INSTALLATION FOR VENTING A FUEL TANK OF A MOTOR VEHICLE PROVIDED WITH EXPANSION TANK

• US 3,769,952 A
• Filed: 01/19/1972
• Issued: 11/06/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Horst Fiedler, Ludwig Fricker, Willi Renz
• Original Assignee: Horst Fiedler, Ludwig Fricker, Willi Renz
• Inventors: Fricker, Ludwig, Fiedler, Horst, Renz, Willi
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodridge, Laurence M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flint, Cort
• Application Number:
  US05/219,027
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 123/186 139/493.8 251/61.1
• US Class Current: 123/518
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/03519 Valve arrangements in the vent line
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/00 Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture adding secondary air to fuel-air mixture F02M23/00; adding exhaust gases F02M26/00; fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels or on a liquid fuel and another liquid F02M43/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7779 Axes of ports parallel

Abstract

An installation for the venting and pressure relief of a fuel tank for an internal combustion engine equipped with an expansion tank, in which the fuel tank is connected by means of a line with the expansion tank, and which includes within a housing a vent valve, a safety valve and a pressure relief valve; the pressure relief valve selectively opens or closes a connection between the expansion tank and the inlet of the internal combustion engine; the housing of the installation includes an annular space in communication on one side with a connecting stub adapted to be connected with the expansion tank while the other side of the annular space is in communication with the vent valve; this annular space is also connected with two further annular spaces that are disposed axially offset to both sides of the stub connection; one of the further annular spaces is connected with the atmosphere by way of a valve opening which s controlled by the safety valve while the other further annular space is connected with the line leading to the internal combustion engine by way of a valve opening which is controlled by the pressure relief valve.

Claims

1. An installation for the venting and pressure relief of a fuel tank of an internal combustion engine equipped with an expansion tank in which the fuel tank is connected by way of a line with the expansion tank, and which includes within a housing means a vent valve means, a safety valve means and a pressure relief valve means that selectively opens or closes a connection between the expansion tank and an inlet of the internal combustion engine by way of line means, characterized in that the housing means is provided with a first space means, to one side of which is connected a connecting means adapted to be connected with the expansion tank and to which is connected on the other side thereof the vent valve means, said first space means being in communication with two further space means offset and disposed to both sides of the connecting means of the first space means, one of said further space means being connected with the atmosphere by way of a valve opening controlled by the safety valve means and the other further space means being adapted to be connected with the line means leading to the internal combustion engine by way of a valve opening contorlled by the pressure relief valve means, said safety valve means and said pressure relief valve means are constructed as diaphragm valves both provided with elastic diaphragms and valve disks of identical configurations and with valve springs having identical spring characteristics, and cover means are provided for said safety valve means and said pressure relief valve means, said cover means for said safety valve means provided with means for establishing a greater prestress in the valve spring thereof than in the valve spring of said pressure relief valve means.

2. An installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said first and further space means are substantially annular spaces, the connecting means in the form of a connecting stub being connected to the first annular space substantially coaxially thereto, said vent valve means being disposed also substantially coaxially to said first annular space, and said further annular spaces being disposed on a diameter through the first annular space and axially offset thereto on both sides thereof.

3. An installation according to claim 2, characterized in that the pressure relief valve means is connected with the inlet of the internal combustion engine by interconnection of its crankcase and a crankcase vent means.

4. An installation according to claim 2, characterized in that the pressure relief valve means is connected with the inlet of the internal combustion engine by interconnection of a reservoir having a filter.

5. An installation for the venting and pressure relief of a fuel tank of an internal combustion engine equipped with an expansion tank in which the fuel tank is connected by way of a line with the expansion tank, and which includes within a housing means a vent valve means, a safety valve means and a pressure relief valve means that selectively opens or closes a connection between the expansion tank and an inlet of the internal combustion engine by way of line means, characterized in that the housing means is provided with a first space means, to one side of which is connected a connecting means adapted to be connected with the expansion tank and to which is connected on the other side thereof the vent valve means, said first space means being in communication with two further space means offset and disposed to both sides of the connecting means of the first space means, one of said further space means being connected with the atmosphere by way of a valve opening controlled by the safety valve means and the other further space means being adapted 7 be connected with the line means leading to the internal combustion engine by way of a valve opening controlled by the pressure relief valve means, said further space means provided with the valve openings are closed off by cover means which serve for the guidance of the valve means controlling the valve openings and for the accommodation of valve springs closing said valve means, said safety valve means and said pressure relief valve means are constructed as diaphragm valves provided with elastic diaphragms, valve disks and valve springs interchangeable with each other, and said cover means for the guidance of the valve means and for the accommodation of the valve springs are constructed essentially hat shaped and the cover means for the pressure relief valve means is larger in the axial direction of the valve means than the cover means for the safety valve means.

6. An installation according to claim 5, characterized in that one of the cover means and correspondingly the housing means are provided with a projecting pin and an aperture, respectively, which preclude the assembly of the other cover means.

7. An installation according to claim 6, characterized in that the cover means are equipped with pressure equalization apertures.

8. An installation according to claim 7, characterized in that the valve openings for the safety valve means and the pressure relief valve means include ring-shaped valve seats and the diameter of the valve seat for the pressure relief valve Means is smaller than the diameter of the valve seat for the safety valve means.

9. An installation according to claim 8, characterized in that the vent valve means consists of a valve body of rubber-like material having a substantially mushroom-shaped head portion and in that the head portion closes off the valve opening with prestress.

10. An installation according to claim 9, characterized in that an interchangeable filter is connected upstream of the valve opening of the vent valve means.

11. An installation according to claim 10, characterized in that the valve opening of the safety valve means is connected by way of a line with the filter connected upstream of the valve opening of the vent valve means.

12. An installation according to claim 11, arranged in a motor vehicle, characterized in that means are provided at the housing means for securing the same at an external wall of the motor vehicle in such a manner that a spacing remains between the filter and the outer wall.

13. An installation according to claim 12, characterized in that the housing means consists of synthetic plastic material.

14. An installation according to claim 13, characterized in that said first and further space means are substantially annular spaces, the connecting means in the form of a connecting stub being connected to the first annular space substantially coaxially thereto, said vent valve means being disposed also substantially coaxially to said first annular space, and said further annular spaces being disposed on a diameter through the first annular space and axially offset thereto on both sides thereof.

15. An installation according to claim 1, characterized ib that the cover means are constructed essentially hat shaped.

16. An installation according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the cover means and correspondingly the housing means are provided with a projecting pin and an aperture, respectively, which preclude the assembly of the other cover means.

17. An installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the cover means are equipped with pressure equalization apertures.

18. An installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the valve openings for the safety valve means and the pressure relief valve means include ring-shaped valve seats and the diameter of the valve seat for the pressure relief valve means is smaller than the diameter of the valve seat for the safety valve means.

19. An installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the vent valve means consists of a valve body of rubber-like material having a substantially mushroom-shaped head portion and in that the head portion closes off the valve opening with prestress.

20. An installation according to claim 1, characterized in that an interchangeable filter is connected upstream of the valve opening of the vent valve means.

21. An installation according to claim 20, characterized in that the valve opening of the safety valve means is connected by way of a line with the filter connected upstream of the valve opening of the vent valve means.

22. An installation according to claim 20, arranged in a motor vehicle, characterized in that means are provided at the housing means for securing the same at an external wall of the motor vehicle in such a manner that a spacing remains between the filter and the outer wall.

23. An installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing means consists of synthetic plastic material.