Measuring and testing – Volume or rate of flow – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-12
2001-05-15
Dombroske, George (Department: 2855)
Measuring and testing
Volume or rate of flow
Combined
C073S118040, C073S861890
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230558
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application relates to and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Applications No. 09-120686 filed on May 12, 1997, 09-248364 filed on Sep. 12, 1997 and 10-97303 filed on Apr. 9, 1998.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel flow rate measuring device and method for measuring the flow rate of liquid fuel passing in a fuel supply inlet passage of a fuel tank, and an evaporated fuel treating device and method using the fuel flow rate measuring device. More particularly, the invention relates to a residual fuel quantity measuring device and method for determining the quantity of liquid fuel remaining in the fuel tank by measuring the quantity of liquid fuel supplied into the fuel tank and the rate of injection of liquid fuel into an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of Related Art
In automobiles mounted with a conventional gasoline engine, as shown in
FIG. 14
, at least one fuel pump
105
is disposed in a fuel tank
101
for forcing a liquid fluid (e.g., gasoline) from the fuel tank
101
to a fuel distribution pipe
104
having a plurality of fuel injection valves
103
for injecting the liquid fuel to the engine
102
. In the plurality of fuel injection valves
103
and the fuel pump
105
, the liquid fuel supply pressure, injection rate, and injection timing are automatically controlled by an engine ECU
106
in accordance with the operating conditions of the engine
102
.
It has been a general practice that an automobile driver knows the remaining quantity of liquid fuel in the fuel tank
101
by a fuel meter
111
as a visual display which registers the remaining quantity of liquid fuel measured by a residual fuel quantity measuring device
100
. The residual fuel quantity measuring device
100
is provided with at least one level gauge
107
. The fuel meter
111
registers the residual quantity of liquid fuel according to an electric signal from the level gauge
107
. A slide resistor of the level gauge
107
is connected via a float arm
109
with a float
108
which moves with a changing fuel level in the fuel tank
101
, thus indicating a change in the electrical resistance value with the movement of the float
108
.
The fuel tank
101
, however, tends to be shaped in a more flattened and more complicated configuration as shown in
FIG. 14
because of a restricted mounting space in the automobile. Consequently, a conventional residual fuel quantity measuring device
100
, has a very low measuring accuracy in measuring the residual amount of liquid fuel remaining in the fuel tank
101
as compared with a measuring device for measuring the residual amount of liquid fuel in a fuel tank of a simple configuration.
The fuel tank in the complicated configuration, moreover, needs at least two level gauges
107
in the fuel tank
101
as shown in FIG.
14
. Furthermore, such a fuel tank
101
of intricate configuration needs to further increase the number of the level gauges
107
, resulting in an increased number of component parts of the residual fuel quantity measuring device
100
and accordingly a higher manufacturing cost of the residual fuel quantity measuring device
100
.
When the fuel tank
101
is built in a more flattened or complicated configuration, it will become very hard to mount the level gauge
107
in the fuel tank
101
, making it impossible to measure the remaining amount of liquid fuel in the fuel tank.
Also for the gasoline-powered automobile, there has been proposed the use of an evaporated fuel treating device (e.g., Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. Sho 60-158922, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. Hei 8-170568 and Hei 7-290982) for preventing the discharge into the atmosphere of the fuel evaporated in the fuel tank.
According to Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. Sho 60-158922 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 8-170568, the amount of evaporated fuel generated is restricted by covering, with a bag-like expansion film, the fuel in the fuel tank and a separation film which is in tight contact with the fuel surface in the fuel tank and moves up and down with the movement of the fuel surface.
In the evaporated fuel treating device having the separation film or bag-like expansion film, it is necessary to make a mounting hole for mounting the level gauge inside of the expansible film larger and accordingly it is necessary to make a sealing portion larger. However, if the sealing portion is made larger, sealing properties will be deteriorated to lower the effect of restraining the generated amount of evaporated fuel.
Furthermore, according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 7-290982, an electromagnetic valve is provided in a pipe connecting the fuel tank and a canister so that the valve opens at the time of refilling the fuel and the evaporated fuel in the tank is adsorbed by the canister.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a fuel flow rate measuring device and method which is capable of measuring liquid fuel fed into a fuel tank.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a residual fuel quantity measuring device and method which is capable of measuring the residual quantity of liquid fuel even in a fuel tank of flattened or complicated configuration without using a sensor such as a level gauge for detecting surface level changes of liquid fuel.
Further, it is a third object of the present invention to provide an evaporated fuel treating device and method which is capable of accurately checking whether the fuel is being supplied, without using a special sensor, to thereby prevent discharge of evaporated fuel out to the atmosphere during fuel supply.
According to the present invention, the quantity of liquid fuel to be supplied into the fuel tank is measured, and the residual quantity of liquid fuel remaining in the fuel tank is measured by utilizing the quantity of liquid fuel. Furthermore, the measurement is also made on the way of the fuel supply inlet passage of the fuel tank, thereby improving the accuracy of measuring the quantity of fuel to be supplied into the fuel tank. When the liquid fuel is supplied into the fuel tank, a liquid fuel stream runs in the fuel supply inlet passage of the fuel tank. Then, the rotational speed of the turbine rotor rotating in accordance with the flow rate of the liquid fuel flowing in the fuel supply inlet passage is detected. Thus the quantity of liquid fuel supplied into the fuel tank is determined from the detected rotational speed of the turbine rotor and the unit time.
The residual quantity of liquid fuel remaining in the fuel tank is preferably determined from the residual quantity of liquid fuel, the quantity of liquid fuel supplied, and the injection rate of the liquid fuel.
When the rotational speed of the turbine rotor exceeds a specific value, it is preferably determined that the liquid fuel is being supplied into the fuel tank. When this determination has been made, the open/close valve is opened to send evaporated fuel from the fuel tank into a canister. The canister in which the fuel is adsorbed, preventing the discharge of evaporated fuel to the atmosphere at the time of fuel supply. Furthermore, it is possible to check fuel supply by a fuel meter which is a peripheral device of the fuel tank, without adding any special sensor.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4491026 (1985-01-01), Bräutigam et al.
patent: 4793311 (1988-12-01), Salzgeber et al.
patent: 5233944 (1993-08-01), Mochizuki
patent: 5596971 (1997-01-01), Kidokoro
patent: 5740783 (1998-04-01), Learman et al.
patent: 58-122433 (1983-07-01), None
patent: 60-158922 (1985-10-01), None
patent: 60-235023 (1985-11-01), None
patent: 63-25517 (1988-02-01), None
patent: 7-290982 (1995-11-01), None
patent: 9-138176 (1997-05-01), None
Isomura Shigenori
Kato Takahiko
Managawa Kazuji
Matsuda Takeshi
Miwa Makoto
Denso Corporation
Dombroske George
Nixon & Vanderhye PC
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