Patent Publication Number: US-6983868-B1

Title: Fuel container

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not applicable. 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not applicable. 
   REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
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   AUTHORIZATION PURSUANT TO 37 C.F.R. § 1.71(d)(e) 
   A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to storage, transport, and dispensing containers for fuels. More particularly, this invention relates to a container having a novel dispensing arrangement for storing and dispensing of fuels, especially gasoline and diesel fuel. 
   2. Background Art 
   Storage containers with spouts have been used for many years for storing, transporting, and dispensing fuels, most especially gasoline due to its common use. Most often a spout is provided for dispensing the fuel from the container to a destination such as a fuel tank for an automobile, lawn mower, lamp, stove, another storage container used for mixing fuel and oil for two-stroke engines, etc. Commonly, the spout is flexible, but rigid spouts have been included with fuel containers. Frequently, the spout is removed for transport and compact storage. 
   Visually, typical spouting presents a difficulty in avoiding spillage. The spouts provided on present-day fuel containers are opaque. The presence and location of fuel within the spout is not known until the fuel exits the spout, at which time, the spout may be oriented or aimed imprecisely for dispensing the fuel to its desired destination. 
   Usually, a cap or plug is included to seal off the spout if the spout is not removed for transport. When no provision for plugging the spout is provided, or the provision is unused, there is danger of fuel being spilled during transport, as well as evaporation of the fuel. Evaporation is both wasteful and dangerous. If a plug or cap is provided, it may easily be misplaced, especially at the gasoline pump where such plugs are sometimes left behind. In addition, when the contents of a fuel container warm up, pressure may build up inside the container, causing a plug to eject from its place in the spout. Finally, a place must be found for the plug or cap when pouring fuel. Often, the surroundings of the fuel tank are unsuitable for keeping the plug or cap clean. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,036 Messner disclosed a gasoline container having a significantly rigid spout having a plug. The plug is removed from the end of the spout for dispensing the fuel by pressing on a spring loaded rod opposite the dispensing end of the spout. The plug and actuation assembly disclosed by Messner is complex and expensive to manufacture. 
   There is therefore, a need for a fuel container having a translucent or transparent, flexible spout and a simple, thumb-activated valve. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a flexible spout or hose on a portable fuel container. Such a spout or hose will be translucent or transparent so the fuel will be visible from the outside of the spout. Over the past several decades, plastics have been developed that are inexpensive and resistant to chemical reaction. In addition, they are light and versatile. A flexible or rigid plastic hose or spout, sufficiently transparent for a user to clearly see the free surface of the fuel being delivered by the spout, is quite feasible. 
   A transparent or translucent funnel affixed to the end of the spout represents another advantage of this invention. Such a funnel may take the form of a roughly truncated cone shape, having a smaller cross-sectional area at a discharge end than an end connected to the spout. The cross-section of the funnel may also take the form of a semicircle, being open at the top and providing an open channel through which the fuel flows with a free surface. 
   In either case, the discharge end of the funnel is sufficiently small in dimensions to fit into a fuel port for dispensing. The size may vary depending on the application. If the fuel container is to be used for fueling modern automobiles and trucks, the funnel shall also be sufficiently rigid so the flap found in the goose-neck of the fuel tanks of such vehicles may be pushed open for fueling. 
   An additional advantage of the present invention is the inclusion of a simple, thumb-operated valve near the end of the spout. The valve may be actuated with the same hand holding and controlling the spout. The valve is attached to the spout or the funnel, so it will not be misplaced or forgotten, nor will pressure inside the container cause it to eject. Preferably, the valve is located between the spout discharge and the funnel inlet. In this way, the valve is effective in stopping the flow of fuel, while being out of the way when dispensing the fuel. 
   For the purposes of this application, the term “clear” is hereby defined as passing sufficient light such that a free surface of a liquid fuel is discernable in normal daylight. Therefore, clear covers both transparent and sufficiently translucent for the purposed of this invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a portable fuel container of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevation of a funnel having a valve for the fuel container of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a frontal elevation view of the valve for use with the fuel container of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the funnel and valve used with the fuel container of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   In  FIG. 1 , a fuel container  100  having the advantages previously listed is shown. In addition to the advantages mentioned, the fuel container  100  shown in  FIG. 1  is portable and the transport features comprise a carrying strap  110  and a handle  120 . The fuel container  100  may be filled through a filling port  130 . While dispensing fuel, air is permitted to enter the fuel container  100  via an air vent  140  which is preferably located opposite the discharge port to assure an air pocket under the air vent  140  while pouring. A window strip  150  permits a fuel can user to visually detect the level of the fuel in the fuel container  100 . 
   A fuel spout assembly  160  is provided for dispensing the liquid fuel from the fuel container  100 . The spout assembly  160  preferably comprises a flexible, clear hose or spout  170 , a clear funnel  180  and a valve assembly  190 . A spout clamp  195  may be provided to keep the spout  170  in a roughly vertical position as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   The funnel  180  and valve assembly  190  are detailed in  FIGS. 2–4 . The funnel  180  is preferably a channel, having a half-circular cross-section as is most clearly seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . When fueling a motor vehicle  250 , the funnel  180  will preferably be sized and sufficiently rigid to provide the force required to open the flap  260  installed in modern motor vehicle fuel tank ports. 
   The valve assembly  190  comprises a thumb tab  210 , a stopper  220 , and a spring  230 . The spring  230  may be a coil spring, a leaf spring, an elastic member, or any configuration providing a force to hold the disk-shaped stopper  220  in a closed position while permitting a user to open the stopper by countering the closing force. This is effected by pressing the thumb tab  210  toward the spout  170 . The thumb tab  210  may be rigidly affixed to the stopper  220 , or gearing may be provided to accentuate the angular displacement of the stopper  220  relative to a hinge  240 , compared to the angular displacement of the thumb tab  210 , also relative to the hinge  240 . In other words, it may prudent to have the rotation of the stopper  220  from fully closed to fully open to be near 90°, while the thumb tab  210  may only rotate 40°, for instance. 
   To use the fuel container  100  of the present invention, the fuel container  100  is positioned at a suitable elevation for the fuel to gravity flow to the dispensing point. The spout  170  is removed from the spout clamp  195  and the funnel  180  placed in position to dispense fuel to the desired destination. The operator applies pressure to the thumb tab  210  at which time the valve stopper  220  pivots upward to permit the fuel to flow from the spout  170  to the funnel  180  and to the fuel&#39;s destination. The flow of fuel may be terminated at any time by releasing the user&#39;s force on the thumb tab  210 . The stopper  220  will return to its place keeping the fuel from exiting the spout  170 . 
   The above embodiment is the preferred embodiment, but this invention is not limited thereto. It is, therefore, apparent that many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.