Evaporated fuel treatment device of internal combustion engine and evaporated fuel treatment method

• US 7,152,587 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2005
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): KWON, JOHN
• Application Number:
  US11/248,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20060086343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 123/518, 123/519, 123/520, 123/521, 123/198.D, 731/181
• US Class Current: 123/518
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0809 Judging failure of purge control system
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0854 Details of the absorption canister
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/089 Layout of the fuel vapour installation

Abstract

In a canister system of seal type, a purge VSV is closed even if a predetermined purge condition is established so as to prevent direct purging of an evaporated fuel within a fuel tank into an intake system of an engine when one of the following conditions is established, that is, (1) a motor pump of an OBD pump module is driven; (2) a switching valve of the OBD pump module is set to ON; and (3) a closing valve is opened.

Claims

1. An evaporated fuel treatment device of an internal combustion engine comprising:

an evaporated fuel introduction passage through which an evaporated fuel generated within a fuel tank is introduced into an intake system of the internal combustion engine;

a relief valve that is opened when an internal pressure of the fuel tank becomes higher than an internal pressure of the evaporated fuel introduction passage by a predetermined value or greater so as to allow the evaporated fuel within the fuel tank to be introduced into the evaporated fuel introduction passage;

a diagnosis module capable of switching between a communication state in which the evaporated fuel introduction passage is communicated with an atmosphere and a non-communication state in which the evaporated fuel introduction passage is not communicated with the atmosphere;

a purge control valve that is opened so as to allow the evaporated fuel to be introduced into the intake system of the internal combustion engine; and

a controller that opens the purge control valve when a predetermined purge condition is established during an operation of the internal combustion engine, wherein the controller prohibits the purge control valve from opening so as to be in a closed state when the diagnosis module is switched to be in the non-communication state in which the evaporated fuel introduction passage is not in communication with the atmosphere during the operation of the internal combustion engine.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

the diagnosis module includes a switching valve that is capable of switching between the communication state in which the evaporated fuel introduction passage is communicated with the atmosphere and the non-communication state in which the evaporated fuel introduction passage is not communicated with the atmosphere; and

the controller prohibits the purge control valve from opening so as to be in the closed state when the switching valve is operated to switch from the communication state to the non-communication state.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

the diagnosis module includes a pump that is driven to introduce a negative pressure into the evaporated fuel introduction passage; and

the controller prohibits the purge control valve from opening so as to be in the closed state when an operation of the pump is switched from a stopped state to a driven state.

4. The device according to claim 1 further comprising a canister that adsorbs the evaporated fuel, the canister being connected to the fuel tank via a vapor passage, connected to the intake system of the internal combustion engine via a purge passage, and communicated with the atmosphere via an atmospheric introduction passage, wherein the relief valve is provided in the vapor passage, the purge control valve is provided in the purge passage, and the diagnosis module is provided in the atmospheric introduction passage.

5. An evaporated fuel treatment device of an internal combustion engine comprising:

an evaporated fuel introduction passage through which an evaporated fuel generated within a fuel tank is introduced into an intake system of the internal combustion engine;

a closing valve that is opened so as to allow the evaporated fuel within the fuel tank to be introduced into the evaporated fuel introduction passage;

a purge control valve that is opened so as to allow the evaporated fuel to be introduced into the intake system of the internal combustion engine; and

a controller that opens the purge control valve when a predetermined purge condition is established during an operation of the internal combustion engine, wherein the controller prohibits the purge control valve from opening so as to be in a closed state when the closing valve is switched from a closed state to an opened state upon diagnosis performed under a negative pressure of an intake air from the intake system during an operation of the internal combustion engine.

6. The device according to claim 5 further comprising a canister that adsorbs the evaporated fuel, the canister being connected to the fuel tank via a vapor passage and connected to the intake system of the internal combustion engine via a purge passage, wherein the closing valve is provided in the vapor passage and the purge control valve is provided in the purge passage.

7. A method of treating an evaporated fuel of an internal combustion engine comprising an evaporated fuel introduction passage through which an evaporated fuel generated within a fuel tank is introduced into an intake system of the internal combustion engine, a closing valve that is opened to allow the evaporated fuel within the fuel tank to be introduced into the evaporated fuel introduction passage, a diagnosis module capable of switching between a communication state in which the evaporated fuel introduction passage is communicated with an atmosphere and a non-communication state in which the evaporated fuel introduction passage is not communicated with the atmosphere, and a purge control valve that is opened so as to allow the evaporated fuel to be introduced into the intake system of the internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

executing a control for opening the purge control valve when a predetermined purge condition is established during an operation of the internal combustion engine; and

prohibiting execution of the control for opening the purge control valve so that the purge control valve is in a closed state when the diagnosis module is switched to be in the non-communication state, or when the diagnosis module operates a pump during the operation of the internal combustion engine and a closing valve is switched from a closed state to an opened state during a diagnosis performed under a negative pressure of an intake air from the intake system.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

the diagnosis module includes a switching valve that is capable of switching between the communication state in which the evaporated fuel introduction passage is communicated with the atmosphere and the non-communication state in which the evaporated fuel introduction passage is not communicated with the atmosphere; and

execution of the control for opening the purge control valve is prohibited so that the purge control valve be in the closed state when the switching valve is operated to switch from the communication state to the non-communication state.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

the pump of the diagnosis module is driven to introduce a negative pressure into the evaporated fuel introduction passage; and

the execution of the control for opening the purge control valve is prohibited so that the purge control valve be in the closed state when an operation of the pump is switched from a stopped state to a driven state.