FUEL SUPPLY DEVICES

• US 20170314521A1
• Filed: 11/02/2015
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: NIWA, Kensuke, YOSHIDA, Koji, FUKUI, Tatsuki, KARIYA, Hiroyasu
• Granted Patent: US 10,711,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/10 submerged in fuel, e.g. in reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/106 the pump being installed in a sub-tank

Abstract

A fuel supply device includes a fuel pump for delivering fuel within the fuel tank to the outside and a sub-tank having a temporary storage region capable of temporarily storing the fuel. The sub-tank includes an inflow opening to allow the fuel to flow into the sub-tank under its own weight. The temporary storage region includes a top part positioned above the inflow opening.

Claims

1. A fuel supply device comprising:

a fuel pump for delivering fuel from within a fuel tank, and

a sub-tank having a temporary storage region capable of temporarily storing fuel,

wherein the sub-tank includes a top part of the temporary storage region, where the top part of the temporary storage region forms an uppermost part of an upper surface of the sub-tank, and wherein said sub-tank also includes an inflow opening to allow the fuel to flow into the sub-tank under its own weight wherein the inflow opening is formed on the upper surface of the sub-tank, and

the top part of the temporary storage region is positioned above the inflow opening.

2. The fuel supply device of claim 1, wherein the sub-tank includes an air vent hole in addition to the inflow opening, wherein the air vent hole allows communication between the temporary storage region and the outside of the sub-tank to allow air to flow through and equilibrate.

3. The fuel supply device of claim 2, wherein the air vent hole is positioned above the inflow opening.

4. The fuel supply device of claim 2, wherein the air vent hole is formed at the top part of the temporary storage region.

5. The fuel supply device of claim 1 any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the top part of the temporary storage region is positioned along an outer peripheral lateral edge of the temporary storage region.

6. The fuel supply device of claim 1, wherein the fuel pump includes a suction port capable of sucking the fuel, and

the suction port is arranged such that the suction port can suck the fuel from inside of the sub-tank through the inflow opening.

7. A fuel supply device comprising:

a fuel pump for delivering fuel from within a fuel tank, and

a sub-tank having a temporary storage region with an outer periphery forming a general shape of an irregular pentagon with an overall length and width in the forwards-backwards and leftwards-rightwards directions, respectively, capable of temporarily storing fuel within its interior,

wherein the sub-tank includes a top part in form of a rectangular prismatic shape with a longitudinal direction in the leftwards-rightwards direction, coterminal with the width of the outer periphery of the sub-tank, wherein three sides of the rectangular prismatic shape of the top part are the uppermost part of the upper periphery of the sub-tank as seen in a XZ plane, and wherein the sub-tank also includes an inflow opening to allow the fuel to flow into the sub-tank under its own weight wherein the inflow opening is formed on the upper surface of the sub-tank, and the top part of the temporary storage region is positioned above the inflow opening.

8. The fuel supply device of claim 7, wherein the inflow opening is adjacent to the top part of the sub-tank in the backwards direction, wherein the fuel pump includes a suction port capable of sucking the fuel, and the suction port is arranged such that the suction port can suck the fuel from the inside of the sub-tank through the inflow opening.

9. The fuel supply device of claim 7, wherein the top part of the temporary storage region also forms part of outer periphery of the temporary storage region in the forward-most direction, bordering a forwardmost edge in the leftwards-rightwards direction, as seen from a plan view in a XY plane.

10. The fuel supply device of claim 7, wherein the sub-tank includes an air vent hole in addition to the inflow opening, wherein the air vent hole is formed on the top part of the temporary storage region and allows communication between the temporary storage region and the outside of the sub-tank to allow air to flow through and equilibrate.

11. The fuel supply device of claim 10, wherein the air vent hole is positioned above the inflow opening.

12. The fuel supply device of claim 11, wherein the air vent hole is formed at the top part of the temporary storage region, at a backwards-most edge of the top part in the center of the leftwards-rightwards direction, such that when fuel rises in the sub-tank during vehicle operation towards outermost edges, due to centrifugally outward force being applied, then the fuel is effectively prevented from discharging through the air-vent hole to the outside of the sub-tank.

13. The fuel supply device of claim 12, wherein the air vent has a substantially rectangular opening formed as part of the uppermost surface of the top part of the sub-tank, as seen from a plan view in a XY plane, wherein a longitudinal direction of the rectangular opening is formed along an upper backwards edge of the top part of the sub-tank, parallel to the leftwards-rightwards directional axis.