Electric-operated toggle lever of leak detection module pump

• US 6,009,746 A
• Filed: 06/30/1998
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Canada Limited (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Canada Limited (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Cook, John E., Perry, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): WIGGINS, JOHN DAVID
• Application Number:
  US09/107,519
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 73/40, 73/49.7, 73/118.1, 123/520
• US Class Current: 73/49.7
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0818 having means for pressurising the evaporative emission space

Abstract

A module for an on-board evaporative emission leak detection system that detects leakage from an evaporative emission space of an automotive vehicle fuel system. A pump disposed within interior space of the module has an inlet in communication with the interior space and an outlet that communicates through a flow passage by with the evaporative emission space. A vent valve within the interior space is selectively operable to a first state that vents the flow passage to the interior space of the module, thereby venting the evaporative emission space to atmosphere, and to a second state that does not vent the flow passage to the interior space. An electromechanical actuator within the interior space operates the pump and the vent valve by respective magnetically responsive levers. For absorbing impact of a lever with stops, an elastomeric part is disposed on an arm of the lever.

Claims

1. A module for an on-board evaporative emission leak detection system that detects leakage from an evaporative emission space of a fuel system of an automotive vehicle, the module comprising:

an enclosure comprising an interior space adapted to be communicated to atmosphere;

a pump disposed within the interior space comprising a pumping chamber having an inlet in communication with the interior space and a flow passage for communicating the pumping chamber with an evaporative emission space to allow the evaporative emission space to be pressurized by the pump;

a vent valve that is disposed within the interior space and is selectively operable to a first state that vents the flow passage to the interior space to thereby vent the evaporative emission space to atmosphere and to a second state that does not vent the flow passage to the interior space; and

an electric-operated actuator mechanism disposed within the interior space for operating the pump and the vent valve to perform a leak test on the evaporative emission space;

the actuator mechanism comprising a coupling through which one of the pump and the vent valve is operated, the coupling comprising a lever mounted for pivotal motion about a pivot axis, the lever comprising a lever arm;

a stop that defines a limit of pivotal motion of the lever about the pivot axis;

and an elastomeric element for absorbing impact of the lever arm with the stop.

2. A module as set forth in claim 1 in which the elastomeric element is disposed on the lever arm.

3. A module as set forth in claim 2 in which the lever arm comprises a through-hole pattern via which the elastomeric element is disposed on the lever arm.

4. A module as set forth in claim 3 in which the through-hole pattern comprises a central through-hole and at least one additional through-hole spaced radially from the central through-hole, and the elastomeric element comprises a central hub disposed in the central through-hole and a mounting member disposed in the at least one additional through-hole.

5. A module as set forth in claim 4 in which the elastomeric element comprises a rim extending around the perimeter of the central through-hole, a snubber projecting axially from the central hub out of the central through-hole, and plural spaced-apart radial members joining the central hub and the rim.

6. A module as set forth in claim 5 in which the snubber comprises a rounded distal end.

7. A module as set forth in claim 5 in which the plural radial members are spaced apart in a symmetric pattern about the central hub.

8. A module as set forth in claim 5 in which the snubber projects from the central hub in one axial direction, and further including a second snubber which projects from the central hub out of the central through-hole in the opposite axial direction.

9. A module as set forth in claim 4 in which the lever arm further comprises a counterbore that envelopes the through-hole pattern, and the elastomeric element comprises a joining member that occupies the counterbore and that joins with the mounting member.

10. A module as set forth in claim 9 in which the at least one additional through-hole comprises two additional through-holes on diametrically opposite sides of the central through-hole, a respective additional mounting member being disposed in a respective one of the two additional through-holes, and the counterbore comprises a central zone that is concentric with the central through-hole and has diametrically opposite ears extending radially to include the two additional through-holes.

11. A module as set forth in claim 10 in which the elastomeric element comprises respective bumpers extending axially out of respective ears of the counterbore.

12. A module as set forth in claim 11 in which the elastomeric element comprises a rim extending around the perimeter of the central through-hole, plural spaced-apart, radial members joining the central hub and the rim, and a snubber extending axially from the central hub out of the central through-hole in the same axial direction as the bumpers, and farther than the bumpers.

13. A module as set forth in claim 12 in which the lever further comprises a second counterbore that envelopes the through-hole pattern axially opposite the first counterbore, the elastomeric element comprises a further joining member that occupies the second counterbore and that joins with the mounting members, the second counterbore comprises a central zone that is concentric with the central through-hole and has diametrically opposite ears extending radially to include the two additional through-holes, and the elastomeric element comprises respective additional bumpers extending axially out of respective ears of the second counterbore in an axial direction opposite the first bumpers and a second snubber extending axially from the central hub out of the central through-hole in the same axial direction as the additional bumpers, and farther than the additional bumpers.

14. A module as set forth in claim 1 in which the electric-operated actuator mechanism includes an electromagnet actuator and the stop comprises a surface of the electromagnet actuator.

15. A module as set forth in claim 14 including a further stop spaced from the surface of the electromagnet actuator to define an opposite limit of pivotal motion of the lever about the pivot axis, and in which the elastomeric element is disposed on the lever arm for absorbing impact of the lever arm with both stops.

16. A module as set forth in claim 15 in which the lever arm comprises a pattern of through-holes which extend between opposite surfaces of the lever arm and via which the elastomeric element is disposed on the lever arm, the through-hole pattern comprises a central through-hole and plural additional through-holes spaced radially from the central through-hole, the elastomeric element comprises a central hub disposed in the central through-hole and respective mounting members disposed in the respective additional through-holes, and the elastomeric element comprises a rim extending around the perimeter of the central through-hole, plural spaced-apart radial members joining the central hub and the rim, joining members disposed on the opposite surfaces of the lever arm joining the rim and the mounting members, bumpers extending from the joining members away from the additional through-holes in opposite axial directions, and snubbers extending from the hub in opposite axial directions, the snubbers being disposed to abut the stops before the bumpers.

17. A module as set forth in claim 1 further including an electric signaling device communicated to the flow passage for providing an electric signal related to pressure in the evaporative emission space.

18. A module as set forth in claim 1 in which the lever comprises a further lever arm, the pump comprises a movable wall that is reciprocally stroked by toggling of the lever, and a spring resiliently biases the movable wall against the further lever arm so that the movable wall follows toggling of the lever.

19. A module as set forth in claim 18 in which the further lever arm comprises a dimple, the movable wall comprises a post having a rounded end, and the spring resiliently biases the rounded end of the post to seat in the dimple of the further lever arm.

20. An electric-operated toggle lever of a leak detection module pump comprising a lever arm having a pivot axis, and an elastomeric impact-absorbing element spaced from the pivot axis, the lever arm comprising a pattern of through-holes which extend between opposite surfaces of the lever arm and via which the elastomeric element is disposed on the lever arm, the through-hole pattern comprising a central through-hole and plural additional through-holes spaced radially from the central through-hole, the elastomeric element comprising a central hub disposed in the central through-hole and respective mounting members disposed in the respective additional through-holes, and the elastomeric element comprising a rim extending around the perimeter of the central through-hole, plural spaced-apart radial members joining the central hub and the rim, joining members disposed on the opposite surfaces of the lever arm joining the rim and the mounting members, bumpers extending from the joining members away from the additional through-holes in opposite axial directions, and snubbers extending from the hub in opposite axial directions, the snubbers extending farther from the opposite surfaces of the lever arm than the bumpers.

21. An electric-operated toggle lever as set forth in claim 20 in which the opposite surfaces of the lever arm comprises respective counterbores that envelope the through-hole pattern, and the joining members are disposed in the counterbores.