Patent ID: 6354279
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: B60K,F02M,Y10T

Abstract:
A fuel delivery module for a fuel system in an automotive vehicle, the fuel system including a fuel tank for storing fuel and the vehicle including an engine, with said fuel delivery module comprising:a reservoir having a bottom and a side, with said reservoir storing a portion of the fuel stored in the fuel tank; a means for pumping fuel from the fuel tank to said reservoir and from said reservoir to the engine; and, a contaminant trap formed in said bottom of said reservoir for collecting contaminants contained in the fuel as fuel is pumped through said reservoir by said means for pumping fuel from the tank to the reservoir such that the contaminants settle into said contaminant trap thereby reducing the amount of contaminants entering said means for pumping fuel from said reservoir to the engine; said means for pumping fuel comprising: a motor; a shaft axially extending from said motor; a regenerative turbine impeller coupled to said shaft and disposed within said reservoir for pumping fuel from the reservoir to the engine; and an axial flow impeller coupled to said shaft and disposed outside said reservoir for pumping fuel from the tank to the reservoir, with said axial flow impeller having a plurality of vanes each having a leading edge, with said leading edge being generally rounded such that said contaminants have substantially no wear impact on said axial flow impeller as said axial flow impeller pumps fuel containing said contaminants from said tank to said reservoir.