Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Delco Electronics Corporation

Mahlon Richard Pachciarz

Edward A Beutler

David Howard Burke

Gary Francis Stack

Raymond Lippmann

James Edward Nelson

Michael J Schnars

Carlos A Gutierrez

Michael Paul Lawrukovich

Ivan Roy Brouwer

Robert D Harris

A method for improving vehicle battery state-of-charge (SOC) for initial vehicle customer delivery is disclosed. The method is focused on vehicle assembly plant practices and ensuring that battery discharge is minimized or eliminated during the vehicle assembly process. The method includes determining the available maximum percentage of duty cycle voltage output from the vehicle alternator and determining a minimum idle boost speed necessary to provide minimum discharge or positive charge to the battery when the vehicle's accessories are in the 'on' state during vehicle assembly. The method further includes programming the vehicle's controllers to force the maximum percentage of duty cycle voltage output available and the minimum idle speed necessary to provide minimum battery discharge or positive charge during the earliest part of the vehicle life.

Method for improved battery state of charge

A filler neck assembly includes a plastic fuel tank having a wall with an opening extending therethrough. The filler neck assembly also includes a filler neck tube extending through the opening in the fuel tank and having an annular stop flange projecting radially outward from the filler neck tube outside the wall and an annular lock flange projecting radially outward from the filler neck tube formed inside the wall to lock the filler neck tube to the fuel tank. The stop flange and the lock flange provide the sole means for securing the filler neck tube within the opening. The filler neck assembly further includes a seal interposed in the opening between the wall and the filler neck tube and a washer disposed inside the fuel tank between the wall and the lock flange to engage the seal.

Filler neck assembly for fuel tank

A seal assembly for a fuel tank having a tank opening and a component disposed therein includes a seal adapted to be disposed between the component and a tank surface of the fuel tank. The seal assembly also includes an encapsulated studded ring assembly for attachment to the tank surface and adapted to be disposed about the tank opening. The seal assembly further includes a locking ring cooperating with the encapsulated studded ring assembly for engagement with the component to secure the component to the fuel tank and to seal the tank opening via the seal.

Seal assembly for a fuel tank

A plastic fuel tank including a hollow plastic tank body and a variable length plastic strut in the hollow tank body. A pair of flat plastic sheets are vacuum formed at a forming temperature in upper and lower mold cavities to the shape of upper and lower plastic shells. The plastic strut includes an upper foot, a lower foot, and a coupling means operable to support the upper foot on the lower foot for back and forth linear translation against a controlled resistance. With the mold cavities separated, the plastic strut is interposed between the upper and lower shells. The mold cavities are closed to form the hollow tank body by fusion bonding the upper and lower shells at respective attachment flanges on each. When the tank body thereafter cures and shrinks, the plastic strut is squeezed between the upper and lower shells against the controlled resistance of the coupling means to fusion bond the upper and lower feet of the strut to the shells. The strut expands and collapses during pressure and vacuum cycles in the tank body. The coupling means limits linear collapse and expansion of the strut to prevent excessive collapse and expansion of the tank body.

Motor vehicle fuel tank and method

A fuel vapor control apparatus on a motor vehicle fuel tank including a vapor storage canister, a plurality of vent valves on the fuel tank, a plurality of vapor ducts between the vent valves and the vapor storage canister, a plurality of primary liquid traps, and a secondary liquid trap which cooperates with the primary liquid traps in preventing liquid fuel leaking through the vent valves from reaching and contaminating the vapor storage canister. The primary liquid traps are segments of respective ones of the vapor ducts defining standpipes above corresponding ones of the vent valves when the fuel tank is inclined. The primary liquid traps retain liquid fuel leaking through the vent valves and drain by gravity to the fuel tank when the incline of the fuel tank is reduced to zero. The secondary liquid trap is a secondary tank on the top of the fuel tank interposed between the vapor storage canister and the segments of the vapor ducts defining the standpipes. The secondary tank retains liquid fuel which overflows any one of the standpipes and also drains by gravity to the fuel tank when the incline of the fuel tank is reduced to zero.

Fuel vapor control apparatus

A valveless fuel tank assembly for a vehicle including a fuel tank having an interior chamber to hold fuel therein. The valveless fuel tank assembly also includes a vapor canister to adsorb fuel vapor in the fuel tank. The valveless fuel tank assembly includes a fill-limit tube connected to the fuel tank and communicating with the interior chamber and a tank vent tube connected to the vapor canister and operatively connected to the fill-limit tube. The valveless fuel tank assembly further includes an oleophobic filter connected to the fill-limit tube to allow vapor fuel to communicate with the vapor canister and to prevent liquid fuel from communicating with the vapor canister.

Valveless fuel tank assembly

A seal assembly for a fuel tank having a tank opening therein includes an access cover adapted to close the tank opening. The seal assembly also includes a first seal made of a compressible material adapted to be disposed between the access cover and a tank surface of the fuel tank. The seal assembly includes a second seal made of a non-permeating material adapted to be disposed between the access cover and the tank surface. The seal assembly further includes an attachment plate for attachment to the tank surface and adapted to be disposed about the tank opening. The seal assembly includes at least one attachment fastener cooperating with the attachment plate to secure the access cover to the attachment plate and to seal the tank opening via the first seal and the second seal.

Secondary sealing of a fuel tank

The maximum full level is determined in a fuel tank of undetermined size using a fuel level sender referenced to the tank bottom. A minimum full value is selected for a given type of tank and when the sender signal goes below a percentage of that value and subsequently goes above the minimum full value, a fueling event is recognized and the current fuel sender value is adopted as the maximum full value. Where a heavily filtered signal is used to minimize the effects of fuel slosh, the maximum full value is subject to increasing to higher values occurring during a short period after fueling to allow recovery of the filtered signal. An empty value is calibrated before the vehicle is initially fueled. A maximum empty level is initially set and if a lower level is measured when the ignition is turned on, the lower level is set as the empty value. This calibration is terminated when the tank is fueled above the minimum full value.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Blanc, MI, United States of America

Mahlon Richard Pachciarz