JP4700549B2 - Fuel supply module - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel supply module that mainly supplies fuel to a fuel injection valve of an engine, and in particular, a mounting base member that is attached to a fuel tank mounting wall and projects a fuel take-out pipe to the outside, and is supported by the mounting base member. An electric pump that is contained in the fuel tank, pumps up the fuel in the fuel tank and sends it to the fuel take-out pipe, and a fuel passage that communicates between the discharge side of the electric pump and the fuel take-out pipe. A regulator valve that is interposed in a pressure regulating path that is opened in the fuel tank and recirculates a part of the discharged fuel of the electric pump into the fuel tank to adjust the discharge pressure, and supplies power to the upper surface of the electric pump The present invention relates to an improvement in a fuel supply module formed by protruding terminals.

Such a fuel supply module is already known as disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.
JP-A-8-270528

  In such a conventional fuel supply module, fuel may stay for a long time on the upper surface of the electric pump from which the power supply terminal protrudes. According to this, the power supply terminal may be corroded by moisture contained in the retained fuel. .

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide the fuel supply module that can easily prevent corrosion of the power supply terminal of the electric motor due to moisture in the fuel.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a mounting base member that is attached to a mounting wall of a fuel tank and projects a fuel take-out pipe outward, and is supported by the mounting base member and accommodated in the fuel tank. An electric pump that pumps up fuel in the tank and sends it to the fuel take-out pipe, and a pressure adjusting path that branches off from a fuel passage that communicates between the discharge side of the electric pump and the fuel take-out pipe and opens into the fuel tank And a regulator valve that adjusts the discharge pressure of a part of the fuel discharged from the electric pump to be recirculated into the fuel tank, and a fuel supply module that has a power supply terminal protruding from the upper surface of the electric pump In
The electric pump is housed and supported by a cylindrical upper pump holder formed on the mounting base member and extending downward, and a cylindrical lower pump holder coupled to the lower open end of the upper pump holder. as around the feeding terminal is washed by fuel discharged from the pressure passage, the downstream end of the pressure regulation path, toward the top surface around the feeder terminal is placed so as to open, the upper pump holder or the The lower pump holder is provided with a discharge window that opens the upper surface into the fuel tank, and one end is connected to the power supply terminal, and the relay lead is drawn out of the upper pump holder and the lower pump holder through the discharge window. the end that is connected to the connection terminals of the feeding coupler which projects from the upper surface of the integrally formed with the member to the mounting base member shall be the feature.

According to the present invention , the fuel discharged from the pressure regulating path falls to the upper surface of the electric motor from which the power feeding terminal protrudes, and therefore the periphery of the power feeding terminal is washed all the time with the fuel discharged from the pressure regulating path. The fuel does not stay around the power feed end, and corrosion of the power feed terminal due to moisture contained in the stayed fuel can be prevented in advance . The fuel that has fallen on the upper surface of the electric motor is in is al, where after the kinetic energy is attenuated, since will gently flow down on stored fuel within the fuel tank, prevents the dropping sound of the fuel effectively it can.

In addition, the electric pump can be accommodated and held by the upper pump holder formed on the mounting base member and the lower pump holder coupled to the upper pump holder, and from the pressure regulating path that has fallen on the upper surface of the electric motor. The discharged fuel can be gently flowed into the fuel tank through the discharge window of the upper pump holder or the lower pump holder.

  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 perspective view of a fuel supply module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the fuel supply module attached to a fuel tank.

  In these drawings, a fuel supply module M of the present invention for supplying fuel in a fuel tank T to a fuel injection valve I of an engine is attached to a ceiling wall 1 of a fuel tank T mounted on a vehicle such as a motorcycle.

  The fuel supply module M includes an attachment base member 2, an electric pump Ep disposed directly below the attachment base member 2 with the axial direction directed up and down, and an upper pump holder 3 </ b> A formed integrally with the attachment base member 2. A lower pump holder 3B that accommodates and holds the electric pump Ep in cooperation with the mounting base member 2 and a fuel strainer that is attached to the lower end of the electric pump Ep. 4 is provided.

  An opening 5 for inserting the electric pump Ep is provided in the ceiling wall 1 of the fuel tank T, and a mounting ring 6 surrounding the opening 5 is fixed. A plurality of mounting bolts 7, 7... Projecting from the upper surface of the mounting ring 6 are fixed.

  The mounting base member 2 is overlaid on the upper surface of the mounting ring 6 so as to close the opening 5, and includes a plurality of mounting bolts 7, 7... And a plurality of nuts 8, 8. It is fixed to the mounting ring 6. At that time, an annular seal member 9 for sealing the opening 5 is interposed between the mounting base member 2 and the ceiling wall 1 of the fuel tank T.

  The attachment base member 2 is made of synthetic resin, and a fuel take-out pipe 12 protruding in the horizontal direction outside the fuel tank T is integrally formed on the top of the attachment base member 2. Is connected to a fuel supply conduit 33 connected to the fuel injection valve I of the engine.

  The upper pump holder 3A formed integrally with the lower surface of the mounting base member 2 has a cylindrical shape so as to protrude into the fuel tank T and fit into the outer peripheral surface of the upper half of the electric pump Ep. The holder 3 </ b> A is provided with a plurality of T-shaped locking grooves 13 </ b> F whose lower ends are opened at regular intervals in the circumferential direction.

  On the other hand, the lower pump holder 3B is formed into a cylindrical shape with a synthetic resin so as to accommodate and hold the lower half of the electric pump Ep. At that time, a plurality of T-shaped locking claws 13M projecting from the upper end are integrally formed. The lower pump holder 3B is coupled to the upper pump holder 3A by engaging the locking claws 13M with the locking grooves 13F. Thus, the electric pump Ep is accommodated and held between the upper pump holder 3A and the lower pump holder 3B.

  The electric pump Ep includes an electric motor E with the rotor 20 oriented 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 portion 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 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 as 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 with the pump chamber 22 and the stator 17.

  The upper bearing bracket 18 is integrally formed with a fuel discharge pipe 30 that protrudes upward and has a final discharge port 34 that communicates with the interior of the stator 17, and the fuel flows back to the final discharge port 34 inside thereof. A check valve 31 is provided to prevent this. The fuel discharge pipe 30 is fitted into a fitting hole 29 opened on the lower surface of the mounting base member 2 via a seal member 32.

  The mounting base member 2 has a series of L-shaped fuel passages 28 running inside the fuel take-out pipe 12 and the fuel discharge pipe 30, and branches from the middle of the fuel passage 28 to open the downstream end into the fuel tank T. Pressure regulating path 35 is formed. The pressure adjusting path 35 is bent downward from the upstream end of the pressure adjusting path 35a formed on the extension line of the fuel passage 28 on the fuel take-out pipe 12 side, and the downstream end of the upstream side 35a of the pressure adjusting path. The pressure regulating passage downstream portion 35b that opens into the fuel tank T, and the pressure in the fuel passage 28 is set to a predetermined pressure suitable for fuel injection from the fuel injection valve I in the pressure regulating passage downstream portion 35b. A regulator valve R for adjustment is provided.

  The regulator valve R includes a bottomed cylindrical valve housing 36 formed separately from the mounting base member 2, and a valve hole 37 penetrating through the end wall of the valve housing 36, and the valve A conical valve seat 38 connected to the inner end of the hole 37 is formed. In the valve chamber 42 in the valve housing 36, a ball-type valve body 39 that can be seated on the valve seat 38, and a pressure regulating spring that biases the valve body 39 in a seating direction with the valve seat 38 with a predetermined set load. 40 and an annular retainer 41 that supports the fixed end of the pressure regulating spring 40 are accommodated. The retainer 41 is press-fitted and fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the valve chamber 42 and is engaged with the opening of the valve chamber 42. The retaining ring 46 is retained by the retaining ring 46.

  The valve housing 36 is fitted and fixed to a fitting hole 43 provided in the mounting base member 2 so as to open on the lower surface thereof with the valve hole 37 facing upward, and the valve hole 37 is fixed to the ceiling of the fitting hole 43. It communicates with the pressure regulating path upstream portion 35a through a through hole 44 provided in the wall. Thus, the through hole 44, the valve hole 37, and the valve chamber 42 constitute the pressure regulating path downstream portion 35b.

  Further, the attachment base member 2 is formed with a bag-like recess 45 that branches from the pressure regulating path 35 upstream from the regulator valve R. In the illustrated example, the bag-like recess 45 is disposed on an extension line on the downstream end side of the pressure regulating path upstream portion 35a. Therefore, when the mounting base member 2 is molded, the fuel passage 28 in the fuel take-out pipe 12, the pressure regulating The road upstream portion 35a and the bag-like recess 45 can be formed by a common core.

  The fuel discharge pipe 30 is disposed on one side of the upper end surface of the upper bearing bracket 18, and a power supply terminal 47 of the electric motor E is projected on the other side. On the other hand, the mounting base member 2 is integrally formed with a power feeding coupler 48 protruding from the upper surface thereof, and the connection terminal 49 in the coupler 48 and the power feeding terminal 47 are connected via the relay conductor 50.

  The downstream end of the pressure regulating path 35, that is, the lower open end of the valve chamber 42 of the regulator valve R is directed to the upper surface 18a of the upper bearing bracket 18 on which the power supply terminal 47 projects, that is, the upper surface of the electric pump Ep. The fuel discharged from the valve chamber 42 falls on the upper surface 18 a of the upper bearing bracket 18 around the power supply terminal 47. In order to recirculate the dropped fuel into the fuel tank T, a notch-shaped discharge window 51 is provided on the peripheral wall of the upper pump holder 3A.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  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 final discharge port 34. To the fuel injection valve I through the fuel discharge pipe 30 and the fuel take-out pipe 12, that is, the fuel passage 28.

  Meanwhile, since the pressure of the fuel passage 28, that is, the discharge pressure of the electric pump Ep acts on the valve body 39 of the regulator valve R via the pressure adjusting passage upstream portion 35a, if the discharge pressure of the electric pump Ep exceeds a predetermined value, When the body 39 opens against the set load of the pressure adjusting spring 40, a part of the fuel in the fuel passage 28 is discharged to the valve chamber 42 side, and the pressure in the fuel passage 28 returns to a predetermined value, the valve body 39 is closed again by the set load of the pressure regulating spring 40. Thus, the pressure in the fuel passage 28 is automatically adjusted to a predetermined value, so that the fuel injection pressure from the fuel injection valve I is properly controlled.

  The fuel discharged from the valve chamber 42 of the regulator valve R falls on the upper surface 18a of the upper bearing bracket 18 around the power supply terminal 47, that is, the upper surface of the electric pump Ep, and passes through the discharge window 51 of the upper pump holder 3A. Return to the fuel tank T. Therefore, since the periphery of the power supply terminal 47 is washed all the time with the fuel discharged from the regulator valve R, the fuel does not stay around the power supply terminal 47, and the power supply terminal 47 of the power supply terminal 47 due to moisture contained in the retained fuel does not stay. Corrosion can be prevented in advance.

  Further, the fuel that has fallen on the upper surface 18a of the upper bearing bracket 18 is gently flown down from the discharge window 51 of the upper pump holder 3A onto the stored fuel in the fuel tank T after the kinetic energy is attenuated there. Can prevent fuel falling noise.

  Further, if the discharge pressure pulsates during discharge of fuel from the electric pump Ep to the fuel passage 28, the pulsation is transmitted to the pressure regulating path upstream portion 35a side, but before reaching the regulator valve R, the regulator valve R It transmits to the bag-like recessed part 45 branched from before R, and is attenuate | damped by colliding with the inner wall. As a result, vibration of the valve body 39 of the regulator valve R due to the pulsation of the discharge pressure of the electric pump Ep can be prevented, an appropriate pressure regulating function of the regulator valve R can be ensured, and the fuel of the fuel injection valve I can be secured. The injection pressure can be stabilized.

  Further, pressure pulsation may be generated in the fuel passage 28 even when the fuel injection valve I is opened and closed. The pulsation can also be attenuated by the same action as described above, and the regulator valve R can be opened and closed. Although pressure pulsation may occur, the pulsation can also be attenuated by the same action as described above.

  In addition, the pulsation damping of the pressure in the fuel passage 28 is achieved by an extremely simple damping means of branching the bag-like recess 45 from the front of the regulator valve R, so that the number of parts is not increased and the cost of the fuel supply module M is increased. It is not necessary to invite.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, when the upper end of the lower pump holder 3B protrudes upward beyond the upper surface 18a of the electric pump Ep, the fuel discharged from the regulator valve R that has dropped onto the upper surface 18a is caused to flow down into the fuel tank T. The discharge window 51 is provided in the lower pump holder 3B.

The perspective view of the fuel supply module which concerns on the Example of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the fuel supply module in the attachment state to a fuel tank.

Ep ... Electric pump M ... Fuel supply module R ... Regulator valve T ... Fuel tank 1 ... Mounting wall (ceiling wall)
2 ... Installation base member 12 ... Fuel take-out pipe 18a ... Upper surface 28 of the electric pump ... Fuel passage 35 ... Pressure regulation passage 47 ... Power feeding terminal
48... Coupler for feeding
49 ... Connection terminal
50 ... Relay lead 51 ... Discharge window

Claims (1)

An attachment base member (2) attached to the attachment wall (1) of the fuel tank (T) and projecting the fuel take-out pipe (12) to the outside, and a fuel tank (T) supported by the attachment base member (2) An electric pump (Ep) that is housed in the fuel tank (T) and pumps the fuel in the fuel tank (T) and sends it to the fuel take-out pipe (12); a discharge side of the electric pump (Ep); and the fuel take-out pipe (12) A part of the fuel discharged from the electric pump (Ep) is provided in a pressure regulating path (35) branched from a fuel passage (28) communicating between the two and opened in the fuel tank (T). A fuel supply module (M) comprising a regulator valve (R) that recirculates in T) and adjusts its discharge pressure, and has a power supply terminal (47) protruding from the upper surface (18a) of the electric pump (Ep). )
A cylindrical upper pump holder (3A) formed on the mounting base member (2) and extending downward, and a cylindrical lower pump holder (3B) coupled to the lower open end of the upper pump holder (3A) To accommodate and support the electric pump (Ep),
As the ambient is washed of the power supply terminals by the discharge fuel from the pressure regulation path (35) (47), the downstream end of the pressure regulation path (35), said top surface (18a around the feeding terminal (47) and placed so as to open toward the)
The upper pump holder (3A) or the lower pump holder (3B) is provided with a discharge window (51) that opens the upper surface into the fuel tank (T),
One end is connected to the power supply terminal (47), and the other end of the relay conductor (50) led out of the upper pump holder (3A) and the lower pump holder (3B) through the discharge window (51), mounting base member (2) to the fuel supply module, characterized in that connected to the connection terminal (49) of the feeding coupler which projects from the upper surface of the member is formed integrally with (2) (48).

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