Fuel Tank Inlet Device

Abstract

An inlet device ( 1 ) for a tank, the device comprising an attachment portion ( 2 ) adapted to allow the device to be secured to a tank or filler neck thereof and an inlet body portion ( 5 ) for the receipt of liquid, the inlet body portion comprising an inlet ( 12 ) for the ingress of liquid and an outlet for the egress of liquid into a tank, the inlet body portion comprising a wall portion ( 7 ) depending from a first end of the device at or in the vicinity of the inlet to an end portion ( 9 ) associated with a second end of the device, the end portion having an inner surface ( 9 a ) for the receipt of liquid and an outer surface ( 9 b ), the outlet being provided by a plurality of bores ( 10 a - e ) in a part ( 21 ) of the wall portion associated with the end portion and the inner surface of the end portion being shaped so as to direct liquid towards one or more of said bores, the inner surface of the end portion being provided with a surface of revolution for directing liquid towards one or more of said bores, one or more of said bores extending from a bore inlet ( 18 ) for the receipt of liquid to a bore outlet ( 19 ) for the egress of liquid, wherein the bore outlet has a greater cross-sectional area than the corresponding bore inlet

1 . A fuel tank inlet device for inhibiting theft of liquid fuel from a fuel tank, the device comprising an attachment portion adapted to allow the device to be secured to a fuel tank or filler neck thereof and a fuel inlet body portion for the receipt of fuel, the fuel inlet body portion comprising an inlet for the ingress of fuel and an outlet for the egress of fuel into a fuel tank,
 the fuel inlet body portion comprising a wall portion depending from a first end of the device at or in the vicinity of the inlet to an end portion associated with a second end of the device,   the end portion having an inner surface for the receipt of fuel from a nozzle and an outer surface,   the outlet being provided by a plurality of bores in a part of the wall portion associated with the end portion and the inner surface of the end portion being shaped so as to direct fuel towards one or more of said bores,   the inner surface of the end portion being provided with a surface of revolution for directing fuel towards one or more of said bores, one or more of said bores extending from a bore inlet for the receipt of fuel from a nozzle to a bore outlet for the egress of fuel, wherein the bore outlet has a greater cross-sectional area than the corresponding bore inlet.   
   
   
       2 . A fuel tank inlet device according to  claim 1  wherein the surface of revolution comprises a conical, frusto-conical, paraboloidal or horn-shaped portion for directing fuel towards one or more of said bores. 
   
   
       3 . A fuel tank inlet device according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of said bores is adjacent to, or extends to, said end portion. 
   
   
       4 . A fuel tank inlet device according to  claim 1 , wherein each bore inlet and bore outlet bounds a bore surface in the wall portion, the bore surface, in use, having a lower bore surface portion and an upper bore surface portion, wherein the lower bore surface portion extends downwardly from the bore inlet to the bore outlet. 
   
   
       5 - 6 . (canceled) 
   
   
       7 . A fuel tank inlet device according to  claim 1 , the device being provided with a single blocking member to inhibit ingress of a siphon tube into the fuel tank, wherein at least one of said bores is associated with the blocking member so that ingress of a siphon tube through at least one of said bores is inhibited by the blocking member. 
   
   
       8 . (canceled) 
   
   
       9 . A fuel tank inlet device according to  claim 1 , the device being provided with a single blocking member to inhibit ingress of a siphon tube into the fuel tank, wherein at least one of said bores is associated with the blocking member so that ingress of a siphon tube through at least one of said bores is associated with one of said blocking members so that ingress of a siphon tube through at least one of said bores is inhibited by one of said blocking members. 
   
   
       10 . (canceled) 
   
   
       11 . A fuel tank inlet device according to  claim 1 , the device being provided with a single blocking member to inhibit ingress of a siphon tube into the fuel tank, wherein at least one of said bores is associated with the blocking member so that ingress of a siphon tube through at least one of said bores is inhibited by the blocking member. 
   
   
       12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . A fuel tank inlet device according to  claim 1 , the device being provided with a single blocking member to inhibit ingress of a siphon tube into the fuel tank, wherein at least one of said bores is associated with the blocking member so that ingress of a siphon tube through at least one of said bores is inhibited by the blocking member and wherein the blocking member is resiliently deformable. 
   
   
       14 . A fuel inlet tank device according to  claim 1 , the device being provided with a single blocking member to inhibit ingress of a siphon tube into the fuel tank, wherein at least one of said bores is associated with the blocking member so that ingress of a siphon tube through at least one of said bores is inhibited by the blocking member and wherein the blocking member abuts against the outer surface of the wall portion, the blocking member being received in a recess provided in the outer surface of the wall portion. 
   
   
       15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . A fuel tank inlet device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of engagement members, each of which may be retracted from a first position in which the engagement member abuts a filler neck or fuel tank so as to inhibit removal of device from fuel tank to a second, retracted position in which the device may be removed from the fuel tank. 
   
   
       17 . A fuel tank inlet device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of engagement members, each of which may be retracted from a first position in which the engagement member abuts a filler neck or fuel tank so as to inhibit removal of device from fuel tank to a second, retracted position in which the device may be removed from the fuel tank, wherein, in the first position, each engagement member abuts an inner surface of the fuel tank or filler neck. 
   
   
       18 . A fuel tank inlet device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of engagement members, each of which may be retracted from a first position in which the engagement member abuts a filler neck or fuel tank so as to inhibit removal of device from fuel tank to a second, retracted position in which the device may be removed from the fuel tank, wherein the inlet device in the region of the engagement members has an inside for the receipt of fuel from a fuel nozzle, the engagement members in the first position projecting outside the device, wherein the second position the engagement members are retracted at least partially inside the device. 
   
   
       19 . (canceled) 
   
   
       20 . A fuel tank inlet device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of engagement members, each of which may be retracted from a first position in which the engagement member abuts a filler neck or fuel tank so as to inhibit removal of device from fuel tank to a second, retracted position in which the device may be removed from the fuel tank, wherein the inlet device in the region of the engagement members has an inside for the receipt of fuel from a fuel nozzle, the engagement members in the first position projecting outside the device, wherein in the second position the engagement members are retracted at least partially inside the device and wherein the engagement members are accessible from the inside of the device so as to be movable between the first and second positions. 
   
   
       21 . (canceled) 
   
   
       22 . A fuel inlet tank device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of engagement members, each of which may be retracted from a first position in which the engagement member abuts a filler neck or fuel tank so as to inhibit removal of device from fuel tank to a second, retracted position in which the device may be removed from the fuel tank, the device being further provided with one or more blanking members for inhibiting access to the engagement members when the engagement members are in the first position so as to inhibit the user from moving the engagement member from the first position to the second position, wherein the one or more blanking members are frangible or readily plastically deformable. 
   
   
       23 . A fuel inlet tank device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of engagement members, each of which may be retracted from a first position in which the engagement member abuts a filler neck or fuel tank so as to inhibit removal of device from fuel tank to a second, retracted position in which the device may be removed from the fuel tank, the device being further provided with a single blanking member for inhibiting access to all of the engagement members when the engagement members are in the first position so as to inhibit the user from moving the engagement member from the first position to the second position, wherein the blanking member is frangible or readily plastically deformable. 
   
   
       24 . A fuel tank inlet device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of engagement members, each of which may be retracted from a first position in which the engagement member abuts a filler neck or fuel tank so as to inhibit removal of device from fuel tank to a second, retracted position in which the device may be removed from the fuel tank, the device being further provided with one or more blanking members for inhibiting access to the engagement members when the engagement members are in the first position so as to inhibit the user from moving the engagement member from the first position to the second position, wherein the one or more blanking members are frangible or readily plastically deformable and at least one blanketing member is, in use, provided on the inside of the device. 
   
   
       25 - 28 . (canceled) 
   
   
       29 . A fuel inlet tank device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of engagement members, each of which may be retracted from a first position in which the engagement member abuts a filler neck or fuel tank so as to inhibit removal of device from fuel tank to a second, retracted position in which the device may be removed from the fuel tank, the device being further provided with one or more blanking members for inhibiting access to the engagement members when the engagement members are in the first position so as to inhibit the user from moving the engagement member from the first position to the second position, wherein the one or more blanking members are frangible or readily plastically deformable and at least one blanking member frictionally engages with a surface of the fuel inlet body portion or the attachment portion to resist removal of the at least one blanking member. 
   
   
       30 - 32 . (canceled) 
   
   
       33 . A fuel inlet tank device for inhibiting theft of liquid fuel from a fuel tank, the device comprising a fuel inlet body portion for the receipt of fuel, the fuel inlet body portion comprising an inlet for the ingress of fuel and an outlet for the egress of fuel into a fuel tank,
 the inlet device being provided with a plurality of engagement members, each of which may be retracted from a first position in which each engagement member abuts a filler neck or fuel tank as to inhibit removal of device from fuel tank to a second, retracted position in which the device may be removed from the fuel tank.   
   
   
       34 . A fuel tank inlet device according to  claim 33  further provided with one or more blanking members for inhibiting access to the engagement members when the engagement members are in the first position so as to inhibit the user from moving the engagement member from the first position to the second position. 
   
   
       35 . A fuel tank inlet device according to  claim 34  wherein a single blanking member is associated with all of the engagement members.