Fuel pump assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10247597-B2
Application number	US-201615221997-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2016
Priority date	Jul 28, 2016
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A fuel pump assembly includes an attachment section and a pump housing. The attachment section includes an upper telescoping section having an outer portion and a support rod that extends into the outer portion for telescoping movement with respect thereto. The support rod further extends downward from the outer portion. The pump housing is supported to a lower end of the support rod of the attachment section. The upper telescoping section of the support rod is configured such that the pump housing is movable between a first position and a second position, such that in the first position the pump housing is retained by the upper telescoping structure a first distance away from the attachment section and in the second position the pump housing is located a second distance away from the attachment section. The first distance is greater than the second distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel pump assembly, comprising:
an attachment section including an upper telescoping section having an outer portion and a support rod that extends into the outer portion for telescoping movement with respect thereto, the support rod further extending downward from the outer portion;
a pump housing supported to a lower end of the support rod of the attachment section;
a sender unit including a float configured to move linearly in a vertical direction relative to the pump housing in response to changes in level of fuel within the fuel tank; and
a positioning mechanism attached to the pump housing and attached to the sender unit, the positioning mechanism being located between the pump housing and the sender unit, the positioning mechanism including a first positioning mechanism configured such that the sender unit is rotatable about the pump housing for adjustment of a radial position of the sender unit relative to the pump housing, and a second positioning mechanism for adjusting a vertical position of the sender unit relative to the pump housing,
the upper telescoping section of the attachment section being configured such that the pump housing is movable between a first position and a second position, such that in the first position the pump housing is retained by the upper telescoping section a first distance away from the attachment section and in the second position the pump housing is located a second distance away from the attachment section, the first distance being greater than the second distance.

2. The fuel pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the outer portion of the upper telescoping section defines a hollow interior with a biasing member being retained therein, the biasing member urging the support rod away from the attachment section.

3. The fuel pump assembly according to claim 2 , wherein
the outer portion of the telescoping section includes a locking pin insertable into an aperture defined by the outer portion, such that with the locking pin inserted into the outer portion the locking pin limits overall movement of the support rod relative to the outer portion.

4. The fuel pump assembly according to claim 2 , wherein
the support rod has a lower end and the pump housing includes a support bore, the lower end and the support bore defining a lower telescoping section with at least a portion of the lower end of support rod extending into the support bore.

5. The fuel pump assembly according to claim 4 , wherein
the support rod has an exposed mid-section with a second biasing member being disposed there-around, the second biasing member extending from the outer section of the upper telescoping section to a lower outer portion of the lower telescoping section, the second biasing member urging the pump housing away from the attachment section.

6. The fuel pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the attachment section includes a second upper telescoping section having a second outer portion and a second support rod that extends into the second outer portion for telescoping movement with respect thereto, the second support rod further extending downward from the outer portion to the pump housing supporting the pump housing.

7. The fuel pump assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising
a fuel tank having a circular opening formed in an upper wall thereof, and an annular support flange surrounding the circular opening, and
the attachment section includes a disk shaped flange dimensioned to mate with the annular support flange with the pump housing extending below the attachment section and into the fuel tank.

8. The fuel sender assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the sender unit includes a slider track attached to the positioning mechanism and configured to support the float for vertical movement along the slider track.

9. The fuel pump assembly according to claim 8 , wherein
the float of the sender unit is movable between a plurality of positions along the slider track, and
the slider track includes a resistance measuring part that provides an electronic indication of electrical resistance at each of the plurality of positions.

10. The fuel pump assembly according to claim 9 , wherein
the sender unit includes a circuit and a multi-position switch such that in a first position the multi-position switch sets the resistance measuring part with an electrical resistance output range and in a second position sets the multi-position switch resistance measuring part with an electrical resistance output range different from the first resistance output range.

11. The fuel pump assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the attachment section includes at least one air flow valve assembly operable between an open orientation allowing air flow therethrough and a closed orientation preventing air flow therethrough.

12. A fuel pump assembly, comprising:
an attachment section including an upper telescoping section having an outer portion and a support rod that extends into the outer portion for telescoping movement with respect thereto, the support rod further extending downward from the outer portion, the outer portion of the upper telescoping section having an aperture defined therein extending in a direction perpendicular to the support rod;
a locking pin removably inserted through the aperture of the outer portion, such that with the locking pin removed from the aperture, an upper end of the support rod is movable to position within the outer portion above the aperture, and with the locking pin inserted into the aperture of the outer portion, the locking pin limits movement of the support rod relative to the outer portion such that the upper end of the support rod remains below the aperture;
a pump housing supported to a lower end of the support rod of the attachment section; and
the upper telescoping section of the attachment section being configured such that the pump housing is movable between a first position and a second position, such that in the first position the pump housing is retained by the upper telescoping section a first distance away from the attachment section and in the second position the pump housing is located a second distance away from the attachment section, the first distance being greater than the second distance.

13. The fuel pump assembly according to claim 12 , wherein
a sender unit coupled to the pump housing, the sender unit including a float configured to move linearly in a vertical direction relative to the pump housing in response to changes in level of fuel within the fuel tank.

14. The fuel pump assembly according to claim 13 , further comprising
a positioning mechanism located between the pump housing and the sender unit for adjusting the position of the sender unit relative to the pump housing.

15. The fuel sender assembly according to claim 14 , wherein
the sender unit includes a slider track attached to the positioning mechanism and configured to support the float for vertical movement along the slider track, the float of the sender unit being movable between a plurality of positions along the slider track, and the slider track includes a resistance measuring part that provides an electronic indication of electrical resistance at each of the plurality of positions.

16. A fuel pump assembly, comprising:
an attachment section including an upper telescoping section having an outer portion, a first biasing member disposed within the outer portion, and, a support rod that extends into the outer portion for telescoping movement with respect thereto, an upper end of the support rod contactin

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Flynn Daniel
• Easter Jason

Classifications

• B60K2015/03217

  Fuel level sensors · CPC title

• F02M37/0076 Primary

  Details of the fuel feeding system related to the fuel tank (vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/03) · CPC title

• F02M37/103

  Mounting pumps on fuel tanks · CPC title

• G01F23/30 Primary

  by floats · CPC title

• B60K15/035

  characterised by venting means · CPC title