Abstract: A fuel pressure regulation system for use in a fuel pump system in which atomizing air is injected into the fuel delivered to the injector. The system includes both an air rail and a fuel rail and is operable to maintain the fuel pressure within the system at a consistent pressure above the air rail pressure. The system also includes a first pressure sensor, a second pressure sensor, a control circuit, and a fuel pressure pump or other fuel control device. The first and second pressure sensors are differential pressure sensors which measure the air and fuel pressure, respectively, convert those measurements into first and second electronic signals, and send those signals to the control circuit. The control circuit is an electronic circuit that includes a first stage, a second stage, and an output stage and provides the fuel pump with closed loop control based on the first and second signals.

Abstract: A fuel pressure regulator is provided between the outlet of the fuel pump and an inlet of a jet pump to control the flow of fuel to the jet pump. Desirably, during low voltage conditions in a vehicle, the flow of fuel to the jet pump may be temporarily restricted or terminated to decrease the amount of fuel diverted from the engine and thereby increase the flow rate of fuel to the engine and improve the performance of the engine. The regulator may also function to bypass fuel delivered from the fuel pump in excess of the engine fuel demand to control the pressure of and limit the maximum pressure of fuel supplied to the engine.

Abstract: A fuel delivery system which selectively controls two pressure sources to deliver fuel from a tank to the engine for consumption by the engine. The fuel system has a pair of fuel supply passages through which fuel is discharged from the fuel tank to a main fuel supply line for delivery to the engine. One fuel passage communicates with an outlet of an electric fuel pump disposed within the fuel tank. The second fuel passage permits fuel to flow out of the fuel tank into the main fuel supply line independently of the fuel pump within the tank. Preferably, a valve is disposed in the second fuel passage to selectively permit fuel flow through the second fuel passage. The fuel system also has a controller which selectively provides electric power to the fuel pump so that the fuel pump in the fuel tank operates only when it is needed to discharge fuel from the tank.

Abstract: A high flow rate, two stage fuel vapor vent valve assembly utilizing two float valves that provide a progressive closing of a vapor outlet to control the venting of fuel vapors from a fuel tank and the addition of liquid fuel to the tank. A first float closes a portion of the vapor outlet in response to liquid fuel at a first level relative to the valve. A second float closes the remainder of the vapor outlet in response to liquid fuel at a second level higher than the first level. One or more separate baffles are constructed and arranged to prevent the escape of liquid fuel through the vapor outlet.

Abstract: To seal an electrical wire and prevent fluid flow therethrough, individual strands of the wire are deformed and bonded together to provide a short segment of essentially solid wire without any gaps or flow paths through this segment. Desirably, the solid wire segment may be provided at the point in the wire where the wire passes through a wall of a sealed container, such as a fuel tank, to prevent fluid leakage out of the fuel tank through the wire. In the preferred embodiment, the individual strands of the wire are deformed and bonded together by ultrasonic welding of a section of the wire having its insulation removed. Other methods, such as coining, and laser or electron beam welding can be used to provide the essentially solid wire segment which prevents fluid leakage through the wire.

Abstract: A carburetor body including a cylindrical bore, a frusto-conical stepped shoulder portion, a valve chamber and an outlet passage which are coaxially provided and sequentially reduced in the inner diameter inwardly from an end wall face thereof. A plastic retainer and a metal collar are interference fitted into the cylindrical bore. The fuel regulating needle valve includes a screw shaft portion, an unthreaded stem portion and a valve tip which are sequentially reduced in the outer diameter from a head of the fuel regulating needle valve toward the valve tip. The threaded shaft portion is screwed into a threaded bore formed in the metal collar, and at the same time, screwed into an axial bore formed in the plastic retainer while cutting thread grooves. The unthreaded stem portion projects from a distal end cylindrical portion of the plastic retainer into the valve chamber, and the valve tip projects from the valve chamber into the outlet passage.

Abstract: A vehicle fuel system has an electronic control module received within a fuel tank to send data to and receive data from the electronic control unit (ECU) for the vehicle engine and other vehicle control systems, to provide an electronic control of the vehicle fuel system and to receive signals from one or more sensors mounted within the fuel tank which provide information about the operation of the fuel system. The fuel system integrates a plurality of components into the vehicle fuel tank to reduce the number of openings through the vehicle fuel tank and the number of external connections which must be made in assembly of the fuel system into a vehicle. By disposing a fuel vapor canister within the fuel tank, each vapor vent valve within the fuel tank can communicate completely within the tank with the vapor canister with a single outlet extending from the fuel tank to communicate fuel vapor from the canister with an intake manifold of the engine.

Abstract: A no-return system for supplying fuel from a tank to a fuel injected internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle in response to the fuel demand of the engine. The pump supplies more fuel than that required by the operating engine and the excess fuel is diverted from the engine by a bypass fuel pressure regulator and returned to the tank through a fluid-activatable switch movable to electrically open and closed states in response to the rate of flow of excess fuel through the switch. An electric control circuit is responsive to the state of the switch to change the magnitude of the power applied to the electric motor to change its operating speed and thereby modulate the output fuel flow rate of the pump in response to the fuel demand of the engine.

Abstract: A high flow rate, two stage fuel vapor vent valve assembly utilizing two float valves that provide a progressive closing of a vapor outlet to control the venting of fuel vapors from a fuel tank and the addition of liquid fuel to the tank. A first float closes a portion of the vapor outlet in response to liquid fuel at a first level relative to the valve. A second float closes the remainder of the vapor outlet in response to liquid fuel at a second level higher than the first level. One or more separate baffles are constructed and arranged to prevent the escape of liquid fuel through the vapor outlet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for synchronizing an event of an internal combustion engine at least in part as a function of the load on the engine. Desirably, the ignition timing of the engine may be controlled as a function of the load on the engine. Preferably, the system and apparatus utilize existing engine sensors to provide the information needed to determine the load on the engine. Also preferably, the system and apparatus provide the load determination to other systems such as a fuel injection system to improve the timing of the injection event of the system.

Abstract: A single needle diaphragm type carburetor has a throttle valve in a mixing passage with a venturi, an idle fuel nozzle downstream of the throttle valve when in its idle position, a high speed fuel nozzle preferably disposed within the venturi upstream of the throttle valve and a supplemental air bleed passage opening into the mixing passage upstream of both the idle and high speed fuel nozzles. Both the idle and high speed fuel nozzles communicate with each other through a transfer passage and are fed from the same fuel circuit controlled by a single needle valve which limits the fuel flow to them. At idle or low speed and low load engine operation air supplied by the supplemental air bleed passage is mixed with fuel supplied to the idle fuel nozzle. At wide open throttle, air from the air bleed passage is routed near the idle fuel nozzle, and mixed with the fuel supplied to the high speed nozzle.

Abstract: An in-tank fuel pump reservoir assembly for drawing fuel from a fuel supply tank and discharging the fuel under pressure to an engine. The assembly includes a reservoir canister that partially defines a reservoir chamber and is mounted within a fuel tank. A reservoir inlet admits fluid into the reservoir chamber from the fuel tank. A reservoir outlet allows fuel to flow from the reservoir chamber to an engine through a fuel line. A reservoir filling device draws fuel into the reservoir chamber from the fuel supply tank through the reservoir inlet. A fuel pump assembly disposed within the canister draws fuel from the reservoir chamber and discharges at least a portion of that fuel to the engine through the reservoir outlet. A modular fuel delivery pod includes the fuel pump assembly, the reservoir filling device, and the inlet check valve. The pod connects to the canister to cooperatively define the reservoir chamber.

Abstract: A fuel pump assembly for drawing fuel from a reservoir and supplying that fuel to an engine and including a fuel pumping module and an electric motor supported in a pump housing. The pumping module includes a module housing and an impeller that the motor rotates in an impeller cavity of the module housing. The impeller includes upper and lower vanes that move fluid through upper and lower portions of a semi-circular pumping channel, respectively. An exhaust port extends through the module housing and communicates with an exit passage of the pumping channel. An arcuate trench is disposed in the upper wall of the module housing and communicates with the outlet end of the pumping channel to redirect exiting fuel upward from the pumping module to a fuel pump housing outlet. The exit passage of the pumping channel extends tangentially outward into the trench. so that fuel exiting the pumping channel is relatively unimpeded.

Abstract: A fuel pump module disposed within a vehicle fuel tank has a fuel pump therein to draw fuel from the fuel tank and deliver that fuel under pressure to the vehicle engine, and a jet pump driven by the fuel pump to lower the pressure within the module to draw fuel from the fuel tank through a filtered inlet of the module when the fuel pump is operating. When the fuel pump is not operating, such as when the vehicle is not in use, the jet pump ceases to operate and the pressure within the module returns to that of the fuel tank. When the level of fuel in the fuel tank is lower than that within the fuel pump module and the pump is turned off, a portion of the fuel within the module returns to the fuel tank, through the filtered inlet of the module thereby dislodging at least some of the contaminants trapped by the filter.

Abstract: A module constructed to be disposed within a fuel tank of the vehicle fuel system carries a vapor vent valve, a fuel pump and other components, such as a fuel lever sender and an overpressure relief valve and outlet. Each of these components may thus be inserted through a single opening into the fuel tank to reduce the number of openings in the fuel tank to thereby reduce the emissions of hazardous hydrocarbon fuel vapors from the fuel tank. Further, the module provides additional protection to the vapor vent valve to prevent sloshing fuel within the fuel tank from entering the vent valve and escaping from the fuel tank and being transferred to the fuel vapor storage canister. The module is constructed such that a portion containing the fuel pump is designed to break away from the rest of the module sealed to the fuel tank, the fuel pump will move away from the vapor vent valve during a vehicle accident instead of crashing into the valve and damaging or destroying it as in prior fuel tank assemblies.

Abstract: A control mechanism for a carburetor having a throttle valve and a choke valve each having at least a cold-starting position and a full-speed position. The throttle valve is spring biased toward its third, low idle position, and the choke valve is mounted on a choke shaft and is spring biased toward its full-speed open position. When the choke valve is moved by a choke shaft lever from its open position toward its cold start closed position a fast idle lever associated with the choke valve shaft engages, via releasable latch parts, a throttle lever associated with the throttle valve. The interengaging latch parts of these fast idle and throttle levers hold both valves in their respective cold-starting positions in opposition to their respective biasing springs.

Abstract: A fuel pump module with a housing which carries a fuel pump and a fuel filter between an outlet of the fuel pump and an outlet of the module housing to filter fuel discharged from the fuel pump before it is delivered under pressure to an operating engine. The fuel filter preferably provides the final filtering of the fuel before it is delivered to the engine and preferably has a large surface area to extend the life of the fuel filter in use. The fuel filter is preferably generally cylindrical and has a casing defining an interior opening in which the fuel pump is received with a seal to prevent fuel leakage between them. Preferably, the components of the fuel pump module are generally telescopically and coaxially fitted together to provide a compact fuel pump module while still providing a large surface area fuel filter.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine having at least one and preferably two cylinders each with a reciprocating piston, and a compressor which has a reciprocating piston driven by the engine to compress a rich fuel and air mixture within the compressor to inject the mixture directly into the combustion chamber of each engine cylinder. The mixture is ignited by a spark plug to drive the pistons of the engine through their power strokes and rotate an associated crankshaft which is connected to a compressor crankshaft to reciprocate the piston within the compressor and thereby compress and then inject the fuel and air mixture into the engine cylinder. A carburetor preferably supplies an enriched fuel and air mixture to the compressor to reduce the complexity of the system. The fuel and air mixture is preferably substantially atomized through nozzles adjacent each cylinder to improve combustion of the mixture.

Abstract: A parison handling device has a pair of opposed arms with each arm having at least a pair of grippers to selectively engage an extruded parison and transfer it to a second location such as to a mold of a blow molding machine. At least one gripper on each arm is both slidably and generally pivotally movable relative to the arm to facilitate initially engaging and gripping the parison and subsequent closing and stretching of a gripped end of the parison to more efficiently distribute the material of the parison such that after blow molding of the parison, the molded product has a substantially uniform wall thickness throughout. Preferably, a follower attached to each movable gripper is responsive to a profile or contour of a cam carried by each arm to guide the movement of the gripper corresponding to the profile of the cam.

Abstract: A lateral channel fuel pump with a stator having a pumping channel and a second channel each of which cooperates with vanes in a rotor driven to rotate by an electric motor to generate pressure within both the pumping channel and the second channel. The second channel and preferably cavities communicating with it are disposed so that the fuel pressure generated within the channel and any cavities produces forces which, when combined with the forces generated in the pumping channel, provide net forces which are substantially equal or uniform across the lower face of the rotor so that the forces produced by outlet fuel acting across the upper face of the rotor do not tend to cock or tilt the rotor relative to the stator. Further, the second channel and any cavities increase the total force acting upwardly on the lower face to reduce the magnitude of the net force on the rotor urging the rotor towards the stator and hence, to reduce the frictional forces between the rotor and stator.