Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Robert A Roth

John Gardner Fischer

Ulf Sawert

Sharon Elizabeth Beyer

David Howard Burke

Dennis Paul McGrath

Mohammed Aslam

Douglas I Fales

William L Villaire

Mark K Wolfenden

Mitchal A Peterson

Partab Jeswani

William Zimmerman

Chris I Witherspoon

Joanne Tersigni

Susan P Tyndall

Steven Aikman

Thomas J Mott

Michael Allen Pittenger

Rick E Crandall

Nicholas D Tenbrink

Steven W Aikman

A fill limiter vent valve (FLVV) adapted for suspension downward into a fuel tank has upper and lower housing members having openings in their cylindrical walls cooperating to define a spill-over level for fuel into the FLVV producing float-initiated vent valve closure during a fuel fill event. The lower housing member has a latching member fixedly engageable with one or more cooperating latching features of the upper housing member in a plurality of relative axial positions; and the spill-over level is varied by relative axial movement of the housing members between those positions. Axial alignment of the latching member and the cooperating latching features is maintained by axially aligned, interacting surface features of the housing members.

Axially adjustable fill limiter vent valve

A contactless, sealed fuel level sensor for determining a fuel level in a fuel tank and producing a level indicative signal includes a frame, a cover, a float arm, a float and a light-responsive sensor. The frame is configured to have a cavity formed therein. The cover is connected to the frame to enclose the cavity. The float arm is coupled to one of the frame or cover. The float is connected to the float arm and configured such that the float moves the float arm as a level of fuel increases and decreases in the fuel tank. The light-responsive sensor is configured to generate a fuel level signal indicative of a fuel level in the fuel tank based on the movement of the float arm. The fuel level sensor may also include a light source such as a light emitting diode (LED). The light-responsive sensor may be a single photoelectric sensor located in the sealed cavity, or an array of photoelectric sensors located in the sealed cavity. The fuel level sensor may also include a rotatable hub connected to the float arm for movement as the arm moves and where rotation of the hub varies an amount of light impinging on the photoelectric sensor. The light responsive sensor may also include a CMOS sensor located in the sealed cavity. The light responsive sensor may also include a digital, optical-based displacement encoder mounted on the float arm used in combination with a rotary scale applied to the cover opposite the encoder.

Light sensing contactless fuel level sensor

A combination valve for fuel delivery system of a vehicle having an engine, the fuel delivery system being configured to pump fuel to the engine and the fuel delivery system has a regulator for regulating the pressure of the fuel when it is being pumped to the engine by the fuel delivery system, the combination valve comprising: an outer housing defining an inner opening for slidably receiving a body portion of a system pressure relief valve therein, the body portion of the system pressure relief valve defining an inner opening for slidably receiving a body portion of a check valve therein, the body portion of the check valve being configured to provide a first fluid pathway in a first direction when the body portion of the check valve moves from a closed position to an open position as the body portion of the check valve moves in the first direction within the inner opening of the body portion of the system pressure relief valve, the body portion of the system pressure relief valve being configured to provide a second fluid pathway in a second direction when the body portion of the system pressure relief valve moves from a closed position to an open position as the body portion of the system pressure relief valve moves in the second direction within the inner opening of the outer housing, wherein the first direction being opposite to the second direction.

Combination valve for fuel system

A device and method for venting a tank comprising an intermediate shutoff valve as part of a cover that closes a tank opening. The intermediate shutoff valve is placed between an existing valve and a vent port in a liquid storage tank. The shutoff valve is operable to substantially fluidly seal the vent port when the vent valve is displaced greater than a predetermined amount. The intermediate shutoff valve facilitates complete removal of the existing vent valve during an impact wherein a wall of the storage tank impacts the existing valve. Upon impact, the intermediate shutoff valve is operable to close and seal a tank opening created by the displacement and removal of the existing vent valve.

Fuel tank vent valve

A check valve for a fuel pump of a vehicle includes a valve housing adapted to be disposed in an outlet member of the fuel pump and a valve seat formed on the valve housing. The check valve also includes a valve member disposed in the valve housing and having a closed position to engage the valve seat to prevent fuel from flowing through the outlet member and an open position to allow fuel to flow through the outlet member. The valve housing has a vortex abating geometry located near the valve seat to add turbulence to fluid flow past the valve seat when the valve member is in the open position.

Check valve for fuel pump

A fuel pump module assembly for a fuel tank in a vehicle includes a reservoir adapted to be disposed in the fuel tank. The fuel pump module assembly also includes a fuel pump disposed in the reservoir to pump fuel from the fuel tank to an engine of the vehicle. The fuel pump module assembly includes a filter disposed in the reservoir and having an inlet fluidly connected to the fuel pump and having a first outlet fluidly connected to the engine and a second outlet. The fuel pump module assembly further includes a regulating valve disposed in the reservoir and fluidly connected to the second outlet to control fuel supply pressure to the engine.

Fuel pump module assembly for fuel tank

A check valve for a fuel pump of a vehicle includes a valve housing adapted to be disposed in an outlet member of the fuel pump and a valve seat formed on the valve housing. The check valve also includes a valve member disposed in the valve housing and having a closed position to engage the valve seat to prevent fuel from flowing through the outlet member and an open position to allow fuel to flow through the outlet member. The valve member has at least one outlet port a predetermined dwell distance from the valve seat when the valve member is in the closed position and allows fluid flow past the valve seat when the valve member is in the open position.

A heated fuel strainer assembly for a fuel tank in a vehicle includes a strainer made of a metal material and adapted to be connected to an inlet of a fuel pump disposed in the fuel tank. The heated fuel strainer assembly also includes a power source connected to the strainer supply power to the strainer to heat the strainer allow fuel to flow through the strainer to the inlet.

Heated fuel strainer assembly

A serviceable sealed fuel tank includes a tank shell having a first half shell and a second half shell connected to the first half shell. The serviceable sealed fuel tank also includes at least one internal component disposed inside the tank shell between the first half shell and the second half shell. The serviceable sealed fuel tank further includes an inspection tower extending outwardly from the second half shell and being sealed. A portion of the inspection tower is removed to allow access to the at least one component after the first half shell and the second half shell are connected together.

Serviceable sealed fuel tank

A motor vehicle fuel pump including a tubular steel housing and a roller vane positive displacement pump and an electric motor in the tubular steel housing. The roller vane pump includes a pair of flat side plates, a rotor between the side plates, and a T-shaped sleeve bearing in a plain bore in one of the side plates. A lip at one end of a tubular body of the sleeve bearing has a side defining an annular seat in a plane perpendicular to the tubular body. The tubular body has a shaft bore therethrough and a stepped outer wall including a large diameter part adjacent the annular seat and a small diameter part adjacent the large diameter part. The large diameter part is force fitted in the plain bore until the annular seat engages flush against a flat, outside surface of the side plate. The annular seat positions the longitudinal centerline of the tubular body perpendicular to the outer side plate for optimum alignment with the armature shaft when an end of the latter is disposed in the shaft bore. The pump rotor is rotatably supported on the small diameter part of the sleeve bearing which protrudes beyond the outer side plate.

Fuel pump for a motor vehicle

An open-vane impeller for a regenerative turbine fuel pump for motor vehicles, the impeller including a hub having an outer cylindrical ring, a first stage of open-vane impeller vanes extending radially out from the outer ring, and a second stage of open-vane impeller vanes extending radially out from the outer ring in side-by-side and phase shifted relationship to the first stage of open-vane impeller vanes.

Pump impeller

An open-vane regenerative impeller for a fuel pump. The impeller has a ring-like body portion from which a plurality of open-vane impeller vanes extend radially out and a plurality of fan blades extend radially in. The impeller is disposed in a closed cavity between two pump bodies with the vanes in an annular pumping chamber and the fan blades in a cylindrical vapor collection chamber radially inboard of the pumping chamber. The fan blades operate to blow vapor out of the vapor collection chamber through a vapor discharge slot in one of the pump bodies when rotation of the impeller commences thereby to enhance the initial vacuum at the inlet port to the pumping chamber.

A fuel system for maintaining fuel flow when the surface of the pool of fuel in the fuel tank is below a minimum level. The fuel pump system includes a reservoir in the fuel tank and a pump in the reservoir. A motor in the pump drives a first pump which draws fuel from a secondary chamber of the pump and discharges it to the engine. The motor also drives a second pump which draws fuel from the tank through a primary chamber and discharges it to the secondary chamber. The excess of fuel discharged by the second pump over the first pump is discharged through an orifice in the pump to the reservoir. At fuel levels below the minimum, a float controlled solenoid closes an intake port to the primary chamber causing fuel to back-flow through the flow orifice to the secondary chamber to supply the first pump.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Blanc, MI, United States of America

Robert A Roth