Fuel vapor leak check module

• US 20050044937A1
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Amano, Hitoshi, Kobayashi, Mitsuyuki, Kano, Masao, Kunihiro, Seiji, Yamada, Yoshichika, Tsuruta, Masafumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,137,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/114.410
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0809 Judging failure of purge control system
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0818 having means for pressurising the evaporative emission space
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0854 Details of the absorption canister

Abstract

A fuel vapor leakage check module has a canister port which is provided so that the port can be opened to the air and is connected to the interior of a fuel tank through a canister for absorbing fuel vapor produced in the fuel tank. A pump depressurizes or pressurizes the interior of the fuel tank through the canister port. A connecting passage which is coaxially provided in the canister port, is connected to the canister port. The connecting passage is depressurized or pressurized by the pump. A standard orifice is coaxially provided in the connecting passage and reduces the passage area of the connecting passage.

Claims

1. A fuel vapor leak check module for detecting a fuel vapor leakage from a fuel tank, comprising:

a canister port which is installed so that the port can be opened to the air and is connected to the interior of the fuel tank through a canister for absorbing fuel vapor produced in the fuel tank;

a pump means which depressurizes or pressurizes the interior of the fuel tank through the canister port;

a connecting passage which is coaxially provided in the canister port, is connected to the canister port, and is depressurized or pressurized by the pump means; and

a standard orifice which is coaxially provided in the connecting passage and reduces the passage area of the connecting passage.

2. The fuel vapor leakage check module according to claim 1, comprising:

the canister port which has a connecting end portion connected to the canister;

the connecting passage which has an open end open in the canister port;

an air port which has an open end opened to the air;

a changeover valve which selects the counter-open end-side end of the connecting passage or the counter-open end-side end of the air port, and connects it to the counter-connecting end portion-side end of the canister port; and

the pump means which has a pump passage branching from the connecting passage between the standard orifice and the changeover valve, and depressurizes or pressurizes the pump passage.

3. The fuel vapor leakage check module according to claim 2,

wherein the changeover valve comprises:

a shaft body installed so that the body is coaxial with the connecting passage and can be reciprocated in the axial direction;

a first valve portion which connects or separates the counter-open end-side end of the connecting passage and the counter-connecting end portion-side end of the canister port; and

a second valve portion which connects or separates the counter-open end-side end of the air port and the counter-connecting end portion-side end of the canister port, and

wherein the first valve portion is constructed by combining a first valve seat formed on a passage wall which encircles the counter-open end-side end of the connecting passage, and a first valve element provided on the shaft body so that the first valve element can be seated on the first valve seat.

4. The fuel vapor leakage check module according to claim 3,

wherein the second valve portion is constructed by combining a second valve seat and a second valve element formed on the shaft body so that the second valve element can be seated on the second valve seat.

5. The fuel vapor leakage check module according to claim 3,

wherein the changeover valve has an elastic member placed between the passage wall and the first valve element, and

wherein the first valve element is formed in the shape of closed-end cylinder, the connecting passage-side end of the shaft body is attached to the inner radius side of the first valve element by fitting, and the bottom wall of the first valve element is pressed against the shaft body by the restoring force of the elastic member.

6. The fuel vapor leakage check module according to claim 5,

wherein the elastic member is constructed of a helical compression spring and is provided coaxially with the connecting passage and the shaft body.

7. The fuel vapor leakage check module according to claim 1,wherein a pump means which has a pump passage branching from the connecting passage between the standard orifice and the changeover valve and depressurizes or pressurizes the pump passage;

further comprising;

a first filter which is provided in the connecting passage between the standard orifice and the open end and filters fluid passing through the connecting passage; and

a second filter which is provided in the connecting passage between the standard orifice and the changeover valve and filters fluid passing through the connecting passage.

8. The fuel vapor leakage check module according to claim 7,

wherein the second filter is provided in the connecting passage between the branching point of the pump passage and the standard orifice.

9. The fuel vapor leakage check module according to claim 7,

wherein both the first filter and the second filter are constructed of a mesh filter.

10. The fuel vapor leakage check module according to claim 1, comprising:

an orifice member which is installed in the connecting passage and has a standard orifice for reducing the passage area of the connecting passage; and

a holding member which is installed in the connecting passage between the orifice member and the passage opening and whose image projected to the orifice member side overlaps the opening in the orifice.

11. The fuel vapor leakage check module according to claim 10,

wherein the holding member is formed in such a shape that the projected image covers the entire opening in the orifice.

12. The fuel vapor leakage check module according to claim 10, further comprising:

filters which are held in the holding member and filter fluid passing through the connecting passage.

13. The fuel vapor leakage check module according to claim 12,

wherein the filters are mesh filters.