Patent ID: 8091578

Claim:
A fill limiter vent valve for a fuel tank comprising: upper and lower housing members each having a cylindrical axial wall with upper and lower axial ends, the upper axial end of the lower housing member being open to permit axially slidable engagement of the upper housing member within and relative to the lower housing member to form a single, axially adjustable housing; the upper housing member having (1) an external flange adapted for suspending the housing downward into the fuel tank, (2) an upper wall closing the upper axial end of its cylindrical wall but defining a vent opening therethrough and a cylindrical fitting adapted for connection of the vent opening to an emission control system, (3) an internal valve mechanism controlling fluid flow through the vent opening, (4) at least one fill opening in its cylindrical wall, and (5) a lower wall member closing the lower end of its cylindrical axial wall but defining at least one upper housing member drain opening; the internal valve mechanism comprising a float axially movable within the upper housing member responsive to fuel level therein, the float carrying a valve closing member and having an upper position in which the valve closing member engages a valve seat around the vent opening to produce a closed condition of the valve and further having a lower position opening the valve; the lower housing member having (1) a lower wall closing the lower axial end of its cylindrical axial wall but defining at least one lower housing member drain opening, (2) a rim at its open upper end defining, when it spans the at least one fill opening of the upper housing member, a minimum spill-over level for fuel from the fuel tank into the upper housing member through its at least one fill opening, and (3) a latching member fixedly engageable with one or more cooperating latching features of the cylindrical wall of the upper housing member in a plurality of relative axial positions; and the cylindrical axial walls of the upper and lower housing members having interacting surface features preventing relative rotation of the latching member of the lower housing member and the cooperating latching features of the upper housing member out of axial alignment while allowing relative axial movement, whereby a predetermined spill-over level of the housing may be set and latched by relative axial sliding of the upper and lower housing members without relative rotation of the upper and lower housing members.