Fuel pump with improved delivery properties

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10619628-B2
Application number	US-201515532165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2015
Priority date	Dec 4, 2014
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fuel pump ( 1 ) which comprises a pump housing ( 2 ), a delivery element ( 3 ) for delivering fuel, a heat-generating actuator ( 4 ) for actuating the delivery element ( 3 ), a first fuel path ( 5 ) which leads from an inlet ( 20 ) to a delivery space ( 7 ), and a second fuel path ( 6 ) which leads from the inlet ( 20 ) past the heat-generating actuator ( 4 ) to a first housing opening ( 21 ), wherein the first housing opening ( 21 ) is arranged above the inlet ( 20 ) in the vertical direction (V). The present invention also relates to a fuel pump arrangement which comprises a fuel pump ( 1 ) according to the invention and a fuel tank ( 10 ) in which the fuel pump ( 1 ) is at least partially and preferably entirely arranged. The present invention also relates to a method for operating a fuel pump ( 1 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel pump comprising:
a pump housing ( 2 ),
a delivery element ( 3 ) for delivering fuel,
a heat-generating actuator ( 4 ) for actuating the delivery element ( 3 ),
a first fuel path ( 5 ) which leads from an inlet ( 20 ) to a first delivery space ( 7 ), and
a second fuel path ( 6 ) which leads from the inlet ( 20 ) past the heat-generating actuator ( 4 ) to a first housing opening ( 21 ),
wherein the first housing opening ( 21 ) is arranged above the inlet ( 20 ) in the vertical direction (V),
wherein a deflector element ( 8 ) is arranged on the pump housing ( 2 ) and deflects fuel after the inlet ( 20 ) in the direction of the second fuel path ( 6 ) and,
wherein the deflector element ( 8 ) has a filter through which the first fuel path ( 5 ) runs via a first fuel path opening ( 23 ).

2. The fuel pump as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a flow direction in the second fuel path ( 6 ) substantially corresponds to a longitudinal axis (L) of the fuel pump ( 1 ).

3. The fuel pump as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the deflector element ( 8 ) has a tilt angle (a) from 0 to 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis (L) of the fuel pump ( 1 ).

4. The fuel pump as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the filter of the deflector element ( 8 ) is a cone filter, wherein the first fuel path ( 5 ) runs through the cone filter via a first fuel path opening ( 23 ).

5. The fuel pump as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the pump housing ( 2 ) has a second fuel path opening ( 24 ) through which the second fuel path ( 6 ) runs, and wherein the cone filter terminates directly at the second fuel path opening ( 24 ).

6. The fuel pump as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second fuel path ( 6 ) leads past an inside ( 40 ) and an outside ( 41 ) of the heat-generating actuator ( 4 ).

7. The fuel pump as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat-generating actuator ( 4 ) is a magnetic coil.

8. The fuel pump as claimed in claim 1 , furthermore comprising a recirculation line ( 17 ) which connects the first housing opening ( 21 ) of the pump housing ( 2 ) to a second housing opening ( 18 ) of a housing component ( 12 ), wherein the second housing opening ( 18 ) stands in flow connection with the inlet ( 20 ) of the fuel pump ( 1 ).

9. The fuel pump as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the recirculation line ( 17 ) has a branch line ( 19 ) downstream of the first housing opening ( 21 ).

10. The fuel pump as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the branch line ( 19 ) is formed rectilinear in the vertical direction (V).

11. The fuel pump as claimed in claim 8 , wherein a second filter element ( 16 ), which is arranged on the housing component ( 12 ), is provided between the recirculation line ( 17 ) and the second housing opening ( 18 ).

12. The fuel pump as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the recirculation line ( 17 ) has a cover region ( 50 ) via which the recirculation line ( 17 ) is arranged on the second housing opening ( 18 ) of the housing component ( 12 ), and which has at least one first cover opening ( 51 ) and at least one second cover opening ( 52 ), wherein the at least one second cover opening ( 52 ) is arranged above the at least one first cover opening ( 51 ) in the vertical direction (V).

13. A fuel pump arrangement comprising a fuel pump ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , and a fuel tank ( 10 ) in which the fuel pump ( 1 ) is at least partially arranged.

14. The fuel pump arrangement as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the second fuel path ( 6 ) opens into the fuel tank ( 10 ).

15. The fuel pump as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the deflector element ( 8 ) has a tilt angle (a) from 30 degrees to 60 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis (L) of the fuel pump ( 1 ).

16. The fuel pump as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the deflector element ( 8 ) has a tilt angle (a) of 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis (L) of the fuel pump ( 1 ).

17. A fuel pump arrangement comprising a fuel pump ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , and a fuel tank ( 10 ) in which the fuel pump ( 1 ) is completely arranged.

18. A method for operating a fuel pump, comprising the steps:
supplying fuel from a fuel tank ( 10 ) via a first fuel path ( 5 ) into a delivery space ( 7 ), wherein the first fuel path ( 5 ) leads from an inlet ( 20 ) of the fuel pump ( 1 ) through a deflector element ( 8 ) and to the delivery space ( 7 ),
using the deflector element ( 8 ) to filter the fuel supplied into the delivery space ( 7 ), and
conducting fuel from the fuel tank ( 10 ) via a second fuel path ( 6 ) past a heat-generating actuator ( 4 ), wherein the second fuel path ( 5 ) leads from the inlet ( 20 ) to a first housing opening ( 21 ), and wherein the fuel is heated by the heat-generating actuator ( 4 ) for gasification of highly volatile parts of the fuel,
wherein the first housing opening ( 21 ) is arranged above the inlet ( 20 ) in the vertical direction.

19. The method for operating a fuel pump as claimed in claim 18 , wherein after the inlet ( 20 ), fuel is deflected in the direction of the second fuel path ( 6 ).

20. The method for operating a fuel pump as claimed in claim 18 ,
wherein the heated fuel enters the fuel tank ( 10 ) via the first housing opening ( 21 ) and is cooled in the fuel tank ( 10 ), and
wherein the cooled fuel is returned to the inlet ( 20 ) of the fuel pump ( 1 ).

21. A fuel pump comprising:
a pump housing ( 2 ),
a delivery element ( 3 ) for delivering fuel,
a heat-generating actuator ( 4 ) for actuating the delivery element ( 3 ),
a first fuel path ( 5 ) which leads from an inlet ( 20 ) to a first delivery space ( 7 ), and actuator ( 4 ) to a first housing opening ( 21 ),
wherein the first housing opening ( 21 ) is arranged above the inlet ( 20 ) in the vertical direction (V),
wherein a deflector element ( 8 ) is arranged on the pump housing ( 2 ) and deflects fuel after the inlet ( 20 ) in the direction of the second fuel path ( 6 ) and,
wherein the deflector element ( 8 ) has a cone filter, wherein the first fuel path ( 5 ) runs through the cone filter via a first fuel path opening ( 23 ).

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Plisch Andreas
• Nitsche Frank
• Heyse Joerg
• Flo Siamend
• Allgeier Thorsten
• Maeurer Walter
• Reule Tim

Classifications

• F02B61/02

  for driving cycles · CPC title

• F02M37/043 Primary

  Arrangements for driving reciprocating piston-type pumps · CPC title

• F04B15/08

  the liquids having low boiling points · CPC title

• F02M37/103

  Mounting pumps on fuel tanks · CPC title

• F02M37/0052

  Details on the fuel return circuit; Arrangement of pressure regulators · CPC title