Patent ID: 7156077

Claim:
A fuel system for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a fuel tank adapted for containing a supply of liquid fuel; a plurality of fuel injectors; a fuel pump mounted within said fuel tank, with said pump adapted to transfer fuel from said tank under pressure to said injectors, with said fuel pump having a pumping element and a pump body, and with said fuel pump further having a discharge passage for supplying fuel to a discharge port located within said pump body; a fuel line extending from said fuel pump discharge port to said injectors; a pressure-responsive buffer mounted within said fuel pump discharge port in fluid connection with said fuel pump discharge passage, with said buffer having a larger fluid volume corresponding to operation at a maximum pump discharge pressure and a smaller fluid volume corresponding to a minimum pressure when the pump is not in operation; and a one-way pressure-responsive valve mounted within said fuel pump discharge port in fluid connection with said fuel pump discharge passage such that fuel will be prevented from flowing from said fuel line into said discharge passage upon shutdown of said pump, and with said pressure-responsive valve also preventing fuel from flowing into said fuel line until said pressure-responsive buffer has been filled during pump startup.