Valve device for fuel tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12090838-B2
Application number	US-202118034604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2021
Priority date	Nov 10, 2020
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

There is provided a valve device for a fuel tank including: a housing; a first float valve accommodated in a first valve chamber; and a second float valve accommodated in a second valve chamber. The housing includes a housing body and a lower cap. The housing body has a housing body peripheral wall. The housing body peripheral wall has a first valve chamber forming wall that forms an outer periphery of the first valve chamber, and a second valve chamber forming wall that has a contour shape different from that of the first valve chamber forming wall and that forms an outer periphery of the second valve chamber. The lower cap has a cap peripheral wall having a shape fitting to the housing body peripheral wall.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A valve device for a fuel tank comprising:
a housing provided with a first valve chamber and a second valve chamber which are configured to communicate with an inside of the fuel tank below a partition wall and a ventilation chamber configured to communicate with an outside of the fuel tank above the partition wall, in which the partition wall is provided with a first opening through which the first valve chamber is to communicate with the ventilation chamber and a second opening through which the second valve chamber is to communicate with the ventilation chamber;
a first float valve accommodated in the first valve chamber in a vertically movable manner and configured to block the first opening when a liquid surface in the fuel tank reaches near a set full-tank liquid surface; and
a second float valve accommodated in the second valve chamber in a vertically movable manner and configured to block the second opening when the liquid surface in the fuel tank rises to a predetermined height or more, wherein
the housing includes a housing body and a lower cap mounted below the housing body,
the housing body has a housing body peripheral wall that is open at a bottom,
the housing body peripheral wall has a first valve chamber forming wall that forms an outer periphery of the first valve chamber, and a second valve chamber forming wall that has a contour shape different from that of the first valve chamber forming wall as viewed in a valve axis direction and that forms an outer periphery of the second valve chamber,
the lower cap has a cap peripheral wall having a shape fitting to the housing body peripheral wall, and
the second valve chamber forming wall has an outer arcuate wall located inside a circumscribed circle of the first valve chamber forming wall as viewed in the valve axis direction, and a circumscribed circle of the outer arcuate wall is smaller than the circumscribed circle of the first valve chamber forming wall.

2. The valve device for the fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing further includes an upper cover mounted above the housing body, and the upper cover includes a cover peripheral wall having a circular shape as viewed in the valve axis direction,
the first valve chamber forming wall has a concentric portion provided concentrically with respect to the cover peripheral wall,
the lower cap is provided with a support shaft configured to guide a vertical movement of the first float valve, and
the concentric portion has a semicircular shape.

3. The valve device for the fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing further includes an upper cover mounted above the housing body,
the housing body includes a division wall configured to divide an inner space of the housing body into the first valve chamber and the second valve chamber,
the first valve chamber forming wall has a bulging portion having a bulging shape with respect to a connection portion between the second valve chamber forming wall and the division wall as viewed in the valve axis direction,
a vent configured to communicate with the second valve chamber is formed at a position adjacent to the bulging portion, which is an upper part of the second valve chamber forming wall, and
the upper cover is provided with a cover wall extending downward and disposed outside the vent.

4. The valve device for the fuel tank according to claim 3 , wherein
the second valve chamber forming wall has an outer arcuate wall disposed at a position away from the division wall,
an inner arcuate wall formed along a circumscribed circle of the outer arcuate wall is disposed inside the second valve chamber,
the second float valve is disposed between the outer arcuate wall and the inner arcuate wall,
a main flow path forming wall is provided that projects in an outer diameter direction of the second float valve from an end of the outer arcuate wall in a circumferential direction and that is connected to the division wall,
a main flow path is formed between the main flow path forming wall and the inner arcuate wall,
an upper space surrounded by the main flow path forming wall, the division wall, and an extension wall extending from the inner arcuate wall toward the main flow path forming wall is formed above the main flow path, and
the vent is formed in the main flow path forming wall so as to communicate with the upper space.

5. A valve device for a fuel tank comprising:
a housing provided with a first valve chamber and a second valve chamber which are configured to communicate with an inside of the fuel tank below a partition wall and a ventilation chamber configured to communicate with an outside of the fuel tank above the partition wall, in which the partition wall is provided with a first opening through which the first valve chamber is to communicate with the ventilation chamber and a second opening through which the second valve chamber is to communicate with the ventilation chamber;
a first float valve accommodated in the first valve chamber in a vertically movable manner and configured to block the first opening when a liquid surface in the fuel tank reaches near a set full-tank liquid surface; and
a second float valve accommodated in the second valve chamber in a vertically movable manner and configured to block the second opening when the liquid surface in the fuel tank rises to a predetermined height or more, wherein
the housing includes a housing body and a lower cap mounted below the housing body,
the housing body has a housing body peripheral wall that is open at a bottom,
the housing body peripheral wall has a first valve chamber forming wall that forms an outer periphery of the first valve chamber, and a second valve chamber forming wall that has a contour shape different from that of the first valve chamber forming wall as viewed in a valve axis direction and that forms an outer periphery of the second valve chamber,
the lower cap has a cap peripheral wall having a shape fitting to the housing body peripheral wall,
the housing body includes a division wall configured to divide an inner space of the housing body into the first valve chamber and the second valve chamber,
the second valve chamber forming wall has an outer arcuate wall disposed at a position away from the division wall,
an inner arcuate wall formed along a circumscribed circle of the outer arcuate wall is disposed inside the second valve chamber,
the second float valve is disposed between the outer arcuate wall and the inner arcuate wall,
a main flow path forming wall is provided that projects in an outer diameter direction of the second float valve from an end of the outer arcuate wall in a circumferential direction and that is connected to the division wall,
a main flow path is formed between the main flow path forming wall and the inner arcuate wall, and
a gap communicating with the main flow path is formed between an end of the inner arcuate wall adjacent to the outer arcuate wall and the end of the outer arcuate wall in the circumferential direction.

6. A valve device for a fuel tank comprising:
a housing provided with a first valve chamber and a second valve chamber which are configured to communicate with an inside of the fuel tank below a partition wall and a ventilation chamber configured to communicate with an outside of the fuel tank above the partition wall, in which the partition wall is provided with a first opening through which the first valve chamber is to communicate with the ventilation chamber and a second opening through which the second valve chamber is to communicate with the ventilation chamber;
a first float valve accommodated in the first valve chamber in a vertically movable manner and configured to block the first opening when a liquid surface in the fu

Assignees

• Piolax Inc

Inventors

• Mihara Kenta

Classifications

• F16K24/042

  actuated by a float · CPC title

• B60K2015/03289

  Float valves; Floats therefor · CPC title

• F16K27/02

  of lift valves (for reducing the flow resistance of screw-spindle lift-valves F16K1/06) · CPC title

• F16K31/22

  with the float rigidly connected to the valve · CPC title

• F16K24/044

  the float being rigidly connected to the valve element, the assembly of float and valve element following a substantially translational movement when actuated, e.g. also for actuating a pilot valve · CPC title