Patents Represented by Attorney Mark S. Sparshu
  • Patent number: 6068454
    Abstract: A fuel pump is used for supplying fuel from a fuel tank to an automotive engine. The fuel pump includes a pump housing having an inlet end for receiving fuel from the fuel tank. A brushless DC motor is positioned within the pump housing and includes a rotatable rotor having magnets therein and a central aperture formed through the rotor. A plastic helical-shaped impeller is positioned within the central aperture for rotation with the rotor about a central axis for pumping fuel through the housing to the engine. The impeller has a plurality of vane blades with blade tips secured to the rotor to prevent tip losses. Each vane blade has a leading edge configured to generate laminar fluid flow and reduce vapor generation at the inlet end of the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Robert Duane Gaston, Beverly Jane Wozniak, Dequan Yu