Abstract: A charge forming device includes a body with a main bore through which air flows and a fuel inlet through which fuel enters the main bore. A diaphragm defines part of a fuel chamber that leads to a fuel passage. The valve body is received in the fuel passage and has a first end, a second end, a sidewall, a valve passage having an inlet into which fuel from the fuel chamber enters and an outlet from which fuel exits for delivery to the main bore, and a cross passage extending through the sidewall between the first end and the second end and opening into the valve passage. A valve is carried by the body and has a valve head received in the cross passage and extending into the valve passage to at least partially inhibit fuel flow through the valve passage.

Abstract: A carburetor fuel flow control device having an elongate annular body received in a cavity with an inlet in its side-wall communicating with a fuel supply passage and an outlet downstream of the inlet and adjacent to an end of the body, and a needle valve with a metering portion adjacent one end rotatably and slidably received in the body with the metering portion at least partially lapping or blocking the inlet to change the effective flow area of the inlet in response to generally axial movement of the needle valve relative to the inlet.

Abstract: In at least some implementations, a fluid level sensor assembly includes a housing, a sensor element carried by the housing, an arm that moves relative to the sensor element, a saddle coupled to at least part of the arm to retain the position of the arm relative to the sensor element, and a retainer. The retainer is coupled to the saddle and overlies a portion of the saddle, the arm or both, to inhibit decoupling of the arm from the saddle.

Abstract: A solenoid valve includes a housing, a bobbin and an armature. The bobbin is received at least partially within the housing and has and internal passage and a body about which a coil is provided. The armature is moveable relative to a valve seat and the valve includes an armature stop received in the internal passage with a press-fit so that it is engaged by the armature in one position of the armature to limit movement of the armature away from the valve seat. The valve also has a biasing member located at least partially between the armature and the armature stop, the armature has a reduced diameter portion received at least partially within the biasing member, and wherein the reduced diameter portion engages the armature stop in the open position of the valve.

Abstract: A kill switch assembly for an internal combustion engine may include a housing, a first terminal carried by the housing and connected to a ground wire, a second terminal carried by the housing and connected to an engine microcontroller communication wire, and a kill switch. The kill switch may be carried by the housing, electrically connected to the first and second terminals, and manually operable by an operator to change the state of the electric switch to provide an engine stop signal to the engine microcontroller. The assembly may also include an electronic circuit carried by the housing, connected to the first and second terminals, and through the wires communicating with the engine microcontroller.

Abstract: A charge forming device may have a rotatable fuel adjustment valve received in a passage of a body of the device. A limiter cap may have a driving feature engageable with a drive feature on the valve and having a first position permitting rotation of the valve relative to the limiter cap and a second position permitting only lesser rotation of the valve than that of the first portion. The limiter cap may have a tamper restraint feature that retains the lesser range of rotation.

Abstract: A marine outboard engine includes an internal combustion engine including at least one fuel injector; a fuel vapor separator including: a separator body, a fuel reservoir defined by the separator body, and a first fuel pump fluidly connected between the fuel reservoir and the fuel injector; a fuel tank; and a second fuel pump fluidly connected between the fuel tank and the fuel vapor separator. The fuel vapor separator includes a heat exchanger disposed in the separator body. The heat exchanger includes at least one fuel channel defined by the heat exchanger body, the at least one fuel channel including: an inlet adapted for receiving fuel from the engine, and an outlet fluidly communicating with the fuel reservoir; and at least one coolant channel defined by the heat exchanger body, the at least one fuel channel and the at least one coolant channel being in thermal communication.

Abstract: At least some implementations of a method of distinguishing between two loads being driven by an engine, includes the steps of determining engine speed at defined intervals, comparing a second engine speed against a previously determined first engine speed, determining if the second engine speed fits an expected pattern of engine speeds, and counting either the number of incidents where the second engine speed does not fit the expected pattern, or the number of incidents where the second engine speed does fit the expected pattern, or some combination of these two. A method of determining if an engine is operating at least near a lean limit of its air to fuel ratio is also disclosed.

Abstract: A carburetor may have a fuel metering assembly with a metering valve and a metering diaphragm sealed to a body of the carburetor to at least partially define a metering chamber with a portion of the metering diaphragm movable relative to the body to actuate a fuel metering valve. The diaphragm may include a continuous layer, a discontinuous layer, and an intermediate layer received at least partially between the continuous and discontinuous layers and at least partially inhibiting direct contact between the continuous and discontinuous layers. The continuous and discontinuous layers may be different polymer materials and the intermediate layer may be a polymer different than that of the discontinuous layer. The intermediate layer may include voids, segments, or a wire form.

Abstract: An ignition system for a light-duty combustion engine includes a charge winding, a microcontroller and a power supply sub-circuit. The sub-circuit is coupled to both the charge winding and the microcontroller and includes a first power supply switch, a power supply capacitor and a power supply zener. The sub-circuit is arranged to turn off the first power supply switch so that charging of the power supply capacitor stops when the charge on the power supply capacitor exceeds the breakdown voltage on the power supply zener. In at least some implementations, the power supply capacitor may power the microcontroller and the power supply sub-circuit may limit or reduce the amount of electrical energy taken from the induced AC voltage of the charge winding to a level that is still able to sufficiently power the microcontroller yet saves energy for use elsewhere in the system.

Abstract: An in-tank fuel pump assembly may have a mounting flange with a plurality of first coupling features, a fuel pump, a carrier connected to the fuel pump, a plurality of second coupling features on at least one of the carrier and the fuel pump, and a plurality of supports each connected to one or the first and second coupling features to locate the pump relative to the mounting flange. In some embodiments, at least one coupling feature is movable.

Abstract: A utility engine air-to-fuel ratio control method in which during an initial or early part of a period of engine continuous operation its stability of operation is determined and if sufficiently stable a test of the air-to-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture supplied to the engine is performed and if need be changed to a new air-to-fuel ratio supplied to the engine during the remainder of the period of engine continuous operation. If the engine operation is not sufficiently stable the test is not started or if started is aborted.

Abstract: At least some implementations of a method of distinguishing between two loads being driven by an engine, includes the steps of determining engine speed at defined intervals, comparing a second engine speed against a previously determined first engine speed, determining if the second engine speed fits an expected pattern of engine speeds, and counting either the number of incidents where the second engine speed does not fit the expected pattern, or the number of incidents where the second engine speed does fit the expected pattern, or some combination of these two. A method of determining if an engine is operating at least near a lean limit of its air to fuel ratio is also disclosed.

Abstract: In at least some implementations, a charge forming device includes a body defining at least part of a first passage, a throttle valve movable relative to the first passage between an idle position and a wide open position, an air bleed passage communicated with the first passage, and a control valve. The control valve may be arranged in the air bleed passage to selectively inhibit or prevent air flow to the first passage from the air bleed passage. And the control valve is moveable between a first position and a second position in response to movement of the throttle valve wherein greater air flow is permitted from the air bleed passage to the first passage in the body when the control valve is in the second position than when the control valve is in the first position.

Abstract: An engine kill switch and a throttle lever position sensor switch both remote from the engine and connected by a pair of wires to a microcontroller for controlling a spark initiated combustion of an air-fuel mixture in a cylinder of the engine. The switches may be received in the same housing and mounted in an operator handle housing of a hand held power tool.

Abstract: A fuel system that in at least some implementations includes a carburetor having a fluid passage, a solenoid, a valve, a driver circuit and a control circuit. The valve may be moved by the solenoid between an open position permitting fluid flow through the fluid passage and a closed position at least partially inhibiting fluid flow through the fluid passage. The driver circuit and control circuit are communicated with the solenoid to contribute to providing power to the solenoid and controlling actuation of the solenoid. The driver circuit and control circuit provide a first magnitude of power to the solenoid to initially change the solenoid from its closed position to its open position and a second magnitude of power to maintain the solenoid in its open position wherein the second magnitude of power is less than the first magnitude.

Abstract: A method and apparatus controlling the fuel-to-air ratio of a fuel and air mixture supplied to an operating engine includes the steps of determining a first engine speed before enleanment of the mixture, determining a second engine speed near or at the end of a period of enleanment of the mixture, and after ending the enleanment, determining whether the engine speed recovers within a predetermined range of the first engine speed and if so determining a delta speed difference between the first and second speeds and using this delta speed difference as a factor in determining a change in the fuel-to-air ratio of the fuel mixture supplied to the engine.

Abstract: A solenoid valve includes a housing, a bobbin and an armature. The bobbin is received at least partially within the housing and has a body about which a coil is provided. A fluid flow path including an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat is defined by at least one of the housing or the bobbin, and the armature is moveable relative to the valve seat to control flow through the fluid flow path.

Abstract: In at least some implementations, a throttle body assembly for a combustion engine includes a throttle body having a pressure chamber in which a supply of fuel is received and a throttle bore with an inlet through which air is received, a throttle valve carried by the throttle body with a valve head movable relative to the throttle bore to control fluid flow through the throttle bore, and a metering valve carried by the throttle body. The metering valve may have a valve element that is movable between an open position wherein fuel may flow from the pressure chamber into the throttle bore and a closed position where fuel is prevented or substantially prevented from flowing into the throttle bore through the metering valve.

Abstract: An in-tank fuel pump assembly may have a mounting flange with a plurality of first couplings, a fuel pump, a carrier connected to the fuel pump, a plurality of second couplings on at least one of the carrier and the fuel pump, and a plurality of supports each connected to one or the first and second couplings to locate the pump relative to the mounting flange.