Fuel pump module

A fuel pump module including: a reservoir installed in a fuel tank, the reservoir being charged with a predetermined amount of fuel; a fuel pump installed in the reservoir and pumping the fuel contained in the reservoir to an internal combustion engine; a jet pump injecting a fuel jet into the reservoir to thereby introduce the fuel stored in the fuel tank into the reservoir; a guide tube installed on the jet pump and guiding both the fuel jet and the fuel introduced from the fuel tank along with the fuel jet into the reservoir; and a filter unit partitioning the interior of the reservoir into a fuel suction area, into which the fuel is introduced by the fuel pump, and a fuel charging area, which is charged with the fuel from the fuel tank, thus preventing foreign substances from being introduced from the fuel charging area into the fuel suction area.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates, in general, to a fuel pump module installed in a fuel tank and controlling the supply of fuel from the fuel tank to an internal combustion engine and, more particularly, to a fuel pump module, which partitions the interior of a reservoir into a fuel charging area B for charging the reservoir with the fuel flowing from a fuel tank, and a fuel suction area A for sucking the fuel from the fuel charging area B using a fuel pump, thus preventing foreign substances from being introduced from the fuel charging area B into the fuel suction area A thereby supplying clean fuel to the internal combustion engine.

2. Description of the Related Art

Although when a vehicle using liquid fuel, such as gasoline or diesel, is at a tilt at the angle of the road and thereby fuel filled in a fuel tank leans to one side or when the vehicle is low on fuel so that there is an insufficient amount of fuel in the fuel tank, a predetermined amount of fuel must be supplied to an internal combustion engine at a constant rate. In an effort to achieve this function, a fuel pump module is installed in the fuel tank.

FIGS. 1 and 2are views illustrating examples of conventional fuel pump modules.FIG. 1illustrates a fuel pump module, which injects fuel returning from an internal combustion engine into a reservoir so that the fuel stored in the fuel tank can be charged into the reservoir by the fuel jet functioning as an actuating fluid.FIG. 2illustrates another type of fuel pump module, which directly injects the fuel pumped by a fuel pump into the reservoir so that the fuel stored in the fuel tank can be charged into the reservoir by the fuel jet functioning as an actuating fluid.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the fuel pump module110includes a reservoir120that has a container shape and is charged with a predetermined amount of fuel, a fuel pump140installed in the reservoir120that pumps the fuel from the reservoir120into an internal combustion engine170at a constant rate, a jet pump150for injecting the fuel into the reservoir120so that the fuel stored in a fuel tank100can be guided into the reservoir120by the fuel jet injected by the jet pump150, and a guide tube160installed on the jet pump150which allows the fuel introduced into the reservoir120by the jet pump150to be charged into the reservoir120.

In the fuel pump module110, the jet pump150injects the fuel into the reservoir120which allows the fuel stored in the fuel tank100to be introduced into the reservoir120. Here, the jet pump150may inject the fuel returning from the internal combustion engine170in the reservoir120, as shown inFIG. 1, or may pump the fuel stored in the fuel tank100and injects the fuel into the reservoir120, as shown inFIG. 2.

Because the fuel is injected into the reservoir120at a high injection speed by the jet pump150, the flow velocity around the jet pump150increases, but pressure around the pump150is reduced, so that the fuel stored in the fuel tank100is naturally introduced to the jet pump150and the fuel introduced to the jet pump150in the above state is guided into the reservoir120.

The fuel introduced into the reservoir120by the jet pump150flows along the guide tube160installed on the jet pump150up to the height of the guide tube160, and is charged into the reservoir120.

The fuel is charged into the reservoir120by the above-mentioned process and is supplied to the internal combustion engine170by the fuel pump140at a constant rate.

However, because the fuel pump module110is installed at a location close to the bottom of the fuel tank100, foreign substances190present in the fuel tank100may be introduced into the reservoir120along the fuel during the process of introducing the fuel from the fuel tank100into the reservoir120.

The foreign substances introduced into the reservoir120cannot be discharged from the fuel pump module110due to the structure of the fuel pump module110, but collect over time in the reservoir120, and perturb the fuel suction and fuel supply operation of the fuel pump140, thereby reducing the performance of the fuel pump module110including the fuel pump140.

Due to the foreign substances, there may not be a constant supply of fuel to the internal combustion engine170, thus reducing the fuel consumption ratio and causing operational problems in the internal combustion engine170. Further, the foreign substances may cause the internal combustion engine to suddenly stop while the vehicle runs, and may cause the vehicle to be in a serious traffic accident.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the related art, and the present invention is intended to propose a fuel pump module, which can prevent foreign substances from being introduced from a fuel charging area for charging the interior of a reservoir with fuel into a fuel suction area for sucking the fuel using a fuel pump, thus supplying clean fuel to an internal combustion engine.

Further, the present invention is intended to propose a fuel pump module, which can supply clean fuel to the internal combustion engine, thus preventing operational problems from occurring in the internal combustion engine and increasing the fuel consumption ratio.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fuel pump module comprising: a reservoir installed in a fuel tank of a vehicle and having a bowl shape charged with a predetermined amount of fuel; a fuel pump installed in the reservoir and pumping the fuel contained in the reservoir to an internal combustion engine; a jet pump injecting a fuel jet into the reservoir and thereby introducing the fuel stored in the fuel tank into the reservoir; a guide tube installed on the jet pump and extending upwards a predetermined distance, the guide tube guiding both the fuel jet injected by the jet pump and the fuel introduced from the fuel tank along with the fuel jet such that both the fuel jet and the fuel can be charged in the reservoir; and a filter unit partitioning an interior of the reservoir into a fuel suction area, into which the fuel is introduced by the fuel pump, and a fuel charging area, which is charged with the fuel from the fuel tank, the filter unit thus preventing foreign substances from being introduced from the fuel charging area into the fuel suction area.

The filter unit may be integrated with the reservoir.

Further, the filter unit may be detachably installed in the reservoir.

Further, the reservoir may be provided with a guide groove on an inner surface thereof, and the filter unit may be installed in the reservoir using the guide groove.

Further, the filter unit may be provided with a cutoff wall at a lower end thereof.

Further, the cutoff wall may integrally protrude from the reservoir.

Further, the cutoff wall may be integrated with the lower end of the filter unit.

Further, the fuel charging area may be provided with a foreign substance collector on a bottom thereof.

Further, the filter unit may comprise mesh.

Further, a mesh size of the mesh of the filter unit may be 55˜60 microns.

As described above, the present invention is advantageous in that it can prevent foreign substances from being introduced into the fuel suction area, into which the fuel is introduced by the fuel pump, thus protecting the fuel pump from the damage that the foreign substances can cause and preventing the performance of the fuel pump from dropping, thereby improving the durability of the fuel pump module including the fuel pump.

Further, the present invention can supply clean fuel to the internal combustion engine, thus protecting the internal combustion engine from the foreign substances and increasing the fuel consumption ratio.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in greater detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the following description, a detailed description of those elements, which remain the same as in the related art and for which it is not felt that a further explanation is required, will be omitted. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the scope and spirit of the invention are not limited by the omissions.

FIG. 3is a sectional view illustrating a fuel pump module according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 4is a partially broken perspective view illustrating the fuel pump module of the present invention.FIG. 5is an exploded perspective view illustrating a fuel pump module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown inFIG. 3, which is a sectional view illustrating the fuel pump module according to the present invention, the fuel pump module10according to the present invention includes: a reservoir20having a bowl shape capable of being charged with a predetermined amount of fuel; a fuel pump40installed in the reservoir20and pumping the fuel contained in the reservoir20to an internal combustion engine70; a jet pump50naturally introducing the fuel stored in the fuel tank100into the reservoir20; a guide tube60guiding the fuel introduced from the fuel tank100by the jet pump50to the reservoir20and preventing the fuel charged in the reservoir20from leaking out to the atmosphere; and a filter unit30placed between a fuel charging area B which introduces the fuel into the reservoir20using the guide tube60and a fuel suction area A, into which the fuel is introduced by the fuel pump40, and separating the fuel suction area A from the fuel charging area B, so that foreign substances90present in the fuel as it flows from the fuel charging area B to the fuel suction area A can be filtered out and thereby clean fuel can be supplied to the internal combustion engine70when the fuel pump40is pumping fuel to the engine70.

The reservoir20constituting the fuel pump module10functions to protect the fuel pump40installed in the reservoir20and to contain a predetermined amount of fuel therein, and has a container shape capable of storing the predetermined amount of fuel therein, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5.

The reservoir20is always charged with the predetermined amount of fuel, so that, although when a vehicle is not level and thereby fuel filled in the fuel tank100leans to one side or when the vehicle is in a low-fuel state in which there is an insufficient amount of fuel charged in the fuel tank100, the fuel can be supplied to the internal combustion engine70at a constant rate.

The fuel pump40installed in the reservoir20pumps the fuel contained in the reservoir20to the internal combustion engine70. Specifically, the fuel pump40sucks the fuel through a fuel suction port45formed in a lower part inside the reservoir20and supplies the fuel to the internal combustion engine70.

Here, in order to prevent the foreign substances90from damaging the fuel pump40during a process of sucking the fuel and to prevent the foreign substances90from causing problems in the internal combustion engine70, the fuel suction port45is provided with a filter46for filtering foreign substances laid in the fuel passing through the fuel suction port45.

The jet pump50, which is installed in the reservoir20along with the fuel pump40and functions to guide the fuel stored in the fuel tank100into the reservoir20as described above, is installed on the bottom of the reservoir20in such a way that the jet pump50faces the inner surface of the top end of the reservoir20.

The jet pump50installed on the bottom of the reservoir20may inject the fuel returning from the internal combustion engine70into the reservoir20at a high injection speed or may directly inject the fuel stored in the fuel tank100into the reservoir20at a high injection speed.

Because the fuel is injected into the reservoir20at a high injection speed by the jet pump50, the flow velocity around the jet pump50increases, but pressure around the pump50is reduced, so that the fuel stored in the fuel tank100is naturally introduced to the jet pump50and that the fuel, after having been introduced into the jet pump50, is guided into the reservoir20. The fuel introduced to the jet pump150as described above flows into the reservoir20along with the fuel jet injected from the jet pump50, thereby being charged into the reservoir20.

In the present invention, in order to allow the fuel to be easily charged in the reservoir20even when the vehicle is not level and thereby the fuel filled in the fuel tank100leans to one side or when the vehicle is in a low-fuel state in which there is an insufficient amount of fuel charged in the fuel tank100, it is preferred that the fuel pump module10including the jet pump50be installed at a location close to the bottom of the fuel tank100.

The fuel introduced into the reservoir120by the jet pump50flows along the guide tube60installed on the jet pump50up to the height of the guide tube60, and is charged in the reservoir20.

The filter unit30provided in the reservoir20is configured such that the filter unit30can separate the fuel charging area B, in which the fuel passes through the guide tube60and is charged in the reservoir20, from the fuel suction area A, into which the fuel is sucked by the fuel pump40.

The filter unit30comprises a mesh and filters foreign substances90from the fuel flowing from the fuel charging area B to the fuel suction area A, so that only the clean fuel that is clean of foreign substances90can flow to the fuel suction area A and be fed to the internal combustion engine70by operation of the fuel pump40.

Because the filter unit30comprising the mesh is provided in the reservoir20, it is possible to filter the foreign substances out from the fuel introduced from the fuel tank100into the reservoir20and thereby to supply only the clean fuel that is clean of foreign substances to the internal combustion engine70. Therefore, the fuel consumption ratio of the vehicle can be increased and both the fuel pump40and the internal combustion engine70can be protected from damage that the foreign substances may cause.

Here, the mesh size of the filter unit30is 55˜65 microns, so that foreign substances having particle sizes larger than the mesh size can be filtered out by the filter unit30.

FIG. 4is a view illustrating the fuel pump module of the present invention. Hereinbelow, the fuel pump module of the present invention will be described with reference toFIG. 4.

Because the fuel pump module10including the jet pump50is installed at a location close to the bottom of the fuel tank100, the foreign substances90present on the bottom of the fuel tank100are introduced into the reservoir20along with the fuel when the fuel stored the fuel tank100flows into the reservoir20along with the fuel jet injected by the jet pump50.

The fuel having the foreign substances90is lifted upwards through the guide tube60and is introduced into the fuel charging area B inside the reservoir20.

The fuel, which has been introduced into the fuel charging area B of the reservoir20as described above, is naturally forced to flow into the fuel suction area A by the fuel pumping operation of the fuel pump40. In the above-mentioned process, part of the foreign substances90present in the fuel drop onto the bottom of the reservoir20due to gravity and the remaining part of the foreign substances are filtered out by the filter unit30.

The foreign substances90filtered by the filter unit30drop onto the bottom due to gravity and only the clean fuel that is clean of foreign substances90can pass through the filter unit30and then flow into the fuel suction area A, into which the fuel is sucked by the fuel pump40.

In the present invention, the filter unit30comprising the mesh is provided in the reservoir20, so that foreign substances90can be filtered out from the fuel introduced from the fuel tank100and only the clean fuel can be supplied to the internal combustion engine70by the fuel pump40.

The interior of the reservoir20is partitioned into the fuel charging area B for receiving the fuel from the fuel tank100and the fuel suction area A for sucking the fuel from the fuel charging area B by the fuel pump40, with the filter unit30being integrally provided in the reservoir20for filtering out foreign substances90moving from the fuel charging area B to the fuel suction area A.

Further, the filter unit30is provided with a cutoff wall35at the lower end thereof. Due to the cutoff wall35provided at the lower end of the filter unit30, it is possible to prevent the foreign substances90, which have been filtered from the fuel by the filter unit30and dropped onto the bottom of the reservoir20due to gravity, from being sucked into the fuel as it flows from the fuel charging area B to the fuel suction area A and thereby from going back into the fuel. As seen inFIGS. 4 and 5, the cutoff wall35may be plate-shaped.

Further, a foreign substance collector80having a bowl shape is provided on the bottom of the fuel charging area B and collects therein the foreign substances90filtered by the filter unit30.

Because the foreign substance collector80is provided on the bottom of the fuel charging area B for collecting the foreign substances, the foreign substances90, which have been filtered by the filter unit30and have dropped onto the bottom of the reservoir20, can be easily collected in the foreign substance collector80.

Therefore, the present invention is advantageous in that the foreign substances90collected in the reservoir20can be easily removed by changing or washing the foreign substance collector80.

Further, in order to easily remove the foreign substances collected in the foreign substance collector80, it is preferred that the foreign substance collector80be detachably installed in the reservoir20.

FIG. 5is a view illustrating another embodiment of the present invention, in which guide grooves25are formed in the reservoir20and the filter unit30movably engages with the guide groove25in such a way that the filter unit30can be removably installed in the reservoir20.

Because the filter unit30is configured to be separated from the reservoir20when necessary, it is easy to produce the reservoir20including the filter unit30and, when there occurs some problems in the filter unit30, replace just the filter unit30with a new one, so that the time and cost for maintenance of the filter unit can be reduced.

A frame37having a predetermined thickness is provided along the edge of the filter unit30comprising the mesh. Due to the frame37having the predetermined thickness provided along the edge of the filter unit30, the structural stability of the filter unit30increases and the filter unit30can be easily assembled or disassembled.

The fuel pump module of the present invention may use one filter unit30or at least two filter units30.

The cutoff wall35is provided between the lower end of the filter unit30and the bottom of the reservoir20. Due to the cutoff wall35, it is possible to prevent the foreign substances90, which have been filtered from out of the fuel by the filter unit30and dropped onto the bottom of the reservoir20due to gravity, from again being sucked into the fuel as it flows from the fuel charging area B to the fuel suction area A and thereby from going back into the fuel.

The cutoff wall35may be configured such that the cutoff wall35is integrated with the reservoir20and protrudes upwards, as shown inFIG. 3. Alternatively, the cutoff wall35may be integrated with the lower end of the filter unit30.

The other constitution of the second embodiment remains the same as that of the first embodiment and further explanation is therefore not deemed necessary.