Roll-over valve and vapor separator

Claim 2

Means for preventing liquid fuel from discharging through a vapor vent conduit opening into an upper portion of an automobile fuel tank above the latter''s normal fuel level comprising a hollow housing adapted to be supported in said upper portion, said housing having an upper closure portion and depending sidewalls and an unrestricted bottom opening for communicating with said tank, a vent port defined by a valve seat of said closure portion and extending through the latter for connecting said vent conduit with said tank, a hollow valve plunger freely movable within the hollow of said housing, said plunger having an upper closure portion and depending sidewalls and an unrestricted bottom opening aligned with said bottom opening of said housing for freely passing said fuel to and from the hollow interior of said plunger, means spacing said plunger from said housing to maintain said bottom openings substantially in alignment and also to provide a vapor passage between said plunger and housing normally in communication with said vent port, the closure portion of said plunger comprising an upwardly projecting valve element adapted to seat in fluid sealing relationship at said valve seat for closing communication between said tank and vent conduit upon predetermined movement of said plunger toward said valve seat, supporting means for normally supporting said plunger to maintain said valve element in proximate unseated relationship with said valve seat to enable vapor flow through said vent port from said vapor passage between said housing and plunger, and restricted port means for connecting said vapor passage with said upper portion of said tank, said plunger being floatable upwardly within said housing toward said vent port to close the same when a predetermined amount of vapor is trapped in the upper portion of said hollow plunger by fuel rising therein through its bottom opening and being otherwise non-floatable to move toward said vent port with the fuel flow into the latter bottom opening to close said vent port when said automobile fuel tank inclines to a predetermined angle.

Claim 3

In the combination according to claim 1, said restricted port means comprising a port in the lower portion of said housing, said housing and plunger having cooperating portions normally restricting communication between said vapor passage and said unrestricted bottom openings.

Claim 4

In the combination according to claim 2, second restricted port means in the upper portion of said housing for connecting said vapor passage with said upper portion of said tank.

Claim 5

In the combinaTion according to claim 3, said supporting means and cooperating portions comprising a flange at the lower edge of the sidewall of said housing and underlying the sidewall of said hollow plunger to support the latter.

Claim 6

In the combination according to claim 4, the first named restricted port means comprising an opening through the sidewall of said housing immediately above said flange.

Claim 7

In the combination according to claim 1, said housing and plunger having cooperating portions restricting communication between said vapor passage and said unrestricted bottom openings when said plunger is supported by said supporting means, said restricted port means being located in said housing above said cooperating portions.

Claim 8

In the combination according to claim 6, said supporting means and cooperating portions comprising an inturned flange of said housing underlying a bottom annular sidewall edge of said plunger in supporting relationship, and said restricted port means comprising a port through the sidewall of said housing immediately above said flange.

Claim 9

In the combination with an automobile fuel tank having a vapor vent conduit opening into an upper portion of said tank above the normal fuel level, means for preventing liquid fuel from discharging through said vent conduit comprising a hollow housing supported in said upper portion, said housing having an upper closure portion and depending sidewalls and an unrestricted bottom opening in communication with said tank, a vent port defined by a circular valve seat of said closure portion and connecting said vent conduit with said tank, a hollow valve plunger freely movable within the hollow of said housing, said plunger having an upper closure portion and depending sidewalls and an unrestricted bottom opening aligned with said bottom opening of said housing for freely passing said fuel to and from the hollow interior of said plunger, means spacing the last named depending sidewalls from the sidewalls of said housing to maintain said bottom openings substantially in alignment and also to provide a vapor passage between said plunger and housing normally in communication with said vent port, the closure portion of said plunger comprising an upwardly projecting valve element having a spherical surface adapted to seat in fluid sealing relationship at said valve seat to close said vent port and prevent communication between said tank and vent conduit upon predetermined movement of said plunger toward said valve seat, supporting means for normally supporting said plunger to maintain said valve element proximate and in unseated relationship with said valve seat to enable vapor flow through said vent port from said vapor passage between said housing and plunger, said plunger and housing having cooperating portions normally restricting communication between said vapor passage and unrestricted bottom openings when said plunger is supported by said supporting means, and restricted port means connecting said vapor passage with said upper portion of said tank at all times regardless of the position of said plunger, said plunger being floatable upwardly within said housing toward said vent port to close the same when a predetermined amount of vapor is trapped in the upper portion of said hollow plunger by fuel rising therein through its bottom opening and being otherwise non-floatable to move toward said vent port with the fuel flow into the latter bottom opening to close said vent port when said automobile fuel tank inclines to a predetermined angle.

Claim 10

In the combination with an automobile fuel tank having a vapor vent conduit opening into an upper portion of said tank above the normal fuel level, means for preventing liquid fuel from discharging through said vent conduit comprising a hollow housing supported in said upper portion, said housing having an upper closure portion and depending sidewalls and an unrestricted bottom opening in communication with said tank, a vent port defined by a circular valve seat of said closure portion and connecting said vent conduit with said tank, a hollow valve plunger freely movable within the hollow of said housing, said plunger having an upper closure portion and depending sidewalls and an unrestricted bottom opening aligned with said bottom opening of said housing for freely passing said fuel to and from the hollow interior of said plunger, means spacing the last named depending sidewalls from the sidewalls of said housing to maintain said bottom openings substantially in alignment and also to provide a vapor passage between said plunger and housing normally in communication with said vent port, the closure portion of said plunger comprising an upwardly projecting valve element having a spherical surface adapted to seat in fluid sealing relationship at said valve seat to close said vent port and prevent communication between said tank and vent conduit upon predetermined movement of said plunger toward said valve seat, supporting means for normally supporting said plunger to maintain said valve element proximate and in unseated relationship with said valve seat to enable vapor flow through said vent port from said vapor passage between said housing and plunger, said plunger and housing having cooperating portions normally restricting communication between said vapor passage and unrestricted bottom openings when said plunger is supported by said supporting means, and restricted port means connecting said vapor passage with said upper portion of said tank at all times regardless of the position of said plunger, said plunger being floatable upwardly within said housing toward said vent port to close the same when a predetermined amount of vapor is trapped in the upper portion of said hollow plunger by fuel rising therein through its bottom opening and being otherwise non-floatable to move toward said vent port with the fuel flow into the latter bottom opening to close said vent port when said automobile fuel tank inclines to a predetermined angle.

Claim 11

In the combination according to claim 8, said restricted port means being adjacent the lower portion of said housing, and second restricted port means in the upper portion of said housing for connecting said vapor passage with said upper portion of said tank.

Claim 12

In the combination according to claim 8, the sidewalls of said housing and plunger being cylindrical and adapted to extend vertically when said fuel tank is in its normal untilted condition.

Claim 13

In the combination accordiNg to claim 10, said supporting means and cooperating portions comprising a flange at the lower edge of the sidewall of said housing and underlying the sidewall of said hollow plunger to support the latter, the first named restricted port means comprising an opening through the sidewall of said housing immediately above said flange.

Claim 14

In the combination according to claim 11, said means spacing said closure portions and sidewalls comprising means projecting from one of said sidewalls toward the other and spaced closely from said other to maintain said plunger generally coaxially within said housing.