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Fuel delivery system

  • US 6,314,947 B1
  • Filed: 10/13/1999
  • Issued: 11/13/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A fuel delivery system comprising:

  • a fuel tank constructed to contain a supply of fuel;

    an electric fuel pump disposed within the fuel tank and having an inlet through which fuel is drawn from within the fuel tank, an outlet through which fuel is discharged under pressure for delivery to an engine, and the electric fuel pump being switchable between on and off states where, when on, the electric fuel pump discharges fuel from its outlet and, when off, the electric pump does not discharge fuel from its outlet;

    a first fluid line in communication with the outlet of the electric fuel pump and through which fuel is delivered exteriorly of the tank to the engine;

    a second fluid line communicating with the first fluid line downstream of the outlet of the electric pump and with the interior of the fuel tank for supplying fuel from the fuel tank through the first fluid line to the engine independently of the electric fuel pump;

    a check valve in the second fluid line having a valve head yieldably biased against a valve seat to a closed position to prevent the flow of fuel through the second line into the fuel tank when the electric fuel pump is operating to supply fuel through the first fluid line to the engine and is displaceable from the valve seat to an open position to permit fuel to flow from the tank through the second fluid line into the first fluid line and to the operating engine when the electric pump is not operating and the pressure in the fuel tank is greater than the pressure in the second fluid line; and

    a controller communicating with the electric fuel pump and operable to change the state of the electric fuel pump between its on an off states so that when the output is needed to supply fuel to the engine, the controller turns the electric fuel pump on and when the output of the electric pump is not needed the controller turns the electric fuel pump off and fuel flows from the fuel tank to the operating engine through the second fluid line, check valve and first fluid line to the operating engine.

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  • 4 Assignments
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