Fluid handling – Systems – Tank with internally extending flow guide – pipe or conduit
Patent
1994-08-12
1996-07-23
Chambers, A. Michael
Fluid handling
Systems
Tank with internally extending flow guide, pipe or conduit
141 59, 220 862, B65D 2500
Patent
active
055380395
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vent arrangement for fuel filler pipes in motor vehicles, which arrangement comprises a vent passage between a fuel tank's upper part and the upper part of the fuel filler pipe, which passage comprises a chamber, the volume of which exceeds the fuel volume which can be forced upwards in the passage during filling, whereby the chamber is formed as a widening of the passage and the passage beneath the chamber forms a combined riser and vent tube in relation to the fuel tank, whereby the passage above the chamber forms a vent tube.
STATE OF THE ART
It is well known that it can sometimes be difficult to fill cars' fuel tanks with fuel. This occurs generally due to the fact that the automatic filling-stop which is integrated into the stationary pump arrangement's filling nozzle is often so sensitive that the occurrence of even a small bit of fuel in the filler pipe is regarded by the filling-stop as an indication that the tank is full, with the result that the filling is automatically stopped.
Sensitive filling-stops are in themselves desirable since they contribute to reducing the risk of environmentally damaging leakage. The reason that the problem has now arisen is mainly because the fuel tank, for reasons of safety, is generally placed above or in front of the back axle. Because of this, again due to safety reasons, one is forced to place the filler tube under the structural member (beam) construction which runs in the car's longitudinal direction. In turn this requires that a vent tube is arranged so as to allow evacuation of air/gas from the tank during filling.
Since said "air" in the tank is saturated with fuel vapour, the vent tube is normally arranged parallel to the filler pipe so that the vent tube can have its orifice close to the filler pipe's orifice, whereby the fuel vapour can be recycled via a protector-sleeve with suction means, which protector sleeve is arranged on the filling nozzle. Even the vent tube is therefore normally arranged under the beam construction. This implies also that when the tank is full, fuel passes into the vent tube and collects in its lower bend. This fuel will be sucked back into the tank to a certain degree at the same time as the level in this drops. However, a remaining quantity of fuel often has to be forced upwards to the orifice of the filling tube by the incoming fuel before normal venting can start.
DE-OS 2254892 describes a vent arrangement with a vessel having a volume sufficient to contain the fuel which is forced upwardly from the vent tube's lower end during filling. The vessel is provided with a drainage tube which returns the fuel to the tank. One disadvantage with this arrangement is that it requires an extra connection to the tank which makes both the whole structure and its fitment more costly.
TECHNICAL PROBLEM
An object of the present invention is thus to arrive at a vent arrangement which solves the problems of filling nozzles having a filling-stop and moreover is easier to build into a modern car construction.
SOLUTION
This object is achieved according to the invention in that the combined riser and vent tube has its orifice a small way inside the chamber and in that said tube presents a drainage hole proximate the inside of the chamber wall.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the appended sub-claims.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An embodiment of the invention will now be described more closely with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a fuel tank in side view with a filler pipe and a vent arrangement according to the invention, and
FIG. 2 shows, on an enlarged scale, a chamber included in the vent arrangement.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIG. 1 reference 10 denotes a schematically depicted fuel tank which is provided with a filler pipe 11 and a vent arrangement 12. The tank is viewed from the front and in the longitudinal direction of the car. The reference 13 denotes the fuel cap for the filler pipe.
A structural
REFERENCES:
patent: 3180376 (1965-04-01), Sanborn
patent: 4441533 (1984-04-01), Snyder et al.
patent: 4700864 (1987-10-01), Galles et al.
patent: 4724861 (1988-02-01), Covert et al.
patent: 4747508 (1988-05-01), Sherwood
patent: 4759458 (1988-07-01), Fischer
patent: 4821908 (1989-04-01), Yost
patent: 4917145 (1990-04-01), Wawra et al.
B orjesson Karl-Olof
Bredal G oran
Harde Bo T. S.
AB Volvo
Chambers A. Michael
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