Fuel-filter abnormality detection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9926899-B2
Application number	US-201514739125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2015
Priority date	Jun 17, 2014
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A fuel-filter abnormality detection device is used for a subject filter provided in a fuel supply device of an engine to filtrate a fuel. The fuel-filter abnormality detection device includes a first filter attachable downstream of the subject filter in fuel flow. A filtration capacity of the first filter is smaller than a filtration capacity of the subject filter, and the first filter traps a foreign matter on a downstream side of the subject filter to cause a change in fuel pressure indicating an abnormality of the subject filter. The fuel-filter abnormality detection device may include a bypass passage through which the fuel bypasses the first filter, a bypass control valve configured to allow the fuel to flow through the bypass passage when the abnormality of the subject filter is detected, and a second filter filtrating the fuel flowing through the bypass passage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel supply device for supplying fuel to an engine and configured to filtrate the fuel, comprising:
a fuel pathway installed in a vehicle together with the engine and supplying fuel from a fuel tank to the engine,
a main filter housed within a main filter casing and provided in the fuel pathway; and
a fuel-filter abnormality detection device provided in the fuel pathway and configured to detect a fuel-filter abnormality of the main filter;
the fuel-filter abnormality detection device comprising:
a first filter removably attached downstream of the main filter in the fuel pathway, the first filter having a filtration capacity smaller than a filtration capacity of the main filter, the first filter trapping foreign matter on a downstream side of the main filter resulting in a change in fuel pressure indicating an abnormality of the main filter;
a second filter provided in a bypass passage that bypasses the first filter of the fuel-filter abnormality detection device, the second filter being configured to filtrate the fuel flowing in the bypass passage; and
a detector housing that houses the first filter, the second filter and the bypass passage, wherein
the fuel-filter abnormality detection device is a combination of the first filter, the second filter and the bypass passage which are assembled into a single detector replacement part of the fuel supply device, the single detector replacement part being removably connected to the fuel supply device and being replaceable separately from the main filter and the main filter casing of the fuel supply device, wherein
the main filter has a configuration permitting replacement of the main filter with a degree of replacement difficulty corresponding to disconnecting a used main filter from the fuel pathway and connecting the main filter to the fuel pathway,
the single detector replacement part includes at least one of an attached pump and a data connection, and the single detector replacement part has a configuration inhibiting replacement of the single detector replacement part with a degree of replacement difficulty higher than that of the main filter corresponding to disconnecting a used single detector replacement part from the fuel pathway and connecting the single detector replacement part to the fuel pathway including connecting at least one of the pump attached to the single detector replacement part to the fuel pathway and the data connection of the single detector replacement part to a computer.

2. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the filtration capacity of the first filter is set such that the change in fuel pressure indicating the abnormality of the main filter occurs within an allowable period during which the main filter is incapable of filtrating the fuel and an operation of the fuel supply device is allowable.

3. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the detector housing includes a bracket for bolt fixation to an object.

4. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising a pressure detector that is detachably provided in the detector housing and configured to detect a fuel pressure sensitive to clogging of the first filter of the fuel-filter abnormality detection device.

5. The fuel supply device according to claim 4 , further comprising a controller configured to receive a signal outputted from the pressure detector, determine an abnormality of the main filter based on the signal, and perform a fuel safe processing to protect the fuel supply device.

6. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a bypass control valve configured to allow the fuel to flow from an upstream side of the first filter to a downstream side of the first filter through the bypass passage when the change in fuel pressure indicating the abnormality of the main filter occurs in the first filter.

7. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pressure detector that is detachably provided in the detector housing and configured to detect a fuel pressure sensitive to clogging of the first filter of the fuel-filter abnormality detection device; and
a controller configured to receive a signal outputted from the pressure detector, determine an abnormality of the main filter based on the signal, and perform a fuel safe processing to protect the fuel supply device, wherein
the detector housing is replaceable together with the first filter.

8. The fuel supply device according to claim 7 , further comprising
a bypass control valve provided in the detector housing and configured to allow the fuel to flow from an upstream side of the first filter to a downstream side of the first filter through the bypass passage when the change in fuel pressure indicating the abnormality of the main filter occurs in the first filter, wherein
the second filter is replaceable together with the detector housing.

9. The fuel supply device according to claim 6 , wherein a filtration capacity of the second filter is smaller than the filtration capacity of the main filter and larger than the filtration capacity of the first filter.

10. The fuel supply device according to claim 8 , wherein a filtration capacity of the second filter is smaller than the filtration capacity of the main filter and larger than the filtration capacity of the first filter.

11. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , wherein
the detector housing includes a partition plate separating an inner space of the detector housing into an upstream space and a downstream space in a fuel flow, and
the partition plate includes a first opening through which the fuel flows to be filtrated by the first filter, and a second opening through which the fuel flows to be filtrated by the second filter in the bypass passage.

12. The fuel supply device according to claim 11 , further comprising a bypass control valve provided in the second opening of the partition plate and configured to allow the fuel to flow from the upstream space to the downstream space through the second opening in the bypass passage when the change in fuel pressure indicating the abnormality of the main filter occurs in the first filter.

13. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the single detector replacement part includes the attached pump.

14. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the single detector replacement part includes the data connection.

15. A fuel supply device for supplying fuel to an engine and configured to filtrate the fuel, comprising:
a main filter housed within a main filter casing; and
a fuel-filter abnormality detection device provided in the fuel supply device and configured to detect a fuel-filter abnormality of the main filter;
the fuel-filter abnormality detection device comprising:
a first filter removably attached downstream of the main filter in fuel flow, the first filter having a filtration capacity smaller than a filtration capacity of the main filter, the first filter trapping foreign matter on a downstream side of the main filter resulting in a change in fuel pressure indicating an abnormality of the main filter;
a second filter provided in a bypass passage that bypasses the first filter of the fuel-filter abnormality detection device, the second filter being configured to filtrate the fuel flowing in the bypass passage; and
a detector housing that houses the first filter, the second filter and the bypass passage, wherein
the fuel-filter abnormality detection device is a combination of the first filter, the second filter and the bypass passage which are assembled into a single detector re

Assignees

• Kyosan Denki Kk
• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Kato Takafumi
• Yonemoto Toshiyuki
• Mori Katsumi

Classifications

• F02D2041/224

  Diagnosis of the fuel system · CPC title

• F02M37/22 Primary

  Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines, e.g. arrangements in the feeding system · CPC title

• F02M37/40 Primary

  with means for detection of clogging · CPC title