Walbro Corporation

Walbro Engine Management, L.l.c.

Kenneth J Cotton

Roger N Smith

Jeffrey D Hanby

Ronald H Roche

Kevin L Israelson

David L Thomas

David L Speirs

G Clarke Oberheide

John C Woody

Eric L King

Joseph M Ross

Peter P Kuperus

Jeffrey C Hoppe

Douglas W Salowitz, Jr

Elton J Fisch

Ronald B Kuenzli

Bryan J Gettel

Kevin L Williams

Matthew L Werner

David D Hacker

Gerald A Hill

James A Herndon

John S Stark

A fuel pump for a fuel system includes a nozzle, a venturi, a pump inlet and a flow controller. The nozzle has an orifice through which fuel is ejected and the venturi is downstream of the nozzle and has an inlet through which fuel discharged from the orifice flows, a passage downstream of the venturi inlet through which fuel flows to create a drop in pressure in the area of the venturi, and an outlet through which fuel is discharged from the venturi. Fuel is drawn through the pump inlet by the drop in the pressure created in the area of the venturi and the flow controller is downstream of the outlet and has a chamber in which fuel from the venturi outlet is received. The flow controller causes fuel to fill the venturi to ensure performance of the fuel pump.

Venturi fluid pump with outlet flow controller

A mount for a level sensor assembly in a fuel tank may include an interconnect member adapted to couple a first tube to a second tube to permit fuel flow through the first tube, the interconnect member and the second tube. The first tube is adapted to be in fluid communication with a fuel pump and the second tube is in fluid communication with fuel in the fuel tank. A bracket is coupled to the interconnect member and adapted to carry at least a portion of the level sensor assembly. In this way, the level sensor assembly may be coupled to fluid tubes associated with the fuel pump, or other tubes, as desired.

Level sensor mount

A pass-through electrical connector assembly with a body having at least one through-hole formed therein. A pin is forced into the through-hole and held by the body. The pin has a shank with opposed ends, each with a blind hole to receive a wire and a solid center portion that seals the wires and the pin. The pin has a tip with a barb at one end and a head with a shoulder at the other end which captures the pin in the body after the pin is forced into the through-hole when the shoulder engages the body. The shank has a circumferential surface that is press-fit within the through-hole to form a seal between the pin and the body. The body can then be sealed to a mating flange of a fluid-holding tank.

Sealed pass-through electrical connector

A housing for a fuel pressure regulator includes a body having a fuel inlet, a fuel outlet, a plurality of retention members, a bypass fitting, and preferably an electrical fitting and a ground fitting. Each retention member includes a catch that is constructed to engage and securely hold the fuel pressure regulator in the housing, while the fuel inlet, the fuel outlet and the bypass passage permit fuel routing as pressurized fuel passes through the fuel pressure regulator. The regulator housing preferably is made of an electrostatic charge dissipative material and is formed in one piece using a single manufacturing process such as injection molding.

Fuel pressure regulator housing

A fuel vapor separator includes a polymeric body that preferably has a polymeric canister and a polymeric lid secured to the canister to define a liquid tight enclosure. The enclosure is preferably divided into at least two chambers. One chamber preferably receives liquid fuel and communicates with a heat exchanger to cool the supply of liquid fuel therein. Vapor is trapped in a vapor dome area above the liquid fuel and is vented through a vent valve carried by the fuel vapor separator. The other chamber of the enclosure preferably receives a high pressure fuel pump adapted to receive liquid fuel from the first chamber, and to deliver liquid fuel under pressure to the engine. Preferably, the chamber in which the fuel pump is received is communicated with a coolant to facilitate cooling the fuel pump in use.

Fuel vapor separator

A level sensor and fuel pump assembly insertable through an access hole of a fuel tank so that an elongated fuel pump is disposed substantially completely within the fuel tank, and so that a flange of the assembly covers the hole and is engaged sealably to the wall of the fuel tank. The fuel level sensor has an arm which projects generally laterally when in a biased operating position from the elongated fuel pump to a float at a distal end. During insertion of the fully pre-assembled fuel sensor and pump assembly through the access hole of the fuel tank, the fuel level sensor is pivoted from the biased operating position to a collapsed position by an external force thus pivoting the fuel level sensor generally parallel, and closely orientated, to the fuel pump. This temporary orientation permits insertion of the fuel pump assembly through the relatively small access hole of the tank. After insertion, the external force is released and the fuel level sensor pivots from the collapsed position back to the operating position.

Fuel level sensor and pump assembly

An in-tank fuel pump reservoir assembly for drawing fuel from a fuel supply tank and discharging the fuel under pressure to an engine. The assembly includes a reservoir canister that partially defines a reservoir chamber and is mounted within a fuel tank. A reservoir inlet admits fluid into the reservoir chamber from the fuel tank. A reservoir outlet allows fuel to flow from the reservoir chamber to an engine through a fuel line. A reservoir filling device draws fuel into the reservoir chamber from the fuel supply tank through the reservoir inlet. A fuel pump assembly disposed within the canister draws fuel from the reservoir chamber and discharges at least a portion of that fuel to the engine through the reservoir outlet. A modular fuel delivery pod includes the fuel pump assembly, the reservoir filling device, and the inlet check valve. The pod connects to the canister to cooperatively define the reservoir chamber. The assembly is readily adaptable to multiple fuel tank applications by selecting respective canisters and fuel pump assemblies that are compatible with such applications.

In-take fuel pump reservoir

A multi-level fuel pickup system has a float valve in communication with a first fuel passage having an open end disposed at a first height within the fuel tank spaced from the bottom of the fuel tank to prevent fluid flow through the first fuel passage when liquid fuel is absent adjacent its open end. A second fuel passage communicates adjacent the bottom of the fuel tank and below the first height and fuel is drawn through this fuel passage when a low level of fuel remains in the fuel tank. A fuel control valve is manually adjustable to control through which of the fuel passages fuel is drawn. Preferably, each of the fuel passages is at least partially formed in a valve body mounted within the fuel tank and the float valve comprises a spherical float received in a bore in the valve body and is responsive to the level of fuel within the bore.

Multi-level fuel pickup

A liquid propane fuel storage and delivery system for a vehicle engine with a fluid handling component module removably top-mounted on an appropriate vehicle-mounted pressurized liquid propane fuel storage tank. The module includes: (1) a fuel tank 80% stop-fill subsystem that automatically opens and closes the tank fill port to control tank fuel fill; (2) a hydrostatic back-check valve to prevent reverse fuel flow from the tank to atmosphere via the fill port; (3) an excess fuel bypass return check valve that maintains a predetermined amount of pressure in the fuel line as required to achieve acceptable engine performance; (4) a return check bypass valve that bypasses the return check valve to allow an extra amount of vapor-purging liquid fuel to be flushed through the system and returned to the tank through the fill solenoid prior to engine start-up; (5) an excess flow valve to limit fuel flow to atmosphere in case of a severed fuel line; (6) a supply solenoid valve assembly that prevents fuel flow to the engine if the solenoid is not energized; (7) a supply line over-pressure check valve to prevent a pump outlet line from being overstressed due to pressure build up; (8) a tank pressure relief valve; (9) a tank drain valve; (10) a 'leak-free' electrical coupling; and (11) a fuel pod assembly housing one or two fuel pumps pumping either in parallel or series flow.

Liquid propane fuel delivery system

A fuel handling system for an internal combustion engine having a vapor separator for receiving fuel from a remote tank and a pump for delivering the fuel under high pressure to a fuel injector of the engine while providing vapor separation. The separator has an inlet for receiving fuel from the tank, an outlet for enabling fuel to be removed and delivered to the engine, at least one return for enabling fuel not used by the engine to be returned to the separator, and a vent for removing fuel vapor from a gas dome above a pool of liquid fuel within the separator. The inlet has a valve controlled by a float in the reservoir for admitting fuel to maintain the level of liquid fuel in the separator. To retard foaming and excessive vaporization of liquid fuel in the separator, the separator has a perforate baffle between any return and the liquid fuel pool. To prevent any stream of returned fuel, vapor and/or air from impinging against the fuel pool, the baffle preferably has a plurality of through-openings which enable liquid fuel to pass through the baffle to the pool while deflecting any return stream away from the fuel pool. The baffle preferably extends outwardly to the separator sidewall for preventing any return stream from passing around the baffle and directly impinging against the liquid fuel while at least slightly pressurizing gas below the baffle for controlling vapor venting to the engine.

Fuel handling system

A flow control valve for an internal combustion engine fuel delivery system that includes a valve body having a fuel inlet for connection to a fuel supply and a fuel outlet for connection to the fuel pump, so that the pump can draw fuel under vacuum from the supply through the valve and deliver fuel to an engine. A valve element is disposed within the valve body between the inlet and the outlet, and springs urge the valve element to a closed position within the valve body. A diaphragm is also disposed within the valve body between the valve element and the fuel outlet, and is coupled to the valve element such that suction vacuum applied by a fuel pump to the valve body outlet operates the diaphragm to open the valve element against forces applied by the valve springs to permit flow of fuel from the supply through the valve to the pump. The diaphragm is coupled to the valve element by a resilient detent mechanism responsive to vacuum at the valve outlet above a preselected level for releasing the coupling engagement between the diaphragm and the valve element, such that the valve is closed by the springs to terminate flow of fuel to the valve outlet.

Anti-siphon and anti-leanout fuel valve

A compact fuel tank assembly with a readily accessible shut-off valve, a carbon canister nested in the fuel tank for collecting evaporative emissions from the tank as well as from a float bowl of a carburetor, and an air vent and purge port for drawing stored evaporative emissions from the carbon canister into the carburetor for combustion in an engine. To prevent fuel splash from the tank from entering the canister, a fluid trap in the fuel tank passes fuel vapors and returns liquid fuel splash to the tank. Activated charcoal is retained in the carbon canister in a baffle array for drawing and storing vapors in the activated charcoal, as well as drawing off the stored vapors for combustion within the engine.

Growing community of inventors

Caro, MI, United States of America

Kenneth J Cotton