JP6467489B1 - Fuel supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

In a fuel supply device, fuel is reliably sucked up and discharged even when the fuel is empty in a fuel pump. A housing 12 constituting a fuel supply device 10 is provided with a deaeration chamber 28 between the housing 12 and the fuel pump 14, and the deaeration chamber 28 allows only a flow of fuel to the outside. The fuel tank T is connected to the fuel tank T through a fuel discharge pipe 70 having a valve 74, and is provided in communication with the suction port 50 of the fuel pump 14. When fuel is supplied from the state where there is no fuel upstream of the pump chamber 48, the deaeration chamber 28 and the pump chamber 48 of the fuel pump 14, the fuel pump 14 is stopped upstream of the suction port 50 in the operation stopped state. By setting the volume V1 of the air layer formed continuously and the volume V2 of the deaeration chamber 28 to have a relationship of V2 / V1 ≧ 240, the fuel outlet 62 becomes upward when the fuel supply apparatus 10 is operated. Even when it is tilted, the fuel can be reliably sucked up by the fuel pump 14 and discharged to the internal combustion engine. [Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel supply device for supplying fuel from a fuel tank of a vehicle to an internal combustion engine.

  The present applicant has proposed a fuel supply device that is arranged outside a fuel tank and supplies fuel to a fuel injection device of an internal combustion engine (see Patent Document 1). In this fuel supply device, for example, a fuel pump is accommodated in a cylindrical pump case, and an impeller is connected to a rotation shaft of the fuel pump and is accommodated in an impeller chamber. Then, as the rotor of the fuel pump rotates and the impeller rotates, the fuel is sucked from the inlet to the inside, flows to the outlet through the passage, and is discharged.

  Further, a first end face member is provided at the end of the cylinder in the fuel pump, and a gas component in the fuel is discharged from a deaeration port formed in the first end face member to the passage. On the other hand, a fuel supply device The surplus fuel is discharged from the pressure regulator provided at the end of the gas to the return pipe, and the gaseous component and the surplus fuel are respectively returned to the fuel tank.

  And, a check valve is provided between the passage and the return pipe to prevent the inflow of fuel from the fuel tank to the passage side, thereby preventing dust in the fuel tank from entering the passage, The dust is prevented from getting into the pressure regulator arranged in the passage.

  The above-described fuel supply device is mounted such that, for example, in a vehicle such as a motorcycle, the center axis of the fuel pump extends in the horizontal direction in a normal state, but the vehicle is in a state where the fuel pump is stopped. When the fuel in the fuel supply device is emptied in a state where the opening of the nipple that is inclined and the inlet is formed is directed downward in the direction of gravity, when the fuel is supplied from the fuel tank to the fuel supply device, the nipple An air layer is formed inside.

  In this way, with the air layer formed between the fuel tank and the fuel pump, in order to start the fuel pump and discharge the fuel toward the internal combustion engine, all of the air layer in the nipple enters the impeller chamber. Although it is necessary for the fuel to be sucked and the fuel to reach the impeller chamber, since the passage between the downstream of the deaeration port and the check valve is a sealed space, the air in the passage is compressed by the rotation of the impeller. Only the air and fuel in the nipple can be introduced into the impeller chamber.

  That is, if all the air in the nipple before the impeller is introduced into the impeller chamber and the fuel reaches the impeller chamber, the fuel can be sucked up, but for that purpose, the passage space on the downstream side of the impeller has a certain amount of space. It is necessary to provide capacity.

  Therefore, even if the vehicle as described above is tilted by a predetermined angle and the fuel supply inlet is tilted so as to be downward in the direction of gravity, the fuel supply capable of reliably sucking and discharging the fuel. A device is sought.

Japanese Patent No. 6189991

  The present invention has been made in connection with the above proposal, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel supply device capable of reliably sucking up and discharging the fuel even when the fuel is empty inside the fuel pump. To do.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a fuel supply apparatus including a housing that is disposed outside a fuel tank mounted on a vehicle and houses a fuel pump.
The fuel pump includes a pump chamber that houses the impeller, a pump chamber suction port that communicates with a suction pipe that sucks fuel, opens at the upstream end of the pump chamber, a pump chamber discharge port that opens at the downstream end of the pump chamber, and a pump A deaeration hole provided between the chamber suction port and the pump chamber discharge port and communicating with a deaeration chamber formed between the fuel pump and the housing;
The deaeration chamber is connected to the fuel tank via a check valve that allows only the flow of fuel from the deaeration chamber to the outside, and the upstream side of the pump chamber suction port is located outside the deaeration chamber,
When the fuel is supplied from the deaeration chamber, the pump chamber, and the state where there is no fuel upstream of the pump chamber to the supply passage connecting the fuel tank and the suction tube, the suction pipe and the volume V1 of the air layer formed on the upstream side of the pump chamber inlet in the supply passage, the relationship between the volume V2 of the degassing chamber, Ri V2 / V1 ≧ 240 der inhalation while mounted on a vehicle When the upstream side of the pipe is positioned below the gravitational direction and the upper side in the gravitational direction of the boundary portion that forms an angle with respect to the extending direction of the suction pipe on the upstream side of the suction pipe, Is characterized by being above the horizontal plane passing through the bending point in the direction of gravity .

  According to the present invention, the fuel pump is housed in the housing constituting the fuel supply device, and the deaeration chamber is provided between the housing and the fuel pump. The fuel tank is connected via a check valve that allows only the flow of the fuel, and the upstream side of the pump chamber suction port formed at the upstream end of the pump chamber is located outside the deaeration chamber.

  When the fuel pump is stopped, when the fuel is supplied to the supply passage connecting the fuel tank and the suction pipe from the state where there is no fuel upstream of the deaeration chamber, the pump chamber, and the pump chamber, the suction is performed. The volume V1 of the air layer formed on the upstream side of the pump chamber suction port in the pipe and the supply passage and the volume V2 of the deaeration chamber are set to satisfy the relationship of V2 / V1 ≧ 240.

  Thus, the air layer accumulated on the upstream side of the impeller is compressed by compressing the air layer in the deaeration chamber through the deaeration hole provided between the pump chamber suction port and the pump chamber discharge port under the operation of the fuel pump. Can be discharged to the deaeration chamber through the pump chamber, so that even when the fuel is empty inside the fuel pump, the liquid level of the fuel reaching the supply passage reaches the pump chamber and the liquid fuel is It can be reliably sucked into the pump and discharged.

  According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

  That is, when the fuel pump is stopped, when the fuel is supplied to the supply passage from the deaeration chamber in the housing, the pump chamber of the fuel pump, and the upstream side of the pump chamber from the state where there is no fuel, By setting the volume V1 of the air layer formed on the upstream side of the pump chamber suction port in the passage and the volume V2 of the deaeration chamber so as to satisfy the relationship of V2 / V1 ≧ 240, the operating action of the fuel pump is reduced. The air layer in the deaeration chamber is compressed through a deaeration hole provided between the pump chamber suction port and the pump chamber discharge port, and the air layer accumulated on the upstream side of the impeller is discharged from the pump chamber to the deaeration chamber. be able to. As a result, even when the fuel is empty inside the fuel pump, the liquid level of the fuel reaching the supply passage is reached by reaching the pump chamber by pushing the air layer upstream of the impeller toward the deaeration chamber. Liquid fuel can be reliably sucked into the pump chamber and discharged.

1A is an external perspective view of a fuel supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a front view of the fuel supply apparatus shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 2 is a partially omitted cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1B. FIG. 3 is a partially omitted cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1B. FIG. 4 is a partially omitted cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1B. FIG. 5 is a partially omitted cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 1B. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a state in which the fuel supply device illustrated in FIG. 2 is inclined by a predetermined angle.

  Preferred embodiments of the fuel supply apparatus according to the present invention will be described below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1A and 1B, reference numeral 10 indicates a fuel supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  This fuel supply device 10 is disposed and used outside a fuel tank T (see FIG. 6) in a vehicle such as a motorcycle (not shown). As shown in FIGS. 1A to 5, a cylindrical housing ( A housing) 12, a fuel pump 14 housed inside the housing 12, a filter body (housing) 18 connected to one end of the housing 12 and housing a filter 16, and the other end of the housing 12. And a cover member (housing) 20 for closing the part. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the fuel supply device 10 is mounted on the vehicle so that the axis of the fuel pump 14 is substantially horizontal along the directions of arrows A and B.

  The housing 12 is formed, for example, from a resin material into a bottomed cylindrical shape, and a connecting portion 24 (see FIG. 2) that protrudes in a cylindrical shape is formed at the bottom 22 that is one end of the housing 12, and a filter body 18 that will be described later is formed. Connected. As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 24 is formed to be offset radially outward from the center of the housing 12, and a suction passage 26 penetrating in the axial direction (arrows A and B directions) is formed at the center. At the same time, the fuel pump 14 is housed inside the housing 12 so as to be coaxial with the suction passage 26.

  Further, a deaeration chamber 28 having a predetermined volume is provided inside the housing 12 at a position on the side of the fuel pump 14, and the deaeration chamber 28 is deaerated by the fuel pump 14 described later. The fuel gas component is discharged, and surplus fuel discharged from the fuel pump 14 is introduced. The deaeration chamber 28 is provided substantially in parallel with the fuel pump 14.

  The fuel pump 14 is, for example, a cylindrical casing 30, a pump part 32 housed on one end side (in the direction of arrow A) of the casing 30, and a pump part 32 housed in the central part of the casing 30. And a discharge portion 36 that discharges fuel sucked by the pump portion 32 provided on the other end side (in the direction of arrow B) of the casing 30.

  The pump unit 32 includes a pump body 38, a pump cover 40 covering the pump body 38, and an impeller 42 provided between the pump body 38 and the pump cover 40, and the pump body 38 and the pump cover 40 is fixed to one end of the casing 30 in a state of being stacked along the axial direction (directions of arrows A and B).

  A shaft 44 constituting the motor unit 34 is inserted into the pump body 38 at the center thereof, and fuel is discharged through the shaft 44 in the axial direction (in the directions of arrows A and B) radially outward. A discharge port (pump chamber discharge port) 46 is formed, and a disk-shaped impeller 42 is rotatably accommodated in a pump chamber 48 having a circular cross section formed inside. The pump chamber 48 and the discharge port 46 communicate with each other.

  The pump cover 40 is provided so as to cover the pump chamber 48 of the pump body 38. The pump cover 40 is formed on one end surface of the pump cover 40 and penetrates in the axial direction (arrows A and B directions) and on the other end surface facing the pump body 38. The formed pump channel 52 and a deaeration hole 54 (see FIG. 4) that opens to the pump channel 52 and discharges gaseous fuel to the outside. The suction port 50 is formed in a suction pipe 56 protruding in the axial direction (direction of arrow A) from one end surface of the pump cover 40, and the suction pipe 56 is connected to and communicated with the suction passage 26 of the housing 12. The deaeration hole 54 communicates with the deaeration chamber 28 of the housing 12.

  The suction port 50 described above opens to the upstream side in the pump chamber 48, and the discharge port 46 opens to the downstream side in the pump chamber 48.

  The motor unit 34 is a brushless motor, includes a rotor (not shown) that is rotatably provided in the casing 30, and one end portion of a shaft 44 held at the center of the rotor is connected to the center of the impeller 42, The other end is rotatably supported with respect to the pump body 38. The impeller 42 rotates in the pump chamber 48 through the shaft 44 by rotating the stator core and the rotor by a control signal from a controller (not shown).

  The discharge portion 36 is fixed to the other end portion of the casing 30 so as to face the other end portion of the motor portion 34, and a base portion 58 connected to the casing 30 and a direction away from the casing 30 with respect to the base portion 58. And a cylindrical portion 60 protruding in the direction of arrow B, and this cylindrical portion 60 is inserted and held in a cover member 20 described later.

  At the center of the cylindrical portion 60, a fuel outlet (discharge port) 62 for discharging the fuel of the casing 30 to the outside penetrates along the axial direction, and the valve is opened when the fuel reaches a predetermined pressure inside the fuel. A first check valve 64 that opens the outlet 62 is provided. The first check valve 64 is always urged toward the motor portion 34 (in the direction of arrow A) by a spring 65 interposed between the first check valve 64 and the first check valve 64 is opened by the fuel pressure from the valve closed state. The

  The filter body 18 is connected to one end of the housing 12 and has a body body 66 formed in a cylindrical shape, and a fuel supply pipe 68 and a fuel discharge pipe 70 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the body body 66, The cap 72 is closed by attaching one end of the body main body 66 that is opened.

  The body main body 66 is provided so as to be coaxial with the fuel pump 14 with respect to one end of the housing 12, and the inside of the filter body 18 and the pump chamber 48 of the fuel pump 14 communicate with each other through the suction passage 26 of the housing 12. ing.

  A cylindrical filter 16 is mounted inside the body main body 66 via a holder 73, and the center of the holder 73 is held by the connecting portion 24 of the housing 12, so that the filter 16 is connected to the fuel pump 14. And the suction passage 26 is opened in the filter 16. The filter 16 is provided for the purpose of removing dust and the like in the fuel introduced from the fuel supply pipe 68 into the filter body 18.

  The fuel supply pipe 68 is formed in a tubular shape extending from the outer peripheral surface of the body main body 66 in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the body main body 66, and is connected to the fuel tank T via a pipe (not shown). Then, the fuel in the fuel tank T is introduced into the filter body 18 through the fuel supply pipe 68, and dust and the like are removed by passing through the filter 16, and then sucked into the fuel pump 14 through the suction passage 26. The That is, the filter body 18 functions as a fuel supply passage that connects the fuel tank T and the fuel pump 14.

  Similar to the fuel supply pipe 68, the fuel discharge pipe 70 is formed in a tubular shape extending from the outer peripheral surface of the body main body 66 in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the body main body 66, and is substantially spaced apart from the fuel supply pipe 68 by a predetermined distance. They are formed in parallel. The fuel discharge pipe 70 is provided not in communication with the body main body 66 and the fuel supply pipe 68 and communicates with the deaeration chamber 28 through a communication passage 102 of the housing 12 described later.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the fuel discharge pipe 70 is provided with a second check valve 74 that allows only the flow of fuel from the communication path 102 to the fuel tank T side. The second check valve 74 includes a first valve body 78 that is seated on a valve seat 76 in the fuel discharge pipe 70, a spring 80 that biases the first valve body 78 toward the valve seat 76, and the fuel discharge pipe 70. The first valve element 78 is always attached toward the body main body 66 by the spring 80 interposed between the holding member 82 and the holding member 82 that holds the spring 80. It is energized.

  The fuel discharge pipe 70 is connected to the fuel tank T via a pipe (not shown), and the second check valve 74 is opened by the pressure of surplus fuel discharged to the deaeration chamber 28, whereby the fuel discharge pipe 70 is opened. 70 is returned to the fuel tank T.

  In other words, the second check valve 74 restricts the inflow of fuel, dust and the like from the fuel tank T to the fuel supply device 10 side through the fuel discharge pipe 70.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A, 2, and 3, the cover member 20 includes a disk-shaped base portion 84 and a discharge pipe 86 that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the base portion 84. The housing 12 is mounted so as to close the other end.

  A discharge fuel passage 88 that opens toward the housing 12 (in the direction of arrow A) is provided inside the base portion 84. The discharge portion 36 of the fuel pump 14 is connected to the discharge fuel passage 88 and communicates with the fuel outlet 62. At the same time, the discharge fuel passage 88 communicates with a discharge pipe 86 described later.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the base portion 84 is formed with a mounting portion 90 that protrudes from the end face facing the deaeration chamber 28 toward the filter body 18, and has an axial direction (arrow A, A communication hole 92 penetrating in the (B direction) is formed to communicate with the discharge fuel passage 88 and the deaeration chamber 28, and a pressure regulator 94 is mounted.

  The pressure regulator 94 includes a second valve body 96 that can be seated on the step portion of the communication hole 92, and a spring 98 that urges the second valve body 96 toward the step portion side. When the body 96 is seated on the stepped portion by the elastic force of the spring 98, the communication between the discharged fuel passage 88 and the deaeration chamber 28 through the communication hole 92 is closed. On the other hand, when the second valve body 96 is pressed by the fuel (surplus fuel) flowing from the discharge fuel passage 88 into the communication hole 92, the valve is opened, and the fuel flows from the discharge fuel passage 88 to the deaeration chamber 28. .

  The discharge pipe 86 is formed in a tubular shape projecting radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the base portion 84, and is connected to the injector 100 (see FIG. 6) of the internal combustion engine via a pipe (not shown). Then, the fuel discharged from the fuel outlet 62 of the fuel pump 14 is discharged from the discharged fuel passage 88 of the base portion 84 to the outside through the discharge pipe 86.

  The fuel supply apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is basically configured as described above. Next, the operation and effects thereof will be described. Note that when the fuel pump 14 is in an operation stopped state, the fuel in the fuel tank T is introduced from the fuel supply pipe 68 of the fuel supply apparatus 10 to the inside of the filter body 18 through a pipe (not shown).

  First, in the fuel supply device 10, the rotor (not shown) of the motor unit 34 in the fuel pump 14 is driven to rotate based on a control signal from a controller (not shown), whereby the impeller 42 of the pump unit 32 is driven via the shaft 44. The pump chamber 48 is rotated. Then, the fuel introduced into the filter body 18 by the rotation of the impeller 42 is sucked into the pump chamber 48 through the suction passage 26 and the suction port 50 of the suction pipe 56.

  The fuel sucked from the suction port 50 gradually increases in pressure in the pump chamber 48 through the pump flow path 52 in the circumferential direction along the pump cover 40, and its gas component passes through the deaeration holes 54. After being discharged to the outside, the fuel that has flowed to the discharge port 46 of the pump body 38 and became high pressure is discharged.

  The fuel discharged from the discharge port 46 flows to the fuel outlet 62 of the discharge unit 36 through the internal space of the motor unit 34, and presses the first check valve 64 to open the valve, thereby covering the fuel outlet 62. It is discharged to the member 20 side. This fuel is discharged to the outside through the discharge fuel passage 88 and the discharge pipe 86 of the cover member 20, and is supplied to the injector 100 of the internal combustion engine through a pipe (not shown).

  Further, the surplus fuel discharged from the fuel pump 14 is higher than a predetermined pressure in the discharge fuel passage 88, and the second valve body 96 of the pressure regulator 94 is pressed to be in a valve-open state, so that the fuel Part of the gas flows into the deaeration chamber 28 through the pressure regulator 94. Then, the surplus fuel flows from the deaeration chamber 28 to the fuel discharge pipe 70 through the communication passage 102 of the filter body 18 and pushes up the first valve body 78 of the second check valve 74 to open the state, which is not shown. It returns to the fuel tank T (refer FIG. 6) through piping.

  Next, in a state where the operation of the fuel supply device 10 is stopped, the vehicle on which the fuel supply device 10 is mounted is inclined, the discharge portion 36 of the fuel pump 14 is moved upward in the gravity direction (arrow C1 direction), and the suction pipe 56 The operation in the case of tilting by a predetermined angle θ so that is below the gravitational direction (arrow C2 direction) will be described with reference to FIG.

  In such a state, when the fuel pump 14 is stopped, the deaeration chamber 28, the pump chamber 48, and the fuel supply pipe that connects the fuel tank T and the suction pipe 56 from the state where there is no fuel upstream of the pump chamber 48. When the fuel is supplied to 68, the fuel introduced into the filter body 18 and the pump chamber 48 of the fuel pump 14 are placed in the suction passage 26 of the housing 12 and the suction port 50 of the fuel pump 14. There is an air layer between them. On the other hand, the deaeration chamber 28 on the downstream side of the deaeration hole 54 of the fuel pump 14 is a sealed space.

  When the fuel supply device 10 is inclined from the horizontal state by a predetermined angle θ, the volume V1 of the air layer in the suction passage 26 of the housing 12 and the suction port 50 of the fuel pump 14, and the deaeration chamber 28 in the housing 12. The fuel pump 14 having the housing 12 having the suction passage 26 and the deaeration chamber 28 and the suction port 50 is formed so that the relationship with the volume V2 of the fuel is V2 / V1 ≧ 240.

  Note that the air layer having the volume V1 is located above the horizontal plane S passing through the bending point D serving as a boundary portion between the suction passage 26 of the housing 12 and the filter body 18 in the state in which the fuel supply device 10 is inclined. (In the direction of arrow C1) and continuously present upstream of the suction port 50. The bending point D is the upper side in the gravity direction when the suction passage 26 upstream of the pump chamber 48 and the filter body 18 into which fuel is introduced before the fuel pump 14 is operated are connected at a predetermined angle. This is a boundary portion (in the direction of arrow C1).

  With such a configuration, when the fuel pump 14 constituting the fuel supply device 10 is operated, the deaeration chamber 28 is pressurized through the deaeration hole 54 in the pump chamber 48 under the rotating action of the impeller 42, Accordingly, the air layer in the deaeration chamber 28 is compressed by a predetermined volume. By this compression, the air passage (volume V1) of the suction passage 26 and the suction port 50 on the upstream side of the impeller 42 is sucked into the pump chamber 48.

  The air layer in the suction passage 26 and the suction port 50 described above is all sucked into the pump chamber 48 of the volume V1, so that the liquid level of the fuel introduced up to the filter body 18 is sucked into the suction passage 26 and the suction passage. The fuel reaches the inside of the pump chamber 48 through the port 50 and is able to suck up the fuel under the rotating action of the impeller 42 so that the fuel is discharged through the fuel outlet 62 of the discharge portion 36.

  Therefore, even when the vehicle on which the fuel supply device 10 is mounted is inclined by a predetermined angle θ from the horizontal state, the fuel in the fuel tank T is reliably sucked by the fuel pump 14 and supplied to the injector 100 of the internal combustion engine. be able to.

  The relationship between the volume V1 of the air layer and the volume V2 of the deaeration chamber 28 described above is an actual value obtained by performing a test in which the fuel supply device 10 is actually tilted.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, in the fuel supply device 10 disposed outside the fuel tank T in the vehicle, the housing 12 that houses the fuel pump 14 includes the deaeration chamber 28. The fuel tank T is connected to the fuel tank T via a second check valve 74 that allows only a one-way flow to the outside, and the upstream side of the suction port 50 and the suction pipe 56 in the fuel pump 14 is not connected to the deaeration chamber 28. A volume V1 of an air layer formed in communication and in the filter body 18 connecting the fuel tank T and the suction pipe 56 with the suction pipe 56 for sucking fuel when the fuel pump 14 is in an operation stop state. The relationship with the volume V2 of the deaeration chamber 28 is set so that V2 / V1 ≧ 240.

  Thus, when the fuel is supplied from the state where there is no fuel upstream of the deaeration chamber 28, the pump chamber 48 of the fuel pump 14, and the pump chamber 48, the deaeration chambers 28 on the upstream side and the downstream side of the impeller 42. Even when the deaeration chamber 28 is a closed space downstream of the deaeration hole 54, the degassing is performed under the operation of the fuel pump 14. By compressing the air layer in the deaeration chamber 28 through the pores 54, it becomes possible to discharge the air layer of the volume V 1 accumulated on the upstream side of the impeller 42 to the deaeration chamber 28 through the pump chamber 48.

  That is, by securing the volume V2 of the deaeration chamber 28 on the downstream side of the impeller 42 with a sufficient capacity with respect to the volume V1 on the upstream side of the impeller 42, the deaeration chamber 28 is secured. It is possible to compress the air layer and to push the upstream air layer reliably.

  As a result, even when the fuel is empty inside the fuel pump 14, the liquid of the fuel reaching the filter body 18 by sucking the air layer existing on the upstream side of the impeller 42 to the downstream side of the impeller 42. The surface can reach the pump chamber 48 and the liquid fuel can be reliably sucked into the fuel pump 14 and discharged.

  Further, the fuel outlet 62 of the fuel pump 14 is connected to a pressure regulator 94 via a discharge fuel passage 88 of the cover member 20, and surplus fuel discharged into the discharge fuel passage 88 passes through the pressure regulator 94 to the deaeration chamber 28. The pressure regulator 94 is arranged in the radial direction of the fuel pump 14 in the housing 12 and is covered with an outer wall surface (wall surface) 12 a of the housing 12.

  Therefore, by forming the deaeration chamber 28 so as to cover the pressure regulator 94 disposed on the radially outer side of the fuel pump 14, a predetermined volume of the fuel supply device 10 can be suppressed while suppressing an increase in the size of the fuel pump 14 in the axial direction. The deaeration chamber 28 can be secured, and even when an air layer exists on the upstream side of the impeller 42 in the fuel pump 14, the volume of the deaeration chamber 28 on the downstream side of the impeller 42 is reduced. By ensuring a large amount, the fuel can be sucked from an empty state where there is no fuel in the pump chamber 48.

  Further, the fuel supply pipe 68 and the fuel discharge pipe 70 in the filter body 18 extend in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the fuel pump 14 and extend outward in the radial direction of the housing 12 covering the pressure regulator 94. The extending direction of the fuel supply pipe 68 and the fuel discharge pipe 70 and the extending direction of the housing 12 covering the pressure regulator 94 are provided so as to extend in the same direction as the outer wall surface 12 a covering the pressure regulator 94. Can be in the same direction. Therefore, as seen from the axial direction of the fuel pump 14, the fuel supply pipe 68 and the fuel discharge pipe 70 are prevented from projecting in the radial direction from the housing 12, and the entire apparatus is reduced in the axial direction while suppressing an increase in the radial direction. it can.

  In addition, the fuel supply device according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various configurations can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Fuel supply device 12 ... Housing 14 ... Fuel pump 16 ... Filter 18 ... Filter body 20 ... Cover member 28 ... Deaeration chamber 32 ... Pump part 34 ... Motor part 36 ... Discharge part 42 ... Impeller 46 ... Discharge port 48 ... Pump Chamber 50 ... Suction port 54 ... Deaeration hole 56 ... Suction pipe 62 ... Fuel outlet 64 ... First check valve 68 ... Fuel supply pipe 70 ... Fuel discharge pipe 74 ... Second check valve 86 ... Discharge pipe 88 ... Discharge fuel passage 94 ... Pressure regulator T ... Fuel tank

Claims (1)

In a fuel supply device that is disposed outside a fuel tank mounted on a vehicle and includes a housing that houses a fuel pump,
The fuel pump includes a pump chamber that houses an impeller, a pump chamber suction port that communicates with a suction pipe that sucks fuel and opens at an upstream end of the pump chamber, and a pump chamber discharge port that opens at a downstream end of the pump chamber And a deaeration hole provided between the pump chamber suction port and the pump chamber discharge port and communicated with a deaeration chamber formed between the fuel pump and the housing,
The deaeration chamber is connected to the fuel tank via a check valve that allows only the flow of fuel from the deaeration chamber to the outside, and the upstream side of the pump chamber inlet is located outside the deaeration chamber. ,
When the fuel is supplied from a state where the fuel is not present upstream of the deaeration chamber, the pump chamber, and the pump chamber to a supply passage connecting the fuel tank and the suction pipe, In the operation stop state, the relationship between the volume V1 of the air layer formed on the upstream side of the inlet of the pump chamber in the suction pipe and the supply passage and the volume V2 of the deaeration chamber is V2 / V1 ≧ 240. der is,
Gravity of the boundary portion that forms an angle with respect to the extending direction of the suction pipe on the upstream side of the suction pipe when the upstream side of the suction pipe is disposed below the gravity direction when mounted on the vehicle When the upper side in the direction is a bending point, the air layer is located above the horizontal direction passing through the bending point in the gravity direction .

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