Patent ID: 8801396

Claim:
An oil pump system for an engine, comprising: an oil pump housing defining a pocket configured to receive an oil pump therein, a cavity, and an oil pump outlet passage connecting the pocket to a first end of the cavity; a low pressure relief passage defined by the pump housing for selectively fluidly coupling the cavity to a pressure relief area defined by the pump housing and adapted to be in fluid communication with an oil sump; a high pressure relief passage defined by the pump housing for selectively fluidly coupling the cavity to the pressure relief area; a pressure relief valve positioned in the cavity and comprising a body having a first end, a second opposite end, a first internal bore extending from the valve first end, a second internal bore extending from the valve second end, and at least one slot positioned in the body in communication with the first internal bore; and a biasing member positioned in the second internal bore and biasing the pressure relief valve to a first position; wherein the pressure relief valve is configured to overcome a biasing force of the biasing member and translate to a second position aligning the at least one slot with the low pressure relief passage to selectively provide low pressure relief to the oil pump in response to pressurized oil from the pump outlet passage flowing into the first internal bore being greater than a first predetermined pressure value, and to further translate to a third position aligning the at least one slot with the high pressure relief passage to selectively provide high pressure relief to the oil pump in response to pressurized oil from the pump outlet passage being greater than a second predetermined pressure value.