US20080251149A1

US20080251149A1 - Fuel pump housing

Info

Publication number: US20080251149A1
Application number: US12/061,470
Authority: US
Inventors: Matthias Boutros; Gunter Moll; Markus Wierling
Original assignee: TI Automotive Neuss GmbH
Current assignee: TI Automotive Neuss GmbH
Priority date: 2007-04-03
Filing date: 2008-04-02
Publication date: 2008-10-16
Also published as: DE102007015950A1

Abstract

A fuel pump housing includes a body that has a bottom portion. A fuel filter is located adjacent the bottom portion, and contacts the body so that electricity, such as static electricity, is conducted between the body and the fuel filter. A ground connection dissipates, or limits, electricity in both the body and the fuel filter.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Applicants claim priority of German Patent Application No. 10 2007 015 950.3, filed Apr. 3, 2007.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to automotive fuel supply systems, and more particularly to fuel pump housings used in automotive fuel supply systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many automotive fuel supply systems include a fuel tank for storing fuel. In one arrangement, a fuel delivery module including, among other things, a housing, a fuel pump, and a fuel filter may be suspended within the fuel tank. In another arrangement, the fuel pump may be arranged in-line with one or more fuel delivery lines. In operation, fuel typically travels through the fuel filter, into the fuel pump, and to an internal combustion engine. The traveling fuel often creates static electricity in the fuel filter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of a fuel pump housing may include a body, a fuel filter, and a ground connection. The body may have a bottom portion. The fuel filter may be located at or near the bottom portion where it can be in contact with the body so that electricity, such as static electricity, is conducted between the fuel filter and the body. The ground connection may help dissipate electricity that may be present in both the body and the fuel filter.
One embodiment of an assembly may include a housing and a fuel pump. The housing may include a body with a bottom portion, and may include a fuel filter. The fuel filter may be located at or near the bottom portion, and may conduct electricity, such as static electricity, to the housing. The housing, the fuel filter, or both may also include a single ground connection in order to dissipate electricity that may be present in both the housing and the fuel filter. The fuel pump may be held at least partially within the housing.
One embodiment of an assembly may include a housing and a fuel pump. The housing may include a body with a bottom portion, and may include a fuel filter. The fuel filter may be located at or near the bottom portion, and may conduct electricity, such as static electricity, to the body. The housing may also include a single ground connection in order to dissipate static electricity that may be present in both the body and the fuel filter. The housing may further include a connecting device that may extend between the body and the ground connection. The connecting device may conduct electricity between the body and the ground connection. The fuel pump may be held at least partially within the housing

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description of preferred embodiments and best mode will be set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of an embodiment of a fuel pump housing;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of an embodiment of a fuel pump housing; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of an embodiment of a fuel pump housing having a fuel pump therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In general, and before referring to the drawing figures, various example embodiments of a holder or housing 10 are shown and described. The housing 10 may be used in a fuel delivery module or sender unit of an automotive fuel supply system, and may be disposed in communication with or in a fuel tank. The housing 10 may have a simple design and a compact structure. A fuel filter 12 and a body 14 of the housing 10 may conduct electricity between each other, and a ground connection 16 may help dissipate electricity present in both the fuel filter and the body.
As shown in FIG. 3, a fuel pump 18 can be secured in the housing 10, or the housing can secure parts of the fuel pump. The fuel pump 18 provides the suction and drive needed to take fuel out of the fuel tank and deliver fuel to an internal combustion engine. The fuel pump 18 may be of the in-tank type, and the electric type having an electric motor that is powered by a vehicle power supply, such as a battery 20. The fuel pump 18 may have an inlet 22 for drawing-in fuel, and may have an outlet 24 for discharging fuel out of an outlet or discharge line 26. One or more retaining devices 28 may hold the fuel pump 18 in-place inside of the housing 10, or a fitting (not shown) around the discharge line 26 may suspend the fuel pump in the housing. A negative terminal 30 may be located on the fuel pump 18. A connecting device 32 may connect the fuel pump 18 with the body 14, such as by a terminal lug. The connecting device 32 may ground the fuel pump 18 to the body 14.
The body 14 receives the fuel pump 18 or parts of the fuel pump, and may provide the structure of the housing 10. In one example, the body 14 may be composed of an electrically conductive material such as a metal like steel or aluminum. The body 14 may be formed by various metal forming processes such as by deep-drawing a metal sheet into a generally cylindrical shape. Referring to FIG. 1, the body 14 may have a top portion 34 that may define an opening 36 for the discharge line 26 and for electrical wires providing power to the fuel pump 18. The body may also have a bottom portion 38 that may define an opening (not shown) for a feed line (also not shown). The top portion 34 may define other openings for other lines or for the electrical wires, or the top portion may define an open top. In other embodiments, the top portion 34 and the bottom portion 38 may be separate components that are subsequently attached together. In this case, the top portion 34 and the bottom portion 38 may be in contact with each other such that electricity conducts through and between the portions.
The fuel filter 12 helps screen out contaminants that may otherwise enter into the fuel pump 18 or into the housing 10. The fuel filter 12 may have various embodiments. In the example of FIG. 1, the fuel filter 12 may be integral with, or may be a part of, the body 14; that is, the fuel filter may not necessarily be a component that is separate from the body. A plurality of pores or openings 42 may be formed in the bottom portion 38 by a punching process, a laser cutting process, or by any other suitable forming process. The openings 42 may be disposed about a majority of the area of the bottom portion 38, may be disposed on only a section of the bottom portion, or may be disposed partly on a side wall adjacent the bottom portion. The openings 42 may be sized and dimensioned to allow fuel to enter into the housing 10, and to exclude other larger particles. When in use, static electricity may build-up or accumulate in the fuel filter 12 by fuel flowing through it. Such static electricity may be dissipated, or dispersed, through the body 14. This may limit electricity build-up in the fuel filter 12 and may help prevent static discharge at the fuel filter.
In the example of FIG. 2, the fuel filter 12 may constitute an insert in the sense that the fuel filter may be a separate component that is subsequently attached to the bottom portion 38. For example, a larger opening 44 may be formed in the bottom portion 38 by a punching process, a laser cutting process, or by any other suitable forming process. The opening 44 may be a single opening or may have more than one opening. The opening 44 may extend over a majority of the area of the bottom portion 38, may extend over only a section of the bottom portion, or may extend partly on the side wall adjacent the bottom portion. A mesh-like material, such as a film or a screen 46, may be attached to the bottom portion 38 and may extend over the opening 44 in order to separate contaminants out of the fuel flowing through it. The screen 46 may be attached to the bottom portion 38 by caulking, crimping, overmolding its perimeter, welding (e.g., by weld spots 48), or other suitable attaching methods. In at least some of these examples, the screen 46 may be inserted in notches (not shown) defined in a surface of the opening 44. The screen 46 may be composed of an electrically conductive material such as a metal like steel or aluminum. When in use, static electricity may build-up or accumulate in the screen 46 by fuel flowing through it. Such static electricity may be dissipated, or dispersed, through the body 14 as the screen may be in contact with the body at its attachment points. This may limit electricity build-up in the fuel filter 12 and may help prevent static discharge at the fuel filter.
The ground connection 16 may help limit the build-up of static electricity in the housing 10, and in both the fuel filter 12 and the body 14. The ground connection 16 may dissipate, or disperse, static electricity through itself and to whatever the ground connection is connected to. The ground connection 16 may be a single ground connection, and may constitute the only ground connection for the housing 10. That is, there may be no need to have a separate ground for each of the body 14 and the fuel filter 12.
The ground connection 16 may have various embodiments. In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2, the ground connection 16 may include the connecting device 32 in order to link the housing 10 or the fuel filter 12 with another component. For example, the connecting device 32 may have a metal screw 50, one or more terminal lugs, and an electric wire 52; in another embodiment, the connecting device may include a stainless steel strip or sheet. The metal screw 50 may be fastened to the body 14, and the electric wire 52 may extend to another component. Static electricity may travel from the body 14, through the metal screw 50 and the electric wire 52, and to the particular component. For example, the connecting device 32 may extend to the vehicle power supply, such as the battery 20, and the ground connection 16 may be formed where the battery is ground. As another example, the connecting device 32 may extend to a body of the vehicle, and the ground connection 16 may be formed thereat. In another example, the connecting device 32 may extend to a negative terminal of a vehicle accumulator. Still in other examples, the ground connection 16 may be formed without the connecting device 32, where the body 14 may be directly contacting a component such as the body of the vehicle. In this case, static electricity may travel between an interface of the body 14 and the vehicle body.
In another embodiment, the housing 10 may constitute the outer housing or casing of the fuel pump 18. In this case, the impeller or running gears and other internals of the fuel pump 18 may be directly supported in the housing 10 without any other intermediate housing. The variously described fuel filters 12 and ground connections 16 may be used in this embodiment.
While the forms of the invention herein disclosed constitute presently preferred embodiments, many others are possible. It is not intended herein to mention all the possible equivalent forms or ramifications of the invention. It is understood that the terms used herein are merely descriptive, rather than limiting, and that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A fuel pump housing, comprising:

a body of an electrically conductive material having a bottom portion;

a fuel filter located at the bottom portion, and being in contact with the body whereby electricity is conducted therebetween; and

a ground connection contacting at least one of the body or the fuel filter to dissipate electricity in both the body and the fuel filter.

2. The fuel pump housing of claim 1 wherein the bottom portion defines a plurality of openings that constitute the fuel filter.

3. The fuel pump housing of claim 1 wherein the fuel filter extends over an opening that is defined in the bottom portion.

4. The fuel pump housing of claim 3 wherein the fuel filter is a film attached over the opening.

5. The fuel pump housing of claim 3 wherein the fuel filter is a screen attached over the opening.

6. The fuel pump housing of claim 1 wherein the ground connection is a single ground connection and is the only ground connection for the body and the fuel filter.

7. The fuel pump housing of claim 1 wherein the ground connection is formed by direct contact between the body and a vehicle body.

8. The fuel pump housing of claim 1 further comprising a connecting device extending between the body and the ground connection.

9. The fuel pump housing of claim 8 wherein the connecting device includes a screw and an electric wire.

10. The fuel pump housing of claim 8 wherein the ground connection is formed at a vehicle power supply.

11. The fuel pump housing of claim 8 wherein the ground connection is formed at a negative terminal of a fuel pump.

12. The fuel pump housing of claim 8 wherein the ground connection is formed at a vehicle body.

13. An assembly, comprising:

a housing having a body with a bottom portion, the housing having a fuel filter located at the bottom portion and conducting electricity to the body, the housing also having a single ground connection directly contacting one or both of the fuel filter and the body, the ground connection being adapted to contact ground in order to dissipate electricity in both the body and the fuel filter; and

a fuel pump held at least partially within the housing.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the ground connection dissipates static electricity that is generated in the fuel filter.

15. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the bottom portion defines a plurality of openings that constitute the fuel filter.

16. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the fuel filter extends over an opening that is defined in the bottom portion.

17. The assembly of claim 13 further comprising a connecting device extending between the body and the ground connection.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the ground connection is formed at a vehicle power supply.

19. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the ground connection is formed at a negative terminal of the fuel pump.

20. An assembly, comprising:

a housing having a body with a bottom portion, the housing having a fuel filter located at the bottom portion to conduct electricity to the body, the housing also having a single ground connection that dissipates static electricity in the body and in the fuel filter, and the housing having a connecting device extending between the body and the ground connection to conduct electricity therebetween; and

a fuel pump held at least partially within the housing.