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. 22, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 13, 2000
David L. Reuss, Huntington Woods, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A fuel system has a pump which supplies fuel under pressure to a fuel rail for distribution by fuel injectors to the cylinders of an engine. A fuel accumulator, having a volume greater than the volume of fuel required to start the engine, is disposed in fluid communication with the fuel rail to supply a charge of fuel thereto during engine start-up at a pressure level sufficient to cause fuel atomization within the cylinder. The fuel in the accumulator is stored at the ambient pressure. A spring force or a solenoid force is applied to the fuel in the accumulator such that the fuel is ejected into the fuel rail at the required pressure level. A check valve is positioned to prevent fuel flow from the fuel rail to the pump during the initial discharge from the accumulator. The accumulator is refilled by fuel from the pump during normal operation and the fuel therein is reduced to ambient pressure when the engine operation is discontinued.