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US 5,056,570 AGranted
Capless vehicle refueling system
AssigneeStant Inc.
InventorsRobert S. Harris, Jeffrey Griffin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembly is provided for controlling filling of a vehicle fuel tank having a filler neck. The assembly includes a capless fuel and fuel vapor handling system for controlling a filling operation of a fuel tank and the discharge of fuel vapors from the tank and filler neck both during and after the filling operation.
Claims36
An assembly for controlling filling of a vehicle fuel tank having a filler neck, the assembly comprising
- means for conducting liquid fuel through a fill passageway to the filler neck for delivery to the fuel tank, the conducting means being formed to include means for admitting a fuel-dispensing nozzle therein to introduce liquid fuel into the conducting means and valve means for normally closing the fill passageway, the valve means being movable between a fill passageway-opening position and a fill passageway-closing position, the conducting means including partition means for dividing the fill passageway into an outer chamber communicable with the atmosphere and an inner chamber in fluid communication with the filler neck, the partition means being formed to include an aperture interconnecting the outer and inner chambers in fluid communication, the valve means including a closure member situated in the inner chamber and configured to close the aperture to block flow of fluid from the outer chamber into the inner chamber upon movement of the valve means to its fill passageway-closing position and first spring means for yieldably biasing the closure member normally into engagement with the partition means to close the aperture interconnecting the inner and outer chambers, and
- valve control means for moving the valve means from its fill passageway-closing position to the fill passageway-opening position in response to movement of a fuel-dispensing nozzle into the fill passageway, the valve control means being situated in the fill passageway to engage a fuel-dispensing nozzle inserted therein and connected to the valve means, the valve control means including means for engaging a fuel-dispensing nozzle inserted into the outer chamber, means for moving the closure member against a biasing force provided by the first spring means to move the closure member from its normal position closing the aperture to a retracted position opening the aperture in response to movement of the fuel-dispensing nozzle in the outer chamber against the engaging means, a slide member movable in the fill passageway, and second spring means for yieldably urging the slide member toward the admitting means, the second spring means interconnecting the slide member an the valve means to move the closure member away from the aperture during movement of the valve means to its fill passageway-opening position, the second spring means being compressible between the slide member and the valve means to permit movement of the slide member relative to the valve means.
An assembly for controlling filling of a vehicle fuel tank having a filler neck, the assembly comprising
- means for conducting liquid fuel through a fill passageway to the filler neck for delivery to the fuel tank, the conducting means being formed to include means for admitting a fuel-dispensing nozzle therein to introduce liquid fuel into the conducting means and valve means for normally closing the fill passageway, the valve means being movable between a fill passageway-opening position and a fill passageway-closing position, the conducting means including partition means for dividing the fill passageway into an outer chamber communicable with the atmosphere and an inner chamber in fluid communication with the filler neck, the partition means formed to include an aperture interconnecting the outer and inner chambers in fluid communication, the valve means including a closure member situated in the inner chamber and configured to close the aperture to block flow of fluid from the outer chamber into the inner chamber upon movement of the valve means to its fill passageway-closing position, and
- valve control means for moving the valve means from its fill passageway-closing position to the fill passageway-opening position in response to movement of a fuel-dispensing nozzle into the fill passageway, the valve control means being situated in the fill passageway to engage a fuel-dispensing nozzle inserted therein and connected to the valve means, the valve control means including means for moving the closure member away from the partition means to open the aperture in response to insertion of a fuel-dispensing nozzle in the fill passageway so that fuel discharged from the fuel-dispensing nozzle passes from the outer chamber through the aperture into the inner chamber to reach the filler neck, the moving means being movable relative to the closure means.
An assembly for controlling filling of a vehicle fuel tank having a filler neck, the assembly comprising
- means for conducting liquid fuel through a fill passageway to the filler neck for delivery to the fuel tank, the conducting means being formed to include means for admitting a fuel-dispensing nozzle therein to introduce liquid fuel into the conducting means and valve means for normally closing the fill passageway, the valve means being movable between a fill passageway-opening position and a fill passageway-closing position,
- valve control means for moving the valve means from its fill passageway-closing position to the fill passageway-opening position in response to movement of a fuel-dispensing nozzle into the fill passageway, the valve control means being situated in the fill passageway to engage a fuel-dispensing nozzle inserted therein and connected to the valve means,
- a vent housing having an interior region, means for dividing the interior region into first and second chambers, the dividing means being formed to include first aperture means for interconnecting the first and second chambers in fluid communication, the vent housing being formed to include a first port opening into the first chamber and open to the atmosphere and a second port opening into the second chamber,
- means for communicating fuel vapor from the fuel tank to the second chamber through the second port, and
- venting valve means for normally closing the first aperture means to block flow of fuel vapors from the fuel tank to the atmosphere through the first and second chambers in the vent housing, the venting valve means being movable between a first aperture means-opening and a first aperture means-closing position, the valve means further including actuator means for moving the venting valve means from its first aperture means-closing position to a first aperture means-opening position in response to actuation of the valve control means to move the valve means to its fill passageway-opening position.
2 more elements
An assembly for controlling filling of a vehicle fuel tank having a filler neck, the assembly comprising
- means for conducting liquid fuel through a fill passageway to the filler neck for delivery to the fuel tank, the conducting means being formed to include means for admitting a fuel-dispensing nozzle therein to introduce liquid fuel into the conducting means and valve means for normally closing the fill passageway, the valve means being movable between a fill passageway-opening position and a fill passageway-closing position, the conducting means including partition means for dividing the fill passageway into an outer chamber communicable with the atmosphere and an inner chamber in fluid communication with the filler neck, the partition means being formed to include an aperture interconnecting the outer and inner chambers in fluid communication, the valve means including a closure member situated in the inner chamber and configured to close the aperture to block flow of fluid from the outer chamber into the inner chamber upon movement of the valve means to its fill passageway-closing position,
- valve control means for moving the valve means from its fill passageway-closing position to the fill passageway-opening position in response to movement of a fuel-dispensing nozzle into the fill passageway, the valve control means being situated in the fill passageway to engage a fuel-dispensing nozzle inserted therein and connected to the valve means, and
- means for draining liquid collecting in the outer chamber through a drain passageway so that unwanted liquid is not extant in the outer chamber during movement of the valve means to its fill passageway-opening position.
An assembly for controlling filling of a vehicle fuel tank having a filler neck, the assembly comprising
- means for conducting liquid fuel through a fill passageway to the filler neck for delivery to the fuel tank, the conducting means including chamber means for receiving a fuel-dispensing nozzle during refueling, the chamber means being formed to include first inlet means for sealingly receiving a dispensing end of the nozzle, second inlet means for receiving a supply of make-up vapor, and outlet means for communicating liquid fuel to the fuel tank,
- means communicating with the second inlet means for supplying make-up vapor from the fuel tank to the chamber means during refueling,
- first closure means for normally closing the outlet means to block the flow of liquid fuel from the fill passageway into the filler neck, the closing means being movable relative to the conducting means between an outlet means-opening position and an outlet means-closing position, and
- second closure means coupled to the first closure means for closing the second inlet means upon movement of the first closure means to its outlet means-closing position to block flow of fluid from the chamber means to the fuel tank through the supplying means while the first closure means is in its outlet means-closing position.
1 more element
A filler for neck for use in delivering fuel to a vehicle fuel tank, the filler neck including
- a conduit formed to include an open mouth at an outer end of the conduit and a fill passageway extending through the conduit and communicating with the open mouth,
- means for closing the fill passageway to block discharge of fuel tank vapors to the atmosphere through the open mouth, the closing means being situated in the fill passageway in spaced-apart relation to the open mouth,
- partition means for dividing the fill passageway into an outer chamber communicable with the atmosphere through the open mouth and an inner chamber, the partition means including aperture means for sealingly admitting a fuel-dispensing nozzle into the inner chamber without coupling the inner and outer chambers in fluid communication during refueling, the closing means being positioned in the inner chamber in spaced-apart relation to the aperture means, and a fuel splash door pivotably mounted in the space defined in the inner chamber between the aperture means and the closing means to cover the aperture means yet move relative to the partition means to an aperture means-opening position when engaged by a fuel-dispensing nozzle inserted into the inner chamber through the aperture means.
An assembly for controlling filling of vehicle fuel tank having a filler neck, the assembly comprising
- means for selectively venting the fuel tank to permit flow of fuel vapors from the fuel tank to the atmosphere, the venting means including outlet means for conducting fuel vapor from the fuel tank to the atmosphere and venting valve means for normally closing the outlet means to block flow of fuel vapors from the fuel tank to the atmosphere through the outlet means,
- inlet means for conducting liquid fuel through a fill passageway to the filler neck for delivery to the filler tank, the inlet means being formed to include means for admitting a fuel-dispensing nozzle therein to introduce liquid fuel into the filler neck and fill valve means for normally closing the fill passageway, the fill valve means being movable between a fill passageway-opening position and a fill passageway-closing position, and
- valve control means for moving the fill valve means from its fill passageway-closing position to the fill passageway-opening position in response to movement of a fuel-dispensing nozzle into the fill passageway, the fill valve means including means for actuating the venting valve means to open the outlet means in response to movement of the fill valve means to the fill passageway-opening position so that fuel vapors flow from the fuel tank to the atmosphere to vent the fuel tank while the fill valve occupies a fill passageway-opening position.
An assembly for controlling filling of a vehicle fuel tank having a filler neck, the assembly comprising
- means for conducting liquid fuel through a fill passageway to the filler neck for delivery to the fuel tank, the conducting means including partition means for dividing the fill passageway into an outer chamber communicable with the atmosphere and an inner chamber in fluid communication with the filler neck, the partition means being formed to include an aperture interconnecting the outer and inner chambers in fluid communication, fill valve means for normally closing the aperture to block flow of fluid from the outer chamber into the inner chamber, and means for draining liquid collecting in the outer chamber through a drain passageway to a point outside of the fill passageway so that unwanted liquid is not extant in the outer chamber when the aperture in the partition means is opened.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.