WO2019126851A1

WO2019126851A1 - Constructive spacer arrangement for a fuel pump

Info

Publication number: WO2019126851A1
Application number: PCT/BR2018/050474
Authority: WO
Inventors: Felipe Nista FECIANO; Anderson Cortez GONSALVES; Bruno Viana Contin HUNGER; Silvio Batista PEREIRA
Original assignee: Robert Bosch Limitada
Priority date: 2017-12-27
Filing date: 2018-12-20
Publication date: 2019-07-04
Also published as: BR202017028333U2

Abstract

It is disclosed an integrated fuel pump, among other functionally necessary elements and components, at least one main body, by a solenoid housing structure and a spacer. Said spacer is made of aluminum.

Description

CONSTRUCTIVE SPACER ARRANGEMENT FOR A FUEL PUMP

Field of the Utility Model

[001] The present utility model relates to a constructive arrangement introduced in fuel pump, which comprises an object of practical use, whose unique form of one of its components results in the improvement of its manufacture. Said fuel pump, in a preferred manner used in automotive vehicles, is provided with a spacer that, arranged between the pump body and the solenoid housing structure of the pump electrovalve, acts as a connection interface between these components.

Fundamentals of the Utility Model

[002] As known to those skilled in the art, fuel pumps, which are commonly used in automotive vehicle ignition systems, are intended to displace/ pump the fuel stored in a tank to the engine feed system. In this way, a fuel pump comprises at least one fuel inlet, at least one fuel outlet and at least one fluidic circuit for fuel circulation. It is common for said fluidic circuit to comprise at least one electrovalve dedicated to controlling the flow of fuel.

[003] It is extremely important to mention that the basic construction and the functional principles of fuel pumps are widely known to those skilled in the art, and are widely described in specific technical literature.

[004] Flowever, and as a contextualization, Figure 1 shows a trivial embodiment of a fuel pump belonging to the current state of the art. In a general manner, said fuel pump comprises a main body A and a housing structure B for the solenoid D1 of the actuator D2 of the electrovalve. In addition, said fuel pump further comprises a spacer C, which comprises a flange type piece arranged between a portion of the main body A and the housing structure B.

[005] As known to those skilled in the art, said spacer C, regardless of its embodiment, acts as a kind of connection interface structure between the main body A and the housing structure B, preventing the physical contact between them. In addition, it is through the thickness of the spacer C that fuel pump designers adjust the intensity of magnetic interaction that the inductive core D1 exerts on the actuator D2 of the electrovalve.

[006] Figure 2 shows, in general, a traditional spacer C, that is, a spacer which, similar to a flange, comprises a monobloc body made of metal alloy.

[007] In general terms, the need to use a non-ferrous metal alloy is due to the need for non-interference in the magnetic field produced by the solenoid. Thus, it is common for spacers of fuel pump pertaining to the current state of the art to be made of stainless steel (AISI316) by means of sintering manufacturing processes, after all, said spacers comprise complex shapes difficult to be obtained in processes of metalworking machining. This means that, according to the current state of the art, the known spacers used in fuel pumps, mainly for the raw material and the manufacturing process, have a high overall cost, which has a negative impact on the final cost of the fuel pumps belonging to the current state of the art.

[008] On the other hand, the patent documents WO2015106878 and US8746588 also disclose the use of spacers - not necessarily analogous and in applications not essentially equivalent to the solutions shown in Figures 1 and 2 - made from alternative metal alloys.

[009] Flowever, the spacer disclosed in US8746588 is applied in a pump of completely different structure to that defined in Figures 1 and 2, not being applicable to the present invention. WO2015106878 describes the injection of a mold, the function of which is to electrically isolate the electrovalve, and not to act as a spacer. In other words, the distance between the inductive core and the electrovalve would be maintained even without injection of the mold. In this way, it is maintained the need for spacers made in optimized metal alloys, and configured in order to improve the interaction between the inductive core and the electrovalve.

[010] It is from this scenario that the utility model in question emerges.

Objectives of the Utility Model

[01 1] In this manner, it is the primary purpose of the utility model in question to disclose a constructive arrangement introduced in fuel pump whose spacer may be made with suitable raw material by means of a less costly manufacturing process.

[012] In addition, it is also an objective of the present utility model to disclose a constructive arrangement introduced in fuel pump whose space comprises thermal and mechanical resistance, appropriate to the application in question.

Summary of the Utility Model

[013] The objectives summarized above are fully achieved by means of the constructive arrangement introduced in fuel pump, which is integrated by at least one main body, at least one housing structure of at least one solenoid of electricvalve and at least one spacer arranged between said main body and said housing structure. According to the utility model in question, the spacer is made of aluminum.

[014] Preferably, the spacer is fabricated of anodized 6082-T6 aluminum alloy.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[015] The utility model in question will be detailed in detail on the basis of the illustrative figures listed below, which:

[016] Figure 1 shows, in a schematic manner, a conventional fuel pump, which is integrated by a trivial spacer, belonging to the current state of the art; [017] Figure 2 shows, in perspective, an example of a spacer belonging to the present state of the art;

[018] Figure 3 shows, in perspective, the spacer that integrates the fuel pump, object of the present utility model; and

[019] Figure 4 shows, in a schematic manner, the fuel pump object of the present utility model.

Detailed Description of the Utility Model

[020] In this manner, and in accordance with the central objectives of the utility model in question, it is disclosed a novel constructive arrangement introduced in fuel pump whose inventive merit is primarily focused on the particular embodiment of the spacer, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[021] Preliminarily, it is again emphasized that the general components and basic functional principles of fuel pumps, such as that illustrated in Figure 4, are well known to those skilled in the art and, in addition, are widely described in specific technical literature.

[022] In any case, and as shown in figure 4, it is observed that the fuel pump, object of the present utility model, is essentially composed of a main body 4, a housing structure 5 (of the solenoid 61 of the electrovalve, which is also integrated by a linear actuator 62) and by a spacer 1 arranged between said main body 4 and said housing structure 5.

[023] According to the preferred embodiment of the utility model in question, the main body 1 comprises a cylindrical tubular body which, made of metal alloy, is adapted to house the main mechanical components that integrate the fuel pump. In this manner, the fuel inlet and outlet routes, in addition to the fluid circuit by which the fuel circulates, are defined, in one form or another, in said main body 1 of the fuel pump.

[024] Also, according to the preferred embodiment of the utility model in question, the housing structure 5 comprises a kind of cover or cap which, made of non-ferrous material, is specially adapted to house, as previously mentioned, the solenoid 61 of the electrovalve.

[025] Further in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the utility model in question, as shown in Figure 3, the spacer 1 is made of aluminum.

[026] In a preferred manner, in order to optimize the thermal and mechanical resistance of the spacer 1 , the same is made of anodized 6082-T6 aluminum alloy.

[027] In addition, the spacer 1 has a moldural square format, that is, a square perimeter shape with the center being hollow. As can be seen, the spacer body 1 further comprises, on both faces 2, a contoured recess 21 adjacent the hollow center and four through holes 22 equidistantly arranged near their ends. The contoured recesses 21 are defined for the housing of O- ring type sealing means, and the through holes 22 are defined for the cooperation with trans-passing fastening means.

[028] Finally, it is important to emphasize that the thickness/ height of the spacer 1 , as well as its overall shape, may vary according to projects and specific constructive needs of fuel pumps.

[029] It is also important to emphasize that the above description has as sole objective to describe in an exemplary way the particular embodiment of the utility model in question. It is therefore clear that modifications, variations and constructive combinations of the elements performing the same function, in substantially the same manner, to achieve the same results, remain within the scope of protection delimited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. Constructive arrangement introduced in fuel pump, the said one being integrated by:

at least one main body (4);

at least one housing structure (5) of at least one solenoid (61 ) of electrovalve;

at least one spacer (1 ); said spacer (1 ) being arranged between said main body (4) and said housing structure (5);

said constructive arrangement introduced in fuel pump being especially CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the spacer (1 ) is made of aluminum.

2. Constructive arrangement introduced in fuel pump, according to claim 1 , CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the spacer (1 ) is made of anodized 6082-T6 aluminum alloy.