Charge forming device with electrically actuated vapor separator vent valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11041465-B2
Application number	US-201816645818-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2018
Priority date	Sep 14, 2017
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

In at least some implementations, a charge forming device for a combustion engine includes a housing, a throttle valve and a vent valve. The housing has an inlet chamber in which a supply of fuel is received, a vent passage communicating with the inlet chamber and a throttle bore with an inlet through which air is received. The throttle valve is carried by the housing and has a valve head movable relative to the throttle bore to control fluid flow through the throttle bore. And the vent valve is electrically actuated, carried by the housing and has a valve element that is movable between an open position wherein fluid may flow from the inlet chamber through the vent passage and a closed position where fluid is prevented or inhibited from flowing out of the inlet chamber through the vent passage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charge forming device for a combustion engine, comprising:
a housing having an inlet chamber in which a supply of fuel is received, a vent passage communicating with the inlet chamber and a throttle bore with an inlet through which air is received;
a throttle valve carried by the housing with a valve head movable relative to the throttle bore to control fluid flow through the throttle bore; and
a vent valve carried by the housing and having a valve element that is movable between an open position wherein fluid may flow from the inlet chamber through the vent passage and a closed position where fluid is prevented or inhibited from flowing out of the inlet chamber through the vent passage, the vent valve being electrically actuated.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a body and a cover coupled to the body, wherein the vent passage is formed at least partially in the cover and the vent valve is carried by the cover.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the vent valve is actuated as a function of a pressure within the inlet chamber.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the vent valve is actuated to maintain a pressure within the inlet chamber of between 0.34 mmHg to 19 mmHg.

5. The device of claim 1 which also includes an electrically actuated fuel metering valve carried by the housing and having an inlet communicated with the inlet chamber to receive fuel from the inlet chamber and an outlet communicated with the throttle bore and through which fuel is supplied into the throttle bore.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein actuation of both the fuel metering valve and the vent valve is controlled by a single controller.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the throttle valve is electrically actuated and wherein actuation of each of the fuel metering valve, the throttle valve and the vent valve is controlled by a single controller.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein the controller is carried by the housing.

9. The device of claim 5 wherein the throttle valve is electrically actuated and wherein actuation of both the fuel metering valve and the throttle valve is controlled by a single controller.

10. The device of claim 1 which also includes an inlet valve carried by the housing and having a valve that controls the flow of fuel into the inlet chamber.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the inlet valve is coupled to a float received within the inlet chamber to actuate the inlet valve as a function of the level of fuel within the inlet chamber.

12. The device of claim 1 which also includes a second vent passage providing gaseous matter from a second source to the inlet chamber, wherein flow of gaseous matter from the inlet chamber and from the second source is controlled by the vent valve.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the second source is a fuel tank.

14. A fuel system, comprising:
a fuel tank having a fuel outlet and a vent outlet,
a throttle body assembly including an inlet chamber in communication with the fuel outlet to receive fuel from the tank and with the vent outlet to receive gaseous matter from the tank into the inlet chamber, wherein the throttle body assembly also includes a vent passage from which gasses may be vented from the inlet chamber
a vent valve carried by the throttle body assembly to control venting of the inlet chamber and of the fuel tank.

15. The system of claim 14 which also includes a float received within the inlet chamber, and an inlet valve coupled to the float, wherein the inlet valve is actuated by the float as a function of the level of fuel within the inlet chamber.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the throttle body includes a throttle bore with an inlet through which air is received, and which also includes an electrically actuated fuel metering valve carried by the housing and having an inlet communicated with the inlet chamber to receive fuel from the inlet chamber and an outlet communicated with the throttle bore and through which fuel is supplied into the throttle bore.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein actuation of both the fuel metering valve and the vent valve is controlled by a single controller.

18. The system of claim 14 which also includes a second vent passage providing gaseous matter from a second source to the inlet chamber, wherein flow of gaseous matter from the inlet chamber and from the second source is controlled by the vent valve.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the vent valve is actuated as a function of a pressure within the inlet chamber.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the vent valve is actuated to maintain a pressure within the inlet chamber of between 0.34 mmHg to 19 mmHg.

Assignees

• Walbro Llc

Inventors

• Burns Gary J
• Sayers Albert L

Classifications

• F02M19/0207

  the cross-sectional area being changed electrically · CPC title

• F02M7/18

  with means for controlling cross-sectional area of fuel-metering orifice (dependent on air-throttle position F02M7/22) · CPC title

• F02M7/127

  Altering the float-chamber pressure (enriching the fuel-air mixture during starting by depressing float to flood carburettor F02M1/18) · CPC title

• F02M5/08

  having means for venting float chambers · CPC title

• F02M69/042

  Positioning of injectors with respect to engine, e.g. in the air intake conduit (mounting of injectors F02M61/14) · CPC title