FIELD OF INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to a keyless fuel tank cover locking system for vehicles. Specifically, the said invention relates to the construction and mechanism of opening and closing of the keyless fuel tank cover locking system, whereby the locking system is devoid of a mechanical key and 10 keyhole. More specifically a keyless fuel tank cover locking system that provides secure locking of the fuel tank of a vehicle.
15 BACKGROUND
Conventionally it is known that vehicles are normally provided with a tank for access to the fuel tank. The tank is operated manually by introducing and rotating a mechanical key, which is normally the same key required for starting 20 up the ignition motor.
The conventional technique of using a mechanical key has a number of disadvantages. One of the disadvantages of using a mechanical key is that it is cumbersome for the user to take out the key from the ignition lock and insert 25 the key in the fuel tank lock. In this way, every instance when refueling is needed the user has to remove the key from the ignition keyhole and insert it into the key slot provided for the fuel tank to open the fuel tank. Moreover, the use of the key is in any case awkward, especially when the rider is wearing gloves.
30
Another disadvantage is that the regular insertion and removal of the
mechanical key from the key slots of ignition keyhole and fuel tank key slot
will lead to rapid wear and tear of the mechanical key. The wear and tear of the
mechanical key will lead to damage to the profile on the key, under which
35 condition the user has to get a new key made again.
2

Yet another disadvantage is that many users have a tendency of forgetting the key in the lock which may lead to the theft of the vehicle. Moreover, mechanical keys can be copied easily which again increases the chances of theft of the vehicle. Several attempts have been made to provide an anti-5 theft/security device/system for vehicles. Further, many sophisticated electrical/electronic systems have been developed for preventing the theft of the vehicles. However, the said systems are either costly or have a complex arrangement and their installation is very expensive.
10 Thus, there always existed a need in the art to provide an alternative technique that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and therefore the inventors of the present disclosure provide a keyless fuel tank cover locking system for vehicles (two-wheeler, three-wheeler, four-wheeler) whereby there is no need to insert the mechanical key to open and close the same, and at the same time
15 user-friendly and does not allow the unknown person to open and close the lock without proper authentication.
Therefore, it is an aim of the present disclosure to provide a keyless fuel tank cover locking system that is devoid of the keyhole and mechanical key 20 operation and provides a secure process on the basis of authentication.
Another aim of the present disclosure is to provide a keyless fuel tank cover locking system whereby the securing process is carried out electronically, without any latch or cable arrangement.
25
Another aim of the present disclosure is to provide a keyless fuel tank cover
locking system which provides prevention from theft.
Yet another aim of the present disclosure is to provide a keyless fuel tank cover 30 locking system that is user-friendly.
Yet another aim of the present disclosure is to provide a keyless fuel tank cover locking system that is capable of operating simultaneously with steering and/or
3

ignition locking mechanism, the system is electronically operating by a common smart key for any desired conditions.
5 SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
One or more shortcomings of conventional systems are overcome, and additional advantages are provided through the assembly as claimed in the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the 10 techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.
The present disclosure achieves the above-stated objective by providing an 15 improved keyless fuel tank cover locking system for vehicles. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to the construction and mechanism of an improved keyless fuel tank cover locking system which is operated by a smart key.
In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the keyless fuel tank
20 cover assembly is provided. The keyless fuel tank cover assembly comprises a
cover configured for covering a fuel tank opening. The cover is detachably
attached with a housing, said housing is attached on a fuel tank and is configured
to support the cover over the fuel tank opening. The cover is provided with a
locking provision, the locking provision is configured for interlocking with an
25 operating button supported by the housing to close the fuel tank opening. The
operating button is movable between an open position and a closed position. An
electronic actuator having a locking lever is configured to engage the operating
button for selectively locking the operating button in the closed position thereby
controlling locking unlocking of the cover. A micro-switch configured to detect
30 the position of the cover and transmit a signal to a control unit to activate the
electronic actuator for locking/ unlocking of the cover.
4

In another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the micro-switch has a plunger adapted to be actuated by a lobed portion of the cover.
In still another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the cover is 5 hinged at one end of the housing.
In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the operating button has a resilient mean hinged through a hinge pin in the housing, the operating button being movable along the hinge pin to lock/unlock the cover. 10
In one more embodiment of the present disclosure, the cover comprises the locking provision configured to receive a primary projection of the operating button.
In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the locking lever comprises a 15 projection protruding vertically and adapted to restrict the movement of the operating button.
In still another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, in a blocked position, the projection of the locking lever is at position (PI) in the actuator 20 housing.
In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, in an unblocked position, the projection of the locking lever is at position (P2) in the actuator housing.
25
The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
30
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
5

Further aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be readily understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying figures. The figures together with a detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further 5 illustrate the embodiments and explain various principles and advantages, but not limiting the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 illustrates an exploded view of the present keyless fuel tank cover for 10 vehicles in accordance to the present description.
Figure 2 illustrates a top view of the present keyless fuel tank cover for vehicles in accordance to the present description.
15 Figure 3 illustrates a sectional view of the present keyless fuel tank cover for vehicles in accordance to the present description, wherein the fuel tank cap is in close condition.
Figure 4 illustrates a sectional view of the present keyless fuel tank cover for 20 vehicles in accordance to the present description, wherein the fuel tank cap is in open condition.
Figure 5 illustrates a sectional view of the present keyless fuel tank cover for vehicles in accordance to the present description, wherein the operating button 25 is in locked condition.
Figure 6 illustrates a sectional view of the present keyless fuel tank cover for vehicles in accordance to the present description wherein the operating button is in locked condition. 30 Figure 7 illustrates a sectional view of the present keyless fuel tank cover for vehicles in accordance to the present description wherein the operating button is in the unlocked condition.
6

Figure 8 illustrates a sectional view of the present keyless fuel tank cover for vehicles in accordance to present disclosure, wherein the keyless fuel tank cap is in close condition.
5 Figure 9 illustrates a sectional view of the present keyless fuel tank cover for vehicles in accordance to present disclosure, wherein the fuel tank cap is in open condition.
10 Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the drawings may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of
the present disclosure.
15
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
20 While the invention is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the figures and will be described below. It should be understood, however that it is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and
25 alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Before describing in detail, the various embodiments of the present disclosure 30 it may be observed that the novelty and inventive step that are in accordance with the present disclosure resides in the construction and function of a keyless fuel tank cover locking system. It is to be noted that a person skilled in the art can be motivated from the present disclosure and can perform various modifications. However, such modifications should be construed within the 35 scope of the invention.
7

Accordingly, the drawings are showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
5
The terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that an assembly, setup, system, device that comprises a list of components does not include only those
10 components but may include other components not expressly listed or inherent to such system or device or setup. In other words, one or more elements in the system or apparatus or device proceeded by "comprises a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the assembly or system or apparatus. The following paragraphs
15 explain the present disclosure. The invention in respect of the same may be deduced accordingly.
The following paragraphs describe the present disclosure with reference to 20 Figures 1 to 9 according to an embodiment of the present description.
As shown in figure 1, the keyless fuel tank cover comprises a cover assembly having a cover (1). The said cover (1) is a rigid structure for covering the fuel
25 tank of the vehicle from the external environment. The said cover (1) is a generally circular disc having an upper face and a lower face. A sealing pad (2) with a vapour control valve (5) is secured by means of a casing (4) to the lower face of the cover (1). A sealing collar is further secured with the springs (6) to the bottom face of the case (4) along with a bottom plate (8) which is mounted
30 with the case (4) through the mounting screws (9). In the mounted condition, the cover assembly is secured with a body assembly for operatively opening/closing the fuel tank. As shown in figure 2, the cover (1) assembly is in a closed position wherein the operating button projection (10b) is received in the slot (lb) in the cover (1). The lobed portion (lc) is adapted to actuate a
8

plunger (13) of micro-switch (14) in the closed condition of the fuel tank cover (1). The cover assembled with the body (21) at the hinge (20) which allows opening and closing movement of the cover assembly in the vertical direction
about the hinge (20) during operation of the said keyless fuel tank cover (1).
5
As shown in figure 1, the body assembly comprises a body (21) having an internal region with a locking slot (21a) for accommodating an operating button (10) assembled through a hinge pin (11) with a resilient mean (12). The said
10 resilient mean (12) always tends to rotate the button towards the centre of the body. The operating button (10) is mounted resiliency in the said locking slot (21a) through a hinge pin (11); the button (10) being energized by a torsional spring (12) towards the home position. The home position of the locking lever (17) is the position at which the lever (17) rests on the body (21) at the body
15 slot (21a). The operating button (10) is a solid structure having a predefined shape and configuration. However, the shape, size, and configuration of the operating button (10) may vary as per the requirements of the user/manufacturer. The said button (10) has a top surface and a lower surface. The operating button (10) further comprises a primary projection (10a, 10b)
20 such that in the mounted condition, the primary projections (10a, 10b) are extending horizontally towards the centre of the body (1). The primary projection (10a, 10b) of the operating button (10) has a tapered edge and is adapted to be received in a locking provision (la) of the cover (1) in the locked condition of the said keyless fuel tank cover (1) as shown in figure 3. The
25 lower surface of the button projection (10b) is in contact with the locking face (la) at a closed position.
The operating button (10) is operated by pushing/moving the button by a user 30 for opening the fuel tank cap lock manually which in turn rotates the button about a hinge (20). A pin (15) with a spring (12) accommodated in the cavity (21b) and a micro-switch (14) is mounted in the cavity (21b). A cap (22) is mounted with the body (21) to secure the microswitch (14) in the cavity (21b).
9

As shown in figure 1, an actuator assembly is disposed of in the interior of the body (21). The said actuator assembly comprises a housing (16), an electronic 5 actuator (24), an actuator pin (23) fixed with locking lever (17) through a dowel pin (18). The said electronic actuator (24) is disposed of in an encapsulation formed in the housing (16).
The locking lever (17) is mounted in a guiding slot in the housing (16) so as to 10 be operationally configured with the electronic actuator (24) through the actuator pin (23). The locking lever (17) comprises a projection (17a) extending in the vertical direction from the locking lever (17) towards the body (21). The locking lever (17) being moveable in the transverse direction by the electronic actuator (24) during the operation of the said keyless cover (1). The 15 electronic actuator (24) enables the movement of the projection (17a) of the locking lever (17) in the transverse direction upon authentication by the smart key so as to lock/unlock the keyless fuel tank cover locking system.
20 A micro-switch (14) is mounted in the body (21) at the cavity (21b) of the body (21). The micro-switch (14) is pressed by the pin (15) in the closed condition of the cover (1), said pin (15) is actuated by the lobed portion (lc) of the cover (1) as illustrated in figure 8. The micro-switch (14) is configured to detect the position of the cover (1) and transmit a signal to a control unit to activate the
25 electronic actuator (24), thereby enabling the locking and unlocking of the keyless fuel tank cover (1).
Referring to figures 5 & 6, in the blocked condition of the locking lever (17), 30 the operating button (10) is restricted to move or rotate by means of the primary projection (17a) of the locking lever (17). In this condition the movement/rotation of the operating button (10) is restricted as the projection (17a) of the locking lever (17) is at position (PI). This is termed as the blocked position of the locking lever (17). In the blocked condition, the operating
10

button (10) cannot be operated by a user to manually open the cover (1). In this condition, the pin (15) is in the pushed condition by the lobe portion (lb) of the cover (1) as shown in figure 8. As the user activates the system by actuation switch/ smart key, the electronic actuator (24) receives an electronic signal. The 5 electronic actuator (24) moves/drives the locking element (17) in the transverse direction. Correspondingly the projection (17a) of the locking lever moves in the transverse direction in the guiding slot of housing (16) from position (PI) to arrive at position (P2) in the guiding slot as shown in figure 7. This is termed as the unblocked position of the locking lever (17). In this position, the operating 10 button (10) can be operated by a user to manually open the cover (1). The manual operation can be done either by rotation or by pushing the button (10) or by twisting mechanism.
15
In the unblocked condition, as the user moves/pushes the operating button (10)
away from the cover (1) in the longitudinal direction. Correspondingly the
engagement of the button (10) and the cover (1) released. Hence the cover (1)
is unlocked. In this condition, due to resilient action in the sealing ring (7) due
20 to springs (6), the cover (1) ejects slightly to open about the hinge (20) of the cover (1). As the user releases the button (10), the spring (12) gets de-energized to bring the operating button (10) to the home position. In this position, the cover assembly can be rotated by the user to access the fuel tank. In the open condition of the cover assembly, the lobed portion (lc) of the cover (1)
25 disengages with the pin (15) and the micro-switch (14) gets de-actuated. The micro-switch (14) transmits a feedback signal to the electronic actuator (24) identifying the position of the cover assembly (1) in the open condition.
In order to close the cover (1), the user manually closes the cover (1) about the 30 hinge (20). The tapered edge (10a) of the projection collides with a tapered edge of the locking provision (la) of the cover (1). Due to cam action between the tapered edge (10a) of the projection of the button (10) and the tapered edge of the locking provision (la) of the cover (1), the button (10) rotates away from
11

the cover (1) to energize the spring (12). When the cover (1) is in a completely closed position the spring (12) gets de-energized and pushes the button (10) towards the cover (1) such that the primary projection (10a) gets engaged with the cover slot (lb). Hence the cover assembly is locked by the button (10). In 5 this condition, the pin (15) of the micro-switch (14) is pressed by the lobed portion (lc) of the cover (1) and the micro-switch (14) gets actuated. A signal is transmitted by the micro-switch (14) to the control unit which in turn sends a signal to the electronic actuator (24) to the locking lever (17) from unblocked to blocked condition to ensure locking of the keyless fuel tank cover (1).
10
It is to be understood that a person of ordinary skill in the art may develop a system of similar configuration without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Such modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the
15 present disclosure covers such modifications and variations provided they come within the ambit of the appended claims and their equivalents.
20
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
The principal advantage of the present keyless fuel tank cover locking system is that it is devoid of the keyhole and mechanical key operation and provides a 25 secure process on the basis of authentication.
Another advantage of the present keyless fuel tank cover locking system is that the securing process is carried out electronically, without any latch or wire 30 arrangement.
Yet another advantage of the present keyless fuel tank cover locking system is that it is easy to use.
35 One more advantage of the present keyless fuel tank cover locking system is that it is capable of being operated simultaneously with steering and/or ignition
12

locking mechanism, the system is electronically operated by a common smart key.
Equivalents:
5
With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set 10 forth herein for sake of clarity.
It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be
15 interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the
20 absence of such recitation, no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an"
25 limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for
30 the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be
13

interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, in general such a 5 construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances, where a convention analogous to "at least
10 one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further
15 understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or
20 "A and B." While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
25
List of Referral Numerals:

Reference Number Description
1 Cover
la Locking provision
14

lb Slot
lc Lobed portion
2 Sealing pad
4 Case
5 Vapour control valve
6 Spring
7 Sealing ring
8 Bottom plate
9 Mounting screw
10 Operating button
10a, 10b Primary projection
11 Hinge pin
12 Resilient mean
13 Plunger
14 Microswitch
15 Pin
16 Housing
17 Locking lever
17a Locking lever projection
18 Dowel pin
19 Screw
20 Hinge
21 Body
21a Locking slot
15

21b Body cavity
22 Cap
23 Actuator pin
24 Electronic actuator
16

CLAIMS
We claim:
1. A keyless fuel tank cover assembly comprising:
a cover (1) configured for covering a fuel tank opening;
5 the cover (1) detachably attached with a housing (16), said housing
(16) attached on a fuel tank and is configured to support the cover (1) over the fuel tank opening;
the cover (1) provided with a locking provision (la), the locking
provision (la) configured for interlocking with an operating button (10)
10 supported by the housing (16) to close the fuel tank opening, said operating
button (10) movable between an open position and a closed position;
an electronic actuator (24) having a locking lever (17) configured to
engage the operating button (10) for selectively locking the operating
button (10) in the closed position thereby controlling locking unlocking of
15 the cover (1); and
a micro-switch (14) configured to detect the position of the cover (1) and transmit a signal to a control unit to activate the electronic actuator (24) for locking/ unlocking of the cover (1).
20 2. A keyless fuel tank cover assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
micro-switch (14) has a plunger (13) adapted to be actuated by a lobed portion (lc) of the cover (1).
3. A keyless fuel tank cover assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
25 cover (1) is hinged at one end of the housing (16).
4. A keyless fuel tank cover assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
operating button (10) has a resilient mean (12) hinged through a hinge pin
17

(11) in the housing (16), the operating button (10) being movable along the hinge pin (11) to lock/unlock the cover (1).
5. A keyless fuel tank cover assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover (1) comprises the locking provision (la) configured to receive a primary projection (10a, 10b) of the operating button (10).
6. A keyless fuel tank cover assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking lever (17) comprises a projection (17a) protruding vertically and adapted to restrict the movement of the operating button (10).
7. A keyless fuel tank cover assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein in a blocked position, the projection (17a) of the locking lever (17) is at position (PI) in the actuator housing (16).
8. A keyless fuel tank cover assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein in an unblocked position, the projection (17a) of the locking lever (17) is at position (P2) in the actuator housing (16).