Fuel pump with vapor purge valve assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11236716-B2
Application number	US-201916364462-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2019
Priority date	Mar 26, 2019
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A fuel pump includes a housing which is tubular; an inlet plate closes one end of the housing and an end cap closes the other end of the housing. The end cap includes an outlet passage and a vapor purge passage. An electric motor within the housing rotates a pumping element to pump fuel through the fuel pump. A valve assembly of the fuel pump includes a valve member located within the purge passage, the valve member being moveable between a first position which blocks fluid communication therethrough and a second position which provides fluid communication therethrough. A valve retainer fixed to the end cap includes a first leg, a second leg which is opposed to the first leg, and a cross-beam which joins the first leg and the second leg. The valve member is stopped by the cross-beam at the second position.

First claim

We claim:

1. A fuel pump comprising:
a housing which is tubular and extends from a housing inlet end to a housing outlet end;
an inlet plate closing said housing inlet end of said housing, said inlet plate having an inlet passage which provides fluid communication into said housing;
an end cap which closes said housing outlet end of said housing, said end cap having an outlet passage which provides fluid communication out of said housing and also having a vapor purge passage which selectively provides fluid communication out of said housing;
an electric motor within said housing between said inlet plate and said end cap, said electric motor having a shaft which rotates about an axis;
a pumping element rotationally coupled to said shaft such that rotation of said pumping element by said shaft causes fluid to be pumped from said inlet passage to said outlet passage and to be pressurized within said housing; and
a vapor purge valve assembly, said vapor purge valve assembly comprising:
a vapor purge valve member located within said vapor purge passage, said vapor purge valve member being moveable between 1) a first position which blocks fluid communication through said vapor purge passage and 2) a second position which provides fluid communication through said vapor purge passage; and
a vapor purge valve retainer fixed to said end cap, said vapor purge valve retainer having a first leg, a second leg which is opposed to said first leg, and a cross-beam which joins said first leg and said second leg, wherein said vapor purge valve member is stopped by said cross-beam at said second position

wherein said end cap includes a first retention slot within which said first leg is located;
wherein said end cap includes a second retention slot within which said second leg is located; and
wherein said first retention slot and said second retention slot are separated by said vapor purge passage.

2. A fuel pump as in claim 1 , wherein:
said first leg extends from a first leg first end which is proximal to said electric motor to a first leg second end which is distal from said electric motor;
said second leg extends from a second leg first end which is proximal to said electric motor to a second leg second end which is distal from said electric motor; and
said cross-beam joins said first leg second end and said second leg second end.

3. A fuel pump as in claim 2 , wherein:
said vapor purge passage is centered about, and extends along, a vapor purge passage axis; and
said vapor purge passage axis extends through said cross-beam.

4. A fuel pump as in claim 1 , wherein:
said first leg includes a first barb which engages a surface of said first retention slot;
said second leg includes a second barb which engages a surface of said second retention slot; and
said first barb and said second barb retain said vapor purge valve retainer to said end cap.

5. A fuel pump as in claim 1 , wherein
said first leg includes a first leg first edge and a first leg second edge which is opposed to said first leg second edge, said first leg second edge including a first barb such that said first leg first edge and said first barb engage opposing surfaces of said first retention slot;
said second leg includes a second leg first edge and a second leg second edge which is opposed to said second leg second edge, said second leg second edge including a second barb such that said second leg first edge and said second barb engage opposing surfaces of said first retention slot; and
said first barb and said second barb retain said vapor purge valve retainer to said end cap.

6. A fuel pump as in claim 5 , wherein:
said first leg includes a first leg first face which faces toward said second leg and also includes a first leg second face which is opposed to said first leg first face;
said first leg first edge and said first leg second edge join said first leg first face and said first leg second face;
said second leg includes a second leg first face which faces toward said first leg and also includes a second leg second face which is opposed to said second leg first face; and
said second leg first edge and said second leg second edge join said second leg first face and said second leg second face.

7. A fuel pump as in claim 1 , wherein:
said first retention slot and said second retention slot are terminated by a retention slot end wall of said end cap; and
said cross-beam of said vapor purge valve retainer abuts said retention slot end wall.

8. A fuel pump as in claim 1 , wherein;
said first retention slot and said second retention slot are terminated by a retention slot end wall of said end cap;
said first leg includes a first barb which engages a surface of said first retention slot;
said second leg includes a second barb which engages a surface of said second retention slot; and
debris traps are formed between said first barb and said retention slot end wall and between said second barb and said retention slot end wall such that said debris traps capture debris resulting from scraping of said first barb and said second barb against surfaces of said first retention slot and said second retention slot when said vapor purge valve retainer is installed.

9. A fuel pump as in claim 8 , wherein:
said first leg extends from a first leg first end which is proximal to said electric motor to a first leg second end which is distal from said electric motor;
said second leg extends from a second leg first end which is proximal to said electric motor to a second leg second end which is distal from said electric motor;
said cross-beam joins said first leg second end and said second leg second end;
said first barb is tapered so as to increase in size in a direction from said first leg second end toward said first leg first end; and
said second barb is tapered so as to increase in size in a direction from said second leg second end toward said second leg first end.

10. A fuel pump as in claim 1 , wherein:
said end cap includes a jet pump passage which provides fluid communication out of said housing; and
said second position of said vapor purge valve member prevents siphoning through said jet pump passage.

Assignees

• Delphi Tech Ip Ltd

Inventors

• Carrillo Conrado
• Schiaffino Victor A
• Lara Carla P
• Moreno Alejandro

Classifications

• F04D9/006

  by venting gas or using gas valves · CPC title

• F02M37/20

  characterised by means for preventing vapour lock · CPC title

• F02M37/106

  the pump being installed in a sub-tank · CPC title

• F02M37/08 Primary

  electrically driven · CPC title

• F04B53/06

  Venting · CPC title