Fluid-responsive vent control valve with peel-away opening action

A liquid- and gravity-responsive rollover vent control valve for mounting on a fuel tank to selectively vent fuel vapor from the tank to a vapor trap such as a carbon canister, the valve comprising:

• a hollow valve body having a fuel vapor inlet communicating with the tank interior and a fuel vapor vent outlet communicating with the vapor trap;
• valve means associated with the vent outlet, the valve means movable between an open venting position and a closed non-venting position;
• fuel level responsive control means in the hollow valve body connected to the valve means to open and close the valve means in response to the level of liquid fuel in the tank;
• the valve means including lever means extending radially from the vent outlet and connected to the control means at a point spaced radially from the vent outlet to amplify the opening force applied to the valve means by the control means;
• the lever means connected to the control means by opening means providing an initial pivotal opening moment to the valve element at a first greater distance from the vent outlet, a subsequent locking connection between the control means and the valve element at a second lesser distance from the vent outlet, and a final axial opening force to pull the valve element completely free of the vent outlet.

A liquid-responsive rollover vent control valve for mounting on a fuel tank to selectively vent fuel vapor from the tank to a vapor trap such as a carbon canister, the valve comprising:

• a hollow valve body having a fuel vapor inlet communicating with the tank interior and a fuel vapor vent outlet communicating with the vapor trap;
• valve means associated with the vent outlet, the valve means movable between an open venting position and a closed non-venting position;
• a fuel level responsive control element in the hollow valve body connected to the valve means to open and close the valve means in response to the level of liquid fuel in the tank;
• wherein,
• the control element and the vent outlet are axially offset, the valve means including lever means extending between the valve means and the control element to increase the opening force exerted by the control element on the valve means, the control element including hammer claw opening means connected to the lever means to provide an initial pivotal opening moment to the valve means and a subsequent rectilinear opening force to the valve means.

A liquid-responsive rollover vent control valve for mounting on a fuel tank to selectively vent fuel vapor from the tank to a vapor trap such as a carbon canister, the valve comprising:

• a hollow valve body having a fuel vapor inlet communicating with the tank interior and a fuel vapor vent outlet communicating with the vapor trap;
• valve means associated with the vent outlet, the valve means movable between an open venting position and a closed non-venting position;
• a fuel level responsive control element in a hollow valve body connected to the valve means to open and close the valve means in response to the level of liquid fuel in the tank;
• wherein,
• the valve means include lever means extending radially from the vent outlet and connected to the control means at a point spaced radially from the vent outlet to amplify the opening force applied to the valve means by the control means, the lever means connected to the control means by lever actuator means comprising an axial post extending from the control means and an angled flange on the end of the axial post, the flange having a lower edge a first greater distance from the vent outlet and an upper edge a second lesser distance from the vent outlet.