Pressure sensor which prevents leakage of fuel

• US 5,621,176 A
• Filed: 08/05/1996
• Issued: 04/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Mitani, Tateki, Nagano, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Noori, Max H.
• Application Number:
  US08/692,152
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: 73/714, 73/700, 73/716, 73/721, 73/751, 73/706, 73/45, 73/40, 137/45, 137/513.5, 137/543
• US Class Current: 73/714
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0836 Arrangement of valves controlling the admission of fuel vapour to an engine, e.g. valve being disposed between fuel tank or absorption canister and intake manifold
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0076 Details of the fuel feeding system related to the fuel tank vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/03
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0015 using switching means
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0038 being part of the housing other details about the housing G01L19/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0672 Leakage or rupture protection or detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/143 Two part housings

Abstract

A pressure sensor into which the internal pressure of a fuel tank is introduced through a nipple portion and the atmospheric pressure is introduced through an atmosphere introducing hole, and a pressure difference between the internal pressure and the atmospheric pressure is detected by a diaphragm, comprises a check valve provided in the nipple portion to prevent fuel from leaking out to the atmospheric side. A pressure buffer chamber in the nipple portion of the pressure sensor is provided in which a ball is installed. A bottom face of the pressure buffer chamber is formed to be concave, and a receiving seat for receiving the ball is provided on the bottom face. Therefore, no fuel leaks outside, even when the vehicle comes across an accident and overturns sideways under the condition that the diaphragm used as a sensor element is fractured in the measurement of internal pressure of the fuel tank.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor into which the internal pressure of a fuel tank is introduced, comprising:

a nipple portion for introducing a fuel tank pressure;

an air introducing hole for introducing air into an atmospheric pressure portion;

a pressure buffer chamber disposed in said nipple portion; and

a check valve provided in the buffer chamber,

wherein said check valve is suspended in said buffer chamber in order to allow a fuel to pass through said nipple portion to said atmospheric pressure portion when said fuel tank is upright during a normal operation,

wherein said check valve blocks said fuel from passing from said nipple portion to said atmospheric pressure portion when said fuel tank is turned sideways or is turned over, in order to prevent a leakage of said fuel during an overturning of a vehicle carrying said fuel tank.

2. The pressure sensor according to claim 1 further comprising:

a bottom face of the pressure buffer chamber being formed to be concave; and

a weighted ball installed in the pressure buffer chamber,

wherein a ball receiving seat is provided on the bottom face.

3. The pressure sensor according to claim 1 wherein said check valve further comprises:

a weighted spool-shaped valve member having a guide and a seal portion installed in the pressure buffer chamber, a bottom face of the pressure buffer chamber being formed to be concave;

wherein a check valve receiving seat is provided on the bottom face.

4. The pressure sensor according to claim 3, wherein the check valve is made of rubber.

5. The pressure sensor according to claim 1 wherein said check valve further comprises:

a substantially conical weighted valve member for blocking an upper portion of the pressure buffer chamber, a bottom face of the pressure buffer chamber being formed to be concave;

wherein a check valve receiving seat is provided on the bottom face.

6. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein a pressure measuring port is provided on the fuel tank to which the nipple portion is connected by a tube means.

7. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein a pressure sensor is attached to an evaporative emission control device.

8. A pressure sensor, mountable on a fuel tank, to monitor the internal pressure of the fuel tank, said sensor comprising:

a nipple portion with a feeding hole for introducing the fuel tank pressure;

a pressure buffer chamber disposed to receive the fuel tank pressure introduced through said feeding hole and to pass the fuel tank pressure to a pressure monitoring device through an orifice;

a seating member positioned in said pressure buffer chamber, said seating member comprising a plurality of supports disposed from the walls of said pressure buffer chamber towards the center portion of the chamber, each support tangentially contacting a portion of the periphery of the feeding hole, and each support having a surface raised above the level of said feeding hole to define lower regions abutting said feeding hole between the supports; and

a check valve, wherein said check valve rests on said plurality of supports of said seating member and wherein said check valve is raised above said feeding hole, forming a clearance, to allow passage of the introduced fueled tank pressure through the lower regions of said seating member when the fuel tank is in an upright position, and wherein said check valve blocks said orifice in said pressure buffer chamber when the fuel tank is substantially displaced from the upright position.

9. The pressure sensor of claim 8, wherein said check valve has a ball shape.

10. The pressure sensor of claim 8, wherein said check valve has a conical shape.

11. The pressure sensor of claim 8, wherein said pressure buffer chamber includes a channel leading to the orifice, and wherein said check valve has a guiding portion inserted in said channel and a flange portion, said flange portion having a larger diameter than the channel opening to form a peripheral seal around the channel opening when the fuel tank is substantially displaced from the upright position.

12. The pressure sensor according to claim 8, wherein the fuel tank is provided with a measuring port and said nipple portion is connected to the measuring port by a tube means.

13. The pressure sensor according to claim 8, wherein the pressure sensor is attached to the evaporative emission control device.

14. A pressure sensor, mountable on a fuel tank, to monitor the internal pressure of the fuel tank, said sensor comprising:

a nipple portion with a feeding hole for introducing the fuel tank pressure;

a pressure buffer chamber disposed to receive the fuel tank pressure introduced through said feeding hole and to pass the fuel tank pressure to a pressure monitoring device through an orifice;

a seating member positioned in said pressure buffer chamber, said seating member having an annular structure with a plurality of supports protruding from the edge of said annular structure towards the center portion of the annular structure, each support tangentially contacting a portion of the periphery of the feeding hole, and each support having a surface raised above the level of said feeding hole to define lower regions abutting said feeding hole between the supports; and

a check valve, wherein said check valve rests on said plurality of supports of said seating member and wherein said check valve is raised above said feeding hole, forming a clearance, to allow passage of the introduced fueled tank pressure through the lower regions of said seating member when the fuel tank is in an upright position, and wherein said check valve blocks said orifice in said pressure buffer chamber when the fuel tank is substantially displaced from the upright position.

15. The pressure sensor of claim 14, wherein said check valve has a ball shape.

16. The pressure sensor of claim 14, wherein said check valve has a conical shape.

17. The pressure sensor of claim 14, wherein said pressure buffer chamber includes a channel leading to the orifice, and wherein said check valve has a guiding portion inserted in said channel and a flange portion, said flange portion having a larger diameter than the channel opening to form a peripheral seal around the channel opening when the fuel tank is substantially displaced from the upright position.

18. The pressure sensor according to claim 14, wherein the fuel tank is provided with a measuring port and said nipple portion is connected to the measuring port by a tube means.

19. The pressure sensor according to claim 14, wherein the pressure sensor is attached to the evaporative emission control device.