Patent ID: 7712445

Claim:
An apparatus for providing pressurized fuel for an engine, comprising: a primary fuel pump configured to supply high pressure fuel to a fuel rail; an engine starting apparatus including an electric motor rotatably coupled to a pinion gear which is selectively engaged and disengaged with a flywheel of said engine; a high pressure boost pump rotatably coupled to the electric motor and configured to supply high pressure fuel to a the fuel rail when the electric motor is rotating; and a control apparatus means for effecting rotation of the electric motor and boost pump while maintaining disengagement of the pinion gear from the flywheel of said engine for a period of time when the engine is not running prior to cranking sufficient to establish pressure in the fuel rail from the boost pump and subsequent to said period of time additionally engaging the pinion gear with the flywheel of said engine when sufficient pressure in the fuel rail has been reached to crank the engine.