Vaporized fuel processing device

• US 10,359,006 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamanako Denso Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hamanako Denso Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Tochihara, Hideya
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamaoui, David E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scharpf, Susan E
• Application Number:
  US15/416,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20170234270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 123519
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/7022 Aliphatic hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4516 for fuel vapour recovery systems
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0454 Controlling adsorption controlling temperature swing adsorption B01D53/0462, controlling pressure swing adsorption B01D53/047
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/03504 adapted to avoid loss of fuel or fuel vapour, e.g. with vapour recovery systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/03519 Valve arrangements in the vent line
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03514 with vapor recovery means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/306 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/003 Adding fuel vapours, e.g. drawn from engine fuel reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/00 Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture adding secondary air to fuel-air mixture F02M23/00; adding exhaust gases F02M26/00; fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels or on a liquid fuel and another liquid F02M43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0818 having means for pressurising the evaporative emission space
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0836 Arrangement of valves controlling the admission of fuel vapour to an engine, e.g. valve being disposed between fuel tank or absorption canister and intake manifold
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0854 Details of the absorption canister

Abstract

A vaporized fuel processing device includes a fuel tank storing fuel used for an internal combustion engine, a pressurizing portion performing a pressurizing process to increase an inner pressure of the fuel tank by supplying gas from outside to inside the fuel tank, and a controller controlling an operation of the pressurizing portion. The controller controls the pressurizing portion to perform the pressurizing process and to keep the inner pressure of the fuel tank at or above a predetermined pressure value at which vaporized fuel is prevented from flowing out of the fuel tank, except for a time of fueling of the fuel tank.

Claims

1. A vaporized fuel processing device comprising:

a fuel tank storing fuel used for an internal combustion engine;

a pump performing a pressurizing process to increase an inner pressure of the fuel tank by supplying gas from outside to inside the fuel tank; and

a controller controlling an operation of the pump, wherein

the controller controls the pump to perform the pressurizing process and to keep the inner pressure of the fuel tank at or above a predetermined pressure value at which vaporized fuel is prevented from flowing out of the fuel tank, during both operation and stoppage of the internal combustion engine except for a time of fueling of the fuel tank.

2. The vaporized fuel processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller controls the pump to stop the pressurizing process when the inner pressure of the fuel tank or a pressure at a position within a passage extending from the inside of the fuel tank to the pump becomes higher than or equal to a first threshold value that is set to be higher than the predetermined pressure value, and

the controller controls the pump to start the pressurizing process when the inner pressure of the fuel tank or the pressure at the position within the passage extending from the inside of the fuel tank to the pump becomes lower than or equal to a second threshold value that is set to be higher than the predetermined pressure value and lower than the first threshold value.

3. The vaporized fuel processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a canister configured to adsorb the vaporized fuel generated in the fuel tank and be capable of desorbing the adsorbed vaporized fuel; and

a pipe positioned inside the fuel tank and connected to the, canister, the pipe ejecting the vaporized fuel from the canister into the fuel stored in the fuel tank, wherein

when the controller performs the pressurizing process, the pipe ejects the vaporized fuel desorbed from the canister into the fuel in the fuel tank by utilizing a pressure force of the pump used for the supplying of gas.

4. A vaporized fuel processing device comprising:

a fuel tank storing fuel used for an internal combustion engine;

a canister configured to adsorb vaporized fuel generated in the fuel tank and be capable of desorbing the adsorbed vaporized fuel;

a purge pump pumping the vaporized fuel adsorbed to the canister to an intake passage of the internal combustion engine through a purge passage;

a purge valve including a valve element switchable between an allowed state where the vaporized fuel is allowed to flow into the intake passage and a prohibited state where the vaporized fuel is prohibited to flow into the intake passage, the purge valve controlling a flow of the vaporized fuel pumped from the purge pump; and

a controller controlling at least an operation of the purge pump, wherein

the controller controls the purge pump to perform a pressurizing process for increasing an inner pressure of the fuel tank by supplying gas from outside to inside the fuel tank, and to keep the inner pressure of the fuel tank at or above a predetermined pressure value at which the vaporized fuel is prevented from flowing out of the fuel tank, during both operation and stoppage of the internal combustion engine except for a time of fueling of the fuel tank.

5. A vaporized fuel processing device comprising:

a fuel tank storing fuel used for an internal combustion engine;

a pump performing a pressurizing process to increase an inner pressure of the fuel tank by supplying gas from outside to inside the fuel tank;

a controller controlling an operation of the pump;

a canister configured to adsorb the vaporized fuel generated in the fuel tank and be capable of desorbing the adsorbed vaporized fuel; and

a pipe positioned inside the fuel tank and connected to the canister, the pipe ejecting the vaporized fuel from the canister into the fuel stored in the fuel tank, wherein

the controller controls the pump to perform the pressurizing process and to keep the inner pressure of the fuel tank at or above a predetermined pressure value at which vaporized fuel is prevented from flowing out of the fuel tank, except for a time of fueling of the fuel tank, and

when the controller performs the pressurizing process, the pipe ejects the vaporized fuel desorbed from the canister into the fuel in the fuel tank by utilizing a pressure force of the pump used for the supplying of gas.

6. A vaporized fuel processing device comprising:

a fuel tank storing fuel used for an internal combustion engine;

a canister configured to adsorb vaporized fuel generated in the fuel tank and be capable of desorbing the adsorbed vaporized fuel;

a purge pump pumping the vaporized fuel adsorbed to the canister to an intake passage of the internal combustion engine through a purge passage;

a purge valve including a valve element switchable between an allowed state where the vaporized fuel is allowed to flow into the intake passage and a prohibited state where the vaporized fuel is prohibited to flow into the intake passage, the purge valve controlling a flow of the vaporized fuel pumped from the purge pump;

a controller controlling at least an operation of the purge pump;

and

a pipe positioned inside the fuel tank and connected to the canister, the pipe ejecting the vaporized fuel from the canister into the fuel stored in the fuel tank, wherein

the controller controls the purge pump to perform a pressurizing process for increasing an inner pressure of the fuel tank by supplying gas from outside to inside the fuel tank, and to keep the inner pressure of the fuel tank at or above a predetermined pressure value at which the vaporized fuel is prevented from flowing out of the fuel tank, except for a time of fueling of the fuel tank, and

when the controller performs the pressurizing process, the pipe ejects the vaporized fuel desorbed from the canister into the fuel in the fuel tank by utilizing a pressure force of the purge pump used for the supplying of gas.