Strategic Technologies
Fuel Tank Technology
To view the entire patent, please click the patent number for the U.S. Patent Office site. For information on licensing a technology please contact the NISTAC representative listed below.
U.S. Patents:
Fuel vapor purge control:
Patent # 5,970,958 with 26 claims, issued 10/26/1999. A variable area valve and pressure regulator for providing fuel vapor purge control in an evaporative emission control system of an automotive vehicle. A solenoid valve assembly selectively controls fluid communication between a fuel vapor source and an intake manifold by varying the area of an orifice associated with the solenoid valve assembly. A pressure regulator assembly is responsive to pressure differentials between an inlet cavity and an outlet cavity to further control the flow through the purge regulator. In operation, the purge regulator assembly is operable to generate nonlinear output flow characteristics which are independent of changes in the intake manifold vacuum, as well as the inlet pressure, and which further provides the desired nonlinear response.
Fluid responsive vent control valve with peel-away opening action:
Patent # 5,605,175 with 10 claims, issued 02/25/1997. A fluid-responsive vent control valve for an automobile fuel tank in which a liquid level responsive float controls a flexible, ribbon type valve member to peel it on and off a valve seat to open and close the valve. In one embodiment the float and outlet structure are offset. In an alternate embodiment the float and vent outlet are coaxial, and the ribbon valve is attached between the float and the valve body with a vent closure portion aligned with the outlet and a hinge portion offset from the outlet and connected to the float to provide opening and closing force to the ribbon valve. The outlet is preferably circular, and further includes a roundoff notch which cannot be closed by the pressure differential across the ribbon valve, but requires a final closing movement by the float and closure assist structure to fully close the valve.
Cap sensitive head valve for vehicle fuel system:
Patent # 5,417,240 with 16 claims, issued 05/23/1995. A head valve for maintaining a desired pressure head in a vehicle fuel tank which responds automatically to pressure changes in the filler pipe corresponding to a change from normal vehicle operation to a refueling operation to adjust the pressure head maintained by the head valve. In a vehicle fuel system including a filler pipe selectively opened and closed by a cap, the valve of the present invention responds to pressure changes near the filler pipe inlet upon removal of the cap to increase the pressure head it maintains in fuel tank 10 and prevent the fuel tank from being overfilled. When the refueling operation is completed and the cap is replaced, the change in pressure near the filler pipe inlet operates the valve to decrease its head valve closing force and reduce the pressure head maintained in the tank for normal vehicle operation. In one embodiment the valve includes a spring-biased diaphragm control element operated by the pressure changes in the filler pipe to move against and away from a spring-biased head valve element, resulting in a corresponding decrease and increase in the closing bias of the head valve element and the resulting pressure head maintained in fuel tank 10.
Fluid-responsive vent control valve with peel-away opening action:
Patent # 5,313,977 with 20 claims, issued 05/24/1994. The present invention comprises a rollover vent valve for mounting on a vehicle fuel tank to selectively vent fuel vapor from the fuel tank to a vapor trap such as a carbon canister. The valve includes a liquid fuel responsive control element connected to a valve element via lever arm structure to move the valve element between open and closed venting positions on a valve seat. The mechanical opening advantage obtained with the lever arm structure provides for a powerful peel-away action to ensure opening of the valve despite a tank/canister pressure differential acting to maintain the valve element in the closed position. In one embodiment the lever arm structure includes a hammer-claw mechanism to provide an initial pivotal opening force using the maximum potential of the lever arm, and a subsequent rectilinear opening force.
Fuel level responsive vapor vent valve:
Patent # 5,062,444 with 4 claims, issued 11/05/1991. A vapor vent valve for venting air and fuel vapor from vehicle fuel tanks comprises a hollow valve body having radial flow ports formed therein, and an axially slidable shutter movable between a valve open position remote from the radial flow ports and a valve closed position covering the radial flow ports. An axially slidable float mounted on the valve body adjacent the shutter lowers and raises the shutter between the valve open and closed positions in response to changes in the tank fuel level. The axial shutter and float structure is unaffected by the radial outflow of air and fuel vapor through the ports.
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