Evaporative fuel controller for internal combustion engine

• US 5,906,189 A
• Filed: 01/30/1998
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Harumi, Nakashima, Hitoshi, Mukai, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, CARL STUART
• Application Number:
  US09/016,116
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 123/519, 123/520, 123/521, 123/516, 123/518, 123/198 D
• US Class Current: 123/519
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/089 Layout of the fuel vapour installation

Abstract

An evaporative fuel controller for an internal combustion engine to prevent blow-off of fuel and/or outflow of emissions immediately after fuel is fed into a fuel tank, and to prevent a large quantity of evaporative fuel from flowing into a canister during engine operation. The controller includes a filler tube having a filler passage therein; a check valve for closing the filler passage immediately after the supply of fuel to the fuel tank; a refueling vapor control valve disposed on the fuel tank and communicating with the evaporation passage; a tank-side communication passage for communicating the refueling vapor control valve with the filler passage upstream of the check valve; a first communication passage for communicating the tank-side communication passage and the canister with one another; a first two-way check valve positioned in the first communication passage; a fuel cut valve located on the fuel tank; a second communication passage for communicating the fuel cut valve and the canister with one another; a second two-way check valve disposed in the second communication passage; a third communication passage bypassing the second two-way check valve and communicating with the second communication passage; and a two-way solenoid valve provided in the third communication passage.

Claims

1. In an evaporative fuel controller for an internal combustion engine, having a canister disposed between an evaporation passage communicated to the inside of a fuel tank and a purge passage communicated to an intake system of the engine, and a purge valve provided along said purge passage for controlling an amount of evaporative fuel to said intake system in accordance with an operating state of said engine, the improvement comprising:

a filler tube having a filler passage formed therein for pouring fuel into said fuel tank;

a check valve disposed in said filler tube for closing said filler passage immediately after the supply of fuel to said fuel tank;

a refueling vapor control valve disposed on said fuel tank, said control valve communicating with said evaporation passage;

a tank-side communication passage for communicating said refueling vapor control valve with said filler passage on the upstream side of said check valve;

a first communication passage for communicating said tank-side communication passage and said canister with one another;

a first two-way check valve positioned in said first communication passage;

a fuel cut valve located on said fuel tank;

a second communication passage for communicating said fuel cut valve and said canister with one another;

a second two-way check valve disposed in said second communication passage;

a third communication passage bypassing said second two-way check valve and communicating with said second communication passage; and

a two-way solenoid valve provided in said third communication passage.

2. An evaporative fuel controller as defined in claim 1, wherein said canister is connected to one end of an ambient air-side tube, said tube being formed with an ambient air-side passage, while the other end of said tube is opened into a vehicle body frame member, and wherein said ambient air-side passage is provided with an air cut valve, while an air filter is provided on the air upstream side of said air cut valve.

3. In an evaporative emission control system having a purge valve disposed in an evaporative emission supply passage between a canister and an engine, said canister permitting evaporative emissions from a fuel tank to be absorbed by activated particles in said canister, said purge valve being controlled to open and close for controlling the supply of the evaporative emissions to said engine, the improvement comprising:

a body disposed in said evaporative emission supply passage between said canister and said purge valve, said body housing a plate and a resilient member, in which said plate extends across the flow direction and can be opened and closed in opposition to flow of evaporative emissions through said evaporative emission supply passage, said plate including a filter member permeable by said evaporative emissions, said filter member being capable of collecting said activated particles, whereas said resilient member urges said plate in a closed direction, said resilient member having an urging force such as to permit said plate to be opened by a pressure differential between upstream and downstream sides of said plate when said filter member is clogged with the activated particles; and

an activated particle storage chamber provided at a lower portion of said body for storing the activated particles which falls from said filter member when said plate is opened and closed by the aforesaid pressure differential.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the storage compartment is formed with a takeoff aperture through which collected particles can be removed.