초록 ▼

An onboard refueling vapor recovery system for a motor vehicle prevents fuel vapor displaced from the vehicle fuel tank during a refueling operation from being discharged into the atmosphere and stores the fuel vapor for subsequent combustion in the vehicle engine. The system operates in parallel wi

An onboard refueling vapor recovery system for a motor vehicle prevents fuel vapor displaced from the vehicle fuel tank during a refueling operation from being discharged into the atmosphere and stores the fuel vapor for subsequent combustion in the vehicle engine. The system operates in parallel with a known vapor recovery system employed to minimize venting of vapor from the fuel tank through the normal fuel tank vent, this known system being inadequate to cope with the massive surge of vapor expelled during refueling which presently is vented to atmosphere through the fuel tank fill pipe. The refueling vapor recovery system includes a refueling vapor storage canister which is directly connected via a substantially unrestricted flow passage to the head space of the tank when, and only when, a standard fuel dispensing nozzle is operatively located in the fill pipe inlet. The nozzle is inserted through a seal which prevents the escape of vapor from the fill pipe. A float valve in the tank closes the passage to the refueling canister when the tank is filled and the consequent pressure increase will normally actuate the conventional nozzle shutoff mechanism. Emergency devices in the system will sound an audible signal if the nozzle shutoff malfunctions and will dump fuel from the filler pipe if manual shutoff of the nozzle does not occur in response to the audible signal. The system includes further internal pressure and flow regulating devices.

대표청구항 ▼

An improvement in a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a fuel supply system including a refillable fuel storage tank for supplying volatile fuel to said engine, the fuel tank including a filler pipe having an inlet end adapted to sealingly receive an elongate tubular fuel dispensing nozzl

An improvement in a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a fuel supply system including a refillable fuel storage tank for supplying volatile fuel to said engine, the fuel tank including a filler pipe having an inlet end adapted to sealingly receive an elongate tubular fuel dispensing nozzle of a standard diameter to accommodate refueling of said vehicle from an external source of volatile fuel and a running vapor recovery system including a canister for storage of fuel vapors generated during operation of the engine; said improvement comprising an onboard additional refueling vapor recovery system mounted in said vehicle for storing and disposing of the relatively larger quantity of fuel vapor displaced from the fuel tank by the refilling of the tank with volatile fuel, said refueling vapor recovery system being connected in parallel with the running vapor recovery system and comprising a refueling vapor storage canister mounted in said vehicle, first conduit means for conducting fuel vapor displaced from said tank during the refueling of the tank with volatile fuel from the tank into said refueling vapor storage canister, first valve means operable in a normally closed position to prevent the flow of vapor from the tank to said refueling vapor canister via the first conduit means and operable in an actuated open position to permit the flow of fuel vapor from the tank through said first conduit means into said refueling vapor canister, actuating means responsive to the insertion of the nozzle through sealing means for actuating said first valve means to its open position, and onboard computer controlled means responsive to the operation of the engine for conducting fuel vapor at a controlled rate from said refueling vapor canister to the engine for combustion in the engine.