Fuel system with intergrated pressure management

• US 6,474,314 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Canada Limited (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Canada Limited (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Cook, John E., Perry, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): RIVELL, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US09/540,491
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 123/516, 123/518, 123/519, 123/520, 137/493, 137/494, 137/495, 137/493.9, 137/560, 251/65, 251/129.15, 200/830, 200/61.86
• US Class Current: 123/520
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 2025/0845 Electromagnetic valves
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0809 Judging failure of purge control system
• 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 25/0854 Details of the absorption canister
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7771 Bi-directional flow valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7782 With manual or external control for line valve

Abstract

A fuel system supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine of a vehicle. The fuel system includes an integrated pressure management system managing pressure and detecting leaks in the fuel system. The integrated pressure management system also performs a leak diagnostic for the headspace in a fuel tank, a canister that collects volatile fuel vapors from the headspace, a purge valve, and all associated hoses and connections.

Claims

1. A fuel system for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the fuel system comprising:

a fuel tank having a headspace;

an intake manifold in fluid communication with the headspace;

a charcoal canister in fluid communication with the headspace;

a purge valve having a first side in fluid communication with the intake manifold and having a second side in fluid communication with the charcoal canister and with the headspace; and

an integrated pressure management system including;

a housing connected to the charcoal canister and defining an interior chamber, the housing defining a signal chamber in fluid communication with the charcoal canister;

a pressure operable device separating the chamber into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion communicating with the charcoal canister, the second portion communicating with a vent port, the pressure operable device permitting fluid communication between the charcoal canister and the vent port in a first configuration and preventing fluid communication between the charcoal canister and the vent port in a second configuration, the pressure operable device separating the signal chamber from the second portion of the interior chamber; and

a switch signaling displacement of the pressure operable device in response to negative pressure at a first pressure level in the charcoal canister.

2. The fuel system according to claim 1, wherein the housing defines an aperture through which the charcoal canister and the vent port communicate in the first configuration, and the pressure operable device includes a poppet occluding the aperture in the second configuration.

3. The fuel system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a minimum number of fluid communication connections.

4. The fuel system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an engine control unit operatively connected to the purge valve; and

a plurality of electrical connections fixed to the housing and adapted to electrically interconnect the switch with the engine control unit.

5. The fuel system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a control circuit disposed in the housing and electrically interconnecting the switch and the plurality of electrical connections.

6. The fuel system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a solenoid displacing the device from the first configuration to the second configuration.

7. The fuel system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a contiguous connection between the charcoal canister and the housing.

8. The fuel system according to claim 7, wherein the contiguous connection is selected from a group consisting of a bayonet connection, a threaded connection, and an interlocking sliding connection.

9. The fuel system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a remote connection extending between the charcoal canister and the housing spaced from the charcoal canister.

10. The fuel system according to claim 9, wherein the remote connection is selected from a group consisting of a rigid pipe and a flexible pipe.

11. A fuel system for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the fuel system comprising:

a fuel tank having a headspace;

an intake manifold in fluid communication with the headspace;

a charcoal canister in fluid communication with the headspace;

a purge valve having a first side in fluid communication with the intake manifold and having a second side in fluid communication with the charcoal canister and with the headspace; and

an integrated pressure management system including;

a housing connected to the charcoal canister and defining an interior chamber;

a pressure operable device separating the chamber into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion communicating with the charcoal canister, the second portion communicating with a vent port, the pressure operable device permitting fluid communication between the charcoal canister and the vent port in a first configuration and preventing fluid communication between the charcoal canister and the vent port in a second configuration;

a switch signaling displacement of the pressure operable device in response to negative pressure at a first pressure level in the charcoal canister; and

a poppet preventing fluid communication between the charcoal canister and the vent port in the second configuration;

a spring biasing the poppet toward the second configuration; and

a diaphragm separating the second portion of the interior chamber from a signal chamber in fluid communication with the charcoal canister.

12. The fuel system according to claim 11, wherein a positive pressure below the first pressure level displaces the poppet against the spring bias to the first configuration.

13. The fuel system according to claim 11, wherein a positive pressure above a second pressure level in the signal chamber displaces the diaphragm and the poppet against the spring bias to the first configuration.

14. A fuel system for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the fuel system comprising:

a fuel tank having a headspace;

an intake manifold in fluid communication with the headspace;

a charcoal canister in fluid communication with the headspace;

a purge valve having a first side in fluid communication with the intake manifold and having a second side in fluid communication with the charcoal canister and with the headspace; and

an integrated pressure management system including;

a housing connected to the charcoal canister and defining an interior chamber;

a pressure operable device separating the chamber into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion communicating with the charcoal canister, the second portion communicating with a vent port, the pressure operable device permitting fluid communication between the charcoal canister and the vent port in a first configuration and preventing fluid communication between the charcoal canister and the vent port in a second configuration;

a switch signaling displacement of the pressure operable device in response to negative pressure data first pressure level in the charcoal canister; and

a solenoid displacing the device from the first configuration to the second configuration, the solenoid including a stator extending transversely with respect to a displacement direction of the device between the first and second configurations.

15. A fuel system for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the fuel system comprising:

a fuel tank having a headspace;

an intake manifold in fluid communication with the headspace;

a charcoal canister in fluid communication with the headspace;

a purge valve having a first side in fluid communication with the intake manifold and having a second side in fluid communication with the charcoal the canister and with the headspace; and

an integrated pressure management system including;

a housing connected to the charcoal canister and defining an interior chamber and a signal chamber;

a pressure operable device separating the chamber into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion communicating with the charcoal canister, the second portion communicating with a vent port, the pressure operable device permitting fluid communication between the charcoal canister and the vent port in a first configuration and preventing fluid communication between the charcoal canister and the vent port in a second configuration;

a switch signaling displacement of the pressure operable device in response to negative pressure at a first pressure level in the charcoal canister; and

a solenoid displacing the device from the first configuration to the second configuration, the charcoal canister communicating with the signal chamber via a passage defined at least in part by a void between the housing and the solenoid.