Fuel rail vapor bleed

Claim 2

In an internal combustion engine having an induction passage for air flow to the engine and a throttle disposed in said induction passage and controlling air flow therethrough: a fuel injection system comprising a plurality of injection nozzles, a fuel rail connected to said nozzles at spaced locations along said rail for delivering fuel to said nozzles, a fuel pump connected to one end of said rail for delivering fuel therethrough, an atmospheric pressure air passage disposed between said nozzles and said induction passage, said nozzles discharging fuel through said air passage into said induction passage, means defining a bleed opening at the other end of said rail for permitting fuel vapor to escape from said rail, and means associated with said bleed opening for permitting flow therethrough only when the engine is running and said throttle is closed.

Claim 5

In an internal combustion engine having an induction passage for air flow to the engine, a throttle disposed in said induction passage and movable between open and closed positions for controlling air flow therethrough, a fuel rail for fuel flow to the engine and having an inlet, and a fuel pump for delivering fuel to said inlet: a fuel rail vapor bleed comprising means defining a bleed opening for permitting fuel vapor to escape from said fuel rail, a valve associated with Said opening for controlling the flow of fuel vapor therethrough, and valve operating means associated with said valve and with said throttle, said valve operating means comprising a spring biasing said valve toward a closed position in which said valve prevents escape of fuel vapor through said opening, a pressure responsive diaphragm operative to move said valve against the bias of said spring to an open position in which said valve permits escape of fuel vapor through said opening, means subjecting one side of said diaphragm to the pressure in said induction passage downstream of said throttle whereby said diaphragm is drawn in a valve opening direction, and means subjecting the other side of said diaphragm to the pressure in said induction passage upstream of said throttle when said throttle is closed and downstream of said throttle when said throttle is open, whereby said diaphragm moves said valve to an open position only when said engine is running and said throttle is closed and whereby the pressure on each side of said diaphragm is balanced both when said engine is running and said throttle is open and when said engine is not running to thereby permit said spring to move said valve to a closed position.

Claim 6

In an internal combustion engine having an induction passage for air flow to the engine, a throttle disposed in said induction passage and movable between open and closed positions for controlling air flow therethrough, a fuel rail for fuel flow to the engine and having an inlet, and a fuel pump for delivering fuel to said inlet: a fuel rail vapor bleed comprising means defining a bleed opening for permitting fuel vapor to escape from said fuel rail, a valve associated with Said opening for controlling the flow of fuel vapor therethrough, and valve operating means associated with said valve and with said throttle, said valve operating means comprising a spring biasing said valve toward a closed position in which said valve prevents escape of fuel vapor through said opening, a pressure responsive diaphragm operative to move said valve against the bias of said spring to an open position in which said valve permits escape of fuel vapor through said opening, means subjecting one side of said diaphragm to the pressure in said induction passage downstream of said throttle whereby said diaphragm is drawn in a valve opening direction, and means subjecting the other side of said diaphragm to the pressure in said induction passage upstream of said throttle when said throttle is closed and downstream of said throttle when said throttle is open, whereby said diaphragm moves said valve to an open position only when said engine is running and said throttle is closed and whereby the pressure on each side of said diaphragm is balanced both when said engine is running and said throttle is open and when said engine is not running to thereby permit said spring to move said valve to a closed position.

Claim 7

In an internal combustion engine having an induction passage for air flow to the engine and a throttle disposed in said induction passage and controlling air flow therethrough: a fuel injection system comprising a pair of fuel rails, a first group of fuel injection nozzles connected to one of said rails at spaced locations therealong to receive fuel therefrom, a second group of fuel injection nozzles connected to the other of said rails at spaced locations therealong to receive fuel therefrom, first and second atmospheric pressure air passages disposed respectively between said induction passage and said first and second groups of nozzles, said nozzles discharging fuel through said air passages into said induction passage, a fuel pump connected to one end of said rails for delivering fuel therethrough, means defining a bleed opening connected to the opposite end of said rails for permitting fuel vapor to escape from said rails, and means associated with said bleed opening for permitting flow therethrough only when said engine is running and said throttle is closed.

Claim 8

In an internal combustion engine having an induction passage for air flow to the engine and a throttle disposed in said induction passage and controlling air flow therethrough: a fuel injection system comprising a pair of fuel rails, a first group of fuel injection nozzles connected to one of said rails at spaced locations therealong to receive fuel therefrom, a second group of fuel injection nozzles connected to the other of said rails at spaced locations therealong to receive fuel therefrom, first and second atmospheric pressure air passages disposed respectively between said induction passage and said first and second groups of nozzles, said nozzles discharging fuel through said air passages into said induction passage, a fuel pump connected to one end of said rails for delivering fuel therethrough, means defining a bleed opening connected to the opposite end of said rails for permitting fuel vapor to escape from said rails, and means associated with said bleed opening for permitting flow therethrough only when said engine is running and said throttle is closed.