Patent Publication Number: US-6988519-B2

Title: Filler device, particularly an oil filler device on an internal-combustion engine

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention is related to a filler device, particularly an oil filler device on an internal-combustion engine, comprising a filler neck and a closing cap closing a filler opening at the filler neck, which said closing cap has a cap bottom, a surrounding cap wall originating from the cap bottom, and a centering element arranged in an interior on the closing cap, said centering element interacting with a countercentering element situated on the filler neck. 
   A filler device of the above-mentioned type is known from German Patent Document DE 39 27 325 C2 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,115. This filler device comprises a filler neck having the filler opening and a cup-shaped closing cap closing the filler opening, which closing cap has a cap bottom, a surrounding cap wall originating from the cap bottom, and a centering element which is arranged in the interior on the closing cap and which interacts with a countercentering element constructed on the filler neck. In the case of the known filler device, the centering element is constructed as a tube-shaped lengthening which is situated approximately parallel and at a radial distance with respect to the surrounding cap wall and has an outside diameter which is adapted to the inside diameter of the filler opening. No distance exists between the centering element and the interior pipe surface of the filler neck, so that the interior pipe surface forms the countercentering element. 
   It is an aspect of the invention to provide a filler device, in the case of which a centering of the closing cap takes place in a reliable manner independently of the filler neck. 
   This aspect may be achieved in that the countercentering element is situated at a radial distance with respect to an interior pipe surface of the filler neck and within an end section of the filler neck in an area of the filler opening. Additional characteristics further developing the invention and embodiments thereof are described in the subclaims and herein below. 
   Principal advantages achieved by way of certain preferred embodiments of the invention are that the centering is achieved in a reliable manner, which is important for a tight closing of the filler opening, of the closing cap on the filler neck, which has, for example, a tapering and/or curved course, or also in the case of relatively short filler necks. By way of the centering and by way of a separate countercentering element within the filler neck, a precise centering of the closing cap can be achieved independently of the course of the filler neck. In addition, it is advantageous that, as a result of the radial distance of the countercentering element from the interior surface of the pipe and thus also the increased distance of the centering element from the cap wall, a correspondingly large space is created for the arrangement of a sealing device which therefore permits an optimized sealing design. 
   According to a further development, the countercentering element is held or supported in a simple manner at a distance from the interior pipe surface by way of at least one web which extends in the radial direction. 
   In a construction variant, the countercentering element is optionally produced in that its web is in one piece with the filler neck. According to another construction variant, the countercentering element may also be implemented as an insert which in this manner may optionally be used on filler necks without any centering as a retrofitting. 
   The centering of the closing cap according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention is preferably used on filler necks which are bent at right angles, are angular, or extend in an angular fashion and/or taper and, in the case of which, the length of the end section having the filler opening would not be sufficient for guiding, in the axial direction, the centering element. The axial length of the countercentering element can therefore be selected to be larger than or equal to the length of the end section of the neck. 
   Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows the side view of a filler neck of a filler device; 
       FIG. 2  shows the top view of a filler neck of a filler device; and 
       FIG. 3  shows a sectional view of a closing cap for the filler neck of the filler device according to  FIGS. 1 and 2  respectively. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1  (lateral view) and  FIG. 2  (perspective view) show a filler neck  1  which, by way of its one end, may be connected with a reservoir or tank and, on its other end  2 , has a filler opening  3  which can be connected with a closing cap  4  ( FIG. 3 ) by a fitting onto the filler neck  1 . The closing cap  4  and the filler neck  1  form a filler device  5  which, in particular, is an oil filler device for lubricating oil of an internal-combustion engine of a motor vehicle. For this purpose, the filler neck  1  may be connected, for example, in a swivellable manner by way of its end not shown here with the internal-combustion engine. 
   The filler neck  1  is implemented as a pipe which extends in an angular manner in the illustrated embodiment and has the filler opening  3  at its short angular end section. The connecting section  7  of the filler neck  1  connected with the internal-combustion engine may extend in a straight manner or optionally in sections in a bent manner. The axial length L 1  of the end section  6  is significantly smaller than the axial length L 2  of the connecting section  7 . Instead of the angular end section  6 , a bent pipe section or a pipe section bent at right angles may also be provided as the end section. In addition, the end section  6 —viewed from the filler opening  3  in the direction to the connecting section  7 —may be constructed to be tapering and/or—as illustrated in FIG.  1 —change by way of another pipe section  7 ′ with a curve, an angle or a bending at right angles into the connecting section  7 . Preferably, the filler neck  1  is produced in that its sections  6 ,  7 ,  7 ′ are in one piece as a plastic part. 
   On the exterior pipe surface  8  of the filler neck  1 , a first securing element  9  of a closing cap securing device  10  is constructed on the end section  6 , which securing element  9  interacts with a second securing element  12  arranged on the closing cap  4 , particularly on the interior cap side  11 , in order to be able to fasten the closing cap  4  on the filler neck  1 . The closing cap securing device  10  is preferably constructed as a screw cap or as a bayonet cap. 
   The cup-shaped closing cap  4  is formed by a closing bottom  13 , a surrounding closing wall  14  originating from the bottom  13 , and a centering element  15  arranged in the interior on the closing cap  4 , thus, on the interior side  11 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the second securing element  12  is situated on the interior side  11  in the area of the closing wall  14 , particularly at its free end  16 , and projects radially to the interior, so that it can engage with the first securing element  9  projecting from the exterior pipe wall  8 . In the transition area  17  from the bottom  13  to the wall, a surrounding sealing device  18  is also arranged on the interior side  11 , which sealing device  18  may be implemented as a sealing ring and sealingly rests on a conically tapering sealing flange  19  on the end section  6 . Since the inside diameter of the cap  4  is larger than the outside diameter of the neck  1  in the area of the filler opening  3 , the sealing device  18  rests on the exterior pipe surface  8  when the cap  4  is fitted by way of its interior side  11  on the filler neck  1  reaching over the latter and, in the process, closes the filler opening  3 . In particular, the cap  4 , together with the bottom  13 , the wall  14  and the centering element  15  is constructed in one piece of a plastic material. 
   The centering element  15 , which originates on the interior side  11  at the center on the floor  13  or extends coaxially with respect to the cap wall  14  and therefore extends in the axial direction, is implemented as a first pipe piece  20  which has a circular cross-section. When the cap  4  is fitted onto the filler neck  1 , the centering element  15 , whose axial length L 3  is greater than the axial length L 4  of the closing wall  14  and therefore projects over its free end  16 , engages with a countercentering element  21  arranged within the filler neck  1 , whereby the cap  4  is aligned relative to the mouth edge  22  surrounding the filler opening  3  or is centered with respect to the filler opening  3 . 
   The axial length L 5  of the countercentering element  21 , which is constructed as a second pipe piece  23  with a circular cross-section, may be greater than or equal to the axial length L 1  of the end section  6  of the filler neck  1  because the countercentering element  21  is situated in the area of the filler opening  3  or in the end section  6  with a radial distance RA with respect to the interior pipe surface  24 . 
   Like the centering element  15 , the countercentering element  21  is arranged coaxially with respect to the surrounding wall—here, the pipe wall of the filler neck  1 —so that it is situated in the center in the filler opening  3 . One or more radially extending webs  25  are used as spacers between the interior pipe surface  24  and the pipe piece  23 . If several webs  25  are provided, these are arranged to be distributed around the circumference of the second pipe piece  23 . They may start out from the countercentering element  21  or the filler neck  1  or may be produced as separate parts. As an alternative, it is conceivable to produce the countercentering element  21  and the webs  25  in one piece with the neck  1  or to optionally produce the countercentering element  21  with its webs  25  separately and to place it as an insert  26  in the filler neck  1  and fasten it thereto, for example, by gluing. 
   The outside diameter DA of the centering element  15  is adapted to the inside diameter ID of the countercentering element  21 ; that is, DA&lt;ID, so that the centering element  15  is, in particular, slidingly guided in the axial direction on the countercentering element  21  when the cap  4  is placed on the neck  1 . Since the length L 5  of the countercentering element  21  is greater than the length L 1  of the end section  6 , independently of the axial course (bent at right angles or angular) of the neck  1 , the closing cap  4  can be axially guided along a corresponding length, which prevents a tilting of the closing cap  4 . Thus, it can be fitted on in a precise position and without any tendency to tilt, so that, on the one hand, the two securing elements  9  and  12  reliably engage in one another and, on the other hand, the sealing device  18  comes to be situated in the correct position with respect to the sealing flange  19 . However, it is also conceivable that the securing element  12  acts as an additional centering device together with the exterior pipe surface  8  if the centering element  15  is pushed correspondingly far into the countercentering element  21 . In the case of this additional centering, the countercentering element  21  could also be further developed to be shorter than the end section  6 . As a result of the fact that the countercentering element  21  or the second pipe piece  23  is situated at a distance RA coaxially within the filler neck  1 , the countercentering element  21  can project into the connecting section  7 , which permits a long axial guidance of the centering element  15 .