Fuel system for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10519905-B2
Application number	US-201815921114-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2018
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A fuel system for a motor vehicle includes a fuel pump having a first pump outlet connectable to an engine fuel inlet and a second pump outlet, a fuel pump module including an internal volume, a fuel pump module outlet is arranged in the internal volume fluidically connected to the second pump outlet, and a fuel valve is fluidically connected to the second pump outlet. The fuel valve is operable to fluidically isolate the fuel pump from the fuel pump module when fuel in the internal volume reaches a selected fuel level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel system for a motor vehicle comprising:
a fuel pump including a first pump outlet connectable to an engine fuel inlet and a second pump outlet;
a fuel pump module including an internal volume;
a fuel pump module outlet arranged in the internal volume fluidically connected to the second pump outlet; and
a normally open (NO) fuel valve fluidically connected to the second pump outlet, the NO fuel valve being operable to fluidically isolate the fuel pump from the fuel pump module when fuel in the internal volume reaches a selected fuel level.

2. The fuel system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel pump is arranged in the internal volume.

3. The fuel system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the NO fuel valve comprises a venturi valve system.

4. The fuel system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the NO fuel valve comprises a float valve system including a float member connected to an actuator.

5. The fuel system for a motor vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the NO fuel valve includes a pintle member operatively connected to the actuator.

6. The fuel system for a motor vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the NO fuel valve includes a valve seat selectively receptive of the pintle member to fluidically isolate the second pump outlet from the fuel pump module outlet.

7. A motor vehicle comprising:
a body;
an internal combustion engine mechanically supported to the body, the internal combustion engine including a fuel inlet; and
a fuel system fluidically connected to the internal combustion engine, the fuel system comprising:
a fuel pump including a first pump outlet connectable to an engine fuel inlet and a second pump outlet;

a fuel pump module including an internal volume;
a fuel pump module outlet arranged in the internal volume to fluidically connected to the second pump outlet; and
a normally open (NO) fuel valve fluidically connected to the second pump outlet operable fluidically isolate the fuel pump from the fuel pump module when fuel in the internal volume reaches a selected fuel level.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the NO fuel valve comprises a venturi valve system.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the NO fuel valve comprises a float valve system including a float member connected to an actuator.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the NO fuel valve includes a pintle member operatively connected to the actuator.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the NO fuel valve includes a valve seat selectively receptive of the pintle member to fluidically isolate the second pump outlet from the fuel pump module outlet.

12. A method of operating a fuel system for a motor vehicle comprising:
activating a fuel pump including a first pump outlet and a second pump outlet;
directing a first amount of fuel through the first pump outlet to an engine fuel inlet of an internal combustion engine;
directing a second amount of fuel through the second pump outlet to a fuel pump module arranged in a fuel tank of the motor vehicle;
detecting that fuel in the fuel pump module has reached a predetermined level; and
fluidically isolating the fuel pump module from the second pump outlet by closing a normally open (NO) fuel valve when fuel is at the predetermined level.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein detecting fuel in the fuel pump module as reached the predetermined level includes raising a float member of a float valve.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein fluidically isolating the fuel pump module includes seating a pintle into a valve seat fluidically connected to the second pump outlet.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: reducing operating power of the fuel pump when the second pump outlet is fluidically isolated from the fuel pump module.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Klein Dale F
• Thiagarajan Manoharan
• Villaire William L
• Demare Kristin M
• Strzelecki Edward J
• Milton Jeffery J

Classifications

• F02M37/04

  Feeding by means of driven pumps · CPC title

• F02M37/007

  characterised by its use in vehicles, in stationary plants or in small engines, e.g. hand held tools · CPC title

• F02M37/0023 Primary

  Valves in the fuel supply and return system · CPC title

• B60K2015/0777

  in-tank reservoirs or baffles integrally manufactured with the fuel Tank · CPC title

• B60K15/03

  Fuel tanks · CPC title