Abstract:
The invention relates to a ventilation device for fuel tanks, wherein the ventilation device comprises a compensator reservoir arranged in the interior of the fuel tank and at least two ventilation lines. The ventilation lines run from below the upper tank wall to the compensator reservoir and extend in the latter toward an opposite tank wall. The apparatus according to the invention is particularly well suited under all static and dynamic stresses for ventilating fuel tanks.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a ventilation device for a fuel tank of a motor vehicle, wherein the ventilation device comprises a compensator reservoir and at least two ventilation lines opening into the latter. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A ventilation device is used to remove the gases displaced by fuel entering a fuel tank during “tanking up” and the gases that are emitted from the fuel during the operation of a motor vehicle. For this purpose, one or more lines are situated below the upper fuel tank wall. These lines lead from the sides of the tank to a common location at which they pass through the tank wall and lead to another tank. 
     A ventilation device may have two ventilation lines and three compensator reservoirs is known. The ventilation lines open out on both sides of the tank. From there, they lead to the opposite side of the tank and curve back again into the center where they open into a central compensator reservoir. In the curved sections near the side walls the lines include a widened section which is likewise designed as a compensator reservoir. This line routing has the effect that when the tank is inclined ventilation is ensured. One disadvantage is that this device is only suitable for tanks of relatively simple construction. Another disadvantage is that the routing of the ventilation lines is very complicated because of the labyrinth-like course the lines must take. Further disadvantages, caused by the inclusion and arrangement of a number of compensator reservoirs, include that the device is complicated to manufacture and that the installation of the device in a fuel tank requires a high outlay. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a ventilation device which is of simple construction, can be installed easily and ensures reliable ventilation and maximum filling of the fuel tank under all circumstances. 
     The ventilation device may be used in a fuel tank. In one embodiment it comprises a compensator reservoir in the fuel tank and at least two ventilation lines opening into the compensator reservoir. In this ventilation device, the ventilation lines run from the vicinity of at least one of the side walls of the fuel tank to the compensator reservoir. Advantageous refinements are also disclosed herein. 
     The ventilation device includes a compensator reservoir which is arranged in the interior of a fuel tank and into which at least two ventilation lines open. The fuel tank includes a first side wall and a second side wall. The compensator reservoir extends from the first side wall to the second side wall of the fuel tank. The ventilation lines include a first opening and a second opening. The ventilation lines are arranged such that at least one of the first openings of the ventilation lines is always situated above the fuel level for all possible inclined positions of the fuel tank. The ventilation lines extend from the vicinity of one of the side walls to the vicinity of the other side wall, wherein the first opening is in the fuel tank and the second opening is within the compensator reservoir. 
     The ventilation device, therefore, enables reliable ventilation for static and dynamic stressing of the fuel tank and at the same time permits a particularly high filling quantity in the fuel tank. Moreover, the geometrical configuration of the compensator reservoir makes simple routing of the ventilation lines possible, with the result that complicated return lines are superfluous. At the same time, only one compensator reservoir is necessary. Because of its simplicity, the entire ventilation device is distinguished by low production costs, low weight and simple installation. 
     The compensator reservoir advantageously has a widened section which is used as a liquid trap and via which any fuel which has passed into the compensator reservoir is sucked into the interior of the fuel tank, preferably via an ejector or directly via the fuel pump. To ensure that the ejector or fuel pump does not allow the compensator reservoir to be filled to overflowing when, for example, the vehicle is parked on a slope, a nonreturn valve is used in the extraction line of the widened section. 
     The ventilation device is particularly simple if the ventilation lines enter into the compensator reservoir at any desired location, preferably at the widened section, and are then guided in the compensator reservoir until they are close to the side wall opposite the side wall in the vicinity of the first opening of the ventilation line. When the ventilation lines are arranged diagonally, the above-described system ensures satisfactory ventilation of the fuel tank at maximum filling level and due to the static and dynamic stresses, optimally prevents the fuel tank from being filled to overflowing. 
     Depending on the shape of the tank, the diagonal ventilation arrangement can also be formed using four predominantly diagonal ventilation lines while retaining the abovementioned, positive properties. In this case, the ventilation lines are arranged starting in the comers of the fuel tank and running diagonally toward the compensator reservoir. The compensator reservoir may be arranged in any desired manner with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and may also be of x-shaped design with the individual arms of the compensator reservoir extending toward the ventilation lines. 
     It is furthermore advantageous if the compensator reservoir has a float/roll-over valve. 
     The invention is explained in greater detail using three exemplary embodiment and the associated Figures. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a ventilation in a fuel tank; 
     FIG. 2 shows the plan view of an embodiment of a ventilation device; 
     FIG. 3 shows the plan view of another embodiment of a ventilation device having four ventilation lines. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The fuel tank  1 , as shown in FIG. 1, has a compensator reservoir  2  right below the upper fuel tank wall  12 . The compensator reservoir  2  extends essentially from a first side wall  3  to a second side wall  4  which is located opposite the first side wall  3 . A first ventilation line  5  opens into the interior of the fuel tank  1  with a first opening  6  close to the first side wall  3 . This first ventilation line  5  enters into a widened section  7  of the compensator reservoir  2  and runs within the compensator reservoir  2  until it nears the vicinity of the second side wall  4 , wherein the ventilation line  5  opens with a second opening  8  into the compensator reservoir  2 . A second ventilation line  9  opens into the interior of the fuel tank  1  with a first opening  13  close to the second side wall  4 . This second ventilation line  9  enters into the widened section  7  of the compensator reservoir  2  and continues within the interior of the compensator reservoir  2  until it nears the vicinity of the first side wall  3 . 
     FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the ventilation device using four ventilation lines. The fuel tank includes four areas from which each of the four ventilation lines originate. The first, second, third and fourth ventilation lines, ( 5 ,  9 ,  10  and  11 , respectively) are arranged near one another in the compensator reservoir  2 . The first, second, third and fourth ventilation lines  5 ,  9 ,  10 , and  11 , respectively, are predominantly diagonal and run diagonally from the first area  15 , second area  16 , third area  17  and fourth area  18 , respectively, toward the compensator reservoir  2  and then enter into the compensator reservoir  2  in the region of the widened section  7 . Once the first, second, third and fourth ventilation lines  5 ,  9 ,  10 , and  11 , respectively, enter into the compensator reservoir  2 , they are parallel to each other and are guided to either the first side wall or the second side wall, whichever is located further from the area from which that particular ventilation line originated (the “opposing side wall”). For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the first ventilation line  5  originates in area  15  and runs diagonally towards the widened section  7  of the compensator reservoir  2 . Once the first ventilation line  5  enters the compensator reservoir  2  at the widened section  7 , it travels toward the second side wall  4  and ends within the compensator reservoir  2 . The second ventilation line  9  originates in area  16  and runs diagonally towards the widened section  7  of the compensator reservoir  2 . Once the second ventilation line  9  enters the compensation reservoir  2  at the widened section  7 , it travels toward the first side wall  3  and ends within the compensator reservoir  2 . The third ventilation line  10  originates in area  17  and runs diagonally towards the widened section  7  of the compensator reservoir  2 . Once the third ventilation line  10  enters the compensation reservoir  2  at the widened section  7 , it travels toward the first side wall  3  and ends within the compensator reservoir  2 . The fourth ventilation line  11  originates in area  18  and runs diagonally towards the widened section  7  of the compensator reservoir  2 . Once the fourth ventilation line  11  enters the compensation reservoir  2  at the widened section  7 , it travels toward the second side wall  4  and ends within the compensator reservoir  2 . 
     FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the ventilation device in a fuel tank  1 , wherein the ventilation device includes a compensator reservoir  2  having four subarms, a first subarm  20 , a second subarm  21 , a third subarm  22  and a fourth subarm  23 . Each subarm extends into one of the areas. The first subarm  20  extends into the first area  15 , the second subarm  16  extends into the second area  16 , the third subarm  22  extends into the third area  17 , and the fourth subarm  23  extends into the fourth area  18 . The ventilation lines each run diagonally from an area (the “originating area”), through the subarm extends into that area (the “originating subarm”) and the subarm extends into the area located diagonally from the area from which the ventilation line originated (the “opposing subarm”), terminating within the opposing subarm so that that ventilation line&#39;s second opening is located within the compensator reservoir  2 . For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the first ventilation line  5  begins in area  15  and runs through subarm  20  and then through subarm  22  so that the first ventilation line  5  terminates in subarm  22 . The second ventilation line  9  begins in area  16  and runs through subarm  21  and then through subarm  23  so that the second ventilation line  9  terminates in subarm  23 . The third ventilation line  10  begins in area  17  and runs through subarm  22  and then through subarm  20  so that the third ventilation line  10  terminates in subarm  20 . The fourth ventilation line  11  begins in area  18  and runs through subarm  23  and then through subarm  21  so that the fourth ventilation line  11  terminates in subarm  21 .