Filler neck closure detector

Abstract

A fuel system includes a fuel tank filler neck, a filler neck closure, and a filler neck closure location monitor associated with the fuel tank filler neck and the filler neck closure.

1 . A filler neck closure detector comprising 
 a filler neck,    a filler neck closure adapted to be coupled to the filler neck to establish a home position closing an open mouth into a fuel-conducting passageway formed in the filler neck, and    a filler neck closure location monitor including a warning indicator and detection means for activating the warning indicator upon movement of the filler neck closure to an away position uncoupled from the filler neck to provide a message to a user that the filler neck closure has been removed from the filler neck and for deactivating the warning indicator upon movement of the filler neck closure to the home position coupled to the filler neck to provide a message to a user that the filler neck closure has been mounted on the filler neck.    
     
     
         2 . The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the detection means includes a tag coupled to the filler neck closure, a transceiver coupled to the filler neck, and a control unit coupled to the transceiver and to the warning indicator, and the transceiver is formed to include means for sensing the presence of the tag in the filler neck and instructing the control unit to activate the warning indicator only when the tag has been removed from the filler neck.  
     
     
         3 . The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the detection means includes a tag coupled to the filler neck closure, a transceiver coupled to the filler neck, and a control unit coupled to the transceiver and to the warning indicator, the transceiver includes means for emitting a tag locator signal in the filler neck, the tag includes broadcast means energized by receipt of the tag locator signal emitted by the transceiver for broadcasting a tag-located signal to the transceiver upon movement of the filler neck closure to the home position in the filler neck, and the transceiver further includes signal receiver means for receiving the tag-located signal broadcast by the tag to verify the presence of the tag and the filler neck closure in the filler neck and instructor means for instructing the control unit to deactivate the warning indicator upon receipt of the tag-located signal broadcast by the tag and for instructing the control unit to activate the warming indicator upon failure to receive the tag-located signal broadcast by the tag.  
     
     
         4 . The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the filler neck closure includes a hand grip, a tag carrier, and a retainer configured to mate with the filler neck to retain the filler neck closure in the home position and interposed between and coupled to each of the hand grip and tag carrier, and the tag is coupled to the tag carrier.  
     
     
         5 . The detector of  claim 4 , wherein the filler neck includes a fuel pipe and a closure receiver coupled to an outer portion of the fuel pipe and the transceiver is coupled to the closure receiver.  
     
     
         6 . The detector of  claim 5 , wherein the closure receiver includes an annular side wall having an upper perimeter edge formed to include an open mouth adapted to receive the filler neck closure therein upon movement of the filler neck closure to assume the home position in the filler neck, the closure receiver further includes a floor formed to include an opening communicating with a liquid fuel-receiving passageway formed in the fuel pipe and coupled to the annular side wall to define an interior region receiving the tag carrier and the tag upon movement of the filler neck closure to assume the home position.  
     
     
         7 . The detector of  claim 6 , wherein the transceiver is coupled to the annular side wall of the closure receiver.  
     
     
         8 . The detector of  claim 7 , wherein the transceiver is positioned to lie outside the liquid fuel-receiving passageway formed in the fuel pipe.  
     
     
         9 . The detector of  claim 6 , wherein the transceiver is coupled to the floor of the closure receiver.  
     
     
         10 . The detector of  claim 9 , wherein the transceiver is positioned to lie inside the liquid fuel-receiving passageway formed in the fuel pipe.  
     
     
         11 . A filer neck closure detector comprising 
 a filler neck,    a filler neck closure adapted to be coupled to the filler neck to establish a home position closing an open mouth into a fuel-conducting passageway formed in the filler neck, and    a filler neck closure location monitor including a tag coupled to the filler neck closure, a transceiver coupled to the filler neck, a control unit coupled to the transceiver, a power supply coupled to the control unit, and a warning indicator coupled to the control unit.    
     
     
         12 . The detector of  claim 11 , wherein the transceiver includes means for emitting an electromagnetic tag locator signal that has an effective range generally inside the filler neck that can be received by the tag upon movement of the filler neck closure to assume the home position, the tag includes means for converting electromagnetic energy received from the tag locator signal into a tag-located signal upon movement of the filler neck closure to assume the home position and broadcasting the tag-located signal to the transceiver, the transceiver includes means for receiving the tag-located signal broadcast by the tag and sending a closure-is-home signal to the control unit whenever a tag-located signal is received by the transceiver, and the control unit includes means for turning the warning indicator off whenever a closure-is-home signal is received from the transceiver and means for turning the warning indicator on whenever a closure-is-home signal is not received from the transceiver.