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:
Sep. 10, 2002
Filed:
Nov. 03, 2000
Takuya Matsuoka, Susono, JP;
Mamoru Yoshioka, Susono, JP;
Yoshihiko Hyoudou, Gotenba, JP;
Naoya Takagi, Susono, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Abstract
A fuel tank is divided into a fuel chamber and an air chamber by a bladder diaphragm. Under a condition that both the amount of intake air Ga and the engine revolution speed NE of an internal combustion engine are kept at constant values, a vapor concentration correction factor FGPG during a fuel injection duration TAU is calculated based on a change in the air-fuel ratio detected when gas is purged from the air chamber toward an intake passage of the engine. Based on the vapor concentration correction factor FGPG, it is determined whether there is fuel leakage from the fuel chamber to the air chamber. With this determination technique, a fluctuation in the air-fuel ratio is not caused by a situation where the engine is in a transitional state, during fuel leakage detection, so that the vapor concentration correction factor FGPG assumes a proper value corresponding to the vapor concentration in the air chamber. Therefore, a false determination regarding the presence/absence of fuel leakage from the fuel chamber to the air chamber is prevented.