Internal-combustion engines – Charge forming device – With fuel pump
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-22
2001-04-17
Moulis, Thomas N. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Charge forming device
With fuel pump
C123S497000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216671
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a modular fuel reservoir in a motor vehicle fuel tank.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A typical motor vehicle fuel system includes an element commonly referred to as a “modular fuel reservoir” (MFR) in a fuel tank of the motor vehicle. The MFR includes a tank cover, a cup-shaped plastic reservoir, a plurality of struts on the tank cover slidably connected to the reservoir, and a spring urging relative separation between the tank cover and the reservoir. The MFR is inserted into the fuel tank through an access port in the top of the fuel tank which is sealed closed by the tank cover. The spring biases the reservoir against the bottom of the fuel tank. A plastic retainer on the top of the plastic reservoir supports a fuel pump including an electric motor and a pump. The electric motor of the fuel pump is turned on and off through a wiring harness of the motor vehicle. When the electric motor is on, the pump pumps fuel at elevated pressure from the reservoir through a high pressure loop which includes a fuel rail of a fuel injection system of the motor vehicle and a fuel pressure regulator on the reservoir or on the retainer of the MFR. The pressure regulator releases fuel from the high pressure loop to the reservoir through a return loop and commonly includes a metal housing which is electrically insulated by the plastic reservoir or the plastic retainer and which, therefore, becomes a capacitor-like electrical storage device as ions stripped away from the fuel collect on the metal housing. To maintain the metal housing of the pressure regulator at the same potential as the negative terminal of the motor vehicle's battery, it is known to “ground” the metal housing through a terminal clip clipped onto the metal housing and a conductor attached to the terminal clip and spliced into a negative conductor of the wiring harness of the motor vehicle. Such extra wires and terminal clips, and the installation thereof, however, contribute to the manufacturing expense of the MFR.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is a new and improved modular fuel reservoir (MFR) including a cup-shaped plastic reservoir, a tank cover, a plurality of struts on the tank cover slidably connected to the reservoir, a spring urging relative separation between the tank cover and the reservoir, and a pressure regulator supported on the reservoir. A fuel pump is supported in a tubular chamber of a retainer on top of the plastic reservoir and includes an exposed metal shell bearing against a wall of the tubular chamber and an electric motor turned on and off through a positive contact terminal and a negative contact terminal on a plastic end housing of the fuel pump. The retainer is made of an electrically conductive polymer having a surface resistivity less than or equal to 1×10
3
Ohms and/or a volumetric resistivity less than or equal to 600 Ohms/cm
3
as measured per ASTM D257 or equivalent test method and includes an integral resilient fin self-biased against a metal housing of the pressure regulator. Ions stripped from the fuel and collected on the metal housing of the pressure regulator are conducted to the negative terminal on the end housing of the fuel pump through the electrically conductive retainer, the exposed metal shell of the fuel pump, and an internal conductor in the fuel pump between the metal shell and the negative terminal. The wall of the tubular chamber of the electrically conductive retainer constitutes a shield around the fuel pump which reduces radiated electrical emissions attributable to commutation in the electric motor of the fuel pump.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5642718 (1997-07-01), Nakai et al.
patent: 5647330 (1997-07-01), Sawert et al.
patent: 5785032 (1998-07-01), Yamashita et al.
patent: 5958237 (1999-09-01), Cort et al.
Beyer Sharon Elizabeth
Jones Dale Richard
McGrath Dennis Paul
Sawert Ulf
Cichosz Vincent A.
Delphi Technologies Inc.
Moulis Thomas N.
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