PCV Valve Module Retention for Detectable Leak Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional PCV valve designs fail to detect a leak when detached from the engine, leading to undetectable conditions and OBD emission deficiencies due to remaining attached to the PCV tube, causing crankcase gases to escape to the atmosphere.
Innovation Solution
A PCV valve module with a spigot and tube connector system where the PCV valve is enclosed in a module housing with a spring, ensuring it remains closed if any part of the system is detached from the engine, creating a detectable leak downstream from the valve and upstream from the intake manifold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the PCV valve is externally mounted and remains attached to the PCV tube when broken off the engine, then the valve can still be connected to the tube, but the leak becomes undetectable by the monitoring system
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of allowing the PCV valve to remain attached to the PCV tube (conventional design), the invention inverts the attachment relationship by enclosing the valve in a module that attaches to the engine block. When the spigot disconnects, the valve module remains with the engine, ensuring the monitoring system can detect the disconnection through the created leak path.
Solution Approach 2:
The PCV valve is nested within a module housing that includes a spigot assembly. The spigot can be detached from the engine block while the valve module remains attached, creating a hierarchical structure where the valve is protected inside the module while the spigot provides the detachable connection point for monitoring.
2Reliability
If the PCV valve is enclosed in a module housing attached to the engine, then the valve remains sealed when detached, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the PCV valve, spring mechanism, plunger, and spigot assembly into a single integrated module housing. This combination ensures that when the spigot disconnects from the engine, the entire valve assembly remains sealed and attached to the engine block, preventing undetectable leaks while reducing the number of separate components to manage.
3Measurement precision
If the spigot is detached from the engine, then a detectable leak is created, but the PCV valve may become disconnected from the monitoring system
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the traditional attachment arrangement where the valve stayed with the tube. Instead, the valve module is designed to stay with the engine block when the spigot disconnects, ensuring the monitoring system can always detect disconnections through the leak path created at the spigot-engine interface.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures the PCV valve remains sealed within the engine, preventing undetectable leaks and allowing for accurate emission monitoring by creating a detectable leak when any part of the system is detached, thus adhering to OBD emission regulations.
Implementation Method 1
The module housing encloses a plunger, and a spring. The module housing defines an inlet opening, and an outlet opening.
Implementation Method 2
An intake manifold is connected to the tube and provides vacuum from the intake manifold to the PCV valve, through the tube, the tube connector, and the spigot.
Data Source
AI summary
A crankcase ventilation system is disclosed that includes a PCV valve, a spigot and a tube connector. The PCV valve is enclosed in a module housing that encloses a plunger, and a spring. The module housing defines an inlet opening, and an outlet opening and is assembled inside an engine component. The spigot is attached to an outer surface of the engine and is in fluid communication with the PCV valve through the outlet opening. The tube connector is in fluid communication with the tube connector and the PCV valve. An intake manifold of the engine provides vacuum to the PCV valve, through the tube, the tube connector and the spigot. If one of the tube, tube connector, or spigot is detached from the engine, the PCV valve is retained in the engine and is held closed by the spring biasing the plunger against the inlet opening.