Abstract:
A device combines a fuel control valve in a hollow can and a carbon canister, which can be further combined with a fuel tank. The device has a first chamber for preventing draining fuel and a second chamber containing active carbon. The first chamber is formed with a gas tube which is connected to the fuel tank and a gas channel connected to the second chamber. The second chamber is formed with a gas return tube. As such, the device combining the fuel control valve and the carbon canister is constructed. The hollow can is assembled to a lateral wall of the fuel tank and the gas tube can be connect with the fuel tank to form an integral structure.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to combination structures, and in particular to a device combining a fuel control valve and an active carbon canister or a fuel tank. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In conventional, to solve the problem of evaporation of fuel gas in the fuel tank of a car, generally, a fuel gas return channel is added to the fuel tank. Through the negative pressure, the fuel gas returns to the gas inlet end of an internal combustion engine to be used by the engine. Thereby the fuel gas cannot vent outside to cause pollution. 
   In above mentioned gas return channel, a carbon canister (C/N) is arranged for absorbing evaporated fuel gas. To prevent the drainage of the fuel as the car is tilted, a fuel control valve is added to the gas return tube for closing the gas return tube immediately as the car falls down so that the fuel gas and the fuel will not drain out to cause pollution. Besides, to prevent an over large expansion pressure of the fuel gas in the fuel tank to induce explosion or deformation of the fuel tank, a bypass valve is serially connected to the gas return tube adjacent to the fuel tank. When the fuel tank or the gas return tube is blocked, the valve can be opened for releasing fuel pressure to protect the fuel tank. 
   Conventionally, the gas return tube connected to the fuel tank and the gas inlet of the engine is formed by using soft tubes to be connected between the fuel control valve and the bypass valve or connected between the fuel control valve, the carbon canister and the bypass valve. However, the longer the soft tubes or the larger number the soft tubes is used, the greater the resistance in the gas return tube is presented, which will reduce the absorption force of negative pressure. Thereby fuel gas cannot be reused smoothly. Furthermore, conventional fuel control valve, carbon canister and bypass valve, etc. have complicated structures so that the manufacturing and assembling processes are time consuming and cost ineffective. The soft tubes may be arranged disordered to occupy a larger space. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a device combining a fuel control valve and a carbon canister, wherein when a car is tilted, the fuel gas or fuel liquid can be prevented from draining out. When fuel in the fuel tank overflows, it will be prevented from draining out. The fuel control valve is assembled with the carbon canister so that less soft tubes are used to reduce the manufacturing and assembling cost. Thereby the hollow can with functions of cutting fuel as fuel drains out and absorbing fuel (or store fuel temporarily) is assembled to the fuel tank so as to reduce the cost and time in assembly. The bypass valve in the hollow can could release over pressure fuel gas so as to reduce the use of soft tube. The reduction of soft tube connected between the fuel tank and air inlet of the fuel tank is beneficial to the reduction of the flowing resistance of the fuel gas. The structure of the present invention is simple and can be assembled easily. 
   To achieve above object, the present invention provides a device combining a fuel control valve and a carbon canister; a hollow can being installed between a fuel tank and a fuel gas inlet of an engine for returning evaporated fuel gas in the fuel tank to the air inlet of the engine; a first chamber and a second chamber formed in the hollow can; a tapered tank and a main valve gate being formed in the first chamber; a trench being formed in the tapered tank; a bottom of the tapered tank being formed with a gas tube communicated to an evaporation chamber in the fuel tank; a gas channel being formed in the main valve gate and being connected to the second chamber; a rolling element and a floatable plug element being installed within the first chamber; the floatable plug element being movably installed between the rolling element and the main valve gate; and a top end of the floatable plug element being installed with a plug for closing or opening the main valve gate; a plurality of non-woven cloth and active carbon being installed within the second chamber; and at least one gas return tube being connected to a fuel gas inlet of the second chamber. 
   Furthermore, a device combining a fuel control valve, a carbon canister and a fuel tank; a hollow can being installed between a fuel tank and a fuel gas inlet of an engine for returning evaporated fuel gas in the fuel tank to the air inlet of the engine. Other than above mentioned structure, the device further comprises a fuel tank having a casing; an assembled hole being formed on the casing so that the casing is communicated to an evaporation chamber above a surface of fuel liquid; and the gas tube being connected with the assembled hole to guide fuel gas in the fuel tank to flow into the first chamber. 
   The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an elevational cross sectional view for the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the hollow can is formed with a first chamber and a second chamber, and the first chamber is installed with a rolling element and a floatable plug element. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view along line A—A of the  FIG. 1 , and a bottom of the first chamber has a gas tube and a gas channel connected to the second chamber. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view along line B—B of  FIG. 2 , wherein the second chamber is a carbon canister and has a venting tube and a gas return tube. 
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view for the second embodiment of the present invention, where a transversal hollow can is assembled to a top of a fuel tank, so that the gas tube is embedded into an assembled hole so as to form an assembled body of the hollow can and the fuel tank. 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic view for the operation of the present invention, where when a car is tilted, the rolling element will push the floatable plug element so that the plug is embedded in the main valve gate to close a fuel channel. 
       FIG. 6  is another operational schematic view of the present invention, wherein when the fuel is overflow, the drain fuel liquid will push the floatable plug element to move upwards so that the plug is embedded into the main valve gate to seal the fuel channel. 
       FIG. 7  shows the third embodiment of the present invention, wherein a vertical hollow can is disclosed, it uses a connecting tube to guide fuel gas into the second chamber. 
       FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view for the fourth embodiment of the present invention, wherein a vertical hollow can is assembled to a lateral side of the fuel tank so that the connecting tube is embedded into the assembled hole  43  to form an assembled body of the hollow can and the fuel tank. 
       FIG. 9  shows a cross sectional view for the fifth embodiment of the present invention, where the vertical hollow can has a gas channel which has an extended channel and the extended channel is communicated to the second chamber. 
       FIG. 10  shows the cross sectional view for the sixth embodiment of the present invention, wherein a bypass valve is installed with the gas channel for reducing the expansion pressure of fuel gas. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   In order that those skilled in the art can further understand the present invention, a description will be described in the following in details. However, these descriptions and the appended drawings are only used to cause those skilled in the art to understand the objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, but not to be used to confine the scope and spirit of the present invention defined in the appended claims. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the arrangement of the first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. A transversal hollow can  1  is installed with a first chamber  2  and a second chamber  3  which are spaced at two sides of the hollow can  1 . 
   An interior of the first chamber  2  is installed with a vertical tapered tank  21  and a concave main valve gate  23  (referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). An interior of the tapered tank  21  is formed with a trench  211 . A bottom of the tapered tank  21  is installed with a protruded and vertical gas tube  22  which is communicated to a fuel tank  4  (referring to  FIG. 4 ). The main valve gate  23  is installed with a gas channel  24  which is communicated to the second chamber  3 . An interior of the first chamber  2  is installed with a rolling element  25  and a floatable plug element  26 . The rolling element  25  is for example a steel ball which is received in the tapered tank  21  and rolls freely. The floatable plug element  26  may be for example a U shape cover which can float upon a surface of fuel liquid so that the floatable plug element  26  is movably installed between the rolling element  25  and the main valve gate  23  and is thus pushed by the rolling element  25  and the fuel liquid. A top of the floatable plug element  26  is formed with a cambered convex plug  261 . If the rolling element  25  moves upwards by a pushing force or by the fuel liquid, the plug  261  will close the main valve gate, or else the plug  261  will open the main valve gate  23 . Thus, the fuel control valve in the transversal hollow can  1  according to the present invention is constructed. 
   Besides, an interior of the second chamber  3  is installed with a plurality of non-woven cloth  51  and active carbon  50  (referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). The non-woven cloth  51  serves to prevent the active carbon  50  from draining out. The non-woven cloth  51  and active carbon  50  serve to as filter for filtering impurities in the fuel. Furthermore, the second chamber  3  has at least one gas return tube  32  (referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 ) which may be connected to a fuel gas input end of an internal combustion engine for supplying return fuel gas. Furthermore, the second chamber  3  may be further installed with an extra fuel gas flow tube  31  which is connected to outside for balancing the internal pressure (expansion pressure or vacuum pressure) in the fuel tank  4 . 
   Furthermore, the second chamber  3  is formed as a carbon canister for absorbing fuel gas (or storing fuel gas temporarily). Thereby the second chamber  3  is integrally formed with fuel control valve in the transversal hollow can  1 . 
   The vertical gas tube  22  in the hollow can  1  can be connected to the fuel tank  4  through a soft tube for receiving evaporated fuel gas. Or in the following second embodiment, the transversal hollow can  1  and the fuel tank  4  are integrally formed without using any soft tube. 
   In the second embodiment of the present invention (referring to  FIG. 4 ), the transversal hollow can  1  is integrally formed with the fuel tank  4 . A fuel filling opening  44  is formed on the fuel tank  4  so that fuel liquid  41  can be filled into the fuel tank  4 . An evaporation chamber  42  is formed above the surface of the fuel liquid  41  in the fuel tank  4 . At the top of the fuel tank  4  is formed with an assembled hole  43  which is communicated to the evaporation chamber  42 . The gas tube  22  can be received in the assembled hole  43  so that the fuel gas in the fuel tank  4  can be guided into the first chamber  2  with lower resistance and the hollow can  1  can be assembled at the top of the fuel tank  4 . Thereby the assembled body according to the present invention is constructed. 
   According to above mentioned structure, when fuel is supplied in a normal condition (referring to  FIG. 4 ), the fuel gas inlet end of the engine has a negative pressure which will absorb the fuel gas in the transversal hollow can  1  through the gas return tube  32  (referring to  FIG. 3 ) so that the evaporated fuel gas in the fuel tank  4  will flow through the gas tube  22 , trench  211 , main valve gate  23  and gas channel  24  to be transferred to the second chamber  3  to be absorbed (or stored temporarily), and then flows to gas inlet of the engine with less resistance and then is mixed with new formed fuel gas to be supplied to the engine. 
   When a car is tilted, the fuel tank  4  and the transversal hollow can  1  at the top thereof may be tilted as of  FIG. 5 . The rolling element  25  in the first chamber  2  will roll out to push the floatable plug element  26 . As a result the plug  261  of the floatable plug element  26  will be embedded into the main valve gate  23  and the gas channel  24  is closed. No fuel gas in the fuel tank  4  will drain out. 
   When the fuel in the fuel tank  4  is overflow, the fuel liquid  41  will drain to the first chamber  2  of the transversal hollow can  1  through the gas tube  22  and the trench  211  (referring to  FIG. 6 ). The floatable plug element  26  will float upwards with the level of the fuel liquid  41  so that the plug  261  embeds into the main valve gate  23  to close the gas channel  24  so as to prevent the fuel liquid from flowing into the second chamber  3 . Thus the fuel liquid  24  is prevented from draining out. 
   Besides, referring to  FIG. 7 , the third embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The difference of this embodiment is that the hollow can  1  is arranged vertically. The vertical hollow can  1  is formed with a first chamber  20  and a second chamber  30  which are spaced vertically. The first chamber  20  has a vertical channel  24  which is formed with a connecting tube  241 . The first chamber  20  has a gas tube  220  which extends to a lateral side of the first chamber  20 . Furthermore, a guide tube  33  is added to the second chamber  30 . A connecting tube  27  serves to connect the connecting tube  241  to the guide tube  22  so that fuel gas in the first chamber  20  will be guided to the second chamber  30 . Other structure of this embodiment is identical to those above said embodiments and thus the details will not be described herein. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , a fourth embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. In this the present invention, the vertical arranged hollow can  10  is arranged at a lateral side of the fuel tank  40 . The assembled hole  430  is formed at one side of the fuel tank  40 . The assembled hole  430  is communicated to an evaporation chamber  420  so that the lateral arranged gas tube  220  is embedded into the assembled hole  430  at the lateral side of the fuel tank  4 . Thereby the vertical hollow can  10  can be easily assembled to the fuel tank  40 . Other structure of this embodiment is identical to those above said embodiments and thus the details will not be described herein. 
   With reference to  FIG. 9 , a fifth embodiment of the present invention, which is extended from the third and fourth embodiments of the present invention. The difference of this embodiment will be described hereinafter. The gas channel  24  in the vertical hollow can  10  directly extends to a bottom of the first chamber  2  so as to form an extension channel  242  which is communicated to the second chamber  30 . Thereby the fuel gas in the first chamber  20  of the hollow can  1  is guided into the second chamber  30 . Other structure of this embodiment is identical to those above said embodiments and thus the details will not be described herein. It can be assembled to a lateral side of the fuel tank  40  as in the fourth embodiment. 
   The sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described herein, which can be used in above mentioned first to fifth embodiments. The gas channel  24  in the transversal hollow can  1  or vertical hollow can  10  is formed with a pressure releasing hole  28  and is connected to a bypass valve  6  which is communicated with outside (referring to  FIG. 10 ). The bypass valve  6  includes a lock stud  61  on the hollow can  1  or  10 . The lock stud  61  is formed with a venting hole  63  and a spring receiving hole  62  which are communicated to the pressure releasing hole  28 . A spring  64  is installed within the spring receiving hole  62 . The spring  64  pushes against a round ball  65  for scaling or opening the pressure releasing hole  28 . The venting hole  63  is communicated to outside. Thereby when the fuel gas flow tube  31  is blocked so that the fuel expansion pressure in the fuel tank  4  is too large, for example over 4 Psi, the fuel gas in the fuel channel will push the round ball  65  in the bypass valve  6  to open the pressure releasing hole  28  so that the expansion pressure of the fuel tank  4  or  40  will be released to balance the internal pressure of the fuel tank  4  or  40 . 
   Advantages of the present invention will be described hereinafter. When a car is tilted, the fuel gas or fuel liquid will be prevented from draining out. When fuel is overflow in the fuel tank, it will be prevented from draining out. The fuel control valve is assembled with the carbon canister so that less soft tube is used so as to reduce the manufacturing and assembling cost. Thereby the hollow can with functions of cutting fuel as fuel drains out and absorbing fuel (or store fuel temporarily) is assembled to the fuel tank so as to reduce the cost and time in assembly. The bypass valve in the hollow can could release over pressure fuel gas so as to reduce the use of soft tube. The reduction of soft tube connected between the fuel tank and air inlet of the fuel tank is beneficial to the reduction of the flowing resistance of the fuel gas. The structure of the present invention is simple and can be assembled easily. 
   The present invention is thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.