Ford Motor Company Limited

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Global Tech.inc

Robert D Gaston

Dequan Yu

Mark Edward Hipp

Edward Albert Bos

Daxesh K Patel

Beverly Jane Wozniak

Narayanaswamy Rajendran

Kevin L Hobson

Earle F Cox

A fuel delivery module for an automotive fuel delivery system includes a reservoir and a fuel pump. The fuel pump delivers fuel from the tank to the reservoir via a fuel tank inlet and reservoir outlet and from the reservoir to the engine via a reservoir inlet and engine outlet. The reservoir is formed with a plurality of contaminant traps for collecting contaminants contained in the fuel as the fuel is pumped through the reservoir such that the contaminants settle unto said contaminant traps thereby reducing the amount of contaminants entering the reservoir inlet.

Fuel delivery module for an automotive fuel system

A fuel pump assembly,including a motor,, a drive shaft,which is rotatably coupled to motor,, an impeller,, and a chamber assembly,. Fuel pump assembly,has improved efficiency due to the substantial reduction and/or elimination of frictional contact between impeller,and the respective interior surfaces,of chamber

Fuel pump assembly

A speed monitoring and control method for a brushless motor controlled by a controller which provides switching control signals to a plurality of switching elements includes comparing one line voltage of the motor with a signal representing a voltage at the neutral node of the motor, to generate a comparison signal. The method also includes ANDing the comparison signal with a switching control signal to generate a composite feedback signal representative of a rotational speed of the motor's rotor relative to a speed of a rotating magnetic field generated by the stator.

Speed monitoring and control for a brushless motor

A fuel pump is used for supplying fuel from a fuel tank to an automotive engine. The fuel pump includes a pump housing having an inlet end for receiving fuel from the fuel tank. A brushless DC motor is positioned within the pump housing and includes a rotatable rotor having magnets therein and a central aperture formed through the rotor. A plastic helical-shaped impeller is positioned within the central aperture for rotation with the rotor about a central axis for pumping fuel through the housing to the engine. The impeller has a plurality of vane blades with blade tips secured to the rotor to prevent tip losses. Each vane blade has a leading edge configured to generate laminar fluid flow and reduce vapor generation at the inlet end of the impeller.

Fuel pump with helical impeller

An electric-operated fuel pump (20) has a vaned impeller (28, 28') that is disposed within a pumping chamber (27) for rotation about an axis (21). The pumping chamber has a main channel (42) extending arcuately about the axis to one axial side of the impeller. The main channel has a radially outer margin that opens (58) along at least a portion of the channel's arcuate extent to an adjoining contaminant collection channel (56) which extends arcuately about the axis and which is effective, as the pumping element rotates, to collect certain fluid-entrained particulates expelled from the main channel and to convey such collected particulates toward the pump outlet (40). A sump (72) is disposed at the end of the contaminant collection channel proximate the outlet. The impeller (28') has a ring (70) girdling the impeller vanes (52) with a radially inner surface that is slightly concave in axial cross section.

Fuel pump chamber with contamination control

In one embodiment of the present invention, a fluid level sensor includes a resistive element and a float coupled to a contact. The float moves in response to the fluid level, causing the contact to follow a path on the resistive element. The resistive element includes a layer of resistive material disposed on an insulating substrate. The resistive element also includes a layer of conductive material disposed on the layer of resistive material. The conductive material is disposed in segments along the path followed by the contact. This embodiment of the present invention provides a high-durability fluid level sensor which further provides low electrical noise.

Fluid level sensor with resistive and conductive layers

A fuel pump for supplying diesel fuel to an engine includes a pump housing, a motor mounted within the housing, a shaft extending from the motor, an impeller slidably attached to the shaft which has a prime number of vanes spaced unevenly about its circumference, a chamber body, and a chamber cover with a bleed orifice. The chamber body and cover form a chamber for the impeller and are held together by the housing. The chamber body and cover have pump channels of constant depth and are made of phenolic with fiberglass fill. The impeller is made of phenolic with fiberglass fill and granular fill.

In-tank fuel pump for highly viscous fuels

A fuel pump has a motor mounted within a housing with a shaft extending therefrom to which a helically shaped impeller is fitted having at least two turns for pumping fuel from a fuel tank to an automotive engine. The impeller has an involute shaped leading edge designed to efficiently scoop fuel from an inlet into a pumping chamber formed between the helically shaped blade turns comprising the impeller. A trailing edge on the impeller has a narrowed width which increases the effective flow cross-sectional area, thus increasing the fuel pressure. The helically shaped impeller needs no separate casing, as is typically required for conventional fuel pumps employing regenerative turbines, gerotors, roller vanes, or the like, and increases fuel pressure over a longer circumferential distance thus decreasing cavitation.

Automotive fuel pump with helical impeller

A fuel pump has a motor mounted within a housing with a shaft extending therefrom to which a helically shaped impeller is fitted for pumping fuel from a fuel tank to an automotive engine. An end section of the housing has an inlet leading from the fuel tank to a pre-swirl fuel channel or trough located at the radially outermost perimeter of an impeller mating face on the end section. The trough has an inlet ramp which routes fuel to an inclined section with an axial grade to force the fuel to flow in the direction of impeller rotation. A trough termination ramp between the inclined section and the inlet ramps fuel toward the impeller at a steeper grade than the inclined section such that the fuel trough becomes flush with the impeller mating face. Fuel can thus be picked-up by the impeller throughout at least 340.degree. of rotation.

Fuel pump pre-swirl inlet channel

A float rod and float body are fastened together by means of a two-point attachment in which a substantially straight remote end of the float rod is inserted into a rod receiving passage simultaneously with a grasping point on the float rod being received by a snap-in retainer on a portion of the float rod separated from the remote end by a bend in the float rod. Fastening of the parts is thus achieved in a single linear motion for ease of assembly. The snap-in retainer preferably is comprised of a fork whereby the float body is retained on the float rod against forces in any direction after being assembled. The float body can be filled with an appropriate filling material to provide the desired buoyancy in the liquid to be measured. An embodiment particularly adapted to fuel level measurement in vehicle fuel tanks is described.

Liquid measuring float and float rod assembly

A sensor assembly is provided for determining the level of liquid, such as fuel, in a tank such as a motor vehicle fuel tank. A mounting bracket has a support end adapted to be supported from the tank and also has a distal connection end. A liquid level sensor has lower and upper ends and a resistor element extending therebetween, and is connected to the connection end of the mounting bracket by a shaft. A torsional spring is disposed around the shaft, and biases the liquid level sensor from a retracted position and toward a deployed position. In the retracted position, the sensor assembly is insertable through an access hole in the tank. In the deployed position, the upper end of the liquid level sensor is disposed generally above the shaft and the resistor element is disposed generally vertically to provide the greatest resolution possible with both linear and angular sweep floats.

Pivotal liquid level sensor assembly

A liquid level sensor is disclosed for measuring the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank of a motor vehicle. The liquid level sensor comprises a vertically oriented resistor element, a float, and a contact assembly. A conductive strip and a continuous pad resistive strip are both located on the same side of the resistor element. The contact assembly is removably locked in the float, and is movable with the float along the resistor element. A contact connected to the end of a contact arm of the contact assembly is biased against the conductive strip, and another contact is biased against the resistive strip. At any point along the resistor element, the contact assembly electrically connects the conductive strip and the resistive strip to complete a circuit having a resistance proportional to the height of the float to indicate the level of liquid in the vessel.

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Dearborn Heights, MI, United States of America

Robert D Gaston