US5060620A — Motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly

Claim 1

Independent Claim 127 words

A motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly comprising fuel vapor emission control means and structural vehicle support means integral with said motor vehicle for providing structural support for said motor vehicle, said fuel vapor emission control means being for controlling emissions of fuel vapor from said motor vehicle and comprising: adsorption means for releasably adsorbing fuel vapors from a fuel reservoir of said vehicle; housing means for containing such adsorption means, said housing means being positioned within a hollow in a structural member of said structural vehicle support means; and vapor communication means for communicating fuel vapor from said reservoir to said adsorption means within said housing means and for communicating fuel vapor from within said housing means to a fuel burning engine of said vehicle.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 127 words

A motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly comprising fuel vapor emission control means and structural vehicle support means integral with said motor vehicle for providing structural support for said motor vehicle, said fuel vapor emission control means being for controlling emissions of fuel vapor from said motor vehicle and comprising: adsorption means for releasably adsorbing fuel vapors from a fuel reservoir of said vehicle; housing means for containing such adsorption means, said housing means being positioned within a hollow in a structural member of said structural vehicle support means; and vapor communication means for communicating fuel vapor from said reservoir to said adsorption means within said housing means and for communicating fuel vapor from within said housing means to a fuel burning engine of said vehicle.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 38 words

The fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 1, wherein said structural member of said structural vehicle support means comprises a frame rail of said motor vehicle and said hollow is an open interior of said frame rail.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 18 words

The fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 1, wherein said frame rail has a U-shaped crosssectional configuration.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 18 words

The fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 1, wherein said open interior has a square crosssectional configuration.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 18 words

The fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 1, wherein said open interior has a round crosssectional configuration.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 18 words

The fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 1, wherein said frame rail has a I-shaped crosssectional configuration.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 141 words

A motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly comprising fuel vapor emission control means, an engine and a .fuel tank mounted in said motor vehicle and structural vehicle support means integral with said motor vehicle for providing structural support for components of said motor vehicle, said fuel vapor emission control means comprising: adsorption means for releasably adsorbing fuel vapors from said fuel tank; housing means for containing said adsorption means, said housing means being positioned within a hollow of a structural member of said structural vehicle support means; vapor communication means for communicating fuel vapor from within said fuel tank to said adsorption means within said housing means and for communicating fuel vapor from within said housing means to said engine; and attachment means for fixing the position of said housing means within said hollow of said structural vehicle support means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 141 words

A motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly comprising fuel vapor emission control means, an engine and a .fuel tank mounted in said motor vehicle and structural vehicle support means integral with said motor vehicle for providing structural support for components of said motor vehicle, said fuel vapor emission control means comprising: adsorption means for releasably adsorbing fuel vapors from said fuel tank; housing means for containing said adsorption means, said housing means being positioned within a hollow of a structural member of said structural vehicle support means; vapor communication means for communicating fuel vapor from within said fuel tank to said adsorption means within said housing means and for communicating fuel vapor from within said housing means to said engine; and attachment means for fixing the position of said housing means within said hollow of said structural vehicle support means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 40 words

The motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 7, wherein said structural member of said vehicle support means comprises an elongate frame rail having an elongate open interior and said hollow comprises a portion of said open interior.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 35 words

The motor motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 8, wherein said frame rail has a box section configuration and said fuel vapor emission control means is laterally surrounded by said frame rail.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 39 words

The motor motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 8, wherein said frame rail has an I-beam configuration and three elongate sides of said housing means abut, one each, three corresponding inside surfaces of said frame rail.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 66 words

The motor motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 8, wherein said frame rail is of tubular configuration, said open interior thereof being of substantially round cross-section, and wherein said housing means is of substantially round crosssection, having an outside diameter approximately equal to the inside diameter of said frame rail, said fuel vapor emission control means being laterally surrounded by said frame rail.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 31 words

The motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 8, wherein said housing means is elongate and sufficiently flexible to pass through an axially curved portion of said frame rail.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 43 words

The motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 7, wherein said attachment means comprises projections integral with and extending radially outward from said housing means, said projections being received in apertures in said structural member of said structural vehicle support means.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 41 words

The motor motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 7, wherein said vapor communication means is further for communicating fuel vapors from said engine to said adsorption means within said housing means of said fuel vapor emission control means.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 118 words

A motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly comprising a vapor emission control canister, an engine, a fuel tank and a structural vehicle support member, which vapor emission control canister comprises: a flexible filter housing positioned in and axially conformable to the axial curvature of an elongate hollow in said support member; a fuel vapor adsorbent material within and conformable to the configuration of said filter housing; a fuel vapor communication means for communicating fuel vapor from said fuel tank into said filter housing and for communicating fuel vapor from within said filter housing to said engine; and attachment means for fixing the position of said filter housing within said elongate hollow in said structural vehicle support means.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 118 words

A motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly comprising a vapor emission control canister, an engine, a fuel tank and a structural vehicle support member, which vapor emission control canister comprises: a flexible filter housing positioned in and axially conformable to the axial curvature of an elongate hollow in said support member; a fuel vapor adsorbent material within and conformable to the configuration of said filter housing; a fuel vapor communication means for communicating fuel vapor from said fuel tank into said filter housing and for communicating fuel vapor from within said filter housing to said engine; and attachment means for fixing the position of said filter housing within said elongate hollow in said structural vehicle support means.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 19 words

The motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 15, wherein said adsorbent material comprises granulated activated charcoal.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 20 words

The motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 15, wherein said filter housing is a molded plastic container.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 33 words

The motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly of claim 17, wherein said attachment means comprises projections which are unitary with and which extend radially outward from the outer surface of said container.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 136 words

A method of assembling a motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control means in a motor vehicle comprising an engine and a fuel tank mounted to structural vehicle support means of said motor vehicle, said fuel vapor emission control means comprising: adsorption means for releasably adsorbing fuel vapors; housing means for containing said adsorption means, said housing means being positioned within a hollow in said structural vehicle support means; vapor communication means for communicating fuel vapor from within said fuel tank to said adsorption means within said housing means and for communicating fuel vapor from within said housing means to said engine; and attachment means for fixing the position of said housing means within said hollow in said structural vehicle support means; wherein said method comprises axially inserting said fuel vapor emission control means into said hollow.

Claim 23

Independent Claim 136 words

A method of assembling a motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control means in a motor vehicle comprising an engine and a fuel tank mounted to structural vehicle support means of said motor vehicle, said fuel vapor emission control means comprising: adsorption means for releasably adsorbing fuel vapors; housing means for containing said adsorption means, said housing means being positioned within a hollow in said structural vehicle support means; vapor communication means for communicating fuel vapor from within said fuel tank to said adsorption means within said housing means and for communicating fuel vapor from within said housing means to said engine; and attachment means for fixing the position of said housing means within said hollow in said structural vehicle support means; wherein said method comprises axially inserting said fuel vapor emission control means into said hollow.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 50 words

The method of claim 19, wherein said structural vehicle support means comprises an elongate frame rail having an open interior and said mounting comprises inserting said housing means into an open end of said frame rail and moving it a distance longitudinally within said open interior of said frame rail.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method of claim 20 wherein said housing means is flexible, has a substantially straight longitudinal axis in the free state, and conforms to different curvilinear configurations of said open interior of said frame rail while being moved said distance longitudinally within said open interior.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 19 wherein the crosssection of said housing means substantially matches that of said open interior of said frame rail.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1994-10-28	1995-04-29	1995-10-29	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1998-10-28	1999-04-29	1999-10-29	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2002-10-28	2003-04-29	2003-10-29	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Motor vehicle fuel vapor emission control assembly

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