JP2020045816A - Fuel supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a fuel supply device capable of sucking fuel when a fuel liquid surface inclines with a vehicle inclining, without the need to add a new member.SOLUTION: A fuel supply device 1 according to this invention includes a fuel pump 3, a lower cup 27, a fuel storage part 5, and a suction filter 6, the fuel pump being mounted to an upper wall 2a of a fuel tank 2 for pumping fuel from an inside 2b of the fuel tank, the lower cup being provided on the lower side of the fuel pump and formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape to support the fuel pump, the fuel storage part being formed between the lower cup and the fuel pump, the suction filter being arranged on the lower side of the fuel storage part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel supply device.

  Generally, as a fuel supply device for vehicles such as motorcycles and four-wheeled vehicles, a so-called in-tank type in which a fuel pump is disposed in a fuel tank and the fuel supply device is immersed in fuel in the fuel tank is employed. . As the in-tank type fuel supply device, there are a type which is attached to an upper wall of a fuel tank and a type which is attached to a lower wall of a fuel tank.

2. Description of the Related Art Among fuel supply devices, there is known a configuration in which a sub-tank is provided at the bottom of a fuel tank, and the fuel supply device is provided inside the sub-tank. The bottom of the sub-tank is formed at a position higher than the bottom of the filter at the top, and a fuel inlet and a check valve are provided at a higher position. Therefore, fuel remains at a position lower than the fuel intake port inside the sub tank. A filter is arranged at a low position.
Thus, even when fuel leaks from the check valve, the filter can be kept immersed in the remaining fuel, and the fuel can be sucked in (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Further, according to the fuel supply device of Patent Document 1, the filter is connected to the suction port of the fuel pump. Thus, for example, when the fuel level is tilted due to tilting or sudden acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle, the filter is kept immersed in the fuel at a low position, and the fuel can be sucked.

  Some fuel supply devices include a fuel supply device provided at the bottom of the fuel tank, and a fuel storage member fixed between the seal member and the fuel pump when the fuel pump is attached to the fuel tank. Have been. According to this fuel supply device, even when the fuel is unbalanced in the fuel tank, the fuel can be kept near the fuel pump suction portion by the fuel storage member. As a result, even when the remaining amount of fuel is low, the fuel can be sucked by the fuel pump (for example, see Patent Document 2).

  Further, there is known a fuel supply device in which an upper cup of the fuel supply device is provided on an upper wall of a fuel tank (for example, see Patent Document 3).

Japanese Patent No. 2556097 Japanese Patent No. 5,123,928 Japanese Patent No. 5,745,878

However, according to the fuel supply device of Patent Literature 1, it is necessary to provide a sub-tank in the fuel tank and a filter in a low position of the sub-tank in order to suck the fuel when the fuel level is inclined due to the inclination of the vehicle or the like. This hinders the reduction in the number of parts.
Further, according to the fuel supply device of Patent Document 2, it is necessary to fix the fuel storage member between the seal member and the fuel pump in order to keep the fuel in the vicinity of the fuel pump suction part. This hinders the number of parts.
Further, Patent Literature 3 describes a fuel supply device provided at the top of a fuel tank, but does not describe a configuration in which fuel is sucked when a fuel level is tilted due to a tilt of a vehicle or the like.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a fuel supply device that can suck in fuel when the fuel level is tilted due to the tilt of the vehicle or the like without adding a new member.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an invention according to claim 1 is provided with a fuel pump attached to an upper portion of a fuel tank and pumping fuel from the inside of the fuel tank, and a bottomed cylindrical shape supporting the fuel pump. The fuel cell system further includes a lower cup, a fuel storage portion formed between the lower cup and the fuel pump, and a filter disposed below the fuel storage portion.

With this configuration, a fuel storage portion can be formed between the lower cup and the fuel pump using the lower cup and the fuel pump. Thus, the fuel storage section can be formed without providing a new member.
Further, by forming a fuel storage section between the lower cup and the fuel pump, fuel can be stored in the fuel storage section. Thus, when the fuel level is tilted due to the tilt of the vehicle or the like, the fuel stored in the fuel storage unit can be sucked by the fuel pump.

  In the invention described in claim 2, the fuel reservoir is disposed in a state where the axis center of the fuel pump is offset with respect to the axis center of the lower cup, so that the fuel storage unit is configured such that the fuel storage unit is positioned with respect to the axis center of the lower cup. The fuel pump is provided on the symmetrical side of the axial center of the fuel pump.

  With this configuration, a relatively large space can be secured on the symmetrical side of the axis of the pump motor with a simple configuration by offsetting the axis of the fuel pump with respect to the axis of the lower cup. Thus, by using the reserved space as the fuel storage section, the fuel storage section can be provided on the symmetrical side of the axial center of the pump motor with a simple configuration without providing a new member.

  The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that a storage opening formed in the bottom wall of the lower cup and communicating with the fuel storage is provided.

  With this configuration, the fuel stored in the fuel storage section can flow out from the storage opening formed in the bottom wall of the lower cup. A filter is arranged below the bottom wall of the lower cup. Therefore, the fuel stored in the fuel storage unit can be quickly guided from the storage opening to the filter. Thereby, when the fuel level in the filter decreases due to the inclination of the vehicle or the like and the fuel in the filter decreases, the fuel guided to the filter from the storage opening can be suitably sucked by the fuel pump.

  The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that the storage opening is formed adjacent to a suction pipe of the fuel pump.

  With this configuration, when the fuel stored in the fuel storage unit is guided from the storage opening to the filter, the fuel can be guided to the vicinity of the suction hole of the fuel pump. Thereby, the fuel guided from the fuel storage unit to the filter can be quickly sucked through the suction hole of the fuel pump.

  The invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that the fuel storage portion is formed so that the distance between the lower cup and the fuel pump becomes narrower toward the storage opening.

  With this configuration, the fuel stored in the fuel storage unit can be smoothly guided toward the storage opening. In addition, by gradually narrowing the distance between the lower cup and the fuel pump, a suitable amount of fuel can be guided to the storage opening. Thereby, fuel can be efficiently discharged from the storage opening.

  The invention described in claim 6 is provided with: a deaeration hole provided in the fuel pump; and a deaeration passage formed in the lower cup and communicating with the deaeration hole. The lower cup is formed so as to protrude toward the inner surface side.

With this configuration, the formation wall that forms the deaeration passage can be formed to protrude toward the inner surface of the lower cup. Therefore, it is not necessary to project the forming wall on the outer surface side of the lower cup.
Here, a filter is arranged outside the lower cup. Therefore, a suitable space can be secured between the lower cup and the filter. Thus, the filter replacement can be prevented from being interrupted by the formation wall of the deaeration passage, and the filter can be easily replaced.

  The invention described in claim 7 is characterized in that a pressure regulator 31 is disposed axially above the fuel storage section.

  With this configuration, the fuel storage section can be arranged below the pressure regulator. Therefore, when the fuel pressure of the fuel guided to the pressure regulator is higher than a predetermined value, the fuel is discharged downward through the pressure regulator. Thereby, the fuel discharged downward through the pressure regulator can be guided to the fuel storage unit and stored efficiently.

  The invention described in claim 8 is characterized in that the lower cup includes a holding rib formed on an inner surface side of the lower cup and holding the fuel pump.

  With this configuration, the fuel pump can be held by the holding ribs with a simple structure in which the holding ribs are formed integrally on the inner surface side of the lower cup. Further, in this state, a fuel storage section can be formed between the lower cup and the fuel pump. Thereby, the fuel storage section can be formed with a simple configuration without providing a new member.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a fuel storage part can be formed between a lower cup and a fuel pump using a lower cup and a fuel pump. Accordingly, it is not necessary to add a new member, and the fuel can be sucked when the fuel level is tilted due to the tilt of the vehicle or the like.

It is a side view of a fuel supply device in an embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the fuel supply device in an embodiment. It is a sectional view of a fuel supply device in an embodiment. It is the perspective view which looked at the lower cup in embodiment from the lower side. It is the top view which looked at the lower cup in an embodiment from the upper part. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion VI of FIG. 3 in the fuel supply device of the embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the 1st-3rd deaeration passage in embodiment. It is a perspective view showing a suction filter in a fuel supply device of an embodiment.

(Fuel supply device)
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view of the fuel supply device 1, FIG. 2 is a front view of the fuel supply device 1, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the fuel supply device 1.
In the following description, in a state where the fuel supply device 1 is attached to the fuel tank 2, the upper side in the vertical direction (upper side in FIGS. 1 to 3) is simply the upper side, and the lower side in the vertical direction (lower side in FIGS. 1 to 3). Side) may be simply described as the lower side or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a fuel supply device 1 is disposed, for example, immersed in fuel in a fuel tank 2 of a vehicle such as an automobile or a motorcycle, and pumps up the fuel in the fuel tank 2 to form an internal combustion engine. (Not shown).
The fuel supply device 1 includes a fuel pump 3, a holder 4, a fuel storage 5, and a suction filter (filter) 6.

(Fuel pump)
The fuel pump 3 is an upper pump attached to the upper wall (upper part) 2a of the fuel tank 2 and pumping up fuel from the inside 2b of the fuel tank 2 and pumping the fuel to the internal combustion engine. The fuel pump 3 has a pump section P disposed on the suction filter 6 side, and a pump motor M mounted above the pump section P.
As the pump motor M, for example, a DC motor with a brush is used. An output shaft 10 is arranged at the radial center of the pump motor M, and is rotatably supported by the upper side of the pump motor M and the lower side of the pump unit P.

  An outlet cover 11 is provided above the pump motor M. The outlet cover 11 has a discharge port 11a. The discharge port 11a is a portion from which the fuel pumped by the fuel pump 3 is discharged. The discharge port 11a is provided with a check valve 12 for preventing backflow of fuel. Further, a step portion 11b for caulking a housing case 13 described below is formed on the outer periphery of the lower portion of the outlet cover 11.

A non-volume pump having an impeller 16 is used as the pump section P, and is configured by the impeller 16 and a pump case 17 formed so as to cover the entire impeller 16.
The impeller 16 is a substantially disk-shaped member made of resin, and is connected to the output shaft 10 of the pump motor M so as not to rotate relatively. On the upper surface and the lower surface of the impeller 16, a plurality of blade portions are formed on the outer peripheral side. The impeller 16 is formed to penetrate between the plurality of blades in the thickness direction.

The impeller 16 is formed with a fuel passage hole (not shown) penetrating in the thickness direction. When the impeller 16 rotates by driving the pump motor M, the fuel passes through the fuel passage hole and passes through the impeller. 16 from the lower side to the upper side.
A suction pipe 21 is provided in a lower portion 17 a of the pump case 17 (that is, the bottom of the fuel pump 3) that covers the entire impeller 16. Fuel is pumped from the suction pipe 21 into the pump section P.

  Here, the pump motor M and the pump section P are covered by the housing case 13. The upper end of the housing case 13 is configured as a caulking portion 13a. The caulked portion 13a is caulked to the step portion 11b of the outlet cover 11, and the outlet cover 11 is integrated with the pump motor M.

(Holder)
The pump motor M and the pump section P (that is, the fuel pump 3) are supported inside the holder section 4. In this state, the axial center O2 of the fuel pump 3 is offset (displaced) from the axial center O1 of the holder portion 4.
The holder section 4 is fixed to the upper wall 2a of the fuel tank 2, and includes a flange unit 25, an upper cup 26, and a lower cup 27.

  The flange unit 25 has a substantially disk-shaped unit main body 28 made of resin. The unit main body 28 is inserted from the outside (upper side) into an opening formed in the upper wall 2a of the fuel tank 2, and is attached to the upper wall 2a. Therefore, the upper surface of the flange unit 25 is exposed outside the fuel tank 2.

  The fuel outlet pipe 29 communicating with the discharge port 11 a of the fuel pump 3 is provided in the flange unit 25. That is, the fuel is pressure-fed from the discharge port 11a to the internal combustion engine via the fuel extraction pipe 29. Further, the flange unit 25 is provided with a pressure regulator 31 which communicates with the fuel extraction pipe 29, so that a predetermined fuel pressure can be secured for the fuel pressure-fed to the internal combustion engine by the pressure regulator 31.

  Further, a connector 25a is provided on the upper surface of the flange unit 25. An external connector connected to an external power supply is fitted to the connector 25a. The connector 25a is electrically connected to the pump motor M of the fuel pump 3, so that the pump motor M is driven. On the inner surface side of the unit main body 28, a concave portion 28a is formed in a large portion at the center, and the upper cup 26 is fixed to the concave portion 28a.

  The upper cup 26 is provided inside the fuel tank 2 of the flange unit 25 and is formed so as to include the fuel pump 3. That is, the upper cup 26 has a cylindrical cup body 34 formed to cover the outer peripheral surface of the fuel pump 3 with resin or the like. An opening 34a is formed at the lower end of the cup body 34, and the fuel pump 3 is inserted from the opening 34a side. The peripheral wall 34b of the cup body 34 extends from the flange unit 25 to substantially the center of the fuel pump 3 in the axial direction.

Engagement pieces 35 extending downward from the periphery of the opening 34a in the axial direction are formed in the cup body 34 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction at four places. The engagement piece 35 is formed so as to be elastically deformable in a direction in which the distal end expands in diameter. When the engagement piece 35 snap-fits to the lower cup 27, positioning of the lower cup 27 in the axial direction and the circumferential direction is performed.
The engagement piece 35 extends to the pump motor M of the fuel pump 3. The engagement piece 35 is formed with an engagement hole 35 a that engages with an engagement protrusion 36 formed on the lower cup 27.

(Lower cup)
A lower cup 27 is coaxially attached to the upper cup 26. The lower cup 27 is provided on the suction side of the fuel pump 3. The lower cup 27 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape by a bottom wall 27a and a peripheral wall 27b. The fuel pump 3 is supported by the lower cup 27 in a state where the bottom of the fuel pump 3 is covered by the bottomed cylindrical lower cup 27.
The inner diameter of the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27 is set so that the fuel pump 3 can be fitted therein, and the outer diameter thereof is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the peripheral wall 34b of the upper cup 26 (cup body 34).

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lower cup 27 as viewed from below, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the lower cup 27 as viewed from above.
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the lower cup 27 includes a plurality of engagement projections 36, first to sixth pedestals 41 to 46, first to fifth holding ribs 51 to 55, , A first to third deaeration passages (deaeration passages) 61 to 63 (see FIG. 7), and a support plate 66.

A plurality of engaging projections 36 are formed on the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27. The engagement protrusion 36 is formed at a position corresponding to the engagement hole 35a (see FIG. 1) of the engagement piece 35 formed on the upper cup 26 so as to be able to engage with the engagement hole 35a.
The upper cup 26 and the lower cup 27 are integrated by snap-fitting the engagement piece 35 of the upper cup 26 to the engagement protrusion 36. Thus, the fuel pump 3 is supported by the upper cup 26 and the lower cup 27.

Further, first to sixth pedestals 41 to 46 are integrally formed on the bottom wall 27 a of the lower cup 27. The first to sixth pedestals 41 to 46 are spaced apart on a circumference along the outer peripheral wall 3b of the fuel pump 3 so that an outer periphery (hereinafter referred to as a bottom outer periphery) 3a of the bottom of the fuel pump 3 can be placed. And are arranged.
The circumference where the first to sixth pedestals 41 to 46 are arranged is coaxial with the axis O2 of the fuel pump 3 and is offset with respect to the axis O1 of the holder 4.

The first pedestal portion 41 is formed in a curved shape along the outer peripheral wall 3b of the fuel pump 3 in plan view, and the central portion 41a is in contact with the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27. A pair of first holding ribs (holding ribs) 51 are raised along the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27 from both sides of the central portion 41a of the first pedestal portion 41.
Second pedestals 42 are formed at intervals in the clockwise direction of first pedestals 41. The second pedestal portion 42 is formed in a curved shape along the outer peripheral wall 3b of the fuel pump 3 in a plan view, and is formed inside the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27 at intervals. A second holding rib (holding rib) 52 is raised from the outer end of the second pedestal portion 42 along the peripheral wall 27 b of the lower cup 27.

Third pedestals 43 are formed at intervals in the clockwise direction of the second pedestals 42. The third pedestal portion 43 is formed in a curved shape along the outer peripheral wall 3b of the fuel pump 3 in a plan view, and is formed inside the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27 at intervals.
A third holding rib (holding rib) 53 is raised from the outer end of the third pedestal 43 at an interval with respect to the peripheral wall 27 b of the lower cup 27. The third holding rib 53 is reinforced by the first reinforcing rib 68 by being connected to the peripheral wall 27 b of the lower cup 27 by the first reinforcing rib 68.

Fourth pedestals 44 are formed at intervals in the clockwise direction of third pedestals 43. The fourth pedestal portion 44 is formed in a curved shape along the outer peripheral wall 3b of the fuel pump 3 in plan view, and is formed inside the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27 at intervals.
A fourth holding rib (holding rib) 54 is raised from the outer end of the fourth pedestal portion 44 at an interval with respect to the peripheral wall 27 b of the lower cup 27. The fourth holding rib 54 is reinforced by the second reinforcing rib 69 by being connected to the peripheral wall 27 b of the lower cup 27 by the second reinforcing rib 69.

Fifth pedestals 45 are formed at intervals in the clockwise direction of fourth pedestals 44. The fifth pedestal portion 45 is formed in a curved shape along the outer peripheral wall 3b of the fuel pump 3 in a plan view, and is formed inside the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27 at intervals.
Sixth pedestals 46 are formed at intervals in the clockwise direction of fifth pedestals 45. The sixth pedestal portion 46 is formed inside the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27 at intervals. A fifth holding rib (holding rib) 55 is raised from the outer end of the sixth pedestal 46 along the peripheral wall 27 b of the lower cup 27.

Here, the first to sixth pedestals 41 to 46 are integrally formed on the inner surface side of the lower cup 27 and are arranged at intervals on a circumference along the bottom outer periphery 3 a of the fuel pump 3. Further, the first to fifth holding ribs 51 to 55 are formed on the inner surface side of the lower cup 27 and are arranged at intervals on a circumference along the outer peripheral wall 3b of the fuel pump 3. The first to fifth holding ribs 51 to 55 are formed integrally on the inner surface side of the lower cup 27.
In a state where the bottom outer periphery 3a of the fuel pump 3 is placed on the first to sixth pedestals 41 to 46, the outer peripheral wall 3b of the fuel pump 3 is held by the first to fifth holding ribs 51 to 55. .

Therefore, the fuel pump 3 is moved relative to the axis center O1 of the lower cup 27 (that is, the axis center of the holder section 4) by the first to sixth pedestals 41 to 46 and the first to fifth holding ribs 51 to 55. Thus, the shaft center O2 is supported in an offset (displaced) state. In this way, with a simple configuration in which the shaft center O2 is offset from the shaft center O1, the lower cup 27 and the fuel pump 3 are disposed on the opposite side of the shaft center O2 of the fuel pump 3 with respect to the shaft center O1 of the lower cup 27. And a relatively large space is secured.
The fuel storage section 5 is formed in this space. That is, the fuel storage section 5 is provided on the symmetrical side of the axial center O2 of the fuel pump 3 with respect to the axial center O1 of the lower cup 27.

Thus, the fuel storage section 5 can be formed between the lower cup 27 and the fuel pump 3 using the lower cup 27 and the fuel pump 3. Therefore, the fuel reservoir 5 is provided between the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27 and the fuel pump 3 on the symmetrical side of the axial center O2 of the fuel pump 3 with a simple configuration without providing a new member in the fuel supply device 1. Can be prepared.
Furthermore, the fuel pump 3 is held by the first to fifth holding ribs 51 to 55 with a simple configuration in which the first to fifth holding ribs 51 to 55 are simply formed integrally on the inner surface side of the lower cup 27. Can be. Thus, the fuel storage unit can be formed with a simpler configuration without providing the fuel supply device 1 with a new member.

  In this state, the outer periphery 3a of the bottom of the fuel pump 3 (that is, the bottom of the fuel pump 3) is arranged above the bottom wall 27a of the lower cup 27 with an interval. Therefore, a space is formed between the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27 and the bottom of the fuel pump 3, and the fuel guide 72 is formed by the space. The lower end 5 a of the fuel storage unit 5 is communicated with the fuel guide 72.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the VI section in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the suction pipe 21 protrudes from the lower portion 17 a of the pump case 17 (that is, the bottom of the fuel pump 3) toward the bottom wall 27 a of the lower cup 27. The suction pipe 21 is arranged at a position offset from the axis O2 of the fuel pump 3 on the opposite side of the axis O1 of the lower cup 27.
A raised portion 75 is formed on the bottom wall 27 a of the lower cup 27 at a position corresponding to the suction pipe 21. The raised portion 75 is raised in a circular shape in plan view from the bottom wall 27 a of the lower cup 27 toward the bottom of the fuel pump 3. The raised portion 75 has a portion 75a near the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27 formed integrally with the central portion 41a via the first pedestal portion 41 and a step.

  An opening 76 is formed at the center of the raised portion 75. The opening 76 is opened so as to penetrate the bottom wall 27 a of the lower cup 27 in the thickness direction. The opening 76 is formed at a portion corresponding to the suction pipe 21 so that the suction pipe 21 can be inserted therethrough. The upper end portion 78a of the connection pipe 78 communicates with the suction pipe 21 inserted into the opening 76. The lower end 78b of the connection pipe 78 is connected to the suction filter 6 (see FIG. 3).

Returning to FIG. 3, the fuel supply device 1 is attached to the inside 2b of the fuel tank 2 so as to be immersed in the fuel and arranged. In this state, fuel is stored in the fuel storage unit 5 from the boundary between the upper cup 26 and the lower cup 27.
When the boundary between the upper cup 26 and the lower cup 27 of the fuel supply device 1 is not immersed in the fuel, the fuel discharged downward from the pressure regulator 31 is stored in the fuel storage unit 5.

That is, the pressure regulator 31 is disposed above the fuel storage unit 5 in the axial direction (upper surface side). The pressure regulator 31 is provided on the flange unit 25 and communicates with the fuel outlet pipe 29. A predetermined fuel pressure can be secured for the fuel pressure-fed to the internal combustion engine by the pressure regulator 31.
That is, when the fuel pressure when flowing through the check valve 12 and flowing into the fuel extraction pipe 29 is within a predetermined value, the fuel is conveyed to the internal combustion engine through the fuel extraction pipe 29.

On the other hand, when the fuel pressure is higher than the predetermined value, the fuel is discharged downward from the inner surface of the flange unit 25 via the pressure regulator 31. Here, the fuel storage unit 5 is disposed below (below) the pressure regulator 31. Therefore, the discharged fuel is guided to the fuel storage unit 5 via the inner surface side of the upper cup 26, and is efficiently stored in the fuel storage unit 5.
Thereby, for example, even when the boundary between the upper cup 26 and the lower cup 27 is not immersed in the fuel, the fuel discharged from the pressure regulator 31 is stored in the fuel storage unit 5 via the inner surface side of the upper cup 26. Can be.
The fuel storage unit 5 has a lower end 5 a communicating with the fuel guide 72.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a pair of storage openings 58 are formed in the bottom wall 27 a of the lower cup 27. The pair of storage openings 58 are formed in the bottom wall 27 a of the lower cup 27 at positions corresponding to the retaining walls 82. The retaining wall 82 is integrally formed on the bottom wall 27 a of the lower cup 27 on the suction filter 6 side via a leg portion 81.
The pair of storage openings 58 are used to form a nesting die when the surface of the retaining wall 82 on the bottom wall 27a side and the surface of the leg 81 on the side opposite to the suction pipe 21 are formed by a mold. Functions as an opening.

  The pair of storage openings 58 function as discharge ports for discharging fuel remaining in the fuel storage section 5 and the fuel guide section 72 to the outside of the lower cup 27. Here, the pair of storage openings 58 are formed adjacent to both end portions 41b of the first pedestal portion 41 and the raised portions 75 near both end portions 41b. Therefore, the pair of storage openings 58 are formed adjacent to both sides of the suction pipe 21 and both sides of the connection pipe 78 with the suction pipe 21 (that is, the connection pipe 78) (see FIG. 6) of the fuel pump 3 interposed therebetween. ing.

Further, the pair of storage openings 58 communicate with the fuel guide 72 and the outside of the lower cup 27. Therefore, the fuel storage section 5 is communicated with the outside of the lower cup 27 via the fuel guide section 72 and the pair of storage openings 58. Therefore, the fuel stored in the fuel storage section 5 is discharged to the outside of the lower cup 27 from the pair of storage openings 58 via the fuel guide section 72.
Here, the pair of storage openings 58 are formed adjacent to both sides of the suction pipe 21 and the connection pipe 78. As a result, the fuel discharged from the pair of storage openings 58 is efficiently and promptly guided to the lower part (near the lower part) of the connection pipe 78 (that is, the suction pipe 21) inside the suction filter 6. The fuel guided into the suction filter 6 is pumped up again by the fuel pump 3 via the suction filter 6.

Further, the fuel storage section 5 has a wide portion 5b on the opposite side of the axis center O2 of the fuel pump 3 with respect to the axis center O1 of the lower cup 27. The wide portion 5b is a portion where the distance between the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27 and the fuel pump 3 is the widest. The space between the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27 and the fuel pump 3 is formed so as to decrease from the portion 5b of the fuel storage section 5 to the pair of storage openings 58 along the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27. Thereby, the fuel stored in the fuel storage unit 5 can be smoothly guided toward the pair of storage openings 58.
Further, by gradually reducing the distance between the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup and the fuel pump 3, a suitable amount of fuel can be guided to the pair of storage openings 58. Thereby, fuel can be efficiently discharged from the pair of storage openings 58.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the first to third deaeration passages 61 to 63 formed in the lower cup 27.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, first to third deaeration passages 61 to 63 are formed in the lower cup 27. The first deaeration passage 61 is raised from a portion 27 c of the bottom wall 27 a of the lower cup 27 adjacent to the raised portion 75 so as to be orthogonal to the bottom wall 27 a of the lower cup 27. The first degassing passage 61 has a degassing opening 84 at the upper end, which opens on the inner surface side of the lower cup 27. The deaeration opening 84 communicates with a deaeration hole 85 provided at the bottom of the fuel pump 3.

The lower end 61a of the first degassing passage 61 communicates with the inner end 62a of the second degassing passage 62. The second deaeration passage 62 is formed by the formation wall 87. The formation wall 87 protrudes from the bottom wall 27 a of the lower cup 27 to the inner surface side of the lower cup 27.
Therefore, the second deaeration passage 62 can be formed without projecting the forming wall 87 from the bottom wall 27a of the lower cup 27 toward the suction filter 6 (see FIG. 3). Thereby, a suitable space 88 (see FIG. 3) is secured between the bottom wall 27a of the lower cup 27 and the suction filter 6.

The lower end 63a of the third deaeration passage 63 communicates with the outer end 62b of the second deaeration passage 62. The third deaeration passage 63 is raised from the outer end 62b of the second deaeration passage 62 along the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27.
The lower end 64a of the fourth deaeration passage 64 communicates with the upper end 63b of the third deaeration passage 63. The fourth deaeration passage 64 rises from the upper end 63b of the third deaeration passage 63 along the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 26a of the upper cup 26. The fourth deaeration passage 64 has an upper end 64 b (see FIG. 2) opened on the inner surface side of the upper cup 26.

  Therefore, the deaeration hole 85 of the fuel pump 3 is communicated with the first deaeration passage 61, the second deaeration passage 62, the third deaeration passage 63, and the fourth deaeration passage 64, and each of the air passages 61, 62, It communicates with the inner surface side of the upper cup 26 via 63 and 64. Thereby, the vapor generated in the fuel pump 3 is discharged through the deaeration hole 85, the first deaeration passage 61, the second deaeration passage 62, the third deaeration passage 63, and the fourth deaeration passage 64. Can be.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the suction filter 6 of the fuel supply device.
As shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 8, the suction pipe 21 protrudes downward from the lower portion 17a of the pump case 17 (that is, the bottom of the fuel pump 3). The suction pipe 21 is inserted through an opening 76 of the bottom wall 27a of the lower cup 27. The upper end 78 a of the connection pipe 78 is fitted into the opening 76. In this state, the upper end portion 78a of the connection pipe 78 communicates with the suction pipe 21. Therefore, the suction pipe 21 is connected to the suction filter 6 via the connection pipe 78 (see FIG. 3).

A pair of engaging claws 91, 91 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the connection pipe 78 so as to be point-symmetric about the axis of the connection pipe 78 (see FIG. 3). The engaging claw 91 is formed in a substantially L shape so as to be able to engage with the leg portion 81 and the retaining wall 82 of the bottom wall 27 a of the lower cup 27.
Therefore, after the connection pipe 78 is externally fitted to the suction pipe 21 through the opening 76, the connection pipe 78 is rotated around the axis toward the tip 91 a of the engagement claw 91, so that the retaining wall 82 and the bottom wall are formed. The engaging claw 91 is inserted between the engaging claw 91a and the engaging claw 91a. In this state, the engagement claw 91 is kept in a state of being locked to the leg portion 81.
Thus, in a state where the connection pipe 78 is communicated with the suction pipe 21, the connection pipe 78 is connected to the bottom wall 27 a of the lower cup 27 via the pair of engagement claws 91, 91, the pair of legs 81 and the retaining wall 82. It is connected to.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the forming wall 87 of the second deaeration passage 62 protrudes from the bottom wall 27 a of the lower cup 27 to the inner surface side of the lower cup 27. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the second degassing passage 62 from protruding greatly to the outer surface side of the bottom wall 27a, so that a suitable space 88 is secured between the bottom wall 27a of the lower cup 27 and the suction filter 6. I have.
Thus, for example, when the suction filter 6 is replaced, the suction filter 6 can be prevented from being blocked by the formation wall 87 of the second deaeration passage 62, and the suction filter 6 can be easily replaced.

(Suction filter)
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the suction filter 6 is disposed below (below) the fuel storage unit 5. Specifically, the suction filter 6 is disposed on the suction side of the fuel pump 3 (that is, below the bottom wall 27a of the lower cup 27), and includes a filter medium 92 and a welded portion 93. The welding portion 93 is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the filter medium 92. The filter medium 92 is a nonwoven fabric formed in a bag shape, and the welded portion 93 is formed by welding the outer peripheral edge of the filter medium 92 formed in a bag shape.
The fuel in the fuel tank 2 flows into the connecting pipe 78 via the filter medium 92, and the fuel flowing into the connecting pipe 78 is pumped up by the fuel pump 3.

(float)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, on the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27, a support plate 66 is integrally formed so as to protrude radially outward from a portion on the bottom wall 27a side. A gauge mounting plate 94 is integrally formed with the distal end 66a of the support plate 66 so as to extend along the axial direction. The gauge mounting plate 94 is provided with a sender gauge 95. The sender gauge 95 is a liquid level gauge that detects the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank 2, that is, the liquid level.
Specifically, the sender gauge 95 includes a gauge body 96, a swing arm 97, and a float 98. The gauge body 96 is formed in a box shape. The swing arm 97 is provided rotatably with respect to the gauge body 24. The float 98 is provided at the tip of the swing arm 97 and is formed to be able to float on the liquid surface of the fuel.

(Operation of fuel supply device)
Next, the operation of the fuel supply device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, when the pump motor M of the fuel pump 3 is driven, the output shaft 10 rotates, and the impeller 16 connected to the output shaft 10 so as not to rotate relatively rotates. When the impeller 16 of the pump section P rotates, the fuel in the fuel tank 2 is suctioned from the suction pipe 21 while being filtered through the suction filter 6. The sucked fuel is pressurized in the pump section P, and the pressurized fuel is discharged into the pump motor M through a fuel passage hole (not shown).

The fuel discharged into the pump motor M is guided to the discharge port 11a via the inside of the pump motor M. The fuel guided to the discharge port 11a is guided to the fuel outlet pipe 29 via the check valve 12. Here, when the fuel pressure of the guided fuel is within a predetermined value, the fuel is guided to the internal combustion engine through the fuel extraction pipe 29.
On the other hand, when the fuel pressure is higher than the predetermined value, the fuel is discharged from the inner surface of the flange unit 25 via the pressure regulator 31.

The fuel discharged from the inner surface side of the flange unit 25 flows down along the outer peripheral wall 3b of the fuel pump 3. Here, the fuel pump 3 is supported in a state where the shaft center O2 is offset (displaced) with respect to the shaft center O1 of the holder portion 4. Therefore, the upper cup 26 and the fuel pump 3 form a relatively large space 8 communicating with the fuel storage section 5.
As a result, the fuel traveling along the outer peripheral wall 3b of the fuel pump 3 can be efficiently guided to the fuel storage section 5 through the space 8. The fuel stored in the fuel storage section 5 is discharged to the outside of the lower cup 27 from the pair of storage openings 58 via the fuel guide section 72.

Here, the pair of storage openings 58 are formed adjacent to both sides of the suction pipe 21 of the fuel pump 3 (that is, the connection pipe 78). Therefore, the fuel discharged from the pair of storage openings 58 is quickly guided to the vicinity of the lower side of the suction pipe 21 inside the suction filter 6. This allows the fuel guided into the suction filter 6 to be quickly pumped from the suction pipe 21 to the fuel pump 3.
Therefore, when the fuel level inside the fuel tank 2 is inclined due to the inclination of the vehicle or the like, the fuel guided from the fuel storage unit 5 to the inside of the suction filter 6 can be sucked by the fuel pump 3.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications of the above-described embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the fuel reservoir 3 is formed on the opposite side of the shaft center O2 from the shaft center O1 by offsetting the shaft center O2 of the fuel pump 3 with respect to the shaft center O1 of the lower cup 27. Although an example has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. As another example, for example, in a state where the axial center O2 of the fuel pump 3 is arranged coaxially with the axial center O1 of the lower cup 27, the fuel storage portion 5 is placed between the peripheral wall 27b of the lower cup 27 and the fuel pump 3. It is also possible to form.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fuel supply device 2 Fuel tank 2a Upper wall (upper part) of fuel tank
2b Inside of fuel tank 3 Fuel pump 4 Holder 5 Fuel storage 6 Suction filter (filter)
21 suction pipe 26 upper cup 27 lower cup 27a lower cup bottom wall 27b lower cup peripheral wall 31 pressure regulators 41 to 46 first to sixth pedestals 51 to 55 first to fifth holding ribs (holding ribs)
58 storage openings 61, 62, 63 first to third deaeration passages (deaeration passages)
78 Connecting pipe 85 Deaeration hole 87 Wall O1 Shaft center of lower cup O2 Shaft center of fuel pump

Claims (8)

A fuel pump attached to the top of the fuel tank and pumping fuel from inside the fuel tank;
A bottomed cylindrical lower cup supporting the fuel pump;
A fuel storage portion formed between the lower cup and the fuel pump,
A filter disposed below the fuel storage unit,
A fuel supply device comprising: By being arranged in a state where the axis center of the fuel pump is offset with respect to the axis center of the lower cup,
The fuel storage unit,
2. The fuel supply device according to claim 1, wherein the fuel supply device is provided on a symmetrical side of an axis center of the fuel pump with respect to an axis center of the lower cup. 3.   3. The fuel supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage opening formed in a bottom wall of the lower cup and communicating with the fuel storage unit. 4.   The fuel supply device according to claim 3, wherein the storage opening is formed adjacent to a suction pipe of the fuel pump. The fuel storage unit,
5. The fuel supply device according to claim 3, wherein a distance between the lower cup and the fuel pump is reduced toward the storage opening. 6. A deaeration hole provided in the fuel pump,
A deaeration passage formed in the lower cup and communicating with the deaeration hole,
The formation wall forming the deaeration passage,
The fuel supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the fuel supply device is formed to protrude toward an inner surface of the lower cup.   The fuel supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a pressure regulator (31) is disposed axially above the fuel storage part (22).   The fuel supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lower cup includes a holding rib formed on an inner surface side of the lower cup to hold the fuel pump.

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