Priming pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11274641-B1
Application number	US-202117248667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 2, 2021
Priority date	Feb 2, 2021
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

A priming pump may include a housing; an inlet passageway inside of the housing; an outlet passageway inside of the housing; a divider, inside of the housing, separating the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway; a connecting passageway through the divider in fluid communication with the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway; a valve, disposed in the connecting passageway, configured for one-way fluid flow from the inlet passageway to the outlet passageway; a rotary pump, inside of the housing, having an inlet in fluid communication with the inlet passageway and an outlet in fluid communication with the outlet passageway; and a shaft connected to the rotary pump and extending through the housing, the shaft configured for rotation by an external driving mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A priming pump, comprising:
a housing;
an inlet passageway inside of the housing;
an outlet passageway inside of the housing;
a divider, inside of the housing, separating the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway;
a connecting passageway through the divider in fluid communication with the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway;
a valve, disposed in the connecting passageway, configured for one-way fluid flow from the inlet passageway to the outlet passageway; and
a rotary pump, inside of the housing, having an inlet in fluid communication with the inlet passageway and an outlet in fluid communication with the outlet passageway,
wherein the connecting passageway is configured to permit fluid to bypass the rotary pump.

2. The priming pump of claim 1 , wherein the rotary pump is configured to rotate in a direction transverse to the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway.

3. The priming pump of claim 1 , wherein the connecting passageway is located in the divider.

4. The priming pump of claim 1 , further comprising:
an additional connecting passageway through the divider in fluid communication with the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway; and
an additional valve, disposed in the additional connecting passageway, configured for one-way fluid flow from the outlet passageway to the inlet passageway.

5. The priming pump of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a first aperture and a second aperture configured for mounting the housing to a fuel filter assembly.

6. The priming pump of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shaft connected to the rotary pump and extending through the housing,
wherein the shaft is configured for rotation by an external driving mechanism, and
wherein the shaft has a hexagonal cross section.

7. The priming pump of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shaft connected to the rotary pump and extending through the housing,
wherein the shaft is configured for rotation by an external driving mechanism, and
wherein the shaft is off-centered relative to a line that passes through the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway.

8. The priming pump of claim 1 , wherein the rotary pump is a gerotor pump.

9. A priming pump, comprising:
a housing including a mounting structure for mounting the housing to a fuel filter assembly;
an inlet passageway inside of the housing;
an outlet passageway inside of the housing;
a divider, inside of the housing, separating the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway;
a connecting passageway in fluid communication with the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway;
a rotary pump, inside of the housing, having an inlet in fluid communication with the inlet passageway and an outlet in fluid communication with the outlet passageway,
wherein the connecting passageway is configured to permit fluid to bypass the rotary pump; and

a shaft connected to the rotary pump and extending through the housing.

10. The priming pump of claim 9 , wherein the rotary pump is configured to rotate in a direction transverse to the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway.

11. The priming pump of claim 9 , further comprising:
a valve, disposed in the connecting passageway, configured for one-way fluid flow from the inlet passageway to the outlet passageway.

12. The priming pump of claim 9 , wherein the mounting structure includes a first aperture and a second aperture configured for mounting the housing to the fuel filter assembly.

13. The priming pump of claim 9 , wherein the shaft is seated in the divider.

14. The priming pump of claim 9 , wherein the shaft is configured for rotation by an external driving mechanism.

15. The priming pump of claim 9 , further comprising:
a shroud connected to a portion of the shaft that extends through the housing, the shroud being configured for rotation by an external driving mechanism.

16. A fuel system, comprising:
a fuel filter assembly; and
a priming pump, comprising:
a housing including at least one aperture configured for mounting the housing to the fuel filter assembly;
an inlet passageway inside of the housing;
an outlet passageway inside of the housing;
a divider, inside of the housing, separating the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway;
a connecting passageway in fluid communication with the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway;
a rotary pump, inside of the housing, having an inlet in fluid communication with the inlet passageway and an outlet in fluid communication with the outlet passageway,
wherein the connecting passageway is configured to permit fluid to bypass the rotary pump; and

a shaft connected to the rotary pump and extending through the housing.

17. The fuel system of claim 16 , wherein the rotary pump is configured to rotate in a direction transverse to the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway.

18. The fuel system of claim 16 , further comprising:
a valve, disposed in the connecting passageway, configured for one-way fluid flow from the inlet passageway to the outlet passageway.

19. The fuel system of claim 18 , further comprising:
an additional connecting passageway through the divider in fluid communication with the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway; and
an additional valve, disposed in the additional connecting passageway, configured for one-way fluid flow from the outlet passageway to the inlet passageway.

20. The fuel system of claim 16 , wherein the housing is mounted to the fuel filter assembly by a fastener received in the at least one aperture.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Fischer Jeffery
• Johnston Neil Edward
• Bush Brenton William
• Tian Ye
• Burcar Quinton

Classifications

• F04C2210/203

  Fuel · CPC title

• F04C14/26

  using bypass channels · CPC title

• F04C14/06

  specially adapted for stopping, starting, idling or no-load operation · CPC title

• F04C2/10

  of internal-axis type with the outer member having more teeth or tooth-equivalents, e.g. rollers, than the inner member · CPC title

• F02M37/44

  Filters structurally associated with pumps · CPC title