Liquid purification or separation – Structural installation – Separator ancillary to storage tank
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-24
2001-06-05
Lithgow, Thomas M. (Department: 1724)
Liquid purification or separation
Structural installation
Separator ancillary to storage tank
C210S196000, C210S097000, C210S416400, C123S509000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241883
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an in-tank type fuel feeding device for an automotive vehicle, which comprises: a sub-tank provided in a fuel reservoir; a fuel pump for feeding under pressure fuel within the fuel reservoir through a pressure regulator toward an engine; and a return piping for returning extra fuel from the pressure regulator to the fuel reservoir, in order to avoid a phenomenon that the fuel within the fuel reservoir is biased on one side by a swing motion or the like so that the fuel is not provided around a suction port of the fuel pump.
BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY
FIG. 11
is, for example, a cross-sectional view, which is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei 1-37178 issued on Nov. 9, 1989, and shows a fuel feeding device for an automotive vehicle, which is assembled through a set plate from a bottom side of a fuel reservoir.
In the drawing, reference numeral
1
denotes a fuel reservoir, character
1
a
denotes an opening portion formed in a bottom surface of the fuel reservoir
1
, numeral
2
denotes fuel, numeral
3
denotes a set plate mounted oil-tightly so as to hermetically close the above-described opening portion la, numeral
4
denotes a fuel pump provided in the set plate
3
in advance for feeding under pressure the fuel
2
within the fuel reservoir
1
to the engine, and numeral
5
denotes a sub-tank provided in the set plate
3
in advance for being positioned in a suitable position within the fuel reservoir
1
in order to avoid a phenomenon that the fuel
2
within the fuel reservoir
1
is biased on one side by a swing motion or the like so that the fuel
2
is not provided around a suction port
4
a
of the fuel pump
4
. A shape of the sub-tank
5
shown in the figure is a cup-shaped with a communication hole (not shown) having a small diameter in a lower portion of a side wall thereof so that the fuel is introduced therethrough.
This sub-tank
5
is mounted on an inner surface side of the set plate in advance so that it is located in a suitable position within the fuel reservoir
1
. The in-tank type fuel pump
4
is mounted within the sub-tank
5
together with a suction side filter
6
mounted on its suction port.
Reference numeral
6
denotes the suction side filter mounted so as to cover the suction port
4
a
of the fuel pump
4
, numeral
7
denotes a joint pipe, and numeral
8
denotes an oil feeding piping for feeding out the fuel
2
to the fuel reservoir
1
oil-tightly through the set plate
3
from an outlet
4
b
of the fuel pump
4
. Reference numeral
10
denotes an oil feeding pipe
10
, numeral
11
denotes a fuel filter inserted on the downstream side of the oil feeding pipe
10
for filtrating dust of the fuel
2
to be fed, numeral
12
denotes an injector for injecting the fuel to each cylinder of the engine (not shown), and numeral
13
denotes a pressure regulator for adjusting the pressure of the fuel
2
to be fed to the injector
12
to a constant level.
Also, numeral
14
denotes a return piping for collecting the fuel
2
, which is excessive upon the pressure adjustment, from the pressure regulator
13
again to the fuel reservoir
1
. This return piping
14
extends from the pressure regulator
13
with its outlet port being open within the fuel reservoir
1
oil-tightly through the set plate
3
.
Incidentally, numeral
15
denotes an electric power connector provided oil-tightly to the set plate
3
and connected to an electric power feeding terminal
4
c
of the fuel pump
4
to feed the electric drive power of the fuel pump
4
.
As described above, in the conventional fuel feeding device for an automotive vehicle, under the condition that an amount of the fuel
2
within the fuel reservoir
1
is reduced, in order to again feed, back to the engine, the fuel
2
that has been returned back to the fuel reservoir
1
through the return piping
14
, the fuel
2
collected in the fuel reservoir
1
is caused to flow into the sub-tank
5
through the communication hole (not shown) having a small diameter, and in addition, the fuel has to reach the suction port
4
a
of the fuel pump
4
. Such a detour has to be taken. As a consequence, if the fuel within the fuel reservoir
1
is biased on one side by the swing motion or the like, the fuel
2
adjacent to the suction port
4
a
of the fuel pump
4
would be insufficient so that it is impossible to sufficiently feed the fuel to the engine, disadvantageously.
Also, in general, since the sub-tank
5
is formed into a cup shape whose top surface is opened, the fuel
2
within the sub-tank
5
is caused to ride over the side wall of the sub-tank
5
to the outside upon the swing motion when the vehicle is slanted, abruptly accelerated or abruptly braked. Thus, there is a possibility that the fuel
2
adjacent to the suction port
4
a
of the fuel pump
4
is insufficient so that it is impossible to sufficiently feed the fuel
2
to the engine.
In particular, although the fuel consumption rate is increased upon the acceleration of the vehicle, if the fuel supply amount would be insufficient at this time, there is also a problem that the drivability of the vehicle would be seriously affected.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to overcome such a problem, an object of this invention is to provide a fuel feeding device for an automotive vehicle, which stably feeds an extra fuel collected from a pressure regulator
13
through a return piping even if the fuel is biased due to a swing motion upon a rapid acceleration or a rapid braking of the vehicle when the amount of the fuel within a fuel reservoir is consumed.
According to a first aspect of this invention, in a fuel feeding device for an automotive vehicle comprising: a sub-tank provided within a fuel reservoir for avoiding the shortage of fuel in the vicinity of a suction port of a fuel pump, resulting from the fuel within the fuel reservoir is biased on one side by a swing motion or the like; a fuel pump for feeding under pressure the fuel within the fuel reservoir through a pressure regulator on an engine side; and a return piping for returning extra fuel from the pressure regulator to the fuel reservoir, an outlet port of the return piping and a suction port of the fuel pump are disposed within the sub-tank, and the outlet port of the return piping is provided so that the extra fuel is guided and directed to the suction port of the fuel pump.
According to a second aspect of this invention, in a fuel feeding device for an automotive vehicle comprising: a sub-tank provided within a fuel reservoir for avoiding the shortage of fuel in the vicinity of a suction port of a fuel pump, resulting from the fuel within the fuel reservoir is biased on one side by a swing motion or the like; a fuel pump for feeding under pressure the fuel within the fuel reservoir through a pressure regulator on an engine side; a return piping for returning extra fuel from the pressure regulator to the fuel reservoir; and a set plate disposed in advance so that the sub-tank and the fuel pump are positioned at appropriate positions within the fuel reservoir and mounted from a bottom surface side of the fuel reservoir, an outlet port of the return piping is disposed on the set plate from the bottom surface side of the fuel reservoir to face an interior of the fuel reservoir, the outlet port of the return piping and the suction port of the fuel pump are disposed within the sub-tank, and the outlet port of the return piping is provided so that the extra fuel is guided and directed to the suction port of the fuel pump.
According to the fuel feeding device for an automotive vehicle of a third aspect of this invention, in the fuel feeding device for an automotive vehicle according to the first aspect of this invention, a flow guide means for guiding the extra fuel to the suction port of the fuel pump is provided at the outlet port of the return piping.
According to the fuel feeding device for an automotive vehicle of a fourth aspect of this invention, in the fuel feeding device for an automotive vehicle according to the secon
Lithgow Thomas M.
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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