Charge forming device with adjustable valve limiter

{
  "publication_number": "US10738741B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Charge forming device with adjustable valve limiter",
  "abstract": "A charge forming device may have a rotatable fuel adjustment valve received in a passage of a body of the device. A limiter cap may have a driving feature engageable with a drive feature on the valve and having a first position permitting rotation of the valve relative to the limiter cap and a second position permitting only lesser rotation of the valve than that of the first portion. The limiter cap may have a tamper restraint feature that retains the lesser range of rotation.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A carburetor, comprising: a body having a fuel passage formed therein, and a first needle valve passage communicating with the fuel passage; a first needle valve received in the first needle valve passage for rotation about an axis, having a tip movable relative to a portion of the fuel passage to control the flow rate of fuel in the passage, a head having one or more drive features formed thereon, and a tool engaging feature by which the needle valve may be rotated; and a first limiter cap installed on the first needle valve, having at least one driving feature engageable with at least one drive feature on the first needle valve, having a first position permitting rotation of the first needle valve relative to the first limiter cap and a second position permitting a lesser range of rotation of the first needle valve than the first position, the first limiter cap having at least one tamper resistant feature that retains the lesser range of rotation after tampering, wherein the first needle valve has a plurality of serrations which define the at least one drive feature of the first needle valve and the first limiter cap has a plurality of serrations which define the at least one drive feature of the first limiter cap, and wherein at least one serration on the first limiter cap is not aligned with a space between two adjacent serrations on the first needle valve when the first limiter cap is advanced axially onto the first needle valve from the first position to the second position and the at least one serration on the first limiter cap is deformed upon installation of the first limiter cap on the first needle valve.",
    "2. The carburetor of claim 1 wherein the first limiter cap is advanced axially onto the first needle valve from the first position to the second position and in the second position at least one drive feature of the first limiter cap is engaged with at least one drive feature of the first needle valve to prevent relative rotation between the first needle valve and the first limiter cap.",
    "3. The carburetor of claim 2 wherein when the first limiter cap is advanced axially from the first position to the second position, the first needle valve rotates less than 9 degrees.",
    "4. The carburetor of claim 1 wherein the serrations of the first limiter cap are formed from a softer material than are the serrations of the first needle valve.",
    "5. The carburetor of claim 4 wherein the first limiter cap has multiple serrations that are circumferentially misaligned relative to serrations of the first needle valve and the first limiter cap has multiple serrations that are circumferentially aligned relative to serrations of the first needle valve such that some of the serrations of the first limiter cap are received between two serrations of the first needle valve and some of the serrations of the first limiter cap are engaged and deformed by a serration of the first needle valve.",
    "6. The carburetor of claim 1 wherein the at least one tamper resistant feature includes a rotation limiting feature on an exterior surface of the first limiter cap.",
    "7. The carburetor of claim 6 wherein the rotation limiting feature is a rotation region defined in part by two rotation stops that limit the rotation of the needle valve to the lesser range of rotation in the second position.",
    "8. The carburetor of claim 6 wherein the rotation limiting feature is a tab for engaging a stop within the body of the carburetor.",
    "9. The carburetor of claim 1 further comprising a second needle valve received in a second needle valve passage of the carburetor having a second limiter cap installed thereon, wherein the second limiter cap is installed in a first position and a second position, the second position of the second limiter cap permitting a lesser range of rotation of the second needle valve than the first position.",
    "10. The carburetor of claim 9 wherein the first and second limiter caps each have an anti-rotation surface which are adjacent to one another when the first and second limiter caps are inserted into their respective first positions.",
    "11. A carburetor, comprising: a body having a fuel passage formed therein, and a first needle valve passage communicating with the fuel passage; a first needle valve received in the first needle valve passage for rotation about an axis, having a tip movable relative to a portion of the fuel passage to control the flow rate of fuel in the passage, a head having one or more drive features formed thereon, and a tool engaging feature by which the needle valve may be rotated; and a first limiter cap installed on the first needle valve, having at least one driving feature engageable with at least one drive feature on the first needle valve, having a first position permitting rotation of the first needle valve relative to the first limiter cap and a second position permitting a lesser range of rotation of the first needle valve than the first position, the first limiter cap having at least one tamper resistant feature that retains the lesser range of rotation after tampering, wherein the at least one tamper resistant feature includes one or more flexible fingers that define a cavity, the flexible fingers being defined in part by voids between adjacent flexible fingers with the voids extending through the first limiter cap, and wherein the voids permit the flexible fingers to move relative to each other so that the volume of the cavity decreases when the first limiter cap is advanced axially onto the first needle valve from the first position to the second position inhibiting access to the first needle valve.",
    "12. The carburetor of claim 11 wherein the lesser range of rotation is not increased by removal of the one or more flexible fingers.",
    "13. The carburetor of claim 11 which also includes a plug adapted to be received within a cavity of the body and having an opening having a diameter, and wherein the flexible fingers each have an exterior surface and collectively the exterior surfaces of the flexible fingers define an outer diameter that is larger than the diameter of the opening prior to movement of the fingers as the first limiter cap is advanced axially onto the first needle valve from the first position to the second position, and when the first limiter cap is advanced axially onto the first needle valve the exterior surfaces of the flexible fingers engage the plug and the flexible fingers are displaced radially inwardly until the diameter of defined by the exterior surfaces of the flexible fingers is equal to the diameter of the opening.",
    "14. The carburetor of claim 13 wherein the exterior surface of at least one flexible finger includes a flat region.",
    "15. The carburetor of claim 13 wherein the plug includes a radially inwardly extending retention surface and the first limiter cap includes a radially outwardly extending lip that overlaps the retention surface when the first limiter cap is installed."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/351,045, filed Jun. 16, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.\n\nThe present disclosure relates generally to a fuel charge forming device for an engine such as a carburetor having an adjustable valve and a limiter for the adjustable valve.\n\nGovernment agencies of an increasing number of countries are applying exhaust emission control regulations to protect the environment. These regulations are being applied to all gasoline fuel combustion engines including engines used in marine, lawn and garden and recreational equipment such as outboard motors, garden tractors, chain saws, lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, snowmobiles and personal watercraft. One means of limiting excessive exhaust emissions in a small engine is to restrict the maximum amount of fuel delivered to the combustion chamber by a charge forming device such as a carburetor. This maximum fuel amount is pre-set on each individual engine by the engine manufacturer with the understanding that the end user requires some adjustment capability to meet changing work conditions and environmental factors such as altitude and ambient temperature. The higher the altitude and temperature, the lower the air density, and thus the amount of fuel mixed with the air must be decreased to maintain the proper oxygen to fuel ratio necessary to efficiently operate the engine. The user of the engine must therefore be able to adjust the fuel to air mixture ratios and may do so via low and high speed needle valves protruding from the carburetor.",
  "cpc": [
    "F02M 19/04",
    "F02M 17/08",
    "F02M 17/38",
    "F02M 2003/105",
    "F02M 7/12",
    "F02M 9/00",
    "F02M 9/08"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "F02M 19/04"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Walbro LLC"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Yoshiaki Doyama",
    "Teruhiko Tobinai"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-05-26",
  "publication_date": "2020-08-11",
  "grant_date": "2020-08-11",
  "priority_date": "2016-06-16",
  "application_number": "US-201715606404-A",
  "family_id": "60660755",
  "cited_by_count": 4,
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}