Patents by Inventor Douglas William Ayers

Douglas William Ayers has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Fuel tank vapor control apparatus
    Patent number: 5836341
    Abstract: A fuel tank vapor control apparatus controls the flow of liquid and vapor fuel through an aperture in a fuel tank (16). The fuel tank vapor control apparatus includes a vent housing (12) mounted in the aperture (34) and formed to include a vent inlet (13) and a vent outlet (36), the vent housing (12) defining a vent path for communicating vapor fuel from the fuel tank between the vent inlet and the vent outlet. The apparatus also includes a valve (48) movable in the vent housing between a blocking position for blocking flow of liquid and vapor fuel from the fuel tank between the vent inlet and the vent outlet along the vent path and a venting position allowing flow of vapor fuel between the fuel tank and the vent outlet along the vent path. A labyrinthine member (140) is also included, being disposed between the fuel tank and the vent path for discriminating fuel vapor from liquid fuel so as to block liquid fuel from the vent path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Douglas William Ayers, Mark Nulman, George Francis Stringfellow