GASOLINE TANK ADAPTER

ADAPTATEUR DE RESERVOIR D'ESSENCE

English Abstract

A fuel can adapter is used for adapting standard fuel carrier cans for use as temporary fuel tanks for outboard motors and the like. The adapter has a tapered bung that fits snugly into the necks of all common fuel cans and a peripheral flange at the top end of the bung. The thimble supplied with the fuel can for use on the fuel can neck is threaded onto the neck over the adapter for holding the adapter in place. A fuel passage through the bung is connected at the bottom end with a nipple which is in turn connected to a flexible fuel suction line extending from the bung to the bottom of the can. At the top end of the bung is a conventional fuel tank coupling for connection to the coupling component on the end of an outboard motor fuel line. In preferred embodiments, the bung is equipped with an air passage and a check valve for allowing air to enter the can while preventing the flow of air or fuel from the can.

French Abstract

Un adaptateur de bidon de carburant est utilisé pour adapter des bidons de transport de carburant standard en tant que réservoirs de carburant temporaires pour des moteurs hors-bord ou semblables. L'adaptateur présente un bouchon conique qui s'insère parfaitement dans les goulots de tous les bidons de carburant courants et une bride périphérique à l'extrémité supérieure du bouchon. Une bague fournie dans le bidon de carburant à utiliser sur le goulot du bidon de carburant est enfilée par filetage sur le goulot sur l'adaptateur pour maintenir l'adaptateur en place. Un passage de carburant à travers le bouchon est relié à l'extrémité inférieure avec un embout fileté qui est à son tour relié à une ligne d'aspiration de carburant flexible s'étendant à partir du bouchon vers le fond du bidon. Sur l'extrémité supérieure du bouchon se trouve un couplage de réservoir de carburant ordinaire pour le raccordement au composant de couplage sur l'extrémité d'une ligne de carburant de moteur hors-bord. Dans des modes de réalisation préférés, le bouchon est muni d'un passage d'air passage et d'un clapet antiretour pour permettre à l'air d'entrer dans le bidon tout en empêchant le débit d'air ou de carburant provenant du bidon.

Claims

5
Embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is
claimed
are defined as follows:
1. An adapter for fuel carrier cans having pouring necks, said
adapter comprising:
a bung having an outer surface of frustoconical shape adapted
for sealing engagement in the fuel can necks along the frustoconical surface;
a filange projecting laterally from the top end of the bung;
a first fuel line coupling component mounted on the top end of the
bung for connection to a second fuel line coupling component;
a fuel passage through the bung communicating with the first fuel
line coupling component; and
a fuel line connector on a bottom end of the bung, communicating
with the fuel passage for connection to a fuel suction line.
2. An adapter according to Claim 1 including an annular seal
surrounding the outer surface of the bung adjacent the flange.
3. An adapter according to Claim 1 or 2 including a flexible fuel
suction line with a delivery end connected to the fuel line connector.
4. An adapter according to Claim 3 including a fuel strainer
connected to an inlet end of the flexible fuel suction line.
5. An adapter according to any one of Claims 1 through 4 including
an air passage through the bung from the top end to the bottom end.
6. An adapter according to Claim 5 including a check valve in the air
passage for allowing air to pass through the bung from the top end to the
bottom end.

Description

CA 02228569 2003-02-11
GASOLINE TANK ADAPTER
The present invention relates to the adaptation of conventional fiuel
carrier cans for use as temporary fuel tanks for outboard and other portable
motors.
Outboard motors, and some other portable motors, are often supplied
with fuel through flexible fuel lines from fuel tanks that are supplied by the
motor
manufacturer. In many cases the fuel tanks will not carry the full quantity of
fuel that
may be required, so that fuel carrier cans are often kept on hand to provide
the extra
fuel for refilling the fuel tank should it run dry. Under some circumstances,
it may not
be possible or practical to refuel a fuel tank from a fuel carrier can. One
example of
such a circumstance is in a boat on rough water.
The present invention aims at the provision ofi a mechanism allowing the
use of a common fiuel carrier can as a temporary fuel supply tank_ Common fuel
carrier cans of the relevant type are usually made from molded plastic
material. They
have pouring necks with threaded on caps. In most instances, the caps are
compound elements that include an auxiliary spout and a thimble for screwing
the
spout onto the container neck.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an adapter for
fuel carrier cans having pouring necks, said adapter comprising:
a bung having an outer surtace of frustoconica( shape adapted
for sealing engagement in the fuel can necks along the frustoconical surface;
a flange projecting laterally from the top end of the bung;
a ~frst fuel line coupling component mounted on the top end of the
bung for connection to a second fuel line coupling component;
a fuel passage through the bung communicating with the first fuel
line coupling component; and

CA 02228569 1998-02-04
2
a fuel line connector on a bottom end of the bung,
communicating with the fuel passage for connection to a fuel suction line.
The adapter preferably has an air passage through the bung, with a one
way valve for admitting air into the can to replace fuel drawn from the can,
while
permitting fuel and air from flowing out of the can.
The adapter is preferably supplied with a fuel line sufficiently long to
extend to the bottom of the common fuel carrier cans.
The tapered outer surface of the adapter is sized to engage inside the
necks of most commonly available plastic fuel carrier cans. The thimble part
of the
cap is then placed over the adapter and screwed onto the neck to hold the
adapter in
place.
For the larger sizes of can necks, the adapter may have a seal ring
under the flange and around the top of the tapered surface to engage and seal
against the end of the neck.
Fuel line couplings used on commercially available fuel tanks can be
installed on the bung, providing a direct connection to the mating coupling
component on the fuel line for the motor.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 1 is an isometric view of the adapter according to the present
invention; and
Figure 2 is a cross section of the adapter.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated an adapter
10 for converting a standard fuel carrier can for use as a temporary fuel
tank. The
adapter includes a bung 12 with a frustoconical outer surface 14 tapering from
the

CA 02228569 1998-02-04
3
top end 16 to the bottom end 18 of the bung. The diameter of the adapter and
the
taper angle are selected such that the bung will fit snugly into the necks of
the
commonly available fuel carrier cans.
At the top end of the bung is a peripheral, laterally projecting flange 20.
On the under side of the flange is an annular groove 22 that serves as a seat
for an
O-ring 24. The O-ring will engage against the ends of the larger sizes of neck
with
which the adapter is to be used.
A fuel passage 26 runs through the bung from the top end to the bottom
end. At the top end it has a threaded counterbore 28 into which a fuel line
coupling
component 30 is screwed. The coupling component 30 is a standard component
that
engages a second coupling component 32 for delivering fuel to a motor fuel
line.
On the bottom end of the bung is a nipple 34 that serves as a connector
for a flexible fuel suction line 36 that is sufficiently long to reach to the
bottom of the
fuel carrier cans with which the adapter is to be used. At the inlet end of
the fuel
suction line is a strainer element 38.
The bung 12 also has a through air passage 40 extending from the top
end 16 to the bottom end 18. At the top end of the bung, the air passage is
equipped
with a check valve 42 that allows air to pass through the bung from the top to
the
bottom, while preventing the passage of air and fuel from the bottom to the
top. This
admits air into the can to replace fuel drawn out during use as a fuel tank,
while
leaving the can sealed against leakage through an open air vent.
In use, the fuel line 36 and strainer 38 are inserted into the neck 44 of a
fuel can, the bung 12 is engaged in the neck and held in place using the
thimble 46
that is supplied with the can. This provides a complete adaptation of the fuel
can for
use as a temporary fuel tank.

CA 02228569 1998-02-04
4
While one embodiment of the present invention has been described in
the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible
within the
scope of the invention and are intended to be included herein. The invention
is to be
considered limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.

Representative Drawing