WO1993015820A1

WO1993015820A1 - Fuel line coupling and support mechanism

Info

Publication number: WO1993015820A1
Application number: PCT/US1992/009529
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniel Robert Danowski; Robert Gabrielson
Original assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
Priority date: 1992-02-10
Filing date: 1992-11-06
Publication date: 1993-08-19

Abstract

A connecting assembly for securing and supporting a fuel line with respect to the inlet or outlet of a fuel filter includes a mounting base secured to the filter housing through wich the fuel communicates and which has an outer surface defined by a series of engagement surfaces which join with one another to define corners. A fuel line coupling engages the mounting base. A bracket includes a circumferentially extending ring having an inner circumferential surface which is defined by serrations which engage the corners when the bracket is installed on the mounting base. An arm extending from the ring includes a recess which engages the fuel line, thereby orienting and supporting the fuel line with respect to the filter.

Description

FUEL LINE COUPLING AND SUPPORT MECHANISM

This invention relates to a connecting assembly for coupling the fuel line to the fuel filter of an automotive vehicle and supporting the fuel line with respect to the filter. Modern automotive vehicles, particularly those equipped with electronic fuel injections systems, require relative large fuel filters to filter the fuel used by the engine. Generally, the connecting mechanism, which connects the fuel line to the filter, is provided with a fuel line support bracket for orienting and supporting the fuel line. Prior art devices of this type include a simple support welded to the housing. These supports were not adjustable and, since virtually every vehicle model requires a slightly different location for the support bracket, aftermarket suppliers were required to stock a large number of different models of fuel filters. Adjustable brackets have been proposed; for example, the bracket disclosed in U.S. patent 4,861,474 and 4,933,079 may be mounted in any angular location on the fuel filter and then crimped in place. However, once crimped in place the bracket cannot be adjusted, the crimping requires a special crimping tool, and the mounting base of the filter must be provided with a special groove to accommodate the bracket. The present invention relates to a simple fuel line support bracket that can be installed and removed easily, and which is installed on the normal hex nut connection which acts as a mounting base for the fuel line connection. Accordingly, the angular position of the bracket can be changed, even after the bracket has been installed on the filter.

These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view, partly in section, of a fuel filter incorporating a fuel line coupling and support mechanism made pursuant to the teachings of the present invention; Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1, taken substantially along lines 2-2 of Figure 1, but with the fluid fitting connecting the fuel line to the filter removed; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of a fuel line support bracket made pursuant to the teachings of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, a fuel filter assembly generally indicated by the numeral 10 includes a metal housing 12 having opposite ends 14, 16. A fuel filter element generally indicated by the numeral 18 is housed within the housing 12, and divides the latter into an inlet chamber 20 and an outlet chamber 22. Fuel is communicated from inlet fuel line 22 into the inlet chamber 20 through an inlet connecting assembly generally indicated by the numeral 24, and fuel is communicated from the outlet chamber 22 to the outlet fuel line 26 by an outlet connecting assembly generally indicated by the numeral 28. Since both the inlet connecting assembly 24 and the outlet connecting assembly 28 are identical, only the inlet connecting assembly 24 will be described in detail.

Connecting assembly 24 includes a conventional fluid fitting 30 which is secured to the end of the fuel line 22. Fluid fitting 30 has an axial bore extending therethrough indicated by the dashed lines 32. The bore 32 receives a hexheaded fastening bolt 34 which extends through the fluid fitting 30 and threadly engages a threaded opening 36 defined in a mounting base generally indicated by the numeral 38. The mounting base 38 includes a reduced diameter portion 40 which extends through an aperture in the end 14 of the housing 12 and thus defines a fluid inlet into the inlet chamber 20. The mounting base 38 is attached to the end 14 by, for example, welding. The fastening member 32 secures the fluid fitting 30, and therefore the fluid line 22, to the mounting base 28, and also defines a passage which communicates fuel from the fuel line 22 into the opening 36 defined within the mounting base 38. The fastening mβtn or ~ Δ 1 i Iro 1-ho -F l n -i fl f i f -i nπ 30, is conventional, and is adapted to provide a fluid tight seal against the fluid fitting 30 when the latter is tightened against the fluid fitting 30 when the fuel line is installed on the housing 12. The external surface of the mounting base 38 is defined by a series of substantially flat engagement surfaces 42, which join with an adjacent engagement surfaces 42 at a corner 44. Together, the engagement surfaces 42 define a conventional hexhead to which a standard wrench may be applied. This facilitates removal of the fuel line 22 when the filter 10 is changed, since the fastening member 34 often becomes stuck, and applying a wrench to the hexhead defined by the fastening bolt 34, due to the fact that the metal comprising the housing 12 and particularly the end 14 thereof is relatively thin, would cause the metal to distort without loosening the fastening bolt 34. Accordingly, by applying one wrench to the engagement surfaces 42 and a second wrench to the fastening bolt 34, the fastening bolt 34 usually can be easily loosened.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of a bracket 46 which orients and supports the fuel line 22. Prior art brackets which perform the same function as that performed by the bracket 46 according to the present invention were welded to the housing or to the mounting base, so that the relative orientation between the bracket and the filter could not be changed. Since many vehicle models use essentially the same filter, the only difference being in the orientation of the bracket, it was necessary for aftermarket suppliers to stock a great many different filter models which were essentially the same. Although the above-identified prior art patents disclose a bracket in which the angle of orientation is adjustable, these brackets do not provide an easily adjusted bracket, an important feature provided by the bracket 46 according to the present invention. As also discussed above, the angular orientation of the bracket 42 can be changed even if it has been once installed on the filter. The bracket 46 includes a circumferentially extending ring 48 which extends uninterruptedly completely around the mounting base 38. The inner circumferential surface 50 of the ring 48 is serrated as indicated at 52. The serrations 52 engage the corners 44 when the bracket is installed on the mounting base, as indicated in Figure 2. As also indicated in Figure 2 , there are many more serrations 52 than there are corners 44. Accordingly, a wide range of adjustability in the angular position of the bracket 46 is provided, since the bracket 46 can be indexed incrementally with respect to the mounting base 38 merely by engaging an adjacent serration 52 with a corresponding corner 44. Preferably, the bracket 46 is molded from a semi-flexible plastic material, such as Nylon 12. Accordingly, the material will yield when the bracket is installed on the mounting base, and then resiliently engage the corners 44 of the mounting base 38 so that the bracket is held onto the mounting base by friction. Accordingly the resiliency of the material yieldably maintains the serrations 52 in engagement with the corners 44. It will be noted that, regardless of the circumferential position in which the ring 48 is locked by engagement of the serrations 52 with the corners 44, the axial thickness of the ring 48 through the majority of its circumference is thin enough to allow the aforementioned wrenching tool to be applied to the surfaces 42 even after the bracket 46 is installed on the mounting base 38.

Bracket 46 further includes a fuel line supporting arm generally indicated by the numeral 54. Arm 54 includes an arcuate portion 56, which extends from a segment of the ring 48, an offset portion 58, which extends generally radially with respect to the ring 48, and a projecting portion 60 projecting from the offset portion 58. The projecting portion 60 defines a recess 62 which substantially conforms to the exterior shape of the fuel line 22 and thus serves to both support and orient the fuel line 22 relative to the fuel filter 10.

Claims

1. Connecting assembly for securing and supporting a fuel line to the inlet or outlet opening of a fuel filter, said connecting assembly including a mounting base defining an aperture through which fuel may communicate, said mounting base being secured to said fuel filter with the aperture registering with a corresponding one of said openings, means for coupling said fuel line to said mounting base, said mounting base having an outer surface defined by a series of engagement surfaces, each of said engagement surfaces joining with an adjacent engagement surface to define a corner therebetween, and a bracket for supporting said fuel line, said bracket including a circumferentially extending portion defining a serrated surface having serrations engaging said corners to thereby secure the bracket to the mounting base, and an arm extending from said circumferentially extending portion, said arm defining a recess receiving and supporting said fuel line.

2. Connecting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said circumferentially extending portion is a ring circumscribing said mounting base, said ring having inner and outer circumferential surfaces, said serrated surface extending around said inner circumferential surface of said ring whereby said ring can be locked in any circumferential position relative to said mounting base in which any of said serrations engage said corners to thereby locate said arm in any of a series of circumferential positions about said mounting base.

3. Connecting assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said bracket is made out of a flexible material whereby the resiliency of the material yieldably maintains the serrations in engagement with the corners.

4. Connecting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bracket is made out of a flexible material ' whereby the resiliency of the material yieldably maintains the serrations in engagement with the corners.

5. Connecting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said circumferentially extending portion extends uninterruptedly around said mounting base and said serrations extend uninterruptedly around said circumferentially extending portion.

6. Connecting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said arm includes an offset extending from said mounting base, said recess being defined in a projecting portion projecting from said offset.

7. Connecting assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said arm includes an offset extending from said mounting base, said recess being defined in a projecting portion projecting from said offset.