Toyoda Gosei claims to be the first Japanese auto parts manufacturer to develop and mass produce a 'capless fuel filler', with which a vehicle can be refuelled by simply inserting the refuelling nozzle directly into a fuel tank without the need to remove or replace a cap. The newly developed product is also claimed to the smallest and lightest in the world.
The filler is intended to prevent the need for drivers to remember to replace the fuel cap after refuelling, to contribute to improved automobile convenience and safety and to respond to user needs and demand in countries where self-service refuelling stations are the norm. The capless devices are now in production at Toyota Gosei's Lebanon, Kentucky, factory.
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Features include pressure regulation within the fuel tank and a conduction function to prevent ignition of fumes from static electricity. The supplier has also achieved weight and size reductions of about 10% compared with similar products on the market [Ford and JLR suppliers pioneered these in Europe – ed] through innovative design. With the adoption of a unique mechanism for the valve portion of the filler opening, the company has also been able to achieve an operational feel that is about 20% lighter than other products on the market while maintaining the filler's performance in preventing fuel leakage.
