Patent ID: 6230549
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: G01M

Abstract:
A fuel cap leakage tester comprising:a fuel cap support formed to include a test chamber and adapted to receive a fuel cap to be tested in the test chamber to establish a pressurizable region therein and a sealed connection between the fuel cap to be tested and the fuel cap support,a pressure source,a monitor positioned to communicate with the pressurizable region formed in the fuel cap support and configured to measure air pressure in the pressurizable region, andmeans for communicating a flow of pressurized air from the pressure source to the pressurizable region with a predetermined pressure drop of the pressurized air therebetween to cause the pressure level of the pressurized air in the pressurizable region to be less than the pressure level of the pressurized air in the pressure source so that the monitor measures the pressure level of the pressurized air in the pressurizable region during discharge of the pressurized air from the pressurizable region through an air leak path between the fuel cap to be tested and the fuel cap support at an unknown flow rate to determine whether the unknown flow rate associated with the fuel cap to be tested meets or exceeds a predetermined leakage flow rate to establish that the sealed connection between the fuel cap to be tested and the fuel cap support complies with a predetermined fuel cap leakage rate specification.