Device for supplying fuel from supply container to internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle

A device for supplying an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle with a fuel from a supply container has a fuel feeding aggregate arrangable in the supply container for supplying the fuel through a feeding line, a fuel filter through which the fuel passes, a holder mountable on the supply container, with the fuel filter arranged on the holder and having a clean-side outlet and feeding line integrated in the holder, and a connecting pipe which is arranged outside of the holder and to which the clean-side outlet of the filter is connected through the integrated feeding line.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a device for supplying internal combustion 
engine of a motor vehicle with a fuel from a fuel container. 
Devices of the above mentioned general type are known in the art. One of 
such devices is disclosed for example in the German Patent Document DE 42 
42 242 A1. The device has a supply tank from which the fuel is supplied to 
an internal combustion engine. A fuel supply aggregate is located in the 
fuel container and supplies the fuel to the internal combustion engine, 
and a fuel filter is arranged along the fuel feeding path. A holder is 
provided in the fuel supply container, and both the fuel supply unit as 
well as the fuel filter are arranged on the holder to form together a unit 
mountable in the fuel supply container. Such an aggregate for receiving 
the fuel supply unit as well as the fuel filter and in some cases further 
components provide for a substantial mounting simplification. However, 
such an aggregate requires an expensive adjustment and design for 
receiving the components. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device 
for supplying fuel from a supply container to an internal combustion 
engine of a motor vehicle, which avoids the disadvantages of the prior 
art. 
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent 
hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, 
in a device for supplying an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle 
with the fuel from a fuel container, in which a holder mountable on the 
fuel supply container is provided, and a fuel filter is arranged on the 
holder and has a clean-side inlet connectable with a connecting part which 
is arranged outside the holder integrated in a feeding path. 
When the device is designed in accordance with the present invention, a 
simple arrangement and mounting of the fuel filter on a supply container 
with the holder mountable thereon is possible. Because of a feeding path 
integrated in the holder between the fuel filter and a connecting part 
arranged outside the supply container on the holder, a simple and fast 
exchange of the fuel filter is provided without a hose mounting. 
When the holder is designed in accordance with present invention for 
receipt of the fuel filter, a flatly structured fuel container can 
operate. The fuel supply unit is arrangeable in a suitable position inside 
the fuel container, so that independently from which geometry of the fuel 
container, a reliable supply of the internal combustion engine of a motor 
vehicle with the fuel from the fuel container is possible. 
With the inventive feeding path formed in the holder between the connecting 
part located outside the holders and the fuel filter, in addition an 
inexpensive arrangement is provided without use of additional hose parts 
for its connections. 
In accordance with the present invention, a feeding pressure regulator is 
arranged between the fuel filter and the connecting parts in the feeding 
path. A location of the feeding pressure regulator can be provided by a 
placement of the holder close to the motor. This has the advantage that 
only such quantity of fuel is supplied to the internal combustion engine 
which is actually required for the operation of the combustion engine. The 
remaining fuel quantity is retained in the fuel tank. Therefore 
through-flow conduit for the return of an excess quantity of the supplied 
fuel of the internal combustion engine into the fuel container is 
dispensed with. As a result, a cost favorable embodiment can be provided. 
In accordance with a further highly advantageous embodiment of the 
invention, the fuel filter is insertable from outside into the supply 
container and mountable on the holder. As a result, a simple and fast 
mounting or dismounting of the fuel filter can be provided in definite 
exchange intervals. 
In accordance with still a further advantageous embodiment of the present 
invention, the fuel filter mountable on the holder is provided with a 
housing having at least one ring groove associated with a dirt-side 
supply. With this arrangement, the simple mounting and dismounting of the 
fuel filter can be provided. Because of the ring groove, a reliable 
connection between the dirt-side supply of the holder and the supply 
opening of the filter housing is provided, independently from the radial 
arrangement and orientation of the fuel filter in the holder. 
In accordance with still a further feature of the present invention, the 
arrangement of at least one ring groove is provided at the clean-side 
outlet of the fuel filter towards the feeding path which leads to the 
connecting pipe arranged outside the holder. 
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention 
are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, 
however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together 
with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood 
from the following description of specific embodiments when read in 
connection with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 shows a fuel container 11 which contains a fuel to be supplied to an 
internal combustion machine 12. For this purpose a fuel of feeding 
aggregate 13 is located in the supply container 11. A holder 14 is 
arranged on the fuel supply container 11, and the fuel feeding aggregates 
13 is connected with the holder 14 through a first feeding line 16. The 
first feeding line 16 is formed by a hose conduit which is connectable 
with a supply 17 on the holder 14. 
The holder 14 is insertable in an opening 18 of the fuel container 11 from 
outside. It closes the fuel container 21 in fluid-tight and vapor-tight 
manner. Preferably, a sealing element is provided between the opening 18 
of the fuel container 11 and the holder 14. 
The holder 14 has a side 19 facing the interior of the fuel container 11 
and provided with a fuel filter 21. The fuel-filter 21 has a hosing 22 
with a circumferential angular groove 23 shown in FIG. 5. The angular 
groove 23 communicates with the supply 17 of the holder 14. The fuel 
supply through the first feeding line 16 to the fuel filter 21 passes 
through the filter in direction of the arrow 24 and is directed to a 
connecting pipe 26 arranged outside of the fuel container 11 on the holder 
14. A clean-side outlet 27 of the fuel filter 21 is located directly 
opposite to the connecting pipe 26. Therefore, a hose mounting between the 
fuel filter 21 and the holder 14. 
With this inventive arrangement, a second feeding line integrated in the 
holder 14 and leading through the fuel filter 21 is provided in accordance 
with the arrow 24. It extends from the supply 17 to the connecting pipe 
27, and a part of the second feeding line 24 is formed by the fuel filter 
21. Fixed supply and discharge portions are provided before and after the 
fuel filter 21 in the holder 14 and formed directly in it. Therefore a 
fast mounting and a cost saving is obtained, because the hose mounting is 
dispensed with. 
Alternatively, two or more fuel filters 21 can be arranged in the holder 
14. They supply the cleaned or filtered fuel through the feeding line 
integrated in the holder 14 to a joint connecting pipe 26 which leads the 
fuel through a hose 28 to the internal combustion engine 12. It is to be 
understood that also several connecting pipes 26 can be provided, and the 
hose conduits 28 leading to the internal combustion can be connected with 
them. 
The fuel filter 21 is arranged with its longitudinal side along the 
longitudinal side of the holder 14 which is, for example, round. 
Similarly, the connecting pipe 26 is arranged in or near the longitudinal 
axis of the holder 14. Therefore, a short feeding line can be obtained 
between the clean-side outlet 27 of the fuel filter 21 and the connecting 
pipe 26. 
The fuel filter 21 is arranged exchangeably on the inner side 19 of the 
holder 14. For this purpose arresting, snapping, clamping or screw 
connections or the like can be provided, to ensure a simple mounting and 
dismounting of the fuel filter 21. Preferably, a sealing element is 
provided between the holder 14 and the fuel container 21 to guarantee that 
the dirt side is separated from the clean side. 
It is also advantageous that the holder 14 formed as a tank flange with the 
fuel filter 21 arranged on it, can be located in any position on the fuel 
container 11. Due to the separate arrangement of the fuel filter to the 
fuel supply aggregate 13, it is possible to operate the flatly designed 
fuel container 11, and simultaneously a simple and inexpensive arrangement 
can be provided. The holder 14 is advantageously formed as a simple 
injection molded part. The components 24 which form the second feeding 
line as well as not shown connecting elements for receiving the fuel 
filter 21 can be formed on the holder 14 and integrated on it. 
FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the inventive device. In this 
embodiment the feeding pressure regulator 29 is additionally provided in 
the second feeding line 24. It is located immediately outside the fuel 
container 11 on the holder 14. The feeding pressure regulator 29 regulates 
the system pressure. Since it is arranged on the holder 14, only the 
actually required quantity of fuel is supplied to the internal combustion 
engine 12. The return conduit for excessive quantity of fuel supplied to 
the internal combustion engine 12 can be dispensed with. 
FIG. 3 shows still another embodiment of the inventive device. The fuel 
filter 21 is insertable from outside into a recess 31 of the holder 14. 
Therefore, a good accessibility from outside is provided for mounting and 
dismounting of the fuel filter 21 in defined exchanged intervals. Due to 
the advantageous embodiment of the ring grooves 23, 25 formed between the 
recess 31 and the holder 14 and the housing 22 of the fuel filter 21 as 
shown in FIG. 5, the fuel filter 21 can be arranged on the holder 14 in 
any position as considered in the radial orientation. 
The connecting pipe 26 of the holder 14 is arranged off the center on the 
holder 14. Therefore, a good accessibility for the withdrawal and 
insertion of the fuel filter 21 in the recess 31 of the holder 14 is 
provided. The holder 14 at the side 19 facing toward the interior of the 
fuel container 11 has hydraulic connecting conduits formed of one piece 
with the holder 14. They form an inner hydraulic connection or feeding 
line integrated from the supply 17 to the connecting pipe 26. 
FIG. 4 shows an advantageous embodiment of the device in FIG. 3, in which 
analogously to FIG. 2, the feeding pressure regulator 29 is integrated 
directly in the second feeding line 24 and located between the connecting 
pipe 26 of the fuel container 21. Therefore, advantages provided by the 
device of FIG. 2 are obtained here as well. 
FIG. 5 schematically shows the second feeding line 24 of FIG. 3 between the 
recess 31, the holder 14 and the fuel filter 29. The recess 31 of the 
holder 14 has a substantially cylindrical collar 32 in the interior of the 
fuel container 11. The collar 32 gradually reduces toward the interior of 
the fuel container 11 in a stepped manner. The hosing 22 of the fuel 
filter 21 insertable in the recess 31 have a stepped narrowing 
substantially corresponding to the collar 32. Therefore, in the mounted 
condition, circumferential ring groove 23 and 24 are formed between the 
collar 32 and the housing 22. A sealing element 33 is provided on each 
stage. Therefore a fluid-tight and vapor-tight sealing with respect to a 
dirty side 34 as well as sealing between the ring groove 23 and 25 and the 
fuel container 11 is provided. The sealing element 33 can be composed of 
NBR, Viton and the like. 
A supply opening 36 is provided in the housing 22. Its position can be 
arranged independently from the supply 17 due to the design of the ring 
groove 23. The same is true for the clean-side outlet 27 of the housing 22 
which opens in the ring groove 25 and communicates with the connecting 
pipe 26 through the outlet opening 30. The outlet opening 30 can be 
connected as a solid pipe piece directly with the connecting pipe 26 and 
formed of one piece of with the holder 14 so to form the integrated 
feeding line 24. Alternatively, a hose member can be arranged between the 
outlet opening 30 and the connecting pipe 26. 
The fuel filter can be arranged in the recess 31 by a screwing, arresting, 
or clamping connection. Furthermore, the fuel filter 21 is provided with 
filter elements 37 arranged in the hosing 22, as well known in the art. 
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or 
more together, may also find a useful application in other types of 
constructions differing from the types described above. 
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a 
device for supplying for supplying fuel from supply container to internal 
combustion engine of a motor vehicle, it is not intended to be limited to 
the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may 
be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present 
invention. 
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of 
the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, 
readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, 
from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential 
characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of the invention.