US 7,344,042 B2 | ||
Cap device | ||
Hiroyuki Hagano, Aichi-ken (Japan) | ||
Assigned to Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd., Aichi-ken (Japan) | ||
Filed on Aug. 10, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/914,646. | ||
Claims priority of application No. 2003-291205 (JP), filed on Aug. 11, 2003; and application No. 2003-291210 (JP), filed on Aug. 11, 2003. | ||
Prior Publication US 2005/0040170 A1, Feb. 24, 2005 | ||
Int. Cl. B65D 41/04 (2006.01) |
U.S. Cl. 220—288 [220/DIG. 33; 220/DIG. 32; 220/298; 220/300; 220/304] | 4 Claims |
1. A cap device that closes a tank opening and engages with an opening engagement element formed around periphery of the tank
opening, the cap device comprising:
a closer that closes the tank opening with air-tight sealing and has a cap engagement element engaging with the opening engagement
element via rotation of the closer by a preset angle;
a handle mechanism that is mounted on an upper portion of the closer in a rotatable manner to rotate the closer in a closing
direction and an opening direction of the tank opening; and
a torque mechanism that is interposed between the handle mechanism and the closer, the torque mechanism having (i) a first
engagement element, and (ii) a second engagement element engaging with the first engagement element, the torque mechanism
being configured to transmit a rotational torque applied to the handle mechanism to the closer via engagement of the first
engagement element with the second engagement element, wherein
the second engagement element includes an arm support member and a torque arm protruded from the arm support member, the torque
arm having (i) an arm main body that is protruded from the arm support member and is structured as a cantilever beam with
a free end arranged to face the arm support member across a preset gap, and (ii) a torque engagement projection that is protruded
from the arm main body to engage with the first engagement element,
the torque arm being configured to be deformed in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the torque arm at a
two-point support where the free end is in contact with the arm support member, and to transmit the rotational torque in the
closing direction applied from the handle mechanism to the closer, before the engagement of the first engagement element with
the torque engagement projection is released not to transmit the rotational torque to the closer when the rotational torque
exceeds a predetermined level,
the torque mechanism has a torque plate held between the handle mechanism and the closer in a freely rotatable manner, and
the torque arm is protruded from an outer circumference of the torque plate,
the torque mechanism further comprises a third engagement element that is a torque arm that is constructed as a cantilever
beam, and engages with the first engagement element to transmit a greater rotational torque in the opening direction than
the engagement of the first engagement element with the second engagement element in response to a rotation of the handle
mechanism in the opening direction, and
the third engagement element has an engagement end at an end of the cantilever beam, the torque arm of the third engagement
element being inclined at a one-point support of a base of the torque arm under application of pressure from the first engagement
element to the engagement end.
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