Internal-combustion engines – Charge forming device – With fuel pump
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-20
2001-09-25
Moulis, Thomas N. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Charge forming device
With fuel pump
C123S1950HC
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293257
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel supply system mounting structure for supplying fuel to an engine of an outboard motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an outboard motor in general, an engine is installed in the longitudinal direction so that a crankshaft is disposed vertically, while a drive shaft linked to the lower end of the crank shaft so as to be rotatable in unison extends downward thereby to drive a screw propeller to rotate. The engine is enclosed by an engine cover for protection against water, while fuel supply devices such as a fuel pump and a fuel filter are installed around the engine.
Four-cycle engines have been used predominantly instead of 2-cycle engines for outboard motor engines in recent years in consideration of environmental conservation. However, given the same engine displacement, a four-cycle engine tends to be larger than a 2-cycle engine, though the engine cover cannot be made large enough for reasons of appearance and the need to avoid deteriorating aerodynamic performance. As a consequence, in an outboard motor equipped with a four-cycle engine, there remains only a small space between the engine and the engine cover that makes it difficult to install such devices as a fuel pump and a fuel filter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The advantages and purposes of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Moreover, the advantages and purposes of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The present invention claims to solve the problems described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel supply system mounting structure for an outboard motor equipped with a four-cycle engine that makes it possible to dispose the fuel pump and the fuel filter in an efficient layout for compact construction of the components around the engine, while improving the convenience of a fuel hose piping that connects between the fuel pump and the fuel filter.
In order to achieve the object described above, in a fuel supply system mounting structure for an outboard motor, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, having a four-cycle engine installed therein in the longitudinal direction with a crank shaft thereof disposed vertically, a fuel pump is mounted on one side face of a cylinder head of the engine, and a fuel filter is mounted on the opposite side face. Fuel hose joints of the fuel pump and the fuel filter are directed to a head cover side of the engine.
Also, in the fuel supply system mounting structure for the outboard motor, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, having a four-cycle engine installed therein in the longitudinal direction with a crank shaft thereof disposed vertically, a fuel pump and a fuel filter are mounted on one side face of a cylinder head of the engine. Also, the fuel pump and the fuel filter are disposed in a longitudinal direction with the fuel hose joints of the fuel pump and the fuel filter being directed in the same direction.
By disposing the fuel pump and the fuel filter on opposite side faces of the cylinder head or in the longitudinal direction on one side face of the cylinder head, as described above, the fuel pump and the fuel filter are prevented from protruding significantly from the engine in the longitudinal and/or lateral direction because the fuel pump and the fuel filter can be contained in a kind of dead space produced between the cylinder head and an intake passage and an exhaust passage that protrudes from the side face of the cylinder head, thus making the construction around the engine compact.
Also, by directing the fuel hose joints of the fuel pump and the fuel filter, that are installed on the opposite side faces of the cylinder head, to the head cover side or making the fuel hose joints of the fuel pump and the fuel filter that are installed on the one side faces of the cylinder head in longitudinal direction, pointed in the same direction, the fuel hose that connects the fuel pump and the fuel filter can be made shorter thereby improving the convenience of the fuel hose piping.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5669358 (1997-09-01), Osakabe
patent: 5724936 (1998-03-01), Osakabe
patent: 5803036 (1998-09-01), Takahashi et al.
patent: 5943996 (1999-08-01), Sagawa et al.
patent: 5980341 (1999-11-01), Mishima et al.
patent: 6070564 (2000-06-01), Hiraoka et al.
patent: 10-176541 A (1998-06-01), None
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Moulis Thomas N.
Suzuki Motor Corporation
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