The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 15, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 08, 2000
Thomas Charles Meiller, Pittsford, NY (US);
Charles Henry Covert, Manchester, NY (US);
Susan Scott Labine, Avon, NY (US);
Richard William Wagner, Albion, NY (US);
Delphi Technologies, Inc., Troy, MI (US);
Abstract
An auxiliary canister operates with a storage canister of an evaporative emissions control system to reduce the amount of fuel vapor emitted from a vehicle to very low levels. The storage canister contains a first sorbent material and has a vent port in communication therewith. The auxiliary canister comprises an enclosure, first and second passages, a heater and a connector. Inside the enclosure, a second sorbent material is in thermal contact with the heater. Attached at one end to the bottom of the enclosure, the first passage is connectable at its other end to the vent port to allow flow between the storage and auxiliary canisters. Attached at one end to a top of the enclosure, the second passage is connectable at its other end to a vent valve of the control system to allow flow between the auxiliary canister and the vent valve. Incorporated into the enclosure, the connector is used to convey electrical power from the vehicle to the heater. During a regenerative phase of operation for the control system, the heater can be used to heat the second sorbent material and the passing purge air. This enables the second and first adsorbent materials to more readily release the fuel vapor they adsorbed during the previous storage phase of operation so that they can be burned during combustion.