Device for ventilating and aerating a fuel tank

• US 9,174,529 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Hagen, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Schneider, Craig
• Assistant Examiner(s): WENTLANDT, NICOLE C
• Application Number:
  US13/328,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20120186670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 137/493, 137/493.8, 137/493.9, 123/516, 123/518, 123/519
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/03519 Valve arrangements in the vent line
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03276 Valves with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03302 Electromagnetic valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03514 with vapor recovery means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03566 comprising means for stopping the venting of fuel vapor, e.g. during refueling or engine stop
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7838 Plural

Abstract

A device for ventilating and aerating a fuel tank includes a tank shut-off valve and two tank pressure control valves. One of the tank pressure control valves opens in response to a negative pressure in the fuel tank and the other one of the tank pressure control valves opens in response to an overpressure in the fuel tank. The opening pressures of the two tank pressure control valves are adjustable flexibly and independent of the respective other valve.

Claims

1. A device for ventilating and aerating a fuel tank, comprising:

a tank shut-off valve; and

two tank pressure control valves operating independently from one another, one of the two tank pressure control valves configured to open in response to a negative pressure in the fuel tank and another one of the two tank pressure control valves configured to open in response to an overpressure in the fuel tank,

wherein the two tank pressure control valves are mounted on opposite sides of the tank shut-off valve.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the two tank pressure control valves and the tank shut-off valve are combined to form a valve unit.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein each of the two tank pressure control valves has two chambers separated from one another by a membrane, wherein two chambers of the two tank pressure control valves communicate through an internal space of the tank shut-off valve with a tank connection which leads to the fuel tank, and two chambers of the two tank pressure control valves communicate through an internal space of the tank shut-off valve with a filter connection which leads to an activated carbon filter.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the two tank pressure control valves are mounted separated from one another on the tank shut-off valve.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the two tank pressure control valves are assembled to form a valve unit.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the valve unit has a single tank connection and a single filter connection, said single tank connection communicating with the fuel tank and said single filter connection communicating with an activated carbon filter.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein each of the two tank pressure control valves has two chambers separated from one another by a membrane, one of the two chambers communicating with the tank connection and the other one of the two chambers communicating with the filter connection.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the two tank pressure control valves have a same orientation and are arranged adjacent to one another along a common connection part, said connection part having opposite ends, one of the ends provided with the tank connection, and another one of the ends provided with the filter connection.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the two tank pressure control valves have opposite orientations and are arranged at a same end of a common connection part, said common connection part having another end provided with the tank and filter connections.

10. A device, comprising:

a tank shut-off valve; and

two tank pressure control valves operating independently from one another, one of the two tank pressure control valves configured to open in response to a negative pressure in the fuel tank and another one of the two tank pressure control valves configured to open in response to an overpressure in the fuel tank, wherein the two tank pressure control valves are arranged inside the fuel tank, and the tank shut-off valve is arranged outside the fuel tank.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the two tank pressure control valves and the tank shut-off valve are combined to form a valve unit.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein each of the two tank pressure control valves has two chambers separated from one another by a membrane, wherein two chambers of the two tank pressure control valves communicate through an internal space of the tank shut-off valve with a tank connection which leads to the fuel tank, and two chambers of the two tank pressure control valves communicate through an internal space of the tank shut-off valve with a filter connection which leads to an activated carbon filter.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the two tank pressure control valves are mounted separated from one another on the tank shut-off valve.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the two tank pressure control valves are assembled to form a valve unit.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the valve unit has a single tank connection and a single filter connection, said single tank connection communicating with the fuel tank and said single filter connection communicating with an activated carbon filter.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein each of the two tank pressure control valves has two chambers separated from one another by a membrane, one of the two chambers communicating with the tank connection and the other one of the two chambers communicating with the filter connection.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the two tank pressure control valves have a same orientation and are arranged adjacent to one another along a common connection part, said connection part having opposite ends, one of the ends provided with the tank connection, and another one of the ends provided with the filter connection.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the two tank pressure control valves have opposite orientations and are arranged at a same end of a common connection part, said common connection part having another end provided with the tank and filter connections.