JP2010174895A - Fuel supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the number of part items and improve the efficiency of assembling work in a fuel supply device. <P>SOLUTION: A fuel supply device 1 contains a flange unit 7 mounted in the bottom of a fuel tank 2. The flange unit 7 is provided with a reservoir part 71. A pump assembly 6 having an electric motor 4, a fuel pump 5 or the like formed integrally with one another is installed above the reservoir part. A pump assembly 6 is fixed so as to be sandwiched between an upper cup 8 and the flange unit 7. The flange unit 7 and the upper cup 8 respectively contains an engaging hole 10a and an engaging claw 10b and are fixed to each other in an axial and radial rotation prevented and come-off prevented state by claw-fitting the engaging hole 10a and engaging claw 10b to each other. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel supply device for a vehicle, and more particularly to a fuel supply device for a motorcycle that supplies fuel from a fuel tank to a fuel injection device.

  In recent years, fuel pump modules that integrate fuel pumps, pressure control devices, strainers, etc. are widely used as fuel supply devices for vehicles such as motorcycles and four-wheeled vehicles from the viewpoint of reducing the number of parts and improving the efficiency of assembly work. It is used. In such a fuel pump module, an electric pump driven by an electric motor is used as a fuel pump, and the pump driving motor is united together and arranged in the fuel tank or in the vicinity of the fuel tank.

  For example, in a fuel supply apparatus such as Patent Document 1, an electric pump, strainer, pressure regulator, or the like is fixed to a disk-shaped member called a flange to form a pump module. Then, by attaching this flange to the opening of the fuel tank, the pump module, that is, the fuel supply device is mounted in the tank. In addition, such a fuel supply device is provided with a reservoir portion for storing fuel, and a filter for preventing inhalation of foreign matters is disposed in the reservoir portion. When the electric pump is driven, the fuel in the fuel tank is sucked through the filter, and the fuel filtered and regulated by a pressure control device, a strainer or the like is sent to the fuel supply system of the engine.

WO 2006/120899 Publication

  Such a fuel supply apparatus is required to reduce the number of parts and improve the efficiency of assembly work.

  An object of the present invention is to reduce the number of parts in a fuel supply device and to improve the efficiency of assembly work.

  The fuel supply device of the present invention is attached to the bottom of a fuel tank, and includes a flange member having a reservoir portion into which fuel in the fuel tank flows, an upper cup attached to the flange member, and the fuel tank A fuel supply device having a fuel pump for sucking the fuel and an electric motor for driving the fuel pump, wherein the reservoir portion is a member for coupling the flange member and the upper cup. It has a joint part.

  In the fuel supply device, the upper cup and the flange member may be fixed in a state where the upper cup and the flange member are prevented from rotating in the axial direction and the radial direction and are prevented from being detached. Furthermore, as the engaging portion, an engaging claw provided in the upper cup and an engaging hole provided in the flange member are provided, and the upper cup and the flange member are connected to the engaging claw and the engaging member. You may make it fix by carrying out the nail | claw fitting of a hole.

  According to the fuel supply device of the present invention, the pump assembly can be sandwiched and fixed from the axial direction by the flange member and the upper cup.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the fuel supply apparatus which is one Example of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a flange unit. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of an upper cup. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a filter. It is a perspective view which shows the state which attached the pump assembly to the flange unit. It is explanatory drawing which fractured | ruptured a part of flange unit and showed the relationship between a partition and a deaeration hole. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which looked at the fuel pump from the bottom part side of the flange unit.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a fuel supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. A fuel supply device 1 in FIG. 1 is a device for a motorcycle, and is attached to the bottom of a fuel tank 2 so as to be inserted from below the tank. The fuel supply device 1 is connected to a fuel supply system of an engine (not shown), and supplies fuel to a fuel injection valve of the engine via a fuel pipe 3.

  The fuel supply apparatus 1 has a configuration in which a pump assembly 6 in which an electric motor 4 and a fuel pump (pump unit) 5 are integrated is sandwiched between an upper cup 8 and a flange unit 7 and fixed by claw fitting. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the flange unit 7, and FIG. 3 is a configuration of the upper cup 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the flange unit 7 includes a cylindrical case portion 7a and a flange portion 7b. A filter 9 as shown in FIG. 4 is attached inside the case portion 7a, and a pump assembly 6 is attached above it. A terminal case 18 to which a harness 17 (see FIG. 5) is connected is erected in the case portion 7a. A cutout 18a is formed in the terminal case 18, and the cutout 18a prevents fuel from staying in the terminal case 18.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state where the pump assembly 6 is attached to the flange unit 7 and the upper cup 8 is attached. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the flange unit 7 is provided with an engagement hole 10a, and the upper cup 8 is provided with an engagement claw 10b. The flange unit 7 and the upper cup 8 are fixed in a state in which they are prevented from rotating in the axial direction and in the radial direction by being engaged with the engagement claws 10a and the engagement holes 10b. In this state, the fuel supply device 1 is inserted into the tank through a pump mounting hole 2b formed in the bottom surface 2a of the fuel tank 2. At this time, the flange portion 7b is connected to the bottom of the fuel tank 2 by bolts and nuts (not shown). Fixed to.

  An outlet pipe 11 and a power connector 12 are provided at the lower end of the flange unit 7. The fuel pipe 3 is connected to the outlet pipe 11. The outlet pipe 11 is connected to the fuel discharge port 13 of the pump assembly 6 through a communication pipe 14. A relief valve 15 for adjusting the fuel pressure in the fuel pipe 3 is attached to the communication pipe 14. For example, if the vehicle is stopped for a long time under hot weather, the fuel pressure in the fuel pipe 3 may become high due to the expansion of the fuel. In such a case, in the fuel supply apparatus 1, the relief valve 15 is opened, the pressure in the fuel pipe 3 is lowered, and damage to the fuel supply system is prevented in advance. A power terminal 16 is accommodated in the power connector 12, and a harness 17 is connected to the power terminal 16. The harness 17 extends upward on the side of the pump assembly 6 and is electrically connected to the electric motor 4 at the upper end of the pump assembly.

  In the flange unit 7, the bottom portion of the case portion 7 a is a reservoir portion 71. The reservoir portion 71 is installed below the bottom surface 2 a of the fuel tank 2, and fuel flows into the reservoir portion 71 from a fuel inflow hole 72 (see FIG. 3) formed on the side surface of the upper cup 8. The filter 9 is accommodated in the reservoir portion 71 in a folded state, and the fuel flowing into and stored in the reservoir portion 71 is sucked by the fuel pump 5 through the filter 9.

  The pump assembly 6 is configured such that the electric motor 4, the fuel pump 5, the pressure regulator 21 and the check valve 22 are integrally housed in a steel shell case 23. An outlet cover 24 and an inlet cover 25 are caulked and fixed to both ends of the cylindrical shell case 23. The outlet cover 24 is formed of a synthetic resin and is attached to one end side of the shell case 23. The outlet cover 24 is provided with a brush holder portion 27 that holds the brush 26 of the electric motor 4. That is, the outlet cover 24 serves as a cover for the shell case 23 and a brush holder for the electric motor 4. The outlet cover 24 houses a pressure regulator 21 for adjusting fuel pressure and a check valve 22 for preventing fuel backflow. The check valve 22 is disposed at the fuel discharge port 13, and an end portion thereof is connected to the communication pipe 14. In contrast, the end of the pressure regulator 21 opens into the fuel tank 2.

  The inlet cover 25 is formed by aluminum die casting and is attached to the other end side of the shell case 23. A fuel suction portion 28 projects from the lower end side of the inlet cover 25. A filter 9 is attached to the outside of the fuel suction portion 28. As shown in FIG. 4, the filter 9 is provided with a cylindrical mounting portion 9a protruding from the filter 9 and attached to the fuel suction portion 28 of the inlet cover 25 through the mounting portion 9a. The filter 9 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape as a whole, and is accommodated in the case portion 7a of the flange unit 7 in a state of being folded in a U shape as described above.

  The electric motor 4 is a DC motor with a brush. The shell case 23 also serves as a yoke for the electric motor 4, and a plurality of permanent magnets 31 are fixed to the inner peripheral surface thereof. An armature 32 is rotatably disposed inside the permanent magnet 31. The armature 32 includes a core 34 having a plurality of slots 33 extending in the axial direction, and a winding 35 wound around the slot 33. The armature 32 is fixed to the rotary shaft 36 and is rotatably supported between a bearing portion 37 provided on the outlet cover 24 and a bearing 38 attached to the pump case 61.

  A commutator 40 is provided on the upper side of the armature 32 in FIG. The commutator 40 is fixed to the rotating shaft 36. The brush 26 is in contact with the commutator 40 from the radial direction. The brush 26 is accommodated in a brush holder portion 27 formed on the outlet cover 24, and is pressed against the commutator 40 by a spring (not shown). The brush 26 is connected to the harness 17 via a terminal plate (not shown), whereby the power supply terminal 16 and the brush 26 are electrically connected.

  The pressure regulator 21 has a configuration in which an armature 43 including a ball (steel ball) 42 and a valve spring 44 are accommodated in a regulator accommodating portion 41 formed in the outlet cover 24. The regulator accommodating portion 41 includes a small diameter portion 45 on the upstream side (lower side in FIG. 1) and a large diameter portion 46 on the downstream side, and a valve surface is formed at the boundary portion between the small diameter portion 45 and the large diameter portion 46. ing. The valve surface is obtained by plastically deforming the edge of the boundary portion between the small and large diameter portions by punching. When the ball 42 comes into close contact with the valve surface, the pressure regulator 21 is closed. On the other hand, a retainer 47 is press-fitted and fixed to the downstream end of the large-diameter portion 46. The retainer 47 is formed in a substantially ring shape, and one end side of the valve spring 44 is in contact with the upstream side (lower end surface) thereof.

  The valve spring 44 is formed of a coil spring, and the other end is in contact with the spring receiver 48 of the armature 43. The ball 42 is normally pressed against the valve surface 47 by the urging force of the valve spring 44 (valve closed state). On the other hand, when fluid pressure is applied from the small diameter portion 45 side and the fluid pressure surpasses the urging force of the valve spring 44, the ball 42 moves upward, and a gap is created between the valve surface 47 and the ball 42 to open the valve. It becomes. That is, when the fuel pressure in the shell case 23 exceeds a predetermined adjustment pressure, the armature 43 receives the fuel pressure and moves upward, and excess fuel is returned to the fuel tank 2. Further, when the fluid pressure is reduced and the urging force of the valve spring 44 is won, the ball 42 is moved downward by the urging force of the valve spring 44 and comes into contact with the valve surface 47, so that the small diameter portion 45 is closed and the valve is closed. Become.

  The check valve 22 has a structure in which a valve 53 having a hemispherical seal portion 52 on one end side and a valve spring 54 are accommodated in a check valve accommodating portion 51 formed in the outlet cover 24. The check valve accommodating portion 51 also includes a small diameter portion 55 on the upstream side and a large diameter portion 56 on the downstream side. A tapered surface 57 is formed at the boundary between the small diameter portion 55 and the large diameter portion 56, and when the seal portion 52 comes into contact with the tapered surface 57, the check valve 22 is closed. On the other hand, a valve guide 58 is caulked and fixed to the downstream end of the large diameter portion 56. One end side of the valve spring 54 is in contact with the upstream side (lower end surface) of the valve guide 58.

  The valve spring 54 is also a coil spring, and the other end abuts against the valve 53. The seal portion 52 of the valve 53 is normally pressed against the tapered surface 57 (valve closed state) by the urging force of the valve spring 54. On the other hand, when fluid pressure is applied from the small diameter portion 55 side and the fluid pressure exceeds the urging force of the valve spring 54, the valve 53 moves upward, and a gap is generated between the tapered surface 57 and the seal portion 52. It becomes a state. Accordingly, when the fuel pump 5 is operated and fuel is supplied from the small diameter portion 55 side, the check valve 22 is opened by the pressure, and the fuel is supplied to the fuel pipe 3 side. Further, when the fuel pump 5 stops and the fluid pressure decreases, the urging force of the valve spring 54 wins, and the urging force of the valve spring 54 moves the valve 53 downward. As a result, the seal portion 52 comes into contact with the tapered surface 57 and the small-diameter portion 55 is closed to be in a valve-closed state, and the check valve 22 suppresses the back flow of fuel from the fuel pipe 3 side to the fuel pump 5.

  The fuel pump 5 is a non-volume regenerative pump, and is formed of a pump case 61 and an impeller 62. At the lower end side of the pump case 61, a cylindrical impeller accommodating portion 63 is sunk. An impeller 62 connected to the rotating shaft 36 of the electric motor 4 is disposed in the impeller accommodating portion 63. A D-cut portion 36 a is formed on the rotating shaft 36, and the impeller 62 is attached to the D-cut portion 36 a and rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 36. A number of pump chambers 64 are provided near the outer periphery of the impeller 62 along the circumferential direction.

  The inlet cover 25 is provided with a fuel suction portion 28 corresponding to the pump chamber 64. As described above, the filter 9 is installed in the front stage of the fuel suction portion 28. On the other hand, on the upper end side of the impeller accommodating portion 63, a communication hole 65 that opens to face the shell case 23 is provided corresponding to the pump chamber 64. In such a fuel pump 5, when the electric motor 4 is driven and the rotary shaft 36 is operated, the impeller 62 rotates, and fuel is sucked into the pump chamber 64 from the fuel suction portion 28 as the impeller 62 rotates. The fuel sent into the pump chamber 64 is sent into the shell case 23 from the communication hole 65 by the rotation of the impeller 62, and is sent to the fuel pipe 3 side through the check valve 22.

  The fuel pump 5 is further provided with a deaeration hole 73 for discharging bubbles generated in the fuel pump 5 to the outside of the pump. As described above, in the fuel pump 5, bubbles may be generated in the pump chamber 64 during the rotation of the impeller 62. If these bubbles are left as they are, the pumping action is performed with the bubbles included, and the pumping efficiency is improved. descend. In addition, it is necessary to introduce so-called “priming water” into the pump before the start of the pumping operation. For these reasons, the fuel pump 5 is provided with a deaeration hole 73. The deaeration hole 73 is provided so as to penetrate the inlet cover 25 in the axial direction, and bubbles generated at the time of pumping are discharged out of the pump through the deaeration hole 73. In this case, one end side of the deaeration hole 73 opens at a position corresponding to the pump chamber 64, and the other end side opens in the reservoir portion 71.

  Here, in the fuel supply device 1 according to the present invention, the movement of the bubbles is restricted to the bottom of the case portion 7a of the flange unit 7 in order to prevent the bubbles discharged from the deaeration holes 73 from being sucked again from the filter 9. A partition wall 81 is provided. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a relationship between the partition wall 81 and the deaeration hole 73 by partially breaking the flange unit 7, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the fuel pump 5 is viewed from the bottom side of the flange unit 7. . As shown in FIG. 2 and FIGS. 6 and 7, the flange unit 7 is provided with a partition wall 81 having a substantially U-shaped section at the bottom of the case portion 7a. When the fuel pump 5 is attached to the flange unit 7, the upper end 81 a of the partition wall 81 comes into contact with the bottom 5 a of the fuel pump 5, and at this time, the three sides around the deaeration hole 73 (three directions excluding one direction not facing the filter 9). Direction) is surrounded by the partition wall 81.

  That is, in the fuel supply device 1, the partition wall 81 surrounds the deaeration hole 73, and the partition wall 81 is interposed between the deaeration hole 73 and the filter 9. For this reason, the bubbles discharged from the deaeration holes 73 are first introduced into the inner part 81b of the partition wall 81 as shown in FIG. Then, it flows upward from the inner side portion 81 b through the partition wall opening portion 81 c and is discharged from the flange unit 7 along the side surface of the fuel pump 5. As described above, in the fuel supply device 1 according to the present invention, the partition 81 is disposed between the deaeration hole 73 and the filter 9, thereby preventing bubbles discharged from the deaeration hole 73 from flowing to the filter 9 side. it can. Therefore, it is possible to prevent air bubbles from the deaeration holes 73 from being sucked from the filter 9, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in suction performance and high temperature performance due to air bubble re-suction.

  On the other hand, when surrounding the deaeration hole 73 by the partition wall 81, surrounding the deaeration hole 73 not only makes it difficult for bubbles to be discharged from the partition wall, but also causes a fuel stagnation part in the partition wall. If the fuel occupies a certain part, the fuel may be deteriorated over time. In order to prevent this, in the fuel supply device 1, both end portions 81 d of the partition wall 81 and the reservoir portion of the flange unit 7 are provided. A gap 82 is provided between the inner wall 7c and the inner wall 7c. That is, both end portions 81d of the partition wall are separated from the inner wall 7c, and fuel can be distributed inside and outside the partition wall 81. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the stagnation of the fuel from occurring in the partition inner portion 81b, and it is also possible to suppress the deterioration of the fuel due to the stagnation. As described above, since the bubbles are introduced into the partition 81, the stagnation of the partition inner portion 81b can be effectively suppressed even by stirring by the bubbles.

  In the fuel supply apparatus 1, as described above, the partition upper end portion 81 a abuts against the bottom portion 5 a of the fuel pump 5, and the fuel pump 5 is supported from below by the partition wall 81. Such a partition 81 does not exist in the conventional fuel supply apparatus, and the fuel pump 5 is supported in the flange unit 7 by a filter 9 which is a flexible member. For this reason, in the fuel supply device, the axial position of the pump assembly 6 is slightly unstable, and the filter 9 may come into contact with the bottom surface of the flange unit 7, which may adversely affect the filter performance and the pump suction force.

  On the other hand, in the fuel supply device 1, the fuel pump 5 is supported by a rigid partition wall 81. For this reason, the partition wall 81 serves as a stopper, and the displacement of the pump assembly 6 in the axial direction is suppressed. Further, by providing the partition wall 81, a space S corresponding to the height of the partition wall is secured at the bottom of the flange unit 7, and this space S can be used as a filter arrangement space. Thereby, since the filter 9 is not crushed by the fuel pump 5, the filter 9 can be prevented from coming into contact with the bottom surface of the flange unit 7, and adverse effects on the filter performance and the pump suction force can be suppressed.

  The fuel supply apparatus 1 having such a configuration functions as follows. First, when the electric motor 4 is driven and the fuel pump 5 is operated, the fuel in the fuel tank 2 flows into the reservoir portion 71 through the fuel inflow hole 72 and is sucked from the fuel suction portion 28 through the filter 9. At this time, in the fuel pump 5, the impeller 62 rotates together with the rotating shaft 36, and the fuel is sucked into the pump chamber 64 from the fuel suction portion 28 as the impeller 62 rotates. The fuel sent into the pump chamber 64 is sent into the shell case 23 by the rotation of the impeller 62, and is sent from the fuel discharge port 13 to the fuel pipe 3 through the check valve 22. At that time, the fuel discharged from the check valve 22 passes between the pump assembly 6 and the flange unit 7 such as the flow path 19 a formed in the upper cup 8 and the flow path 19 b formed in the connecting pipe 14. It is sent to the fuel pipe 3 side through the fuel flow path formed to be connected. In this case, air bubbles generated during pumping are supplied from the deaeration hole 73 into the reservoir unit 71, but the path to the filter 9 side is blocked by the partition wall 81, and discharged outside the flange unit 7 without being re-inhaled. Is done.

  On the other hand, when the fuel pressure exceeds a predetermined adjustment pressure due to the pump operation, the pressure regulator 21 is opened, and the fuel in the shell case 23 is returned to the fuel tank 2. Thereby, the pressure of the fuel supplied to the fuel pipe 3 side is appropriately adjusted. The fuel pipe 3 is connected to the fuel injection valve of the engine as described above, and the fuel sucked from the fuel tank 2 by the fuel supply device 1 is supplied to the fuel injection valve via the fuel pipe 3.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the fuel supply device according to the present invention is used for a motorcycle has been shown. However, the application is not limited to this, and the fuel supply device for various vehicles such as a four-wheeled vehicle. It can also be used. The configuration of the present invention can be applied not only to a fuel pump but also to a pump such as a liquid such as water or chemicals or a gas such as air. The configurations of the pressure regulator 21 and the check valve 22 are merely examples, and are not limited to the above-described configurations. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration of the electric motor 4 is not particularly limited, and for example, the number of poles and the number of slots can be set as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fuel supply apparatus 2 Fuel tank 2a Bottom surface 2b Pump mounting hole 3 Fuel piping 4 Electric motor 5 Fuel pump 5a Bottom part 6 Pump assembly 7 Flange unit 7a Case part 7b Flange part 7c Inner wall 8 Upper cup 9 Filter 9a Mounting part 10a Engagement claw 10b Engagement hole 11 Outlet pipe 12 Power connector 13 Fuel discharge port 14 Connection pipe 15 Relief valve 16 Power supply terminal 17 Harness 18 Terminal case 18a Notch 19a, 19b Flow path 21 Pressure regulator 22 Check valve 23 Shell case 24 Outlet cover 25 Inlet cover 26 Brush 27 Brush holder part 28 Fuel suction part 31 Permanent magnet 32 Armature 33 Slot 34 Core 35 Winding 36 Rotating shaft 36a D cut part 37 Bearing part 38 Bearing 40 Con Theta 41 Regulator housing portion 42 Ball 43 Armature 44 Valve spring 45 Small diameter portion 46 Large diameter portion 47 Retainer 48 Spring receiver 51 Check valve housing portion 52 Seal portion 53 Valve 54 Valve spring 55 Small diameter portion 56 Large diameter portion 57 Tapered surface 58 Valve guide 61 Pump case 62 Impeller 63 Impeller accommodating part 64 Pump chamber 65 Communication hole 71 Reservoir part 72 Fuel inflow hole 73 Deaeration hole 81 Partition 81a Upper end part 81b Inner part 81c Opening part 81d Both end part 82 Space S Space

Claims (3)

A flange member attached to the bottom of the fuel tank and having a reservoir portion into which fuel in the fuel tank flows;
An upper cup attached to the flange member;
A fuel supply device comprising: a fuel pump that sucks fuel in the fuel tank; and a pump assembly that includes an electric motor that drives the fuel pump,
The fuel supply device according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir portion includes an engagement portion for coupling the flange member and the upper cup.   2. The fuel supply device according to claim 1, wherein the upper cup and the flange member are fixed in a state in which they are prevented from rotating in an axial direction and a radial direction and are prevented from coming off by the engaging portion. apparatus.   3. The fuel supply device according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion includes an engaging claw provided in the upper cup and an engaging hole provided in the flange member, and the upper cup and the flange. The member is fixed by fitting the engagement claw and the engagement hole into a claw.

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