Pressure relief apparatus for use with fuel delivery systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10086691-B2
Application number	US-201514943438-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2015
Priority date	Oct 9, 2009
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

Pressure relief apparatus for use with fuel delivery systems are described herein. An example pressure relief apparatus includes a body defining a cavity and an annular wall projecting from a lower surface of the cavity. A first valve includes a first valve body defining a first flow passage between a first inlet to be oriented toward atmospheric pressure and a first outlet to be oriented toward a fuel tank. The first valve body houses a first flow control member to control fluid flow through the first flow passage between the first inlet and the first outlet. The first valve body projects from the lower surface of the cavity and toward an upper surface of the annular wall a distance substantially equal to a depth between the lower surface and the upper surface of the annular wall.

First claim

We claim:

1. A pressure relief apparatus for use with a fuel cap, comprising:
a body defining a cavity and an annular wall projecting from a lower surface of the cavity;
a first valve including a first valve body defining a first flow passage between a first inlet to be oriented toward a fuel tank and a first outlet to be oriented toward atmospheric pressure, the first valve to move between a closed position to prevent fluid flow between fuel tank and the atmosphere and an open position to allow fluid flow between the fuel tank and the atmosphere, the first valve body including a first flow control member to move relative to a first valve seat to control fluid flow through the first flow passage between the first inlet and the first outlet, the first flow control member including a first passageway to pressure balance the first flow control member when the first flow control member is sealingly engaged with the first valve seat and the first valve is in the closed position without requiring fluid flow from the first inlet to the first outlet, the first passageway to prevent fluid flow between the first inlet and the first outlet when the first flow control member is in the closed position, the first valve body projecting from the lower surface of the cavity and toward an upper surface of the annular wall a distance substantially equal to a depth between the lower surface and the upper surface of the annular wall.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first valve body is integrally formed with the body.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first flow control member is movable between a first position at which the first flow control member is spaced away from the first valve seat to enable fluid flow through the first flow passage and a second position at which the first flow control member sealingly engages the first valve seat to prevent fluid flow through the first flow passage.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first flow control member includes an annular groove to receive an O-ring that is to sealingly engage the first valve seat to substantially prevent fluid flow between the first inlet and the first outlet of the first valve.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first valve seat is integrally formed with the first valve body.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first valve is to enable fluid communication between the atmosphere and an interior of the fuel tank when a first pressure differential across the first valve from the first inlet to the first outlet is greater than a first reference pressure.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first reference pressure comprises about 1 pound per square inch (psi).

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first passageway of the first flow control member includes a first path and a second path to fluidly couple the first inlet and the first outlet, the first path to at least partially extend through the body of the first flow control member, the first path having a first axis that is substantially parallel relative to a longitudinal axis of the first flow control member, and second path having an axis that is non-parallel relative to the first axis.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second valve including a second valve body defining a second flow passage between a second inlet to be oriented toward the atmospheric pressure and a second outlet to be oriented toward the fuel tank, the second valve body housing a second flow control member disposed within the second flow passage.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second valve body surrounds the second flow control member of the second valve along substantially an entire length of the second flow control member.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second flow control member having a second passageway to pressure balance the second flow control member when the second valve is in the closed position, the second passageway to prevent fluid flow between the second inlet and the second outlet when the first flow control member is in the closed position.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second flow control member includes an annular groove to receive an O-ring that is to sealingly engage a second valve seat to prevent fluid flow between the second inlet and the second outlet of the second valve.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second flow control member is movable within the second flow passage between a first position at which the second flow control member is spaced away from a second valve seat of the second valve to enable fluid flow through the second flow passage and a second position at which the second flow control member sealingly engages the second valve seat to prevent fluid flow through the second passage.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second valve is to enable fluid communication between an interior of the fuel tank and the atmosphere when a second pressure differential across the second valve from the second inlet to the second outlet is greater than a second reference pressure.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second reference pressure is less than atmospheric pressure.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body includes a threaded portion to enable the body to be removably coupled to a fuel fill apparatus, wherein the body is removed from the fuel fill apparatus to operatively decouple the first valve from a fuel delivery system during a filling event.

17. A fuel cap apparatus, comprising:
a body defining a cavity between a lower surface and an annular wall projecting from the lower surface, the cavity to trap a contaminant or liquid; and
a first valve having a first elongated body defining a first inlet to be in fluid communication with and oriented toward a fuel reservoir and a first outlet to be in fluid communication with atmospheric pressure and oriented toward the cavity, the first valve having a first flow control member slidably positioned in a first flow passage of the first elongated body and biased toward a first valve seat via a first biasing element, the first flow control member includes an annular groove to receive an O-ring that is to sealingly engage the first valve seat to substantially prevent fluid flow between the fuel reservoir and the atmosphere when the first valve is in a closed position, the first flow control member including a first passageway to fluidly couple a pressure in the fuel reservoir to a spring chamber of the first valve, the first passageway to fluidly couple the pressure in the fuel reservoir and the spring chamber without requiring fluid flow between the first inlet and the first outlet, the first passageway to provide uninterrupted fluid communication between the pressure in the fuel reservoir and the spring chamber when the first flow control member is in the closed position to reduce a spring force needed to move the first flow control member between the closed position and an open position.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the first elongated body is to project from the lower surface of the cavity, the first elongated body to substantially surround an entire length of the first flow control member between the first inlet and the first outlet.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the first flow control member is to move away from the first valve seat to enable gas or vapor to flow from the first inlet to the first outlet when a pressure of the gas or vapor is greater than a first predetermined pressure and a second position to sealingly engage the first va

Assignees

• Brunswick Corp

Inventors

• Whelan Sean
• Tate Robert
• Scott Brian

Classifications

• B60K2015/03585

  by gas pressure · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• Y10T29/4998

  Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material · CPC title

• B60K15/0406

  Filler caps for fuel tanks · CPC title

• F02M37/0076 Primary

  Details of the fuel feeding system related to the fuel tank (vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/03) · CPC title