Claims:WE CLAIM:
1. A saddle type vehicle (100), said vehicle (100) comprising:
a frame (101) providing skeletal support to said vehicle (100);
a fuel tank assembly (103) detachably attached to said frame (101);
said fuel tank assembly includes outer portion (203), inner portion (204), a liquid vapor separator (301);
said outer portion (203) of said fuel tank assembly (103) has an upper portion (302), where said upper portion (302) has slanted profile (XX’) with respect to a horizontal axis (BB’) of said vehicle; and
said fuel tank assembly (103) includes a pair of fuel collecting portion (201, 202) having flat profile.
2. A saddle type vehicle (100), said vehicle (100) comprising:
an EVAP system comprising a canister assembly (309), a purge control valve (314) and a roll over valve (305);
said canister assembly (309) detachably mounted between an outer portion (203) of a fuel tank assembly (103) and a fuel tank assembly cover (310); and
said roll over valve (305) is detachably mounted between an outer portion (203) of a fuel
tank assembly (103) and a fuel tank assembly cover (310).
3. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said slanted profile (XX’) of said upper part (302) of said outer portion (203) of said fuel tank assembly (103) is configured with a recess (316), where said recess is formed between said slanted profile (XX’) of said upper part (302) of said outer portion (203) of said fuel tank assembly (103) and a fuel tank assembly cover (312)
4. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein said canister assembly (309) is disposed centrally and inclinedly in said recess (316) formed between said slanted profile (XX’) of said upper part (302) of said outer portion (203) of said fuel tank assembly (103) and said fuel tank assembly cover (310)
5. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein said canister assembly (309) is disposed at an lateral offset & oriented parallel to the said recess (316) formed between said slanted profile (XX’) of said upper part (302) of said outer portion (203) of said fuel tank assembly (103) and said fuel tank assembly cover (312).
6. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said roll over valve (305) is disposed in said recess (316), between said canister assembly (309) and a fuel inlet (303) of said fuel tank assembly (103)
7. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inner portion (204) of said fuel tank assembly (103) has slanted profile (206) forming an acute angle there between with respect to horizontal axis (BB’) of said vehicle (100).
8. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inner portion (204) of said fuel tank assembly (103) has a bridge flat surface (205) at rear side of said fuel tank assembly (103) enabling fluid communication between the left & right lateral regions of the fuel tank.
9. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein said fuel inlet is disposed towards said at least one fuel collecting portion (202) and a fuel pump is disposed towards said another fuel collecting portion (201)
10. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 2, where said fuel tank assembly cover (312) detachably attached to said fuel tank assembly (103) with bracket (312) where said bracket (312) is attached to the rear region of said flat surface (205).
11. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said canister assembly (309) includes a canister (309a), a housing member (308) and a bracket canister (317).
12. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 11, wherein said bracket canister (317) includes three parts, a Part A (317a), a Part B (317b) and a Part C (317c), where said Part A (317a) has an I shaped profile, said Part B (317b) has an extended portion and said Part C (317c) has a slanted profile.
13. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 11, wherein said housing member (308) has three openings, a first opening (308a) accommodates said purge control valve (314), a second opening (308b) accommodates said canister (309a) and third opening (308c) accommodates I shaped profile of Part A (317a) of said bracket canister (317).
14. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said roll over valve (305) has a hose ROV (304), where said hose ROV (304) connects another end of vapor tube and IN port of ROV (305).
15. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 11, wherein said canister (309) includes four ports namely Port W (309w), Port X (309x), Port Y (309y) and Port Z (309z).
16. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 11, wherein said Port W (309w) of said canister (309) is connected to OUT port of said ROV (305), said Port X (309x) of said canister (309) is connected to IN port (314a) of said PCV (314), said Port Y (309y) is left open to the atmosphere through said hose drain (311) for draining the liquid fuel and said Port Z (309z) of said canister (309) is left open to the atmosphere .
17. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said purge control valve (314) is mounted under a fuel tank assembly (103) with a bracket (401).
18. The saddle type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 2, said purge control valve (314) has hose (306) guided by a hose guide (402). , Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present subject matter relates to a saddle type vehicle. More particularly, the present subject matter relates to the canister assembly of the saddle type vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Saddle vehicles are basically one of the most affordable and popular kind of the vehicle among the world’s population. These kinds of vehicles are mostly powered by the two stroke or four stroke engines. Conventionally carburetor type system has been implemented in vehicles for supplying & metering fuel quantity to the engine powering such vehicles. With need to enhance performance, power output & efficiency of same engine as well as reduce emissions, fuel injection system has become popular in saddle type vehicles. Thus, a fuel management system is implemented in vehicles to control the fuel being supplied to the engine at right time & in right quantity.
[0003] Often with vehicles being commercialized for use in multiple markets & variety of users, depending on the market needs, vehicle manufacturers face a challenge of handling variety of fuel supply system for given vehicle with variant of carburetor system vis-à-vis fuel injection system. The fuel management system of the internal combustion engine has to use the combination of fuel tank along with the fuel pump module to deliver fuel in the engine with the help of the fuel injector. The vehicle fuel system is responsible for delivering the right amount of fuel from a fuel tank to the fuel injector, to maintain an appropriate amount of fuel in the engine for the process of internal combustion. Alternatively a carburetor or electronic carburetor may be implemented for delivering right air-fuel mixture to the combustion chamber.
[0004] With ever increasing number of vehicles used for personal transport and its contribution to the pollution of environment in terms of the emission, evaporative emissions also add to the pollution in terms of unburnt and burnt hydrocarbons. By very basic physical properties of gasoline fuels primarily used for transportation, evaporative emissions are bound to exist under normal environment conditions and temperatures ranging from ambient temperatures to temperature encountered during various operating conditions. The gasoline fuel has propensity to vaporize at room temperatures within respective container and this emission needs to be purged to avoid undue pressure development in the container. Such emissions are often referred to as evaporative emissions. There is a constant drive from manufacturers to bring down the extent of emissions in the automotive sector.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The detailed description is described with reference to an embodiment of a saddle type step thru vehicle along with the accompanying figures. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components.
[0006] Fig.1 is a side view of a saddle type vehicle as per one embodiment of the present invention.
[0007] Fig. 1a is a side view of the vehicle with frame structure as per one embodiment of the present invention.
[0008] Fig.2 is a rear view of a fuel tank assembly of saddle type vehicle as per one embodiment of the present invention.
[0009] Fig. 2a is a sectional view of an inner portion of a fuel tank assembly as per one embodiment of the present invention.
[00010] Fig.3 is a sectional view of the fuel tank assembly as per one embodiment of the present invention.
[00011] Fig.3a is a perspective view of the bracket canister as per one embodiment of the present invention.
[00012] Fig. 3b is a perspective view of the housing member as per one embodiment of the present invention.
[00013] Fig. 3c is a top perspective view of the fuel tank assembly as per one embodiment of the present invention
[00014] Fig. 3d is an exploded view of the canister assembly with purge control valve as per one embodiment of the present invention.
[00015] Fig. 4 is a rear view of the fuel tank assembly with canister as per another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00016] The conventional carburetor fuel systems lack in several major aspects e.g. poor efficiency in terms of fuel consumption and performance of the engine. Also, it is one of the main limitations which contribute for the emission of harmful gases which are the main cause for polluting the environment.
[00017] In order to address the shortcomings of the conventional carburetor system, an Electronic Fuel Injection System or EFI was developed as an improvement over the carburetor in order to calibrate and optimize the fuel/air ratio. The electronic fuel injection system or EFI is utilized to better control fuel to air ratios in order to provide better performance, improve emissions and drivability. Moreover, the need of precise fuel supply creates a necessity for introduction of Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) system in existing carburetor vehicles.
[00018] Generally, the typical electronic fuel injection system comprises a fuel tank, a fuel pump that is operatively coupled to the fuel tank that directs fuel into the engine. Further, as an improvement over the carburetor, the Electronic Fuel Injection system (EFI) utilizes advanced electronic techniques to adjust the air fuel mixture to reduce the evaporative emission in the environment. Hence, the conversion of the carburetor to the Electronic Fuel Injection system (EFI) involved different types of electrical and mechanical modifications in the vehicle.
[00019] Further, for reducing the evaporative emission in the environment, the evaporative fuel recycle systems were designed to store and dispose of the fuel vapors before they can escape into the atmosphere. A typical system consists of a canister full of charcoal, valves, hoses, and vents in the fuel lines and a sealed fuel tank cap. When fuel evaporates inside the fuel tank, the excess vapors are transferred to the canister. They are stored there until they can safely be transferred back to the engine to be burnt with the normal air-fuel mixture.
[00020] Ideally, the fuel system should be completely closed to prevent any vapor escape, but as it is evident form the fact that under extreme conditions like heat and cold which affects the pressure inside the fuel tank and fuel tank head space, there arises a need for venting and vacuum pressure relief functions to limit the positive and negative pressure inside the fuel tank respectively. As fuel is consumed by combustion chamber inside the engine, therefore during introduction of fuel into combustion chamber air is introduced inside the headspace of the fuel tank to limit the magnitude of negative tank pressure. Generally, such venting and vacuum relief functions are performed through valves.
[00021] The saddle type vehicle typically has a canister as an essential component of evaporative fuel recycle system which adsorbs the hydrocarbon vapors from the fuel tank and supplies evaporated fuel to an engine for combustion which is positioned near to engine
[00022] In the saddle type vehicle having an evaporative fuel recycle system comprises canister, roll over valve, purge control valve and other connecting elements to connect from engine to fuel tank. Here, canister is a small round or rectangular plastic or steel container mounted somewhere in the vehicle. The canister is filled of activated charcoal. The charcoal acts like a sponge and adsorbs and stores fuel vapors. The vapors are stored in the canister until the engine is started, is warm and is being driven. The purge control valve when open, it allows intake vacuum to siphon the fuel vapors into the engine. The canister is connected to the fuel tank via the hoses. Hence, escape of the fuel vapors is avoided, however venting of tank is still required.
[00023] Generally various valves working in association with the fuel tank may become the potential sources of fuel leakage during roll over type accident where if such leakage of fuel happens it may lead to fire. Hence to avoid any such dire consequences a roll over valve provided in the evaporative fuel recycle system to resist the flow of fuel in such situations. The roll over valve is generally open and it closes on a predetermined amount of tipping indicative of vehicle roll over. Under normal circumstances, the evaporative fuel recycle system having canister causes few problems. The most common problems associated with the evaporative fuel recycle system having canister are a faulty purge control, increased hose length, pinching of hose pipe, inaccurate orientation of roll over valve, water entry etc.
[00024] Typically, manufacturers look for implementing a canister system to address these emissions to the extent feasible. Bigger the size of the canister, the higher the emissions can be adsorbed. Such canister solutions bring with them additional components like hoses, valves etc. which need to be packaged in the same vehicle without compromising on the size of the vehicle as well as minimize cost impact. Therefore, there exists a continuous challenge for automotive manufacturers to address the evaporative emissions as well as avoid discharge of the same into the atmosphere within minimum space / size of the vehicle as well as at a reduced cost and weight impact. Further, the challenge is particularly significant for a saddle type vehicle where impact on compactness, weight & cost become critical.
[00025] In known art, a canister assembly is disposed in a recess formed between a lower portion of a fuel tank assembly and a main tube of a vehicle frame structure, towards a rear portion of a fuel tank assembly. To generate the recess portion, the lower portion of the fuel tank assembly has been modified to accommodate the canister assembly, that is, a raised portion has been created in the lower portion of fuel tank assembly. Therefore, the conventional attachment of left hand side lower portion and right hand side lower portion of the fuel tank assembly is compromised, which increases the problem of ease of flow of fuel from one side of the lower portion of fuel tank assembly to another side. This leads to the increase in the volume of the unused fuel in the fuel tank, thereby increasing the dead volume in the fuel tank assembly. The solution proposed to overcome this problem is to mount the canister without any raised portion in the lower portion of the fuel tank assembly. This arrangement increases the chances of fouling of canister assembly with the main frame, hence affecting the life of the canister. Further, such disposition results in change in design or change in location of the conventional parts in the compact layout, thereby increasing cost, undesirably high lead time for change over as well as more variety in parts.
[00026] As it is known that the canister assembly once assembled needs to be tested and the location of disposition of canister in the known art, creates problem for the operators as one has to dissemble the surrounding components, connections to be made and then re-assemble. This undesirably increases the operator fatigue and is a time consuming operation.
[00027] Also, when the canister assembly is disposed near an engine, the efficiency of the canister assembly is compromised because of the heat generated by the engine. Further, as the canister assembly is disposed away from the fuel tank assembly, the routing of the hoses to and from the canister assembly becomes cumbersome. Additionally, any elongation of hose routing over time leads to tilting and pinching of hoses, thereby adversely affecting the efficiency of the canister as well as the engine. The canister assembly as disposed is also prone to entry of high pressurized water inside it through the atmospheric port during servicing of the vehicle. The entry of water inside the canister potentially leads to entry of water inside engine during purging, which adversely affects the efficiency and life of the canister as well as the engine.
[00028] Hence, there exists a challenge of designing an efficient evaporative fuel recycle system, which can satisfactorily accommodate all essential elements including canister, roll over valve, hose piping and purge control valve within a compact layout of a saddle type vehicle while maintaining the fuel volume in a fuel tank assembly. Additionally there exists a challenge of designing a flexible platform architecture solution to reduce the evaporative emission which is versatile to be implemented in a variety of vehicle variants & platforms without any major change in design and manufacturing set-up of the range of vehicles.
[00029] Therefore, there is a need to have an improved mounting of canister assembly which overcomes all of the above problems and other problems known in the art.
[00030] The present invention provides a solution to the above problems while also meeting the requirements of minimum modifications in vehicle, at low cost with ease of manufacturing etc.
[00031] With the above objectives in view, the present invention relates to the improved mounting of canister assembly where the canister assembly is disposed in a recess provided on an upper part of an outer portion of a fuel tank assembly.
[00032] As per one aspect of the present invention, the frame of the saddle type vehicle comprises of a frame structure which includes head pipe, main frame, down frame etc. The main frame is extended rearward from the head pipe. Further, as per one aspect of the present invention, a fuel tank assembly is mounted on the main frame with various attachment means, for example, fasteners and is covered by a fuel tank assembly cover. The fuel tank assembly cover is detachably attached to the fuel tank assembly with various attachment means, for example fasteners, and a bracket which is integrally attached on the outer portion of the fuel tank assembly. The fuel tank assembly covers protects the fuel tank assembly from direct exposure to heat and also maintains the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle.
[00033] As per one aspect of the present invention, the fuel tank assembly includes an outer portion, an inner portion, and a liquid vapor separator, where the inner portion of the fuel tank assembly is having a slanted profile with respect to the horizontal axis of the vehicle and extending to the rearward region of the fuel tank assembly. The inner portion is having a flat profile at the rearward region of the fuel tank assembly, which ensures the reduction of the unused fuel in the fuel tank assembly, as the profile of the lower portion of the fuel tank assembly channelizes the ease of flow of fuel from one side of the fuel tank assembly to another side. The upper part of the outer portion of the fuel tank assembly is having a slanted profile with respect to the horizontal axis of the vehicle. The slanted profile of the upper part of the outer portion of the fuel tank assembly is extended from the space behind the inlet of the fuel tank assembly to the rearwards of the fuel tank assembly.
[00034] As per one aspect of the present invention, an evaporative emission control system is disposed in an outer portion of the fuel tank assembly. More particularly, a recess is formed between the slanted profile of the upper part of the outer portion of the fuel tank assembly and the fuel tank assembly cover, where the evaporative emission control system is disposed. The evaporative emission control system includes a canister assembly, a purge control valve, and a roll over valve and different hoses. The canister assembly includes a canister, a housing member, for example: a rubber boot, and a bracket canister. The canister is disposed inclinedly and centrally in the recess formed in between the slanted profile of the upper part of the outer portion of the fuel tank assembly and the fuel tank assembly covers.
[00035] The bracket canister is integrally attached to the recess formed between the slanted profile of the upper part of the outer portion of the fuel tank assembly and the fuel tank assembly cover. The bracket canister has three parts, a Part A which has an I shaped profile which gets accommodated in a profile of the housing member of canister assembly. A Part B which has an extended portion and a Part C which has a slanted portion. Further, as per one aspect of the present invention, the housing member has three openings, where a first opening holds the purge control valve, a second opening holds the canister and a third opening accommodates the I shaped profile of the Part A of the bracket canister. The Part B and Part C of the bracket canister provide support to the canister accommodated in the housing member, ensuring that the canister assembly is securely placed in the recess formed as such. This additionally eliminates the requirements of separate bracket to mount the purge control valve.
[00036] Further as per one aspect of the present invention, a liquid vapor separator is located inside the fuel tank assembly. The liquid vapor separator includes a vapor chamber and a tube vapor. The tube member has two ends where one end is attached to the vapor chamber and another end is routed to the upper part of the outer portion of fuel tank assembly, behind an inlet present on the fuel tank assembly.
[00037] Further as per one aspect of the present invention, the roll over valve (ROV) is disposed between the inlet of the fuel tank assembly and the canister assembly and held by the shorter hoses, ensuring the decreased length of the hoses which restricts the tilting or pinching of the hoses. The ROV has an IN port and an OUT port. Another end of vapor tube is attached to the IN port of the ROV through a roll over hose. Further as per one aspect of the present invention, the canister has four ports, Port W, Port X, Port Y and Port Z, where the OUT port of the roll over valve is connected to the Port X of the canister through a hose canister, which ensures the restriction of entry of fuel into the canister during vehicle roll over condition.
[00038] Further, the Port X of the canister is connected to an IN port of the purge control valve through a hose purge control valve, ensuring that during purging the adsorbed fuel vapor is channelized to a combustion chamber of the engine during intake stage. The Port Y is connected with a hose drain to drain out the liquid fuel if it accidentally enters in to the canister and the hose drain is routed to the ground and drains the liquid fuel. The hose drain is guided by the fuel tank assembly cover present at the upper part of the outer portion of the fuel tank assembly. The Port Z of the canister is left open to the atmosphere for maintaining the breathing of the fuel tank assembly. As the canister assembly is located near to the liquid vapor separator, it increases the efficiency of loading of the canister assembly.
[00039] Further, as per another aspect of the present invention, a canister assembly is disposed at an lateral offset & oriented substantially parallel to the recess formed on an upper part of an outer portion of a fuel tank assembly and a purge control valve is disposed under the fuel tank assembly. This mounting configuration ensures that the canister is securely and closely packed near the liquid vapor separator, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the canister as well as enabling a compact layout of the evaporative emission control system.
[00040] In the ensuing exemplary aspects, the vehicle is a two wheeler saddle type vehicle. However, it is contemplated that the concepts of the present invention may be applied to any of the two wheeler, three wheeler vehicles without defeating the spirit of the invention.
[00041] Various other features of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the corresponding reference number. With reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals will be used to identify the same or similar elements throughout the several views.
[00042] Further “front” and “rear”, and “left” and “right” referred to in the ensuring description of the illustrated embodiment refer to front and rear, and left and right directions as seen in a state of being seated on a seat of the saddle type vehicle. Furthermore, a longitudinal axis refers to a front to rear axis relative to the vehicle, while a lateral axis refers to a side to side, or left to right axis relative to the vehicle. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
[00043] Fig. 1 is the left side view of an exemplary saddle type vehicle and Fig. 1a is the left side view of the vehicle with a frame (101) shown schematically, in accordance with an embodiment of present subject matter. The vehicle (100) has a frame (101), which acts as the skeleton for bearing the loads. Instrument cluster (119) is mounted on handle bar assembly (126). The handle bar assembly (126) is pivotally disposed through the head tube where it includes brake levers (113). The handle bar assembly (126) is connected to a front wheel (129) by one or more front suspension(s) (130). A front fender (131) is disposed above the front wheel (129) for covering at least a portion of the front wheel (129). A leg shield (112) is provided on said vehicle (100). A fuel tank (103) is mounted to the main tube (101b) of the frame (101) and it is disposed in the front portion F of a space of the frame (101). The vehicle (100) having lighting means which includes Head lamp (127), Tail lamp (106), Turning indicators includes front side indicators (111) and rear side indicator (not shown) respectively. The rear fender (138) is projected outwardly of the vehicle systems and the pillion from mud splash as well as to protect the rear wheel (133) from external components. The engine (125) is mounted to the lower portion of frame (101). In an embodiment, the engine (125) is an IC engine. The fuel tank (103) is functionally connected to the engine (125). The seat (132a, 132b) is located at the back region of the fuel tank (103) and is extended in a longitudinal direction along the seat frames.
[00044] The frame 101 of the vehicle (100) is provided with a head tube (101a) that includes a main frame (101b) extended backward and diagonally downward from the head pipe (101a), a pair of seat frames (101e) extended backward from the rear of the main frame (101b), a pair of down frames (101c) extended backward after they are extended downward from the front of the main frame (101b), a pair of center frames (101d) coupled to the rears of the down frames (101c) by extending the center frames downward after they are extended backward and diagonally downward from the rear of the main frame (101b) . An area enclosed by the seat frames (101e), the center frames (101d) and the sub frames (not shown) is substantially triangular in a side view.
[00045] The fuel tank (103) is provided across the main frame (101b) and at the front region of the pair of seat frames (101e) in a side view and covers the main frame (101b) and partially overlaps the sides of the seat frames (101e).
[00046] Fig. 2 is a rear view of a fuel tank assembly (103) as per one embodiment of the present invention. As per one embodiment of the present invention, a fuel tank assembly includes an outer portion (203), an inner portion (204), a left hand side fuel collection portion (202) and a right hand side fuel collection portion (201). The pair of fuel collecting portions (201, 202), i.e. left and right lateral regions of the fuel tank assembly, have a substantially flat profile. The fuel inlet (303) (for reference termed here as “inlet”) (as shown in fig. 3) is provided on the either side of the fuel collection portions (201, 202) and a fuel pump (not shown) is provided on the side opposite to the side where fuel inlet is provided. The fuel pump delivers a pressurized fuel to an engine (125) (as shown in fig. 1). When the fuel from one side of the fuel collection portion is drained out, the fuel from the another side of the fuel collection portion moves easily to the one side of the fuel collection portion because of the presence of a flat surface (205) present at the rear side of the inner portion (204) and the flat profile of the fuel collecting portion (201, 202) of the fuel tank assembly (103), which ensures ease of flowing of fuel from one side of the fuel collection portion to another side. The flat surface (205) present at the rear side of the inner portion (204) is configured to be inline or be at level lower with respect to at least one side of the fuel collecting portion. This enables ensuring the reduction in the dead volume present in the fuel tank assembly. Further, the inner portion (204) of the fuel tank assembly (103) has a slanting profile (206) forming an acute angle there between with respect to the horizontal axis of the vehicle (BB’) (as shown in fig. 2a) to conform to the profile of the main frame (101b) as well as accommodate the main frame (101b) (as shown in fig. 1a) and at the rear end has a flat profile (205) which ensure the ease of flowing of fuel from one side of the fuel tank assembly to another side while maintaining the fuel volume in the fuel tank assembly. Thus the flat profile (205) acts like a bridge conduit enabling ease of flow of fuel from one lateral side to the other of the fuel tank assembly, enabling fluid communication between the left and right lateral regions of the fuel tank assembly...
[00047] Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a fuel tank assembly (103) with fuel tank assembly cover (310) as per one embodiment of the present invention. As per one embodiment of the present invention, a fuel tank assembly (103) is mounted on the main frame (101b) with various attachment means, for example, fasteners and is covered by a fuel tank assembly cover (310). The upper part (302) of the outer portion (203) of the fuel tank assembly is configured with a slanted profile (shown by XX’) with respect to the horizontal axis of the vehicle (BB’) (as shown in fig. 1a) forming an acute angle between them. The slanted profile (shown by XX’) of the upper part (302) of the outer portion (203) of the fuel tank assembly (103) is extended from the region in close vicinity behind an inlet (303) of the fuel tank assembly (103) and is extended to the rearwards of the fuel tank assembly (103). The fuel tank assembly cover (310) is detachably attached to the fuel tank assembly (103) with various attachment means, for example fasteners, a bracket (312) is incorporated for attaching the cover (310) which is integrally attached on the outer portion (203) of the fuel tank assembly (103). The bracket (312) is attached to the rear region of the flat surface (205). The fuel tank assembly cover protects the fuel tank assembly from direct exposure to heat and also maintains the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle.
[00048] As per one embodiment of the present invention, an evaporative emission control system is disposed on the outer portion (203) of the fuel tank assembly (103). More particularly, a recess (316) is formed between slanted profile of the upper part (302) of the outer portion (203) of the fuel tank assembly (103) and the fuel tank assembly cover (310), where the evaporative emission control (EVAP) system is disposed, where the cover protects the evaporative emission control system from any external damage, interference with external components while maintaining the conventional layout of the surrounding components and also ensures the ease of accessibility and serviceability of the EVAP system. The evaporative emission control system includes a canister assembly (309), a purge control valve (314) (as shown in fig. 3d), a roll over valve (305) and different hoses, where the hoses are connected with hose clamps and hose guide. The canister assembly includes a canister (309a), a housing member, for example: a rubber boot (308), and a bracket canister (317), as shown in Fig 3a, fig 3b, Fig 3c & Fig. 3d. The canister (309a) is disposed inclinedly and centrally in the recess (316) formed between slanted profile of the upper part (302) of the outer portion (204) of the fuel tank assembly (103) and the fuel tank assembly cover (310). The bracket canister (317) is attached to the recess (316) formed between slanted profile of the upper part (302) of the outer portion (204) of the fuel tank assembly (103) and the fuel tank assembly cover (310). This assembly additionally ensures that the EVAP system can be tested before being assembled on the fuel tank assembly with the vehicle. This also reduces the operator fatigue and is less time consuming, hence increasing the production rate of the vehicle. Further, as the canister assembly is disposed away from the heat generating components like engine etc., it greatly enhances the efficiency of the canister.
[00049] Fig. 3a is a perspective view of a bracket canister as per one embodiment of the present invention. As per one embodiment of the present invention, the bracket canister (317) has three parts, a Part A (317a) has an I shaped profile which gets accommodated in a profile of the housing member (308) of the canister assembly (309). A Part B (317b) has an extended portion and a Part C (317c) has a slanted portion. Further, as per one embodiment of the present invention, the housing member (308) has three openings (as shown in fig. 3b), where a first opening (308a) holds a purge control valve (314), n second opening (308b) holds the canister (309) and a third opening C (308c) accommodates the I shaped profile of Part A (317a) of the bracket canister (317). The Part B (317b) and the Part C (317c) of the bracket canister (317) provides support to the canister (309a) accommodated in the housing member (308), hence ensuring secured placing of the canister assembly (309) in the recess formed as such. This also eliminates the requirements of separate bracket to mount the purge control valve.
[00050] Fig. 3c is a top perspective view of a fuel tank assembly as per one embodiment of the present invention. As per one embodiment of the present invention, a liquid vapor separator (301) is located inside the fuel tank assembly (103). The liquid vapor separator includes a vapor chamber (not shown) and a tube vapor (not shown). The tube member has two ends where one end is attached to the vapor chamber and another end is routed to the upper part of the outer portion of fuel tank assembly, behind an inlet (303) present on the fuel tank assembly.
[00051] Further as per one embodiment of the present invention, a roll over valve (ROV) (305) is disposed between the inlet (303) of the fuel tank assembly (103) and the canister assembly (309) and held by a shorter hoses, ensuring the decreased length of the hoses which restricts the tilting or pinching of the hoses. The ROV (305) has an IN port and an OUT port. One end of vapor tube is attached to the IN port of the ROV through a hose ROV (304).
[00052] As per one embodiment of the present invention, the canister (309a) has four ports, a Port W (309w), a Port X (309x), a Port Y (309y) and a Port Z (309z) (as shown in fig. 3d), where the OUT port of the roll over valve (305) is connected to the Port W (309w) of the canister (309a) through a hose canister (307), which ensures the restriction of entry of fuel into the canister during vehicle roll over condition. Further, the Port X (309x) of the canister (309a) is connected to an IN port (314a) of the purge control valve (314) through hose purge control valve (306), which channelizes the adsorbed fuel vapor to a combustion chamber of the engine during intake stage. The Port Y (309y) is connected with a hose drain (311) to drain out the liquid fuel if it accidentally enters in to the canister (309a) and the hose drain (311) is routed to the ground and drains the liquid fuel.
[00053] The hose drain (311) is guided by the bracket (312) integrally attached to the outer portion (203) of the fuel tank assembly (103). The Port Z (309z) of the canister is left open in the atmosphere for maintaining the breathing of the fuel tank assembly. This embodiment establishes that the liquid vapor separator is connected to the canister through ROV, which restricts the liquid fuel entry in the canister. Taking example of vehicle roll over condition, in roll over condition of the vehicle, the fuel tank is tilted and liquid vapor separator is flooded with the fuel. The roll over valve (305) as located between the inlet (303) and the canister assembly (309) blocks the entry of the liquid fuel into the canister and when the vehicle comes in upright condition, the leftover fuel in the hose ROV and the tube vapor falls back in the fuel tank assembly. The small amount of liquid fuel which collected in the roll over valve is channelized to the canister and hence gets adsorbed thereby achieving highly effective evaporative emission reduction system. As the canister is located near to the liquid vapor separator, it increases the efficiency of loading of the canister, i.e. adsorption of fuel vapors inside of the canister increases.
[00054] Fig. 4 is a rear view & a bottom perspective view of a fuel tank assembly as per another embodiment of the present invention. As per another embodiment of the present invention, a canister assembly (309) is disposed at a lateral offset & oriented substantially parallel to the recess (316) as formed on an upper portion of an outer portion of the fuel tank assembly (103). Further, as per another embodiment of the present invention, a purge control valve (314) is disposed under the fuel tank assembly (103) with a bracket (401). The hose (306) is connected by the hose clamps and guided by the hose guide (402), hence restricting the tilting or pinching of the hoses, thereby maintaining the life of the hoses.
[00055] The invention helps in overcoming the problem of space constraints, minimizing the use of new components, increasing the ease of accessibility and serviceability of the canister assembly of the vehicle while maintaining the overall weight and width of the vehicle and additionally makes it cost effective.
[00056] Advantageously, the embodiments of the present invention, additionally describes the potential improvements in the mounting of canister assembly, where the canister assembly is mounted on the canister bracket which is integrally attached to the recess as formed between the upper portion of the outer portion of the fuel tank assembly and the fuel tank assembly cover. This facilitates the simple and easy mounting of the canister assembly which efficiently increases the ease of accessibility and serviceability of the canister assembly in the vehicle.
[00057] Many other improvements and modifications may be incorporated herein without deviating from the scope of the invention.
List of reference symbol:
Fig. 1:
100: Saddle type Vehicle
126: Handle Bar Assembly
119: Instrument Cluster
127: Head Lamp
111: Front Side Indicator
112: Leg shield
131: Front Fender
129: Front Wheel
130: Front Suspension
125: Engine
113: Brake Lever
103: Fuel Tank Assembly
101: Frame Structure
132a: Rider Seat
132b: Pillion Seat
106: Tail Lamp
138: Rear Fender
133: Rear Wheel
Fig. 1a
101a: Head Tube
101b: Main frame
101c: down frames
101d: center frames
101e: Pair of seat frames
Fig. 2:
202: Left hand side fuel collecting portion
203: Outer Portion
201: Right Hand side fuel collecting portion
205: Flat Surface
204: inner Portion
Fig. 2a:
206: Slanted Profile
Fig. 3:
301: Liquid Vapor Separator
302: Upper Portion
303: Inlet
304: Hose ROV
305: ROV
306: Hose purge control valve
307: Hose canister
308: Housing Member
309: Canister assembly
310: Fuel tank assembly cover
311: Hose Drain
312: Bracket
XX’: Slanted profile of upper portion
316: Recess
317: bracket canister
Fig. 3a:
317a: Part A of bracket canister
317b: Part B of bracket canister
317c: Part C of bracket canister
Fig. 3b
308a: First Opening of housing member
308b: Second Opening of housing member
308c: Third Opening of housing member
Fig. 3c:
314: Purge Control Valve
309a: canister
Fig. 3d:
314a: IN port of Purge control Valve
314b: Out port of Purge Control Valve
309 w: Port W of canister
309 x: Port X of purge control valve
309y: Port Y of canister
309z: Port Z of canister.
Fig.4:
401: Bracket for purge control valve
402: Hose guide.