Patent ID: 7565986

Claim:
A fuel tank, comprising: a shell defining an interior for holding fuel and having an opening for receiving fuel into the interior of the shell, the shell having at least an outer layer of a polymeric material and a vapor barrier layer of a polymeric material different than the polymeric material of the outer layer; a separate one-piece fuel fill nipple having an outer surface and an inner surface defining a passage extending between a pair of generally opposed open ends of the fill nipple with one open end attached to the shell with the passage aligned with the opening in the shell for allowing fuel to flow though the passage and into the shell, the fill nipple has an inner layer of a polymeric material forming the inner surface of the fill nipple, an outer layer of polymeric material forming the outer surface of the fill nipple, a vapor barrier layer of a polymeric material different than the polymeric material of the inner and outer layers and disposed between and adhered to the inner and outer layers, and a pair of adhesive layers with one adhesive layer disposed between the outer layer and the vapor barrier layer and the other adhesive layer disposed between the inner layer and the vapor barrier layer, the vapor barrier layer being separate and spaced from the vapor barrier layer of the shell; at least the outer layer of the shell and the inner layer of the fill nipple welded together circumferentially continuously around the opening; and a separate cover with an inner layer of a polymeric material welded to the outer layer of the shell and circumferentially continuously around the fill nipple and welded to the outer layer of the fill nipple circumferentially continuously around the fill nipple and spanning the area of attachment of the fill nipple to the shell and with a vapor barrier layer of a polymeric material different than the polymeric material of the inner layer of the cover and adhered to the inner layer of the cover.