Appeal No. 2005-0880 5
Application No. 09/963,815
fuel tank 12, a fuel tank fill pipe 14, a control valve assembly
204 at the upper portion of the fuel tank, a vapor line 32
connecting the control valve assembly to a vapor recovery device
206, a nozzle signal line 24 connecting the control valve
assembly to a port 99 near the outer end of the fill pipe, and a
cap-less restrictor assembly 202 within the fill pipe just
upstream of the port for inhibiting release to the atmosphere of
fuel vapors in the fill pipe and nozzle signal line. The control
valve assembly functions to control the flow of fuel vapors from
a vapor dome above the fuel in the tank to the vapor line and the
nozzle signal line. As the fuel level in the tank approaches the
fill line, the fuel vapors pick up and carry liquid fuel through
the nozzle signal line and the resulting “spray” signals the
nozzle shut-off mechanism to terminate the delivery of fuel into
the fill pipe.
Of particular interest in this appeal is the construction of
Allison’s cap-less restrictor assembly 202. As shown in Figure
8, this assembly includes a spring-biased back-splash door
assembly 82, 84, 86, 88 and 90, and a wall member 210 supporting
an elastomeric annular nozzle seal 212, a pressure relief valve
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Last modified: November 3, 2007