Calibrated toggle lever of leak detection module pump

• US 6,016,691 A
• Filed: 06/30/1998
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• 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:
  US09/107,515
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 73/40, 73/49, 73/2, 73/118.1, 73/49.7, 73/1.36, 73/1.16, 123/520, 417/63, 417/212, 417/213, 417/214, 417/423.14, 417/238, 417/450, 417/551, 417/565, 417/572
• 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, and corresponding method that calibrates a leak detection module pump to set a desired stroke of a moveable wall in the pump of such evaporative emission leak detection 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 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. An eccentric cam for calibrating a lever is disposed for abutment by an arm of the lever and turned to a position to secure a desired relationship between the pump and actuator.

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

the mechanism comprising a lever operatively coupling the actuator with one of the pump and the vent valve, the lever being mounted for pivotal motion about a pivot axis and comprising a lever arm; and

a stop that is disposed to be abutted by the lever arm and is positionable relative to the lever arm for calibrating the lever to secure a desired relationship between the electric actuator and the one of the pump and the vent valve.

2. A module as set forth in claim 1 in which the lever operatively couples the electric actuator with the pump.

3. A module as set forth in claim 2 in which the stop comprises an eccentric cam mounted on the enclosure.

4. A module as set forth in claim 3 in which the eccentric cam is mounted on a shaft that is mounted for rotary positioning on the enclosure.

5. A module as set forth in claim 4 in which the shaft contains a tool engagement surface for engagement by a tool to perform rotary positioning of the shaft.

6. A module as set forth in claim 2 in which the stop defines a limit of pivotal motion of the lever in one direction about the pivot axis, and further including a second stop that defines a limit of pivotal motion of the lever in the opposite direction about the pivot axis.

7. A module as set forth in claim 6 in which the second stop is fixedly positioned on the enclosure.

8. A module as set forth in claim 7 in which the second stop comprises a surface of the electric actuator.

9. A module as set forth in claim 8 in which the electric actuator comprises an electromagnet coil disposed on a ferromagnetic core having a leg, and the surface of the electric actuator is disposed at the distal end of the leg.

10. A module as set forth in claim 9 in which the ferromagnetic core, including the leg, comprises a stack of laminations, and the surface of the electric actuator comprises a ferromagnetic cap disposed on the distal end of the leg.

11. A module as set forth in claim 2 in which the mechanism includes an operative coupling of the vent valve with the electric actuator.

12. A module as set forth in claim 11 in which the operative coupling of the vent valve with the electric actuator comprises a second lever.

13. A method of calibrating a leak detection module pump to set a desired stroke of a moveable wall in the module pump for an automotive vehicle fuel system with evaporative emission leak detection system, the calibration method comprising:

providing a positive displacement pump comprising a wall that is reciprocally stroked to operate the pump;

providing an electric-operated actuator for operating the pump to perform a leak test on an evaporative emission space, said actuator mechanism including an electric actuator and a pivotally mounted lever having a lever arm, for reciprocally stroking the pump;

providing a positionable stop that is disposed to be abutted by the lever arm to define a limit of pivotal motion of the lever arm; and

calibrating the lever arm by positioning the stop relative to the lever arm to a calibration position that secures a desired relationship between the electric actuator and the pump.

14. A method as set forth in claim 13 in which the step of positioning the stop relative to the lever arm comprises positioning an eccentric cam.

15. A method as set forth in claim 14 in which the step of positioning the eccentric cam comprises turning a shaft on which the eccentric cam is mounted.

16. A method as set forth in claim 15 in which the step of turning the shaft comprises engaging a turning tool with a tool engagement surface of the shaft and turning the tool to turn the shaft.