Saturn Electronics & Engineering, Inc.

Darrin Hurley

Emil Szlaga

A fuel vapor vent valve assembly for a vehicle fuel tank for venting fuel vapor from the fuel tank to a fuel vapor emission device disposed external of the fuel tank, wherein the assembly comprises a valve housing having a fuel vapor vent outlet opening or orifice defined by a valve seat and communicating with a fuel tank vapor space interior of the fuel tank and with a fuel vapor emission device, such as a charcoal canister, exterior of the fuel tank. A fuel level responsive valve-moving device, such as a float, is disposed in the housing for movement therein. A vapor vent valve is disposed on the device in a manner for closing and opening the vent orifice in response to the fuel level in the fuel tank. The vent valve includes a partial spherical, radius-defined sealing surface that mates with a sealing surface of the valve seat to provide liquid/vapor tight sealing relation therebetween when the valve is in the closed position relative to the valve seat. The vent valve includes an axle about which the valve surface is rotated relative to the valve seat surface in response to initial downward movement of the valve-moving device when the valve and valve seat surfaces are in sealing relation. The valve surface is configured such that a small degree of rotation of the valve relative to the valve seat interrupts or breaks the sealing relation therebetween, providing a vapor flow path that reduces the pressure differential across the valve to facilitate its reopening by further downward movement of the valve-moving device.

Growing community of inventors

Brownstown, MI, United States of America

Darrin Hurley