Automotive returnless fuel system pressure valve

• US 5,477,829 A
• Filed: 08/08/1994
• Issued: 12/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Kempfer, Stephen T., Stein, Matthew L., Hassinger, Christian V., Betki, Randall A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, CARL STUART
• Application Number:
  US08/287,034
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 123/467, 123/506, 123/510, 137/512, 137/512.1, 137/539.5, 137/493.8
• US Class Current: 123/467
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/10 submerged in fuel, e.g. in reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 69/462 Arrangement of fuel conduits, e.g. with valves for maintaining pressure in the pipes after the engine being shut-down
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/196 spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7779 Axes of ports parallel

Abstract

A fuel delivery system for a fuel injected automotive internal combustion engine has a fuel pump mounted within a fuel tank for pumping fuel through a fuel line to an engine mounted fuel rail which delivers fuel to a plurality of fuel injectors. Attached on the output side of the fuel pump in the fuel line is a pressure valve for controlling fuel flow from the pump to the rail and from the rail to the pump. The pressure valve has a housing for containing a check valve, which opens upon the fuel pump delivering a predetermined pressure to the fuel line, and a pressure relief valve, which opens to allow fuel flow from the fuel line to the output side of the fuel pump when the fuel line is overpressurized. The relief valve has a predetermined set point greater than that of the check valve is mounted in parallel therewith so that pressure in the fuel line is maintained at an appropriate level during long deceleration periods, as well as when the engine is off.

Claims

1. A fuel delivery system for an automotive internal combustion engine comprising:

(1) a fuel tank;

(2) a fuel pump in fluid communication with said fuel tank and a fuel line on an output side of said pump in fluid communication with a fuel rail connected to said engine; and

(3) valve means interposed in said fuel line between said fuel pump and said fuel rail for controlling said fuel flow from said pump to said rail and from said rail to said pump, said valve means comprising;

(a) a valve housing having a pair of half sections, with each of said half sections having a valve receiving portion and a nipple for attachment to a fluid bearing device, said valve housing also having a valve center portion for attachment with said pair of half sections so that said pair of half sections cooperate to form a valve chamber;

(b) a check valve mounted in said valve center portion within said chamber and operable to allow fuel flow from said pump to said fuel line upon said fuel pump delivering a predetermined fuel pressure to said fuel line; and

(c) a pressure relief valve mounted in said valve center portion within said chamber parallel to said check valve and operable to allow fuel in said fuel line to flow through said housing to said fuel pump upon fuel pressure in said fuel line exceeding a predetermined relief pressure greater than said predetermined fuel pressure;

(d) and wherein each of said half sections has a recessed, generally figure-eight-shaped valve receiving portion with an orifice through an upper portion thereof in fluid communication with said nipple, said center portion also shaped as a figure-eight with a top section of said figure-eight retaining said check valve and a bottom section of said figure-eight retaining said pressure relief valve, said half sections attached with said nipples aligned so that a fuel flow path is formed along an axis through one of said nipples, through said check valve, and through the other of said nipples.