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US 6,302,137 B1Granted
Fuel tank valve with internal fuel tank vent tube
AssigneeStant Manufacturing Inc.
InventorJeffrey E. Devall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel venting system for fuel tank chambers. The system vents through an opening in one of the chambers, with fuel vapor being transferred from the other chambers to the venting chamber. Fuel vapor transfer between chambers is facilitated by a conduit having a buoyant float attached at one end and flexibly connected at the other end to an anchor device fixed in the vent hole.
Claims26
A tank system comprising
- a tank,
- first and second vapor domes mounted on top of the tank to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another so that each vapor dome receives fuel vapor generated by liquid fuel extant in the tank,
- a vent apparatus coupled to the first vapor dome, and
- dome vent means for transferring pressurized fuel vapor extant in the second vapor dome in to the first vapor dome through a vent passageway located in the tank to pass through liquid fuel vapor extant in the tank when the tank is full so that fuel vapor transferred into the first vapor dome can be vented to a destination outside the tank by the vent apparatus coupled to the first vapor dome.
1 more element
A tank venting system comprising
- a tank,
- first and second vapor domes mounted on top of the tank to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another so that each vapor dome receives fuel vapor generated by liquid fuel extant in the tank,
- a vent apparatus coupled to the first vapor dome,
- a tubular conduit positioned to lie in the tank and formed to include a conduit inlet and outlet,
- an anchor coupled to the first vapor dome to support the conduit outlet in the first vapor dome, and
- a buoyant float coupled to the tubular conduit to place the conduit inlet in the second vapor dome when the tank is full of fuel.
3 more elements
A tank venting system comprising
- a tank,
- first and second vapor domes mounted on top of the tank to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another so that each vapor dome receives fuel vapor generated by liquid fuel extant in the tank, the first vapor dome including a top wall formed to include an aperture,
- an anchor mounted in the aperture formed in the top wall of the first vapor dome and formed to include a central aperture,
- a tubular conduit positioned to lie in the tank and formed to include a conduit inlet and outlet, the tubular conduit being coupled to the anchor at the conduit outlet, and
- a vent apparatus mounted in the central aperture formed in the anchor and arranged to vent the first vapor dome and to vent fuel vapor transferred from the second vapor dome to the first vapor dome through the tubular conduit.
2 more elements
A tank venting system comprising
- a tank formed to include an interior region, the tank including a top wall overlying a central portion of the interior region and defining a ceiling of the interior region and a bottom wall underlying the top wall and defining a floor of the interior region,
- a first vapor dome positioned to rise vertically above the top wall of the tank, the first vapor dome being positioned to form a first vapor-receiving space overlying a first side portion of the interior region of the tank adjacent to the central portion and communicating with the interior region of the tank to receive fuel vapor generated by liquid fuel contained in the interior region of the tank,
- a vent apparatus mounted on the first vapor dome in an aperture formed in the first vapor dome to vent the first vapor-receiving space,
- a second vapor dome positioned to rise vertically above the top wall of the tank, the second vapor dome being positioned to form a second vapor-receiving space overlying a second side portion of the interior region of the tank separated from the first side portion of the interior region of the tank by the central portion and communicating with the interior region of the tank to receive fuel vapor generated by liquid fuel contained in the interior region of the tank,
- a fuel vapor transfer conduit formed to include a conduit inlet, a conduit outlet, and a vent passageway extending therebetween, and
- a conduit support arranged to support the fuel transfer conduit in the interior region of the tank under the top wall of the tank to position the conduit inlet in communication with pressurized fuel vapor extant in the second vapor-receiving space formed in the second vapor dome when a liquid fuel level in the interior region of the tank has risen to reach the ceiling of the interior region to block flow of pressurized fuel vapor from the second vapor-receiving space to the first vapor-receiving space through the interior region of the fuel tank and to position the conduit outlet in the first vapor-receiving space to cause pressurized fuel vapor extant in the second vapor-receiving space to pass into the first vapor-receiving space through the vent passageway formed in the fuel transfer conduit so that said pressurized fuel vapor can be vented to a destination outside of the tank by the vent apparatus mounted on the first vapor dome.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.