THRESHOLD CONDITION INDICATION IN VEHICLE FUEL SYSTEM

• US 20130256161A1
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TI Group Automotive Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: TI Group Automotive Systems LLC
• Inventors: Crary, Lynwood F., Forgue, John R., Deane, Alastair R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,435,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/216
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/03006 Gas tanks B60K15/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 77/08 Safety, indicating, or supervising devices thermal insulation F02B77/11; monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 33/003 Controlling the feeding of liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus control of electrical fuel pumps F02D41/3082, controlling fuel flow to a common rail F02D41/3845; Failure or leakage prevention; Diagnosis or detection of failure; Arrangement of sensors in the fuel system; Electric wiring; Electrostatic discharge
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0082 Devices inside the fuel tank other than fuel pumps or filters electrical pumps submerged in fuel tanks F02M37/10, jet pumps F02M37/025
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A fuel system component may include a body arranged for use in storing or moving fuel within the fuel system, and an indicator associated with the body to provide an indication when the body is subjected to a condition outside of a threshold. The indicator may be responsive to one or more environmental or system conditions outside of a threshold. For example without limitation, the indicator may be responsive to one or more of temperature, pressure, corrosion and electrical conditions to provide an indication when at least one condition exceeds a threshold for that condition.

Claims

1. A fuel system component, comprising:

a body arranged for use in storing or moving fuel within the fuel system;

an indicator associated with the body to provide an indication that when the body is subjected to a condition outside of a threshold.

2. The component of claim 1 wherein the indicator is responsive to a temperature over a threshold temperature to provide an indication that the body was subjected to a temperature beyond the threshold temperature.

3. The component of claim 2 wherein the form of at least a portion of the indicator permanently changes when it is exposed to a temperature beyond the threshold temperature.

4. The component of claim 2 wherein the color of at least a portion of the indicator changes when it is exposed to a temperature beyond the threshold temperature.

5. The component of claim 2 wherein the indicator is carried by the body.

6. The component of claim 5 wherein the body includes a fuel tank.

7. The component of claim 1 wherein the indicator is responsive to a voltage applied to the component that is greater than a threshold voltage.

8. The component of claim 7 wherein the indicator includes a zener diode with a knee voltage at the threshold voltage.

9. The component of claim 8 wherein the body is one of a portion of an electric motor fuel pump or a portion of a fluid level sensor, and the zener diode is connected across the power leads of said fuel pump or fluid level sensor.

10. The component of claim 1 wherein the indicator is responsive to a pressure over a threshold pressure to provide an indication that the body was subjected to a pressure beyond the threshold pressure.

11. The component of claim 10 wherein the indicator includes an indicating surface the appearance of which is changed when a pressure beyond a threshold is exerted on the indicator.

12. The component of claim 11 wherein the indicator includes a diaphragm that defines a reference chamber, and a pin movable by the diaphragm into engagement with the indicating surface when the pressure outside of the reference chamber and acting on the diaphragm is greater than the threshold pressure.

13. The component of claim 12 wherein the pin includes a point that forms an indent in the indicating surface when engaged with the indicating surface.

14. The component of claim 11 wherein the body includes a fuel tank, the indicator is carried by a fuel tank and the indicating surface is a separate component from the fuel tank.

15. The component of claim 11 wherein body includes a fuel tank, the indicator is carried by the fuel tank and the indicating surface is an integral portion of the fuel tank.

16. The component of claim 11 wherein the indicating surface includes a membrane that is ruptured when acted upon by a pressure beyond the threshold pressure.

17. The component of claim 1 wherein the indicator provides an indication when the body is subjected to a corrosive substance that is more corrosive than a corrosion threshold.

18. The component of claim 17 wherein the indicator includes a sacrificial member that has a known reaction when subjected to a corrosive substance that is more corrosive than a corrosion threshold.

19. The component of claim 17 wherein the corrosive substance is part of the fuel in the fuel system and the indicator is associated with a component of the fuel system that is exposed to the fuel.

20. The component of claim 1 wherein the indicator is carried by the body and responsive to conditions directly experienced by the body.

21. The component of claim 20 wherein an electrical threshold indicator is directly carried by a fuel pump or a fuel level sensor of the fuel system.

22. The component of claim 2 wherein the indicator is carried by the fuel tank.

23. The component of claim 22 wherein the indicator is located adjacent to an outside surface of the fuel tank in area of exhaust system component.

24. The component of claim 20 wherein a pressure threshold indicator is carried by a fuel tank of the fuel system, within an interior of the fuel tank.

25. The component of claim 20 wherein a corrosion threshold indicator is located within an interior of a fuel tank of the fuel system.

26. A fuel tank, comprising:

a wall defining an interior in which a supply of fuel is maintained; and

an indicator carried by the fuel tank to provide an indication when the fuel tank is exposed to a condition beyond a threshold, the indicator has a first state when the fuel tank has not been exposed to a condition beyond the threshold and a second state after the fuel tank is exposed to a condition beyond the threshold.

27. The fuel tank of claim 26 wherein the second state is visibly different than the first state.

28. The fuel tank of claim 26 wherein the indicator is located adjacent to an outer surface of the fuel tank and is responsive to a temperature beyond a threshold temperature to change from its first state to its second state.

29. The fuel tank of claim 28 wherein at least a portion of the indicator changes color when exposed to a temperature beyond the threshold temperature.

30. The fuel tank of claim 28 wherein at least a portion of the indicator changes shape when exposed to a temperature beyond the threshold temperature.

31. The fuel tank of claim 26 wherein the indicator is communicated with the interior of the fuel tank and changes state from its first state to its second state when the pressure within the interior of the fuel tank is beyond a threshold pressure.

32. The fuel tank of claim 31 wherein the indicator includes an indicating surface the appearance of which is different in the second state compared to the first state of the indicator.

33. The fuel tank of claim 26 wherein the indicator is communicated with the interior of the fuel tank and changes state from its first state to its second state when a substance have a corrosivity beyond a threshold is present within the fuel tank.

34. A fuel system component to which electricity is supplied in use, comprising:

positive and negative power terminals to which power is supplied to the component; and

an electric threshold indicator communicated with the power terminals and operative to change from a first state to a second state when the voltage applied to the power terminals is beyond a threshold.

35. The component of claim 34 wherein the electric threshold indicator includes a zener diode having a knee voltage equal to the threshold voltage.

36. A multiple condition indicator, comprising:

a first indicator responsive to a first condition to provide an indication when the first condition exceeds a threshold for that condition;

a second indicator responsive to a second condition to provide an indication when the second condition exceeds a threshold for that condition; and

a body to which the first indicator and the second indicator are mounted.

37. The indicator of claim 36 wherein the first condition is one of temperature, pressure, corrosivity or voltage, and the second condition is one of temperature, pressure, corrosivity or voltage, and the second condition is different than the first condition.

38. The indicator of claim 36 which also includes a third indicator responsive to a third condition to provide an indication when the third condition exceeds a threshold for that condition, and where the first condition, second condition and third condition are all different than each other.

39. The indicator of claim 38 wherein the first condition is temperature, the second condition is pressure and the third condition is corrosivity.