Anti siphon tank inlet and method

Abstract

A method of fitting an anti-siphon inlet assembly to a fluid tank inlet having an extending neck. The inlet assembly comprises a generally tubular body having an inlet aperture at a first end and depending from a mounting means located at or adjacent the first end. The mounting means comprises at least one skirt spaced from a portion of the tubular member to define a gap therebetween which is open to receive the neck of the tank inlet. The tubular body is passed into said tank inlet so that the tank inlet neck is slidably received within the gap such that at least a portion of the skirt overlaps at least a portion of the inlet neck. The skirt is then secured to the inlet neck.

1 . A method of: 
 fitting an anti-siphon inlet assembly to a fluid tank inlet having an extending neck;    the inlet assembly comprising a generally tubular body having an inlet aperture at a first end and depending from a mounting means located at or adjacent said first end;    one or more apertures remote from said first end to allow the passage of fluid through the tubular body into said tank;    a blocking member disposed within said tubular body to block the passage of a siphon tube through said tubular body;    wherein the mounting means comprises a skirt spaced from a portion of the tubular member to define a gap therebetween which is configured to receive the neck of the tank inlet;    the method comprising:    passing the tubular body in to said tank inlet so that the tank inlet neck is slidably received within the gap such that at least a portion of said skirt overlaps at least a portion of the inlet neck, and    securing the skirt to the inlet neck.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said skirt comprises an annular skirt and said gap is an annular recess defined around said portion of the tubular member.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein securing the annular skirt to the inlet neck comprises bonding the skirt to the inlet neck around the circumference of the skirt.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein securing the annular skirt to the inlet comprises welding the skirt to the inlet neck around the circumference of the skirt.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein securing said skirt to the inlet neck comprises fastening the skirt to the inlet neck using fasteners.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising the step of riveting the annular skirt to the inlet neck subsequent to said bonding.  
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein an annular seal member is located around said portion of the tubular member so that said tank inlet neck is slidably received over said seal member so that the seal member provides a fluid seal between the inlet neck and the tubular member.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the skirt comprises a plurality of skirts and the gap comprises a plurality of gaps, each said skirt and the tubular body defining one of said gaps therebetween.  
   
   
       9 . A fluid tank inlet assembly adapted for fitting to a tubular neck of a fluid tank inlet, the inlet assembly comprising: 
 a generally tubular body having an inlet aperture at a first end and depending from a mounting means located at or adjacent said first end;    one or more apertures remote from said first end to allow the passage of fluid through the tubular body into said tank; and    a blocking member disposed within said tubular body to block the passage of a siphon tube through said tubular body, wherein    the mounting means comprises a skirt spaced from a portion of said tubular body, a gap being defined between said portion of tubular body and said skirt, the gap having an open end for slidably receiving a portion of the neck of a tank inlet, the gap having a radial width and a length extending from said open end to receive a neck portion of the same length, wherein the length of the gap is not less than half its radial width.    
   
   
       10 . A fluid tank inlet assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein said skirt comprises an annular skirt surrounding said portion of the tubular body and said gap comprises an annular recess defined between said portion of the tubular body and the annular skirt.  
   
   
       11 . A fluid tank inlet assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the annular skirt depends from a annular flange extending radially from the tubular body, a surface of the annular flange defining an end of the annular recess opposing said open end.  
   
   
       12 . A fluid tank inlet assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein said portion of the tubular body has an enlarged radial thickness relative to at least the majority of the tubular body depending therefrom.  
   
   
       13 . A fluid tank inlet assembly according to  claim 9 , further comprising an annular seal member disposed around said portion of the tubular body, such that the width of the gap is defined between said skirt and said seal member.  
   
   
       14 . A fluid tank inlet assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the gap has a radial width sufficient to accommodate a range of different diameter tank inlet necks.  
   
   
       15 . A fluid tank inlet assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein said first end of the tubular inlet is provided with fuel cap engagement means.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the skirt comprises a plurality of skirts and the gap comprises a plurality of gaps, each said skirt and the tubular body defining one of said gaps therebetween.  
   
   
       17 . A fluid tank inlet assembly adapted for fitting to a tubular neck of a fluid tank inlet, the inlet assembly comprising: 
 a generally tubular body having an inlet aperture at a first end and depending from a mounting means located at or adjacent said first end;    one or more apertures remote from said first end to allow the passage of fluid through the tubular body into said tank; and    a blocking member disposed within said tubular body to block the passage of a siphon tube through said tubular body, wherein    the mounting means comprises a skirt spaced from a portion of said tubular body, a gap being defined between said portion of tubular body and said skirt, the gap having an open end for slidably receiving a portion of the neck of a tank inlet, the gap having a radial width and a length extending from said open end to receive a neck portion of the same length, wherein said portion of the tubular body has an enlarged radial thickness relative to the radial thickness of at least the majority of the tubular body depending therefrom.    
   
   
       18 . A fluid tank inlet assembly according to  claim 17 , wherein said skirt comprises an annular skirt surrounding said portion of the tubular body, and said gap comprises an annular recess defined between said portion of the tubular body and the annular skirt.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the skirt comprises a plurality of skirts and the gap comprises a plurality of gaps, each said skirt and the tubular body defining one of said gaps therebetween.