Bail driven stale fuel evacuation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11008978-B2
Application number	US-201916293149-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2019
Priority date	Mar 5, 2019
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

A carburetor drain apparatus includes a carburetor bowl, a fuel supply pipe, a fuel drain pipe, and a bail interface. The carburetor bowl is configured to store fuel and provide the fuel to an air passage. The fuel supply pipe is connected a fuel tank and the carburetor bowl. The fuel drain pipe is connected to the carburetor bowl. The bail interface is configured to operate in response to actuation of a bail to open the fuel drain pipe.

First claim

We claim:

1. A carburetor draining apparatus for an engine, the carburetor draining apparatus comprising:
a carburetor bowl configured to store fuel and provide the fuel to an air passage;
a driven wheel configured to be driven by a flywheel of the engine; and
a fuel pump rotated by the driven wheel and configured to pump fuel from the carburetor bowl; a fuel supply pipe connected a fuel tank and the carburetor bowl;
a fuel drain pipe connected to the carburetor bowl; and
a bail interface configured to operate in response to actuation of a bail to open the fuel drain pipe.

2. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a combination fuel valve including a fuel tank valve and a bowl drain valve,
wherein the fuel tank valve is configured to open the fuel supply pipe in conjunction with the bail interface and the actuation of the bail.

3. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a flow restrictor configured to slow a flow from the carburetor bowl to the fuel tank.

4. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a brake system coupled to the bail interface, wherein the brake system slows the engine in response to actuation of the bail interface.

5. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the brake system includes a brake portion configured to selectively contact a flywheel of the engine.

6. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the brake system includes a spring configured to bias the brake portion with respect to the flywheel.

7. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the actuation of the bail opposes the bias of the brake portion with respect to the flywheel.

8. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a reservoir configured to store fuel drained from the carburetor bowl via the fuel drain pipe.

9. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
an aspirator configured to provide stored fuel from the reservoir to the carburetor bowl.

10. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
a mixing tube configured to draw the stored fuel from the aspirator and the reservoir and mix the drawn fuel in an intake manifold.

11. A carburetor draining apparatus comprising:
a driven wheel configured to be driven by a flywheel of the engine;
a fuel pump rotated by the driven wheel and configured to pump fuel from the carburetor bowl;
a bail interface configured to operate in response to actuation of a bail for a stopping condition of an engine; and
a fuel drain pipe connected to the carburetor bowl and configured to drain fuel to open the fuel drain pipe in response to the actuation of the bail for the stopping condition of the engine.

12. A method for draining a carburetor for an engine, the method comprising:
receiving, at a carburetor bowl, fuel from a fuel tank via a fuel supply pipe;
driving a driven wheel by a flywheel of the engine;
rotating a fuel pump by the driven wheel to pump fuel from the carburetor bowl;
operating a bail interface in response to actuation of a bail external to the engine; and
opening a fuel drain pipe connected to the carburetor bowl in response to the operation of the bail interface.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
storing fuel in a carburetor bowl; and
providing a first portion of the stored fuel to an air passage for the engine, wherein a second portion of the stored fuel remains in the carburetor bowl when the engine is in a stopping condition.

14. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a combination fuel valve including a fuel tank valve and a bowl drain valve,
wherein the fuel tank valve is configured to open the fuel supply pipe in conjunction with the bail interface and the actuation of the bail.

15. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a flow restrictor configured to slow a flow from the carburetor bowl to the fuel tank.

16. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a brake system coupled to the bail interface, wherein the brake system slows the engine in response to actuation of the bail interface.

17. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a reservoir configured to store fuel drained from the carburetor bowl via the fuel drain pipe.

18. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising:
an aspirator between configured to provide stored fuel from the reservoir to the carburetor bowl.

19. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a driven wheel assembly configured to support the driven wheel in contact with the flywheel when the engine is in a stop condition and support the driven wheel out of contact with the flywheel when engine is in a run condition.

20. The carburetor draining apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fuel pump includes a plurality of rotors in a cavity coupled to the carburetor bowl and coupled to the fuel tank.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Rotter Terrence Michael
• Jackett Jarrod J
• Huibregtse Mark Jason
• Dins Michael James
• Bykowski Jonathan Thomas
• Duwe Michael Jon
• Wegner Brett Michael
• Tursky Michael James
• Reich Adam John

Classifications

• A01D34/001

  Accessories not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F02M37/12

  fluid-driven, e.g. by compressed combustion-air · CPC title

• A01D34/6818

  Motor starting mechanisms · CPC title

• F02M19/06 Primary

  Other details of fuel conduits · CPC title

• F02M37/0052

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