Patent ID: 7299821
Filing Date: 2007-11-27
Classification: B60K,F02M,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A reservoir for a fuel delivery module, the reservoir being constructed and arranged to be mounted with respect to a bottom of a fuel tank of a vehicle, the reservoir comprising: wall structure coupled with a bottom to define an interior space, the bottom having an internal surface within the interior space and an external surface, the bottom having at least one opening therein, a valve associated with said at least one opening and constructed and arranged to permit fuel contained in the tank to flow into the reservoir and, under certain circumstances, to prevent fuel in the reservoir from flowing back to the tank, valve protection structure extending from the external surface and provided continuously about the entire perimeter of the bottom, the valve protection structure defining a plurality of tortuous paths for fuel flow from the tank to said at least one opening, feet structure extending from the external surface a distance greater than an extent of the valve protection structure from the external surface such that when the reservoir is mounted with respect to the tank, the feet structure contact the bottom of the tank and the valve protection structure is disposed in spaced relation with respect to the bottom of the tank, and a plurality of pockets in the internal surface of the bottom, each pocket having a bottom including an internal bottom surface and an external bottom surface, each internal bottom surface being disposed in the interior space and below the internal surface and each external bottom surface defining at least a portion of the valve protection structure that extends from the external surface of the bottom, the pockets being constructed and arranged to collect foreign particles in fuel that may enter the reservoir.