US20220364536A1 - Fuel Supply Device - Google Patents
Fuel Supply Device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20220364536A1 US20220364536A1 US17/740,609 US202217740609A US2022364536A1 US 20220364536 A1 US20220364536 A1 US 20220364536A1 US 202217740609 A US202217740609 A US 202217740609A US 2022364536 A1 US2022364536 A1 US 2022364536A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- fuel
- pressure
- fuel supply
- supply passage
- valve
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M37/00—Apparatus or systems for feeding liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus; Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines
- F02M37/04—Feeding by means of driven pumps
- F02M37/08—Feeding by means of driven pumps electrically driven
- F02M37/10—Feeding by means of driven pumps electrically driven submerged in fuel, e.g. in reservoir
- F02M37/103—Mounting pumps on fuel tanks
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M37/00—Apparatus or systems for feeding liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus; Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines
- F02M37/0011—Constructional details; Manufacturing or assembly of elements of fuel systems; Materials therefor
- F02M37/0023—Valves in the fuel supply and return system
- F02M37/0029—Pressure regulator in the low pressure fuel system
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M37/00—Apparatus or systems for feeding liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus; Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines
- F02M37/0011—Constructional details; Manufacturing or assembly of elements of fuel systems; Materials therefor
- F02M37/0041—Means for damping pressure pulsations
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M37/00—Apparatus or systems for feeding liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus; Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines
- F02M37/0047—Layout or arrangement of systems for feeding fuel
- F02M37/0052—Details on the fuel return circuit; Arrangement of pressure regulators
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M37/00—Apparatus or systems for feeding liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus; Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines
- F02M37/04—Feeding by means of driven pumps
- F02M37/08—Feeding by means of driven pumps electrically driven
- F02M37/10—Feeding by means of driven pumps electrically driven submerged in fuel, e.g. in reservoir
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M37/00—Apparatus or systems for feeding liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus; Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines
- F02M37/04—Feeding by means of driven pumps
- F02M37/08—Feeding by means of driven pumps electrically driven
- F02M37/10—Feeding by means of driven pumps electrically driven submerged in fuel, e.g. in reservoir
- F02M37/106—Feeding by means of driven pumps electrically driven submerged in fuel, e.g. in reservoir the pump being installed in a sub-tank
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M2200/00—Details of fuel-injection apparatus, not otherwise provided for
- F02M2200/31—Fuel-injection apparatus having hydraulic pressure fluctuations damping elements
- F02M2200/315—Fuel-injection apparatus having hydraulic pressure fluctuations damping elements for damping fuel pressure fluctuations
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M69/00—Low-pressure fuel-injection apparatus ; Apparatus with both continuous and intermittent injection; Apparatus injecting different types of fuel
- F02M69/46—Details, component parts or accessories not provided for in, or of interest apart from, the apparatus covered by groups F02M69/02 - F02M69/44
- F02M69/54—Arrangement of fuel pressure regulators
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
- Y02T10/10—Internal combustion engine [ICE] based vehicles
- Y02T10/12—Improving ICE efficiencies
Definitions
- This disclosure relates generally to fuel supply devices that feed fuel in a fuel tank to a fuel injector of an engine.
- the plurality of pulsation dampers 107 , 108 are provided along the fuel supply passage 103 to suppress the fluctuation in the pressure of the fuel. Consequently, the configuration of the fuel supply device 100 becomes more complicated. Furthermore, since the plurality of pulsation dampers 107 , 108 are provided with the fuel supply passage between the pump module 102 and the fuel injector 109 , it is relatively costly to take countermeasures against fuel leakage due to aging and other factors.
- FIG. 3 is a schematic view of piping system between the fuel supply device of FIG. 1 and a fuel injector of an engine.
- FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the pressure-regulating valve of FIG. 4 in its open state.
- FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the pressure-regulating valve of FIG. 4 illustrating the state where the casing of the pressure-regulating valve is moved downward in the housing (the regulator case).
- FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a pressure-regulating valve of a fuel supply device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the operation of the pressure-regulating valve of the fuel supply device of FIG. 8 .
- FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a pressure-regulating valve of a fuel supply device according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the piping system between a conventional fuel supply device and a fuel injector of an engine.
- An objective of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to suppress the fluctuation in the pressure of the fuel using a simple configuration. Furthermore, another objective of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to make it easy to take measures against fuel leakage when implementing a configuration to suppress the fluctuation in the pressure.
- the fuel supply device 10 includes a fuel supply device main unit 20 and a fuel supply pipe 13 .
- the fuel supply device main unit 20 is disposed in the fuel tank T.
- the fuel supply pipe 13 supplies the fuel discharged from the fuel supply device main unit 20 to the fuel injector 18 of the engine.
- the fuel supply device main unit 20 includes a lid 21 and a pump unit 30 .
- the lid 21 closes the upper opening (not shown) of the fuel tank T.
- the pump unit 30 is disposed at the bottom of the fuel tank T.
- the pump unit 30 pumps the fuel.
- the pump unit 30 includes a fuel pump 32 , a pressure-regulating valve 40 , a fuel filter 37 , and a fuel level gauge 38 (see FIG. 1 ).
- the fuel pump 32 , the pressure-regulating valve 40 , and the fuel filter 37 are accommodated in a housing 300 .
- the housing 300 includes a main container 310 , which has a large-diameter, and a central container 320 , which is located in the center of the main container 310 and vertically oriented.
- the bottom of the main container 310 comprises an opening 311 (see FIG. 2 ).
- the fuel filter 37 that filters fuel is attached to the opening 311 of the main container 310 of the housing 300 .
- the inside of the main container 310 functions as a sub-tank 313 that stores the fuel that has passed through the fuel filter 37 .
- the lower end of the pump case 322 of the central container 320 is opened. Therefore, the motor 32 m of the fuel pump 32 is inserted into the pump case 322 of the central container 320 from the bottom.
- the lower part of the fuel pump 32 has a pump section 32 p .
- the pump part 32 p protrudes downward from the pump case 322 .
- the pump 32 p of the fuel pump 32 can uptake the fuel in the fuel tank T that has passed through the fuel filter 37 and the fuel in the sub-tank 313 .
- a fuel supply passage 230 is horizontally formed in the upper part of the central container 320 of the housing 300 .
- An inlet 231 of the fuel supply passage 230 is provided at the upper end of the pump case 322 in a state of being bent downward.
- the inlet 231 is connected to a discharge port 32 Z, which is disposed on the upper end of the fuel pump 32 (the motor 32 m ).
- a communication passage 233 which communicates with the regulator case 324 , is connected to the middle of the fuel supply passage 230 .
- an outlet 232 of the fuel supply passage 230 is connected to a tank inner connecting part 23 e of the fuel discharge port 23 on the lid 21 via a connecting tube 235 .
- a float-type fuel level gauge 38 for measuring the amount of the fuel in the fuel tank T i.e. the position of the liquid level
- the regulator case 324 of the central container 320 is the section that accommodates the pressure-regulating valve 40 , as described above. As shown in FIG. 4 , the lower side of the regulator case 324 of the central container 320 is opened. Therefore, the pressure-regulating valve 40 can be inserted into the regulator case 324 from below. After insertion of the pressure-regulating valve 40 , the lower side of the regulator case 324 is closed by a case lid 326 , which has a cap-shape. That is, the pressure-regulating valve 40 is connected to the fuel supply passage 230 via the communication passage 233 and the regulator case 324 .
- the regulator case 324 includes an upper accommodation chamber 324 e and a lower accommodation chamber 324 x .
- the upper accommodation chamber 324 e has an inner diameter dimension slightly larger than the outer diameter dimension of an upper casing 41 of the pressure-regulating valve 40 .
- the lower accommodation chamber 324 x is formed via a step on the lower side of the upper accommodation chamber 324 e and has a larger inner diameter than the upper accommodation chamber 324 e .
- the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the regulator case 324 has a plurality of hooks 324 f at equal circumferential intervals.
- the lower end surface of each hook 324 f of the regulator case 324 is formed as a stopper surface 324 s that is configured to abut a flange 43 of the pressure-regulating valve 40 from above.
- a seal 51 and a spacer 53 are provided in the lower accommodation chamber 324 x of the regulator case 324 .
- the seal 51 seals between the inner surface of the lower accommodation chamber 324 x of the regulator case 324 and the outer peripheral surface of the upper casing 41 of the pressure-regulating valve 40 .
- the spacer 53 has a cylindrical shape.
- the pressure-regulating valve 40 may move in the vertical direction by a certain dimension along the inner surface of the lower accommodating chamber 324 x of the regulator case 324 , while the space therebetween is still sealed by the seal 51 .
- the seal 51 has an annular shape, and its cross-sectional shape is an inverted trapezoid, which is wider at the upper side and narrower at the lower side. That is, the seal 51 has an inner circumferential inclined surface 51 e , an outer circumferential inclined surface 51 r , a flat lower surface 51 d , and an upper pressure-receiving surface 51 v having a V-shaped cross section.
- the upper pressure-receiving surface 51 v of the seal 51 is configured to receive (i.e., be exposed to) the pressure of the fuel in the regulator case 324 .
- the inner circumferential inclined surface 51 e of the seal 51 is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the upper casing 41 of the pressure-regulating valve 40 .
- the outer circumferential inclined surface 51 r of the seal 51 is in contact with the inner surface of the lower accommodating chamber 324 x of the regulator case 324 .
- the flat lower surface 51 d of the seal 51 is in contact with the upper surface of the spacer 53 . That is, the seal 51 seals between the regulator case 324 and the upper casing 41 of the pressure-regulating valve 40 .
- the seal 51 and the spacer 53 are retained in the pressure regulator valve 40 . Therefore, when the pressure-regulating valve 40 moves up and down along the inner surface of the regulator case 324 , the seal 51 and the spacer 53 move together with the pressure-regulating valve 40 . It is preferable to use a seal 51 and a spacer 53 that have a low sliding resistance when sliding against the regulator case 324 .
- an engaging hole 326 k to which a corresponding hook 324 f of the regulator case 324 may be engaged, is aligned with a corresponding hook 324 f of the regulator case 324 .
- the hook 324 f of the regulator case 324 can engage the engaging hole 326 k of the connecting wall 326 z of the case lid 326 , thereby securing the case lid 326 to the regulator case 324 with the lower part of the regulator case 324 closed.
- the upper end surface of the lid body 326 m of the case lid 326 defines a stopper surface 326 s configured to contact the flange 43 of the pressure-regulating valve 40 from below.
- the stopper surface 324 s of the hook 324 f of the regulator case 324 and the stopper surface 326 s of the lid body 326 m of the case lid 326 are separated by a predetermined distance.
- the flange 43 of the pressure-regulating valve 40 is placed between the stopper surface 324 s of the regulator case 324 and the stopper surface 326 s of the case lid 326 .
- the flange 43 of the pressure-regulating valve 40 can move in the vertical direction between the stopper surface 324 s of the regulator case 324 and the stopper surface 326 s of the case lid 326 . That is, the pressure-regulating valve 40 can move in the vertical direction between an upper limit position where the flange 43 abuts the stopper surface 324 s of the regulator case 324 and a lower limit position where the flange 43 abuts the stopper surface 326 s of the case lid 326 . Further, a spring-receiving-portion 326 b is provided at the lower end of the lid main body 326 m of the case lid 326 .
- the spring-receiving portion 326 b receives the lower end of a return spring 55 that biases the pressure-regulating valve 40 vertically upward.
- a return hole 326 r for returning the fuel to the sub-tank 313 is formed on the lower part of the spring-receiving portion 326 b.
- the valve 45 has a flow path 45 f that penetrates the valve 45 in the vertical direction.
- a valve seat 46 is fixed to the center of the upper casing 41 .
- the valve seat 46 has a valve seat surface 46 v at the lower end thereof.
- a pressure-regulating spring 47 for setting the pressure of the fuel is provided in the lower casing 42 .
- a lower end opening 42 h is formed at the center of the lower end of the lower casing 42 .
- a fuel inflow passage 41 e is formed at the upper part of the upper casing 41 .
- the fuel inflow passage 41 e leads the fuel in the regulator case 324 , which is in fluid communication with the fuel supply passage 230 , into the upper casing 41 . Accordingly, the pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage 230 is applied to the diaphragm 44 from above. Additionally, the diaphragm 44 is subjected to the biasing force of the pressure-regulating spring 47 , which applies an upward biasing force to the diaphragm 44 . That is, the biasing force of the pressure-regulating spring 47 is applied to the opposite side of the diaphragm 44 to which the pressure of the fuel is applied.
- the biasing force of the pressure-regulating spring 47 of the pressure-regulating valve 40 is set so that the pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage 230 is regulated to the set pressure.
- the fuel pump 32 in the pump unit 30 is driven, as shown in FIG. 2 , the fuel in the fuel tank T is supplied to the fuel pump 32 through the fuel filter 37 . Then, the fuel is discharged to the fuel supply passage 230 of the housing 300 via the discharge port 32 z . The fuel pumped into the fuel supply passage 230 is then fed to both the regulator case 324 via the communication passage 233 and to the outlet 232 of the fuel supply passage 230 . In this way, the fuel can be discharged from the outlet 232 of the fuel supply passage 230 in a state of being regulated to the set pressure by the pressure-regulating valve 40 .
- the fuel discharged from the outlet 232 of the fuel supply passage 230 is sent to the fuel discharge port 23 of the lid 21 via the connecting tube 235 , as shown in FIG. 1 . Then, the fuel is sent from fuel discharge port 23 to the fuel injector 18 of the engine via the fuel supply pipe 13 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
- the biasing force of the pressure-regulating spring 47 of the pressure-regulating valve 40 is set so that the pressure of the fuel is regulated to the set pressure. Therefore, in a state where the fuel pressure is being regulated to the set pressure, the valve 45 of the pressure-regulating valve 40 opens and closes the flow path 45 f according to the discharge state of the fuel pump 32 , as shown in FIG. 6 .
- the fuel which has passed through the flow path 45 f of the valve 45 of the pressure-regulating valve 40 , passes through the lower end opening 42 h of the pressure-regulating valve 40 and through the return hole 326 r of the case lid 326 , so as to return to the sub-tank 313 of the housing 300 .
- the biasing force of the return spring 55 is set to be greater than the biasing force of the pressure-regulating spring 47 , which is configured to regulate the pressure of the fuel to the set pressure. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
- the pressure-regulating valve 40 may move vertically downward by a certain distance H.
- the further lowering of the pressure-regulating valve 40 is stopped when the lower surface of the flange 43 comes into contact with the stopper surface 326 s of the case lid 326 .
- the pressure-regulating valve 40 is held at the lower limit position.
- the internal volume of the regulator case 324 in the above state is considered to be the value S1. That is, the internal volume of the regulator case 324 is increased within the range of (S1 ⁇ S0). Thereby, suppressing or relieving the increase in the pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage 230 . Further, when the pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage 230 decreases due to the pulsation, the pressure-regulating valve 40 quickly returns to the upper limit position in response to the biasing force of the return spring 55 .
- the fuel supply pipe 13 , the fuel supply passage 230 of the housing 300 , the communication passage 233 , and the internal space of the regulator case 324 correspond to an embodiment of the fuel supply passage of the present disclosure.
- the internal space of the regulator case 324 corresponds to an embodiment the end portion of the fuel supply passage of the present disclosure.
- the upper casing 41 and the lower casing 42 of the pressure-regulating valve 40 correspond to an embodiment of the casing of the pressure-regulating valve of the present disclosure.
- the flow paths 45 f , 42 h , and 326 r of the valve 45 of the pressure-regulating valve 40 correspond to an embodiment of the flow path for returning the fuel in the fuel supply passage to the fuel tank in the present disclosure.
- the volume of an end portion of the fuel supply passage 230 (which may correspond to a portion of the fuel supply passage 230 that includes the regulator case 324 ) in the housing 300 is configured to increase with the increasing pressure of the fuel.
- the increase in the pressure of the fuel is suppressed or relieved by increasing the volume of the end portion of the fuel supply passage 230 . That is, by changing the volume of the end portion of the fuel supply passage 230 in the housing 300 , the fluctuation in the pressure of the fuel can be suppressed or relieved.
- the configuration of the fuel supply device 10 may be simplified.
- the housing 300 is disposed inside of the fuel tank T. Therefore, even if the end portion of the fuel supply passage 230 (for instance the regulator case 324 ) is damaged, for example due to age-related deterioration, the fuel in the end portion of the fuel supply passage 230 is returned to the fuel tank T. As a result, it is possible to prevent the outflow of the fuel to the environment outside of the fuel supply device, such as to the engine compartment.
- a fuel supply device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 8-11 .
- the fuel supply device of the second embodiment is a modification of the configuration of the regulator case 324 and the pressure-regulating valve 40 in the fuel supply device 10 of the first embodiment.
- the other features and configurations of the second embodiment are similar to those of the fuel supply device 10 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the portions of the second embodiment substantially similar those of the fuel supply device 10 of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant descriptions will be omitted.
- the pressure of the fuel causes the valve 60 to move further downward against the biasing force of the pressure-regulating spring 66 , thereby further increasing the internal volume of the regulator case 324 .
- the fuel return hole 324 h of the regulator case 324 is opened. That is, the fuel pressure is regulated to be the set pressure by increasing the internal volume of the regulator case 324 and returning the fuel in the regulator case 324 to the sub-tank 313 .
- the valve 60 moves further downward against the biasing force of the pressure-regulating spring 66 due to the pressure of the fuel. Therefore, the internal volume of the regulator case 324 is further increased and the further increase of the pressure of the fuel is suppressed or relieved.
- the pressure of the fuel may be regulated with a simpler configuration than that described for the first embodiment.
- the fuel return hole 324 h of the second embodiment is formed in the wall of the regulator case 324 .
- the surplus fuel which is discharged from the fuel pump 32 and generated when the pressure is regulated by the pressure-regulating valve 40 , is configured to be returned to the sub-tank 313 via the fuel return hole 62 h of the pressure-receiving plate 62 of the valve body 60 .
- the valve 60 is pushed down against the biasing force of the pressure-regulating spring 66 as the pressure of the fuel is increased.
- the internal volume of the regulator case 324 is increased, thereby suppressing the increase in pressure of the fuel.
- the first embodiment and the second embodiment show examples in which the internal volume of the regulator case 324 is increased or decreased by accommodating the pressure-regulating valve 40 or the valve 60 in the regulator case 324 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.
- the regulator case 324 instead of moving the pressure-regulating valve 40 or the valve 60 in the vertical direction, it is also possible to configure the regulator case 324 such that the internal volume of the regulator case 324 may be increased or decreased by deforming the upper wall of the regulator case 324 , e.g., the wall located above the pressure regulator valve 40 , in the direction of diameter expansion or diameter contraction.
- the fuel injection method of the first embodiment and the second embodiment may be either direct injection or port injection.
- a second aspect of the fuel supply device includes a seal provided between the casing of the pressure-regulating valve and the inner surface of the housing.
- the casing of the pressure-regulating valve is configured to allow the volume of the end portion of the fuel supply passage to increase and decrease by moving along the inner surface of the housing while continuing to be sealed by the seal.
- a pulsation in the pressure of the fuel may be efficiently suppressed or relieved.
- the biasing force of the return spring is set larger than the biasing force of the pressure-regulating spring.
- the casing of the pressure-regulating valve is held in a predetermined position by the biasing force of the return spring.
- the casing of the pressure-regulating valve can move in the direction resulting in increasing the volume of the fuel supply passage, which is a direction against the biasing force of the return spring.
- the pressure-regulating valve may include a valve and a pressure-regulating spring.
- the valve has a pressure-receiving surface that is exposed to the pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage.
- the pressure-regulating spring biases or pushes the valve from a side of the valve opposite the surface against which the pressure of the fuel acts.
- a seal is provided between the valve and the inner surface of the housing.
- the valve is configured to allow the volume of the end portion of the fuel supply passage to increase and decrease by moving along the inner surface of the housing while the end portion of the fuel supply passage continues to be sealed by the seal.
- a pulsation of the pressure of the fuel is efficiently suppressed or relieved.
- the fuel return hole may be formed in the pressure-receiving surface of the valve, so as to return the fuel in the fuel supply passage to the fuel tank.
- a pulsation of the pressure of the fuel may be absorbed in the range from a fuel pressure lower than the set pressure to a fuel pressure at the set pressure.
- a pulsation of the fuel may be suppressed or relieved with a simple configuration. Further, the present disclosure make it easy to take measures against fuel leakage from the configuration that is configured to suppress the fluctuation of the pressure.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Fuel-Injection Apparatus (AREA)
Abstract
A fuel supply device includes a fuel supply passage, a fuel pump, a pressure-regulating valve, and a housing. The fuel supply passage is in communication with the fuel injector. The fuel pump pumps the fuel to the fuel supply passage. The pressure-regulating valve regulates the pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage. The housing is disposed in the fuel tank. The housing accommodates the fuel pump and the pressure-regulating valve. The fuel supply passage is formed within the housing. The pressure-regulating valve is connected to an end portion of the fuel supply passage formed in the housing. The volume of the end portion of the fuel supply passage in the housing is configured to increase with increasing pressure of the fuel.
Description
- This application claims priority to Japanese patent application serial number 2021-083001, filed May 17, 2021, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
- This disclosure relates generally to fuel supply devices that feed fuel in a fuel tank to a fuel injector of an engine.
- As shown in
FIG. 12 , one type offuel supply device 100 pumps fuel in afuel tank 101 to afuel injector 109 of an engine. Thefuel supply device 100 includes afuel supply passage 103 and apump module 102 in thefuel tank 101 that pumps fuel into thefuel supply passage 103. Thepump module 102 includes afuel pump 104, a pressure-regulatingvalve 105 for regulating the pressure of the fuel, and afuel filter 106. Afirst pulsation damper 107 and asecond pulsation damper 108 are provided between thepump module 102 and thefuel injector 109 in thefuel supply passage 103 of thefuel supply device 100. The first pulsation damper 107 and the second pulsation damper 108 suppress fluctuations of the pressure of the fuel. - In accordance with the
fuel supply device 100 shown inFIG. 12 , the plurality ofpulsation dampers fuel supply passage 103 to suppress the fluctuation in the pressure of the fuel. Consequently, the configuration of thefuel supply device 100 becomes more complicated. Furthermore, since the plurality ofpulsation dampers pump module 102 and thefuel injector 109, it is relatively costly to take countermeasures against fuel leakage due to aging and other factors. - In one aspect of the present disclosure, a fuel supply device that pumps fuel in a fuel tank to a fuel injector of an engine may include a fuel supply passage, a fuel pump, a pressure-regulating valve, and a housing. The fuel supply passage may communicate with the fuel injector. The fuel pump may pump the fuel to the fuel supply passage. The pressure-regulating valve may regulate the pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage. The housing may be disposed in the fuel tank, and may accommodate the fuel pump and the pressure-regulating valve. The fuel supply passage may be formed within the housing. The pressure-regulating valve may be connected to the end portion of the fuel supply passage formed in the housing. The volume of the end portion of the fuel supply passage in the housing may be configured to increase as the pressure of the fuel increases.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fuel supply device (a fuel supply device main body) according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the pump unit of the fuel supply device ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of piping system between the fuel supply device ofFIG. 1 and a fuel injector of an engine. -
FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional partial view of the pump unit ofFIG. 2 taken in part IV ofFIG. 2 and illustrating the pressure-regulating valve of the pump unit ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the seal that is disposed between the casing of the pressure-regulating valve and the inner surface of a housing of the pump unit (the regulator case) shown inFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the pressure-regulating valve ofFIG. 4 in its open state. -
FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the pressure-regulating valve ofFIG. 4 illustrating the state where the casing of the pressure-regulating valve is moved downward in the housing (the regulator case). -
FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a pressure-regulating valve of a fuel supply device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the operation of the pressure-regulating valve of the fuel supply device ofFIG. 8 . -
FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a pressure-regulating valve of a fuel supply device according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the pressure-regulating valve of the fuel supply device ofFIG. 10 taken in section XI-XI ofFIG. 10 . -
FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the piping system between a conventional fuel supply device and a fuel injector of an engine. - An objective of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to suppress the fluctuation in the pressure of the fuel using a simple configuration. Furthermore, another objective of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to make it easy to take measures against fuel leakage when implementing a configuration to suppress the fluctuation in the pressure.
- Referring to
FIGS. 1 to 7 , a first embodiment of afuel supply device 10 will be described. Thefuel supply device 10 is a device mounted on a vehicle, such as an automobile, and pumps fuel in a fuel tank T to afuel injector 18 of an engine as shown inFIG. 3 . - As shown in the piping system diagram of
FIG. 3 , thefuel supply device 10 includes a fuel supply devicemain unit 20 and afuel supply pipe 13. The fuel supply devicemain unit 20 is disposed in the fuel tank T. Thefuel supply pipe 13 supplies the fuel discharged from the fuel supply devicemain unit 20 to thefuel injector 18 of the engine. As shown inFIG. 1 , the fuel supply devicemain unit 20 includes alid 21 and apump unit 30. Thelid 21 closes the upper opening (not shown) of the fuel tank T. Thepump unit 30 is disposed at the bottom of the fuel tank T. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , thelid 21 comprises a disc-shaped lid plate 22. Afuel discharge port 23, which has an L-shape in a side view, extends from thelid plate 22. One end of thefuel supply pipe 13 shown inFIG. 3 is connected to thefuel discharge port 23. Thelid plate 22 of thelid 21 includes anelectric connector 24, apipe connecting port 25 for a canister (a fuel vapor treatment device), and abreather pipe 26 for air venting. - As shown in
FIGS. 1 to 3 , thepump unit 30 pumps the fuel. Thepump unit 30 includes afuel pump 32, a pressure-regulatingvalve 40, afuel filter 37, and a fuel level gauge 38 (seeFIG. 1 ). As shown inFIG. 2 , thefuel pump 32, the pressure-regulatingvalve 40, and thefuel filter 37 are accommodated in ahousing 300. - As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 , thehousing 300 includes amain container 310, which has a large-diameter, and acentral container 320, which is located in the center of themain container 310 and vertically oriented. The bottom of themain container 310 comprises an opening 311 (seeFIG. 2 ). As shown inFIG. 2 , thefuel filter 37 that filters fuel is attached to the opening 311 of themain container 310 of thehousing 300. The inside of themain container 310 functions as asub-tank 313 that stores the fuel that has passed through thefuel filter 37. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , thecentral container 320 of thehousing 300 includes apump case 322 and aregulator case 324. Thepump case 322 has a substantially cylindrical shape and accommodates amotor 32 m of thefuel pump 32. Theregulator case 324 has a substantially cylindrical shape and accommodates the pressure-regulatingvalve 40. Thepump case 322 and theregulator case 324 of thecentral container 320 are positioned side-by-side. The lower sides of thepump case 322 and theregulator case 324 are positioned lower in the vertical height direction than their center position as arranged within themain container 310. - The lower end of the
pump case 322 of thecentral container 320 is opened. Therefore, themotor 32 m of thefuel pump 32 is inserted into thepump case 322 of thecentral container 320 from the bottom. The lower part of thefuel pump 32 has apump section 32 p. In the state where themotor 32 m of thefuel pump 32 has been inserted into thepump case 322 of thecentral container 320, thepump part 32 p protrudes downward from thepump case 322. As a result, thepump 32 p of thefuel pump 32 can uptake the fuel in the fuel tank T that has passed through thefuel filter 37 and the fuel in the sub-tank 313. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , afuel supply passage 230 is horizontally formed in the upper part of thecentral container 320 of thehousing 300. Aninlet 231 of thefuel supply passage 230 is provided at the upper end of thepump case 322 in a state of being bent downward. Theinlet 231 is connected to adischarge port 32Z, which is disposed on the upper end of the fuel pump 32 (themotor 32 m). Acommunication passage 233, which communicates with theregulator case 324, is connected to the middle of thefuel supply passage 230. As shown inFIG. 1 , anoutlet 232 of thefuel supply passage 230 is connected to a tankinner connecting part 23 e of thefuel discharge port 23 on thelid 21 via a connectingtube 235. A float-typefuel level gauge 38 for measuring the amount of the fuel in the fuel tank T (i.e. the position of the liquid level) is attached on the side of themain container 310 of thehousing 300. - The
regulator case 324 of thecentral container 320 is the section that accommodates the pressure-regulatingvalve 40, as described above. As shown inFIG. 4 , the lower side of theregulator case 324 of thecentral container 320 is opened. Therefore, the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 can be inserted into theregulator case 324 from below. After insertion of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40, the lower side of theregulator case 324 is closed by acase lid 326, which has a cap-shape. That is, the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 is connected to thefuel supply passage 230 via thecommunication passage 233 and theregulator case 324. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , theregulator case 324 includes anupper accommodation chamber 324 e and alower accommodation chamber 324 x. Theupper accommodation chamber 324 e has an inner diameter dimension slightly larger than the outer diameter dimension of anupper casing 41 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40. Thelower accommodation chamber 324 x is formed via a step on the lower side of theupper accommodation chamber 324 e and has a larger inner diameter than theupper accommodation chamber 324 e. The outer peripheral surface of the lower end of theregulator case 324 has a plurality ofhooks 324 f at equal circumferential intervals. The lower end surface of eachhook 324 f of theregulator case 324 is formed as astopper surface 324 s that is configured to abut aflange 43 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 from above. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , aseal 51 and aspacer 53 are provided in thelower accommodation chamber 324 x of theregulator case 324. Theseal 51 seals between the inner surface of thelower accommodation chamber 324 x of theregulator case 324 and the outer peripheral surface of theupper casing 41 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40. Thespacer 53 has a cylindrical shape. The pressure-regulatingvalve 40 may move in the vertical direction by a certain dimension along the inner surface of the loweraccommodating chamber 324 x of theregulator case 324, while the space therebetween is still sealed by theseal 51. As shown inFIG. 5 , theseal 51 has an annular shape, and its cross-sectional shape is an inverted trapezoid, which is wider at the upper side and narrower at the lower side. That is, theseal 51 has an inner circumferentialinclined surface 51 e, an outer circumferentialinclined surface 51 r, a flatlower surface 51 d, and an upper pressure-receivingsurface 51 v having a V-shaped cross section. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , the upper pressure-receivingsurface 51 v of theseal 51 is configured to receive (i.e., be exposed to) the pressure of the fuel in theregulator case 324. The inner circumferentialinclined surface 51 e of theseal 51 is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of theupper casing 41 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40. The outer circumferentialinclined surface 51 r of theseal 51 is in contact with the inner surface of the loweraccommodating chamber 324 x of theregulator case 324. The flatlower surface 51 d of theseal 51 is in contact with the upper surface of thespacer 53. That is, theseal 51 seals between theregulator case 324 and theupper casing 41 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40. Here, theseal 51 and thespacer 53 are retained in thepressure regulator valve 40. Therefore, when the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 moves up and down along the inner surface of theregulator case 324, theseal 51 and thespacer 53 move together with the pressure-regulatingvalve 40. It is preferable to use aseal 51 and aspacer 53 that have a low sliding resistance when sliding against theregulator case 324. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , thecase lid 326 that closes the lower end of theregulator case 324 includes alid body 326 m and a connectingwall 326 z. Alower casing 42 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 is accommodated in thelid body 326 m. The connectingwall 326 z is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the upper end of thelid body 326 m. The connectingwall 326 z of thecase lid 326 has an inner diameter dimension that sized to enclose the lower end of theregulator case 324. In the connectingwall 326 z of thecase lid 326, an engaginghole 326 k, to which acorresponding hook 324 f of theregulator case 324 may be engaged, is aligned with acorresponding hook 324 f of theregulator case 324. - That is, as shown in
FIG. 4 , thehook 324 f of theregulator case 324 can engage theengaging hole 326 k of the connectingwall 326 z of thecase lid 326, thereby securing thecase lid 326 to theregulator case 324 with the lower part of theregulator case 324 closed. The upper end surface of thelid body 326 m of thecase lid 326 defines astopper surface 326 s configured to contact theflange 43 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 from below. In the state where thecase lid 326 is fixed to theregulator case 324, thestopper surface 324 s of thehook 324 f of theregulator case 324 and thestopper surface 326 s of thelid body 326 m of thecase lid 326 are separated by a predetermined distance. Theflange 43 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 is placed between thestopper surface 324 s of theregulator case 324 and thestopper surface 326 s of thecase lid 326. - The
flange 43 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 can move in the vertical direction between thestopper surface 324 s of theregulator case 324 and thestopper surface 326 s of thecase lid 326. That is, the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 can move in the vertical direction between an upper limit position where theflange 43 abuts thestopper surface 324 s of theregulator case 324 and a lower limit position where theflange 43 abuts thestopper surface 326 s of thecase lid 326. Further, a spring-receiving-portion 326 b is provided at the lower end of the lidmain body 326 m of thecase lid 326. The spring-receivingportion 326 b receives the lower end of areturn spring 55 that biases the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 vertically upward. Areturn hole 326 r for returning the fuel to the sub-tank 313 is formed on the lower part of the spring-receivingportion 326 b. - The pressure-regulating
valve 40 regulates the pressure of the fuel in thefuel supply passage 230. As shown inFIG. 4 , the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 includes theupper casing 41 and thelower casing 42, which are connected to each other at theflange 43. Both theupper casing 41 and thelower casing 42 have a substantially cylindrical shape. The edge of adiaphragm 44 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 is fixed at the position of theflange 43, so as to be sandwiched between theupper casing 41 and thelower casing 42. Thediaphragm 44 partitions the space inside theupper casing 41 and the space inside thelower casing 42. Avalve 45 is fixed to the center of thediaphragm 44. Thevalve 45 has aflow path 45 f that penetrates thevalve 45 in the vertical direction. Avalve seat 46 is fixed to the center of theupper casing 41. Thevalve seat 46 has avalve seat surface 46 v at the lower end thereof. When the upper end of thevalve 45, which is fixed to thediaphragm 44, abuts thevalve seat surface 46 v of thevalve seat 46, theflow path 45 f of thevalve 45 is closed (seeFIG. 4 ). - As shown in
FIG. 4 , a pressure-regulatingspring 47 for setting the pressure of the fuel is provided in thelower casing 42. Alower end opening 42 h is formed at the center of the lower end of thelower casing 42. Afuel inflow passage 41 e is formed at the upper part of theupper casing 41. Thefuel inflow passage 41 e leads the fuel in theregulator case 324, which is in fluid communication with thefuel supply passage 230, into theupper casing 41. Accordingly, the pressure of the fuel in thefuel supply passage 230 is applied to thediaphragm 44 from above. Additionally, thediaphragm 44 is subjected to the biasing force of the pressure-regulatingspring 47, which applies an upward biasing force to thediaphragm 44. That is, the biasing force of the pressure-regulatingspring 47 is applied to the opposite side of thediaphragm 44 to which the pressure of the fuel is applied. - When the pressure of the fuel in the
fuel supply passage 230 becomes greater than a set pressure, which is set such that the force applied to thediaphragm 44 caused by the pressure exceeds the biasing force of the pressure-regulatingspring 47, thediaphragm 44 deforms downward against the biasing force of the pressure-regulatingspring 47, as shown inFIG. 6 . As a result, the upper end of thevalve 45 is separated from thevalve seat surface 46 v, thereby opening theflow path 45 f of thevalve 45. In this state, a part of the fuel in thefuel supply passage 230 passes through theflow path 45 f of thevalve 45 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40, into thelower end opening 42 h of thelower casing 42, and then through thereturn hole 326 r of thecase lid 326 to return to the sub-tank 313. That is, the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 operates so that the pressure of the fuel can be decreased. When the pressure of the fuel in thefuel supply passage 230 becomes lower than the set pressure, the biasing force of the spring of the pressure-regulatingspring 47 pushes thediaphragm 44 upward, thereby urging thevalve 45 into contact with thevalve seat surface 46 v and closing theflow path 45 f. That is, the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 also operates so that the pressure of the fuel can be increased. - In the
pump unit 30 of thefuel supply device 10, the biasing force of the pressure-regulatingspring 47 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 is set so that the pressure of the fuel in thefuel supply passage 230 is regulated to the set pressure. When thefuel pump 32 in thepump unit 30 is driven, as shown inFIG. 2 , the fuel in the fuel tank T is supplied to thefuel pump 32 through thefuel filter 37. Then, the fuel is discharged to thefuel supply passage 230 of thehousing 300 via the discharge port 32 z. The fuel pumped into thefuel supply passage 230 is then fed to both theregulator case 324 via thecommunication passage 233 and to theoutlet 232 of thefuel supply passage 230. In this way, the fuel can be discharged from theoutlet 232 of thefuel supply passage 230 in a state of being regulated to the set pressure by the pressure-regulatingvalve 40. - The fuel discharged from the
outlet 232 of thefuel supply passage 230 is sent to thefuel discharge port 23 of thelid 21 via the connectingtube 235, as shown inFIG. 1 . Then, the fuel is sent fromfuel discharge port 23 to thefuel injector 18 of the engine via thefuel supply pipe 13, as shown inFIG. 3 . As described above, the biasing force of the pressure-regulatingspring 47 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 is set so that the pressure of the fuel is regulated to the set pressure. Therefore, in a state where the fuel pressure is being regulated to the set pressure, thevalve 45 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 opens and closes theflow path 45 f according to the discharge state of thefuel pump 32, as shown inFIG. 6 . - Accordingly, the fuel, which has passed through the
flow path 45 f of thevalve 45 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40, passes through thelower end opening 42 h of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 and through thereturn hole 326 r of thecase lid 326, so as to return to thesub-tank 313 of thehousing 300. Here, the biasing force of thereturn spring 55 is set to be greater than the biasing force of the pressure-regulatingspring 47, which is configured to regulate the pressure of the fuel to the set pressure. Therefore, as shown inFIG. 6 , when the pressure of the fuel is slightly above the set pressure, the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 receives the biasing force of thereturn spring 55 and the upper surface of theflange 43 is held at the upper limit position, where the upper surface of theflange 43 abuts thestopper surface 324 s of theregulator case 324. The internal volume of theregulator case 324 in the above state is considered to be the value S0. - During vehicle operation, the pressure of the fuel may pulsate significantly due to operating conditions and other factors. As shown in
FIG. 7 , if the pressure of the fuel in thefuel supply passage 230 increases significantly over the set pressure, for instance due to the above mentioned pulsation, thediaphragm 44 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 deforms further downward against the biasing force of the pressure-regulatingspring 47 so as to open theflow path 45 f of thevalve 45. Further, the entire pressure-regulatingvalve 40 moves downward against the biasing force of thereturn spring 55, since the upper surface of theupper casing 41 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 is subjected to the pressure of the fuel at a greater force than the biasing force of thereturn spring 55. - The pressure-regulating
valve 40 may move vertically downward by a certain distance H. The further lowering of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 is stopped when the lower surface of theflange 43 comes into contact with thestopper surface 326 s of thecase lid 326. As a result, the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 is held at the lower limit position. The internal volume of theregulator case 324 in the above state is considered to be the value S1. That is, the internal volume of theregulator case 324 is increased within the range of (S1−S0). Thereby, suppressing or relieving the increase in the pressure of the fuel in thefuel supply passage 230. Further, when the pressure of the fuel in thefuel supply passage 230 decreases due to the pulsation, the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 quickly returns to the upper limit position in response to the biasing force of thereturn spring 55. - In the
fuel supply device 10 of the present embodiment, thefuel supply pipe 13, thefuel supply passage 230 of thehousing 300, thecommunication passage 233, and the internal space of theregulator case 324 correspond to an embodiment of the fuel supply passage of the present disclosure. The internal space of theregulator case 324 corresponds to an embodiment the end portion of the fuel supply passage of the present disclosure. Theupper casing 41 and thelower casing 42 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 correspond to an embodiment of the casing of the pressure-regulating valve of the present disclosure. Theflow paths valve 45 of the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 correspond to an embodiment of the flow path for returning the fuel in the fuel supply passage to the fuel tank in the present disclosure. - According to the
fuel supply device 10 of the present embodiment, the volume of an end portion of the fuel supply passage 230 (which may correspond to a portion of thefuel supply passage 230 that includes the regulator case 324) in thehousing 300 is configured to increase with the increasing pressure of the fuel. Thus, even if the pressure of the fuel is to be increased over the set pressure due, for instance, to the timing of fuel injection into the engine, the increase in the pressure of the fuel is suppressed or relieved by increasing the volume of the end portion of thefuel supply passage 230. That is, by changing the volume of the end portion of thefuel supply passage 230 in thehousing 300, the fluctuation in the pressure of the fuel can be suppressed or relieved. As a result of the above described structure and operation, the configuration of thefuel supply device 10 may be simplified. In addition, thehousing 300 is disposed inside of the fuel tank T. Therefore, even if the end portion of the fuel supply passage 230 (for instance the regulator case 324) is damaged, for example due to age-related deterioration, the fuel in the end portion of thefuel supply passage 230 is returned to the fuel tank T. As a result, it is possible to prevent the outflow of the fuel to the environment outside of the fuel supply device, such as to the engine compartment. - A fuel supply device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
FIGS. 8-11 . The fuel supply device of the second embodiment is a modification of the configuration of theregulator case 324 and the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 in thefuel supply device 10 of the first embodiment. The other features and configurations of the second embodiment are similar to those of thefuel supply device 10 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the portions of the second embodiment substantially similar those of thefuel supply device 10 of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant descriptions will be omitted. - As shown in
FIG. 8 , in the fuel supply device according to the second embodiment, a piston-shapedvalve 60 is inserted into theregulator case 324. Thereby, the fuel supply device of the second embodiment has the similar function as the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 of thefuel supply device 10 of the first embodiment. More specifically, thevalve 60 of the pressure-regulating valve according to the second embodiment includes acylindrical portion 64 and a pressure-receivingplate 62. The pressure-receivingplate 62 has a disk-shape and closes an upper end opening of thecylindrical portion 64. The upper surface of the pressure-receivingplate 62 functions as a pressure-receiving surface configured to receive the pressure of the fuel. The outer peripheral surface of thecylindrical portion 64 of thevalve 60 and the inner surface of theregulator case 324 are sealed by aseal 51. That is, thevalve 60 is configured to move inside theregulator case 324 in the vertical direction while in a state of being sealed by theseal 51. It is preferable to use aseal 51 having a low sliding resistance with respect to theregulator case 324. A pressure-regulatingspring 66, which is configured to apply an upward biasing force to thevalve 60, is provided between the pressure-receivingplate 62 of thevalve 60 and the spring-receivingportion 326 b of thecase lid 326. Afuel return hole 324 h for returning the fuel in theregulator case 324 to the sub-tank 313 is formed in the wall of theregulator case 324 at a predetermined vertical position. - As shown in
FIG. 8 , when the pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage 230 (in particular the portion corresponding to the regulator case 324) is lower than a set pressure, thevalve 60 is pushed up by the biasing force of the pressure-regulatingspring 66. In this state, thefuel return hole 324 h of theregulator case 324 is closed by thecylindrical portion 64 of thevalve 60. However, as the fuel pressure is increased, thevalve 60 moves downward against the biasing force of the pressure-regulator spring 66 due to the increased pressure of the fuel. As a result, the internal volume of theregulator case 324 is increased, and the increase in the pressure of the fuel may be suppressed or relieved. - As shown in
FIG. 9 , as the pressure of the fuel is increased to be greater than the set pressure, the pressure of the fuel causes thevalve 60 to move further downward against the biasing force of the pressure-regulatingspring 66, thereby further increasing the internal volume of theregulator case 324. Once thevalve 60 is moved downward beyond a certain point, thefuel return hole 324 h of theregulator case 324 is opened. That is, the fuel pressure is regulated to be the set pressure by increasing the internal volume of theregulator case 324 and returning the fuel in theregulator case 324 to the sub-tank 313. Further, if the pressure of the fuel is increased over the set pressure, for instance due to a pulsation, thevalve 60 moves further downward against the biasing force of the pressure-regulatingspring 66 due to the pressure of the fuel. Therefore, the internal volume of theregulator case 324 is further increased and the further increase of the pressure of the fuel is suppressed or relieved. Thus, the pressure of the fuel may be regulated with a simpler configuration than that described for the first embodiment. - The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but instead may be modified without departure from the scope of the disclosure. For example, the
fuel return hole 324 h of the second embodiment is formed in the wall of theregulator case 324. However, as shown inFIGS. 10 and 11 , it is also possible to form a plurality of fuel return holes 62 h, for instance composed of small-diameter through holes, in the pressure-receivingplate 62 of thevalve 60. This may be done instead of or in addition to forming thefuel return hole 324 h in the wall of theregulator case 324. According to the above-configuration, the surplus fuel, which is discharged from thefuel pump 32 and generated when the pressure is regulated by the pressure-regulatingvalve 40, is configured to be returned to the sub-tank 313 via thefuel return hole 62 h of the pressure-receivingplate 62 of thevalve body 60. Additionally, thevalve 60 is pushed down against the biasing force of the pressure-regulatingspring 66 as the pressure of the fuel is increased. As a result, the internal volume of theregulator case 324 is increased, thereby suppressing the increase in pressure of the fuel. - The first embodiment and the second embodiment show examples in which the internal volume of the
regulator case 324 is increased or decreased by accommodating the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 or thevalve 60 in theregulator case 324 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. However, instead of moving the pressure-regulatingvalve 40 or thevalve 60 in the vertical direction, it is also possible to configure theregulator case 324 such that the internal volume of theregulator case 324 may be increased or decreased by deforming the upper wall of theregulator case 324, e.g., the wall located above thepressure regulator valve 40, in the direction of diameter expansion or diameter contraction. The fuel injection method of the first embodiment and the second embodiment may be either direct injection or port injection. - The various examples described above in detail with reference to the attached drawings are intended to be representative of the present disclosure, and are thus non-limiting embodiments. The detailed description is intended to teach a person of skill in the art to make, use, and/or practice various aspects of the present teachings, and thus does not limit the scope of the disclosure in any manner. Furthermore, each of the additional features and teachings disclosed above may be applied and/or used separately or with other features and teachings in any combination thereof, to provide a fuel supply device and/or methods of making and using the same.
- In accordance with the first aspect, the volume of the end portion of the fuel supply passage in the housing is configured to increase with increasing the pressure of the fuel. Therefore, even if the pressure of the fuel is to be increased over a set pressure, for instance due to the timing of the fuel injection into the engine, the increase in the pressure of the fuel may be suppressed or relieved by increasing the volume of the end portion of the fuel supply passage. That is, by changing the volume of the end portion of the fuel supply passage in the housing, the fluctuation in the pressure of the fuel may be suppressed or relieved. As a result, the configuration of the fuel supply device may be simplified. In addition, the housing, which has the fuel supply passage formed therein, is disposed inside of the fuel tank. Therefore, even if the end portion of the fuel supply passage is damaged, for instance due to age-related deterioration, the fuel is returned to the fuel tank. As a result, it is possible to prevent outflow of fuel to outside of the fuel supply device, such as outside the engine compartment.
- A second aspect of the fuel supply device includes a seal provided between the casing of the pressure-regulating valve and the inner surface of the housing. The casing of the pressure-regulating valve is configured to allow the volume of the end portion of the fuel supply passage to increase and decrease by moving along the inner surface of the housing while continuing to be sealed by the seal. In accordance with the second aspect, a pulsation in the pressure of the fuel may be efficiently suppressed or relieved.
- In a third aspect of the fuel supply device, the casing of the pressure-regulating valve may include a diaphragm, a valve, and a pressure-regulating spring. The diaphragm is exposed to the pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage. The valve is integrated with the diaphragm and opens and closes a flow path that returns the fuel in the fuel supply passage to the fuel tank. The pressure-regulating spring presses the diaphragm from the side of the diaphragm opposite to the side receiving the pressure of the fuel. A return spring is provided at the outside of the casing of the pressure-regulating valve. The return spring biases the casing toward a direction opposite to the direction in which the pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage applies to the casing. In accordance with the third aspect, when the pressure of the fuel is increased and then suddenly decreased, the casing of the pressure-regulating valve quickly returns to its original position due at least in part to the function of the return spring.
- In a fourth aspect of the fuel supply device, the biasing force of the return spring is set larger than the biasing force of the pressure-regulating spring. In accordance with the fourth aspect, even if the pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage is maintained at the set pressure and the flow passage of the valve is opened (the pressure-regulating spring is deformed), the casing of the pressure-regulating valve is held in a predetermined position by the biasing force of the return spring. When the pressure of the fuel is increased over the set pressure, the casing of the pressure-regulating valve can move in the direction resulting in increasing the volume of the fuel supply passage, which is a direction against the biasing force of the return spring.
- In a fifth aspect of the fuel supply device, the pressure-regulating valve may include a valve and a pressure-regulating spring. The valve has a pressure-receiving surface that is exposed to the pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage. The pressure-regulating spring biases or pushes the valve from a side of the valve opposite the surface against which the pressure of the fuel acts. A seal is provided between the valve and the inner surface of the housing. The valve is configured to allow the volume of the end portion of the fuel supply passage to increase and decrease by moving along the inner surface of the housing while the end portion of the fuel supply passage continues to be sealed by the seal. In accordance with the fifth aspect, a pulsation of the pressure of the fuel is efficiently suppressed or relieved.
- In a sixth aspect of the fuel supply device, a fuel return hole may be formed on the wall of the housing. The fuel return hole may be configured to return the fuel in the fuel supply passage to the fuel tank. The valve is configured to move along the inner surface of the housing between a position of closing the fuel return hole and a position opening the fuel return hole. In accordance with the sixth aspect, in the state where the valve closes the fuel return hole (which may correspond to a state where the pressure of the fuel is lower than the set pressure), a pulsation of the pressure of the fuel may be absorbed. Further, in the state where the valve opens the fuel return hole (which may correspond to a state where the fuel pressure is at the set pressure), a pulsation of the pressure of the fuel may still be absorbed.
- In a seventh aspect of the fuel supply device, the fuel return hole may be formed in the pressure-receiving surface of the valve, so as to return the fuel in the fuel supply passage to the fuel tank. In accordance with the seventh aspect, a pulsation of the pressure of the fuel may be absorbed in the range from a fuel pressure lower than the set pressure to a fuel pressure at the set pressure.
- According to the present disclosure, a pulsation of the fuel may be suppressed or relieved with a simple configuration. Further, the present disclosure make it easy to take measures against fuel leakage from the configuration that is configured to suppress the fluctuation of the pressure.
Claims (7)
1. A fuel supply device for pumping fuel in a fuel tank to a fuel injector of an engine, the fuel supply device comprising:
a fuel supply passage in fluid communication with the fuel injector;
a fuel pump configured to pump the fuel to the fuel supply passage;
a pressure-regulating valve configured to regulate a pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage; and
a housing disposed in the fuel tank, wherein the housing accommodates the fuel pump and the pressure-regulating valve, and wherein the fuel supply passage extends into the housing;
wherein:
the pressure-regulating valve is coupled to an end portion of the fuel supply passage in the housing; and
a volume of the end portion of the fuel supply passage in the housing is configured to increase as a pressure of the fuel increases.
2. The fuel supply device of claim 1 , wherein:
a seal is positioned between a casing of the pressure-regulating valve and an inner surface of the housing; and
the volume of the end portion of the fuel supply passage is configured to increase or decrease in response to movement of the pressure-regulating valve along the inner surface of the housing while the casing of the pressure-regulating valve remains sealed by the seal.
3. The fuel supply device of claim 2 , wherein an interior of the casing of the pressure-regulating valve comprises:
a diaphragm configured to be exposed to the pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage;
a valve integrated with the diaphragm and configured to open and close a flow path that returns the fuel in the fuel supply passage to the fuel tank; and
a pressure-regulating spring that presses the diaphragm from a side of the diaphragm opposite to a direction in which the pressure of the fuel is applied to the diaphragm;
wherein:
a return spring is provided outside the casing of the pressure-regulating valve; and
the return spring biases the casing in a direction opposite to the direction in which the pressure of the fuel is applied to the diaphragm.
4. The fuel supply device of claim 3 , wherein the biasing force of the return spring is larger than the biasing force of the pressure-regulating spring.
5. The fuel supply device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure-regulating valve comprises:
a valve having a pressure-receiving surface configured to be exposed to the pressure of the fuel in the fuel supply passage; and
a pressure-regulating spring that presses the valve from a side of the valve opposite to the pressure-receiving surface,
wherein:
a seal is provided between the valve and an inner surface of the housing; and
the volume of the end portion of the fuel supply passage is configured to increase or decrease relative to movement of the valve along the inner surface of the housing while the casing of the pressure-regulating valve is sealed by the seal.
6. The fuel supply device of claim 5 , wherein:
a fuel return hole is formed in a wall of the housing and is configured to return fuel in the fuel supply passage to the fuel tank; and
the valve is configured to move along the inner surface of the housing between a position that closes the fuel return hole and a position that opens the fuel return hole.
7. The fuel supply device of claim 5 , wherein a fuel return hole is formed through the pressure-receiving surface of the valve and is configured to return fuel in the fuel supply passage to the fuel tank.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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JPJP2021-083001 | 2021-05-17 | ||
JP2021-083001 | 2021-05-17 | ||
JP2021083001A JP2022176520A (en) | 2021-05-17 | 2021-05-17 | Fuel supply device |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US11493011B1 US11493011B1 (en) | 2022-11-08 |
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KR20230075064A (en) * | 2021-11-22 | 2023-05-31 | 주식회사 코아비스 | Pressure regulator and fuel pump module having the same |
Family Cites Families (16)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US5590631A (en) * | 1994-01-14 | 1997-01-07 | Walbro Corporation | Fuel system accumulator |
JP3156218B2 (en) * | 1994-04-22 | 2001-04-16 | 三菱電機株式会社 | Fuel supply device and pressure regulator |
WO1996023967A1 (en) * | 1995-02-03 | 1996-08-08 | Nippondenso Co., Ltd. | Fuel supply device |
DE19650783A1 (en) * | 1996-12-06 | 1998-06-10 | Bosch Gmbh Robert | Device for a fuel system of an internal combustion engine |
DE19650784A1 (en) * | 1996-12-06 | 1998-06-10 | Bosch Gmbh Robert | Device for a fuel supply system |
DE19712155A1 (en) * | 1997-03-22 | 1998-09-24 | Bosch Gmbh Robert | Fuel supply system |
JPH11132130A (en) | 1997-10-27 | 1999-05-18 | Mitsubishi Electric Corp | Cylinder injection type high pressure fuel pump |
JP2000291509A (en) * | 1999-04-01 | 2000-10-17 | Mitsubishi Electric Corp | Fuel supply device for direct injection type gasoline engine |
WO2003100246A1 (en) * | 2002-05-29 | 2003-12-04 | Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha | Fuel supply system and fuel pressure regulator |
US6942787B2 (en) * | 2002-12-20 | 2005-09-13 | Siemens Vdo Automotive Corporation | Filter module with pressure regulator |
US6792918B1 (en) * | 2003-09-29 | 2004-09-21 | General Motors Corporation | Vacuum relief modular reservoir assembly |
JP2006105080A (en) | 2004-10-08 | 2006-04-20 | Honda Motor Co Ltd | Return-less type fuel supply device |
JP2007205316A (en) * | 2006-02-06 | 2007-08-16 | Denso Corp | Fuel supply device |
JP4489737B2 (en) * | 2006-08-03 | 2010-06-23 | 愛三工業株式会社 | Fuel supply device |
CN107110097A (en) * | 2014-10-09 | 2017-08-29 | 日立汽车系统株式会社 | High-pressure fuel feed pump |
JP2018193921A (en) * | 2017-05-17 | 2018-12-06 | 愛三工業株式会社 | Sealed tank system |
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CN115355118A (en) | 2022-11-18 |
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