Hermetically sealed tank system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10598138-B2
Application number	US-201815972413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2018
Priority date	May 17, 2017
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A hermetically sealed fuel tank system includes a hermetically sealed fuel tank, a fuel pump configured to supply fuel from within the hermetically sealed fuel tank to an internal combustion engine, and a pressure regulating valve. The pressure regulating valve is disposed within the hermetically sealed fuel tank and is configured to regulate the fuel pressure of the fuel supplied from the fuel pump to the internal combustion engine. The pressure regulating valve includes a pressure regulating chamber and a backpressure chamber partitioned by a diaphragm. An ambient air introduction passage is fluidly connected to the backpressure chamber and is configured to introduce air from the atmosphere outside the fuel tank into the backpressure chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hermetically sealed fuel tank system, comprising:
a hermetically sealed fuel tank;
a fuel pump configured to supply fuel from within the fuel tank to an internal combustion engine;
a pressure regulating valve disposed within the fuel tank and configured to regulate the pressure of the fuel supplied from the fuel pump to the internal combustion engine, wherein the pressure regulating valve includes a diaphragm, a pressure regulating chamber, and a backpressure chamber, wherein the pressure regulating chamber and the backpressure chamber are partitioned by the diaphragm; and
an ambient air introduction passage in fluid communication with the backpressure chamber of the pressure regulating valve, wherein the ambient air introduction passage is configured to introduce air from the atmosphere outside the fuel tank into the backpressure chamber.

2. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 1 , further comprising a canister configured to adsorb and desorb fuel vapor, wherein the ambient air introduction passage in fluid communication with ambient air in the atmosphere outside the fuel tank via the canister.

3. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 1 , further comprising a cover covering an opening of the fuel tank, wherein a portion of the ambient air introduction passage is formed through the cover.

4. A hermetically sealed fuel tank system, comprising:
a fuel tank with a fully enclosed surface except for a hole in an upper surface of the fuel tank;
a cover member hermetically sealing said hole, wherein the cover member includes a fuel port and an ambient air introduction port, wherein the fuel port and the ambient air introduction port extend through the cover member;
a fuel pump configured to supply fuel from within the fuel tank to an internal combustion engine;
a pressure regulating valve disposed within the fuel tank, where said pressure regulating valve is configured to regulate the pressure of the fuel supplied from the fuel pump to the internal combustion engine, wherein the pressure regulating valve includes a diaphragm, a pressure regulating chamber, and a backpressure chamber, wherein the pressure regulating chamber and the backpressure chamber are partitioned by the diaphragm; and
an ambient air introduction passage in fluid communication with the backpressure chamber of the pressure regulating valve, wherein the ambient air introduction passage is configured to introduce air from the atmosphere outside the fuel tank into the backpressure chamber.

5. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 4 , wherein the ambient air introduction passage is configured to introduce air from the atmosphere outside the fuel tank into the backpressure chamber through the ambient air introduction port, and wherein the fuel tank does not include any orifices, holes, ports, or passages formed therein except for the hole covered by the cover member.

6. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 4 , wherein the pressure regulating chamber and the backpressure chamber are formed of opposed press-molded halves of a cylindrical configuration, wherein each cylindrical configuration comprises a cylindrical shape with an open end and a closed end, wherein a top of one of the opposed press-molded halves comprises the closed end and a bottom of one of the opposed press-molded halves comprises the closed end.

7. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 6 , wherein the open end of each cylindrical shape comprises outwardly extending radial flanges which are joined to each other in a fixed manner facing oppositely in the vertical direction, such that the joining of the pressure regulating chamber and the backpressure chamber results in a single chamber of a hollow casing with the diaphragm horizontally oriented between the pressure regulating chamber and the backpressure chamber.

8. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 4 , further comprising a canister configured to adsorb and desorb fuel vapor, wherein the ambient air introduction passage is in fluid communication with ambient air in the atmosphere outside the fuel tank via the canister.

9. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 4 , wherein the canister is positioned outside the fuel tank and is in fluid communication with the fuel tank via the ambient air introduction passage.

10. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 4 , wherein a fuel passage includes piping connecting a fuel outlet port located at an upper surface of the fuel pump through the fuel port of the cover member to the internal combustion engine, where the internal combustion engine is located outside the fuel tank.

11. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 10 , wherein a branch passage branching off from the fuel passage fluidly connects the fuel passage to the pressure regulating chamber of the pressure regulating valve.

12. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 11 , further comprising a return passage extending downward from the pressure regulating chamber of the pressure regulating valve to a jet pump adjacent to a reservoir cup.

13. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 4 , wherein the pressure regulating valve includes a spring in the backpressure chamber, wherein the spring biases the diaphragm towards the pressure regulating chamber.

14. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 12 , wherein the pressure regulating valve includes a spring in the backpressure chamber, wherein the spring biases the diaphragm towards the pressure regulating chamber.

15. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 14 , wherein when the force of the pressure within the pressure regulating chamber is greater than the compound force of the ambient pressure and the biasing force of the spring present in the backpressure chamber of the pressure regulating valve, then fuel within the pressure regulating chamber is discharged out of the pressure regulating valve into the return passage and is fed to the jet pump.

16. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 15 , wherein the jet pump is configured to transfer fuel into the reservoir cup using the flow velocity of fuel discharged out of the pressure regulating valve.

17. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 8 , wherein the canister is filled with adsorbent materials in its interior.

18. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 17 , wherein the canister is filled with activated carbon.

19. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 16 , wherein the fuel pump is submerged in the reservoir cup, and wherein the fuel pump is configured to receive the fuel transferred into the reservoir cup by the jet pump.

20. The hermetically sealed fuel tank system of claim 19 , wherein a fuel filter is provided at said inlet port, wherein the fuel filter is configured to filter out impurities when fuel from the reservoir cup is pumped by the fuel pump.

Assignees

• Aisan Ind

Inventors

• Takahashi Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B60K2015/03514

  with vapor recovery means · CPC title

• F02M69/54

  Arrangement of fuel pressure regulators · CPC title

• B60K15/03519

  Valve arrangements in the vent line · CPC title

• F02M37/0082

  Devices inside the fuel tank other than fuel pumps or filters (electrical pumps submerged in fuel tanks F02M37/10, jet pumps F02M37/025) · CPC title

• F02M37/0094

  Saddle tanks; Tanks having partition walls · CPC title