Air cleaner

• US 20070022880A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Shibata, Yasufumi, Mizutani, Yoshiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,507,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 96/136
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0036 by adsorption or absorption
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0854 Details of the absorption canister
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/024 using filters, e.g. moistened F02M35/026 takes precedence; cleaning of the filtering material F02M35/08

Abstract

A fuel adsorption member 16 is fixed to an inner surface of a housing 13 by fixing pins 14. A fuel vapor leaking from an intake system of an engine is adsorbed by an active carbon included in an adsorption sheet member of the fuel adsorption member 16. The fuel adsorption member 16 is arranged along an inner surface of the housing 13. Accordingly, when an engine is operated, the fuel adsorption member 16 can reduce a ventilation resistance without being adversely affecting an intake air E. Further, the fuel adsorption member 16 is fixed to an inner surface of the housing 13 in accordance with a swaging of the fixing pins 14. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a damage of the fuel adsorption member 16 caused by a vehicle vibration, a fluctuation of an intake pressure or the like, and a reduction of a fuel adsorbing function caused by a wear of the active carbon.

Claims

1. An air cleaner provided with a filter element within a housing, comprising:

a fuel adsorption member for adsorbing a fuel vapor;

said fuel adsorption member being arranged downstream of said filter element;

said fuel adsorption member being provided with a sheet member having a fuel adsorbing function, and a frame for fixing the sheet member to said housing;

said frame having a rigidity;

said sheet member being provided in a tensioned manner in an inner side of said frame;

said fuel adsorption member being provided with a portion which is bent or curved along at least two surfaces facing an air flow path within said housing;

said at least two surfaces being arranged adjacent to each other;

said fuel adsorption member extending along said air flow path;

a support member provided in said frame for supporting said sheet member; and

said support member maintaining said sheet member in a bent state or a curved state, in the bent portion or the curved portion of said fuel adsorption member.

2. The air cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fuel adsorption member is fixed to the inner surface of said housing by a plurality of fixing pins which extend in the same direction and are in parallel to each other.

3. The air cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gap communicating with said air flow path is formed between the inner surface of said housing and said fuel adsorption member.

4. The air cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame is provided with an outer peripheral portion positioned in an outer periphery of said sheet member, and a sub frame bridged over two line edges facing each other in the outer peripheral portion, and said support member is formed by said sub frame.

5. The air cleaner as claimed in claim 4, wherein a portion corresponding to said bent portion of said frame is formed thinner than the other portions.

6. The air cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein said fixing pins are integrated with said housing.

7. The air cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein said fixing pins are integrated with said frame.

8. The air cleaner as claimed in claim 6, wherein said fixing pins each have a step for forming a gap between said fuel adsorption member and said housing by engaging with said frame.

9. The air cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein said fixing pins have the same material as said housing.

10. The air cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sheet member is formed by a retaining member including an adsorbent, and a pair of covering sheets holding the retaining member in between.

11. The air cleaner as claimed in claim 10, wherein said retaining member retains said adsorbent in a state of uniformly dispersing said adsorbent in an unwoven fabric fiber assembly.

12. The air cleaner as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a reinforcing sheet for covering a surface of one of said pair of covering sheets that faces said air flow path.

13. The air cleaner as claimed in claim 12, wherein said reinforcing sheet has a heat resistance.

14. The air cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fuel adsorption member adsorbs fuel vapor leaking from an intake system of an engine.

15. A manufacturing method of a fuel absorption member having a fuel adsorbing function, comprising:

arranging two retaining members retaining fuel adsorbent while spacing the retaining members from each other;

arranging a pair of covering sheets so as to hold both retaining members in between;

forming a sheet main body by welding both the covering sheets at outer edge portions thereof and an outer peripheral portion of said retaining member;

arranging said sheet main body in a mold after bending said sheet main body at a predetermined position; and

forming a frame retaining said sheet main body in a state of bending, by injecting a molten resin into said mold and solidifying the molten resin.