Fuel pump controller integrated with air filter

• US 10,330,056 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Chang Han, Kim, Jong Ki, Lee, Jae Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang, Johnny H
• Application Number:
  US15/831,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20190048834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 123198 C, 123198 E, 123495, 123497, 123505, 123509, 123516, 123573, 553853, 553857, 55413, 55495
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 2025/0881 with means to heat or cool the canister
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 2037/085 Electric circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0221 Fuel storage reservoirs, e.g. cryogenic tanks
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/089 Layout of the fuel vapour installation
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 31/042 Combustion air
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/02425 Support structures increasing the stability or stiffness of the filter element
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/02433 Special alignment with respect to the air intake flow, e.g. angled or in longitudinal flow direction
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/0245 Pleated, folded, corrugated filter elements, e.g. made of paper
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0052 Details on the fuel return circuit; Arrangement of pressure regulators
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/5813 Cooling the control unit
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 5/002 Regenerative pumps for elastic fluids F04D23/008
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A fuel pump controller having an integrated air filter includes: a mounting plate fixed to a fuel tank; a motor driver provided on the mounting plate; an air filter having a filter sheet disposed inside a filter case to remove a foreign substance from air and having an air inlet port for air introduction; and an air outlet port for discharging the air, which has passed through the filter sheet. The filter case is integrally disposed on the mounting plate to enable heat exchange between the air passing therethrough and the motor driver.

Claims

1. A fuel pump controller comprising:

a mounting plate fixed to a fuel tank;

a motor driver, which is configured to drive a fuel pump, disposed on the mounting plate; and

an air filter including;

a filter sheet inside a filter case to remove a foreign substance from air;

an air inlet port for introduction of the air into the filter case; and

an air outlet port for discharge of the air, which has passed through the filter sheet in the filter case to remove the foreign substance,

wherein the mounting plate includes an accommodating portion in which the motor driver is accommodated,

wherein at least a portion of the mounting plate includes a boundary which separates an inner space of the filter case from an inner space of the accommodating portion, and

wherein the filter case is integrally disposed on the mounting plate to enable heat exchange between the air passing through the filter case and the motor driver through the boundary of the mounting plate.

2. The fuel pump controller of claim 1, wherein the fuel tank is a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bombe, and the fuel pump is an LPG fuel pump of the LPG bombe.

3. The fuel pump controller of claim 1, wherein the mounting plate hermetically seals an opening of the fuel tank,

wherein the accommodating portion is disposed in an inner surface of the mounting plate that faces an inside of the fuel tank, and

wherein the filter case is integrally disposed on an outer surface of the mounting plate that is located outside the fuel tank to enable the heat exchange between the air passing through the filter case and the motor driver.

4. The fuel pump controller of claim 1, wherein the filter case includes:

a case body integrally connected to the mounting plate so that the filter sheet is disposed therein, the case body having an opening; and

a cover coupled to the case body to cover the opening and to hermetically seal an inner space of the case body.

5. The fuel pump controller of claim 1, wherein the air outlet port of the filter case is connected to an air port of a canister, which collects fuel evaporation gas, via a tube so that the air inside the air filter is suctioned into the airport through the air outlet port and the tube during a purge operation of the canister to separate of the fuel evaporation gas inside the canister.

6. The fuel pump controller of claim 1, wherein the filter sheet is horizontally disposed inside the filter case to vertically divide an inner space of the filter case.

7. The fuel pump controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a heat exchange case having a fuel inlet port for introduction of fuel returned from an engine and a fuel outlet port for discharge of the fuel, which has passed through the heat exchange case,

wherein the heat exchange case is coupled to the air filter to enable heat exchange between the fuel passing through the heat exchange case and the air passing through the air filter,

wherein the heat exchange case has a chamber shape, and

wherein at least a portion of an outer surface of the heat exchange case having the chamber shape is in contact with the air filter for transferring heat of the fuel passing through the heat exchange case.

8. The fuel pump controller of claim 7, wherein the heat exchange case is coupled and stacked on a top of the filter case of the air filter.

9. The fuel pump controller of claim 7, wherein the filter case is integrally connected to the mounting plate and has an opening, and

wherein the heat exchange case is coupled to the opening to hermetically seal an inner space of the filter case.

10. The fuel pump controller of claim 9, wherein:

the filter case has the opening in a top of the filter case; and

the heat exchange case is coupled and stacked on the top of the filter case so that a lower surface of the heat exchange case covers the opening in the filter case.

11. The fuel pump controller of claim 7, wherein the fuel returned from the engine is LPG fuel,

wherein the fuel inlet port and the engine are connected to each other via a fuel return line so as to enable introduction of the LPG fuel returned from the engine, and

wherein the fuel outlet port and an LPG bombe are connected to each other via the fuel return line so as to allow the LPG fuel, which has passed through the heat exchange case, to be returned to the LPG bombe.