Walbro Corporation

Whitehead Engineered Products, Inc.

George H Bucci

Paul F Briggs

Lawrence E Egle

Mark R Johansen

David E Mroczka

Donald L Drapeau

Charles H Tuckey

Daniel A Gilmour

John R Forgue

Kirk D Fournier

Wayne T Lipinski

James D Taylor

Richard J Mazur

Timothy P Neal

Allan L Tomasco

A bypass fuel pressure regulator disposed downstream of and in communication with a fuel pump outlet to bypass at least a portion of the outlet fuel from the fuel pump corresponding to the engine's fuel demand. The regulator has a bypass passage with an inlet in communication with the fuel pump outlet and an outlet in communication with the fuel tank. A valve assembly is received in and controls the flow of fuel through the bypass passage. The valve assembly has a disc carried on one end of a stem which has an enlarged valve head adjacent its other end which is movable to open and close an outlet opening of the regulator. The disc is disposed generally transverse to the axis of the bypass passage and upstream of the valve head. The disc has at least one and preferably several openings through which fuel flows into the bypass passage through the disc. A spring is received between the regulator body and the disc to yieldably bias the valve head onto a valve seat to close the regulator outlet. When the fuel pump delivers more fuel than is immediately necessary to operate the engine, the valve head is displaced from the valve seat to return the excess fuel to the fuel tank.

Bypass fuel pressure regulator

An improved filler neck for a fuel inlet of a vehicle fuel tank has a bend communicating with converging and diverging portions which control the flow of fuel through the filler neck to ensure that fuel flows through and downstream of the bend without backing up in the filler neck and actuating an automatic shutoff device of a refueling nozzle received in the filler neck. The filler neck also preferably has a bypass fuel passage through which fuel flows upstream through the filler neck and out to the atmosphere if a predetermined maximum pressure is exceeded within the fuel tank to limit the maximum pressure within the fuel tank and prevent it from being damaged or rupturing. Several angled ribs in the filler neck housing guide the refueling nozzle for proper positioning within the filler neck. Other ribs also provide gaps between the refueling nozzle and the filler neck housing to prevent the refueling nozzle from sealing the filler neck inlet. Slots at the nozzle interface provide a vent area to prevent a vacuum from being generated in the filler neck even when used with a refueling nozzle designed to provide a vapor tight seal at the refueling inlet to prevent liquid fuel from being drawn upstream through the filler neck and thereby prematurely activating the automatic shutoff device of the refueling nozzle.

Fuel tank filler neck with bypass passage

A fuel rail is provided with a mounting clip in each mounting foot to allow secure connection of the fuel rail adjacent an engine manifold. The mounting clip is inserted into a mounting foot after the fuel rail has been manufactured and has a flange which overlies the top of the foot. The clip completely receives a bolt therein and when the bolt is tightened transmits a clamping force to the fuel rail through the flange of the clip. Thus, the bolt bears directly on the clip, not the fuel rail, and can be highly torqued without breaking the fuel rail.

Fuel rail mounting clip

A fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine that includes an electric-motor fuel pump and an electronic control circuit for applying electrical power to the pump motor from a source of d.c. potential. The electronic control circuit is responsive to voltage level at the source of d.c. potential for automatically boosting electrical power applied to the pump motor when voltage available at the source decreases to a preselected level. In the preferred embodiments, the pump motor is a d.c. motor, and the electronic control circuit takes the form of a d.c.-to-d.c. convertor having a transformer and a rectifier circuit coupling the transformer to the motor. Power switches apply alternating current to the transformer when voltage available at the d.c. power source is inadequate, thereby increasing or boosting power applied to the motor through the rectifier circuit.

Power-managed fuel delivery system

An in-tank fuel pump and reservoir canister module having a fuel filter mounted in the module base adjacent the bottom of the tank and defining a filter chamber having an outlet connected to the inlet of an electric fuel pump received directly in the tank exteriorly alongside of an upright overflow-type reserve fuel canister. A canister bottom outlet is closed by a flow controlling valve and/or by an always-open restricted orifice communicating with the filter chamber for returning engine bypassed reserve fuel from the canister reservoir to the pump inlet, either continuously and/or only when a low level supply of fuel in the tank to the filter is interrupted. The valve is operated by a diaphragm portion of the filter, base-mounted between the canister outlet and filter chamber and also communicating directly with the tank, the valve opening against the bias of a coil spring in response to pump suction acting on a capillary seal formed on the diaphragm filter to thereby allow reserve fuel to flow into the filter chamber. At system shut-down a filter backwash flow can occur from the canister reservoir. The pump rotary vane impeller chamber has an internal vapor purging passageway communicating at its outlet directly with the interior of the tank so as not to be subjected to any anti-purging gravity pressure head differential existing between the fuel level in the canister reservoir versus that of the main body of fuel in the tank.

In-tank fuel pump and reservoir

A vehicle on board system for recovering fuel vapors from the fuel tank both during filling of the fuel tank with volatile hydrocarbon liquid fuel and operation of the vehicle engine. A control unit in the fuel tank has a valve assembly actuated by a float to control the flow of fuel vapors from the top of the tank into a receiving canister with activated charcoal for absorbing the fuel vapors which can be purged from the canister by operation of the engine. The valve assembly has a valve seat, a flexible elastomeric closure received on a pivotally mounted carrier plate movable to open and closed positions relative to the seat, and a stripper plate encompassing the seat, overlying the closure and pivotally movable by the float to disengage the closure from the seat to open the valve. Preferably, pads on the stripper plate bear on only a portion of the flexible closure during initial opening of the valve to thereby decrease the force required to initially open the valve and increase the sensitivity and responseness of the valve assembly. Preferably, to substantially prevent any liquid fuel from passing through the valve assembly while it is open, a depending tube encircles the valve assembly and the float is slidably received in the tube with a relatively close fit to prevent fuel sloshing in the tank which enters the tube from being forced past the float and into the open valve assemby.

Control valve and system for fuel vapor recovery

A method of making a capacitive pressure sensor preferably for a vehicle fuel system with a flexible diaphragm, spacer and rigid substrate disposed in opposed face-to-face relation in a housing and yieldably urged together by a spring clamp. Electrodes disposed on the immediately adjacent opposed faces of the diaphragm and substrate produce a signal indicative of and varying with changes in the pressure of fluid acting on the diaphragm to displace its central portion relative to the substrate. In operation, through sensor and control circuitry, the speed of a fuel pump is varied to vary and control the pressure of fuel supplied to an engine in response to varying engine operating loads and conditions. To control the flow of fuel, a check valve, pressure relief valve and vent valve may be provided in the housing.

Method of making a capacitive pressure sensor

A fuel filler pipe assembly is provided which controls the release of fuel vapors from a vehicle fuel tank so as to limit the amount of fuel vapor released into the atmosphere. The assembly includes an outer tube which is partitioned into two conduits--one for carrying fuel to the vehicle's fuel tank and the other for carrying fuel vapors to an on board vapor capture device. Passage of fuel vapors to the vapor capture device is controlled by a valve which itself is controlled by the attachment and detachment of a fuel filler cap to the assembly such that attachment of the cap causes the valve to close while detachment causes it to open. In certain preferred embodiments, the assembly includes a second valve for preventing the passage of substantial quantities of liquid fuel to the vapor capture device.

System for controlling the release of fuel vapors from a vehicle fuel

A fuel pump manifold for a no-return fuel system for an automotive engine. The manifold has inlet and outlet passages with a check valve which opens when fuel is supplied to the engine and closes to prevent reverse flow of fuel when the outlet pressure is greater than the inlet pressure and a vent valve between the outlet and inlet and in parallel with the check valve which is normally closed and opens when the outlet pressure exceeds the inlet pressure by at least a predetermined minimum value which is usually the desired minimum pressure of fuel supplied to the operating engine when idling. Preferably, a normally closed pressure relief valve also communicates with the outlet to relieve overpressure of the outlet fuel supplied to the engine.

Fuel pump manifold

A capacitive pressure sensor preferably for a vehicle fuel system with a flexible diaphragm, spacer and rigid substrate disposed in opposed face-to-face relation in a housing and yieldably urged together by a spring clamp. Electrodes disposed on the immediately adjacent opposed faces of the diaphragm and substrate produce a signal indicative of and varying with changes in the pressure of fluid acting on the diaphragm to displace its central portion relative to the substrate. In operation, through sensor and control circuitry, the speed of a fuel pump is varied to vary and control the pressure of fuel supplied to an engine in response to varying engine operating loads and conditions. To control the flow of fuel, a check valve, pressure relief valve and vent valve may be provided in the housing.

Capacitive pressure sensor

An injection molded fuel injection rail for an automotive engine. The fuel rail is designed to supply fuel to a plurality of electromagnetic fuel injectors oriented at acute angles relative to vertical. The socket inlet apertures through which fuel is fed from the rail interior into the respective fuel injector sockets are located in the bottom of the rail. This prevents the ingestion of vapor, which is normally present in the upper portion of the rail, into the injectors. In order to maintain both sides of these socket inlet apertures at substantially the same level the tilted injector sockets are provided with an occlusive lip along the high side of each inlet aperture. Additionally, the tilted socket axes may be offset laterally downward from the longitidinal rail axis. A plug type fitment is used to close the barrel core pin opening at one end of the rail. It is retained in the opening by a zero compressive load retainer which engages a cooperating annular shoulder structure formed on that end of the rail. To insure uniform distribution of the plastic injected into the mold and to prevent relative movement of the core pins by the force of the injected plastic during the molding process, a sprue site is located above each fuel injector socket in offset parallel alignment with the socket axis.

Molded fuel injection rail

A system for controlling the release of fuel vapors and liquid fuel from a vehicle fuel tank is provided. The system includes: 1) a cap-controlled valve assembly which conducts fuel vapors to an on-board vapor capture device and which opens when the tank's fuel filler cap is removed or when the pressure in the fuel tank exceeds a predetermined value and which closes when the filler cap is replaced; 2) a first, normally-closed, flapper door and a flapper-door/fuel-nozzle seal, both of which are located in the region of the mouth of the vehicle's filler pipe, above the level at which fuel vapors pass into the cap-controlled valve assembly; 3) a second, normally-closed, flapper door and a flapper-door seal, both of which are located below the level at which fuel vapors pass into the cap-controlled valve assembly; and 4) a vent conduit which connects the fuel tank to the filler pipe assembly at a level between the first and second flapper doors. The system prevents liquid fuel from being expelled from the vehicle's filler pipe upon removal of the filler cap and at the same time provides reliable venting of the fuel tank during normal operation and reliable shut-off of service station fuel pumps during refueling.

A fuel filler pipe assembly is provided which controls the release of fuel vapors from a vehicle fuel tank so as to limit the amount of fuel vapor released into the atmosphere. The assembly includes an outer tube which is partitioned into two conduits--one for carrying fuel to the vehicle's fuel tank and the other for carrying fuel vapors to an onboard vapor capture device. Passage of fuel vapors to the vapor capture device is controlled by a valve which itself is controlled by the attachment and detachment of a fuel filler cap to the assembly such that attachment of the cap causes the valve to close while detachment causes it to open. In certain preferred embodiments, the assembly includes a second valve for preventing the passage of substantial quantities of liquid fuel to the vapor capture device.

A system and method for controlling the release of fuel vapors and liquid fuel from a vehicle fuel tank is provided. The system includes a vent path leading from the dome of the fuel tank to a vapor capture device such that when the fuel tank cap is in place the vent path is opened when the pressure in the dome exceeds a predetermined value, when the cap is removed the vent path is opened irrespective of the pressure in the dome, and upon insertion of the fuel nozzle into the filler pipe the vent path is closed.

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Tolland, CT, United States of America

George H Bucci