JP2007291864A - Electric pump retaining device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive electric pump retaining device having a small number of part items and a few assembly man-hours. <P>SOLUTION: The electric pump retains device for retaining an electric pump Ep feeding fuel in a fuel tank T to a fuel take-out pipe 3 on the lower surface of a mounting base member 2 having the fuel take-out pipe 3 on its outer side and attached to the mounting wall 1 of the fuel tank T. Two or more supporting stays 10 surrounding the electric pump Ep along its outer peripheral surface and having locking claws 11 at their lower ends are integrally formed on the lower surface of the mounting base member 2, while locking flanges 12 engaged with the locking claws 11 are formed on the outer periphery of the electric pump Ep. The locking claws 11 and locking flanges 12 are engaged with each other when the electric pump Ep is set to the constant position of the mounting base member 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention mainly relates to a fuel supply module that supplies fuel to a fuel injection valve of an engine. The fuel in the fuel tank is attached to the lower surface of a mounting base member that has a fuel take-out pipe outside and is attached to a mounting wall of the fuel tank. The present invention relates to an improvement of an electric pump holding device for holding an electric pump that is pumped and sent to the fuel take-out pipe.

Such an electric pump holding device is already known as disclosed in Patent Document 1.
JP-A-8-270528

  In the electric pump holding device disclosed in Patent Document 1 above, the bracket, the pump case, and the flange (corresponding to the mounting base member of the present invention) that are divided into three parts are joined to each other by snap-fit fitting to the flange. The electric motor is held, but in such a case, the number of parts is large, and in particular, two sets of snap-fit fitting portions are necessary, so that the number of assembly steps is large, and the cost is inevitably increased as a whole.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive electric pump holding device with a small number of parts and assembly steps.

  To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the fuel in the fuel tank is pumped to the lower surface of the mounting base member that has the fuel take-out pipe on the outside and is attached to the mounting wall of the fuel tank, and sends it to the fuel take-out pipe. In the electric pump holding device for holding the electric pump, a plurality of support stays that surround the electric pump along an outer peripheral surface thereof and have locking claws at a lower end portion are integrally formed on the lower surface of the mounting base member. On the other hand, a locking flange that can be engaged with the locking claw is formed on the outer periphery of the electric pump, and the locking claw and the locking flange set the electric pump at a fixed position of the mounting base member. Then, the first feature is that they are arranged to engage with each other.

  In addition to the first feature, the second feature of the present invention is that a plurality of the support stays are given an elastic force in a direction in which they are brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the electric pump.

  In addition to the second feature of the present invention, the engagement claw includes a groove portion engaged with the engagement flange, and the electric pump when the electric pump is set at a fixed position of the mounting base member. A third feature is that an inclined surface for guiding the stop flange to the groove is provided.

  Furthermore, in addition to any one of the first to third features, the present invention is characterized in that a bracket for attaching a fuel remaining amount sensor for detecting the fuel remaining amount in the fuel tank is integrally formed on the locking flange. The fourth feature.

  According to the first feature of the present invention, the locking flange is fixed to the locking claw of the support stay by a simple operation of pushing the electric pump between the support stays and setting the electric pump at a fixed position of the base member. The electric pump can be held automatically. Moreover, this electric pump holding device is very simple composed of a support stay and a locking flange, and can be provided at a low cost due to the small number of assembly steps.

  According to the second feature of the present invention, since the support stay is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the electric pump by its own elastic force, the electric pump can be reliably held without play.

  According to the third feature of the present invention, when the electric pump is pushed between the support stays, the locking flange can be smoothly engaged with the groove of the locking claw by the guiding action of the inclined surface. It is possible to more easily perform the mounting operation of the electric pump by simplifying the engagement between the locking claw and the locking claw.

  According to the fourth feature of the present invention, the locking flange also serves as the support member of the fuel remaining amount sensor, which can contribute to simplification of the structure.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below on the basis of preferred embodiments of the present invention shown in the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a longitudinal front view (sectional view taken along line 1-1 of FIG. 3) showing a fuel supply module according to an embodiment of the present invention attached to a fuel tank. FIG. 2 is a front view of the fuel supply module. Is a view taken in the direction of the arrow 3 in FIG. 2, and FIG.

  First, in FIGS. 1 and 2, a fuel supply module M for supplying the fuel in the fuel tank T to the fuel injection valve I of the engine is attached to the ceiling wall 1 of the fuel tank T mounted on a vehicle such as a motorcycle. It is done. The fuel supply module M is attached to the attachment base member 2, the electric pump Ep disposed in the fuel tank T immediately below the attachment base member 2 with the axial direction directed up and down, and the lower end of the electric pump Ep. A fuel strainer 4 is provided, and the electric pump Ep is attached to the attachment base member 2 by an electric pump holding device H described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ceiling wall 1 of the fuel tank T is provided with an opening 5 for inserting the electric pump Ep therein, and a mounting ring 6 surrounding the opening 5 is fixed. The The mounting base member 2 is overlaid on the upper surface of the mounting ring 6 via a seal member 7 so as to close the opening 5, and is fixed to the mounting ring 6 by a plurality of mounting bolts (not shown).

  The attachment base member 2 is made of synthetic resin, and a fuel take-out pipe 3 protruding in the horizontal direction outside the fuel tank T is integrally formed on the upper portion of the attachment base member 2. Is connected to a fuel supply conduit 35 connected to the fuel injection valve I of the engine.

  The electric pump Ep includes an electric motor E with the rotor 20 directed in the vertical direction and a fuel pump P driven by the electric motor E. The electric motor E is coupled to a cylindrical stator 17 having a plurality of magnets 17a arranged in the circumferential direction on the inner circumferential surface, an upper bearing bracket 18 that is caulked to the upper end of the stator 17, and a lower end thereof. The lower bearing bracket 19 and the rotor 20 on which the rotor shaft 20a is supported by the upper and lower bearing brackets 18 and 19 are configured.

  The fuel pump P includes a pump case 23 that is caulked to the stator 17 together with the lower bearing bracket 19 so as to define a pump chamber 22 between the lower surface of the lower bearing bracket 19 and a rotor shaft that is rotatably accommodated in the pump chamber 22. The pump impeller 24 connected to the lower end of 20a is configured in a Wesco type.

  The pump case 23 is provided with a suction port 25 that opens into the pump chamber 22, and the fuel strainer 4 disposed at the bottom of the fuel tank T is connected to the suction port 25. It is attached to a support shaft 26 projecting from the lower surface of the case 23. The lower bearing bracket 19 is provided with a discharge port 27 that communicates between the pump chamber 22 and the stator 17.

  The upper bearing bracket 18 is integrally formed with a fuel discharge pipe 30 that projects upward and communicates with the interior of the stator 17. The fuel discharge pipe 30 prevents the fuel from flowing backward into the electric pump Ep. A check valve 34 is provided.

  The lower end portion of the communication pipe 31 is fluid-tightly fitted to the upper end portion of the fuel discharge pipe 30 via the seal member 32, and the upper end portion of the communication pipe 31 is a fuel take-out pipe on the lower surface of the mounting base member 2. 3 is fitted in a liquid-tight manner through a sealing member 33 into a fitting hole 29 that is continuous with the fitting hole 29. Thus, the fuel discharge pipe 30 of the electric pump Ep and the fuel take-out pipe 3 of the mounting base member 2 are communicated with each other via the communication pipe 31.

  A regulator valve R is attached to the communication pipe 31 to recirculate a part of the fuel inside the fuel pipe T into the fuel tank T and adjust the discharge pressure of the electric pump Ep to a predetermined value.

  The fuel discharge pipe 30 is disposed on one side of the upper end surface of the upper bearing bracket 18. In other words, the electric pump Ep is arranged with a predetermined distance offset from the center to one side. On the other side of the upper end surface of the upper bearing bracket 18, a power supply terminal 37 of the electric motor E protrudes. On the other hand, the mounting base member 2 is integrally formed with a power feeding coupler 38 protruding from the upper surface thereof, and a coupler terminal 39 in the coupler 38 and the power feeding terminal 37 are connected via a relay conductor 40.

  Thus, when the electric motor E is operated in the electric pump Ep, the pump impeller 24 is rotationally driven by the rotor shaft 20a. Along with this, the fuel in the fuel tank T is sucked into the pump chamber 22 from the suction port 25 while being filtered by the fuel strainer 4, boosted by the pump impeller 24, and pumped into the stator 17 from the discharge port 27, and the fuel discharge pipe 30 The fuel injection valve I is supplied through the communication pipe 31 and the fuel take-out pipe 3.

  Meanwhile, when the discharge pressure of the electric pump Ep exceeds a predetermined value, the regulator valve R is opened and a part of the discharge fuel of the electric pump Ep is recirculated into the fuel tank T, whereby the discharge pressure of the electric pump Ep, That is, the fuel injection pressure from the fuel injection valve I is appropriately controlled.

  Now, the electric pump holding device H will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The mounting base member 2 is integrally formed with a plurality of support stays 10 and 10 that protrude from the lower surface of the mounting base member 2 while avoiding the regulator valve R and surround the electric pump Ep along the outer peripheral surface thereof. The cross section of the electric pump Ep conforms to the outer peripheral surface of the arc. In the illustrated example, a pair of support stays 10 are arranged so as to face each other on the diameter line of the electric pump Ep. The support stays 10 and 10 are provided with an elastic force that urges the support stays 10 and 10 in a close contact direction with the outer peripheral surface of the electric pump Ep, and locking claws 11 and 11 are formed at the respective lower ends. Each of the locking claws 11 and 11 has an arc-shaped groove portion 11a opened to the electric pump Ep side, and a slope 11b connected to the lower edge of the groove portion 11a. The slope 11b approaches the electric pump Ep. Inclined so that it is upward.

  On the other hand, on the outer periphery of the stator 17 of the electric pump Ep, an annular locking flange 12 that can be engaged with the groove 11a of the locking claws 11, 11 is formed. In the illustrated example, the ring body is welded to the outer peripheral surface of the electric pump Ep as the locking flange 12, but it can also be formed integrally with the stator 17.

  When the electric pump Ep is set at a fixed position of the mounting base member 2, the locking claws 11, 11 and the locking flange 12 are attached to the fuel discharge pipe 30 of the electric pump Ep via the communication pipe 31. When properly connected to 2, the locking flange 12 is arranged to engage with the groove 11 a of the locking claws 11, 11.

  A bracket 13 is integrally formed on the locking flange 12 so as to protrude to one side at a position avoiding the support stays 10, 10, and the bracket 13 is a fuel for detecting the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank T. A remaining amount sensor 14 is attached.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  When the electric pump Ep is attached to the attachment base member 2, first, the communication pipe 31 is fitted and attached to the fuel discharge pipe 30 of the electric pump Ep, and the power supply terminal 37 and the coupler terminal 39 are connected by the relay conductor 40. Leave it in a state.

  Next, when the electric pump Ep is inserted between the pair of support stays 10 and 10 from below and the communication pipe 31 is fitted into the fitting hole 29 of the base member 2, the locking flange 12 is supported in the process. By sliding the locking claws 11, 11 of the stays 10, 10 on the slope 11 b, the locking claws 11, 11 are pushed outward, and as soon as the locking flange 12 passes through the slope 11 b, the support stays 10, 10. However, the groove 11a of the locking claws 11 and 11 is engaged with the locking flange 12 by its own elastic force, and the electric pump Ep can be held.

  In this way, simply by pushing the electric pump Ep between the support stays 10, 10, the locking flange 12 automatically engages with the locking claws 11, 11 of the support stays 10, 10 to hold the electric pump Ep. Therefore, the installation work can be performed very easily. Moreover, the electric pump holding device H is very simple composed of the support stays 10 and 10 and the locking flange 12, and can be provided at a low cost due to the small number of assembly steps.

  Further, since the support stays 10 are in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the electric pump Ep by its own elastic force, the electric pump Ep can be reliably held without play.

  Further, since the fuel discharge pipe 30 of the electric pump Ep is offset by a predetermined distance from the center of the electric pump Ep, the fuel discharge pipe 30 and the mounting base member 2 are fitted when the electric pump Ep is held by the support stays 10 and 10. The rotation of the electric pump Ep can be prevented by fitting with the joint hole 29. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a special detent means for the electric pump Ep between the mounting base member 2 and the electric pump Ep. , Can contribute to simplification of the structure.

  Furthermore, by integrally forming the bracket 13 for attaching the fuel remaining amount sensor 14 to the locking flange 12, the locking flange 12 also serves as a support member for the fuel remaining amount sensor 14, thereby further simplifying the structure. Can contribute to the development.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the locking flange 12 does not necessarily have an annular shape, and can be divided into a plurality of arcuate pieces so as to correspond only to the locking claws 11, 11 of the plurality of support stays 10, 10. . Further, the communication pipe 31 can be integrally formed on the fuel discharge pipe 30 or the attachment base member 2 side.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal front view showing the fuel supply module according to the embodiment of the present invention attached to a fuel tank (cross-sectional view taken along line 1-1 in FIG. 3). The front view of the fuel supply module. FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of arrow 3 in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

Ep ... Electric pump H ... Electric pump holding device T ... Fuel tank 1 ... Mounting wall (ceiling wall)
2... Mounting base member 3... Fuel take-out pipe 10... Support stay 11... Locking claw 11 a. Flange 13 ... Bracket 14 ... Fuel level sensor

Claims (4)

The fuel in the fuel tank (T) is pumped up to the lower surface of the mounting base member (2) which has a fuel extraction pipe (3) on the outside and is attached to the mounting wall (1) of the fuel tank (T). In the electric pump holding device for holding the electric pump (Ep) sent to the pipe (3),
A plurality of support stays (10) are integrally formed on the lower surface of the mounting base member (2) so as to surround the electric pump (Ep) along the outer peripheral surface thereof and have locking claws (11) at the lower end. On the other hand, a locking flange (12) that can be engaged with the locking claw (11) is formed on the outer periphery of the electric pump (Ep), and the locking claw (11) and the locking flange (12) The electric pump holding device, wherein the electric pump (Ep) is arranged to be engaged with each other when the electric pump (Ep) is set at a fixed position of the mounting base member (2). The electric pump holding device according to claim 1,
An electric pump holding device, wherein the plurality of support stays (10) are provided with an elastic force in a direction in which they are in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the electric pump (Ep). The electric pump holding device according to claim 2,
In each of the locking claws (11), when the groove portion (11a) with which the locking flange (12) is engaged and the electric pump (Ep) are set at a fixed position of the mounting base member (2), An electric pump holding device comprising a slope (11b) for guiding the locking flange (12) to the groove (11a). The electric pump holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An electric pump holding device characterized in that a bracket (13) for attaching a fuel remaining amount sensor (14) for detecting the fuel remaining amount in the fuel tank (T) is integrally formed on the locking flange (12). .

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