Patent ID: 6012904
Filing Date: 2000-01-11
Classification: F02M

Abstract:
A fuel delivery system for an automotive vehicle which comprises:(a) a main fuel tank in said vehicle,(b) a closed reservoir in said main fuel tank, a single electric pump drive in said reservoir,(c) a first rotary pump in said reservoir having a plurality of first vanes, a first inlet communicating with said first vanes for drawing fuel from immediately adjacent the bottom of said main tank and a first outlet communicating with said first vanes for delivering fuel into said reservoir through said first outlet, when operating the fuel delivered from the first outlet into the reservoir by the first pump being responsive to and reduced by increasing pressure within the reservoir,(d) a second rotary pump in said reservoir having a plurality of second vanes, a second inlet independent of said first inlet, open to the interior of said reservoir immediately adjacent the bottom of the reservoir, and communicating with said second vanes for drawing fuel from said reservoir, and a second outlet communicating with said second vanes to deliver fuel to an engine,(e) both said plurality of first vanes of said first rotary pump and said plurality of second vanes of said second rotary pump being simultaneously driven by said single electric pump drive, and(f) a vent carried by the reservoir for venting air and fuel vapor from adjacent the top of the reservoir as fuel rises in said reservoir, said vent also being responsive to a first fuel level adjacent the top of said reservoir to effectively close said vent to allow pressure to be built up in said reservoir by said pumps when they are running to reduce the delivery of fuel into the reservoir by the first pump, and said vent being responsive to a second fuel level in said reservoir below said first fuel level to open and vent air and vapor from the reservoir to relieve the pressure in the reservoir both when the pumps are running and are not running.