Canister system

• US 5,174,265 A
• Filed: 01/30/1992
• Issued: 12/29/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Sekine, Hidetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, CARL STUART
• Application Number:
  US07/828,209
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: 123/516, 123/518, 123/519, 123/520, 123/521, 123/198 D
• US Class Current: 123/520
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/089 Layout of the fuel vapour installation

Abstract

A bypass pipe 10 which bypasses the first and second check valves 13a, 13b of an air breather pipe 8 for the communication between the upper space of a fuel tank 3 and an absorbent 2 contained in a canister 1 is disposed including a first change-over valve 12a which is opened only during the operation of a motor vehicle, while that second vent pipe 16 of the canister 1 which is openable to the atmosphere is furnished with a second change-over valve 12b which enlarges a ventilating cross-sectional area only during the operation of the vehicle. During the running of the vehicle, accordingly, the second vent pipe 16 is opened, and the first and second check valves 13a, 13b interposed in the air breather pipe 8 are invalidated to bring the fuel tank 3 and the canister 1 into direct communication.

Claims

1. A canister for adsorbing fuel vapor generated in a fuel tank mounted on a motor vehicle having, an adsorbent contained in said canister for adsorbing fuel from said fuel vapor, an air breather pipe connected between an upper portion of said fuel tank and said adsorbent, a vent pipe connected to said canister for discharging purified air to atmosphere, check valve means interposed in said vent pipe for preventing said fuel vapor from returning into said fuel tank, and an air pipe connected between an upper portion of said canister and a throttle valve for recycling said fuel into an induction pipe of an engine, the improvement of the canister which comprises:

a bypass pipe provided in parallel with said air breather pipe for bypassing said check valve means;

an additional vent pipe provided in parallel with the first-mentioned vent pipe under said canister for further improving the discharge of said air from said canister;

a first three-way valve interposed in said bypass pipe for automatically opening a first port when a negative pressure is applied from the suction pipe;

a second three-way valve interposed in said additional vent pipe for automatically opening a second port when said negative pressure is applied from said suction pipe; and

a negative pressure pipe connected between said first and second ports and an upstream portion of said throttle valve for further inducing said fuel vapor into said engine when said vehicle is operating, so as to effectively adsorb said fuel vapor in said fuel tank and to prevent said fuel vapor from discharging largely into said atmosphere.

2. The canister according to claim 1, wherein said three-way valve is of diaphragm type.