Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

William E Gifford

Charles H Covert

Carl H Sherwood

Joseph Fornuto

Gordon R Paddock

Otto Muller-Girard, Jr

Kenneth W Turner

Karen M Meyer

Donald D Stoltman

James R Spaulding

Roy A Giacomazzi

Richard W Wagner

Charles A Kingsley

Edwin C Storey

Harold Milton Haskew

Kenenth W Turner

Daniel Nolan

Richard H Simons, Jr

Craig G Kemler

Otto M Girard, Jr

Samuel Yu

A purge control device for an evaporative control system comprises a single housing having two solenoid actuated valves controlling parallel orifices leading from an inlet chamber to an exit flow path. The two solenoid valves have different sized orifices to provide different flow capacities. Purge flow is controlled by an electronic control module which regulates the duty cycle of the solenoids. Each valve receives its own signal so that the flow through the orifices is individually controlled.

Purge control device

A device for detecting a malfunction of the evaporative control system comprises a two-way flow device in the atmospheric air vent of the evaporative canister with a sensor to detect whether fluid is flowing through the canister during selected operating conditions.

Flow sensor for evaporative control system

A vapor storage canister incorporates a liquid trap that protects the carbon bed, but which avoids purging liquid directly out of the trap. The trap consists of a cup that forms an interior cavity at the bottom of, and surrounded by, the carbon bed. The purge tube does not enter the trap directly, but instead runs to a plenum that draws from the bottom face of the carbon bed. The trap, in turn, is open to the interior of the carbon bed only through a screen mesh grid. Consequently, vapor can be pulled from the trap at purge, but not liquid.

Vapor storage canister with liquid trap

A tank vapor vent valve assembly mounted to the top of the tank wall has a piston actuated by a source of engine vacuum which maintains a fill vapor exit closed until the gas cap is removed to relieve the vacuum and allow the piston to open.

Vacuum actuated tank vapor vent valve

A tank vapor vent valve assembly uses a spring loaded sealing flapper door located below a normally open float chamber. The flapper door spring is specifically designed to open when the tank pressure falls, allowing make up air to pull the flapper door down and draw in make up air through the canister inlet.

Vehicle tank vapor vent valve assembly

A TVVA with a buoyant overfill protection float contains the float closely and axially slidably within a sleeve, and feeds a negative pressure created by the rapid flow of fill vapors over the outside of the sleeve into the sleeve to hold the float down and prevent it from corking.

Tank vapor vent valve assembly with improved overfill protection

A fuel vapor storage canister includes a vapor inlet for introducing vapor into the canister and a bed of adsorbant material in fluid communication with the inlet for adsorbing vapor within the canister. A vapor purge tube is in fluid communication with the bed for purging fuel vapor from the bed. A thermoelectric cooler/heater selectively cools the inlet tube to promote condensation of vapors therein and selectively and alternatively heats the bed to promote purging of vapors from the bed and the remainder of the canister.

Canister using thermoelectric cooler

A fuel tank filler neck has a partition providing a vent orifice for vapor flow from a fuel introduction tube to a vapor discharge fitting. A ball valve guided beneath the orifice is adapted to float into engagement across the orifice to prevent liquid fuel from passing through said orifice. A filler neck restrictor plate is carried on an actuating arm that has a cam surface engaging the ball valve. The cam surface engages the ball valve across the orifice to inhibit flow of fuel vapor through the orifice when the restrictor plate inhibits introduction of fuel through the filler neck, and permits the ball valve to drop away from the orifice to permit flow of fuel vapor through said orifice when the restrictor plate permits introduction of fuel through the filler neck.

Fuel tank venting

A canister adapted to store fuel vapor discharged from a fuel tank has an inlet chamber that forms a trap for liquid fuel. Fuel is purged from the canister through a purge tube that has a small liquid purge hole at the bottom of the chamber and a large vapor purge hole spaced above the bottom of the chamber.

Fuel vapor storage canister

A fuel tank filler neck has a plate that pivots between a position restricting the filler neck and a position permitting introduction of fuel through the filler neck. A vent housing secured on the filler neck has a vapor inlet fitting and a vapor outlet fitting connected through a vent orifice, a pressure relief orifice, and a vacuum relief orifice. A diaphragm vent valve controls flow through the vent orifice. An actuating arm pivoted with the restrictor plate engages the vent valve across the vent orifice when the restrictor plate restricts the filler neck, and permits the vent valve to allow vapor flow from the vapor inlet fitting through the vent orifice to the vapor outlet fitting when the restrictor plate permits introduction of fuel through the filler neck. A diaphragm valve controls flow through the pressure relief orifice, and an umbrella valve controls flow through the vacuum relief orifice.

A canister adapted to store fuel vapor discharged from a fuel tank has an inlet chamber at one end that forms a trap for liquid fuel. Fuel is purged from the canister through a purge tube that has a small liquid purge hole at the bottom of the chamber and a large vapor purge hole spaced above the bottom of the chamber.

An engine charge forming device controls the fuel metering orifice area in proportion to the throttled air flow area of the induction passage and controls the pressure drop across the fuel metering orifice in proportion to a vacuum signal which is substantially independent of the compressibility effects of throttled air flow; fuel flow is thereby proportioned to air flow throughout the range of engine operating conditions. Adjustments are provided for varying the fuel metering orifice area to set minimum and maximum fuel flows, and controls are provided for modifying the vacuum signal to vary air-fuel ratio.

Engine air flow responsive control

An evaporative emission canister, for use with the fuel system for an internal combustion engine, includes a canister housing defined by a cylindrical outer wall, a closed lower end wall, an upper end wall and a cylindrical inner wall depending from the upper end wall. An air-vapor permeable support means is positioned within the housing above the lower end wall in abutment against the lower free end of the inner wall to define with the lower end wall an air chamber in flow communication with the atmosphere and to define with the outer wall and the inner wall, an outer canister chamber and an inner canister chamber, respectively, that contain fuel vapor adsorbing material. The inner canister chamber is connected by a fuel bowl vent valve so as to receive vapors emitted from the float bowl of the carburetor of the engine when the engine is not in operation and the outer canister chamber is connected to receive vapors emitted from the fuel in the fuel tank for the engine. First and second orifice passages from the inner and outer canister chambers, respectively, are connected to the vapor purge chamber of a vapor purge control valve whereby fuel vapors can be purged from the canister assembly to the engine during engine operation. In the preferred embodiment, the above-described valves are incorporated into the upper end wall of the canister.

Growing community of inventors

Hemlock, NY, United States of America

William E Gifford