Safety fuel filler structure of a motor vehicle

Claim 1

A fuel filler structure of a motor vehicle having an outer body panel and an inner structural panel spaced from said outer body panel, said fuel filler structure comprising: a cup-shaped base member secured to an open portion of said outer body panel to form a recess on said outer body panel, said base member being formed at its bottom portion with an opening; a fuel filler tube secured to said inner structural panel with its fuel inlet mouth portion freely inserted into said recess through said opening of said base member; a flexible sealing member sealingly covering the clearance defined between said filler tube and said base member; a filler cap removably fitted to the mouth of said filler tube and located within said recess of said outer body panel; and a bumper means mounted on said filler tube and constructed to make an initial collision with said base member when said fuel filler tube is displaced to a certain degree relative to said base member, wherein said bumper means comprises a tubular member which is spacedly and coaxially mounted about the fuel filler tube in the vicinity of the mouth of said filler tube, said tubular member being secured at its axial one end to a flange integrally formed on said fuel filler tube, said flange being secured to said inner structural panel, said tubular member having at its axial both ends respective inward flanges which act as spacers having the cylindrical major portion of said tubular member coaxially spaced from the filler tube, the diameter of said major portion being greater than the outer diameter of the filler cap which is circular.