Fuel system
AssigneeFord Global Tech., Inc.
InventorsRobert H. Thompson, Michael Joseph Harrigan, Sr., Michael William Soltis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel system 10 which selectively receives, stores and delivers volatile fuel 16. Fuel system 10 includes a variable volume fuel tank 12 having a movable piston 22 which is attached to a pair of bellows diaphragm members 26, 28. Members 26, 28 selectively contract and expand to move piston 22 within tank 12, effective to alter the volume of the fuel containing portion 14 of tank 12, thereby maintaining fuel 16 in a pressurized state and substantially preventing the accumulation of vapors within tank 12.
Claims14
A fuel system comprising:
- a variable volume fuel tank including a first portion which selectively receives and contains an amount of fuel, and a second portion which selectively receives and contains an amount of pressurized gas;
- a piston which is movably disposed within said variable volume fuel tank;
- a guide member which is longitudinally disposed within said fuel tank and upon which said piston is slidably mounted;
- and
- a pair of bellows members which are disposed within said tank, which defines said second portion of said tank and which are coupled to a back surface of said tank, said pair of bellows members comprising a first inner bellows member and a second outer bellows member which are selectively movable from a first contracted position to a second expanded position, said movement of said pair of bellows members being effective to cause said piston to move within said variable volume fuel tank and to compressibly pressurize said amount of fuel.
A variable volume fuel tank comprising:
- a generally cylindrical housing including a first portion which selectively receives and contains an amount of fuel, and a second portion which selectively receives and contains an amount of pressurized gas;
- a guide rod which is longitudinally mounted within said housing;
- a piston which is slidably disposed on said guide rod and which includes an inner lip and an outer lip;
- a first bellows member having a first end which is sealably connected to said outer lip of said piston and a second end which is sealably connected to a back portion of said housing;
- and
- a second bellows member which is concentric to said first bellows member and having a third end which is sealably connected to said inner lip of said piston and a fourth end which is sealably connected to said back portion of said housing;
- wherein said piston and said first and second bellows members cooperatively define said second portion of said housing, and wherein said first and second bellows members are selectively expandable, effective to cause said piston to move within said housing and to compressibly pressurize said amount of fuel.
A method for pressurizing an amount of fuel contained within a first portion of a fuel tank, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a piston;
- movably disposing said piston within said fuel tank;
- providing at least one selectively expandable diaphragm;
- sealably connecting a first end of said at least one selectively expandable diaphragm to a back surface of said fuel tank, said at least one selectively expandable diaphragm being effective to define a second portion of said fuel tank which is sealably separated from said first portion of said fuel tank;
- and
- selectively introducing pressurized gas into said second portion of said fuel tank, effective to cause said at least one selectively expandable diaphragm to expand, thereby causing said piston to move within said variable volume fuel tank and to compressibly pressurize said amount of fuel;
- wherein said at least one selectively expandable diaphragm comprises a first bellows member having a second end which is sealably connected to said piston and a second bellows member concentric to said first bellows member and having a third end which is sealably connected to said piston.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.