Patent ID: 8720721

Claim:
A capless refueling system comprising: a valve assembly adapted for disposition in inserted, locked relation at an axial opening in a fuel pipe having an outwardly projecting lip, the valve assembly including a lower body portion and a cover independent from the lower body portion; the lower body portion including an upper ring segment having a pattern of surface face grooves extending from an upper edge, the lower body portion further including a seat for a sealing element for disposition between the lower body portion and an inner surface of the fuel pipe, and wherein the lower body portion houses a primary shutoff valve and a first biasing spring urging the primary shutoff valve to a normally closed position, wherein the first biasing spring is disposed at a position below the seat for the sealing element; the cover having an upper portion and a reduced diameter sleeve extending away from the upper portion, wherein a plurality of detents extends radially inwardly from an inner surface of the sleeve, the sleeve having an inner diameter such that the upper ring segment of the lower body portion fits in sliding relation within the sleeve with the detents riding within the complementary surface face grooves such that relative rotation of the cover to the lower body portion causes the detents to travel along the surface face grooves into locked relation relative to the upper ring segment, whereby the cover and the lower body portion are locked together, and wherein the cover includes a plurality of receptors disposed about the perimeter adapted to receive and retain radially projecting segments of the fuel pipe lip, whereby axial withdrawal of the cover from the fuel pipe is blocked and wherein the cover houses an access valve normally biased to a closed condition.