Patent ID: 6450152
Filing Date: 2002-09-17
Classification: F02M

Abstract:
A fuel vapor management system for an internal combustion engine fuel system wherein fuel vapor generated by the volatization of fuel in a fuel tank is collected in a vapor storage canister that is purged to the engine during conditions conducive to purging, and headspace of the fuel tank is selectively communicated to the vapor storage canister through a tank isolation valve that comprises a valve body and that when open, allows free communication between the tank headspace and the canister so that volatile vapor can pass from the tank to the canister, and when closed, disallows free communication to thereby isolate the tank headspace from the canister, the system comprising:an opening in a wall of the tank on which the body of the valve is mounted in enclosing relation to the opening; the valve further comprising an inlet port communicated to the tank headspace at the opening, an outlet port, and a flow passage through which vapor entering the inlet port from the headspace can be conveyed to the outlet port; a valve seat circumscribing the flow passage; a closure for selectively seating on, and unseating from, the valve seat to selectively close, and open, the flow passage; an operating mechanism comprising an electric actuator that is selectively energized by electric current and an armature that is selectively positioned by the selective energization of the actuator to selectively operate the closure to seat on, and unseat from, the valve seat; an element that is disposed between the armature and the closure to operatively relate the armature to the closure; wherein the armature comprises a cylindrical walled tube that is open at opposite axial ends and is selectively positioned within the body along a straight axis coincident with the tube axis, and the element constrains vapor flowing through the flow passage to pass through the armature tube when the closure is unseated from the seat.