Fuel supply devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10753328-B2
Application number	US-201515505150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2015
Priority date	Aug 26, 2014
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

A fuel supply device has a cover member which is attached to an opening of a fuel tank, a pump unit provided with a pump, and a connecting portion for connecting the cover member and the pump unit. The fuel supply device has a connecting shaft which is formed on either one of the connecting portion or the pump unit, and a connecting hole which is formed on the other. The fuel supply device has a guide mechanism which can guide the pump unit. The guide mechanism includes a first guide portion formed at the connecting portion and a second guide portion formed at the pump unit. One of the first guide portion or the second guide portion includes a protruding portion which protrudes in a position spaced apart from the connecting shaft. The other guide portion is formed to restrict a movable range of the protruding portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel supply device comprising:
a cover member attached to an opening of a fuel tank;
a pump unit provided with a pump;
a connecting portion configured to connect the cover member and the pump unit;
a connecting shaft which is formed on one of the connecting portion or the pump unit;
a connecting hole which is formed on the connecting portion if the connecting shaft is formed on the pump unit or formed on the pump unit if the connecting shaft is formed on the connecting portion, where the connecting shaft is configured to be inserted into the connecting hole so that the pump unit is relatively movably connected to the connecting portion; and
a guide mechanism which is configured to guide the pump unit to move along a plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the connecting shaft, wherein the guide mechanism includes a first guide portion formed at the connecting portion and a second guide portion formed at the pump unit,
wherein one of the first guide portion or the second guide portion includes a protruding portion which protrudes in a position spaced apart from the connecting shaft, and a restricting portion is included in the first or second guide portion in which the protruding portion is not included and formed to restrict a movable range of said protruding portion.

2. The fuel supply device of claim 1 , wherein the guide portion that restricts the protruding portion has a recessed portion in which the protruding portion is complementarily fitted to restrict the movable range of the protruding portion by fitting the protruding portion therein.

3. The fuel supply device of claim 1 further comprising: a rotation restricting mechanism configured to prevent a base portion, which is provided at the pump unit, from being positioned orthogonal to the plane in which the cover member extends by restricting a rotational angle of the pump unit relative to the connecting portion through the use of a stopping projection, which when the pump unit rotates towards the connecting portion, abuts the pump unit at an inclined angle relative to the cover member.

4. The fuel supply device of claim 3 , wherein the rotation restricting mechanism is configured to restrict the rotational angle of the pump unit relative to the connecting portion that is at an incline of less than 90 degrees relative to the cover member, precluding orthogonality of the pump unit with respect to the cover member as the connecting portion abuts to the pump unit.

5. The fuel supply device of claim 1 , wherein a point of rotation of the pump unit about the connecting shaft occurs at a location that is off-center relative to the pump unit such that a leading edge of the pump unit is distal from the point of rotation and a trailing edge of the pump unit is proximal to the point of rotation.

6. The fuel supply device of claim 1 , wherein the restricting portion forms the first guide portion and the protruding portion forms the second guide portion, where the second guide portion protrudes in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the connecting shaft.

7. The fuel supply device of claim 6 , where the fit between the first guide portion and second guide portion is complementary, with the second guide portion forming an arc shape with a smaller width than the first guide portion, wherein the first guide portion has an inner peripheral surface forming a recess with a width larger than the second guide portion.

8. A fuel supply device comprising:
a cover member attached to an opening of a fuel tank;
a pump unit provided with a pump;
a connecting portion configured to connect the cover member and the pump unit;
a connecting shaft which is formed on one of the connecting portion or the pump unit;
a connecting hole which is formed on the connecting portion if the connecting shaft is formed on the pump unit or formed on the pump unit if the connecting shaft is formed on the connecting portion, wherein the connecting shaft is configured to be inserted into the connecting hole so that the pump unit is relatively movably connected to the connecting portion; and
a rotation restricting mechanism comprising a stopper surface disposed on one of the connecting portion or the pump unit, wherein the stopper surface is configured to engage with a corresponding surface on the connecting portion if the stopper surface is disposed on the pump unit or on the pump unit if the stopper surface is disposed on the connecting portion to prevent a base portion, which is provided at the pump unit, from being positioned orthogonal to a set plate portion of the cover member by restricting a movable range of the pump unit relative to the connecting portion, wherein the set plate portion is coplanar with and parallel to the cover member.

9. A fuel supply device comprising:
a cover member attached to an opening of a fuel tank;
a pump unit provided with a pump;
a connecting portion configured to connect the cover member and the pump unit;
a connecting shaft which is formed on one of the connecting portion or the pump unit;
a connecting hole which is formed on the connecting portion if the connecting shaft is formed on the pump unit or formed on the pump unit if the connecting shaft is formed on the connecting portion, where the connecting shaft is configured to be inserted into the connecting hole so that the pump unit is relatively movably connected to the connecting portion;
a guide mechanism which is configured to guide the pump unit to move along a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the connecting shaft, wherein the guide mechanism includes a first guide portion formed on the connecting portion and a second guide portion formed on the pump unit,
wherein one of the first guide portion or the second guide portion includes a protruding portion which protrudes in a position spaced apart from the connecting shaft, and a restricting portion is included in the first or second guide portion in which the protruding portion is not included and formed to restrict a movable range of said protruding portion; and
a rotation restricting mechanism configured to prevent a base portion, which is provided at the pump unit, from being positioned orthogonal to a set plate portion of the cover member by restricting a movable range of the pump unit relative to the connecting portion, wherein the set plate portion is coplanar with and parallel to the cover member, wherein the rotation restricting mechanism is either provided by the first or second guide portions, or comprises an additional projection or flange formed on the first guide portion, the second guide portion, or independently of the first or second guide portion.

10. The fuel supply device of claim 9 , wherein the rotation restriction mechanism is provided by the first or second guide portion, wherein the second guide portion comprises a columnar pin which is inserted into the first guide portion which comprises a through hole penetrating through one direction of the connecting portion.

11. The fuel supply device of claim 9 , wherein the rotation restriction mechanism comprises a radially protruding flange which is contiguous with the shape of the second guide portion in a one-piece construction.

12. The fuel supply device of claim 9 , wherein the rotation restriction mechanism comprises a radially protruding flange at the base of the pump unit independently of and spaced apart from the first and second guide portions.

Assignees

• Aisan Ind
• Asian Kogyo Kk

Inventors

• Murakoshi Yuichi
• Yoshida Koji
• Fukui Tatsuki
• Higashi Shinya
• Kono Takuya
• Kondo Takayuki
• Yano Akihiro

Classifications

• F02M37/08

  electrically driven · CPC title

• F02M37/00

  Apparatus or systems for feeding liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus; Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines · CPC title

• F02M37/10

  submerged in fuel, e.g. in reservoir · CPC title

• F02M37/103 Primary

  Mounting pumps on fuel tanks · CPC title