Device for venting fuel tanks
First Claim
1. A device for venting automotive vehicle fuel tanks, comprising a volume equalizing vessel arranged in an upper zone of the interior of a fuel tank, said volume equalizing vessel being in communication with the atmosphere by equalizing conduit means, said volume equalizing vessel having outlet opening means disposed at opposite ends thereof close to respective side end walls of the fuel tank extending in a longitudinal direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, each said outlet opening means closable by a blocking element means pivotally mounted exteriorly of the volume equalizing vessel and connected with a weighted means swingably hanging in a depending manner in the tank below said blocking element means, wherein one of said weighted means causes the respective connected blocking element means to close one respective outlet opening means at one end of the volume equalizing vessel and another weighted means causes the respective connected blocking means to open a respective outlet opening means at an opposite end of the volume equalizing vessel when the fuel tank is inclined.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for venting fuel tanks, especially of automotive vehicles, of the type having a volume equalizing vessel arranged in an upper zone of the interior of the fuel tank that communicates with the atmosphere is provided with inertial operated blocking members for sealing orifices into the equalizing vessel that are disposed at an upstream side of the orifices into the equalizing vessel relative to the interior of the tank. Additional venting conduits may be provided that are preferably inclined height wise and may either be mounted interiorly of the equalizing vessel so as to extend outwardly through an end wall thereof into close proximity with an end wall of the fuel tank or may be externally formed as a unitary formation of the equalizing vessel. An auxiliary sump chamber may be provided in a central portion of the auxiliary chamber bottom wall beneath the conduit venting the equalizing vessel to the atmosphere so as to ensure spillage therethrough during righting of a vehicle containing the fuel tank from an inverted position.
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Citations
14 Claims
- 1. A device for venting automotive vehicle fuel tanks, comprising a volume equalizing vessel arranged in an upper zone of the interior of a fuel tank, said volume equalizing vessel being in communication with the atmosphere by equalizing conduit means, said volume equalizing vessel having outlet opening means disposed at opposite ends thereof close to respective side end walls of the fuel tank extending in a longitudinal direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, each said outlet opening means closable by a blocking element means pivotally mounted exteriorly of the volume equalizing vessel and connected with a weighted means swingably hanging in a depending manner in the tank below said blocking element means, wherein one of said weighted means causes the respective connected blocking element means to close one respective outlet opening means at one end of the volume equalizing vessel and another weighted means causes the respective connected blocking means to open a respective outlet opening means at an opposite end of the volume equalizing vessel when the fuel tank is inclined.
Specification