# US 8,739,767 B2 · Vapor processing apparatus

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- Number: US 8,739,767 B2
- Document ID: US8739767B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/249,294
- Filed: 2011-09-30
- Published: 2012-04-26
- Granted: 2014-06-03
- Earliest claimed: 2010-10-25
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Ayumu Horiba; Masakazu Kitamoto
- Inventors: Ayumu Horiba; Masakazu Kitamoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8739767B2

## CPC

- F02M 25/0854: {Details of the absorption canister}
- F02M 25/0872: {Details of the fuel vapour pipes or conduits}
- Y10T 137/8158: With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A vapor processing apparatus includes a tank-inner-pressure detector, an atmospheric-pressure detector, a canister, a control valve and a controller. The tank-inner-pressure detector is configured to detect tank inner pressure of a fuel tank retaining fuel to be supplied to an engine. The atmospheric-pressure detector is configured to detect atmospheric pressure. The canister is configured to adsorb and collect vapor generated in the fuel tank. The control valve is disposed in a vapor channel connected to the fuel tank. The controller is configured to control opening and closing of the control valve based on a value detected by the tank-inner-pressure detector, a value detected by the atmospheric-pressure detector, and a correction value learned in advance, when in a predetermined state.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vapor processing apparatus comprising:
a tank-inner-pressure detector configured to detect tank inner pressure of a fuel tank retaining fuel to be supplied to an engine;
an atmospheric-pressure detector configured to detect atmospheric pressure;
a canister configured to adsorb and collect vapor generated in the fuel tank;
a control valve disposed in a vapor channel connected to the fuel tank; and
a controller configured to control opening and closing of the control valve based on a value detected by the tank-inner-pressure detector, a value detected by the atmospheric-pressure detector, and a correction value learned in advance, when in a predetermined state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vapor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate gauge pressure of the tank inner pressure based on the atmospheric pressure on a basis of the value detected by the tank-inner-pressure detector and the value detected by the atmospheric-pressure detector, and is configured to control the opening and closing of the control valve based on corrected gauge pressure obtained by correcting the calculated gauge pressure of the tank inner pressure with the correction value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vapor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to learn the correction value based on a difference between the value detected by the tank-inner-pressure detector when the tank inner pressure is equal to the atmospheric pressure and the value detected by the atmospheric-pressure detector.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vapor processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the tank inner pressure is equal to the atmospheric pressure when a locked state of a fuel lid is released, the fuel lid being configured to open and close a filler pipe opening of the fuel tank.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The vapor processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the tank inner pressure is equal to the atmospheric pressure when, after the control valve is open, a variation of the value detected by the tank-inner-pressure detector is smaller than a threshold set in advance.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vapor processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a switch configured to switch a state of the tank-inner-pressure detector between a first state of the tank-inner-pressure detector detecting the tank inner pressure and a second state of the tank-inner-pressure detector detecting the atmospheric pressure,
wherein the controller controls the switch to switch the state of the tank-inner-pressure detector to the first state when in the predetermined state and controls the opening and closing of the control valve based on the value detected by the tank-inner-pressure detector, the value detected by the atmospheric-pressure detector, and the correction value, and
the controller controls the switch to switch the state of the tank-inner-pressure detector to the second state when in a state other than the predetermined state and learns the correction value.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The vapor processing apparatus according to claim 6, the controller learns the correction value based on a difference between the value detected by the tank-inner-pressure detector and the value detected by the atmospheric-pressure detector when the state of the tank-inner-pressure detector is switched to the second state.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vapor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a difference between the value detected by the tank-inner-pressure detector when the tank inner pressure is equal to the atmospheric pressure and the value detected by the atmospheric-pressure detector, and to store the calculated difference as the correction value.