CANISTER FOR VEHICLES AND FUEL EVAPORATIVE SYSTEM PROVIDED WITH THE SAME

• US 20120118273A1
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: KIM, Myeong Hwan, RYU, Buyeol, CHOI, Pil Seon
• Granted Patent: US 8,839,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/520
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/08 adding fuel vapours drawn from engine fuel reservoir electrical control of purge system F02D41/003
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0854 Details of the absorption canister
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 33/02 for collecting and returning condensed fuel apparatus for re-atomising condensed fuel F02M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 33/06 with simultaneous heat supply

Abstract

A canister for a vehicle is provided with charcoal therein so as to absorb evaporation gas evaporated at a fuel tank, supplies air by pressure difference formed due to engine purge, and thereby releases the absorbed evaporation gas so as to supply the evaporation gas to an engine and to be burned therein again. The canister may include an evaporation gas supply passage connected to the fuel tank and receiving the evaporation gas, an air passage selectively receiving the air from the exterior, a purge passage supplying the evaporation gas to the engine according to flow of the supplied air, and a heating module heating a position at which the air passing through the air passage flows in the canister, or mounted at the air passage and heating the air flowing in the canister, wherein the heating module comprises a heating core for heating the air flowing in the canister, and a diffusing plate disposed between the air passage and the heating module and diffusing the air passing through the air passage so as to be heated at the heating core evenly.

Claims

1. A canister for a vehicle having charcoal therein to absorb evaporation gas evaporated at a fuel tank and release the absorbed evaporation gas according to air supply to supply the evaporation gas to an engine, the canister comprising:

an evaporation gas supply passage connected to the fuel tank and receiving the evaporation gas;

an air passage selectively receiving the air from an exterior;

a purge passage supplying the evaporation gas to the engine according to flow of the supplied air; and

a heating module heating a position at which the air passing through the air passage flows in the canister, or mounted at the air passage and heating the air flowing in the canister;

wherein the heating module comprises a heating core for heating the air flowing in the canister, and a diffusing plate disposed between the air passage and the heating module and diffusing the air passing through the air passage to be heated at the heating core evenly.

2. The canister of claim 1, wherein the diffusing plate is a thin plate, and a plurality of diffusing holes is formed at the diffusing plate.

3. The canister of claim 1, wherein the heating core comprises:

a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) assembly generating heat according to a supply of electricity; and

a fin having a surface fixed to the PTC assembly, and heating the air flowing into the canister by transferring heat generated at the PTC assembly to the air.

4. The canister of claim 3, wherein the fin is fixed to the PTC assembly by a thermally conductive adhesive.

5. The canister of claim 3, wherein the PTC assembly comprises:

a hollow rod formed with an inner space therein;

a PTC element inserted in the inner space and generating heat according to the supply of the electricity; and

a first terminal mounted in the inner space, and configured to contact with the PTC element and supply the electricity to the PCT element.

6. The canister of claim 5, wherein the PTC assembly is insertedly mounted in a receiving recess formed at a PTC frame.

7. The canister of claim 5, wherein an insulator is mounted between the first terminal and the hollow rod.

8. The canister of claim 5, wherein the heating core further comprises a second terminal fixed to the other surface of the fin and corresponding to the first terminal.

9. The canister of claim 5, wherein the heating core further comprises a second terminal mounted at an opposite side of the first terminal with reference to the PTC element in the inner space, and configured to contact with the PTC element.

10. The canister of claim 1, wherein diameter of an outlet is larger than that of an inlet in the air passage.

11. The canister of claim 1, wherein the diffusing plate and the heating module are replaceably mounted in a case formed at an upper end of one side of the canister and connected to the air passage.

12. The canister of claim 11, further comprising a case cover;

wherein one surface of the case is open, and the case cover is detachably coupled to the opened one surface such that the diffusing plate and the heating module are pulled out from the case through the opened one surface.

13. A fuel evaporative system comprising:

a fuel tank connected to a refueling line to receive fuel, exhausting internal evaporation gas through a evaporation gas line, and supplying the fuel through a fuel supply line;

an engine connected to the fuel supply line to receive the fuel from fuel tank, and connected to an intake passage to receive air;

a purge line connected to the intake passage; and

a canister provided with charcoal therein for absorbing evaporation gas, and having an evaporation gas supply passage connected to the evaporation gas line to receive the evaporation gas, an air passage connected to an air supply line to receive exterior air, a purge passage connected to the purge line and releasing the evaporation gas absorbed at the charcoal according to flow of the air supplied through the air passage to supply the evaporation gas to the intake passage, and a heating module heating a position into which the air passing through the air passage flows or mounted at the air supply line and heating the air;

wherein the heating module comprises a heating core for heating the air flowing in the canister, and a diffusing plate disposed between the air passage and the heating module and diffusing the air passing through the air passage to be heated at the heating core evenly.

14. The fuel evaporative system of claim 13, wherein the diffusing plate is a thin plate, and a plurality of diffusing holes is formed at the diffusing plate.

15. The fuel evaporative system of claim 13, wherein the heating core comprises:

a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) assembly generating heat according to supply of electricity; and

a fin having a surface fixed to the PTC assembly, and heating the air flowing into the canister by transferring heat generated at the PTC assembly to the air.

16. The fuel evaporative system of claim 15, wherein the fin is fixed to the PTC assembly by thermally conductive adhesive.

17. The fuel evaporative system of claim 15, wherein the PTC assembly comprises:

a hollow rod formed of an inner space therein;

a PTC frame inserted in the inner space and formed of a receiving recess;

a PTC element inserted mounted in the receiving recess and generating heat according to the supply of the electricity; and

a first terminal mounted in the inner space, and adapted to contact with the PTC element and supply the electricity to the PCT element.

18. The fuel evaporative system of claim 17, wherein an insulator is mounted between the first terminal and the hollow rod.

19. The fuel evaporative system of claim 17, wherein the heating core further comprises a second terminal fixed to the other surface of the fin and corresponding to the first terminal.

20. The fuel evaporative system of claim 17, wherein the heating core further comprises a second terminal mounted at an opposite side of the first terminal with reference to the PTC element in the inner space, and adapted to contact with the PTC element.