Evaporative emission control canister for automotive vehicle

Abstract

An evaporative emission control canister for an automotive vehicle includes a canister body and a bracket for attaching the body to a structural member of a vehicle. A number of fastener sets attach the bracket to the canister body, with each of the fastener sets including a closed-end hollow core boss having a generally cylindrical wall of uniform thickness and a number of buttresses applied to an outer surface of the generally cylindrical wall. The buttresses have the same uniform thickness as the generally cylindrical wall and are molded along with the cylindrical wall as one piece with an inner portion of the canister body.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a carbon canister for capturing evaporative emissions from the fuel system of an automotive vehicle.[0003]2. Related Art[0004]Evaporative emission control requirements relating to automotive vehicles, although in place for many years, have become increasingly more stringent. Typically, vapors from a fuel system are adsorbed upon carbon pellets within a canister and then later desorbed, while the engine is running, by pulling fresh air over the carbon pellets. Proper mounting of carbon canisters is important to their continued performance and longevity. Acceptable performance demands that the mounting not cause any ruptures or anomalies in the canister's wall, which could allow hydrocarbons to escape the canister. Moreover, the canister must be mounted carefully to avoid breakdown of the pellets due to excessive vibration. This, in turn, demands that the canister be firmly mounted to a su...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]It is an advantage of an evaporative emission control canister according to the present invention that the canister body utilizes a hollow core cylindrical boss and buttress system having uniform wall thickness, which allows the bosses to be molded with a consistent internal bore and consistent wall thickness, so as to promote excellent retention of mounting screws within the bosses, while avoiding fuel vapor leaks from the canister.

[0011]It is another advantage of an evaporative emission control canister according to the present invention that mounting bosses are molded with the aid of a core pin having an external drive feature located at an end of the core pin, which eliminates the need for the core pin to have a larger diameter at its threaded shank end, which would, in turn, impair the screw retention capability of the molded boss.

[0012]It is yet another advantage of an evaporative emission control canister according to the present invention that the carbon absorber pellets contained within the canister will be protected from damage due to high frequency vibration.

Problems solved by technology

This, in turn, demands that the canister be firmly mounted to a substantial structure in the vehicle, and not be allowed to move unrestrained in response to vehicle road load inputs.

Although it is known to mount carbon evaporative emission control canisters with screws extending through the wall of the canister, known systems utilize canister mounting structures with inconsistent section thicknesses giving rise to voids, potential leaks, and an absence of mechanical robustness and integrity for engagement of fasteners with the canister.

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