Brunswick Corporation

Burnswick Corporation

Robert J Hensel

William G Fenrich

Richard E Staerzl

James M Hundertmark

David C Entringer

James L Wagner

David W Heidel

Timothy P Wickman

Stephen E Sheridan

Ervin H Voss, Jr

Glenn C Beavis

A fuel system for a marine propulsion system includes a reservoir that defines a cavity in which first and second fuel pumps are disposed. The reservoir is mounted on the marine propulsion system at a location which causes the reservoir to be at least partially submerged within, and in thermal communication with, water in which the marine propulsion system is operated when a propulsor of the marine propulsion system is inactive. The first fuel pump is a lift pump which draws fuel from a fuel tank and pumps the fuel into the cavity of the reservoir. The second fuel pump is a high pressure pump which draws fuel from the cavity and pumps the fuel at a higher pressure to a fuel rail of an engine.

Fuel reservoir mounted to a driveshaft housing of an outboard motor

A shift speed equalizer is provided in a marine transmission in a marine drive subject to a decrease in engine speed upon shifting from neutral to a forward or reverse gear due to a high propeller pitch or the like, such as in bass boat applications, and subject to an increase in engine speed upon shifting back to neutral. The shift from neutral to forward or reverse is sensed, and engine speed is increased in response thereto, to compensate the decrease in engine speed due to shifting. The return shift back to neutral is sensed, and engine speed is decreased in response thereto, to compensate the increase in engine speed due to shifting. Engine speed is increased by advancing engine spark ignition timing, and engine speed is decreased by retarding or returning engine ignition timing to its initial setting. Particular methodology and structure is disclosed, including modifications to an existing shift plate and to an existing guide block to enable the noted functions, and including the addition of an auxiliary circuit to existing ignition circuitry enabling the desired altering of engine ignition timing to keep engine speed from dropping when shifting into forward or reverse.

Marine shift speed equalizer

An oil injection system is provided for a two cycle crankcase compression internal combustion engine. A metering pump (74) draws oil from an oil tank (52) and controls the amount of oil supplied to the fuel supply system upstream of the fuel delivery device (24). The fuel supply system and the metering pump are both variably controlled by the fuel supply control (28).

Metering pump controlled oil injection system for two cycle engine

An oil injection system is provided for a two cycle crankcase compression internal combustion engine. A crankcase pressure driven oil pump (70) draws oil from an oil source (52, 54) and delivers pumped oil through an oil output line (64) to the fuel supply system. A solenoid valve (72) in the oil output line controls the flow of pumped oil to the fuel supply system.

Solenoid controlled oil injection system for two cycle engine

A two cycle crankcase compression fuel injected internal combustion engine has a first set of one or more throttle valves (104, 106) controlling combustion air flowing into the crankcase, and a second set of one or more throttle valves (110, 112) also controlling combustion air flowing into the crankcase. A throttle position sensor (104, 106) and controls fuel injection according to throttle position. Increased resolution of sensed throttle position at low engine speed is provided by admitting combustion air only through the first set of throttle valves (104, 106) and not through the second set of throttle valves (110, 112) at low engine speed for an initial given range of motion, such that greater movement of the first set of throttle valves (104, 106) is required to obtain a given amount of combustion air flow for a given engine speed, prior to opening the second set of throttle valves (110, 112), to provide more accurate fuel injection and better driveability. Progressive throttle linkage (200) is moveable to open the first set of throttle valves (104, 106) through a given range of motion prior to opening the second set of throttle valves (110, 112).

Fuel injected two cycle engine with progressive throttle linkage for

In a marine fuel system for a fuel injected internal combustion engine, a fitting (50) is provided in the vapor supply line (41). The fitting (50) has a first reduced diameter passage (57) providing a vacuum bleed orifice passage partially venting vacuum from the induction manifold (17) to atmosphere, to limit peak vacuum applied to the vapor separator (33) from the induction manifold (17). The fitting (50) has a second reduced diameter passage (56) providing a flow restrictor passage limiting the volume of flow of fuel vapor from the vapor separator (33) to the induction manifold (17). The fitting (50) limits fuel vapor supplied from the vapor separator (33) to the induction manifold (17) at peak vacuum from the induction manifold (17) during rapid engine deceleration to prevent an overly rich fuel air mixture in the induction manifold (17) otherwise causing rough idling or stalling. The fitting (50) also solves hot restart problems. Another modification is provided by a one-way check valve (60) permitting only one-way flow of fuel from the vapor separator (33) to the high pressure fuel injection pump (25).

Vacuum bleed and flow restrictor fitting for fuel injected engines with

A marine fuel injection system for a two cycle crankcase compression internal combustion engine includes a puddled fuel return line (44) between the crankcase (16) and a vapor separator (33). A shut-off valve (50) in the puddled fuel return line (44) is closed at high engine speed to prevent the flow at a high rate of a substantially gaseous medium to the vapor separator, to prevent fuel foaming otherwise caused thereby in the vapor separator and which would pass through the vapor vent line (41) to the induction manifold (17), causing an over-rich condition at high engine speed. At low engine speed, the shut-off valve (50) is open, permitting flow of puddled fuel to the vapor separator, which flow is substantially more liquidic and at a lower rate.

Fuel puddle bleed shut-off for fuel injected two cycle engine

A fuel injection system is provided with a purging device (14) for purging gas, including air and vapor, from the system. The device includes a pressure responsive valve (22) permitting gas to flow from an inlet (16) connected to the high pressure fuel injection line (8) to a vent outlet (18), and blocking flow when gas has been purged from the system and fuel pressure rises. A first branch passage (24) communicates between the inlet (16) and one side (26) of the valve (22), and a second branch passage (28) communicates between the inlet (16) and the other side (30) of the valve (22) and also with the outlet (18). A restriction orifice (34) in the second branch passage (28) provides a fuel pressure drop thereacross but does not substantially drop gas pressure thereacross, such that pressurized fuel causes a higher pressure on the one side (26) of the valve (22) than on the other side (30) of the valve ( 22), which pressure differential closes the valve.

Fuel line purging device

In a two cycle internal combustion engine (2), a fuel injection system is provided with a low profile compact intake manifold (22) mounted to the crankcase (8) by an adaptor plate (24) and defining an intake air flow path in a first direction (28) behind the manifold (22) through a gap between the manifold (22) and the crankcase (8) provided by the adaptor plate (24). Intake air then flows (32) into throttle bore passages (30) from behind the manifold and then reverses direction and flows through supply passages (34) having fuel injectors (38) and then into the crankcase (8). The passages share a common plenum (42) within the manifold. The fuel injectors (38), their electrical connectors (48) and a common rigid fuel supply rail (44) are all in the common plenum (42) entirely within the low profile manifold (22) and sealed from moisture and salt in a marine environment.

Low profile internally packaged fuel injection system for two cycle

A marine fuel supply system for a fuel injected engine (10) deadheads a high pressure fuel line (27) with a closed-end connection to the fuel injectors (24) without a recirculating return fuel line to the fuel injection pump (25) and without a return fuel line to the remote fuel tank (29). A differential pressure transducer (33) senses differential pressure across the fuel injector (24) between the high pressure fuel line (27) and the low pressure induction manifold (17) and turns off the fuel pump (25) above a first value of relative differential pressure and turns on fuel pump (25) at a second value below the first value, to maintain the fuel pressure in the high pressure line (27) within a given range relative to induction manifold pressure.

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Oshkosh, WI, United States of America

Robert J Hensel