Valve device for fuel tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9981546-B2
Application number	US-201415123279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Mar 5, 2014
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A fuel tank valve device includes a housing in which a partition wall defines a lower valve chamber and an upper ventilation chamber, and a first opening and a second opening are provided to establish a communication between the lower valve chamber and the upper ventilation chamber, a first float valve that is accommodated in a first valve chamber of the lower valve chamber so as to rise and fall and that closes the first opening when a fuel level in a fuel tank nearly reaches a set full fuel level, and a second float valve that is accommodated in a second valve chamber of the lower valve chamber so as to rise and fall and that closes the second opening when the fuel level in the fuel tank rises abnormally.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel tank valve device, comprising:
a housing in which a partition wall defines a lower valve chamber and an upper ventilation chamber, and a first opening and a second opening are provided to establish a communication between the lower valve chamber and the upper ventilation chamber;
a first float valve that is accommodated in a first valve chamber of the lower valve chamber so as to rise and fall and that closes the first opening when a fuel level in a fuel tank nearly reaches a set full fuel level;
a second float valve that is accommodated in a second valve chamber of the lower valve chamber so as to rise and fall and that closes the second opening when the fuel level in the fuel tank rises abnormally;
a recess portion in which the first opening of the housing is formed at a bottom portion of the recess portion and which makes up a part of the upper ventilation chamber; and
a fuel vapor discharge port that is formed so as to communicate with the upper ventilation chamber,
wherein the partition wall includes a shelf wall portion that extends to the recess portion,
wherein a first groove portion is formed on the shelf wall portion so as to extend to the recess portion,
wherein a ceiling wall that makes up a ceiling of the upper ventilation chamber is disposed above the shelf wall portion via a gap,
wherein a third opening that makes up the fuel vapor discharge port is provided on the shelf wall portion at a position that lies spaced away from the recess portion when the housing is seen from thereabove,
wherein a second groove portion is formed on the partition wall so as to extend to establish a communication between the recess portion and the third opening, and
wherein the first opening, the second opening, and the third opening are disposed respectively at apexes of a triangle when the housing is seen from thereabove.

2. The fuel tank valve device of claim 1 , wherein a line that connects the first opening and the third opening, and a line that connects the second opening and the third opening form an acute angle when the housing is seen from thereabove.

3. The fuel tank valve device of claim 1 , wherein an eave wall portion is formed on an end portion of the second groove portion at a side of the recess portion so as to project radially inwards of the recess portion.

4. The fuel tank valve device of claim 3 , wherein vertical ribs are provided near a longitudinal end of the cave wall portion so as to project radially inwards of the recess portion.

5. The fuel tank valve device of claim 1 , wherein a depth of the first groove portion from an upper surface of the shelf wall portion is greater than a height of the gap defined between the shelf wall portion and the ceiling wall.

6. The fuel tank valve device of claim 1 , wherein an area of the first groove portion when the first groove portion is cut along a plane that is perpendicular to an extending direction of the first groove portion is greater than an area of the second opening.

7. The fuel tank valve device of claim 1 , wherein, in a plan view, a line that connects the first opening and the third opening, and a line that connects the second opening and the third opening form an acute angle of the triangle.

8. The fuel tank valve device of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a main body portion in which at least one of the lower valve chamber, the upper ventilation chamber, the partition wall, the recess portion, and the fuel vapor discharge port is provided, and
wherein the ceiling wall is mounted on the main body portion.

9. The fuel tank valve device of claim 1 , wherein the fuel vapor discharge port is formed on an inner circumference of the recess portion at a different circumferential position from a circumferential position of the first groove portion.

10. The fuel tank valve device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a fuel vapor piping that communicates with the fuel vapor discharge port and which is connected to the housing at an acute angle relative to a path extending from the second opening to the first opening.

11. A fuel tank valve device, comprising:
a housing in which a partition wall defines a lower valve chamber and an upper ventilation chamber, and a first opening and a second opening are provided to establish a communication between the lower valve chamber and the upper ventilation chamber;
a first float valve that is accommodated in a first valve chamber of the lower valve chamber so as to rise and fall and that closes the first opening when a fuel level in a fuel tank nearly reaches a set full fuel level;
a second float valve that is accommodated in a second valve chamber of the lower valve chamber so as to rise and fall and that closes the second opening when the fuel level in the fuel tank rises abnormally;
a recess portion in which the first opening of the housing is formed at a bottom portion of the recess portion and which makes up a part of the upper ventilation chamber; and
a fuel vapor discharge port that is formed so as to communicate with the upper ventilation chamber,
wherein the partition wall includes a shelf wall portion that extends to the recess portion,
wherein a first groove portion is formed on the shelf wall portion so as to extend to the recess portion,
wherein a ceiling wall that makes up a ceiling of the upper ventilation chamber is disposed above the shelf wall portion via a gap,
wherein the fuel vapor discharge port is formed on an inner circumference of the recess portion at a different circumferential position from a circumferential position of the first groove portion,
wherein there is further provided a fuel vapor piping that communicates with the fuel vapor discharge port and which is connected to the housing at an acute angle relative to a path extending from the second opening to the first opening, and
wherein a bypass flow path is provided in the housing so as to be opened in the shelf wall portion to thereby communicate with the gap at one end and to be opened in an inner circumference of the fuel vapor piping to thereby communicate with the fuel vapor piping at an other end of the bypass flow path.

12. The fuel tank valve device of claim 11 , wherein the fuel vapor piping is provided so that at least a part of the fuel vapor piping passes below the shelf wall portion of the partition wall.

13. The fuel tank valve device of claim 11 , wherein the bypass flow path extends downwards in a perpendicular direction from an upper surface of the shelf wall portion of the partition wall to communicate with the inner circumference of the fuel vapor piping at a lower end.

14. The fuel tank valve device of claim 11 , wherein a rib is turned on an inner surface of the ceiling wall to pass between the first groove portion and the bypass flow path and to extend in a direction of moving away from the fuel vapor discharge port.

15. A fuel tank valve device, comprising:
a housing in which a partition wall defines a lower valve chamber and an upper ventilation chamber, and a first opening, and a second opening are provided to establish a communication between the lower valve chamber and the upper ventilation chamber;
a first float valve that is accommodated in a first valve chamber of the lower valve chamber so as to rise and fall and that closes, the first opening when a fuel level in a fuel tank nearly reaches a set full fuel level;
a second float valve that is accommodated in a second valve chamber of the lower valve chamber so as to rise and fall and that closes the second opening when the fuel level in the fuel tank rises abnormally;
a recess portion in which th

Assignees

• Piolax Inc
• Yachiyo Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mihara Kenta
• Nakaya Kazunari
• Shinozaki Masato
• Sawano Masaru

Classifications

• Y10T137/7404

  Plural floats · CPC title

• B60K2015/03571

  Venting during driving · CPC title

• F02M25/0836 Primary

  Arrangement of valves controlling the admission of fuel vapour to an engine, e.g. valve being disposed between fuel tank or absorption canister and intake manifold · CPC title

• B60K15/035 Primary

  characterised by venting means · CPC title

• B60K2015/03289

  Float valves; Floats therefor · CPC title