Device for supplying fuel to engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10519908-B2
Application number	US-201715477877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2017
Priority date	Mar 14, 2012
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A merge and discharge unit has: a reservoir unit in which fuel can be collected; a first merge unit for merging into the reservoir unit the fuel from an upstream site upstream of the merge and discharge unit on a fuel supply route; a second merge unit for merging into the reservoir unit the fuel from a first fuel return route; a first discharge unit for discharging a portion of the fuel of the reservoir unit into a downstream site downstream of the merge and discharge unit on the fuel supply route; and a second discharge unit for discharging a remaining portion of the fuel of the reservoir unit into a second fuel return route.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for supplying fuel to an engine, the fuel supply device comprising:
a fuel tank;
a fuel supply route for supplying to the engine fuel that has been collected in the tank;
a filter provided to the fuel supply route;
a first fuel pump provided downstream of the filter in a fuel supply direction on the fuel supply route;
a merge and discharge unit for merging and discharging fuel, the merge and discharge unit being provided to a site between the fuel tank and the filter on the fuel supply route;
a first fuel return route for returning the fuel of the engine to the merge and discharge unit; and
a second fuel return route for returning to the fuel tank the fuel discharged from the merge and discharge unit;
wherein:
the merge and discharge unit has: a reservoir unit in which fuel can be collected; a first merge unit for merging into the reservoir unit the fuel from a site upstream of the merge and discharge unit on the fuel supply route; a second merge unit for merging into the reservoir unit the fuel from the first fuel return route; a first discharge unit for discharging a portion of the fuel in the reservoir unit to a site downstream of the merge and discharge unit on the fuel supply route; and a second discharge unit for discharging a remaining portion of the fuel in the reservoir unit into the second fuel return route, and
the first merge unit, the second merge unit, and the first discharge unit of the merge and discharge unit are arranged in sites below the reservoir unit, and the second discharge unit is arranged at a site above the reservoir unit.

2. The device for supplying fuel to an engine as in claim 1 , wherein:
the amount of fuel discharged from the second discharge unit is less than the amount of fuel discharged from the first discharge unit.

3. The device for supplying fuel to an engine as in claim 2 , wherein:
in causing the amount of fuel discharged from the second discharge unit to be less than the amount of fuel discharged from the first discharge unit, a constricted site where the flow path cross-sectional area is less than that of the first discharge unit is provided to the second discharge unit, or a constricted site where the flow path cross-sectional area is less than that of the downstream site on the fuel supply route is provided to the second fuel return route.

4. The device for supplying fuel to an engine as in claim 1 , wherein:
a moisture removal unit for removing moisture included in the fuel is arranged at a site between the fuel tank and the merge and discharge unit on the fuel supply route.

5. The device for supplying fuel to an engine as in claim 1 , wherein:
a cooling unit for cooling the fuel is arranged at a site between the merge and discharge unit and the filter on the fuel supply route.

6. A device for supplying fuel to an engine, the fuel supply device comprising:
a fuel tank;
a fuel supply route for supplying to the engine fuel that has been collected in the tank;
a filter provided to the fuel supply route;
a first fuel pump provided downstream of the filter in a fuel supply direction on the fuel supply route;
a merge and discharge unit for merging and discharging fuel, the merge and discharge unit being provided to a site between the fuel tank and the filter on the fuel supply route;
a first fuel return route for returning the fuel of the engine to the merge and discharge unit; and
a second fuel return route for returning to the fuel tank the fuel discharged from the merge and discharge unit;
wherein:
the merge and discharge unit has: a reservoir unit in which fuel can be collected; a first merge unit for merging into the reservoir unit the fuel from a site upstream of the merge and discharge unit on the fuel supply route; a second merge unit for merging into the reservoir unit the fuel from the first fuel return route; a first discharge unit for discharging a portion of the fuel in the reservoir unit to a site downstream of the merge and discharge unit on the fuel supply route; and a second discharge unit for discharging a remaining portion of the fuel in the reservoir unit into the second fuel return route, and
a moisture removal unit for removing moisture included in the fuel, a second fuel pump, the merge and discharge unit, a cooling unit for cooling the fuel, a third fuel pump, the filter, and the first fuel pump are provided to the fuel supply route in the stated order from the upstream side in the fuel supply direction.

7. The device for supplying fuel to an engine as in claim 6 , wherein:
the amount of fuel discharged from the second discharge unit is less than the amount of fuel discharged from the first discharge unit.

8. The device for supplying fuel to an engine as in claim 7 , wherein:
in causing the amount of fuel discharged from the second discharge unit to be less than the amount of fuel discharged from the first discharge unit, a constricted site where the flow path cross-sectional area is less than that of the first discharge unit is provided to the second discharge unit, or a constricted site where the flow path cross-sectional area is less than that of the downstream site on the fuel supply route is provided to the second fuel return route.

9. The device for supplying fuel to an engine as in claim 6 , wherein:
the first merge unit, the second merge unit, and the first discharge unit of the merge and discharge unit are arranged in sites below the reservoir unit, and the second discharge unit is arranged at a site above the reservoir unit.

10. The device for supplying fuel to an engine as in claim 6 , wherein:
a moisture removal unit for removing moisture included in the fuel is arranged at a site between the fuel tank and the merge and discharge unit on the fuel supply route.

11. The device for supplying fuel to an engine as in claim 6 , wherein:
a cooling unit for cooling the fuel is arranged at a site between the merge and discharge unit and the filter on the fuel supply route.

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Ono Akiyoshi
• Hisada Takahiro
• Kawaguchi Mamoru
• Yasunobe Daisuke
• Adachi Norifumi
• Tsukatani Hisashi
• Kanata Mitsuhisa

Classifications

• F02M37/0058

  Returnless fuel systems, i.e. the fuel return lines are not entering the fuel tank · CPC title

• F02M37/0023 Primary

  Valves in the fuel supply and return system · CPC title

• F02M31/16

  Other apparatus for heating fuel · CPC title

• F02M37/0082

  Devices inside the fuel tank other than fuel pumps or filters (electrical pumps submerged in fuel tanks F02M37/10, jet pumps F02M37/025) · CPC title

• F02M37/0088 Primary

  Multiple separate fuel tanks or tanks being at least partially partitioned · CPC title