Vehicle fuel pump cover assembly and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11280305-B2
Application number	US-201816033934-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2018
Priority date	Jul 12, 2018
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A fuel pump cover assembly and method for a vehicle includes a cover arranged over the vehicle fuel pump for inhibiting water access to the vehicle fuel pump and at least one clip securing the cover to a feed line for the vehicle fuel pump.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cover assembly for a vehicle fuel pump, comprising:
a cover arranged over the vehicle fuel pump for inhibiting water access to the vehicle fuel pump; and
at least one clip attached to the cover, the at least one clip directly securing the cover to a feed line for the vehicle fuel pump, wherein the feed line is a tube shaped feed line and the at least one clip is annularly secured to an outer surface of the tube shaped feed line, wherein the at least one clip includes a clip body having a locking structure that is received through a clip aperture defined in the cover.

2. The cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one clip includes a plurality of clips spaced apart from one another along an axial length of the tube shaped feed line.

3. The cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one clip includes:
a cable tie securing the clip body to the feed line; and
a washer securing the cover to the clip body.

4. The cover assembly of claim 3 wherein the locking structure protrudes upwardly from the clip body, the washer received on the upward protruding locking structure with the cover interposed between the clip body and the washer to secure the cover to the clip body.

5. The cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the cover bridges a distance between the vehicle fuel pump and a raised section on a fuel tank of the vehicle.

6. The cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the cover includes an aperture through which a wire harness passes, the wire harness electrically connected to the vehicle fuel pump.

7. The cover assembly of claim 6 wherein the aperture is a slot extending into the cover from a peripheral edge of the cover.

8. The cover assembly of claim 7 wherein the cover includes upturned lip portions defining the slot for urging water away from the slot.

9. The cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the cover includes a main portion arranged to cover a substantial portion of an exposed footprint area of a pump flange member of the vehicle fuel pump.

10. The cover assembly of claim 9 wherein the main portion of the cover is arranged and sized to cover an entirety of the footprint area of the pump flange member of the vehicle fuel pump.

11. The cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the cover is formed of a flexible or resilient rubber material.

12. A fuel pump cover assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
a cover disposed over and spaced apart from an associated fuel pump to inhibit water access to the associated fuel pump; and
at least one clip affixing the cover to an associated fuel line fluidly connected to the associated fuel pump,
wherein the at least one clip includes:
a clip body;
a cable tie annularly securing the clip body to an outer surface of the associated fuel line; and
a securing member affixed to the clip body for securing the cover to the clip body.

13. The fuel pump cover assembly of claim 12 further including a self-sealing portion that closes about an associated wire harness electrically connected to the associated fuel pump and passing through an aperture defined in the cover.

14. The fuel pump cover assembly of claim 12 wherein the cover is formed of a resilient flexible material, the cover sized and arranged to substantially cover a footprint area of the associated fuel pump.

15. The fuel pump cover assembly of claim 12 wherein the cover includes a main body having a surface area larger than a footprint of the associated fuel pump.

16. The fuel pump cover assembly of claim 15 wherein the cover includes flange portions downwardly depending from the main body and arranged approximately orthogonally relative to the main body.

17. A cover method for covering a vehicle fuel pump, comprising:
arranging a cover over the vehicle fuel pump to inhibit water access to the vehicle fuel pump;
providing at least one clip with a clip body, a cable tie, and a securing member affixed to the clip body;
inserting the clip body through a clip aperture provided on the cover with the cover interposed between the clip body and the securing member; and
securing the cover directly to a fuel feed line for the vehicle fuel pump with the at least one clip by annularly securing the clip body to an outer surface of the fuel feed line via the cable tie.

18. The cover method of claim 17 wherein arranging the cover over the vehicle fuel pump and securing the cover to the fuel feed line includes vertically spacing the cover above the vehicle fuel pump.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Rihtar Jonathan A
• Kitamura Hiroshi
• Swanson Matthew E

Classifications

• F02M2037/082

  Details of the entry of the current supply lines into the pump housing, e.g. wire connectors, grommets, plugs or sockets · CPC title

• B60K15/03

  Fuel tanks · CPC title

• F02M37/103 Primary

  Mounting pumps on fuel tanks · CPC title

• B60K2015/03447

  for improving the sealing · CPC title

• B60K15/01

  Arrangement of fuel conduits · CPC title