Fluid handling – Systems – Plural tanks or compartments connected for serial flow
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-26
2001-05-08
Lee, Kevin (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Systems
Plural tanks or compartments connected for serial flow
C137S565340, C137S565170, C123S506000, C123S514000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227242
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a tank for a motor vehicle and to a flange for connecting a fuel return line to a tank of a motor vehicle.
PRIOR ART
From German Patent Disclosure DE-A 44 26 667, a tank for a motor vehicle is known in which excess fuel is returned from and engine via a return line. The return line ends in the tank at a jet pump, which is disposed in the vicinity of the bottom of the tank and serves, with the aid of the returned fuel as a propellant, to feed fuel from a main portion of the tank into an impoundment container disposed in the tank, from this container it is drawn off by a delivery unit and resupplied to the engine. For proper jet pump operation, the pressure of the propellant must be regulated. In the known tank, this is done by means of a branch line, which originates at the jet pump; a spring-loaded ball presses against the end of this branch line that discharges into the impoundment container. If the pressure in the branch line exceeds a predetermined value, the ball is lifted from its seat at the end of the branch line, and fuel flows through the branch line into the impoundment container.
Because of its disposition on the bottom of the impoundment container, the valve is difficult to install and can sometimes be hard to clean. In addition, a certain minimum installation height must be provided, for the sake of proper functioning of the valve.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to optimize the disposition of the pressure limiting valve.
This object is attained according to the invention by a flange as defined by claim
1
and a tank as defined by claim
9
.
Mounting the pressure limiting valve on the flange makes it readily accessible for maintenance purposes. The structural height of a tank can also be kept low as a result.
Advantageous features of the flange and tank according to the invention are defined in claims
2
-
8
and
10
and
11
, respectively.
For instance, it is thus possible for a portion of the passage to be aligned with an outlet opening of the branch line, so that through the opening a check valve, such as a duckbill valve, can be disposed in the passage.
If the pressure limiting valve is held detachably in front of the outlet opening, then the check valve is easily accessible via the outlet opening and can be replaced easily as needed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4664142 (1987-05-01), Bertsch et al.
patent: 44 26 667 A1 (1996-02-01), None
Lee Kevin
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
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