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:
May. 30, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 06, 1998
Robert Duane Gaston, Dearborn Heights, MI (US);
Beverly Jane Wozniak, Livonia, MI (US);
Dequan Yu, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
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.