FILLING APPARATUS FOR A VEHICLE TANK

Abstract

The invention relates to a filling apparatus for a vehicle tank, comprising a filling head, through which a liquid to be filled into the vehicle tank can be filled and on the outer side of which a fastening flange is provided, wherein a fastening device is provided, by way of which the filling head can be fastened releasably to a filling pipe which is connected to the vehicle tank, the fastening device comprising a fastening ring which is formed from two ring halves, it being possible for the ring halves to be adjusted between an open position and a closed position, the ring halves holding the fastening flange of the filling head and a fastening flange of the filling pipe between them in the closed position, and the ring halves releasing the fastening flange of the filling head and the fastening flange of the filling pipe in the open position for releasing the filling head from the filling pipe.

Claims

1. A filling apparatus for a vehicle tank, comprising a filling head, through which a liquid to be filled into the vehicle tank can be filled and on the outer side of which a fastening flange is provided, wherein a fastening device is provided, by way of which the filling head can be fastened releasably to a filling pipe which is connected to the vehicle tank, the fastening device comprising a fastening ring which is formed from two ring halves, it being possible for the ring halves to be adjusted between an open position and a closed position, the ring halves holding the fastening flange of the filling head and a fastening flange of the filling pipe between them in the closed position, and the ring halves releasing the fastening flange of the filling head and the fastening flange of the filling pipe in the open position for releasing the filling head from the filling pipe.

2. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ring halves press the fastening flange of the filling head and the fastening flange of the filling pipe against one another in the closed position.

3. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ring halves in each case have a U-shaped cross section.

4. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ring halves can be connected to one another by a latching connection.

5. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the ring halves comprise in each case one latching lug which is formed at their one free end and in each case one latching receptacle which is formed at their other free end, the latching lugs being received in a latching manner in the latching receptacles in order to connect the ring halves.

6. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ring halves are connected to one another pivotably.

7. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein one of the ring halves has a latching lug at its free end, and wherein the other of the ring halves has a latching receptacle at its free end, in which latching receptacle the latching lug can be received in a latching manner in order to connect the ring halves.

8. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ring halves are of identical configuration.

9. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ring halves interact in the closed position in the manner of a bayonet closure with the fastening flange of the filling head and/or the fastening flange of the filling pipe.

10. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the ring halves have at least one pressing ramp with at least one locking recess which adjoins the at least one pressing ramp, and wherein the fastening flange of the filling head and/or the fastening flange of the filling pipe have/has at least one locking projection which is received in the at least one locking recess in the closed position.

11. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fastening flange of the filling head and/or the fastening flange of the filling pipe have/has at least one pressing ramp with at least one locking recess which adjoins the at least one pressing ramp, and wherein the ring halves have at least one locking projection which is received in the at least one locking recess in the closed position.

12. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the ring halves have at least one pressing cam which is pressed against the fastening flange of the filling head and/or the fastening flange of the filling pipe in the closed position, and/or wherein the fastening flange of the filling head and/or the fastening flange of the filling pipe have/has at least one pressing cam which is pressed against the ring halves in the closed position.

13. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a seal is arranged between the fastening flange of the filling head and the fastening flange of the filling pipe at least in the closed position.

14. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filling head is a filling head with a closure cap or a capless filling head.

15. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filling pipe is composed of a metal material or a plastic, and/or wherein the fastening ring is composed of a metal material or a plastic.

Description

[0019] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to figures, in which, schematically:

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a filling apparatus according to the invention,

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a perspective exploded view of the filling apparatus from FIG. 1,

[0022] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of parts of the filling apparatus, which is shown in FIG. 1, in a first mounting state,

[0023] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of parts of the filling apparatus, which is shown in FIG. 1, in a second mounting state,

[0024] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of parts of the filling apparatus, which is shown in FIG. 1, in a third mounting state,

[0025] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the filling head of the filling apparatus shown in FIG. 1,

[0026] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of part of the fastening ring of the filling apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and

[0027] FIG. 8 shows a partially sectioned perspective view of the filling head from FIG. 6 with the fastening ring mounted thereon.

[0028] Unless otherwise stated, identical reference numbers denote the same objects in the figures. The filling apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 serves for filling a vehicle tank with liquid, for example with fuel. The filling apparatus comprises a filling head 12, a capless filling head 12 in the example illustrated. The filling head 12 has a filling opening 14 into which a fuel pump nozzle can be introduced and hooked in place. A pivotably mounted flap 16 which is prestressed in a manner known per se into the closed position shown in the figures is arranged in the region of the filling opening 14. Said flap is opened during the introduction of a fuel pump nozzle. At its end opposite the filling opening 14, the filling head 12 has a tubular section 18 which is inserted into a filling pipe 20 connected to the vehicle tank (not shown). The filling pipe 20 and the vehicle tank can be part of the filling apparatus 10 according to the invention. Between the opposite ends of the filling head 12, the latter has an encircling fastening flange 22 on its outer side. The filling pipe 20 likewise has a fastening flange 24 at its end facing the filling head 12. In the state of the tubular section 18 in which the latter is inserted into the filling pipe 20, the fastening flange 22 of the filling head 12 bears against the fastening flange 24 of the filling pipe 20.

[0029] The filling apparatus 10 according to the invention furthermore has a fastening ring which is formed from two ring halves 26, 28 which, in the example shown, are of identical configuration and are in the form of half shells. The ring halves 26, 28 in each case have a U-shaped cross section. The ring halves 26, 28 have in each case one latching lug 30, 32 at their one free end and one latching receptacle 34, 36 at their other free end (also see the enlarged illustration in FIG. 7). The ring halves 26, 28 can be correspondingly brought from an open position, in which they are separate from each other, into a pre-closure position, in which the latching lugs 30, 32 are received in a latching manner in the latching receptacles 34, 36 and the ring halves 26, 28 form a closed fastening ring. The fastening flange 22 of the filling head 12 and the fastening flange 24 of the filling pipe 20 are received and held here in the U-shaped profile of the ring halves 26, 28.

[0030] It can be seen in the enlarged illustration of FIG. 6 that the fastening flange 22 of the filling head 12 firstly has, on its upper side which, in the mounted state, faces away from the fastening flange 24 of the filling pipe 20, a plurality of pressing ramps 38 which in each case lead into one locking recess 40. In the example illustrated, three uniformly distributed pressing ramps 38 and locking recesses 40 are arranged over the circumference of the fastening flange 22. Furthermore, in the example shown, a total of three pressing cams 42 are formed in each case between two pressing ramps 38 on the upper side of the fastening flange 22. The ring halves 26, 28 have corresponding locking projections 44 on their inner surface, which, in the mounted state, faces the upper side of the fastening flange 22 of the filling head 12 (see, for example, FIG. 7), optionally likewise in conjunction with suitable pressing ramps. In addition, a stop which is likewise provided on the two ring halves 26, 28 can be seen at the reference number 46 in FIG. 7. In the mounted state, the stops 46 of the ring halves 26, 28 interact with corresponding stops of the fastening flange 22 of the filling head 12, of which one can be seen at reference number 48 in FIG. 6.

[0031] The mounting of the filling apparatus according to the invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. In a first mounting step, the filling head 12 is inserted with the tubular section 18 thereof into the filling pipe 20, as illustrated by the arrow 50 in FIG. 3. Subsequently, the two ring halves 26, 28 are connected to each other in a latching manner from the outside and with the fastening flanges 22, 24 being accommodated, as shown by the arrows 52 in FIG. 4.

[0032] From this pre-closure position, the fastening ring formed from the ring halves 26, 28 is rotated relative to the filling head 12 and the filling pipe 20, as shown by the arrow 54 in FIG. 5. The rotation is possible until the stops 46, 48 are reached. In the process, the above-explained pressing ramps 38 and locking recesses 40, on the one hand, and the above-explained locking projections 44, on the other hand, interact in the manner of a bayonet closure, wherein the fastening flanges 22, 24 of filling head 12 and filling pipe 20 are pressed against each other. The pressing effect is further reinforced by the pressing cams 42 which bear in a pressing manner against corresponding mating surfaces of the ring halves 26, 28. As can be seen in particular in the section in FIG. 8, the locking projections 44 of the ring halves 26, 28 are received in the corresponding locking recesses 40 of the fastening flange 22 in the closed position.

[0033] Furthermore, a sealing ring can be arranged between the fastening flanges 22, 24, said sealing ring being compressed during the closing of the bayonet closure and therefore sealing the passage between filling head 12 and filling pipe 20 against an escape of liquid and/or gas.