Patent ID: 7950372

Claim:
A fuel system that supplies fuel to an engine of a vehicle, the fuel system comprising: a pump that pumps fuel to an engine fuel line; a check valve, when closed, secured to a closed position by fuel pressure in the engine fuel line and a biasing spring; a junction member assembly located adjacent to a fuel suction filter of the pump, the junction member assembly further comprising: an outer housing defining an inlet, a pressure regulator outlet, a jet pump outlet and an engine outlet for fuel; a flow insert member located within the outer housing, the flow insert member defining a flow insert member first passage that directs fuel into a check valve, defining a flow insert member pressure regulator fluid passage that is axially aligned with the engine outlet for fuel, defining a second passage that directs fuel from the pump to a jet pump through the jet pump outlet; a pressure regulator member that nests within each of the flow insert member, the outer housing and the pressure regulator outlet; wherein a first portion of fuel flows from the inlet, through the flow insert member first passage, through the check valve and through the engine outlet; wherein a second portion of fuel flows from the inlet, through the second passage, and through the let pump outlet; and wherein fuel flows from the first passage, flows through the flow insert member pressure regulator fluid passage, changes the pressure regulator member to an open position, and flows out of the junction member assembly when fuel pressure supplied to the engine exceeds a predetermined pressure limit, the jet pump outlet on the junction member assembly fluidly disconnected from the engine outlet by the check valve, when closed, the check valve, located in the outer housing of the junction member assembly in the first passage between the jet pump outlet and the engine outlet; a controller that selectively changes operation of the pump between an electronic returnless fuel system (ERFS) mode, in which output of the pump is varied, and a mechanical returnless fuel system (MRFS) mode, in which output of the pump is maintained approximately constant; and wherein the pressure regulator member defines an outlet passage that receives incoming fuel from the pressure regulator passage and that limits a fuel pressure supplied to the engine up to a predetermined pressure limit, wherein the junction member assembly is arranged so that the pressure regulator passage is axially aligned with the outlet passage of the pressure regulator member to permit fuel in the first passage to flow away from the engine when fuel pressure supplied to the engine exceeds a predetermined pressure limit, and wherein the pressure regulator passage is fluidly blocked from the fuel pump when the check valve is closed and the pressure regulator is open.