Hand-held fuel cap leakage tester

• US 6,230,549 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2000
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stant USA Corporation (Vapor Acquisition Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Stant Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Harris, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): LARKIN, DANIEL SEAN
• Application Number:
  US09/530,153
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 73/40, 73/497
• US Class Current: 73/49.7
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/025 Details with respect to the testing of engines or engine parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2869 for seals not incorporated in a pipe joint
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/3209 Details, e.g. container closure devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/3227 for radiators

Abstract

A fuel cap leakage tester is provided comprising a fuel cap support, a pressure source, and a monitor. The fuel cap support is formed to included a test chamber and is adapted to receive a fuel cap to be tested in the test chamber to establish a pressurizable region, therein and a sealed connection between the fuel cap to be tested and the fuel cap support. The monitor is positioned to communicate with the pressurizable region formed in the fuel cap support and is configured to measure air pressure in the pressurizable region. The fuel cap leakage tester further comprises a system for communicating a flow of pressurized air from the pressure source to the pressurizable region with a predetermined pressure drop of the pressurized air therebetween. The monitor measures the pressure level of the pressurized air in the pressurizable region to determine whether the fuel cap to be tested meets or exceeds a predetermined leakage flow rate.

Claims

1. A fuel cap leakage tester comprising:

a fuel cap support formed to include a test chamber and adapted to receive a fuel cap to be tested in the test chamber to establish a pressurizable region therein and a sealed connection between the fuel cap to be tested and the fuel cap support,

a pressure source,

a monitor positioned to communicate with the pressurizable region formed in the fuel cap support and configured to measure air pressure in the pressurizable region, and

means for communicating a flow of pressurized air from the pressure source to the pressurizable region with a predetermined pressure drop of the pressurized air therebetween to cause the pressure level of the pressurized air in the pressurizable region to be less than the pressure level of the pressurized air in the pressure source so that the monitor measures the pressure level of the pressurized air in the pressurizable region during discharge of the pressurized air from the pressurizable region through an air leak path between the fuel cap to be tested and the fuel cap support at an unknown flow rate to determine whether the unknown flow rate associated with the fuel cap to be tested meets or exceeds a predetermined leakage flow rate to establish that the sealed connection between the fuel cap to be tested and the fuel cap support complies with a predetermined fuel cap leakage rate specification.

2. The tester of claim 1, wherein the fuel cap support includes a test base formed to include the test chamber and a cap connector configured to mount a fuel cap to be tested in the test chamber.

3. The tester of claim 2, wherein the monitor is a pressure gauge coupled to the test base.

4. The tester of claim 1, wherein the fuel cap support includes a test base formed to include a first portion of the test chamber and a cap adapter formed to include a second portion of the test chamber and a cap connector configured to mount a fuel cap to be tested in the test chamber and coupled to the test base to place the first and second portions in fluid communication.

5. The tester of claim 4, wherein the monitor is a pressure gauge coupled to the test base.

6. The tester of claim 1, wherein the pressure source includes a pressure reservoir coupled to the communicating means and a pressurizer coupled to the pressure reservoir and configured to force compressed air into the pressure reservoir.

7. The tester of claim 6, wherein the pressure reservoir includes a first air chamber coupled to the communicating means, a second air chamber, and a passage arranged to couple the first and second air chambers in fluid communication.

8. The tester of claim 7, wherein the pressurizer is coupled to the first air chamber to force pressurized air therein.

9. The tester of claim 7, wherein the pressure source further includes a first tube containing the pressurizer and the first air chamber and a second tube containing the second air chamber.

10. The tester of claim 7, wherein the pressure source further includes a pressure-relief valve coupled to the second air chamber and configured to vent air from the second air chamber once air pressure in the second air chamber exceeds a predetermined level.

11. The tester of claim 7, wherein the pressure source further includes a one-way check valve arranged to control flow of compressed air from the pressurizer into first air chamber.

12. The tester of claim 6, wherein the pressure source includes a case containing the pressurizer and the pressure reservoir and a grip handle appended to an underside of the case.

13. The tester of claim 12, wherein the pressure source further includes a first tube containing the pressurizer and a first portion of the pressure reservoir and a second tube containing a second portion of the pressure reservoir and the first and second tubes are positioned to lie in side-by-side relation in the case.

14. The tester of claim 6, wherein the pressure source includes a case, a grip handle appended to the case, a first tube contained in the case and configured to contain the pressurizer and a portion of the air reservoir, and a second tube configured to include another portion of the air reservoir and arranged to lie in the case in a position between the first tube and the grip handle.

15. The tester of claim 6, wherein the pressure source includes a case, a grip handle appended to the case, a first tube contained in the case and configured to contain a portion of the air reservoir, and a second tube configured to contain the pressurizer and another portion of the reservoir and arranged to lie in the case in a position between the first tube and the grip handle.

16. The tester of claim 6, wherein the pressure source further includes a tube configured to contain the pressurizer and the pressure reservoir and a pressure-relief valve is mounted on the tube and coupled to the pressure reservoir to vent air from the pressure reservoir once air pressure in the pressure reservoir exceeds a predetermined level.

17. The tester of claim 1, wherein the monitor includes a pressure detector in communication with the pressurizable region and an indicator coupled to the pressure detector to indicate the air pressure extant in the pressurizable region.

18. The tester of claim 17, wherein the indicator includes a visual display including a pass region and a fail region and an indicator needle positioned to move over the pass and fail regions and linked to the pressure detector.

19. The tester of claim 18, wherein the visual display further includes a pressure scale extending into the pass and fail regions.

20. The tester of claim 18, wherein the visual display includes a scale configured to demarcate air pressure units and the indicator needle is configured to signal the air pressure level in the pressurizable region on the scale.

21. The tester of claim 18, wherein the visual display includes a fail indicia positioned to lie on a left half of the visual display and a pass indicia positioned to lie on a right half of the visual display and the indicator needle is configured to point to the pass indicia when the sealed connection complies with the predetermined specification and a fail indicia when the sealed connection fails to comply with the predetermined specification.

22. The tester of claim 1, wherein the communicating means includes an outlet line configured to conduct pressurized air from the pressure source to the pressurizable region and a master orifice located in the outlet line and configured to meter air flowing therethrough at a predetermined flow rate.

23. The tester of claim 22, wherein the communicating means further includes a first filter located in the outlet line in a position between the pressure source and the master orifice and a second filter located in the outlet line in a position between the master orifice and the pressurizable region.

24. The tester of claim 23, wherein each of the first and second filters is a twenty-five micron screen.

25. The tester of claim 22, wherein the communicating means further includes a filter located in the outlet line.

26. The tester of claim 25, wherein the filter is a screen.

27. The tester of claim 22, wherein the communicating means further includes a valve located in the outlet line in a position between the master orifice and the pressurizable region and arranged to move between a closed position blocking flow of pressurized air from the master orifice to the pressurizable region and an opened position allowing flow of pressurized air at the predetermined flow rate from the master orifice to the pressurizable region.

28. The tester of claim 27, wherein the communicating means further includes a push button coupled to the valve.

29. A fuel cap leakage tester comprising:

a fuel cap support formed to include a test chamber and adapted to receive a fuel cap to be tested in the test chamber to establish a pressurizable region therein and a sealed connection between the fuel cap to be tested and the fuel cap support,

a pressure source,

a monitor positioned to communicate with the pressurizable region formed in the fuel cap support and configured to measure air pressure in the pressurizable region, and

means for communicating a flow of pressurized air between a pressure source to the pressurizable region, the communicating means including a passage extending between the pressure source and having a flow area and a flow restrictor positioned to lie in the passage and having a predetermined flow area less than the flow area of the passage so that the monitor measures the pressure level of the air in the pressurizable region during discharge of the pressurized air from the pressurizable region through an air leak path between the fuel cap to be tested and the fuel cap support at an unknown flow rate to determine whether the unknown flow rate associated with the fuel cap to be tested meets or exceeds a predetermined leakage flow rate to establish that the sealed connection between the fuel cap to be tested and the fuel cap support complies with a predetermined fuel cap leakage rate specification.

30. The tester of claim 29, wherein the flow restrictor is an orifice formed to include a hole sized to permit flow of pressurized air to the pressurizable region formed in the fuel cap support so that the pressure level of pressurized fluid in the pressurizable region reaches a peak greater than a predetermined pressure level when the fuel cap to be tested complies with the predetermined specification.

31. The tester of claim 29, wherein the communicating means further includes a valve positioned to lie between the flow restrictor and the pressurizable region formed in the fuel cap support for movement between a closed position blocking the flow of pressurized fluid through the flow restrictor and an opened position permitting the flow of pressurized fluid through the flow restrictor.

32. The tester of claim 29, wherein the communicating means further includes a filter positioned to lie between the pressure source and the flow restrictor.

33. The tester of claim 32, wherein the communicating means further includes another filter positioned to lie between the flow restrictor and the pressurizable region formed in the fuel cap support.

34. The tester of claim 29, further comprising a first calibration fuel cap adapted to be received in the test chamber of the fuel cap support to form a first sealed connection between the first calibration fuel cap and the fuel cap support cap having a first predetermined flow rate and a second calibration fuel cap adapted to be received in the test chamber of the fuel cap support to form a second sealed connection between the second calibration fuel cap and the fuel cap support having a second predetermined flow rate that is less than the first predetermined flow rate.

35. The tester of claim 34, wherein the first calibration fuel cap is configured to comply with the predetermined fuel cap leakage rate specification and the second calibration fuel cap is configured to fail to comply with the predetermined fuel cap leakage rate specification.

36. A fuel cap leakage tester comprising:

a measuring device including a fuel cap support formed to include a pressurizable region and a monitor in communication with the pressurizable region,

an air supply coupled to the measuring device,

and a case having a central axis, a body portion configured to receive the air supply and having a length extending along the central axis, and a handle portion cantilevered to the body portion away from the central axis.

37. The tester of claim 36, wherein the air supply includes a pump handle extending from the body portion along the central axis and the handle portion of the case is positioned to lie substantially perpendicular to the pump handle.

38. The tester of claim 36, wherein the body portion includes a first end and a second end spaced apart from the first end, the air supply includes a pump handle extending from the second end, and the handle portion of the case extends from the first end.

39. The tester of claim 36, wherein the handle portion of the case includes an upper portion, a lower portion spaced apart from the upper portion, and a middle portion positioned to lie between the upper and lower portions and configured to protrude relative to the upper and lower portions.

40. The tester of claim 39, wherein the handle further includes a collar coupled to the lower portion.

41. The tester of claim 36, wherein the body portion of the case includes a first end and a second end spaced apart from the first end, the handle portion extends from the first end, the air supply extends through the first end and includes a switch including a valve and a button coupled to the valve and positioned to lie adjacent to the first end.

42. The tester of claim 41, wherein the handle portion of the case includes an upper portion coupled to the body portion of the base at a first distance from the central axis and a lower portion spaced apart from the upper portion, and the button of the switch is positioned to lie a second distance from the central axis that is less than the first distance.

43. The tester of claim 42, wherein the body portion of the case includes a first end and a second end spaced apart from the first end, the handle portion extends from the first end, the air supply extends through the first end of the body portion along the central axis in a first direction, and the monitor of the measuring device includes a visual display facing in a second direction opposite the first direction.

44. A fuel cap leakage tester comprising:

a fuel cap support formed to include a test chamber and adapted to receive a fuel cap to be tested in the test chamber to establish a pressurizable region therein and a sealed connection between the fuel cap to be tested and the fuel cap support,

a pressure source,

a monitor positioned to communicate with the pressurizable region formed in the fuel cap support and configured to measure a rate of air flow through the pressurizable region, and

means for communicating a flow of pressurized air from the pressure source to the pressurizable region with a predetermined pressure drop of the pressurized air therebetween to cause the pressure level of the pressurized air in the pressurizable region to be less than the pressure level of the pressurized air in the pressure source so that the monitor measures the rate of air flow of the pressurized air through the pressurizable region during discharge of the pressurized air from the pressurizable region through an air leak path between the fuel cap to be tested and the fuel cap support at an unknown flow rate to determine whether the unknown flow rate associated with the fuel cap to be tested meets or exceeds a predetermined leakage flow rate to establish that the sealed connection between the fuel cap to be tested and the fuel cap support complies with a predetermined fuel cap leakage rate specification.