JP5709220B2 - Fuel supply device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel supply device that is used in a vehicle such as a motorcycle or a four-wheeled vehicle, for example, to pump fuel stored in a fuel tank to an engine.

  In general, a so-called in-tank fuel supply device in which a fuel pump is provided in a fuel tank is used as this type of fuel supply device. The in-tank type fuel supply system has a structure in which a flange unit is arranged on the upper part of the fuel pump and attached to the upper wall of the fuel tank (hereinafter referred to as “superscript type”), and a flange unit is arranged on the lower part of the fuel pump. Thus, it is roughly classified into a structure attached to the bottom wall of the fuel tank (hereinafter referred to as “subscript type”).

  Of the fuel supply devices described above, the subordinate type fuel supply device is provided with a fuel pump, a fuel tank, an upper cup containing the fuel pump from above in the direction of gravity, and a fuel pump in cooperation with the upper cup. And a flange unit fixed to the fuel tank.

A space surrounded by the inner peripheral surface of the flange unit and the fuel pump functions as a reservoir portion for storing fuel. A suction filter is provided in the reservoir portion to prevent the foreign matter from being sucked into the fuel pump.
When the electric motor of the fuel pump is driven, the impeller that constitutes the fuel pump rotates, and the fuel is pumped up from the fuel tank as the impeller rotates. At this time, the sucked fuel is filtered by a suction filter in the reservoir, and then sucked by the impeller (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  Here, in order to extend the filtration life of the suction filter, it is effective to increase the surface area of the suction filter. For this reason, in patent document 1, it accommodates in the state which folded the suction filter in the reserve part. With such a configuration, it is intended to extend the filtration life of the suction filter.

JP 2010-174895 A

However, in the above-described conventional technology, the axial length of the reservoir portion is required as much as the suction filter is housed in a folded state, so that the axial length of the entire fuel supply device becomes longer. There is a problem.
Further, by folding the suction filter in half, the suction filters stick to each other at the bent portion, and it becomes difficult for the fuel to pass therethrough. For this reason, the fuel cannot be filtered using the whole suction filter, resulting in a problem that the filtration life of the suction filter is shortened.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and provides a fuel supply device capable of extending the filtration life of the suction filter while shortening the shaft of the entire fuel supply device. .

In order to solve the above-described problems, a fuel supply device according to the present invention includes a fuel pump that is disposed in a fuel tank, pumps up fuel in the fuel tank, and pumps the fuel to an internal combustion engine. An upper cup that is mounted from above and contains the fuel pump; a flange unit that supports the fuel pump in cooperation with the upper cup and is fixed to the fuel tank; and the fuel pumped up by the fuel pump And a suction filter for filtering the fuel pump, wherein the flange unit is formed to surround a flange portion attached to a bottom wall of the fuel tank, the fuel pump, and the fuel pump. and a detachable cylindrical portion an upper cup, providing a filter for bone frame between the fuel pump and the cylindrical portion In the suction filter is provided to cover the filter for bone frame, said suction filter, along the outer peripheral surface of the fuel pump, is formed and to extend along the axial direction of the fuel pump, the The filter bone frame extends along the axial direction and is arranged side by side in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of horizontal frames extending along the circumferential direction so as to straddle the pair of vertical frames. A contact portion that contacts the inner surface of the suction filter and a non-contact portion that does not contact the inner surface of the suction filter are alternately formed in the circumferential direction, and the cylindrical portion is The suction filter is formed so as to cover the entire axial direction of the suction filter.

By comprising in this way, this suction filter can be provided in a flange unit, without folding a suction filter. For this reason, the entire suction filter can be used to the maximum, and the filtration life of the suction filter can be extended.
The suction filter is formed so as to extend along the outer peripheral surface of the fuel pump and along the axial direction of the fuel pump. For this reason, this suction filter can be arranged in a space-saving manner while setting the surface area of the suction filter large. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the shaft of the entire fuel supply device as compared with the case where the suction filter is folded while extending the filtration life of the suction filter.
Furthermore, since the suction filter is disposed inside the cylindrical portion of the flange unit, the cylindrical portion protects the suction filter and can prevent the suction filter from being damaged.
In addition, the filter bone frame can ensure a sufficient space in the suction filter. By configuring the fuel pump to suck in the fuel that has flowed into the space, it is possible to reliably feed only the fuel filtered by the suction filter to the fuel pump. For this reason, the filtration life of the suction filter can be extended.
Furthermore, by forming the horizontal frame so that the contact portions and the non-contact portions are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, the horizontal frame can be easily bent in the radial direction. For this reason, the suction filter can be disposed in a space-saving manner between the cylindrical portion and the fuel pump while maintaining the shape of the suction filter.

  The fuel supply apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the plurality of horizontal frames are each formed in a wave shape.

  With this configuration, the horizontal frame can be formed while being narrowed and ensuring sufficient rigidity. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the weight and cost of the bone frame.

  In the fuel supply apparatus according to the present invention, a fuel introduction window for allowing the fuel to flow into the flange unit is formed in the cylindrical portion, and the suction filter is disposed at a position corresponding to the fuel introduction window. Features.

  With this configuration, the fuel in the fuel tank can easily flow into the flange unit, and the fuel pump can be easily pumped up. Further, by arranging the suction filter at a position corresponding to the fuel introduction window, it is possible to suppress the fuel that has flowed into the flange unit through the fuel introduction window from flowing out of the flange unit again. For this reason, the inside of the flange unit can be efficiently filled with fuel, and for example, air suction in the fuel pump can be suppressed. Therefore, the engine or the like can be operated in a good state.

According to the present invention, the suction filter can be provided in the flange unit without folding the suction filter. For this reason, the entire suction filter can be used to the maximum, and the filtration life of the suction filter can be extended.
The suction filter is formed so as to extend along the outer peripheral surface of the fuel pump and along the axial direction of the fuel pump. For this reason, this suction filter can be arranged in a space-saving manner while setting the surface area of the suction filter large. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the shaft of the entire fuel supply device as compared with the case where the suction filter is folded while extending the filtration life of the suction filter.
Furthermore, since the suction filter is disposed inside the cylindrical portion of the flange unit, the cylindrical portion protects the suction filter and can prevent the suction filter from being damaged.
In addition, the filter bone frame can ensure a sufficient space in the suction filter. By configuring the fuel pump to suck in the fuel that has flowed into the space, it is possible to reliably feed only the fuel filtered by the suction filter to the fuel pump. For this reason, the filtration life of the suction filter can be extended.
Furthermore, by forming the horizontal frame so that the contact portions and the non-contact portions are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, the horizontal frame can be easily bent in the radial direction. For this reason, the suction filter can be disposed in a space-saving manner between the cylindrical portion and the fuel pump while maintaining the shape of the suction filter.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the fuel supply apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the fuel supply apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the unit main body in the embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which attached the suction filter to the fuel pump in embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the bone frame for filters in the embodiment of the present invention.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fuel supply device 1, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the fuel supply device 1.
In the following description, the central axis of the fuel pump 3 to be described later is a central axis C (see FIG. 1), and the upper cup 25 side along the central axis C is the upper side in the direction of gravity (UP in the figure, hereinafter simply referred to as the upper side). In some cases, the flange unit 4 side is referred to as the lower side in the direction of gravity (DOWN in the figure, hereinafter simply referred to as the lower side). A direction orthogonal to the central axis C is referred to as a radial direction, and a direction around the central axis C is referred to as a circumferential direction.

(Fuel supply device)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fuel supply device 1 is attached to a vehicle such as a motorcycle or a four-wheeled vehicle, and is a so-called subscript type. The fuel supply device 1 is inserted from an opening 2 a formed in the bottom wall 2 b of the fuel tank 2 and attached to the bottom wall 2 b of the fuel tank 2. The fuel supply device 1 is attached to the fuel pump 3 disposed in the fuel tank 2, the upper cup 25 that is mounted from the upper side of the fuel pump 3, and encloses the fuel pump 3, and the bottom wall 2b of the fuel tank 2. A flange unit 4 that supports the fuel pump 3 from the lower side in cooperation with the upper cup 25 and a suction filter 80 for filtering the fuel pumped up by the fuel pump 3 are provided.

(Fuel pump)
The fuel pump 3 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape whose central axis C direction coincides with the vertical direction, and has a motor unit 30 disposed on the upper side and a pump unit 40 disposed on the lower side. Yes. The outer peripheral surface of the fuel pump 3 is formed by a cylindrical housing 33 made of, for example, metal.

For the motor unit 30, for example, a DC motor 30a with a brush (not shown) is used.
An output shaft 30b extending in the vertical direction is disposed at the center in the radial direction of the motor unit 30 and rotatably supports the upper side of the motor unit 30 and the lower side of the pump unit 40. .
A pair of motor terminals 32 that are electrically connected to a brush (not shown) are provided on the upper side of the motor unit 30. One terminal 6 a of the harness 6 is connected to the pair of motor terminals 32.

An outlet cover 8 is provided on the upper side of the motor unit 30. The outlet cover 8 is formed of a resin, for example, and has a disc-shaped skirt portion 8 a having a diameter slightly smaller than that of the housing case 33. The upper peripheral edge of the housing case 33 is crimped so as to cover the lower peripheral edge of the skirt portion 8a from above.
Further, the outlet cover 8 is provided with a discharge port 31 for discharging fuel and a check valve 74 communicating with the discharge port 31. The discharge port 31 and the check valve 74 are for preventing the fuel discharged from the discharge port 31 from flowing back into the fuel pump 3.

A non-volume type pump having an impeller 47 is used for the pump unit 40. In addition to the impeller 47, the pump unit 40 has a pump case 45 formed so as to cover the entire impeller 47.
The impeller 47 is a member formed in a substantially disk shape by, for example, resin, and an insertion hole 47a is formed at a substantially central portion in the radial direction. The output shaft 30b of the DC motor 30a is inserted through the insertion hole 47a.

  On the upper and lower surfaces of the impeller 47, a plurality of blade portions (not shown) are formed on the outer peripheral side. Between the plurality of blade portions, the lower surface and the upper surface of the impeller 47 are penetrated. Further, between the insertion hole 47a of the impeller 47 and the blade part (not shown), a fuel flow path hole (not shown) penetrating the lower surface and the upper surface of the impeller 47 is formed. When the DC motor 30a is driven and the impeller 47 rotates, the fuel passes through a fuel passage hole (not shown) and is pumped from the lower side to the upper side of the impeller 47.

  The pump case 45 is disposed so as to cover the upper surface, the lower surface, and the outer periphery of the impeller 47. The lower end of the housing case 33 is crimped to the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface 45a of the pump case 45. Further, a fuel intake port 41 protruding downward is formed on the outer peripheral side of the lower surface 45a of the pump case 45. Further, a communication hole (not shown) penetrating along the vertical direction is formed in the pump case 45, and the communication hole communicates with the fuel suction port 41. Thereby, fuel is pumped up to the pump part 40 through the fuel inlet 41 and a communication hole (not shown).

  Further, a deaeration hole 49 for discharging bubbles in the pump case 45 is formed in the lower surface 45a of the pump case 45. The deaeration holes 49 are for discharging bubbles generated by the rotation of the impeller 47 of the fuel pump 3 toward the outside of the pump case 45, that is, into the flange unit 4.

(Upper cup)
The upper cup 25 is formed in a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape so as to have an opening 25c downward, for example, with a resin excellent in oil resistance. That is, the upper cup 25 is attached to the fuel pump 3 from the upper side, and includes a cylinder portion 24 fitted to the fuel pump 3 and an upper wall 25b formed so as to close the upper end opening of the cylinder portion 24. It is integrally molded.
On the upper wall 25b of the upper cup 25, a plate-like attachment portion 61 is formed so as to extend outward in the radial direction. A liquid level detector 60 for detecting the liquid level of the fuel stored in the fuel tank 2 is attached to the mounting portion 61.

  The cylindrical portion 24 is formed by integrally molding a large-diameter portion 26 disposed on the lower side and a small-diameter portion 27 disposed on the upper side and formed with a reduced diameter compared to the large-diameter portion 26. On the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion 26, an engagement convex portion 25 a that protrudes outward in the radial direction is formed at a position corresponding to the engagement hole 15 b of the engagement piece 15 a provided in the flange unit 4. Yes. The engaging projections 25a of the upper cup 25 and the engaging pieces 15a of the flange unit 4 are snap-fitted together so that the upper cup 25 and the flange unit 4 are integrated.

A fuel flow path 58 through which the fuel discharged from the fuel pump 3 passes is integrally formed outside the upper cup 25. The fuel flow path 58 is formed in a substantially L shape, and a first flow path 58a that extends along the radial direction of the upper wall 25b of the upper cup 25 and a vertical direction from one end of the first flow path 58a. It has the 2nd flow path 58b extended toward the downward direction so that it may follow.
The first flow path 58 a communicates with the discharge port 31 formed in the outlet cover 8 of the fuel pump 3.

(Flange unit)
The flange unit 4 is made of, for example, a resin excellent in oil resistance, and has a substantially disk shape formed on the bottomed cylindrical unit body 10 and the periphery of the opening 10a of the unit body 10. The flange portion 12, the connector 14 provided on the lower side of the flange portion 12, and the cylindrical portion extending upward from the peripheral edge of the opening 10 a of the unit body 10 so as to be continuous with the peripheral wall 10 b of the unit body 10. 15.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the unit body 10 of the flange unit 4 as viewed from the opening 10a side.
As shown in the figure, a pump pedestal formed on the bottom wall 10c of the unit main body 10 at a location corresponding to the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface 45a of the pump case 45 of the fuel pump 3 in a substantially annular shape in an axial plan view. The part 65 is erected along the vertical direction. The outer peripheral edge of the lower surface 45a of the pump case 45 is placed on the tip of the pump base 65. A space between the pump case 45 formed by the pump base portion 65 and the bottom wall 10c of the unit main body 10 functions as the reservoir portion 11 in which fuel is stored.

  The pump pedestal 65 is formed with three slits 65a, 65b, and 65c at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction for allowing fuel to flow into the pump pedestal 65 from the radially outer side than the pump pedestal 65. ing. That is, the pump base 65 is formed with three slits 65a, 65b, and 65c, which are a first slit 65a, a second slit 65b, and a third slit 65c.

  Here, the 2nd slit 65b is formed in the position corresponding to the deaeration hole 49 (refer FIG. 1) formed in the lower surface 45a of the pump case 45. FIG. Therefore, the second slit 65b is provided with a substantially U-shaped shielding wall 66 in an up-down direction in an axial plan view. The shielding wall 66 is for suppressing air bubbles in the pump case 45 discharged from the deaeration holes 49 from flowing into the radially inner side of the pump base 65.

  Further, the third slit 65c is formed at a position corresponding to the fuel intake port 41 (see FIG. 1) that protrudes from the lower surface 45a of the pump case 45. The third slit 65c is formed with a connecting pipe pedestal portion 67 on which a connecting pipe 75 described later attached to the fuel inlet 41 is placed. The connecting pipe pedestal 67 is composed of three flat walls 67a, 67b, 67c.

That is, the two flat walls 67a and 67b that bend and extend inwardly from the side edge of the place where the third slit 65c of the pump base 65 is formed, and the radial center of the bottom wall 10c of the unit body 10 The connecting pipe pedestal portion 67 is constituted by one flat wall 67c which is provided upright and extends along a direction substantially orthogonal to the extending direction of the two flat walls 67a and 67b.
Here, the wall heights of the three flat walls 67a, 67b, and 67c are set to be lower than the wall height of the pump pedestal 65, and the lower surface 45a of the pump case 45 is securely attached to the tip of the pump pedestal 65. In addition to being placed, the connecting pipe 75 is surely placed on the tip of the connecting pipe base 67.

  Returning to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a fuel extraction pipe 57 that protrudes radially outward is integrally formed on the peripheral wall 10 b of the unit body 10. The tip of the fuel take-out pipe 57 communicates with an internal combustion engine (not shown) of the vehicle. On the other hand, on the base end side of the fuel take-out pipe 57, an introduction pipe 59 extending toward the upper side in the axial direction from the base end side along the inner surface of the peripheral wall 10b of the unit body 10 and the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 15 is provided. Is integrally molded. The leading end of the introduction pipe 59 is connected to the second flow path 58b of the fuel flow path 58 via the O-ring 42, and communicates with the second flow path 58b.

In the flange portion 12, an annular portion 13 that protrudes upward is formed at a portion corresponding to the opening 2 a of the fuel tank 2. Then, the flange unit 4 is inserted into the opening 2 a from the outside of the fuel tank 2, and the flange portion 12 of the flange unit 4 is fastened and fixed to the bottom wall 2 b of the fuel tank 2 by a bolt 91. Then, the lower side (unit body 10) of the flange portion 12 is exposed to the outside of the fuel tank 2.
Further, the upper side (cylinder part 15) of the flange part 12 is immersed in the fuel in the fuel tank 2. A seal member (not shown) made of rubber or the like is provided between the flange portion 12 and the bottom wall 2b of the fuel tank 2 to ensure the sealing performance between the fuel supply device 1 and the fuel tank 2. It can be secured.

An external connector (not shown) connected to an external power source, a control device, or the like is fitted into the connector 14 provided on the lower side of the flange portion 12, that is, at a portion exposed to the outside of the fuel tank 2. It has become. The connector 14 is a substantially rectangular cylindrical member when viewed from the radial direction, and has a connector fitting portion 14a that opens outward in the radial direction.
A terminal holding portion 18 that extends upward through the inside of the flange portion 12 is integrally formed on the proximal end side of the connector fitting portion 14a. A connector terminal 34 is provided in the connector fitting portion 14 a and the terminal holding portion 18 to connect the inside and outside of the fuel tank 2.

The connector terminal 34 is a member made of a metal such as copper, and is formed by, for example, pressing. The connector terminal 34 is, for example, insert-molded when the connector 14 is molded, and has a substantially L-shape. The one end 34a of the connector terminal 34 is held in a state of protruding upward inside the terminal holding portion 18, and the other end 34b is exposed in the state of being directed radially outward inside the connector 14. doing.
A terminal 6 b on the other side of the harness 6 is connected to one end 34 a of the connector terminal 34, and a terminal 60 b of the harness 60 a connected to the liquid level detector 60 is connected to the one end 34 a. As a result, the external power supply, the control device, and the like are electrically connected to the motor unit 30 and the liquid level detector 60 of the fuel pump 3.

  The cylindrical portion 15 extending from the peripheral wall 10b of the unit body 10 is located on the opposite side of the unit body 10 with the flange portion 12 interposed therebetween. At the upper end portion of the cylindrical portion 15, a plurality of engagement pieces 15 a protruding upward are formed along the circumferential direction (four locations in the present embodiment). The engagement piece 15a is formed to be elastically deformable along the radial direction. Further, the engagement piece 15a is formed with an engagement hole 15b that can be engaged with the engagement convex portion 25a of the upper cup 25 described above. Then, the flange unit 4 and the upper cup 25 are assembled by snap-fitting the engagement piece 15 a to the large-diameter portion 26 of the upper cup 25. At this time, the lower end portion of the large-diameter portion 26 of the upper cup 25 and the upper end portion of the cylindrical portion 15 of the flange unit 4 are in contact with each other.

  In addition, a fuel introduction window 16 for allowing the fuel stored in the fuel tank 2 to flow into the reservoir portion 11 in the flange unit 4 is formed in the cylindrical portion 15 of the flange unit 4. The fuel introduction window 16 is formed to be long along the vertical direction. A suction filter 80 is provided so as to close the fuel introduction window 16 from the inner peripheral surface side of the cylindrical portion 15.

(Suction filter)
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the suction filter 80 is attached to the fuel pump 3, and FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the suction filter 80.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5, the suction filter 80 is formed in a bag shape so as to have a substantially rectangular shape in plan view by overlapping a pair of filter media 81 and welding the outer peripheral edges. Has been. That is, the suction part 80a is formed in the suction filter 80 by welding the outer peripheral edge of the filter medium 81 to three sides excluding the opening side.

  The suction filter 80 formed in this way is disposed between the cylindrical portion 15 of the flange unit 4 and the fuel pump 3 in a curved state along the outer peripheral surface of the fuel pump 3. The suction filter 80 is disposed so that the opening side of the suction filter 80 faces downward and one side of the opening side abuts against the bottom wall 10 c of the unit body 10.

Furthermore, the suction filter 80 is set so that the length L1 of one side along the circumferential direction is about half the circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the fuel pump 3. Also, the length L2 of one side along the vertical direction of the suction filter 80 is such that the upper side of the suction filter 80 extends from the upper end of the cylindrical portion 15 of the flange unit 4 with the suction filter 80 set in the flange unit 4. It is set to a length that does not protrude.
Inside the suction filter 80 formed in this manner, a filter bone frame 82 is housed.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the filter bone frame 82.
As shown in the figure, the filter bone frame 82 is provided so as to straddle the pair of vertical frames 83 disposed on both sides in the circumferential direction of the suction filter 80 and the pair of vertical frames 83, and is equally spaced in the vertical direction. And four horizontal frames 84 arranged in the frame. The length L3 of the vertical frame 83 is set to correspond to the length L2 of one side along the vertical direction of the suction filter 80. The length L4 of the horizontal frame 84 is set to correspond to the length L1 of one side along the circumferential direction of the suction filter 80.

  Further, the horizontal frame 84 is formed in a wave shape so as to repeat unevenness in the overlapping direction of the pair of filter media 81. In other words, in the horizontal frame 84, convex portions 84a that protrude toward one filter medium 81 of the pair of filter media 81 and concave portions 84b that are recessed toward the direction away from the filter media 81 alternate along the longitudinal direction. Is formed. That is, the convex portion 84a functions as a contact portion 184a that contacts the inner surface for one of the pair of filter media 81, and functions as a non-contact portion 184b that is separated from the inner surface for the other. The same applies to the recess 84b. That is, the concave portion 84b functions as a non-contact portion 184b that is separated from the inner surface for one of the pair of filter media 81, and functions as a contact portion 184a that contacts the inner surface for the other.

  Thus, by forming the horizontal frame 84 in a wave shape, a gap is formed between the pair of filter media 81 by the distance between the convex portion 84a and the concave portion 84b. For this reason, fuel can be taken into the pair of filter media 81. Further, the horizontal frame 84 is easily bent toward the uneven direction of the horizontal frame 84. Therefore, the filter bone frame 82 can be easily bent along the outer peripheral surface of the fuel pump 3.

  Of the four horizontal frames 84, a pair extending in the vertical direction so as to straddle both 84, 84 between the lowermost horizontal frame 84 and the horizontal frame 84 one level above the horizontal frame 84. A small vertical frame 85 is provided. A connecting pipe 75 is attached to a space S1 surrounded by the small vertical frame 85 and the horizontal frame 84. That is, the small vertical frame 85 functions as a reinforcing material for attaching the connection pipe 75 and has a role of determining a relative positional relationship between the connection pipe 75 and the suction filter 80.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the connecting pipe 75 is formed in a substantially L-shaped cross section, and the upper side is opened to form a pump port 76 and the radially outer side is opened to form a filter port 77. Forming. An outer flange portion 78 is formed at the opening edge of the filter port 77. The outer flange portion 78 is fixed to one of the pair of filter media 81 by adhesion or the like. The inside of the filter port 77 communicates with the gap between the pair of filter media 81.

  On the other hand, the pump port 76 is connected to the fuel suction port 41 of the fuel pump 3 so that the fuel suction port 41 and the pump port 76 communicate with each other. Further, three tongue pieces 79 are formed at the opening edge of the pump port 76 so as to extend outward in the radial direction. These three tongue pieces 79 are respectively arranged at portions corresponding to the three flat walls 67a, 67b, 67c constituting the connecting pipe base 67 that is erected on the unit body 10 of the flange unit 4. . And the tongue piece part 79 is mounted in the front-end | tip part of three flat walls 67a, 67b, 67c, respectively, and the filter 80 is positioned.

(Operation of fuel supply system)
Next, an operation method of the fuel supply device 1 will be described.
First, when the fuel supply device 1 is attached to the fuel tank 2 and the fuel tank 2 is filled with fuel, the fuel supply device 1 is immersed in the fuel. Then, the fuel flows into the flange unit 4 mainly through the fuel introduction window 16 formed in the cylindrical portion 15 of the flange unit 4, and the fuel is stored in the reservoir portion 11 and the like.

In this state, when the motor unit 30 is driven to operate the fuel pump 3, fuel is sucked into the fuel suction port 41 of the fuel pump 3 through the suction filter 80.
More specifically, fuel flows from the periphery of the suction filter 80 to the filter port 77 of the connection pipe 75 disposed in the gap between the pair of filter media 81 through the pair of filter media 81 constituting the suction filter 80. Is inhaled.
At this time, the suction filter 80 is disposed between the cylindrical portion 15 of the flange unit 4 and the fuel pump 3 so as to be curved along the outer peripheral surface of the fuel pump 3. The fuel is inhaled efficiently. Further, since the filter bone frame 82 having the wave-shaped horizontal frame 84 including the convex portions 84a and the concave portions 84b is interposed between the pair of filter media 81, the pair of filter media 81 is not attached. .

  The fuel pumped into the fuel pump 3 is pumped toward the discharge port 31 by the rotation of the impeller 47. At this time, bubbles generated by the rotation of the impeller 47 are discharged from the deaeration holes 49 into the reservoir unit 11. Here, since the shielding wall 66 is erected on the unit main body 10 of the flange unit 4 forming the reservoir portion 11 at a position corresponding to the deaeration hole 49, the bubbles discharged from the deaeration hole 49 are pumped. It is suppressed that it flows in the radial direction inner side of the base part 65. FIG. For this reason, it is suppressed that the suction filter 80 suck | inhales a bubble.

The fuel pumped toward the discharge port 31 is sent to the fuel flow path 58 via the check valve 74. Thereafter, the fuel is supplied to the internal combustion engine through the fuel take-out pipe 57.
Here, the fuel that has flowed into the flange unit 4 through the fuel introduction window 16 formed in the cylindrical portion 15 of the flange unit 4 is supplied again through the fuel introduction window 16 due to sudden braking or tilting of the vehicle. There is a risk of spilling to the outside of the device 1, that is, to the fuel tank 2 side. However, since the suction filter 80 is provided so as to close the fuel introduction window 16 from the inner peripheral surface side of the cylindrical portion 15, the suction filter 80 functions as a protective wall that suppresses the outflow of fuel. For this reason, the fuel once stored in the reservoir portion 11 is less likely to flow out of the fuel supply device 1 again.

(effect)
Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, the suction filter 80 is disposed between the cylindrical portion 15 of the flange unit 4 and the fuel pump 3 in a curved state along the outer peripheral surface of the fuel pump 3. As compared with the conventional case where the suction filter 80 is folded, the fuel can be efficiently sucked from the entire surface of the suction filter 80. For this reason, the entire suction filter 80 can be utilized to the maximum, and the filtration life of the suction filter 80 can be extended. Further, the shaft of the fuel supply device 1 can be shortened by the amount that the suction filter 80 is not folded.

Further, since the suction filter 80 is disposed between the cylindrical portion 15 of the flange unit 4 and the fuel pump 3, the length L1 of one side along the circumferential direction of the suction filter 80 while suppressing an increase in size of the fuel supply device 1. And the length L2 of one side along the up-down direction can be set sufficiently large. As a result, the surface area of the suction filter 80 can be set sufficiently large, and the filtration life of the suction filter 80 can be sufficiently extended.
Further, the cylindrical portion 15 of the flange unit 4 functions as a protective wall that blocks the suction filter 80 from the outside. For example, the suction filter 80 is prevented from being damaged when the fuel supply device 1 is attached to the fuel tank 2. it can.

  The length L2 of one side along the vertical direction of the suction filter 80 is such that the upper side of the suction filter 80 extends from the upper end of the cylindrical portion 15 of the flange unit 4 with the suction filter 80 set in the flange unit 4. It is set to a length that does not protrude. For this reason, when attaching the upper cup 25 to the flange unit 4, it can prevent that the upper cup 25 contacts the suction filter 80 and the suction filter 80 is damaged.

Further, since the horizontal frame 84 constituting the filter bone frame 82 provided in the suction filter 80 is formed in a wave shape, the filter bone frame 82 can be easily curved along the outer peripheral surface of the fuel pump 3. Can do. For this reason, the suction filter 80 can be disposed in a space-saving manner between the cylindrical portion 15 and the fuel pump 3 while maintaining the shape of the suction filter 80.
Further, it is possible to form the lateral frame 84 while making the lateral frame 84 thinner and ensuring sufficient rigidity. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the weight and cost of the filter bone frame 82.

  Then, by forming the horizontal frame 84 in a wave shape, a gap can be formed between the pair of filter media 81 by the distance between the convex portion 84a and the concave portion 84b. By disposing the filter port 77 of the connecting pipe 75 in this gap, only the fuel that has been reliably filtered by the suction filter 80 can be pumped up by the fuel pump 3. In addition, the horizontal frame 84 can prevent the pair of filter media 81 from sticking when the fuel is sucked. For this reason, the filtration life of the suction filter can be extended with an inexpensive structure.

  Further, since the suction filter 80 is provided so as to close the fuel introduction window 16 from the inner peripheral surface side of the cylindrical portion 15, the suction filter 80 is used as a protective wall that suppresses fuel outflow to the outside of the fuel supply device 1. Can function. For this reason, the outflow of the fuel once stored in the reservoir portion 11 can be suppressed, and the inside of the flange unit 4 can be efficiently filled with fuel. Therefore, for example, the suction of air in the fuel pump 3 can be suppressed, and the engine or the like can be operated in a good state.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications made to the above-described embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which the horizontal frame 84 constituting the filter bone frame 82 is formed in a wave shape so as to repeat unevenness in the overlapping direction of the pair of filter media 81. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the horizontal frame 84 has alternating contact portions 184a that contact one of the pair of filter media 81 and non-contact portions 184b that separate from one of the pair of filter media 81. What is necessary is just to comprise so that it may be formed.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the filter bone frame 82 is provided so as to straddle the pair of vertical frames 83 disposed on both sides in the circumferential direction of the suction filter 80, and so on. The case of having four horizontal frames 84 arranged at intervals has been described. However, the numbers of the vertical frames 83 and the horizontal frames 84 are not limited to the above-described numbers, and may be set to a number that can hold the shape of the suction filter 80.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the fuel pump 3 is configured to be able to suck the fuel from the fuel suction port 41 and discharge the fuel to the discharge port 31 while increasing the pressure when the impeller 47 rotates. . However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various known pump structures known by names such as a centrifugal pump, a vortex pump, and a regeneration pump can be employed as the pump unit 40 of the fuel pump 3.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fuel supply apparatus 2 Fuel tank 2b Bottom wall 3 Fuel pump 4 Flange unit 12 Flange part 15 Tube part 16 Fuel introduction window 25 Upper cup 33 Housing (outer peripheral surface)
80 Suction filter 82 Filter frame 83 Vertical frame 84 Horizontal frame 84a Convex part 84b Concave part

Claims (3)

A fuel pump disposed in the fuel tank and pumping up the fuel in the fuel tank and pumping it to the internal combustion engine;
An upper cup mounted on the fuel pump from above in the direction of gravity and enclosing the fuel pump;
A flange unit that supports the fuel pump in cooperation with the upper cup and is fixed to the fuel tank;
A fuel supply device comprising a suction filter for filtering the fuel pumped up by the fuel pump,
The flange unit is
A flange portion attached to the bottom wall of the fuel tank;
A cylindrical portion formed so as to surround the fuel pump, and the upper cup being removable.
A filter bone frame is provided between the cylinder part and the fuel pump, and a suction filter is provided so as to cover the filter bone frame,
The suction filter is formed to extend along the outer peripheral surface of the fuel pump and along the axial direction of the fuel pump,
The filter bone frame is
A pair of vertical frames extending along the axial direction and arranged side by side in the circumferential direction;
A plurality of horizontal frames extending along the circumferential direction so as to straddle the pair of vertical frames,
In the horizontal frame, contact portions that contact the inner surface of the suction filter and non-contact portions that do not contact the inner surface of the suction filter are alternately formed in the circumferential direction,
The fuel supply device according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical portion is formed so as to cover the entire axial direction of the suction filter. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of horizontal frames is formed in a wave shape. Said tubular portion, said forming a fuel introduction window for flowing the fuel in a flange unit, according to claim 1 or claim, characterized in that a said suction filter in position corresponding to the fuel inlet window 2. The fuel supply device according to 2.

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