FUEL VAPOR PROCESSING DEVICES

• US 20120260893A1
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: MAKINO, Katsuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,074,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/520
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4516 for fuel vapour recovery systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03514 with vapor recovery means
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 2025/0881 with means to heat or cool the canister
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0854 Details of the absorption canister

Abstract

A fuel vapor processing device may include a casing having an adsorption chamber defined therein, an adsorption material disposed within the adsorption chamber, a heating device capable of heating the adsorption material, and a passage member communicating between the adsorption chamber and the atmosphere. The passage member defines a flow space facing to an outer circumferential surface of the casing, so that heat can be transmitted between the adsorption chamber and the flow space.

Claims

1. A fuel vapor processing device comprising:

a casing having an adsorption chamber defined therein and including a charge port for introducing a fuel vapor containing gas into the adsorption chamber, a purge port for purging fuel vapor from the adsorption chamber, and an atmospheric port for introducing purge air into the adsorption chamber;

an adsorption material disposed within the adsorption chamber and capable of absorbing fuel vapor and allowing desorption of fuel vapor;

a heating device capable of heating the adsorption material; and

an enclosure enclosing at least a part of the casing defining an outer wall of the adsorption chamber,

wherein a flow space is defined between the enclosure and the at least a part of the casing; and

wherein the flow space is configured to allow the purge air to be introduced into the adsorption chamber after flowing through the flow space.

2. The fuel vapor processing device as in claim 1, wherein the heating device comprises a heat generating element and a heat dissipating member, the heat generating element is disposed within one of the adsorption chamber and the flow space, and the heat dissipating member is disposed within the other of the adsorption chamber and the flow space.

3. The fuel vapor processing device as in claim 1, further comprising an activated carbon block having a honeycomb structure and disposed within the flow space.

4. The fuel vapor processing device as in claim 1, further comprising:

an activated carbon block having a honeycomb structure; and

a communication member connected between the enclosure and the atmospheric port of the casing, so that the purge air flows through the communication member after flowing through the flows pace of the enclosure;

wherein the activated carbon block is disposed within the communication member.

5. A fuel vapor processing device comprising:

a casing having an adsorption chamber defined therein;

an adsorption material disposed within the adsorption chamber and capable of adsorbing fuel vapor and allowing desorption of fuel vapor;

a heating device capable of heating the adsorption material; and

a passage member communicating between the adsorption chamber and the atmosphere,

wherein the passage member defines a flow space facing to an outer circumferential surface of the casing, so that heat can be transmitted between the adsorption chamber and the flow space.

6. The fuel vapor processing device as in claim 5, wherein the casing has a length in an axial direction, and the flow space of the passage member extends along substantially the entire length of the casing.

7. The fuel vapor processing device as in claim 5, wherein the casing has a circumferential length, and the flow space of the passage member extends along substantially the entire circumferential length of the casing.

8. The fuel vapor processing device as in claim 5, wherein the passage member is configured such that purge air can flow into the adsorption chamber for desorption of fuel vapor from the adsorption material after flowing through the flow space of the passage member.

9. The fuel vapor processing device as in claim 5, wherein the passage member is configured such that a fuel vapor containing gas can flow into the adsorption chamber for adsorption of fuel vapor before flowing through the flow space of the passage member.

10. The fuel vapor processing device as in claim 5, wherein the heating device comprises a first heating device disposed within the adsorption chamber and a second heating device disposed within the flow space of the passage member.

11. The fuel vapor processing device as in claim 10, wherein one the first and second heating devices is a heat generating element and the other of the first and second devices is a heat sink, the heat generating element and the heat sink are connected to each other across a portion of the casing, so that the heat of the heat generating element is transmitted to the heat sink.

12. The fuel vapor processing device as in claim 5, wherein the passage member includes a tubular member defining a storage space for storing an adsorption material, the storage space communicating with the flow space.