Turbine Regenerative Pump Patents (Class 415/55.1)
  • Publication number: 20030118438
    Abstract: A fuel pump improved in pump efficiency is provided. An impeller rotating in a pump casing has an approximately disk-shaped configuration with a group of recesses formed in a region extending along the outer peripheries of the obverse and reverse sides of the impeller. The recesses are repeatedly arranged at a distance between each other in the circumferential direction with a partition provided between each pair of adjacent recesses. The radially inner and outer end portions of the partition are positioned on the same radius, and the radially middle portion of the partition is curved rearward in the direction of rotation of the impeller. With this fuel pump, the incidence of separation or vortex formation in the flow of fuel is minimized, and a high pump efficiency can be obtained. It is preferable that the maximum amount of curvature of the partition should be from 0.1 to 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Takayuki Usui, Kenzo Nagasaka
  • Publication number: 20030118437
    Abstract: A fuel pump improved in pump efficiency is provided. An impeller rotating in a pump casing has an approximately disk-shaped configuration with a group of recesses formed in a region extending along the outer peripheries of the obverse and reverse sides of the impeller. The recesses are repeatedly arranged in the circumferential direction at a distance between each pair of adjacent recesses. The radially outer end face of each recess slantingly extends radially outward from a middle plane in the direction of thickness toward the obverse and reverse sides. With this fuel pump, the incidence of separation or vortex formation in the flow of fuel is minimized, and a high pump efficiency can be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Takami, Kenzo Nagasaka
  • Publication number: 20030118439
    Abstract: A fuel pump capable of using the pump efficiency most efficiently without reducing the useful service life is provided. A relatively large clearance allowing for the expected amount of wear is ensured in a region where the flow passage groove pressure is low. In a region where the flow passage groove pressure is high, it is unnecessary to allow for the wear. Therefore, the clearance is set relatively small.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Takayuki Usui, Kenzo Nagasaka, Koichi Iwata
  • Publication number: 20030108418
    Abstract: An impeller for a fuel pump for supplying fuel to an automotive engine from a fuel tank includes an impeller body with a plurality of vanes having a front side and a back side extending radially outward therefrom. A plurality of partitions are interposed between the vanes and extend a radially shorter distance than the vanes. The partitions and the vanes define a plurality of vane grooves. Each of the vanes includes a root which is adjacent the impeller body and a distal end. The vanes have a thickness which varies such that the vanes are thickest at the root and gradually become thinner as the vanes extend outward to the distal end. A ring portion is fitted around the impeller and connected to the distal ends of the vanes such that a plurality of extending fuel flow passages are formed between the vanes, the partitions, and the ring portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2001
    Publication date: June 12, 2003
    Inventor: DeQuan Yu
  • Publication number: 20030103841
    Abstract: A fuel pump includes a pump housing with a motor which is adapted to rotate a shaft with a ring impeller mounted thereon. A bottom is mounted to the housing and has an outlet. A cover is mounted on an end of the housing and is attached to the bottom with the ring impeller enclosed between the cover and the bottom. The cover includes a first side having a fuel inlet orifice and a second side having a flow channel formed therein. The inlet orifice extends through the cover in fluid communication with the flow channel. The flow channel includes an inlet, a ramp, a ramp end and a main channel. The inlet includes a smooth curved profile. The ramp connects the inlet to the ramp end. The ramp end connects the ramp to the main channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Inventors: DeQuan Yu, Sheven Sharp
  • Publication number: 20030086783
    Abstract: A fuel pump includes an impeller having a plurality of front and rear blades and a plurality of front and rear blade ditches, a pump passage around the impeller, a fuel suction port and a fuel discharge port. Each of the front and rear blade ditches has a concave surface. Each of the front blade ditches has a tip depth at the tip of the front blade and a bottom depth at a portion adjacent to the tip. The fuel discharged from the front ditches is turned by the concave surface inwardly, thereby forming circulating flow effectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2002
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Inventor: Atsushige Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 6558112
    Abstract: Fluid heating devices may be utilized, for example, to heat a vehicle coolant and may include a rotor body rotatably supported within a rotor housing. A plurality of blades may be disposed on a circumferential surface of the rotor body and a channel may be defined between each two adjacent blades. Each channel has a base portion, an inner circumferential end and an outer circumferential end. Preferably, the inner circumferential end is longer than the outer circumferential end as measured from the base portion. Further, the outer circumferential ends of the channels may define wall portions and the wall portions are preferably shorter than the inner circumferential ends as measured from the base portions of the channels. In view of this design, it is not necessary to provide shields toward the outer circumferential ends of the channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Takahiro Moroi, Masami Niwa, Shigeru Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20030082047
    Abstract: An impeller for a fuel pump includes an impeller body having a substantially disk shape. A plurality of radially outwardly extending vanes extend from the impeller body with a plurality of partitions interposed therebetween. The partitions and the vanes define a plurality of vane grooves each including an inlet portion, an exit portion and an arcuate shaped portion interconnecting the inlet portion and the exit portion. The inlet portion of each of the vane grooves has a straight section which is substantially perpendicular to and extends inward from an adjacent face. The vane grooves extend inward from the inlet portion such that the exit portions of two aligned vane grooves define a vane groove tip. The exit portion of each of the vane grooves includes a straight section such that the straight sections of two aligned exit portions define an included angle therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventor: DeQuan Yu
  • Publication number: 20030077164
    Abstract: A regenerative fluid dynamic machine, typically a blower or compressor, includes an impeller (1) with fixedly attached blades (6) which may be radial or curved in a general convex fashion facing forward in the direction of turning. The impeller is enclosed in a housing which, together with the shaped profile of the rotor flank/s defines a toroidal passage (7) between inlet an outlet ports, fluid flow in said passage/s following a path which forms a spiral centred generally within the cross section of the passage, said housing being provided with slideable side walls that are made to contract and expand the width of said toroidal passage to change the operation of the compressor so as to meet the requirements of fluid delivery or pressure. Another resort is also proposed that will achieve a similar result through variations to the circumference span of the inlet passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2001
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Inventor: Norman Moss
  • Patent number: 6547515
    Abstract: A regenerative type electric motor fuel pump has a vapor vent passage disposed outside of a fuel pumping channel and communicating the fuel pumping channel with the exterior of the fuel pump to vent fuel vapor from the fuel pumping channel. The vapor vent passage extends through one of a pair of end plates between which a pump impeller is received for rotation. Preferably, the vapor vent passage communicates with the fuel-pumping channel through a connecting slot in the end plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Walbro Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph M. Ross
  • Publication number: 20030068221
    Abstract: A fuel pump includes an impeller and a passage member having a pump passage around the impeller, a fuel suction port and a fuel discharge port. The pump passage includes an arc-shaped fuel passage connected to the suction port and a terminal fuel passage connected to the discharge port. The discharge port is located outside the pump passage in the radial direction, and the terminal fuel passage is formed so that a portion of the terminal fuel passage is located radially more outside as the portion of the terminal fuel passage moves in the rotation direction of the impeller. The sectional area of the terminal fuel passage except spaces occupied by the impeller is approximately constant to prevent flow energy loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventors: Atsushige Kobayashi, Kiyotoshi Oi
  • Publication number: 20030068220
    Abstract: An electric-operated fuel pump has a vaned impeller that is disposed within a pumping chamber for rotation about an axis. The pumping chamber has a main channel extending arcuately about the axis to one axial side of the impeller. The main channel has a radially outer margin that opens along at least a portion of the channel's arcuate extent to an adjoining contaminant collection channel which extends arcuately about the axis and which is effective, as the pumping element rotates, to collect certain fluid-entrained particulates expelled from the main channel and to convey such collected particulates toward the pump outlet. A sump is disposed at the end of the contaminant collection channel proximate the outlet. Several grooves in the seal surface between inlet and outlet, which is called “strip area.” The grooves are extended radially outward, the angles match the impeller vane angles and these grooves prevent leakage of the contaminations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2001
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventors: DeQuan Yu, Paul E. Fisher
  • Patent number: 6540474
    Abstract: A side-channel pump includes guide means for the radial and/or axial guidance of an impeller, the guide means being arranged in the radially outer area of the impeller. The guide means include guide surfaces arranged on the impeller at an intended angle to the ends of the impeller. The frictional losses of the side-channel pump are thereby kept particularly low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO
    Inventors: Peter Marx, Cicero Constantin, Jörg Deubner
  • Patent number: 6533537
    Abstract: An impeller for a circumferential current pump does not generate a weld phenomenon and can make a structure of an injection molding metal mold simple. An impeller (2) for a circumferential current pump (1) is provided with a plurality of vane grooves (12) on an outer periphery of a synthetic resin disc-like member (8) rotated by a motor (3a), and is rotatably received with a substantially disc-like space (6) formed between a pump casing (4) and a pump cover (5). An axial hole (15) engaging with a drive shaft (21) of the motor (3a) is formed in a center portion of the disc-like member (8), and a pressure adjusting groove (17) open to both side surfaces (10, 11) of the disc-like member (8) is formed in the axial hole (15). An annular recess portion (18) for arranging a ring gate (20) for injection molding is formed at a position a predetermined size apart from an outer peripheral side of the axial hole (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventor: Ryoichi Nakada
  • Patent number: 6527506
    Abstract: A fuel pump for a vehicle includes a pump section having a flow channel and a rotatable impeller cooperating with the flow channel to pump fuel therethrough. The fuel pump also includes a motor section disposed adjacent the pump section and having a motor to rotate the impeller. The fuel pump further includes an outlet section disposed adjacent the motor section to allow pumped fuel to exit the fuel pump. The impeller includes a plurality of blades that are generally V shaped. The pump section has an inlet port and an outlet port communicating with the flow channel and has a shape according to a face angle of the blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale M. Pickelman, Mohammed Aslam, Partab Jeswani
  • Patent number: 6527507
    Abstract: A feeding aggregate for fuel has a feed pump which is formed as a side channel pump and has a housing, a pump chamber formed in the housing, and an impeller arranged in the pump chamber, an electric motor provided for driving of the impeller and having a stator and a rotor, with the rotor formed of one piece with the impeller, the feed pump having at least one pump stage, a rim of vanes having vane chambers therebetween and provided on at least one end side of the impeller, a partial ring-shaped side passage formed in the housing opposite to the rim of vanes and having an inlet and an outlet spaced from one another in a peripheral direction of the impeller and open into the side passage, the at least one pump stage of the feed pump having the rim of vanes only on one end side of the impeller and having the side passage in the housing opposite to the rim of vanes, the inlet and the outlet of the side passage being arranged at a same end side of the impeller, and the impeller at an end side which is opposite to
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Mathias Rollwage, Albert Gerhard, Jochen Rose, Erich Eiler
  • Patent number: 6527505
    Abstract: A fuel pump for pumping fuel from an inlet port to an outlet port. In one embodiment, a housing made up of a body piece and a cover piece encloses an impeller. The impeller has a vaned periphery and an outer ring connected by spokes. An inlet hole is defined within the cover piece for fuel to enter the pump. An outlet hole is defined within the body piece for fuel to exit the pump into an internal chamber. A first main semicircular shaped channel is defined circumferentially into the cover piece and extends in an annular fashion around the cover piece. The body piece has a second main semicircular channel as well as at least one annular groove. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there are two annular grooves, one connected directly to the second semicircular channel, and one around the peripheral edge of the body piece at the point where it contacts the cover piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: DeQuan Yu, Paul E. Fisher
  • Publication number: 20030039539
    Abstract: A wear resistant fuel pump for a vehicle includes a pump section having a rotatable impeller and a plurality of plates disposed axially adjacent to and cooperating with the impeller to pump fuel therethrough. The wear resistant fuel pump also includes a motor section disposed adjacent the pump section and having a motor to rotate the impeller. The wear resistant fuel pump further includes an outlet section disposed adjacent the motor section to allow pumped fuel to exit therethrough. The impeller is made of a first compound and the plates are made of a second compound having an abrasion wear resistance on a surface thereof that improves abrasion wear characteristics therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2001
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: David Edward Harris, John Gardner Fischer
  • Publication number: 20030026686
    Abstract: In a fuel pump having a high pump efficiency, an annular portion is formed on an outer periphery of an impeller to let one- and opposite-side blade grooves be independent of each other. Then, various improvements are made such as tilting front and rear wall surfaces of the blade grooves in a predetermined direction, forming one- and opposite-side blade grooves in a zigzag fashion, forming a guide surface in a communicating passage of a pump housing, and forming communicating holes in an impeller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Publication date: February 6, 2003
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Kusagaya, Yoshihiko Ito, Motoya Ito, Yukio Mori, Masatoshi Takagi, Koji Maruyama, Eiji Iwanari
  • Publication number: 20030026685
    Abstract: A turbine fuel pump for smoothly flowing fuel in a fuel inlet passage, preventing a pressure loss at a start end of a pump flow passage to prevent generation of a local negative pressure, thereby increasing pump efficiency. The turbine fuel pump includes an impeller with blades and blade grooves, and a pump housing having first and second housings for rotatably storing the impeller. The first housing has a C-shaped side groove, a fuel inlet passage which bends at a start end of the side groove toward the center of the first housing, and an opening on an outer side surface. The second housing has a C-shaped side groove, and a fuel outlet opening communicating with a terminal end of the side groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Publication date: February 6, 2003
    Inventors: Masatoshi Takagi, Katsuhiko Kusagaya, Motoya Ito, Yukio Mori, Eiji Iwanari
  • Patent number: 6511283
    Abstract: An electric fuel pump for supplying fuel by rotationally driving an impeller (30) within a pump flow path (13) with the aid of a motor section (3), wherein vane segments (31A, 31B) of the impeller (30) are staggered by a prescribed distance (d) at the front and rear and circumferentially of the impeller (30), guiding faces (31a, 31b) which extend from the sides of the end faces to the outermost periphery of the impeller (30) are formed in the staggered portions, and partitions (32) are provided between the a adjacent vanes (31), each of the partitions having guiding faces (32a, 32b) on the sides of the end faces of the impeller (30) and an outermost peripheral face (32c) located more inwardly than the outermost peripheral face (31c) of the vane (31). In such a configuration, the vane segments (31A, 31B) do not simultaneously collide with the end face (9b) of the radial sealing portion (9a) so that the noise due to fuel collision can be reduced and the pumping efficiency can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi DenkiKabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 6503049
    Abstract: In a feed pump designed as a side-channel pump, an impeller is held so as to be slightly pivotable with respect to a shaft about an axis running transversely to the shaft. The impeller is thereby adaptable to tolerances of a casing. Rubbing of the impeller on the casing is also prevented as a result. The feed pump consequently generates a particularly low level of noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Peter Marx, Bernd Jäger
  • Patent number: 6499941
    Abstract: A fuel pump for a vehicle includes a pump section having a flow channel and a rotatable impeller cooperating with said flow channel to pump fuel therethrough. The fuel pump also includes a motor section disposed adjacent the pump section and having a motor to rotate the impeller. The fuel pump further includes an outlet section disposed adjacent the motor section to allow pumped fuel to exit the fuel pump. The pump section includes a mechanism for minimizing leakage of fuel from the flow channel radially and equalizing pressure across a sealing surface of the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: John Gardner Fischer
  • Publication number: 20020197149
    Abstract: The Cu-based sintered alloy bearing of the present invention is made of a Cu-based sintered alloy with a composition consisting of, by weight, Ni: 10 to 25%, Zn: 10 to 25%, P: 0.1 to 0.9%, C: 0 to 5%, molybdenum disulfide: 0.5 to 5%, and Cu and inevitable impurities as the balance. The Cu-based sintered alloy has a texture from a Cu—P compound, free graphite, and molybdenum disulfide being dispersed in a base material made of a solid solution phase of a Cu—Ni—Zn alloy, and a porosity is within a range of 5 to 25%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventors: Noboru Kanezaki, Tsuneo Murayama, Yoshio Ebihara
  • Patent number: 6497552
    Abstract: An impeller has a plurality of blades at an outer periphery thereof. Each of the adjacent blades define a groove space, and a partition wall is provided in the groove space. The partition wall is disposed at a center area of the groove space in an axial direction of the impeller for partitioning the groove space from a root of the blade. The blade inclines backwardly in the rotating direction at the root side thereof, and inclines frontwardly in the rotating direction at a radial outer end side thereof. A front face is inwardly concaved from both axial ends, and warps from the root to the radial outer end of the blade to form the concave such that the concave gradually becomes small from the root to the radial outer end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushige Kobayashi, Kiyotoshi Oi, Hiroaki Takei, Yoshio Ebihara
  • Patent number: 6494673
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a turbine engine (10) comprising a housing (12) in which a rotor (14) is rotatably mounted. The housing (12) of the turbine engine (10) is of a split casing construction including a center casing (24) sandwiched between a pair of outer casings, namely an inlet outer casing (26) and an outlet outer casing (28). The rotor 14 is shaped circular in profile and includes three working surfaces generally defined by a peripheral surface (32) and a pair of opposing sides surfaces (34) and (36), respectively. The peripheral surface (32) of the rotor (14) which acts as a fist stage of the turbine (10) includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced and generally axially directed ribs in the form of a series of arcuate flutes such as (38).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: ECO-Turbo Pty Limited ACN
    Inventors: Dominic K L Choy, Stuart Daevys, Amir S Khoshkbijary
  • Patent number: 6488466
    Abstract: A feed pump designed as side-channel pump has a shaft for a rotationally fixed connection to an impeller. Two flattenings are arranged on the shaft so that they are nonparallel to one another. The impeller is thereby mountable on the shaft only in an intended position so that the impeller is rotated in an intended direction of rotation in a casing. The feed pump may therefore be assembled in a particularly simple way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Peter Marx, Bernd Jäger
  • Patent number: 6481958
    Abstract: In a feed pump designed as a side-channel pump, a blade chamber of an impeller has a contour which is formed by a radius and in which, as seen from the contour, the origin of the radius is located behind a center line of the blade chamber. A circulation flow thereby passes into the blade chamber with particularly low turbulences. The feed pump has particularly high efficiency as a result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann Vdo AG
    Inventors: Hans-Dieter Wilhelm, Holger Barth, Matthias Stabb
  • Publication number: 20020168261
    Abstract: An impeller for liquid pump that is capable of improving pump efficiency by modifying a shape of the impeller. An impeller is rotatably provided in a pump section of a fuel pump. A plurality of through holes are formed in the impeller so as to extend in an axial direction adjacent a circumference of a disk plate member. By doing so, a plurality of vanes and an outer-radial side ring portion are formed. An intake portion for the liquid, that is, a radial inner surface of the through hole that guides the liquid is inclined so that its rotating direction leading side is positioned to the inner-radial side, and thereby, a wider fluid guiding area is secured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Applicant: MITSUBA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Bunji Honma
  • Patent number: 6474938
    Abstract: A fuel pump for use in conjunction with a gas turbine engine is disclosed which includes a pump housing, a shrouded rotor member, and an inlet post member, wherein fluid is axially supplied along the pump centerline and then radially discharged at a first pressure to the interior chamber of the pump housing, at the base portion of vane elements associated with the rotor, thereby contacting the vane elements at a minimum angular velocity and angle of incidence. Also disclosed is a single bearing arrangement for eccentrically supporting a shrouded rotor member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Coltec Industries Inc
    Inventors: William H. Dalton, George L. Bennett
  • Patent number: 6474937
    Abstract: The fluid pump has an impeller (10), provided with vanes (12) and driven to rotate in a pump chamber. The pump chamber is defined in the direction of the pivot axis (18) of the impeller (10) by wall parts (24), in each end face (25) of which toward the impeller (10) there is one annular feed conduit (32). An intake opening discharges in the region of the beginning of the feed conduit of one wall part, and an outlet opening (34) discharges in the region of the end of the feed conduit (32) of the other wall part (24). The outlet opening (34) is embodied as elongated in the circulation direction (11) of the impeller (10), and in the radial direction with respect to the pivot axis (18) of the impeller (10), it has a width (b) that is less than the width (B) of the feed conduit (32) in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Johann Rothkopf, Luciano Zorzin, Dirk Bruhs
  • Patent number: 6471466
    Abstract: A feed pump includes an impeller with two rings of guide blades delimiting blade chambers. The rings of guide blades concentrically surrounding one another and have different angular intervals between guide blades. The angular intervals between the guide blades of each ring vary within a range of values and ranges of values of each ring of guide blades is different to avoid the additions of noise emissions the feed pump consequently has noises which cause particularly little disturbance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Peter Marx, Hans Dieter Wilhelm, Holger Barth
  • Patent number: 6468027
    Abstract: A casing includes a C-shaped casing side pump groove along blades of an impeller. A casing cover also includes a casing cover side pump groove facing the casing side pump groove. The casing side pump groove and the casing cover side pump groove form a pump fluid passage. A gap is provided between an outer surface of the pump grooves and the impeller. Depth, and outer and inner diameters of a pump groove starts to gradually change from a fuel upstream side of a fuel outlet. The depth of the pump groove gradually decreases, the outer diameter of the pump groove gradually decreases to approach an outer diameter of the impeller, and the inner diameter of the pump groove gradually increases to approach the outer diameter of the impeller. The pump groove ends at a downstream side of the fuel outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Narisako, Yoshio Ebihara
  • Patent number: 6464450
    Abstract: A fuel pump for a vehicle includes a pump section having a flow channel and a rotatable impeller cooperating with said flow channel to pump fuel therethrough. The fuel pump also includes a motor section disposed adjacent the pump section and having a motor to rotate the impeller. The fuel pump further includes an outlet section disposed adjacent the motor section to allow pumped fuel to exit the fuel pump. The pump section includes a mechanism for minimizing leakage of fuel from the flow channel radially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: John Gardner Fischer
  • Publication number: 20020141860
    Abstract: A turbine pump includes a casing having an inlet, an outlet and front and rear arc-shaped pump passages and an impeller. The impeller has plural impeller partitions respectively disposed between every two of the blades thereby forming impeller grooves at front and rear sides of the partitions and an outer ring at the peripheral edge of the blades. Each impeller groove, each of pump passage and the outer ring form a space for circulating fuel. The outside diameter of the impeller is smaller than the pump passages so that the impeller does not contact the pump passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Kusagaya, Motoya Ito, Yukio Mori
  • Patent number: 6454522
    Abstract: An impeller for a circumferential current pump is provided with a plurality of vanes, and each of the vanes has an upstream side surface and a downstream side surface in a rotating direction thereof and a center line between both these surfaces extends along a radial direction of a disc-shape member, the upstream side surface has a radially inside portion and a radially outside portion which are formed to be continuous so that the radially inside portion is in parallel to the center line and the radially outside portion is inclined forward in the rotating direction of the disc-shape member, and the downstream side surface is formed entirely to be parallel to the center line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Sakamoto, Naotaka Tatsuzawa
  • Patent number: 6454521
    Abstract: A wear resistant fuel pump for a vehicle includes a pump section having a flow channel and a rotatable impeller cooperating with said flow channel to pump fuel therethrough. The fuel pump also includes a motor section disposed adjacent the pump section and having a motor to rotate the impeller. The fuel pump further includes an outlet section disposed adjacent the motor section to allow pumped fuel to exit the fuel pump. The pump section includes a plurality of plates disposed axially adjacent to and cooperating with the impeller. At least one of the plates includes a wear insert that improves abrasion wear characteristics therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Moore Anderson, David Edward Harris
  • Patent number: 6454520
    Abstract: A novel impeller for a regenerative turbine fuel includes a hub and a plurality of V-shaped vanes that project radially outward. The hub defines an aperture into which the shaft of the pump is securable. Each V-shaped vane includes a pair of fin members. Each fin member has an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall. The fin members of each vane are adjoined by their inner sidewalls. From their adjoined inner sidewalls, the fin members of each vane diverge to their respective outer sidewalls. In particular, the fin members of each vane diverge at a prespecified angle relative to a plane that lies normal to the center axis and also bisects the hub. Along at least part of its length, the trailing corner of each outer sidewall of each V-shaped vane is chamfered. The chamfer is made at a predetermined angle relative to the aforementioned plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale M. Pickelman, John Gardner Fischer
  • Publication number: 20020131860
    Abstract: A fuel pump for discharging a desired amount of fuel during vapor generation has a pump cover and a pump casing which rotatably accommodates an impeller. A pressure difference is caused in the vicinity of each impeller vane groove by fluid friction as the impeller rotates. Such a pressure difference repeatedly occurs with respect to each of the vane grooves, causing the pressurization of fuel in a pump channel formed along an outer periphery of the impeller to pump fuel to a motor chamber. An introduction groove of the pump channel formed on the pump cover side has a first vapor chamber outwardly extending in the radial direction of the impeller. Another pump channel introduction groove formed on the pump casing side has a second vapor chamber above the impeller. The first and second vapor chambers permit the removal of vapor in fuel fed from the fuel suction port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Inventor: Hiroaki Takei
  • Patent number: 6447242
    Abstract: In a feed pump designed as a side-passage pump and having a driven impeller rotating in a housing a liquid to be fed is supplied radially from the inside to guide blades arranged in the impeller. For this purpose, the impeller has a groove adjoining the guide blades. As a result, Feed pump has an especially high efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Hans-Dieter Wilhelm
  • Patent number: 6443691
    Abstract: In an impeller of a feed pump designed as a side channel pump, each of the vane chambers are divided into two sectors which are arranged in an undercut-free design relative to a direction perpendicular to the end face of the impeller. When the impeller is manufactured from plastic by injection molding, the sectors may be produced by projections arranged on mold halves intended for the manufacture of the impeller. After the production of the impeller, the projections in the mold halves having the geometric shape of the sectors may be drawn axially apart from one another in one simple step, thereby providing a cost-effective production of the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Helmut Nather
  • Patent number: 6443693
    Abstract: A fuel pump for a motor vehicle has an outlet duct leading to an internal combustion engine and a connection leading to an ejector, and two delivery chambers which are separate from one another. The delivery chambers are concentric so that one surrounds the other. The fuel pump is simple to construct and can be manufactured at favorable cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesman VDO AG
    Inventor: Karl Eck
  • Patent number: 6443692
    Abstract: An impeller for a circumferential current pump is injection molded and can be used as it is without being polished. The impeller (7) is provided with a plurality of vane grooves (12) on an outer periphery of a synthetic resin disc-like member (8) rotated by a motor, and is rotatably received with a substantially disc-like space (6) formed between a pump casing (4) and a pump cover (5). A disc-like recess portion (14) is formed in both side surfaces (10, 11) of the disc-like member (8). A formation is performed so that a ratio (L/2t) between the sum (t1+t2=2t) of a gap (t1) between one side surface (10) and the pump casing (4) and a gap (t2) between another side surface (11) and the pump cover (5), and a size (L=R0−H−R1) obtained by subtracting a radical groove length (H) of the vane groove (12) and a radial size (R1) of the recess portion (14) from a radial size (R0) of the disc-like member (8) satisfies a relation 66≦(L/2t).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Sakamoto, Naotaka Tatsuzawa, Yoichi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 6439833
    Abstract: A novel impeller for a regenerative turbine fuel pump improves the efficiency of the pump and yet still retains a geometry that allows it to be manufactured by conventional injection molding techniques at a relatively low cost. The impeller comprises a hub, an outer ring and a plurality of innovative V-shaped vanes. The hub defines an aperture into which the shaft of the pump is securable to allow the hub to rotate about a center axis. The outer ring is concentric to the hub. The vanes extend from an outer surface of the hub to an inner surface of the outer ring. Each vane comprises an entrance portion that extends from the outer surface of the hub and an exit portion that extends from the entrance portion to the inner surface of the outer ring. Each vane has a V-shape of a prespecified angle centered relative to a plane normal to the center axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale M. Pickelman, John Gardner Fischer
  • Patent number: 6435810
    Abstract: A wear resistant fuel pump for a vehicle includes a pump section having a flow channel and a rotatable impeller cooperating with the flow channel. The wear resistant fuel pump also includes a motor section disposed adjacent the pump section and having a motor to rotate the impeller. The wear resistant fuel pump further includes an outlet section disposed adjacent the motor section to allow pumped fuel to exit the fuel pump. The pump section includes a plurality of plates disposed axially adjacent to and cooperating with the impeller. The impeller and plates are made of a compound having an abrasion wear resistance on a predetermined surface that improves abrasion wear characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John Gardner Fischer, John J. Giacchina, Ismat Ali Abu-Isa
  • Patent number: 6425732
    Abstract: A method of combining an impeller and a shroud includes selecting a rotatable impeller having impeller blades with radially extending distal ends defining a predetermined outer impeller diameter. A shroud element is then selected having an inner diameter less than the outer impeller diameter. The shroud element is then attached to at least some of the radially extending distal ends of the impeller blades by forming an interference fit between the inner shroud diameter and the outer impeller diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Capstone Turbine Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory C. Rouse, Mike Swinton, Dadjar Modjahedpour
  • Patent number: 6425733
    Abstract: An electric motor turbine-type fuel pump having a pair of substantially separate fuel pumping channels on opposed faces of an impeller which has a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes disposed about the periphery of the impeller. The tip portion of each vane is generally arcuate or curved such that a radially outermost edge of the tip is forward or leads the corresponding radially innermost edge of its base relative to the direction of rotation of the impeller. Preferably, each vane is defined between a pair of radially, axially, and circumferentially extending pockets formed in the impeller, with one set of vanes opening to each of a pair of opposed side faces of the impeller. An axially centered, circumferentially extending rib extends to the radially outermost portion of the vanes and separates the vanes on one face of the impeller from the vanes on the opposed face of the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Walbro Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph M. Ross
  • Patent number: 6425734
    Abstract: A feed pump includes two feed chambers one surrounding the other and arranged at different axial levels from an electric motor driving the feed pump. A radially inner feed chamber of the two feed chambers is arranged for filling a baffle of a fuel tank of a motor vehicle. The radially outer feed chamber is arranged for suctioning in fuel from the baffle. The feed pump is of particularly compact design and the radially inner feed chamber is arranged at a low level in the baffle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Peter Marx
  • Patent number: 6422808
    Abstract: A regenerative or toric pump adds energy to a fluid using an impeller having an axis of rotation and axially spaced, radially extending first and second surfaces. A casing encloses the impeller and has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet separated by a stripper. The casing has axially spaced, radially extending first and second sidewalls facing the first and second surfaces of the impeller respectively. Axially and radially extending blades or vanes are formed on an outer radial periphery of the impeller for driving fluid from the inlet toward the outlet as the impeller rotates about the axis of rotation. A fixed surface is formed in at least one sidewall of the casing for directing fluid back toward the impeller. Improved operating characteristics and extended range are accomplished through modification to the vane configuration of the impeller and/or by modification of the side channel configuration of the pump chamber in an asymmetrical fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Norman Moss, Robert S. Czarnowski
  • Publication number: 20020090293
    Abstract: A vehicle regenerative-type fuel pump which reduces the possible accumulation and effects of contamination relative to impellers with outer ring members. The outer ring members have non-uniform configurations (slanted, curved, grooved, etc.) which reduce the affects of contamination which can cause wear and roughing of the outer surface resulting in higher torque and reduced pump efficiencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventors: DeQuan Yu, Paul Fisher