Patent Publication Number: US-2017350352-A1

Title: Evaporated fuel processing devices

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Japanese patent application serial number 2016-111751 filed Jun. 3, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to an evaporated fuel processing device for processing evaporated fuel generated in a fuel tank, wherein the fuel tank is mounted on a vehicle, such as an automobile. 
     Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H03-47455 discloses an evaporated fuel processing device that serves to prevent evaporated fuel generated in a fuel tank from flowing out to the atmosphere. The evaporated fuel processing device includes a case, which is filled with granular activated carbon comprising a granular form of adsorbent material to adsorb and desorb evaporated fuel. Japanese Patent No. 5022337 discloses honeycomb adsorbent materials that also act as a granular adsorbent material. A diameter of the honeycomb adsorbent granules is equal to or more than 1.8 mm and equal to or less than 11 mm, and the ratio of its length to diameter is 1/4 to 3/1. The honeycomb adsorbent materials have a plurality of through-holes extending from one end to the other end of the constituent granules. 
     According to the aforementioned conventional evaporated fuel processing devices, granular adsorbent material (activated carbons) filled in the case vibrate due to vehicle vibration etc. Even if the granular adsorbent material comprises the honeycomb adsorbent materials, they may also vibrate. As a result of the vibrations, the granular adsorbent material may be broken up into fine pieces. The broken, fine pieces of the granular adsorbent material can increase the resistance to air passing through the case, and can also increase the noise caused by vibration of the granular adsorbent material. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an evaporated fuel processing device for processing evaporated fuel generated in a fuel tank includes a hollow case, and an elastic adsorption member with a block shape housed within the case. The elastic adsorption member includes a granular adsorbent material comprising granules that adsorb and desorb evaporated fuel, and an air-permeable elastic body having elasticity and air-permeability. The constituent granules of the granular adsorbent material are randomly arranged within the air-permeable elastic body. 
     The air-permeable elastic body may elastically support the granular adsorbent material while ensuring air-permeability with respect to the same. Consequently, the vibration of the granular adsorbent materials caused while the evaporated fuel processing device is vibrated, may be reduced. Further, pulverization of the granular adsorbent material may be reduced and/or prevented, thereby reducing and/or preventing an increase in flow resistance of air passing through the case due to the presence of fine powders. The reduction or prevention of pulverization of the granules and the creation of fine powders may also reduce the noise caused by mutual rubbing of the granules due to the vibration. 
     In another aspect of the disclosure, the elastic adsorption member may be supported within the case utilizing elasticity of the air-permeable elastic body. In this way, the elastic adsorption member can be supported in a predetermined position within the case without providing any additional components. 
     In another aspect of the disclosure, the air-permeable elastic body may be configured to include urethane foam. Therefore, the air-permeable elastic body may elastically support the constituent granules of the granular adsorbent material utilizing the nature of the urethane foam while ensuring air-permeability with respect to said material. 
     In another aspect of the disclosure, each constituent granule of the granular adsorbent material may include a through-hole that has a columnar shape and penetrates in an axial direction of the constituent granule. Therefore, air-flow resistance of an area including the granular material where the constituent granules have the through-holes is smaller than air-flow resistance of an area including columnar granular adsorbent material without the constituent granules having through-holes. Further, adsorption performance of the granular material can be increased because the surface area of each constituent granule is enlarged due to presence of the through holes. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing an evaporated fuel system including an embodiment of an evaporated fuel processing device; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing a partially removed elastic adsorption member of the evaporated fuel processing device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a constituent granule of the granular adsorbent material of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an evaporated fuel processing device; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an evaporated fuel processing device; and 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an evaporated fuel processing device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following discussion is directed to various exemplary embodiments. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the examples disclosed herein have broad application, and that the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to suggest that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment. 
     Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not function. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features and components herein may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of conventional elements may not be shown in interest of clarity and conciseness. 
     In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection, or through an indirect connection via other devices, components, and connections. In addition, as used herein, the terms “axial” and “axially” generally mean along or parallel to a central axis (e.g., central axis of a body or a port), while the terms “radial” and “radially” generally mean perpendicular to the central axis. For instance, an axial distance refers to a distance measured along or parallel to the central axis, and a radial distance means a distance measured perpendicular to the central axis. 
     Representative, non-limiting embodiments according to the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings. Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an evaporated fuel processing device  10  is mounted on a vehicle, such as an automobile. For purposes of clarity and further description, the up-down and left-right directions are determined with reference to  FIG. 1 . However, it should be appreciated that the orientation of the evaporated fuel processing device  10  is not specifically limited to the orientation shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the evaporated fuel processing device  10  includes an outer case  12  made of resin. In this embodiment, the case  12  is formed as a hollow rectangular box. In particular, the case  12  includes a rectangular prismatic case main body  13  with a top (upper surface) and a cover plate  14  that closes a lower opening of the case main body  13 . An interior of the case main body  13  is divided by a partition wall  16  into large and small chambers  18  and  20 . The larger chamber  18  serves as a main adsorption chamber  18  and the smaller chamber  20  serves as an auxiliary chamber  20 . A communication passage  22  is defined at a lower end of the case main body  13 . The communication passage  22  facilitates fluid communication between the main adsorption chamber  18  and the auxiliary chamber  20 . 
     A tank port  24 , a purge port  25  and an atmospheric port  26  are arranged in sequence from right to left at the upper surface of the case main body  13 . The tank port  24  and the purge port  25  are in direct fluid communication with the main adsorption chamber  18 . An upper area of the main adsorption chamber  18  is further divided by a vertically oriented partition plate  28 , into a tank port  24  sub compartment and a purge port  25  sub compartment. The atmospheric port  26  is in direct fluid communication with auxiliary chamber  20  and acts as an open conduit, and facilitates fluid communication of the auxiliary chamber  20  with the atmosphere exterior to the device  10 . 
     The tank port  24  is in fluid communication with a fuel tank  32  (specifically, an air layer in the fuel tank  32 ) through an evaporated fuel passage  30 . The purge port  25  is in fluid communication with an intake pipe  37  of an engine  36  through the purge passage  34 . The purge passage  34 , in turn, is in fluid communication with the intake pipe  37 , located downstream (where the downstream direction is from the intake pipe  37  to the purge passage  34 ) from a throttle valve  38  that is used for controlling intake air volume. A purge valve  39  is installed in the middle of the purge passage  34 . The purge valve  39  is controlled to selectively to open or close by a controller (e.g., ECU) not shown. 
     A plurality of constituent granules of the granular adsorbent material  41  are filled in the main adsorption chamber  18 . These adsorbent granules are deposited in a randomly arranged manner. In an embodiment, granular activated carbon may be used as the granular adsorbent material  41 . This granulated carbon, which may be produced through granulating granular or powdery activated carbon, or alternatively may comprise crushed activated carbon with binder, may be used as the granular activated carbon in said embodiment. This adsorption material may have various shapes, for example, a spherical shape, a round shaft shape, a protruding polygonal shape, or a recessed polygonal shape. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , an air-permeable porous plate  43  is arranged at a lower area of the adsorption chamber  18  to cover the lower opening of the adsorption chamber  18 . The porous plate  43  includes a plurality of through-holes penetrating through the plate in a vertical thickness direction of the plate for facilitating fluid communication between the adsorption chamber  18  and the communication passage  22 . A spring member  44 , such as a coil spring, is interposed between the porous plate  43  and the bottom cover plate  14 . The spring member  44  biases upward and pushes the porous plate  43  and the adsorbent material  41  up toward the upper surface of the case  12  by utilizing its elasticity based on compression of said member  44 . An upper surface and a lower surface of the constituent granules of the deposited adsorbent material  41  are respectively covered with a sheet filter (not shown) made of a resin non-woven fabric or urethane foam etc. 
     The auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  consists of three chambers, i.e. the upper, middle and lower chambers. The upper chamber of the auxiliary chamber  20  is filled with a plurality of constituent granules of the granular adsorption material  46  in a deposited manner. An elastic adsorption member  53  is accommodated in the middle chamber of the auxiliary chamber  20 . The lower chamber of the auxiliary chamber  20  is filled with a plurality of constituent granules of the granular adsorption material  48  in a deposited manner. The adsorption materials  46  and  48  are unbounded grains that may be the same as the adsorbent material  41  filled in the main adsorption chamber  18  or alternatively can be granular activated carbon of a different variety than the adsorbent material  41 . 
     An air-permeable porous plate  50  is provided at a lower area of the auxiliary chamber  20  to cover the lower opening of the adsorption chamber  20 . The porous plate  50  includes a plurality of through-holes penetrating through the plate in a vertical thickness direction of the plate for facilitating fluid communication between the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  and the communication passage  22 . A spring member  51 , such as a coil spring, is interposed between the porous plate  50  and the bottom cover plate  14 . The spring member  51  biases upward and pushes the porous plate  50  and the adsorbent material  41  up toward the upper surface of the case  12  by utilizing its elasticity based on compression of said member  51 . The upper and lower surfaces of the constituent granules of the deposited adsorbent materials  46  and  48  are respectively covered with a sheet filter (not shown) made of a resin non-woven fabric or urethane foam etc. The elastic adsorption member  53  is arranged between the deposited adsorption materials  46  and  48 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the elastic adsorption member  53  accommodated in the middle chamber is formed into a rectangular block. The elastic adsorption member  53  integrally includes constituent granules of granular adsorbent material  55  and an air-permeable elastic body  57 . The constituent granules of granular adsorbent material  55  adsorb and desorb evaporated fuel emissions and are randomly arranged in the air-permeable elastic body  57 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the constituent granule of the granular adsorbent material  55  is comprised of granulated carbon produced through granulating granular or powdery activated carbon with binder. The constituent granules of the granular adsorbent material  55  may include through-holes  55   a  (four in an exemplary embodiment) having a columnar shape and penetrating in the longitudinal axial direction of the constituent granule, as further shown in  FIG. 3 . Specifically, the constituent granules of the granular adsorbent material  55  each have a cylindrical tubular portion  55   b  and four partition ribs  55   c  which divide the interior of the tubular portion  55   b  in an equiproportional manner along the inner circumference of  55   b . In particular, the four partition ribs  55   c  form a cross-shaped cross section, and thus, form four through-holes  55   a  in a constituent granule of the granular adsorbent material  55 . Each of the through-holes has a fan-shaped cross sectional shape. A diameter  55   d  of the granular adsorbent material  55  may be, for example, smaller than a length  55 L of the granular adsorbent material  55  (e.g., diameter  55   d &lt;length  55 L), where the length lies in the longitudinal direction. The diameter  55   d  of the granular adsorbent material  55  may also be equal to the length  55 L of the granular adsorbent material  55  (e.g., diameter  55   d =length  55 L) or larger than the length  55 L of the granular adsorbent material  55  (e.g., diameter  55   d &gt;length  55 L). 
     The diameter  55   d  of the granular adsorbent material  55  is larger than a mean grain diameter of the constituent granules of the adsorption materials  41 ,  46  and  48 . For example, when the mean grain diameter of the constituent granules of the adsorption materials  41 ,  46  and  48  is 2 mm, the diameter  55   d  and the length  55 L of the granular adsorption material  55  may be 3 to 7 mm, and preferably 4 to 6 mm. The mean grain diameter may be an equivalent volume-based mean grain diameter determination of the respective constituent granules of the mentioned granular adsorption materials. The volume-based mean grain diameter is determined as a grain diameter obtained at the point of time when 50% of the total volume of the granular adsorption materials have been sorted after grains with a specific volume are sequentially sieved from smaller ones. 
     The air-permeable elastic body  57  is made of urethane foam and has elasticity and air-permeability. The air-permeable elastic body  57  is molded while the plurality of the constituent granules of the granular adsorbent material  55  are included therein and is then formed into a rectangular block. The size of each granular adsorbent material  55  is determined in view of the size of the air through-holes in the air-permeable elastic body  57  such that all or majority of the plurality of the granules of the granular adsorbent material  55  are elastically captured in the air-permeable elastic body  57 . 
     A flat cross section of the elastic adsorption member  53  in a free state has a rectangular shape, which is approximately similar to and larger than a flat cross section of the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20 . The elastic adsorption member  53  is arranged in the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  of the case  12  by press-fitting or an interference fit. Specifically, the elastic adsorption member  53  is supported in the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  of the case  12  utilizing elasticity of the air-permeable elastic body  57  (e.g., the elastic adsorption member  53  is compressed within the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20 ). Accordingly, the elastic adsorption member  53  pushes the adsorption material  46  deposited in the upper chamber of the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  toward the top surface of the case  12 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the evaporated fuel processing system includes the evaporated fuel processing device  10 , the evaporated fuel passage  30 , the fuel tank  32 , the purge passage  34 , the intake pipe  37  and the purge valve  39 , etc. 
     While the engine  36  of the vehicle is stopped, evaporated fuel generated, for example, in the fuel tank  32  is introduced into the main adsorption chamber  18  through the evaporated fuel passage  30 . This evaporated fuel is adsorbed by the adsorption material  41  in the main adsorption chamber  18 . The residual evaporated fuel which is not adsorbed by the adsorption material  41  in the main adsorption chamber  18  is introduced into the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  through the communication passage  22 . Subsequently, said residual evaporated fuel is successively adsorbed by the adsorption material  48  in the lower chamber of the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20 , granular adsorbent material  55  of the elastic adsorption member  53  in the middle chamber, and the adsorption material  46  in the upper chamber. 
     While the engine is driven, negative intake pressure is developed in the evaporated fuel processing device  10  when the purge valve  39  is opened. Consequently, due to pressure equilibration, air in the surrounding atmosphere (fresh air) is immediately introduced in the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  from the atmospheric port  26 . This air allows the evaporated fuel to be successively desorbed from the adsorption material  46  within the upper chamber of the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20 , the granular adsorbent material  55  included in the elastic adsorption member  53  within the middle chamber, and the adsorption material  48  within the lower chamber. The air flows further on through the communication passage  22 , further successively desorbing evaporated fuel from the adsorption material  41  in the main adsorption chamber  18 , and said air containing the evaporated fuel is then discharged, i.e., purged into the intake pipe  37  through the purge passage  34 , from the purge port  25 . Accordingly, the evaporated fuel is subjected to combustion treatment in the engine  36 . 
     As described above, the evaporated fuel processing device  10  includes the elastic adsorption member  53  received in the case  12 . The elastic adsorption member  53  includes the granules of the granular adsorbent material  55 , that adsorb and desorb the evaporated fuel emissions, and the air-permeable elastic body  57  that has elasticity and air-permeability. The granules are randomly arranged within the air-permeable elastic body  57 . In this way, the air-permeable elastic body  57  can elastically support the granules of the granular adsorbent material  55  while ensuring air-permeability with respect to the same. Consequently, the vibration of the granular adsorbent materials  55  caused while the evaporated fuel processing device  10  is vibrated, by e.g. operation of the vehicle, may be reduced. Further, pulverization of the granular adsorbent material  55  may be prevented. This in turn may prevent an increase in flow resistance of air passing through the case  12  due to the presence of fine powders. This may also reduce the noise caused by mutual rubbing of the granules of the granular adsorbent material  55  due to the vibration. 
     The elastic adsorption member  53  may be supported within the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  of the case  12  through utilizing the elasticity of the air-permeable elastic body  57 , where as described above the cross section of  53  is bigger than that of  20  and utilizes a press-fit configuration. The elastic adsorption member  53  can be positioned at a middle position in the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20 , vertically between granular adsorbent materials  46  and  48 , respectively, forming a middle chamber utilizing the elasticity of the air-permeable elastic body  57 , without providing any additional components. The elastic adsorption member  53  can be positioned with respect to the case  12  solely by press-fitting the elastic adsorption member  53  as a middle chamber in the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  of the case  12  in a manufacturing line. In this manner, the elastic adsorption member  53  can be easily installed in the case  12 , and due to the pre-formed configuration it is not necessary to fill the granular adsorbent material  55  in a randomly arranged manner in the case  12 . As a result, manufacturing cost of the evaporated fuel processing device  10  can be reduced. 
     The air-permeable elastic body  57  is made of urethane foam. As a result, the air-permeable elastic body  57  can ensure air-permeability with respect to the granular adsorbent material  55  while at the same time elastically supporting the same by utilizing elasticity of the urethane foam. 
     The constituent granules of the granular adsorbent material  55  may include through-holes  55   a  having a columnar shape and penetrating through the constituent granules in a longitudinal axial direction. Through these through-holes, air-flow resistance of a volume including the granular adsorbent material  55  with constituent granules that have the through-holes  55   a  is smaller as compared to air-flow resistance of a volume including the columnar granular adsorbent material  55  without said through-holes  55   a . A surface area of each granular adsorbent material  55  is substantially enlarged because of the through-holes  55   a . As a result, the evaporated fuel adsorption performance of the granular adsorbent material  55  is increased. 
     The granules of the granular adsorbent material  55  are larger than the granules of the adsorbent materials  41 ,  46  and  48 . For example, the diameter  55   d  of the granules of the granular adsorbent material  55  is larger than the mean grain diameter of the granules of the adsorbent materials  41 ,  46  and  48 . Each constituent granule of the granular adsorbent material  55  includes the through-holes  55   a  penetrating in a longitudinal axial direction thereof. Therefore, due to a larger surface area of adsorbent area resulting from the larger diameter, air-flow resistance of a volume including the granular adsorbent material  55  is smaller than air-flow resistance of a volume including the adsorbent materials  41 ,  46  or  48 . 
     Instead of the structure shown in  FIG. 1 , the evaporated fuel processing device may alternately have a structure shown in  FIG. 4 . The evaporated fuel processing device  60  shown in  FIG. 4  has a main canister  11  and a trap canister  62 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the trap canister  62  includes a hollow trap case (case)  64  made of resin. The trap case  64  includes a hollow rectangular prismatic trap case main body  65  and upper and lower cover plates  66  and  68  for closing upper and lower ends of the trap case main body  65 . A connecting port  67  is formed at the upper cover plate  66 , which communicates with the interior of the trap case  64 . An atmospheric port  69  is formed at the lower cover plate  68 , which is in fluid communication with the interior of the trap case  64  and acts as an open conduit, facilitating fluid communication of the trap case  64  interior with the surrounding exterior atmosphere. The atmospheric port  69  is open to the atmosphere. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , adsorbent material  71  is filled within the trap case  64 . The adsorbent material  71  comprises dispersed grains and is deposited in the trap case  64 . For example, the adsorbent material  71  may be the same as the adsorbent material  41  filled in the main adsorption chamber  18  or it may also be a different type of granular activated carbon from the adsorbent material  41 . An upper surface and a lower surface of the deposited adsorbent material  41  are respectively covered with a sheet filter (not shown). 
     The connecting port  26  of the main canister  11  is the same member as of the atmospheric port  26  in  FIG. 1 . The connecting port  26  is connected to the connecting port  67  of the trap canister  62  through a connecting pipe  73 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the main canister  11  includes the main adsorption chamber  18 , the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  and the communication passage  22 . The main adsorption chamber  18  and the communication passage  22  are configured in a similar manner as the main adsorption chamber  18  and the communication passage  22  shown in  FIG. 1 . However, in this alternative embodiment, the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  adopts a different configuration, where it is divided into only upper and lower chambers and does not include the adsorption material  46  shown in  FIG. 1 . Here, the elastic adsorption member  53  is received within the upper chamber, wherein the elastic adsorption member  53  is configured in a similar manner as the elastic adsorption member  53  shown in  FIG. 1 . The adsorbent material  48  is filled in the lower chamber of the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20 . The constituent granules of adsorbent material  48  are the same as those of the adsorbent material  48  shown in  FIG. 1 , where however the volume occupied by the granules of the adsorbent material  48  filled in the lower chamber is greater than the volume shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Instead of the structure shown in  FIG. 4 , the evaporated fuel processing device may have a structure shown in  FIG. 5 . The evaporated fuel processing device  61  shown in  FIG. 5  includes the main canister  15  and the trap canister  62 . The trap canister  62  is configured similar to the trap canister  62  shown in  FIG. 4 . The main canister  15  includes the main adsorption chamber  18 , the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  and the communication passage  22 . The main adsorption chamber  18  and the communication passage  22  are configured in a similar manner as the main adsorption chamber  18  and the communication passage  22  shown in  FIG. 4 , respectively. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  is divided in upper and lower chambers, where the adsorbent material  48  is filled in the upper chamber. The constituent granules of adsorbent material  48  are the same as those of the adsorbent material  48  shown in  FIG. 4 . The elastic adsorption member  53  is received within the lower chamber, wherein the elastic adsorption member  53  is configured in a manner substantially similar to the elastic adsorption member  53  of  FIG. 4 . 
     As a further alternative, instead of the structure shown in  FIG. 4 , the evaporated fuel processing device may have the structure shown in  FIG. 6 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the evaporated fuel processing device  63  includes the main canister  17  and a trap canister  82 . The main canister  17  includes the main adsorption chamber  18 , the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  and the communication passage  22 . The main adsorption chamber  18  and the communication passage  22  are configured in a similar manner as the main adsorption chamber  18  and the communication passage  22  shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  of the main canister  17  is composed of a solitary chamber. This auxiliary adsorption chamber  20  is filled with the adsorbent material  75 . The constituent granules of the adsorbent material  75  are dispersed grains that are deposited in the auxiliary adsorption chamber  20 . The constituent granules of adsorbent material  75  are, for example, the same as those of the adsorbent material  41 . An upper surface and a lower surface of the deposited adsorbent material  75  are respectively covered with a sheet filter (not shown). 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the trap canister  82  includes the hollow trap case  84  made of resin. The trap case  84  includes the hollow cylindrical trap case main body  85  and upper and lower cover plates  86  and  88  for closing upper and lower ends of the trap case main body  65 . A connecting port  87 , which is in fluid communication with the interior of the trap case  64 , is formed at the upper cover plate  86 . An atmospheric port  89 , which communicates with the interior of the trap case  64 , is formed at the lower cover plate  88 . The atmospheric port  89  is opened to and in fluid communication with the atmosphere. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , an elastic adsorption member  77  is received within the trap case (case)  84 . Similar to the configuration of the elastic adsorption member  53  described in  FIG. 1  with respect to chamber  20 , here too a flat cross section of the elastic adsorption member  77  in a free state is larger than and approximately similar in shape to the flat cross section of the trap case  84 . The elastic adsorption member  77  is thus press-fitted in the trap case main body  85  of the case  84 . The elastic adsorption member  77  is supported within the trap case main body  85  through the elastic nature of its constituent material, wherein the elastic adsorption member  77  is configured in a similar manner as the elastic adsorption member  53  of  FIGS. 1 and 4 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the evaporated fuel processing device includes the elastic adsorption member  53  confined within one area of case  12 . Alternatively, the evaporated fuel processing device may include the elastic adsorption members  53  in a plurality of areas within the case  12 . As a further alternative, the evaporated fuel processing device may include elastic adsorption members  53  in all areas within the case  12 . As a result, facilities necessary for filling the granular adsorbent materials may be eliminated in totality so that the manufacturing cost may be further reduced. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , a cross section of the through hole  55   a  of the granular adsorbent material  55  may have a fan-shape. Alternatively, it may also have other shapes such as an elliptical shape, circular shape or rectangular shape, etc. The constituent granules of the granular adsorbent material  55  may each have four through-holes  55   a  as shown in  FIG. 3 . Alternatively, each granule may also have only one or a plurality of through-hole(s)  55   a . The constituent granules of the granular adsorbent material  55  may have the through-holes  55   a  as shown in  FIG. 3 . Alternatively, said granules may also be solid without any through-hole. The constituent granules of the adsorbent material  55  may have a columnar shape as shown in  FIG. 3 . Alternatively, said granules may also have another shape such as a quadrangular cylindrical shape, pentagonal cylindrical shape or hexagonal cylindrical shape, etc. 
     The granular adsorbent material  55  may be the same activated carbon as used for adsorbent material  41 ,  46 ,  48 ,  71 . Alternatively, it may also be a different activated carbon. The elastic adsorption member  53  may include only one type of the granular adsorbent material  55 . Alternatively, it may also include a variety of different types of granular adsorbent materials. The adsorbent materials  41 ,  46 ,  48 ,  71  may have the same or different mean particle diameters, or may also be made from different materials. 
     The various examples described above in detail with reference to the attached drawings are intended to be representative of the present disclosure and thus non limiting embodiments. The detailed description is intended to teach a person of skill in the art to make, use and/or practice various aspects of the present teachings and thus does not limit the scope of the disclosure in any manner. Furthermore, each of the additional features and teachings disclosed above may be applied and/or used separately or with other features and teachings in any combination thereof, to provide improved evaporated fuel processing devices, and/or methods of making and using the same.