Vent apparatus

Claim 2

Vent apparatus for an enclosure comprising a fitting defining a vent passageway and adapted to be mounted so that one end is in communication with said enclosure, a resilient unitary valve element positioned for limited axial movement in said fitting and having a tubular body portion and a duck bill portion extending from said tubular body portion, said tubular body portion being mounted in said passageway so that the duck bill portion extends toward said one end of the fitting, and means projecting transversely in said passageway into engagement with only one of the lips of the duck bill portion so that said one lip is deflected sufficiently to urge the lips continuously together without interfering with the permitted limited axial movement of said valve element, the other lip of the duck bill portion being disengaged except for engagement with said one lip, said valve element being adapted to be moved axially toward the other end of said fitting to allow venting through said passageway around said valve element.

Claim 3

Vent apparatus comprising a fitting defining a vent passageway, said fitting being adapted to be connected at one end to an enclosure for venting the same and being externally threaded at its other end, a cup-shaped holder having a peripheral lip seated on the other end of said fitting and having its bottom portion in said passageway, said bottom portion defining a throughway offset to one side of the axis of the cup-shaped element, a resilient unitary valve element having a tubular body portion with a peripheral flange that is seated on said peripheral lip, and a duck bill portion extending from said tubular body portion into said cup-shaped holder, the lips of said duck bill portion fitting into said throughway and one of said lips being urged against the other lip by one surface of the offset throughway, the other lip being in engagement only with said one lip, and a vent cap threadedly connected to said other end of the fitting.

Claim 4

Vent apparatus comprising a fitting defining a vent passageway, said fitting being adapted to be connected at one end to an enclosure for venting the same and being externally threaded at its other end, a cup-shaped holder having a peripheral lip seated on the other end of said fitting and having its bottom portion in said passageway, said bottom portion defining a throughway offset to one side of the axis of the cup-shaped element, a resilient unitary valve element having a tubular body portion with a peripheral flange that is seated on said peripheral lip, and a duck bill portion extending from said tubular body portion into said cup-shaped holder, the lips of said duck bill portion fitting into said throughway and one of said lips being urged against the other lip by one surface of the offset throughway, the other lip being in engagement only with said one lip, and a vent cap threadedly connected to said other end of the fitting.

Claim 5

Vent apparatus that is defined in claim 2, wherein spring means are operatively positioned between said cap and said valve element for maintaining a selected pressure against axial displacement of said valve element.

Claim 6

Vent apparatus that is defined in claim 3, wherein said vent cap includes an internal shoulder that seats on said peripheral lip to clamp the lip between said other end of the fitting and said internal shoulder.

Claim 7

Vent apparatus comprising a fitting defining a vent passageway, a valve element holder mounted in said passageway and having means defining a transverse slot, a resilient unitary valve element having a tubular body portion with a peripheral flange that is seated in sealing relation on said holder and a duck bill portion extending from said tubular body portion toward one end of the fitting, said duck bill portion having lips that fit into said slot, one of said lips being urged against the other lip by one wall of said slot, biasing means urging said valve element toward said one end to its seated position and responsive to a pressure above a selected magnitude from the direction of said one end to allow said valve element to unseat so that fluid can flow through said passageway around said duck bill portion from said one end to the other end of said fitting, the ends of said lips being out of engagement with the other wall of said slot so that fluid can flow from said other end to said one end through said duck bill portion when the fluid pressure at said other end is greater than at said one end.

Claim 8

Vent apparatus comprising a fitting defining a vent passageway, a valve element holder mounted in said passageway and having means defining a transverse slot, a resilient unitary valve element having a tubular body portion with a peripheral flange that is seated in sealing relation on said holder and a duck bill portion extending from said tubular body portion toward one end of the fitting, said duck bill portion having lips that fit into said slot, one of said lips being urged against the other lip by one wall of said slot, biasing means urging said valve element toward said one end to its seated position and responsive to a pressure above a selected magnitude from the direction of said one end to allow said valve element to unseat so that fluid can flow through said passageway around said duck bill portion from said one end to the other end of said fitting, the ends of said lips being out of engagement with the other wall of said slot so that fluid can flow from said other end to said one end through said duck bill portion when the fluid pressure at said other end is greater than at said one end.

Claim 9

Vent apparatus that is defined in claim 5, wherein said one wall of the throughway is inclined to and intersects the axis of the cup-shaped holder.

Claim 10

Vent apparatus for a fuel tank having an opening comprising a closure membEr for closing said opening defining a vent passageway, a valve element holder mounted in said passageway and having means defining an offset throughway, a resilient unitary valve element having a tubular body portion with a peripheral flange that is seated in sealing relation on said holder and a duck bill portion extending from said tubular body portion toward the inner end of the closure member, said duck bill portion having lips that fit into said throughway, one of said lips being urged against the other lip by one surface of said throughway, biasing means urging said valve element toward said inner end to its seated position and responsive to a pressure above a selected magnitude from the direction of said inner end to allow said valve element to unseat so that fluid can flow through said passageway around said duck bill portion from said inner end toward the outer end of said closure member, the ends of said lips being out of engagement with other surfaces of said throughway so that fluid can flow from said outer end toward said inner end through said duck bill portion when the fluid pressure at said outer end is greater than at said inner end.

Claim 11

Vent apparatus for a fuel tank having an opening comprising a closure membEr for closing said opening defining a vent passageway, a valve element holder mounted in said passageway and having means defining an offset throughway, a resilient unitary valve element having a tubular body portion with a peripheral flange that is seated in sealing relation on said holder and a duck bill portion extending from said tubular body portion toward the inner end of the closure member, said duck bill portion having lips that fit into said throughway, one of said lips being urged against the other lip by one surface of said throughway, biasing means urging said valve element toward said inner end to its seated position and responsive to a pressure above a selected magnitude from the direction of said inner end to allow said valve element to unseat so that fluid can flow through said passageway around said duck bill portion from said inner end toward the outer end of said closure member, the ends of said lips being out of engagement with other surfaces of said throughway so that fluid can flow from said outer end toward said inner end through said duck bill portion when the fluid pressure at said outer end is greater than at said inner end.