Vent control valve attached to fuel filler tube

Claim 1

A vent control system comprising: a vapor storage canister; a fuel tank; a fuel filler tube communicating with the fuel tank and having an axis and a movable door; and a vent control valve attached to the fuel filler tube and including means for defining first and second chambers located side by side on a plane parallel to the fuel filler tube, said first chamber communicating with the fuel tank, said second chamber communicating with the vapor storage canister, and said chambers defining means including a partition wall extending generally perpendicular to the axis of the fuel filler tube wherein said first and second chambers are located on opposite sides of said partition wall and wherein said first and second chambers and said partition wall are generally coaxial with each other and valve means adapted to cause said first and second chambers to communicate with each other so as to allow the fuel tank to communicate with the vapor storage canister, said valve means including a rod extending generally perpendicular to the axis of the fuel filler tube and having first and second end sections and a diaphragm member fixedly secured to the second end section of said rod, said rod and said diaphragm member being movable between a first position wherein said door is spaced from the first end section of said rod and said diaphragm member contacts said partition wall to block communication between said first and second chambers and a second position wherein said door is pushed against said first end section of said rod and said diaphragm member is separated from said partition wall to establish communication between said first and second chambers.