Patent Abstract:
A fuel pump housing includes a body that has a bottom portion. A fuel filter is located adjacent the bottom portion, and contacts the body so that electricity, such as static electricity, is conducted between the body and the fuel filter. A ground connection dissipates, or limits, electricity in both the body and the fuel filter.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    Applicants claim priority of German Patent Application No. 10 2007 015 950.3, filed Apr. 3, 2007. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates generally to automotive fuel supply systems, and more particularly to fuel pump housings used in automotive fuel supply systems. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Many automotive fuel supply systems include a fuel tank for storing fuel. In one arrangement, a fuel delivery module including, among other things, a housing, a fuel pump, and a fuel filter may be suspended within the fuel tank. In another arrangement, the fuel pump may be arranged in-line with one or more fuel delivery lines. In operation, fuel typically travels through the fuel filter, into the fuel pump, and to an internal combustion engine. The traveling fuel often creates static electricity in the fuel filter. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    One embodiment of a fuel pump housing may include a body, a fuel filter, and a ground connection. The body may have a bottom portion. The fuel filter may be located at or near the bottom portion where it can be in contact with the body so that electricity, such as static electricity, is conducted between the fuel filter and the body. The ground connection may help dissipate electricity that may be present in both the body and the fuel filter. 
         [0005]    One embodiment of an assembly may include a housing and a fuel pump. The housing may include a body with a bottom portion, and may include a fuel filter. The fuel filter may be located at or near the bottom portion, and may conduct electricity, such as static electricity, to the housing. The housing, the fuel filter, or both may also include a single ground connection in order to dissipate electricity that may be present in both the housing and the fuel filter. The fuel pump may be held at least partially within the housing. 
         [0006]    One embodiment of an assembly may include a housing and a fuel pump. The housing may include a body with a bottom portion, and may include a fuel filter. The fuel filter may be located at or near the bottom portion, and may conduct electricity, such as static electricity, to the body. The housing may also include a single ground connection in order to dissipate static electricity that may be present in both the body and the fuel filter. The housing may further include a connecting device that may extend between the body and the ground connection. The connecting device may conduct electricity between the body and the ground connection. The fuel pump may be held at least partially within the housing 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The following detailed description of preferred embodiments and best mode will be set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a cross-section of an embodiment of a fuel pump housing; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a cross-section of an embodiment of a fuel pump housing; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a cross-section of an embodiment of a fuel pump housing having a fuel pump therein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0011]    In general, and before referring to the drawing figures, various example embodiments of a holder or housing  10  are shown and described. The housing  10  may be used in a fuel delivery module or sender unit of an automotive fuel supply system, and may be disposed in communication with or in a fuel tank. The housing  10  may have a simple design and a compact structure. A fuel filter  12  and a body  14  of the housing  10  may conduct electricity between each other, and a ground connection  16  may help dissipate electricity present in both the fuel filter and the body. 
         [0012]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , a fuel pump  18  can be secured in the housing  10 , or the housing can secure parts of the fuel pump. The fuel pump  18  provides the suction and drive needed to take fuel out of the fuel tank and deliver fuel to an internal combustion engine. The fuel pump  18  may be of the in-tank type, and the electric type having an electric motor that is powered by a vehicle power supply, such as a battery  20 . The fuel pump  18  may have an inlet  22  for drawing-in fuel, and may have an outlet  24  for discharging fuel out of an outlet or discharge line  26 . One or more retaining devices  28  may hold the fuel pump  18  in-place inside of the housing  10 , or a fitting (not shown) around the discharge line  26  may suspend the fuel pump in the housing. A negative terminal  30  may be located on the fuel pump  18 . A connecting device  32  may connect the fuel pump  18  with the body  14 , such as by a terminal lug. The connecting device  32  may ground the fuel pump  18  to the body  14 . 
         [0013]    The body  14  receives the fuel pump  18  or parts of the fuel pump, and may provide the structure of the housing  10 . In one example, the body  14  may be composed of an electrically conductive material such as a metal like steel or aluminum. The body  14  may be formed by various metal forming processes such as by deep-drawing a metal sheet into a generally cylindrical shape. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the body  14  may have a top portion  34  that may define an opening  36  for the discharge line  26  and for electrical wires providing power to the fuel pump  18 . The body may also have a bottom portion  38  that may define an opening (not shown) for a feed line (also not shown). The top portion  34  may define other openings for other lines or for the electrical wires, or the top portion may define an open top. In other embodiments, the top portion  34  and the bottom portion  38  may be separate components that are subsequently attached together. In this case, the top portion  34  and the bottom portion  38  may be in contact with each other such that electricity conducts through and between the portions. 
         [0014]    The fuel filter  12  helps screen out contaminants that may otherwise enter into the fuel pump  18  or into the housing  10 . The fuel filter  12  may have various embodiments. In the example of  FIG. 1 , the fuel filter  12  may be integral with, or may be a part of, the body  14 ; that is, the fuel filter may not necessarily be a component that is separate from the body. A plurality of pores or openings  42  may be formed in the bottom portion  38  by a punching process, a laser cutting process, or by any other suitable forming process. The openings  42  may be disposed about a majority of the area of the bottom portion  38 , may be disposed on only a section of the bottom portion, or may be disposed partly on a side wall adjacent the bottom portion. The openings  42  may be sized and dimensioned to allow fuel to enter into the housing  10 , and to exclude other larger particles. When in use, static electricity may build-up or accumulate in the fuel filter  12  by fuel flowing through it. Such static electricity may be dissipated, or dispersed, through the body  14 . This may limit electricity build-up in the fuel filter  12  and may help prevent static discharge at the fuel filter. 
         [0015]    In the example of  FIG. 2 , the fuel filter  12  may constitute an insert in the sense that the fuel filter may be a separate component that is subsequently attached to the bottom portion  38 . For example, a larger opening  44  may be formed in the bottom portion  38  by a punching process, a laser cutting process, or by any other suitable forming process. The opening  44  may be a single opening or may have more than one opening. The opening  44  may extend over a majority of the area of the bottom portion  38 , may extend over only a section of the bottom portion, or may extend partly on the side wall adjacent the bottom portion. A mesh-like material, such as a film or a screen  46 , may be attached to the bottom portion  38  and may extend over the opening  44  in order to separate contaminants out of the fuel flowing through it. The screen  46  may be attached to the bottom portion  38  by caulking, crimping, overmolding its perimeter, welding (e.g., by weld spots  48 ), or other suitable attaching methods. In at least some of these examples, the screen  46  may be inserted in notches (not shown) defined in a surface of the opening  44 . The screen  46  may be composed of an electrically conductive material such as a metal like steel or aluminum. When in use, static electricity may build-up or accumulate in the screen  46  by fuel flowing through it. Such static electricity may be dissipated, or dispersed, through the body  14  as the screen may be in contact with the body at its attachment points. This may limit electricity build-up in the fuel filter  12  and may help prevent static discharge at the fuel filter. 
         [0016]    The ground connection  16  may help limit the build-up of static electricity in the housing  10 , and in both the fuel filter  12  and the body  14 . The ground connection  16  may dissipate, or disperse, static electricity through itself and to whatever the ground connection is connected to. The ground connection  16  may be a single ground connection, and may constitute the only ground connection for the housing  10 . That is, there may be no need to have a separate ground for each of the body  14  and the fuel filter  12 . 
         [0017]    The ground connection  16  may have various embodiments. In the example of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the ground connection  16  may include the connecting device  32  in order to link the housing  10  or the fuel filter  12  with another component. For example, the connecting device  32  may have a metal screw  50 , one or more terminal lugs, and an electric wire  52 ; in another embodiment, the connecting device may include a stainless steel strip or sheet. The metal screw  50  may be fastened to the body  14 , and the electric wire  52  may extend to another component. Static electricity may travel from the body  14 , through the metal screw  50  and the electric wire  52 , and to the particular component. For example, the connecting device  32  may extend to the vehicle power supply, such as the battery  20 , and the ground connection  16  may be formed where the battery is ground. As another example, the connecting device  32  may extend to a body of the vehicle, and the ground connection  16  may be formed thereat. In another example, the connecting device  32  may extend to a negative terminal of a vehicle accumulator. Still in other examples, the ground connection  16  may be formed without the connecting device  32 , where the body  14  may be directly contacting a component such as the body of the vehicle. In this case, static electricity may travel between an interface of the body  14  and the vehicle body. 
         [0018]    In another embodiment, the housing  10  may constitute the outer housing or casing of the fuel pump  18 . In this case, the impeller or running gears and other internals of the fuel pump  18  may be directly supported in the housing  10  without any other intermediate housing. The variously described fuel filters  12  and ground connections  16  may be used in this embodiment. 
         [0019]    While the forms of the invention herein disclosed constitute presently preferred embodiments, many others are possible. It is not intended herein to mention all the possible equivalent forms or ramifications of the invention. It is understood that the terms used herein are merely descriptive, rather than limiting, and that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5