Valve for fuel tank
AssigneeNifco Inc.
InventorYasushi Ueki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve for a fuel tank includes an upper space or chamber communicating with a ventilation channel; a lower chamber disposed inside a fuel tank; a communicating part for communicating the upper space with the lower chamber; and a float body disposed inside the lower chamber for floating to block the communicating part from the lower chamber when fuel flows into the lower chamber. A space between an inner surface of the lower chamber and an outer surface of the float body becomes a flow channel for gas when the float body is in a lower position. A distance between the outer surface of the float body and the inner surface of the lower chamber is not uniform in a circumferential direction of the float body. A portion having a large distance functions as a main flow channel for gas.
Claims9
A valve for a fuel tank, comprising:
- an upper chamber communicating with a ventilation channel,
- a lower chamber to be disposed inside the fuel tank,
- a communicating part for communicating the upper chamber with the lower chamber, and
- a float body disposed inside the lower chamber with irregular gaps in between in a circumferential direction, said float body floating from a lower position to an upper position to block the communicating part from a side of the lower chamber when fuel flows into the lower chamber,
- wherein said lower chamber comprises an inner surface, and a plurality of support ribs protruding inwardly from the inner surface and extending along a moving direction of the float body to form flow channels for flowing gas therethrough between the inner surface of the lower chamber and an outer surface of the float body and between the ribs when the float body is situated at the lower position, protruding lengths of the ribs protruding inwardly from the inner surface of the lower chamber and situated adjacent to each other being different to form irregular gaps between the ribs, at least one large gap in the gaps forming a main flow channel.
A valve for a fuel tank, comprising:
- an upper chamber communicating with a ventilation channel,
- a lower chamber to be disposed inside the fuel tank and having an inflow channel for allowing fuel to flow therein from the fuel tank,
- a one-way valve attached to a bottom of the lower chamber for allowing the fuel to exit outwardly from the lower chamber and preventing the fuel to enter into the lower chamber therethrough,
- a communicating part for communicating the upper chamber with the lower chamber, and
- a float body disposed inside the lower chamber for floating from a lower position to an upper position to block the communicating part from a side of the lower chamber when the fuel flows into the lower chamber, said float body having buoyancy such that a fuel level in the lower chamber for completely blocking the communicating part is same as or lower than a level of the inflow channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.