Systems for controlling the flow of fuel vapor from a vehicle fuel tank to a recovery apparatus such as a carbon canister are generally known. A common approach is to place a control valve in series between the fuel tank and the vapor trap to selectively open and close the vapor venting pathway in response to changes in vehicle refueling activity.
Some known vapor control valves open or close in response to pressure conditions at the filler pipe inlet, for example when a filler pipe cap is removed or replaced to indicate the start or finish of refueling operations.
Other pressure-operated control valves respond to vapor pressure in the fuel tank itself to open, close, or adjust the rate at which fuel vapor is vented.
Another known type of valve responds to the level of liquid fuel in the tank, staying open to vent vapor as long as the fuel level is below a predetermined level. These are sometimes referred to as "fill control" or "shutoff" valves, since their closing creates a sudden pressure increase in the tank which prevents further refueling.
Prior vapor recovery systems often use pressure-operated control valves, sometimes supplemented with rollover and/or fill control valves to supplement the pressure operated vapor control. Disadvantages of such pressure-operated systems include their relative complexity and cost; their sensitivity to changing pressure conditions in the fuel system; and, the need for vapor seal and/or signal structure in the filler pipe, for example filler nozzle trap doors and signal pressure lines to prevent the loss of fuel vapor to the atmosphere during refueling and/or to provide signal or actuation pressure to the control valve.
One known technique for eliminating filler nozzle trap door or other seal structure in the filler pipe is to create a "dynamic" seal in the pipe using only the flow effects of a high velocity stream of fuel from the filler nozzle. By properly shaping the filler pipe in the region where the filler nozzle is located during refueling, and pumping the fuel at high velocity, a vacuum or draw-type seal can be created and maintained around the filler nozzle during refueling. This eliminates the need for seal door and similar structure. However, many pressure-operated control valves cannot function without such structure in the filler pipe. The dynamic sealing generates higher refueling pressure in the tank, tending to cause undesirable fuel expulsion or "spitback" from the filler pipe inlet at the end of the refueling operation. The prior art has not adequately addressed the need for an onboard vapor recovery system suitable for high pressure refueling with a dynamic filler pipe seal.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds