from the container. Two passages extend through the stem. One of the these passages allows fluid from the container to flow into the reservoir and the other passage allows air to flow into the container to prevent the formation of a partial vacuum in the container. The apparatus includes a tap movable between an ON and an OFF position to allow and prevent the flow of fluid through the passages. The apparatus has a mount for releasably securing the apparatus to the fluid reservoir.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a filling apparatus. In particular, the invention relates to a filling apparatus for filling a brake fluid reservoir during bleeding of vehicle brake lines. 
   The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the use of the apparatus with vehicle brake line bleeding. This description is given by way of example and the apparatus may also be used for other purposes. 
   The bleeding of brake lines to remove air in the lines requires an end of the line adjacent the brake pads/linings to be opened to drain a small quantity of fluid from the line to displace any air remaining in the line. As a consequence, the level of fluid in a brake fluid reservoir drops and the reservoir must be replenished to maintain proper fluid levels. There is a danger during the bleeding operation for the reservoir to be emptied and air rather than brake fluid is then introduced into the brake lines. This requires the bleeding operation to be recommenced after the reservoir has been refilled. 
   To guard against emptying the reservoir during a brake line bleeding operation, the reservoir level needs to be periodically checked and replenished. This can be tedious particularly if the vehicle is on a hoist and raised off the ground. 
   An apparatus for automatically replenishing the brake fluid reservoir during brake line bleeding is known. That apparatus had a container for brake fluid and a stem projects from the container. The stem had a single passage through it and a tap was located along the stem and was operable to allow the flow of brake fluid through the stem or to prevent this flow. 
   This apparatus had a mounting plate with a collar through which the stem projected. A set screw was screw threaded relative to the collar and adjustment of the extent to which the stem projected into the reservoir was a two handed operation. The container needed to be held, the set screw operated, the stem shifted to the desired position and the set screw was then tightened while the container was held to lock the stem relative to the collar. 
   The stem had a passage through which the fluid from the container would flow to fill the reservoir. This passage to a degree allowed air to enter the container. However, there was a tendency for a partial vacuum to form in the container and this often resulted in prevention of flow of fluid from the container. Flow of fluid through this passage was not smooth. 
   A screw threaded driven clamp was used to lock the apparatus to the neck of the brake fluid reservoir. This did not provide a quick and effective means for securing the apparatus to the brake fluid reservoir. 
   OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the invention to at least minimise some of the disadvantages mentioned above. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to one aspect, the invention provides a filling apparatus attachable to a neck of a fluid reservoir, the apparatus having a container for fluid, a stem extending from the container, a first passage extending through the stem for allowing fluid to flow from the container to the reservoir, a second passage extending through the stem for allowing air to be introduced into the container to prevent the formation of a partial vacuum in the container when fluid is allowed to flow from the container, a tap movable between an ON and an OFF position to allow and prevent fluid and air from flowing through the passages, respectively, and a mount adapted to releasably secure the apparatus to the fluid reservoir. 
   Preferably, the mount is adjustable in its position along the stem. In one embodiment, the stem may have a screw threaded portion extending for a distance along its length. The mount may have a screw threaded aperture for engagement with the screw threaded portion of the stem. Preferably, the mount has a collar secured to it and the collar has a screw threaded aperture for engaging with the screw threaded portion of the stem. 
   The mount may have an abutment extending from it for engagement with the inside of the neck of the reservoir. The mount may have a spring biased lever adapted to engage the outside of the neck of the reservoir to allow the neck to be clamped between the lever and the abutment. The lever has an operating end and a free end for engagement with the neck. Preferably the free end is tapered. 
   The second passage through the stem may have a tube fitted to it to form an extension to the passage. The tube has an end that terminates adjacent to and short of a base of the container. 
   Preferably the tap simultaneously allows or prevents the flow of fluid in both passages. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a partial sectional view of a filling apparatus of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a partial sectional view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  shown mounted to a brake fluid reservoir; 
       FIG. 3  is a partial exploded view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of part of an ON/OFF tap of the apparatus; 
       FIG. 5A  shows a view of the ON/OFF tap in its “ON” position; 
       FIG. 5B  shows a view of the tap in its “OFF” position; and, 
       FIG. 6  shows a plan view of the mount. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The filling apparatus  10  shown in  FIG. 1  has a container  11 , a cap  12 , a stem  13  and a mount  14 . 
   The container  11  has a body  15 , a neck  16  and a base  17 . The neck  16  has a threaded finish for receiving the cap  12 . The body  15  of the container  11  has dimples  18  located at spaced locations around it near the base  17 . As shown in the figure, the base  17  has a slightly recessed configuration. 
   The cap  12  has a skirt  20  with spaced ribs  21  extending around and along it and the inside of the skirt is threaded for engagement with the neck  16  of the container. 
   A wall  22  extends across the cap and an inner surface of the wall  22  carries a sealing ring  23  which seals against an end of the neck  16 . The wall  22  is formed as a separate component to the skirt  20  and has a stepped periphery received by an aperture in the skirt. 
   Stem  13  is formed integrally with the wall  22 . The stem  13  has longitudinally extending diametrically opposed flanges  25  and  26 . An ON/OFF tap  27  is present along the length of the stem  13 . The stem has a distal externally thread portion  28  and a free end  29 . Two passages extend through the stem and in  FIG. 1  only passage  30  is visible. The other passage  31  is visible in  FIG. 3 . Tube  32  forms an extension to the passage  30  and terminates adjacent to and short of the base  17 . 
   Mount  14  has a rectangular portion  35 , a collar  36  and a spring biased locking lever  37 . The biasing spring  38  has a free end  39  which engages an upper portion of the portion  35 , a coil  40  which locates about a pin  41  and a free end  42  which engages against portion  43  of the lever  37 . Portion  44  of the lever  37  has a tapered end  45 . A downwardly extending abutment  46  projects from a lower portion of the rectangular portion  35 . 
   Collar  36  is secured to rectangular portion by a circular clip  50  and has an aperture with a threaded portion  51  for engagement relative to thread portion  28  on the stem  13 . The mount  14  may be rotated relative to the stem to allow its position along the threaded portion  28  to be adjusted. 
     FIG. 2  shows the apparatus  10  mounted relative to a brake fluid reservoir  50 . Rectangular portion  35  is positioned to extend across the open top of the reservoir  50  with the abutment  46  being located against the inside of the neck  53  of the reservoir  50 . The position of portion  35  along the length of the stem  13  is adjusted so that end  29  is at the desired level within the reservoir. When brake fluid  51  within the reservoir is removed during a brake line bleeding operation, fluid  52  within the container  11  automatically replenishes the reservoir  50  with fluid up to a level dictated by the location of end  29  within the reservoir  50 . 
   Spring  38  biases the tapered end  45  of the lever against the neck  53  of the reservoir  50  and the neck  53  is clamped securely between end  45  and abutment  46 . 
     FIG. 3  shows an exploded view of the ON/OFF tap  27 . The tap  27  has a housing  60  formed integrally with the stem  13 . Passages  30 ,  31  extend through the stem  13  and tube  32  forms an extension to passage  30 . In  FIG. 2  detail of passage  30  in the vicinity of the tap  27  is shown. The passage  30  has L shaped regions  61 ,  62  (see  FIG. 2 ). Passage  31  is similarly configured. 
   The tap  27  has a housing  60  and an operator  65  which is received by the housing  60 . The operator  65  has a flange  66  which may be grasped by a user to rotate the operator  65  relative to the housing  60 . The rotation of the operator  65  relative to the housing  60  is limited by the extent of a recess  67  formed in skirt  68  of the housing  60  and by a stop  69  (see  FIG. 4 ) formed on the operator. The operator  65  has a groove  70  for receiving seal  71 . Inserts  72 ,  73  are received within cavities  74 ,  75  in the housing. Apertures  76  in insert  72  align with bores  78  in the housing. Apertures  77  in insert  73  align with bores  79  in the housing. Bores  79  communicate with portions  61 ,  62  of the passage  30 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , the inner face  80  of the operator  65  has two elongate cavities  81 ,  82 . Operator  65  is fixed to the housing  60  by a screw  83 . 
   When cavity  81  is in alignment with apertures  76  and bores  78  fluid may flow through the passage  31 . This alignment is shown in  FIG. 5A  which shows the tap  27  in its “ON” position. When cavity  82  is in alignment with apertures  77  and bores  79  fluid may flow through passage  30 . This alignment is shown in  FIG. 5A  which shows the tap in its “ON” position. When the tap  27  is in its “ON” position fluid may flow through both passages  30 ,  31 . When the cavities  81 ,  82  are out of the alignment described the tap  27  is in its “OFF” position and fluid is no longer able to flow through passages  30 ,  31 . This misaligned position results through rotation of the operator  65  and this misalignment is shown in  FIG. 5B . 
     FIG. 6  shows a plan view of the mount  14 . The mount  14  has a rectangular portion  35  which has a width less than the diameter of the neck of the reservoir  50 . The abutment  46  which extends from the rectangular portion  35  has an arcuate shape to follow the contour of the inside of the neck of the reservoir  50 . End  43  of the lever  37  is enlarged as shown. The lever has flanges  90 ,  91  through which pin  41  (see  FIG. 1 ) may pass. Ends of the pin  41  are received in the adjacent portions  92 ,  93  of the mount  14 . 
   In use, the cap  12  is removed from the body  15  of the container  11  and is filled with fluid  52 . The cap  12  is screwed onto the neck  16  of the container. 
   The tap  27  is moved to its “OFF” position ( FIG. 5B ) and the container  11  is inverted as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   A closure is removed from fluid reservoir  50  and the mount  14  is clamped to the neck  53  of the reservoir  50  in a one handed operation. The container  11  is rotated to cause the stem  13  to rotate relative to the mount  14  to position end  29  at the required level within the reservoir  50 . 
   The tap  27  is moved to its open position. This allows fluid to flow from the container  11 , through passage  31  and into the reservoir. The tube  32  and passage  30  allows air to enter the container  11  to prevent the formation of a partial vacuum in the container  11 . The formation of a partial vacuum has the tendency to form a vacuum lock which inhibits or prevents fluid from flowing from the container  11 . When the reservoir  50  is filled up to a level dictated by end  29  of the stem  13 , ends of the passages  30 ,  31  are immersed in fluid  51  at which time no further fluid  52  is able to flow through passage  31  and no air is able to flow through passage  30 . The brake bleeding operation may then commence. As fluid  51  is drained from the reservoir  50  more fluid  52  is able to flow into the reservoir and air may flow into the container to prevent formation of a partial vacuum in the container  11 . Once the bleeding operation is complete tap  27  is turned to its “OFF” position and the apparatus is unclamped from the neck  53  of the reservoir  50 . This is a one handed operation. 
   The spring based clamping action securely locks the apparatus relative to the neck of the reservoir. The adjustment of the position of end  29  within the reservoir to control the level of fluid within the reservoir is a one handed operation and simply requires rotation of the stem  13  relative to the mount  14 . 
   The venting of the container  11  to prevent formation of a partial vacuum within the container  11  allows the passages  30 ,  31  to be of a relatively small transverse area and results in a more compact apparatus. 
   End  29  may terminate at an angle as shown in  FIG. 3 . This places the opening of the passage  30  above the opening in passage  31  relative to the level of fluid  51  in the reservoir. This ensures that the container  11  is always vented. However, such a configuration is not essential and the openings in the passages may be at the same height and the stem may have a square rather than an inclined end.