Fuel tank with carbon canister and shut-off valve
AssigneeWalbro Corporation
InventorKenneth J. Cotton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compact fuel tank assembly with a readily accessible shut-off valve, a carbon canister nested in the fuel tank for collecting evaporative emissions from the tank as well as from a float bowl of a carburetor, and an air vent and purge port for drawing stored evaporative emissions from the carbon canister into the carburetor for combustion in an engine. To prevent fuel splash from the tank from entering the canister, a fluid trap in the fuel tank passes fuel vapors and returns liquid fuel splash to the tank. Activated charcoal is retained in the carbon canister in a baffle array for drawing and storing vapors in the activated charcoal, as well as drawing off the stored vapors for combustion within the engine.
Claims11
A fuel tank assembly for a non-automotive internal combustion utility engine having a carburetor and comprising:
- a closed fuel tank having a fuel vapor port for drawing off hydrocarbon fumes from said tank, a cavity for nesting and carrying a carbon canister, and a fuel inlet to the interior of said fuel tank,
- an unvented fuel cap receivable on said inlet for closing it and removable for introducing fuel into said tank through said fuel inlet,
- a carbon canister disposed in the nest and carried by the fuel tank and having activated charcoal for absorbing and releasing hydrocarbon fumes,
- a vapor inlet port of said canister continuously communicating with said vapor port of said fuel tank,
- an atmospheric air inlet port of said canister communicating with said activated charcoal therein,
- a vapor purge port of said canister,
- a ported orifice upstream of the position of a closed throttle valve in a carburetor on a non-automotive utility engine continuously communicating with said vapor purge port of said carbon canister for withdrawing hydrocarbon fumes from said canister through said carburetor and into said engine while operating under load, and
- said carbon canister having a closed container with baffles defining at least three chambers communicating with each other adjacent one end thereof, said charcoal being received in all three of said chambers, said vapor purge port continuously communicating with a first one of said chambers adjacent the other end thereof, said vapor inlet port continuously communicating with a second one of said chambers adjacent the other end thereof, and said air inlet port communicating with a third one of said chambers adjacent the other end thereof.
A fuel system for a non-automotive internal combustion utility engine comprising:
- a fuel tank having a fuel vapor port for drawing off hydrocarbon fumes from said tank, a carbon canister carried by said tank and having activated charcoal for absorbing and releasing hydrocarbon fumes, a vapor inlet port of said canister continuously communicating with said vapor port of said fuel tank, an atmospheric air inlet port of said canister communicating with the atmosphere and said activated charcoal in said canister, a vapor purge port of said canister continuously communicating with said charcoal therein, a carburetor for a non-automotive internal combustion utility engine having an air and fuel mixing passage with a throttle valve therein, a port communicating with said mixing passage upstream of the closed position of the throttle valve and continuously communicating with said vapor purge port of said canister for withdrawing hydrocarbon fumes from said canister and atmospheric air through said canister and through said carburetor and into the engine while the engine is operating under load, and said carbon canister having a closed container with baffles defining at least three chambers continuously communicating with each other adjacent one end thereof, said charcoal being received in all three of said chambers, said vapor purge port continuously communicating with a first one of said chambers adjacent the other end thereof, said vapor inlet port continuously communicating with a second one of said chambers adjacent the other end thereof, and said air inlet port continuously communicating with a third one of said chambers adjacent the other end thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.