FUEL TANK VALVE APPARATUS
A fuel tank valve apparatus includes a fuel conductor adapted to mate with an outlet end of a fuel tank filler neck and extend into a fuel tank. The fuel conductor includes an inlet check valve.
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This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/724,855, filed Oct. 7, 2005, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUNDThe present disclosure relates to a fuel system, and particularly to a fuel-delivery control system. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a fuel tank valve apparatus comprising a fuel tank filler neck and an inlet check valve for regulating flow of liquid fuel and fuel vapor through the fuel tank filler neck.
A filler neck is a tube which conducts liquid fuel from a fuel-dispensing pump nozzle to an interior fuel storage region in a fuel tank. Although an open passageway through the filler neck into the fuel tank is needed during refueling to conduct liquid fuel from a pump nozzle into the fuel tank, it is desirable to close the filler neck at all other times to block discharge of liquid fuel and fuel vapor from the fuel tank through the filler neck. In many cases, a fuel cap is mounted on an outer end of the filler neck to close the filler neck during the time period before and after each tank refueling activity.
It is also known to use a check valve with a fuel tank inlet neck to close the filler neck under certain circumstances. Inlet check valves for fuel systems are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,568,828 to Harris and 6,502,607 to Brown et al. and U.S. Publication No. 2005/0211311 to Gamble, which references are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
SUMMARYAccording to the present disclosure, a fuel tank valve apparatus includes a fuel conductor mounted to a fuel tank to extend into an interior region of the fuel tank. The fuel conductor is configured to mate with an outlet end of a fuel tank filler neck. The fuel conductor includes a fuel-transfer tube and a normally closed inlet check valve coupled to a downstream end of the fuel-transfer tube.
In illustrative embodiments, the inlet check valve is configured to include a fuel-discharge aperture that opens automatically as liquid fuel passes from the fuel tank filler neck into and through the fuel-transfer tube during fuel tank refueling so that such liquid fuel can flow into a liquid fuel reservoir provided in the interior region of the fuel tank. The fuel-discharge aperture formed in the inlet check valve closes automatically once the flow of liquid fuel discharged into the fuel tank filler neck is stopped. The inlet check valve is made of an elastic deformable material and configured to open when exposed to valve-deformation forces applied by liquid fuel moving in a liquid-conducting passageway formed in the fuel-transfer tube and the inlet check valve.
Additional features of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:
A fuel system 10 for use with a vehicle is shown in
Fuel conductor 16 includes an inlet check valve 24 that moves (e.g., deforms) to assume an “opened” state as shown, for example, in
Fuel tank 18 includes a top wall 28, a bottom wall 30 spaced apart from top wall 28, and four side walls 31, 32, 33, 34 as shown in
Filler neck 14 includes a mouth 38 at an outer end and a discharge outlet 40 at an inner end as shown, for example, in
During tank refueling, liquid fuel 26 flows through filler neck 14 and fuel conductor 16 and applies forces to inlet check valve 24 sufficient to deform elastic material defining inlet check valve 24 to “open” inlet check valve 24 so that liquid fuel 26 is discharged from fuel conductor 16 into interior region 20 of fuel tank 18. Once tank refueling has ended, and no more liquid fuel 26 is flowing through filler neck 14 and conductor 16, all of the “valve-deformation” forces generated by flowing liquid fuel 26 “disappear” and the elastic material defining inlet check valve 24 contracts or otherwise recovers to resume its normal state to “close” inlet check valve 24. Once closed, liquid fuel and fuel vapor extant in interior region 20 of fuel tank 18 are not able to escape to the surroundings through fuel conductor 16 and filler neck 14. Either fluorosilicone, fluorocarbon, nitrile, or some other suitable flexible material may be used to provide the elastic material in inlet check valve 24.
Fuel conductor 16 is illustrated in a “closed” state in
When installed on fuel tank 18 as suggested, for example, in
Inlet check valve 24 is shown, for example, in
As suggested in
As suggested in
First and second duckbill members 81, 82 move away from one another to assume a spread-apart position as shown, for example, in
An illustrative second fuel conductor 216 is shown, for example, in
As suggested in
An illustrative third fuel conductor 316 is shown, for example, in
As suggested in
As suggested in
An illustrative fourth fuel conductor 416 is shown, for example, in
As suggested in
As suggested in
An illustrative fifth fuel conductor 516 is shown, for example, in
As suggested in
As suggested in
Duckbill members 581, 582 cooperate to define a C-shaped or parabolic fluid-discharge slit 564. In the illustrated embodiment, large duckbill member 581 has a crescent shape. Duckbill members 581 and 582 move away from one another to assume a spread-apart position (not shown) to expand, widen, or otherwise enlarge fluid-discharge slit 564. When duckbill members 581, 582 mate in a mating position as shown, for example, in
An illustrative sixth fuel conductor 616 is shown, for example, in
Inlet check valve 24 includes a discharge portion 62 that is formed to include a downstream zone 66 of fluid-conducting passageway 652. In an illustrative embodiment, first tube section 601 is made of a plastics material while second tube section 602 and mount flange 654 are made of metal. In this embodiment, the metal mount flange 654 is spot-welded to metal side wall 31 of fuel tank 18.
One suitable means for coupling second tube section 602 to first tube section 601 is illustrated in
An illustrative seventh fuel conductor 716 is shown, for example, in
Claims
1. A fuel-transfer system for a fuel system of a vehicle including a filler neck and a fuel tank having a wall, the fuel-transfer system comprising
- a fuel conductor including a base adapted to pass through an aperture formed in a wall of a fuel tank to remain in a stationary position on the fuel tank and an inlet check valve formed to include a normally closed fluid-discharge slit, the base and the inlet check valve cooperating to define a fluid-conducting passageway communicating with the fuel-discharge slit, wherein the inlet check valve is made of an elastic plastics material that is deformed elastically when exposed to valve-deformation forces applied by liquid fuel moving in the fluid-conducting passageway toward the fluid-discharge slit to open the normally closed fluid-discharge slit to allow exit of liquid fuel moving in the fluid-conducting passageway into the fuel tank through the fluid-discharge slit and that contracts to close the fluid-discharge slit once movement of liquid fuel in the fluid-conducting passageway ceases owing to elasticity of the elastic plastics material.
2. The fuel-transfer system of claim 1, wherein the base includes a fuel-transfer tube formed to include spaced-apart upstream and downstream ends and an upstream zone of the fluid-conducting passageway located between the upstream and downstream ends and the inlet check valve includes a mount portion coupled to the downstream end of the base and a discharge portion formed to include a downstream zone of the fluid-conducting passageway and the fluid-discharge slit.
3. The fuel-transfer system of claim 2, wherein an interior part of the mount portion is formed to include an aperture receiving the downstream end of the fuel-transfer tube therein and further comprising a mechanical retainer coupled to the mount portion to retain the mount portion of the inlet check valve securely in a fixed position on the fuel-transfer tube and tether the discharge portion to the fuel-transfer tube.
4. The fuel-transfer system of claim 3, wherein the mechanical retainer is coupled to an exterior portion of the mount portion to trap the mount portion between the mechanical retainer and the downstream end of the fuel-transfer tube.
5. The fuel-transfer system of claim 3, wherein the mount portion includes a cylindrical section formed to include the aperture and first and second annular rims appended to an exterior surface of the cylindrical section and arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another to define an annular retainer receiver channel therebetween and further comprising a retainer located in the annular retainer receiver channel and configured to retain the cylindrical section securely in a fixed position on the fuel-transfer tube.
6. The fuel-transfer system of claim 3, wherein the downstream end of the fuel-transfer tube is formed to include a flange receiver channel in an exterior surface thereof and the mechanical retainer comprises a radially inwardly extending flange appended to the mount portion of the inlet check valve and arranged to extend into the flange receiver channel formed in the fuel-transfer tube to establish an interlocked connection between the inlet check valve and the fuel-transfer tube.
7. The fuel-transfer system of claim 3, wherein the mount portion of the inlet check valve is formed to include a flange receiver channel in an interior surface thereof and the mechanical retainer comprises a radially outwardly extending flange appended to the downstream end of the fuel-transfer tube and arranged to extend into the flange receiver channel formed in the mount portion of the inlet check valve to establish an interlocked connection between the inlet check valve and the fuel-transfer tube.
8. The fuel-transfer system of claim 3, wherein the mount portion is formed to include a post receiver and the mechanical retainer includes a radially outwardly extending post rooted to an exterior surface of the downstream end of the fuel-transfer tube and arranged to extend into the post receiver to establish an interlocked connection between the inlet check valve and the fuel-transfer tube.
9. The fuel-transfer system of claim 3, wherein the mount portion is formed to include a plurality of post receivers and the mechanical retainer includes radially outwardly extending posts rooted to an exterior surface of the downstream end of the fuel-transfer tube and arranged to lie in circumferentially spaced-apart relation to one another and extend into companion post receivers formed in the mount portion to establish an interlocked connection between the inlet check valve and the fuel-transfer tube.
10. The fuel-transfer system of claim 2, wherein the discharge portion includes a first duckbill member, a second duckbill member coupled to the first duckbill member to define the fluid-discharge slit therebetween, and a base coupled to the mount portion and to the first and second duckbill members and formed to include the downstream zone of the fluid-conducting passageway, the first and second duckbill members are configured to move away from one another to assume a spread-apart position to open the fluid-discharge slit and to move toward one another to mate to establish a fluid-blocking sealed connection therebetween to block discharge of liquid fuel from the fluid-conducting passageway through the fluid-discharge slit.
11. The fuel-transfer system of claim 10, wherein the mount portion includes a cylindrical section formed to include the aperture and first and second annular rims appended to an exterior surface of the cylindrical section and arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another to define an annular retainer receiver channel therebetween and further comprising a retainer located in the annular retainer receiver channel and configured to retain the cylindrical section securely in a fixed position on the fuel-transfer tube.
12. The fuel-transfer system of claim 10, wherein the downstream end of the fuel-transfer tube is formed to include a flange receiver channel in an exterior surface thereof and the mechanical retainer comprises a radially inwardly extending flange appended to the mount portion of the inlet check valve and arranged to extend into the flange receiver channel formed in the fuel-transfer tube to establish an interlocked connection between the inlet check valve and the fuel-transfer tube.
13. The fuel-transfer system of claim 2, wherein the discharge portion includes a base coupled to the mount portion and first, second, and third duckbill members, each duckbill member is coupled to the base for movement relative to the base, the duckbill members cooperate to provide the fluid-discharge slit with three slit sections terminating at a single point to cause each adjacent pair of slit sections to be separated by an included angle of about 120°, and the duckbill members are configured to move away from one another to assume a spread-apart position to open the slit sections of the fluid-discharge slit and move toward one another to establish a fluid-blocking sealed connection therebetween to block discharge of liquid fuel from the fluid-conducting passageway through the fluid-discharge slit.
14. The fuel-transfer system of claim 13, wherein the mount portion of the inlet check valve is formed to include a flange receiver channel in an interior surface thereof and the mechanical retainer comprises a radially outwardly extending flange appended to the downstream end of the fuel-transfer tube and arranged to extend into the flange receiver channel formed in the mount portion of the inlet check valve to establish an interlocked connection between the inlet check valve and the fuel-transfer tube.
15. The fuel-transfer system of claim 2, wherein the discharge portion includes a base coupled to the mount portion and first, second, third, and fourth duckbill members, each duckbill member is coupled to the base for movement relative to the base, the duckbill members cooperate to provide the fluid-discharge slit with four slit sections terminating at a single point to cause each adjacent pair of the slit sections to be separated by an included angle of about 90°, and the duckbill members are configured to move away from one another to assume a spread-apart position to open the slit sections of the fluid-discharge slit and move toward one another to establish a fluid-blocking sealed connection therebetween to block discharge of liquid fuel from the fluid-conducting passageway through the fluid-discharge slit.
16. The fuel-transfer system of claim 15, wherein the mount portion is formed to include a post receiver and the mechanical retainer includes a radially outwardly extending post rooted to an exterior surface of the downstream end of the fuel-transfer tube and arranged to extend into the post receiver to establish an interlocked connection between the inlet check valve and the fuel-transfer tube.
17. The fuel-transfer system of claim 15, wherein the mount portion is formed to include a plurality of post receivers and the mechanical retainer includes radially outwardly extending posts rooted to an exterior surface of the downstream end of the fuel-transfer tube and arranged to lie in circumferentially spaced-apart relation to one another and extend into companion post receivers formed in the mount portion to establish an interlocked connection between the inlet check valve and the fuel-transfer tube.
18. The fuel-transfer system of claim 2, wherein the discharge portion includes a base coupled to the mount portion and first and second duckbill members coupled to the base for movement relative to the base, the duckbill members cooperate to provide the fluid-discharge slit with a curved shape, and the duckbill members are configured to move away from one another to assume a spread-apart position to open the slit sections of the fluid-discharge slit and move toward one another to establish a fluid-blocking sealed connection therebetween to block discharge of liquid fuel from the fluid-conducting passageway through the fluid-discharge slit.
19. The fuel-transfer system of claim 18, wherein the first duckbill member is larger than the second duckbill member.
20. The fuel-transfer system of claim 19, wherein the first duckbill member has a crescent shape.
21. The fuel-transfer channel of claim 18, wherein the mount portion has a cylinder shape and the base of the discharge portion has an elbow shape to orient the first and second duckbill members to lie in a plane at an angle to a reference plane established by the downstream end of the fuel-transfer tube to provide the fluid-discharge slit with a side-discharge orientation.
22. The fuel-transfer channel of claim 2, wherein the fuel-transfer tube includes a first tube section coupled in telescoping relation to a second tube section, and a mount flange coupled to the second tube section, the first tube section includes the downstream end, and the second tube section includes the upstream end.
23. The fuel-transfer channel of claim 22, wherein an upstream part of the first tube section is formed to include a notch and a downstream part of the second tube section is formed to include a radially inwardly extending tab arranged to extend into the notch to retain the first and second tube sections in coupled relation to one another to form the fuel-transfer tube upon insertion of the first tube section in telescoping relation into a passageway formed in the downstream part of the second tube section.
24. The fuel-transfer channel of claim 2, wherein the base further includes a mount flange coupled to the fuel-transfer tube and adapted to mate with a fuel tank upon insertion of the fuel-transfer tube through an aperture formed in the fuel tank and a spud coupled to the upstream end of the fuel-transfer tube and adapted to be coupled to a discharge outlet of a fuel tank filler neck and the base is a monolithic element made of a plastics material.
25. A fuel-transfer system for a fuel system of a vehicle including a filler neck and a fuel tank having a wall, the fuel-transfer system comprising
- a fuel conductor including a base comprising a fuel-transfer tube, a mount flange coupled to a mid-portion of the fuel-transfer tube, and a spud coupled to an upstream of the fuel-transfer tube, and an inlet check valve coupled to a downstream of the fuel-transfer tube, wherein the inlet check valve includes a mount portion coupled to the downstream end of the fuel-transfer tube and a discharge portion coupled to the mount portion and made of an elastic deformable material to define discharge means for opening automatically as liquid fuel passes through a fluid-conducting passageway defined in the fuel conductor and the inlet check valve and for closing automatically once flow of liquid fuel through the fluid-conducting passageway stops.
26. A fuel-transfer system for a fuel system of a vehicle including a filler neck and a fuel tank having a wall, the fuel-transfer system comprising
- a fuel conductor including a fuel-transfer tube and an inlet check valve coupled to a downstream end of the fuel-transfer tube, wherein the fuel conductor is formed to include a fluid-conducting passageway having an upstream zone formed in the fuel-transfer tube and a downstream zone formed in the inlet check valve to receive liquid fuel discharged from the upstream zone, and wherein the inlet check valve is made of an elastic deformable material to define discharge means for opening automatically as liquid fuel passes through a fluid-conducting passageway defined in the fuel conductor and the inlet check valve and for closing automatically once flow of liquid fuel through the fluid- conducting passageway stops.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 5, 2006
Publication Date: Apr 19, 2007
Applicant: STANT MANUFACTURING INC. (Connersville, IN)
Inventor: Charles McPherson (Selma, IN)
Application Number: 11/539,146
International Classification: B65B 1/04 (20060101);