The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 05, 1988
Filed:
Jan. 29, 1987
William H Houtman, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Stirling Power Systems Corporation, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Abstract
A compact fuel conditioner assembly which performs fuel heating and pressure regulation functions in a circuit between a tank and a fuel injector. The assembly's body has two parallel bores arranged side by side. An electrically powered heater is disposed in one bore to heat fuel passing to the injector. The second bore is divided by a transverse wall which has a central hole. A thermal motor actuator is disposed in this second bore on one side of the transverse wall, and a spring-biased valve is disposed in the same bore on the opposite side of the transverse wall. The thermal motor actuator operates the spring-biased valve via a tubular element which passes through the hole in the transverse wall, and controls the recirculation of excess fuel returning from the injector. As the temperature of the fuel passing across the thermal motor actuator becomes relatively warmer, the thermal motor actuator acts to cause a decreasing proportion of the return fuel to recirculate directly to the heater and correspondingly an increasing proportion to recirculate back through the tank. The pressure regulator mounts in a sealed manner on the body's exterior.