Vapor blocking valve mounting system

A vapor blocking valve for a fuel vapor recovery system is mounted with a two-piece bracket having a base member and a clip member. The base member fixedly mounts on a vehicle structure. At least two bendable wings extend from the base member which are bendable toward one another to a release position. The clip member has an aperture receiving the wings and a clamp receiving the vapor blocking valve. The wings and aperture have a matching profile for selectably locking the clip member at one of a plurality of rotational orientations when the wings are at the rest position. The clip member is movable between rotational orientations with the wings bent to the release position. Consequently, re-orientation of the vapor blocking valve can be accommodated without any changes to the mounting bracket or the structural component to which the bracket attaches.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to evaporative fuel recovery systems, and, more specifically, to a mounting system for a vapor blocking valve.

Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery (ORVR) is a vehicle emission control system that captures fuel vapors from the vehicle fuel tank during refueling. The tank and fill pipe are designed so that when refueling the vehicle, fuel vapors in the tank travel to an activated carbon canister which adsorbs the vapor. When the engine is in operation, it draws the gasoline vapors into the engine intake manifold to be burned.

Vapor lines (i.e., conduits) are used to convey fuel vapor between the fuel tank, carbon canister, engine, and various in-line valves that control the vapor flow. One such valve is the vapor blocking valve (VBV) which is typically a discrete component mounted to the vehicle frame between the fuel tank and the carbon canister. A plastic-molded mounting bracket is typically used with a clip on one side for holding the VBV and attachment pins on the other side for inserting into corresponding holes in a sheet metal support panel of the frame. The bracket and mounting holes in the sheet metal are configured according to a design layout of the vapor system within the vehicle. For example, clamp arms hold the VBV at a particular orientation to align it with the vapor lines to which it attaches.

The development of a design for each new vehicle model involves an iterative engineering process. Preliminary designs are used to create prototype vehicles for testing and evaluation purposes. Based on these results, the designs may be modified. For example, vehicle performance during crash safety testing may dictate repositioning of ORVR components. In order to accommodate a new orientation of the VBV, the bracket and/or the placement of mounting holes in the vehicle frame sheet metal would have to be redesigned. Development of a new design for the mounting system results in added development time and associated costs. It would be desirable to minimize such re-development time and cost and to provide flexibility and reusability in mounting system design and development.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the invention, a mounting system for a vapor blocking valve is comprised of a base member and a clip member. The base member comprises a baseplate having a first surface adapted to bear against a vehicle structure and having an opposed second surface. The base member has a lock pin and an alignment pin extending from the first surface which are adapted to engage holes in the vehicle structure to retain the baseplate. At least two bendable wings extend from the second surface, wherein the wings have a rest position, and wherein the wings are bendable toward one another to a release position. The clip member comprises an adjustment plate engaging the second surface and having an aperture receiving the wings. The clip member further comprises a clamp fixed to the adjustment plate and configured to snap onto the vapor blocking valve. The wings and the aperture have a matching profile for selectably locking the clip member at one of a plurality of rotational orientations when the wings are at the rest position. The clip member is movable between rotational orientations with the wings bent to the release position. Consequently, changes made to a fuel vapor recovery system during development of a vehicle which require re-orientation of the vapor blocking valve can be accommodated without any changes to the mounting bracket or the structural component to which the bracket attaches.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIG. 1, a motor vehicle fuel system of the invention may include a fuel tank10, a vapor blocking valve (VBV)11, and a carbon canister12. A vapor line13interconnects VBV11with tank10, and a vapor line14interconnects VBV11with canister12. Additional valves (not shown) selectably conduct vapor from canister12to the engine or to atmosphere, as known in the art.

VBV11may typically be a solenoid valve that is controlled electronically and which is mounted remotely from tank10and canister12on a frame element or other component of a vehicle body structure.FIG. 2shows a frame element15formed from a stamped sheet metal panel. Various holes16may be punched into the sheet metal panel for mounting various components. One such component is a molded bracket20that attaches to frame element15and has a snap-in clamp for receiving VBV11.

As shown inFIG. 3, bracket20includes a pair of snap arms21and22disposed at an entrance to a semi-cylindrical slot23adapted to retain VBV11with its longitudinal axis parallel with the axis of slot23. A pair of mounting pins25and26extend from a bottom surface24of bracket20. Pin25is a Christmas tree type of locking pin having a ribbed shank wherein the ribs or fins are individually bendable when inserted into a mounting hole27(FIG. 4) such that after passing through mounting hole27they spring back to their original positions to grasp an opposite side of sheet metal panel15. Pin26enters a smaller hole28and acts as an anti-rotation feature, whereby bracket20is held in place such that bottom surface24maintains a fixed footprint29.

FIG. 5shows a modified orientation of VBV11after modifications to the design of a vehicle model are made in which the path of conduit14leading to VBV11has been changed. Due to the modified orientation of VBV11, bracket20according to the original design can no longer be used. Under the prior art, bracket20would be re-designed and/or locations of the mounting holes would be changed. The creation of a re-design for the mounting system consumes engineering resources in both design and testing, and it adds further delays to the vehicle development process.

The invention avoids the cost, resource utilization, and time delays by adopting a multi-piece bracket design.FIGS. 6-8show one embodiment of the invention wherein a base member30receives a clip member31at any one of a plurality of rotational orientations. Base member30has a baseplate32having a first surface33adapted to bear against a vehicle structure and having an opposed second surface34. A lock pin35and an alignment pin36extend from first surface33in order to engage holes in the vehicle structure and to retain baseplate32in a fixed position. Two bendable wings37and38extend from second surface34in order to engage an aperture41in an adjustment plate40at a bottom end of clip member31. Surface34and plate40are shown as being flat. Other conforming shapes which permit rotation could also be used, such as spherical. Plate40of clip member31supports a clamp42for receiving the VBV in the same manner as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3.

Wings37and38and aperture41have a matching profile for selectably locking clip member31at one of a plurality of rotational orientations. In this embodiment, aperture41has an inner edge50forming a continuous ring of gear-like teeth or spurs. Wings37and38each comprise profile strips43and45, respectively, extending from surface34to outer flanges44and46, respectively. Strips43and45have arcuate toothed surfaces47and55, respectively, for mating with toothed inner edge50of aperture41. The tooth size and spacing is configured to provide a plurality of different rotational orientations at which clip member31can be locked. When the toothed surfaces are mated, flanges44and46capture adjustment plate40as shown inFIG. 9. Matching profiles other than toothed spurs could be employed, provided that a rotational symmetry is maintained which allows a desired variety of locked rotational orientations.

FIGS. 10 and 11show bottom and top view of base member30. Dashed lines inFIG. 11show some of the available positions51and52at which clip member31can be locked in place. Toothed surfaces47and55of wings37and38are sufficiently engaged against toothed edge50that once placed into a position such as position51or52, clip member31resists movement out of such position when acted upon by typical forces applied against clamp42. In other words, the thickness of strips43and45and the properties of the chosen thermoplastic provide a predetermined stiffness that keeps them in their outboard, rest position. Since base member30is fixed in a predefined location based on pins35and36engaging respective holes in the vehicle structure, clamp32is positively retained in a desired orientation and position as determined by the selected tooth engagement.

As shown inFIG. 12, wings37and38have rest positions shown in solid lines. Wings37and38are bendable to release positions60and61shown in dashed lines. Thus, the thickness of strips43and45and the properties of the chosen thermoplastic also provide sufficient elasticity to allow them to be bent to their inward, release position. In the release position, an effective outside diameter of wings37and38is achieved which is less than an inside diameter of toothed aperture41so that the parts can be assembled together and so that clip member31can be rotated to a selected orientation. Wings37and38can be bent together (i.e., toward each other) by application of a force against flanges44and46with a tool or manually (e.g., using the fingers). To improve the ability of the toothed surfaces to clear each other and to permit rotation while in the release position, inward conical tapers56and57may be provided in toothed surfaces47and55proximate surface34of baseplate32.