U.S. patent application number 15/881469 was filed with the patent office on 2018-09-20 for assembling support for canister of vehicle.
The applicant listed for this patent is LEEHAN CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Cheong Yong CHO, Min Young PARK.
Application Number | 20180266364 15/881469 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 59426884 |
Filed Date | 2018-09-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180266364 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
PARK; Min Young ; et
al. |
September 20, 2018 |
ASSEMBLING SUPPORT FOR CANISTER OF VEHICLE
Abstract
An assembled support for supporting an adsorbent according to an
embodiment of the present invention may include two or more core
members configured to be coupled in the longitudinal direction and
configured to include: a cylindrical body configured to have a
plurality of first partitions formed therein to enable ventilation;
at least one pair of first coupling protrusions configured to be
provided on the rim of one end of the body to face each other; and
at least one pair of first coupling protrusion receiving portions
configured to be provided on the rim of the other end of the body
to face each other, wherein the first coupling protrusions of one
core member are received in the first coupling protrusion receiving
portions of another core member in order to thereby couple the core
members to each other, and wherein the surfaces of the core members
are coated with hydrocarbon adsorbents.
Inventors: |
PARK; Min Young; (Suwon,
KR) ; CHO; Cheong Yong; (Siheung, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
LEEHAN CORPORATION |
Hwaseong |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
59426884 |
Appl. No.: |
15/881469 |
Filed: |
January 26, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
15707979 |
Sep 18, 2017 |
10030614 |
|
|
15881469 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D 2257/702 20130101;
B01D 2259/414 20130101; F02M 25/089 20130101; F02M 35/0216
20130101; B01D 2253/3425 20130101; B01D 53/0407 20130101; B01D
2253/102 20130101; B01D 2253/104 20130101; B01D 53/02 20130101;
F01N 3/0807 20130101; F02M 35/0201 20130101; B01D 2253/106
20130101; F02M 35/0218 20130101; F02M 35/0214 20130101; F02M
35/0215 20130101; F01N 3/0835 20130101; B01D 2259/41 20130101; F02M
25/0854 20130101; B01D 25/02 20130101; B01D 2259/4516 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F02M 25/08 20060101
F02M025/08; F01N 3/08 20060101 F01N003/08; B01D 53/02 20060101
B01D053/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 16, 2017 |
KR |
10-2017-0033010 |
Claims
1-3. (canceled)
4. An assembled support for supporting an adsorbent, comprising:
two or more core members coupled in a longitudinal direction, each
core member including: a cylindrical body having a plurality of
partitions, at least one pair of first coupling protrusions
provided on a rim of one end of the cylindrical body, at least one
pair of first coupling protrusion receiving portions provided on a
rim of the other end of the cylindrical body, and at least one pair
of first protrusions provided on an outer surface of the
cylindrical body along the longitudinal direction thereof; and two
or more cladding members, each cladding member including: a
cylindrical inner body having an inner surface formed to correspond
to an outer surface of the cylindrical body of the core member, a
cylindrical outer body disposed around the cylindrical inner body
to form a plurality of partitions in a space therebetween, at least
one pair of second coupling protrusions provided on a rim of one
end of the cylindrical outer body, at least one pair of second
coupling protrusion receiving portions provided on a rim of the
other end of the cylindrical outer body, and at least one pair of
receiving grooves formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical
inner body along the longitudinal direction thereof, wherein the
first coupling protrusions and the first coupling protrusion
receiving portions are configured to couple the core member to at
least one other core member, wherein the second coupling
protrusions and the second coupling protrusion receiving portions
are configured to couple the cladding members to at least one other
cladding member, wherein one of the core members and one of the
cladding members are coupled to each other such that the first
protrusions of the core member are received in the receiving
grooves of the cladding member, and wherein at least the surfaces
of the plurality of partitions in the cylindrical body of each core
member and at least the surfaces of the plurality of partitions in
each cladding member are coated with one or more hydrocarbon
adsorbents.
5. The assembled support of claim 4, wherein each cladding member
further comprises at least one pair of second protrusions formed on
an outer surface of the cylindrical outer body along the
longitudinal direction thereof
6. The assembled support of claim 4, wherein the core members and
the cladding members are formed of a foamed and flame-retardant
plastic.
7. The assembled support of claim 4, wherein the surfaces of at
least one core member selected from the core members or the
surfaces of at least one cladding member selected from the cladding
members are coated with a hydrocarbon adsorbent different from that
coated on the surfaces of the unselected core members or cladding
members.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION PARAGRAPH
[0001] This application is a continuation of and claims priority to
U.S. application Ser. No. 15/707,979 filed Sep. 18, 2017, which
claims the priority benefit of Korean Patent Application No.
10-2017-0033010, filed on Mar. 16, 2017 in the Korean Intellectual
Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein
by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a support, and more
particularly, to an assembled support for supporting an adsorbent
that is applied to a canister apparatus of a vehicle in order to
adsorb evaporated hydrocarbons.
2. Description of the Prior Art
[0003] Evaporation gases generated from the vehicle cause diurnal
breathing loss (DBL) while the vehicle is parked, hot soak loss
(HSL) when the vehicle is stopped after driving, and running
loss
[0004] (RL) while the vehicle is being driven. The increasing
development of eco-friendly vehicles brings about a gradual
increase in the battery usage and a gradual decrease in the
operation of an engine. The result thereof is decreased engine
purging activity. A canister system installed in the vehicle
requires modification thereto due to such reduction in the amount
of engine purge.
[0005] FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing a conventional
canister 10 of a vehicle. Referring to FIG. 1, the canister 10 has
a housing 11 filled with activated carbon. An inlet 12, an outlet
13, and an air inlet 14 are formed in the upper portion of the
housing 11. The inlet 12 is a passage through which evaporation
gases flow from a fuel tank. The outlet 13 is a passage through
which evaporation gases are discharged to an intake of an engine
during the operation of the engine. The air inlet 14 is a passage
for introducing air from the outside into the canister 10 or
discharging evaporation gases adsorbed onto the activated carbon to
the outside when the engine is turned off.
[0006] Recently, the housing 11 of the canister 10 has been changed
to adopt a main canister 10a and an auxiliary canister 10b. The
main canister 10a adsorbs and stores evaporation gases on activated
carbon stored therein. The auxiliary canister 10b re-collects the
evaporation gases that have not been collected by the main canister
10a in order to thereby collect the hydrocarbon in redundant
manner. The auxiliary canister 10b is used in order to conform to
US environmental regulations, such as LEV-III and PZEV, Chinese
environmental regulations, Korean environmental regulations
(KLEV3), and the like. The main canister 10a and the auxiliary
canister 10b are installed so as to communicate with each other. As
shown in FIG. 1, the main canister 10a and the auxiliary canister
10b may be integrally formed with internal compartments.
Alternatively, the housing of the auxiliary canister 10b may be
separated from the housing of the main canister 10a, and they may
be configured to communicate with each other.
[0007] Meanwhile, a honeycomb-type monolith support coated with a
hydrocarbon adsorbent is often employed as a collecting member
disposed in the auxiliary canister 10b. Such a monolith support is
generally formed of ceramic or metal. In an embodiment, the
monolith support is formed in a cylindrical shape and is provided
with honeycomb-type air vents therein. A hydrocarbon adsorbent is
coated on the surfaces of the air vents in order to thereby collect
hydrocarbons passing through the monolith support. The performance
of the monolith support depends on the length and width (such as
the diameter) of the monolith support, the number or density of air
vents, and the like, as well as the hydrocarbon adsorbent.
[0008] The problem is that there are as many types of canisters as
there are vehicles. The shape of the canister varies with the model
of the car. If the shape of the canister is changed, the length and
width (such as a diameter) of the monolith support provided in the
canister are required to be designed differently. However, the cost
of the monolith support is relatively high. Thus, it is very
difficult to manufacture monolith supports optimized for each
canister type in manufacturing various types of canisters because
of the increase in the cost thereof.
PATENT REFERENCES
[0009] Patent 1: Korean Patent No. 10-0762051 (published on 18 Aug.
2004)
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention provides a support for a canister of a
vehicle, which can be assembled to have a desired length and width
(or diameter) and can facilitate the application of two or more
kinds of hydrocarbon adsorbents because a plurality of members are
formed to be coupled.
[0011] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is
provided an assembled support for supporting an adsorbent, which
may include two or more core members configured to be coupled in
the longitudinal direction and configured to include: a cylindrical
or polygonal body configured to have a plurality of first
partitions formed therein to enable ventilation; at least one pair
of first coupling protrusions configured to be provided on the rim
of one end of the body so as to face each other; and at least one
pair of first coupling protrusion receiving portions configured to
be provided on the rim of the other end of the body to face each
other, wherein the first coupling protrusions of one core member
are received in the first coupling protrusion receiving portions of
another core member in order to thereby couple the core members to
each other, and wherein the surfaces of the core members are coated
with hydrocarbon adsorbents.
[0012] At this time, the core member may further include at least
one pair of first protrusions configured to be formed on an outer
surface of the body along the longitudinal direction thereof so as
to face each other.
[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an assembled support for supporting an adsorbent, which
may include two or more cladding members configured to be coupled
in the longitudinal direction and configured to include: a
cylindrical or polygonal inner body configured to have a hollow
therein; a cylindrical or polygonal outer body configured to
receive the inner body therein with a space therebetween, and
configured to have a plurality of second partitions formed in the
space to enable ventilation; at least one pair of second coupling
protrusions configured to be provided on the rim of one end of the
outer body to face each other; at least one pair of second coupling
protrusion receiving portions configured to be provided on the rim
of the other end of the outer body to face each other; and at least
one pair of receiving grooves configured to be formed on an inner
surface of the inner body along the longitudinal direction thereof
so as to face each other, wherein the second coupling protrusions
of one cladding member are received in the second coupling
protrusion receiving portions of another cladding member in order
to thereby couple the cladding members to each other, and wherein
the surfaces of the cladding members are coated with hydrocarbon
adsorbents.
[0014] At this time, the cladding member may further include at
least one pair of second protrusions configured to be formed on an
outer surface of the outer body along the longitudinal direction
thereof so as to face each other.
[0015] Meanwhile, an inner surface of the inner body of the
cladding member may be foiled to correspond to an outer surface of
the body of the core member, and the core member and the cladding
member may be coupled to each other in a manner such that the first
protrusions of the core member are coupled to the receiving grooves
of the cladding member so that the inner body of the cladding
member receives the body of the core member.
[0016] In addition, the core member and the cladding member may be
formed of a foamed plastic having flame retardancy, and the
surfaces of one or more members selected from the core members and
the cladding members are coated with a hydrocarbon adsorbent
different from that coated on the surfaces of the remaining members
that are not selected.
[0017] The assembled support for a canister of a vehicle, according
to embodiments of the present invention, can provide supports
having a variety of lengths depending on the size of a canister
housing by allowing a plurality of core members or cladding members
to be coupled in the longitudinal direction to form a support.
[0018] In addition, the width (or diameter) of the support can be
adjusted by providing cladding members to be coupled to the outer
surfaces of core members, thereby providing a support having
various widths (or diameters) depending on the size of a canister
housing. Therefore, since it can be applied to various types of
canisters, price competitiveness is excellent.
[0019] In addition, since the core members and the cladding members
are formed of a foamed plastic having flame retardancy, the
manufacturing cost is lower than that of a ceramic or metal
material, thereby contributing to price competitiveness of the
product.
[0020] Further, since the support is manufactured by coupling the
core member and the cladding member, which are coated with
different kinds of hydrocarbon adsorbents, it is possible to easily
realize an effect of improving the adsorption efficiency by means
of a combination of two or more hydrocarbon adsorbents.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the
present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0022] FIG. 1 is a view schematically illustrating a typical
vehicle canister;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an example of core members in
an assembled support for adsorbing hydrocarbons, according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a support formed by coupling
the core members of FIG. 2;
[0025] FIGS. 4A to 4F are views illustrating various modifications
of a body and a first partition of the core member shown in FIG.
2;
[0026] FIGS. 5A and 5B are views illustrating another modification
of the core member of FIG. 2;
[0027] FIG. 6 is a view illustrating an example of cladding members
in an assembled support for adsorbing hydrocarbons, according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] FIGS. 7A to 7E are views illustrating various modifications
of a body and a second partition of the cladding member shown in
FIG. 6; and
[0029] FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a support formed by coupling
the core members of FIG. 2 and the cladding members of FIGS. 4A to
4F.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0030] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in
detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be
understood that the following description is made of the present
invention through a specific example, and that the technical spirit
of the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the
accompanying drawings are provided to help in understanding the
present invention and the technical spirit of the present invention
is not limited thereto.
[0031] FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of core members 100 in
an assembled support for adsorbing hydrocarbons (hereinafter,
referred to as an assembled support), according to an embodiment of
the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a support
formed by coupling a plurality of core members 100 of FIG. 2.
[0032] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an assembled support, according
to embodiments of the present invention, may be famed by coupling a
plurality of core members 100 in the longitudinal direction. For
example, the respective core members 100 of FIG. 2 may be
longitudinally coupled to form an assembled support, as shown in
FIG. 3. Although FIGS. 2 and 3 show three core members 100 and the
coupled state thereof, any number of core members 100 greater than
or equal to two may be coupled to each other, and the number
thereof is not particularly limited. As described above, there are
various types of canisters, and the length required for the
assembled support for adsorbing hydrocarbons provided in the
canister may vary depending thereon. The assembled support,
according to the present invention, can be flexibly used for
various kinds of canisters because the support can be formed to
conform to the length required for the canister by coupling the
core members 100.
[0033] Hereinafter, detailed components of the core member 100 will
be described.
[0034] The core member 100 may include a body 110, at least one
pair of first coupling protrusions 130 formed on the body 110, and
at least one pair of first coupling protrusion receiving portions
140 formed on the body 110.
[0035] The body 110 may be formed in a cylindrical or polygonal
shape. In this regard, FIGS. 2 and 3 show the body 110 formed in a
cylindrical shape. A plurality of first partitions 120 may be
formed on the inner side of the body 110.
[0036] In an embodiment, the plurality of first partitions 120 may
be formed in the form of a honeycomb grid, thereby enabling
ventilation therethrough. The size of the grid is not specified.
For example, 16 to 180 vent holes may be formed through the grid on
the basis of a cross-sectional circle of the body 110. As the
number of vent holes is reduced close to 16, the size of the grid
will be larger, and as the number of the vent holes increases close
to 180, the size of the grid will be smaller.
[0037] At least one pair of first coupling protrusions 130 may be
provided on the rim of one end of the body 110 so as to face each
other. For example, the first coupling protrusions 130 may be
formed in a manner such that protrusions having a predetermined
height are provided on a part of the rim of one end of the body
110. Since the rim of the body 110 has a thickness, the protrusions
can be provided. In an embodiment, the first coupling protrusions
130 may be integrally formed with the body 110. For example, the
first coupling protrusions 130 may be formed in the upper and lower
portions of a front end of the body 110, respectively, as shown in
FIG. 2. Alternatively, unlike the configuration of FIG. 2, the
first coupling protrusions may be formed in the upper, lower, left,
and right portions of a front end of the body 110, respectively
(two pairs in total). Like the body 110, a honeycomb-type partition
may be formed in the first coupling protrusions 130, or may not be
formed therein. The first coupling protrusions 130 are received in
the first coupling protrusion receiving portions 140, which will be
described later, whereby one core member 100 is coupled to another
core member 100.
[0038] At least one pair of first coupling protrusion receiving
portions 140 may be provided on the rim of the other end of the
body 110 so as to face each other. For example, the first coupling
protrusion receiving portion 140 may be formed in a manner such
that a receiving groove having a depth is provided on a part of the
rim of the other end of the body 110. Since the rim of the body 110
has a thickness, the receiving groove can be provided.
[0039] In an embodiment, the first coupling protrusion receiving
portions 140 may be integrally formed with the body 110. For
example, the first coupling protrusion receiving portions 140 may
be formed in the upper and lower portions of a rear end of the body
110, respectively, as shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively, unlike the
configuration of FIG. 2, the first coupling protrusion receiving
portions may be formed in the upper, lower, left, and right
portions of a rear end of the body 110, respectively (two pairs in
total). Like the body 110, a honeycomb-type partition may be formed
in the first coupling protrusion receiving portion 140.
[0040] In an embodiment, the first coupling protrusion receiving
portion 140 may be formed at a position corresponding to the first
coupling protrusion 130. For example, in the case where the first
coupling protrusions 130 are formed in the upper and lower portions
of a front end of the body 110, respectively, as shown in FIG. 2,
the first coupling protrusion receiving portions 140 may be formed
in the upper and lower portions of a rear end of the body 110,
respectively. In addition, in the case where a honeycomb-type
partition is formed in the first coupling protrusion 130, the first
coupling protrusion receiving portion 140 may also have a
honeycomb-type partition foiled therein. This is due to the fact
that when a fluid flows through the honeycomb-type partition famed
in the first coupling protrusion 130, the fluid proceeds toward the
first coupling protrusion receiving portion 140. The first coupling
protrusion receiving portion 140 receives the first coupling
protrusion 130, whereby one core member 100 is coupled to another
core member 100.
[0041] That is, in FIG. 2, the first coupling protrusions 130 of
the core member 100 disposed at the center may be received in the
first coupling protrusion receiving portions 140 of the core member
100 disposed at the front, so that the front core member 100 and
the central core member 100 can be coupled. The core member 100
disposed at the rear and the core member 100 disposed at the center
may be coupled in the same manner.
[0042] The surfaces of the core members 100 may be coated with
hydrocarbon adsorbents. Here, the surface of the core member 100
may include both the outer surface and the inner surface of the
core member 100. The inner surface of the core member 100 may be
all of the surfaces of the first partition 120. The hydrocarbon
adsorbent has a function of adsorbing and collecting hydrocarbons
of the evaporation gases passing through the core member 100. The
hydrocarbon adsorbent will be described later in more detail.
[0043] The core members 100 may further include at least one pair
of first protrusions 150. At least one pair of first protrusions
150 may be provided on the outer surface of the body 110 so as to
face each other. For example, the first protrusion 150 may be
formed in a manner such that a protrusion having a predetermined
height is provided on the outer surface of the body 110 along the
longitudinal direction thereof.
[0044] In an embodiment, the first protrusions 150 may be formed
integrally with the body 110. For example, the first protrusions
150 may be formed at positions obtained by dividing the outer
surface of the body 110 into four pieces, respectively, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3. The first protrusions 150 are intended for use in
coupling the cladding member, which will be described later, to the
core member, and thus the front and rear ends of the first
protrusion 150 may be rounded to facilitate insertion of the
cladding member.
[0045] Meanwhile, the body 110 of the core member 100 may be formed
in a polygonal shape rather than a cylindrical shape. In addition,
the plurality of first partitions 120 may be formed in various
shapes other than a honeycomb shape. In this regard, FIGS. 4A to 4F
illustrate various modifications of the body 110 and the first
partition 120. Of course, the body 110 and the first partition 120
may be formed in shapes other than those shown in FIGS. 4A to
4F.
[0046] In addition, the body 110 of the core member 100 may be
provided with a plurality of pairs of first coupling protrusions
130 and first coupling protrusion receiving portions 140. In this
regard, FIGS. 5A and 5B are views showing another modification of
the core member 100 shown in FIG. 2. FIGS. 5A and 5B show a case
where four pairs of first coupling protrusions 130 and first
coupling protrusion receiving portions 140 are provided on the body
110 of the core member 100 at an angular interval of 45
degrees.
[0047] In an embodiment, one core member 100 may be coupled to
another core member 100 in the longitudinal direction such that the
first partitions 120 of the respective core members 100 cross each
other. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the core member 100
disposed in the front and the core member 100 disposed in the rear
may be disposed to cross each other at about 45 degrees, and may
then be coupled to each other. In this case, since the first
partitions 120 formed in the front core member 100 and the first
partitions 120 famed in the rear core member 100 cross each other
as shown in FIG. 5B, a ventilation structure may be formed to be
denser than a non-crossing structure.
[0048] FIG. 6 is a view illustrating an example of cladding members
in an assembled support for adsorbing hydrocarbons (hereinafter,
referred to as an assembled support), according to an embodiment of
the present invention.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 6, an assembled support, according to
embodiments of the present invention, may be formed by coupling a
plurality of cladding members 200 in the longitudinal direction.
For example, the cladding members 200 of FIG. 6 may be coupled in
the longitudinal direction in order to thereby form an assembled
support. Although two cladding members 200 are shown in FIG. 6, two
or more cladding members 200 may be coupled, and the number of
cladding members is not particularly limited.
[0050] Hereinafter, detailed components of the cladding member 200
will be described.
[0051] The cladding member 200 may include an inner body 210, an
outer body 220, at least one pair of second coupling protrusions
240 formed on the outer body 220, at least one pair of second
coupling protrusion receiving portions 250 formed on the outer body
220, and at least one pair of receiving grooves 260 formed on the
inner body 210.
[0052] The inner body 210 and the outer body 220 may be formed in a
cylindrical or polygonal shape. In this regard, FIG. 6 shows the
inner body 210 and the outer body 220 formed in a cylindrical
shape. The inner body 210 may have a hollow therein. The outer body
220 may receive the inner body 210 therein. At this time, the inner
body 210 may be received therein with a space therebetween. That
is, when the inner body 210 is received in the outer body 220, a
predetermined space may be formed between the outer surface of the
inner body 210 and the inner surface of the outer body 220. In
addition, a plurality of second partitions 230 may be formed in the
space between the inner body 210 and the outer body 220. In an
embodiment, the second partitions 230 may be partitioned in the
form of a honeycomb grid to enable ventilation. The size of the
grid is not specified. The larger the size of the grid, the smaller
the number of vent holes that may be formed, and the smaller the
size of the grid, the greater the number of vent holes that may be
formed. The inner body 210, the outer body 220, and the second
partitions 230, which are described above, may be integrally
formed.
[0053] At least one pair of second coupling protrusions 240 may be
provided on the rim of one end of the outer body 220 so as to face
each other. For example, the second coupling protrusion 240 may be
formed in a manner such that a protrusion having a predetermined
height is provided on a part of the rim of one end of the outer
body 220. Since the rim of the outer body 220 has a thickness, the
protrusion can be provided.
[0054] In an embodiment, the second coupling protrusions 240 may be
integrally famed with the outer body 220. For example, the second
coupling protrusions 240 may be formed in the upper and lower
portions of a front end of the outer body 220, respectively, as
shown in FIG. 6. Alternatively, unlike the configuration of FIG. 6,
the second coupling protrusions may be formed in the left and right
portions of a front end of the outer body 220, respectively, or may
be formed in the upper, lower, left, and right portions of a front
end of the outer body 220, respectively (two pairs in total). A
honeycomb-type partition may also be formed in the second coupling
protrusion 240, or may not be formed therein. The second coupling
protrusions 240 are received in the second coupling protrusion
receiving portions 250, which will be described later, whereby one
cladding member 200 is coupled to another cladding member 200.
[0055] At least one pair of second coupling protrusion receiving
portions 250 may be provided on the rim of the other end of the
outer body 220 so as to face each other. For example, the second
coupling protrusion receiving portion 250 may be famed in a manner
such that a receiving groove having a given depth is provided on a
part of the rim of the other end of the outer body 220. Since the
rim of the outer body 220 has a thickness, the receiving groove can
be provided.
[0056] In an embodiment, the second coupling protrusion receiving
portions 250 may be integrally formed with the outer body 220. For
example, the second coupling protrusion receiving portions 250 may
be formed in the upper and lower portions, respectively, of a rear
end of the outer body 220 as shown in FIG. 6. Alternatively, unlike
the configuration of FIG. 6, the second coupling protrusion
receiving portions may be formed in the left and right portions of
a rear end of the outer body 220, respectively, or may be formed in
the upper, lower, left, and right portions of a rear end of the
outer body 220, respectively (two pairs in total). A honeycomb-type
partition may be formed in the second coupling protrusion receiving
portion 250.
[0057] In an embodiment, the second coupling protrusion receiving
portion 250 may be formed at a position corresponding to the second
coupling protrusion 240. For example, in the case where the second
coupling protrusions 240 are formed in the upper and lower portions
of a front end of the outer body 220, respectively, as shown in
FIG. 6, the second coupling protrusion receiving portions 250 may
be formed in the upper and lower portions of a rear end of the
outer body 220, respectively. In addition, in the case where the
honeycomb-type partition is formed in the second coupling
protrusion 240, the second coupling protrusion receiving portion
250 may also have the honeycomb-type partition formed therein. This
is due to the fact that when a fluid flows through the
honeycomb-type partition formed in the second coupling protrusion
240, the fluid proceeds toward the second coupling protrusion
receiving portion 250. The second coupling protrusion receiving
portion 250 receives the second coupling protrusion 240, whereby
one cladding member 200 is coupled to another cladding member
200.
[0058] That is, in FIG. 6, the second coupling protrusions 240 of
the cladding member 200 disposed at the rear may be received in the
second coupling protrusion receiving portions 250 of the cladding
member 200 disposed at the front, so that the front cladding member
200 and the rear cladding member 200 may be coupled.
[0059] The surfaces of the cladding members 200 may be coated with
hydrocarbon adsorbents. Here, the surface of the cladding member
200 may include both the outer surface and the inner surface of the
cladding member 200. The inner surface of the cladding member 200
may include all of the surfaces of the second partitions 230. The
hydrocarbon adsorbent has a function of adsorbing and collecting
hydrocarbons of the evaporation gases passing through the cladding
member 200.
[0060] At least one pair of receiving grooves 260 may be provided
on the inner surface of the inner body 210 so as to face each
other. For example, the receiving groove 260 may be formed in a
manner such that a groove having a predetermined depth is provided
on the inner surface of the inner body 210 along the longitudinal
direction thereof. In an embodiment, the receiving grooves 260 may
be integrally formed with the inner body 210.
[0061] The cladding members 200 may further include at least one
pair of second protrusions 270. At least one pair of second
protrusions 270 may be provided on the outer surface of the outer
body 220 so as to face each other. For example, the second
protrusion 270 may be formed in a manner such that a protrusion
having a predetermined height is provided on the outer surface of
the outer body 220 along the longitudinal direction thereof.
[0062] In an embodiment, the second protrusions 270 may be formed
integrally with the outer body 220. For example, the second
protrusions 270 may be formed at positions obtained by dividing the
outer surface of the outer body 220 into four pieces, respectively,
as shown in FIG. 6. The second protrusions 270 are intended for use
in coupling the cladding member 200 to another cladding member (not
shown) that surrounds the outer surface of the cladding member 200.
The aforementioned cladding member, which surrounds the outer
surface of the cladding member 200, is formed to have a
configuration the same as or a similar to that of the cladding
member 200, and is formed to be greater than the cladding member
200 in order to receive the cladding member 200 therein. Therefore,
an additional description of the additional cladding member
surrounding the outer surface of the cladding member 200 will be
omitted.
[0063] Meanwhile, the inner body 210 and the outer body 220 of the
cladding member 200 may be formed in various shapes (particularly,
corresponding to the inner shape of the inner body 210), as well as
in a cylindrical shape. In addition, the plurality of second
partitions 230 may be formed in various shapes. In this regard,
FIGS. 7A to 7E illustrate various modifications of the cladding
member 200 and the second partitions 230.
[0064] FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a support formed by coupling
the core members 100 of FIG. 2 to the cladding members 200 of FIG.
4.
[0065] Referring to FIG. 8, in an embodiment of the present
invention, the core members 100 of FIG. 2 and the cladding members
200 of FIGS. 4A to 4F may be coupled to form an assembled support
for adsorbing hydrocarbons. More specifically, the core member 100
and the cladding member 200 may be coupled in a manner such that
the cladding member 200 receives the core member 100 therein.
[0066] The number of core members 100 may be the same as the number
of cladding members 200. Although FIG. 8 shows two core members 100
and two cladding members 200, any number of cladding members 200
and core members 100 are provided, so long as the numbers are the
same. That is, in the case where three core members 100 shown in
FIG. 2 are coupled to form an assembled support, three cladding
members 200 may also be provided and may be coupled to the outer
surfaces of the respective core members 100. The core members 100
and the cladding members 200 may be coupled to each other in the
longitudinal direction. As described above, there are many types of
canisters, and the width (thickness or diameter) required for the
support for adsorbing hydrocarbons employed in the canister may
vary depending thereon. According to the assembled support of the
present invention, since the support can be formed to conform to
the width (thickness) required for the canister by coupling the
cladding members 200 to the core members 100, it can be flexibly
used depending on the type of canister.
[0067] At this time, at least one pair of receiving grooves 260 may
be formed on the inner surface of the inner body 210 of the
cladding member 200 along the longitudinal direction thereof so as
to face each other. The receiving groove 260 plays the role of
receiving the first protrusion 150 of the core member 100. When the
core member 100 is received in the cladding member 200, the first
protrusion 150 of the core member 100 may be received in the
receiving groove 260 of the inner body 210 of the cladding member
200. Therefore, the cladding member 200 can be coupled to the outer
surface of the core member 100.
[0068] As described above, the assembled support, according to the
embodiments of the present invention, may have a length and width
(thickness) that is adjusted depending on the type of canister.
Basically, it is possible to foam a support to conform to a
required length by coupling the core members 100 shown in FIGS. 2
and 3. Further, the cladding members 200 of FIG. 6 may be coupled
to the outer surfaces of the core members 100 in order to thereby
form a support having a required width (thickness) (see FIG.
8).
[0069] Accordingly, the present invention can provide an assembled
support for adsorbing hydrocarbons, which is suitable for lengths
and widths (thicknesses or diameters) required for various canister
housings. Unlike the conventional method of forming a support
differently depending on the type of canister, the components
constituting a support are modularized and a support is formed by
assembling the components in the present invention. Therefore, it
is possible to improve process efficiency and to reduce product
cost.
[0070] The core members 100 and the cladding members 200
constituting the assembled support, according to the embodiments of
the present invention, may be formed of a foamed plastic having
flame retardancy. The core members 100 and the cladding members 200
may be produced by injection-molding and foam-molding a plastic
resin in a typical manner. Since the core members 100 and the
cladding members 200 are foamed of a plastic resin, workability is
excellent and manufacturing costs can be reduced compared with a
support formed of a ceramic or metal material.
[0071] In an embodiment, the core member 100 and the cladding
member 200 may be coated with a flame retardant composition (flame
retardant). This is intended to impart a flame retardant function
to the foamed plastic material. In an embodiment, the core member
100 and the cladding member 200 may be coated with a
non-organ-based, phosphorus-based, or nitrogen-based flame
retardant as a flame retardant used in the foam composition. The
flame retardant, for example, may be Al(OH).sub.3, Mg(OH).sub.2,
zinc Borate, Sb.sub.2O.sub.3, Sb.sub.2O.sub.5, H-205 (commercial
name), H-201 (commercial name), DPK (commercial name), red
phosphorus, ammonium polyphosphate, charcoal, zinc sulfide,
expandable graphite, talc, clay, melamine polyphosphate, melamine
pyropolyphosphate, piperazine pyrophosphate, or a combination
thereof.
[0072] Meanwhile, the surfaces of one or more members selected from
the core members 100 and the cladding members 200 may be coated
with a hydrocarbon adsorbent different from that coated on the
surfaces of the remaining members that are not selected. In an
embodiment, the hydrocarbon adsorbent coated on the core member 100
may be of a type that is different from that coated on the cladding
member 200. In another embodiment, in the case where a support is
formed by coupling two core members 100 and two cladding members
200, the hydrocarbon adsorbent coated on the surfaces of the core
member 100 and cladding member 200 disposed at the front may be of
a type that is different from that coated on the surfaces of the
core member 100 and cladding member 200 disposed at the rear.
Furthermore, only a part of the core members 100 and the cladding
members 200 constituting the whole support may be coated with other
kinds of hydrocarbon adsorbents.
[0073] Now, the type of hydrocarbon adsorbent will be described
below.
[0074] In an embodiment, the hydrocarbon adsorbent may be
configured as a mixed slurry of activated alumina bearing platinum
in a zirconium-based oxide and activated alumina bearing rhodium (a
first hydrocarbon adsorbent).
[0075] In another embodiment, the hydrocarbon adsorbent may be
configured as a mixed slurry of a zeolite-based hydrocarbon
adsorbent and a binder, such as an organic polymer, a sol of
alumina, silica, or zirconia, an inorganic salt, an organic salt,
or a hydrolyzed product of aluminum, silica, or zirconium (a second
hydrocarbon adsorbent).
[0076] In another embodiment, the hydrocarbon adsorbent may be
configured as an activated carbon slurry containing 60 wt % to 70
wt % of activated carbon having a pore size of 20 angstroms or less
and 30 wt % to 40 wt % of activated carbon having a pore size of
500 angstroms or more (a third hydrocarbon sorbent).
[0077] The above-described hydrocarbon adsorbents may exhibit
different hydrocarbon adsorption effects. The hydrocarbon
adsorption performance may be improved depending on the type of
canister by combining the hydrocarbon adsorbents in different types
with respect to the core members 100 and the cladding members
200.
[0078] As described above, according to embodiments of the present
invention, an assembled support for adsorbing hydrocarbons can be
provided to have various lengths depending on the size of the
canister housing by coupling a plurality of core members in the
longitudinal direction to form a support.
[0079] In addition, a support can be provided to have various
diameters depending on the size of the canister housing by
providing a cladding member to be coupled to the outer surface of
the core member in order to thereby adjust the diameter of the
support. Therefore, since the support can be applied to various
canister models, price competitiveness thereof is excellent. In
addition, since the core member and the cladding member are formed
of a foamed plastic having flame retardancy, the manufacturing cost
is lower than that of a ceramic or metal material, thereby
contributing to price competitiveness of the product. Further,
since a support may be produced by coupling the core member and the
cladding member, which are coated with different hydrocarbon
adsorbents, it is possible to easily realize an effect of improving
the adsorption efficiency through a combination of two or more
hydrocarbon adsorbents.
[0080] Embodiments of the present invention have been described
above. However, it will be understood that various modifications
can be made, such as a simple change in design, omission of some
components, or a simple change in usage, according to specific
application of the technique by those skilled in the art within the
scope of the present invention defined by the appended claims, and
it is obvious that such modifications will also fall within the
scope of the present invention.
* * * * *