Marine fuel vapor separator with vent control device

1. A fuel supply system for an outboard marine engine, said fuel supply system including:

an outboard marine engine powered by liquid fuel, said engine including a fuel injection system;

a remote fuel tank for containing liquid fuel;

a vapor separator directly affixed to said engine and communicating with said remote fuel tank via a supply line, said vapor separator having an enclosed interior chamber for collecting a volume of liquid fuel and fuel vapors;

a suction pump disposed along said supply line for transferring the liquid fuel under negative pressure from said remote fuel tank to said interior chamber of said vapor separator;

a high pressure pump for transferring liquid fuel under positive pressure from said interior chamber to said fuel injection system of said engine;

said vapor separator including a vent valve device communicating with said interior chamber for permitting the escape of fuel vapors trapped in said interior chamber;

said vent valve device including a generally tubular casing having an enclosed top end permeated by an escape passage, and a float slidably disposed within said casing for movement toward and away from pressing engagement with said escape passage, and a sealing feature for perfecting a fluid and vapor tight seal between said float and said escape passage when said float is pressing thereagainst;

said vent valve device including a biasing element operatively interposed between said casing and said float for urging said float toward said escape passage;

wherein said float has a weight and said biasing element has a reaction force insufficient to overcome said weight force of said float along a normal vector gravitational direction; and

said reaction force of said biasing element being sufficient to overcome said weight force of said float along a skewed vector gravitational direction, with said skewed vector displaced greater than about 25 degrees from said normal vector gravitational direction.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said biasing element comprises a coiled compression spring.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said vapor separator assembly includes a top wall having a socket-like receiving pocket covering said interior chamber, said vent valve device being disposed in said socket-like receiving pocket of said top wall.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said vent valve device includes a cap enclosing said top end of said tubular casing, said cap having a resilient, flexible sealing skirt for perfecting a fluid-tight seal within said socket-like receiving pocket of said top wall.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said vent valve device includes a retainer ring for resisting removal of said vent valve device from said top wall.