Failure diagnostic device of evaporative gas purge control system

• US 6,968,732 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakoji, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCALL, ERIC SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US10/788,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20040173011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 73/40, 73/497, 731/16, 731/172, 731/173, 731/181
• US Class Current: 73/114.39
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 2025/0845 Electromagnetic valves
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0809 Judging failure of purge control system

Abstract

A state of an energization of a normal open type drain valve interposed between a fresh air introducing port of a canister and a drain filter is checked. And if the valve is not the energized state (open state), the tank internal pressure is checked. If the tank internal pressure is lower than a predetermined value and the state is maintained for a predetermined time, it is determined that the drain valve is close-stuck. If the drain valve is close-stuck, the pressure in the canister becomes negative, and the negative pressure is introduced in a fuel tank via a passage to an atmosphere and a pressure control valve. Closed sticking of the drain valve can be detected by checking the tank internal pressure.

Claims

1. A failure diagnostic device of an evaporative gas purge control system, comprising:

an evaporative gas passage to communicate a fuel tank with a canister to adsorb an evaporative fuel generated in the fuel tank;

a purge passage to communicate the canister with an engine intake system;

a pressure control valve interposed in the evaporative gas passage and opened at a valve opening according to a pressure difference between the pressure in the fuel tank and a reference pressure if the pressure in the fuel tank is higher than the reference pressure;

a reference pressure chamber to set the reference pressure of the pressure control valve connected to the canister;

purge control means interposed in the purge passage to control an opening and a closing of the purge passage;

a drain valve to open and close a fresh air introducing port opened in the canister; and

tank internal pressure detecting means to detect the pressure in the fuel tank;

diagnosis start means to detect that the drain valve is opened from an energized state to the drain valve, and open the purge control means; and

failure determination means to compare the pressure in the fuel tank detected by the tank internal pressure detecting means with a closed sticking determination pressure of the drain valve, and to determine a closed sticking of the drain valve if the pressure in the fuel tank is lower than the closed sticking determination pressure of the drain valve.

2. The failure diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein;

the failure determination means determines the closed sticking of the drain valve if the pressure in the fuel tank is lower than the closed sticking determination pressure of the drain valve and a state thereof is maintained for a predetermined time.

3. A failure diagnostic device of an evaporative gas purge control system, comprising:

an evaporative gas passage to communicate a fuel tank with a canister to adsorb an evaporative fuel generated in the fuel tank;

a purge passage to communicate the canister with an engine intake system;

a pressure control valve interposed in the evaporative gas passage and opened at a valve opening according to the pressure difference between the pressure in the fuel tank and a reference pressure if the pressure in the fuel tank is higher than the reference pressure;

a reference pressure chamber to set the reference pressure of the pressure control valve connected to the canister;

purge control means interposed in the purge passage to control an opening and a closing of the purge passage;

a drain valve to open and close a fresh air introducing port opened in the canister; and

a tank internal pressure detecting means to detect the pressure in the fuel tank;

purge execution means to purge the evaporative fuel by opening the purge control means and the drain valve; and

failure determination means to determine that the drain valve is normal if the pressure in the fuel tank detected by the tank internal pressure detecting means while purging the evaporative fuel is higher than a drain valve normality determination pressure.

4. The failure diagnostic device according to claim 3, wherein;

the failure determination means determines that the drain valve is normal if the pressure in the fuel tank is higher than the drain valve normality determination pressure and a state thereof is maintained for a predetermined time.