Patent Publication Number: US-8534316-B2

Title: Elevated first fill valve in suction diesel units and pump modules

Description:
This application claims the benefit of the earlier filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/742,443, filed on Dec. 5, 2005, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates fuel supply units for diesel fueled vehicles and, more particularly, to a valve structure in reservoir of a suction diesel unit that is elevated from a bottom surface of the reservoir. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Diesel fuel has the tendency to collect water which potentially will sink to the bottom of a fuel reservoir of a vehicle and freeze or create a waxing layer under cold conditions. Such freezing or the creation of a waxing layer may block a primary fill valve in the bottom of the reservoir and thus prevent a diesel suction unit from operating with the result being that the vehicle will not prime with fuel. 
     Accordingly, there is a need provide a fill valve elevated from a reservoir bottom to ensure priming of a vehicle during cold operating conditions. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to fulfill the need referred to above. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, this objective is obtained by providing a reservoir structure of a fuel delivery structure for a diesel vehicle. The reservoir structure includes a fuel reservoir having a bottom surface. A primary fill opening is provided in the bottom surface for permitting fuel to pass from a fuel tank of the vehicle into the reservoir. A secondary fill opening is provided in the reservoir and is elevated from the bottom surface. A first valve member is associated with the primary fill opening to close the primary fill opening under certain pressure conditions in the reservoir and, under pressure conditions in the reservoir different from the certain pressure conditions, to permit fuel to enter the reservoir through the primary fill opening. A second valve member is associated with the secondary fill opening to close the secondary fill opening under certain pressure conditions in the reservoir and, under pressure conditions in the reservoir different from the certain pressure conditions, to permit fuel to enter the reservoir through the secondary fill opening in the event the primary opening is substantially blocked. 
     Other objects, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as the methods of operation and the functions of the related elements of the structure, the combination of parts and economics of manufacture will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a bottom of a fuel reservoir of a diesel suction unit including a primary fill opening and an elevated fill opening in accordance with the principles of an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1   a  is a sectional view showing a valve associated with the primary fill opening in the reservoir of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged bottom view of the elevated fill opening of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of a portion of the reservoir of  FIG. 1  showing a valve member associated with the elevated fill opening to define an elevated fill valve structure. 
         FIG. 4  shows the elevated fill valve structure of  FIG. 3  in relation to a suction tube for priming an engine. 
         FIG. 5  is a view of another embodiment of an elevated fill valve structure employed in a pump module, shown partially cut-away. 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of the fill valve structure of the pump module of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 4  a reservoir structure, generally indicated at  10 , includes a reservoir  11  having a primary fill opening  12  in a bottom surface  14  thereof. It is noted that  FIG. 1  shows only a bottom portion of the reservoir  11 . A conventional elastomer umbrella-type valve member  13  ( FIG. 1   a ) is associated with the primary fill opening  12  that permits fuel to be drawn into the reservoir  11  via suction created by a suction unit having a suction tube  24  ( FIG. 4 ) in the conventional manner. As noted above, since the primary opening  12  is on the bottom  14  of the reservoir, ice may form to block the opening  12  and prevent fuel from entering the reservoir  11  and thus prevent priming of a vehicle engine. 
     In accordance with the principles of the invention and as best shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , a secondary opening (or openings)  16  is provided in the reservoir  10  that is elevated from the bottom surface  14 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , a conventional elastomer umbrella-type valve member  18  is coupled to the reservoir via opening  20  and is thus associated with the opening(s)  16 . Thus, the opening  16  and associated valve member  18  define an elevated fill valve structure  22 . The valve members  13  and  18  can be of any configuration that is constructed and arranged to close the associated opening under certain pressure conditions in the reservoir  10  and under different pressure conditions in the reservoir, to move or deform to permit fuel to enter the reservoir  11 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the fill valve structure  22  ensures that a suction unit (only tube  24  shown) still will operate and a vehicle will prime since the opening  16  of the fill valve structure  22  is elevated with respect to bottom surface  14  of the reservoir  11  and thus above ice  23 . Thus, the opening  16  is either higher, on the same level as, or lower than the suction tube  24  of the suction unit inside the reservoir  11 . The exact location of the opening  16  depends on tank geometry. In the illustrated embodiment, the opening  16  is at the same height D as the bottom opening  25  of the suction tube  24  with reference to a bottom surface  26  of a fuel tank. 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the fill valve structure  22  defines a fuel pocket  19  between the bottom  14  of the reservoir and the bottom  26  of the fuel tank. The pocket  19  is defined by a step  21  in the bottom  14 . The openings  16  communicate with the pocket  19  and thus the fill valve structure will still function when the primary valve  13  associated with openings  12  in the reservoir bottom  14  are iced or waxed up. 
     Although the fill valve structure  22  is described for use in diesel suction units, the fill valve structure  22  can be employed in conventional diesel fuel pump modules. Thus, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the elevated fill valve structure  22  is provided in a reservoir  31  of a pump module, generally indicated at  30 . The module  30  has a fuel pump  32  that draws fuel from a fuel tank  33  into the reservoir  31 . A filter  35  is associated with the fuel pump  32 . The fill valve structure  22  is elevated from the bottom  34  the swirl pot, and will still function and let diesel fuel pass into the reservoir  31  when the primary valve (not shown) in the reservoir bottom is iced up or waxed up. The elevated fill valve structure  22  needs to be positioned slightly below the pump inlet filter top surface to allow the diesel fuel to get into the pump inlet. 
     The elevated fill valve structure  22  has been described for use in diesel fuel applications, but can be employed in reservoirs using any fuels wherein icing may be an issue. 
     The foregoing preferred embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the structural and functional principles of the present invention, as well as illustrating the methods of employing the preferred embodiments and are subject to change without departing from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit of the following claims.