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:
Dec. 09, 2003
Filed:
Feb. 21, 2001
Laurent Fabre, Portet sur Garonne, FR;
Siemens Automotive S.A., Toulouse, FR;
Abstract
A method of leak detection in a closed vapor handling system of an automotive vehicle while an engine is running, implemented by a system, the method including providing a pressure sensing element that obtains at least one pressure signal, closing a control valve and a shut off valve to seal the system from the engine and an atmosphere, generating a vacuum by opening the control valve, analyzing the at least one pressure signal at threshold times, comparing the at least one pressure signal to at least one pressure control value, and determining a leak condition if the at least one pressure signal is not less than the at least one pressure control value. The system including a pressure sensing element, a control valve, a shut off valve, a processor operatively coupled to the pressure sensing element and the shut off valve and receiving pressure signals from the pressure sensing element and sending signals to the control valve and the shut off valve. The processor closes the control valve and the shut off valve, generates a vacuum, depressurizes the system using the vacuum, controls the vacuum by opening the control valve, analyzes the pressure signal at threshold times, compares the pressure signal to pressure control values, and determines a leak condition.