Patent ID: 7270117

Claim:
A vent apparatus comprising a vent housing formed to include an interior region of a sleeve and receiving fuel vapor and liquid fuel from a vehicle fuel tank through a fuel inlet provided in the vent housing of said sleeve, a fuel vapor discharge conduit formed to include a conduit inlet port and a conduit outlet port, the fuel vapor discharge conduit being arranged to extend through a first conduit receiver formed in the vent housing to position the conduit inlet port to lie in the interior region of the vent housing sleeve and the conduit outlet port to lie outside the interior region of the vent housing sleeve, and a discharge regulator comprising a port-closure valve located in the interior region of the vent housing sleeve and arranged to confront the conduit inlet port and a valve position controller located in the interior region of the vent housing sleeve and exposed to liquid fuel admitted into the interior region through the fuel inlet, the valve position controller being coupled to the port-closure valve and configured to move the port-closure valve between an opened position allowing fuel vapor extant in the interior region to flow into a vent passageway formed in the fuel vapor discharge conduit through the conduit inlet port and exit the fuel vapor discharge conduit through conduit outlet port located outside the interior region of the vent housing sleeve when the amount of liquid fuel extant in the interior region of the vent housing sleeve falls below a predetermined amount and a closed position blocking flow of fuel vapor extant in the interior region of the vent housing sleeve into the vent passageway formed in the fuel vapor discharge conduit through the conduit inlet port when the amount of liquid fuel extant in the interior region of the vent housing sleeve exceeds the predetermined amount.