GB2105666A

GB2105666A - Installation for venting a fuel tank

Info

Publication number: GB2105666A
Application number: GB08225297A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sigmund Anhegger
Original assignee: Dr Ing HCF Porsche AG
Current assignee: Dr Ing HCF Porsche AG
Priority date: 1981-09-09
Filing date: 1982-09-06
Publication date: 1983-03-30
Also published as: IT1190952B; DE3224338A1; FR2512402A1; IT8222817A0; IT8222817A1

Abstract

An installation for venting a fuel tank, especially for a motor vehicle, which is formed by at least one collecting tank (33) arranged in the interior of the fuel tank and a vent line (32) cooperating therewith whereby the installation is connected with an external line (8) on the side of the atmosphere by means of a connecting stub (7). To achieve a simple construction and enable a relatively inexpensive manufacture, the collecting tank (33) and the vent line (32) disposed on the inside of the fuel tank are formed by hollow spaces of a one-piece, plate-shaped structural part (16). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Installation for venting a fuel tank The present invention relates to an installation for venting a fuel tank, especially for a motor vehicle, which includes at least one collecting tank arranged in the interior space of the fuel tank and a vent line cooperating therewith, whereby the installation is connected with an external line on the side of the atmosphere by a pipe connection.

In a known prior art construction of the aforementioned type (German Offenlegungsschrift 26 59 349), the vent lines and the collecting tank are manufactured separately, whereby several working steps are necessary for each part.

Subsequently, the vent lines are introduced into the interior space of the collecting tank by way of pipe connecting pieces thereof provided with openings and the end sections of the vent lines are welded together with the corresponding pipeconnecting pieces. This arrangement has the disadvantage that a large number of structural parts and working steps are required for the manufacture of the vent lines and of the collecting tank as well as for the assembly thereof, whence high manufacturing costs result.

It is the main object of the present invention to provide an arragement for the venting of a fuel tank which is simple in construction and which can be manufactured favoumblyfrom a cost point of view.

The underlying problems are solved according to the present invention in that the vent line or lines and the collecting tank ar tanks on the inside of the fuel tank are formed by a one-piece, plateshaped structural part.

The advantages attained principally by the present invention reside in that the lines and tanks constructed as hollow spaces of the plate. shaped structural part represent a simple assembly and structure. Additionally, the arrangement of the present invention requires little space, can be easily installed and has a relatively low weight by the use of synthetic plastic materials.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of an upper portion of a fuel tank with a venting installation according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the installation shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectionai view, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2 and moved through 900; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line IV--IV of Figure 2 and also moved through 900; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 3 of a further embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 is a plan view, similar to Figure 2, of a further embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIl-VIl of Figure 6.

Referring now to the drawings Figure 1 illustrates the upper part of a fuel tank 1 disposed transversely to the vehicle longitudinal direction whose filling pipe, not illustrated in detail, determines the maximum fuel level 2. An installation 5 for the venting of the fuel tank is arranged above this fuel level 2 in the interior space 3 of the fuel tank 1, and more particularly adjacent the upper tank wall 4. The installation 5 is connected with an external line 8 by way of a pre-connecting piece or stub 7 mounted on an upright lateral boundary wall 6. The external line 8 terminates in the atmosphere or in an activated charcoal tank. The connecting stub 7 extends approximately at right angle to the upright boundary wall 6 and projects into the interior space 3 of the fuel tank 1.In the illustrated embodiment, the venting installation 5 is held in its assembled position by being mounted over the connecting piece 7 as indicated by reference numerai 9. The installation 5 may be additionally secured at the upper tank wall 4 on the side opposite the connecting piece 7 by means of conventional mounting or support members not illustrated in detail.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, the installation 5 includes two vent lines 10 and 11,two collecting tanks 12 and 13 cooperating therewith and a discharge line 14 (Figure 2) extending between the vent lines 10 and 11 and in communication therewith. The vent lines 10 and 11 the collecting tanks 12 and 13, and the discharge line 14 are formed by hollow spaces 1 5 of a plate-shaped structural part 1 6 which has an elongated shape and which extends between mutually oppositely disposed boundary walls 6 and 17 of the fuel tank 1.The one vent line 10 is provided with an inlet opening 1 9 at its free end 1 8 disposed remote from the connecting piece 7 and terminates on the opposite side in the collecting tank 1 2 cooperating therewith. The other vent line 11 is provided in proximity to the connecting piece 7 with an inlet opening 20 whereas the collecting tank 1 3 appertaining thereto is disposed on the opposite side 21 of the plate-shaped structural part 1 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the inlet openings 19 and 20 are directed downwardly. However, they may also be provided laterally at the plate-shaped structural part 16.

The collecting tanks 12, 13 serve for the accommodation of fuel which, with a corresponding inclined position of the vehicle, enters into the associated vent line 10, 11 by way of one of the inlet openings 19, 20 and thereafter reaches the respective collecting tank 12, 13 remains therein, and is returned again into the fuel tank with an opposite inclined position of the vehicle.

In contrast thereto, the vapour streams pass the collecting tanks 12 and 1 3 and reach the atmosphere or the activated charcoal tank by way of the discharge line 14 and the external line 8.

The discharge line 14, which is connected to the pipe-connecting piece 7, is in communication adjacent this connecting piece with the first vent line 10 by way of a cross channel 22 and with the second vent line 1 1 by way of the collecting tank 13. The cross channel 22 extends approximately within the area of the discharge of the first vent line 10 in the collecting tank 12. The two vent lines 10 and 11 and the discharge line 14 extend approximately parallel to one another. However, there also exists the possibility within the scope of the present invention that the vent lines 10 and 11 disposed along the outside of the discharge line 14 will assume an inclined direction with respect to the discharge line 14. The vent lines 10 and 11 and the discharge line 14 are constructed rectilinear and are circular in cross section.

However, the cross-sectional shape may also be oval, rectangular, square or the like.

A guide device 23 projecting into the collecting tank 13 is arranged between the discharge line 14 and the second vent line 11. The guide device 23 counteracts the inflow of fuel from the collecting tank 13 into the discharge line 14. The guide device 23 extends from the inside 24 of the second vent line 11 obliquely into the collecting tank 13 approximately up to an imaginary extension line of the inside 25 of the first vent line 10.

The dimensions of the two collecting tanks 12 and 13 are so selected that the volume thereof corresponds at least to the volume which is formed by the respective vent lines 10, 11 from their inlet openings 1 9, 20 to the oppositely disposed discharge orifices into the corresponding collecting tanks 12, 1 3. However, the collecting tanks 12 and 13 may also have a larger volume. A safe functioning of the installation 5 is achieved in that the vent lines 10 and 11, the discharge line 14, and the collecting tanks 12 and 13 are in a common plane at least with their bottom side 26 (Figures 3 and 4).

The plate-shaped structural part 1 6 is made of synthetic plastics material such as polyethylene or propylene and is manufactured preferably by the blow-moulding process.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the plate-shaped structural part 1 6 consists of two halves 27 and 28 into which are formed respectively the vent line-, discharge line-, and collecting tank halves, whereby the two halves 27 and 28 are connected with each other by gluing or welding of flanges 29 (Figure 5).

With a lateral inclined position of the fuel tank 1, at least one of the inlet openings 19, 20 is disposed above the respective fuel level 30, 31 so that the interior space 3 of the fuel tank 1 is necessarily connected with the external atmosphere line 8 by way of one of the vent lines 10 and 11.

According to still another embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 6, the plateshaped structural part 16 which is arranged in the tank interior space 3, includes exclusively one vent line 32, one collecting tank 33 and one discharge line 34 in communication with the external line 8 by way of the pipe-connecting piece or stub 7. A second vent line (not illustrated in detail) extends outside the fuel tank 1 and more particularly on the top surface thereof. The vent line 32 extends at least section-wise in parallel to the discharge line 34 and is bent angular shaped at its free end whereby the leg portion 36 thereof provided with an inlet opening 35 extends approximately at right angle to the other leg portion 37.

A guide device 38 is provided in the collecting tank 33, which counteracts an inflow of fuel from the collecting tank 33 into the discharge line 34.

For purposes of securing the plate-shaped structural part 16 at the upper tank wall, locally rectangularly shaped apertures 39 are provided between the vent line 32 and the discharge line 34 according to Figure 6, through which are extended sheet metal lugs (not shown in detail) of the upper tank wall 4 of the fuel tank which are subsequently bent over.

Claims

1. An installation for venting a fuel tank, comprising at least one collecting tank arranged in the interior space of the fuel tank and at least one vent line co-operating therewith, and an external line on the side of the atmosphere operatively connected with the venting installation, wherein the collecting tank and vent line means are formed by a one-piece, plate-shaped structural part.

2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the installation is connected with the external line by a connecting stub.

3. An installation according to claim 2,were 2, wherein the plate-shaped structural part includes two vent lines, two collecting tanks and one discharge line extending between said vent lines, the vent lines being in communication with the collecting tanks at mutually opposite ends of the installation.

4. An installation according to claim 3, wherein the vent lines and the discharge line extends at least approximately parallel to each other, the discharge, line on the one hand, being in communication with both vent lines and, on the other, with said connecting stub.

5. An installation according to claim 4, wherein the connection of the discharge line with one of said vent lines takes place by way of a cross channel disposed adjacent the connecting stub whereas the other vent line is in communication with the discharge line by way of the collecting tank disposed opposite the connecting stub.

6. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the plate-shaped structural part includes a single vent line, a single collecting tank and a discharge line in communication with the external line.

7. An installation according to claim 6, wherein said vent line is angularly shaped.

8. An installation according to claim 6, wherein downwardly bent lugs are provided at the upper tank wall for holding the plate-shaped structural part which are extended through apertures locally arranged between the vent line and the discharge line.

9. An installation according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the volume of the or each collecting tank corresponds at least to the volume of the respective vent line section which extends approximately from tfr - discharge orifice into the collecting tank up to the oppositely disposed inlet opening.

10. An installation according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein a guide means is provided between the discharge line and the corresponding vent line, said guide means projecting into the corresponding tank and counteracting the inflow of fuel from the collecting tank into the discharge line.

11. An installation according to claim 10, wherein the volume of each collecting tank corresponds at least to the volume of the respective vent line section which extends approximately from the discharge orifice into the collecting tank up to the oppositely disposed inlet opening.

12. An installation according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plate-shaped structural part is made from synthetic resinous material.

13. An installation according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the plate-shaped structural part is a blow-moulded part.

14. An installation according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plate-shaped structural part includes two halves, the respective vent line-, discharge line-, and collecting tank halves being formed into the two halves of the structural part and the two halves thereof being securely connected with each other.

15. An installation according to claim 14, wherein the two halves of the structural part are connected with each other by bonding.

1 6. An installation according to claim 14, wherein the two halves of the structural part are connected with each other by welding.

17. An installation for venting a full tank, substantially as described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figures 1 to 5, or Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.