Patent ID: 7267524

Claim:
A fuel pump for a motor vehicle, the fuel pump pressurizing fuel for delivery to an engine, the fuel pump comprising: a housing; a motor situated in the housing and driving a shaft, the shaft defining a central axis; a single sided impeller connected to the shaft for rotation and for axial translation relative to shaft, the impeller having opposed axially facing surfaces including a body-side surface and a cover-side surface, the cover-side surface defining an impeller flow channel extending circumferentially around the impeller, the impeller further including a plurality of vanes positioned at least partially within the impeller flow channel; a cover attached to the housing, the cover having a cover surface defining a cover flow channel extending circumferentially around the cover and receiving fuel from an inlet formed in the cover, the cover flow channel at least partially aligned with the impeller flow channel, the cover flow channel having an inlet end receiving lower pressure fuel and an outlet end providing higher pressure fuel, the outlet end extending radially outwardly; and a body defined inside the housing, the body defining an impeller chamber having a body surface, the impeller chamber sized to receive the impeller, the body further defining an outlet passageway positioned radially outwardly to fluidically connect to the outlet end of the cover flow channel to receive higher pressure fuel for delivery to the engine.