Abstract: A fuel pump has a motor with a shaft extending therefrom and an impeller fitted thereon for pumping fuel from a fuel tank to an internal combustion engine. A pumping chamber, which encases the impeller, is comprised of a cover channel and a bottom channel formed in a pump cover and a pump bottom, respectively. The impeller has a plurality of radially extending vanes on an outer circumference separated by partitions of shorter radial length. The partitions are comprised of substantially quarter-circle shaped arcuate portions extending from the outer circumference of the impeller to a diverging portion, preferably to a substantially flat top with rounded corners. Fluid active vane grooves thus formed circumferentially between the vanes and axially between the partitions which reduce fuel vortices angular acceleration within the pumping chamber thus increasing pump efficiency.

Abstract: A fuel delivery module for an automotive fuel delivery system includes a reservoir and a fuel pump. The fuel pump delivers fuel from the tank to the reservoir via a fuel tank inlet and reservoir outlet and from the reservoir to the engine via a reservoir inlet and engine outlet. The reservoir is formed with a plurality of contaminant traps for collecting contaminants contained in the fuel as the fuel is pumped through the reservoir such that the contaminants settle unto said contaminant traps thereby reducing the amount of contaminants entering the reservoir inlet.

Abstract: An electric-operated fuel pump assembly (20) has a vaned impeller (36) that is disposed within a pump housing (28) for rotation about an axis (22). A channel (44; 72) extend arcuately about the axis. A vapor vent hole (46; 46A) intersects the channel. Certain geometric relationships improve venting efficiency, and hence pump efficiency.

Abstract: A gerotor pump includes a pressure relief return flow guide system, composed of two distinct structures, a pressure relief port, and a flow guide. The pressure relief port separates the pressure relief flow and inlet flow, preventing them from mixing and causing turbulence in the inlet cavities. The flow guide is located at the end of the pressure relief port and the inlet to make the two flows smoothly merge in the inlet cavities.

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.

Abstract: A dual outlet washer pump for an automotive vehicle to alternately supply a stream of washer fluid to separate locations has a valve element with a frame portion surrounding a flat, flexible membrane mounted in vertically plainer fashion in a discharge section, which is movable from a center position unobstructing either of a pair of discharge ports to a first position in which fluid flow from a pumping chamber enters a first discharge side of the discharge section to directly impact a first side of the membrane causing flexure thereof away from the first discharge port to fluid flow there through and can currently causes contact of a second side of the membrane within an inner, lateral side of the discharge section adjacent the second discharge port to block fluid flow there through, the membrane opening the second discharge port and closing the first discharge port in the like manner when an impeller pump is rotated in a counter direction.

Abstract: An electric-operated fuel pump (20) has a vaned impeller (28, 28') that is disposed within a pumping chamber (27) for rotation about an axis (21). The pumping chamber has a main channel (42) extending arcuately about the axis to one axial side of the impeller. The main channel has a radially outer margin that opens (58) along at least a portion of the channel's arcuate extent to an adjoining contaminant collection channel (56) 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 (40). A sump (72) is disposed at the end of the contaminant collection channel proximate the outlet. The impeller (28') has a ring (70) girdling the impeller vanes (52) with a radially inner surface that is slightly concave in axial cross section.

Abstract: An impeller for use in a regenerative pump for pumping automotive fuel to an engine includes a plurality of vanes radially extending from a core. Each vane has a leading surface, a trailing surface, and a sidewall between the leading surface and the trailing surface. A plurality of partitions is interposed between the vanes such that the vanes and partitions define a plurality of vane grooves. Fuel is then pumped by the vanes through the vane grooves such that the fuel flows along a generally spiral path thereby defining a primary vortex. A relief is formed at least partially along the length of each vane at the intersection between the trailing surface and the sidewall. This relief causes the fuel flowing along the generally spiral path, also known as the primary vortex, to also rotate about an instantaneous axis thereby defining a secondary vortex. The secondary vortex has the benefit of reducing turbulence with the attendant benefit of reducing cavitation or vapor generation within the fuel pump.

Abstract: A gerotor pump includes a pair of relief ports superimposed on and directly communicating with the pump's inlet and outlet channels, respectively. The relief ports simultaneously communicate with an open mesh pumping chamber so as to provide an intermittent controlled leak from the open mesh pumping chamber. Upon rotation of the gear members of the gerotor pump when the volume in the open mesh pumping chamber is increasing to a maximum volume, fluid in the open mesh pumping chamber vents into the relief port superimposed on and communicating with the outlet channel while continuing to communicate with the relief port superimposed on and communicating with the inlet channel.

Abstract: An automotive fuel pump housing for a fuel pump encases a rotary pumping element. The housing has two portions, a cover and a bottom. The cover has an inlet port which defines a directional control surface having an inclined frustoconical portion and an inclined planar portion conjoined therewith and laterally extending therefrom such that fuel flowing over the inclined frustoconical portion accelerates primarily radially and combines with fuel flowing primarily axially over the inclined planar portion, whereby the combined flow is smoothly directed to an annular cover channel. The bottom has an annular bottom channel which, when the cover and bottom are assembled, the annular cover channel and annular bottom channel cooperate to form the inlet channel. A transition section is located at the beginning of the inlet channel and extends along a portion of the arc of the inlet channel.

Abstract: A fuel pump for supplying diesel fuel to an engine includes a pump housing, a motor mounted within the housing, a shaft extending from the motor, an impeller slidably attached to the shaft which has a prime number of vanes spaced unevenly about its circumference, a chamber body, and a chamber cover with a bleed orifice. The chamber body and cover form a chamber for the impeller and are held together by the housing. The chamber body and cover have pump channels of constant depth and are made of phenolic with fiberglass fill. The impeller is made of phenolic with fiberglass fill and granular fill.

Abstract: A fuel pump (10) has a housing (12) which houses a motor (14) with a shaft (16) extending therefrom and an impeller (18) fitted thereupon for pumping fuel from a fuel tank to an internal combustion engine. The impeller (18) has a plurality of radially extending curved vanes (30) on an outer circumference (34) separated by a plurality of partitions (32) interposed between the vanes (30), the vanes (30) and partitions (32) defining a plurality of partly elliptical vane grooves (50). The vanes (30) are convexly curved in the direction of rotation (40) and have an obtuse inlet angle (.theta..sub.1) and an acute outlet angle (.theta..sub.2).

Abstract: A fuel pump has a motor mounted within a housing with a shaft extending therefrom to which a helically shaped impeller is fitted having at least two turns for pumping fuel from a fuel tank to an automotive engine. The impeller has an involute shaped leading edge designed to efficiently scoop fuel from an inlet into a pumping chamber formed between the helically shaped blade turns comprising the impeller. A trailing edge on the impeller has a narrowed width which increases the effective flow cross-sectional area, thus increasing the fuel pressure. The helically shaped impeller needs no separate casing, as is typically required for conventional fuel pumps employing regenerative turbines, gerotors, roller vanes, or the like, and increases fuel pressure over a longer circumferential distance thus decreasing cavitation.

Abstract: A fuel pump has a motor with a shaft extending therefrom and an impeller fitted thereon for pumping fuel from a fuel tank to an internal combustion engine. A pumping chamber, which encases the impeller, is comprised of a cover channel and a bottom channel formed in a pump cover and a pump bottom, respectively. The impeller has a plurality of radially extending vanes on an outer circumference separated by partitions of shorter radial length. The partitions are comprised of quarter-circle shaped arcuate portions extending from the outer circumference of the impeller to a straight portion having parallel sides, which preferably extend approximately 0.1 millimeters to 0.5 millimeters, to a flat top with rounded corners. Fluid active vane grooves thus formed circumferentially between the vanes and axially between the partitions which reduce fuel vortices angular acceleration within the pumping chamber thus increasing pump efficiency.

Abstract: A fuel pump has a motor which rotates a shaft with an impeller fitted thereon for pumping fuel within a pumping chamber comprised of a cover channel and a bottom channel formed in a pump cover and a pump bottom, respectively, which encase the impeller. The cover channel begins at a fuel inlet and runs circumferentially to a transition section near the opposite end where it gradually becomes narrower and shallower until becoming flush with the inner cover face. The fuel outlet in the bottom channel is positioned circumferentially 0.degree.-5.degree. beyond the end of and in partial fluid communication with the cover channel so that fuel is expelled smoothly from the cover channel through the fuel outlet.

Abstract: A multi-stage automotive fuel pump includes a casing and motor located within the casing for driving primary and secondary pumping sections, with the primary and secondary pumping sections sharing a common wall which axially separates primary and secondary rotary pumping elements and which houses a fuel transfer for moving fuel from the primary into the secondary pumping sections in a manner which avoids generation of turbulence and cavitation.

Abstract: A fuel pump has a motor mounted within a housing with a shaft extending therefrom to which a helically shaped impeller is fitted for pumping fuel from a fuel tank to an automotive engine. An end section of the housing has an inlet leading from the fuel tank to a pre-swirl fuel channel or trough located at the radially outermost perimeter of an impeller mating face on the end section. The trough has an inlet ramp which routes fuel to an inclined section with an axial grade to force the fuel to flow in the direction of impeller rotation. A trough termination ramp between the inclined section and the inlet ramps fuel toward the impeller at a steeper grade than the inclined section such that the fuel trough becomes flush with the impeller mating face. Fuel can thus be picked-up by the impeller throughout at least 340.degree. of rotation.

Abstract: A fuel pump has a motor which rotates a shaft with an impeller fitted thereon for pumping fuel within a pumping chamber comprised of semi-elliptically shaped flow channels formed in a pump cover and a pump bottom which encase the impeller. Primary vortices developed by the rotary pumping action of the impeller closely approximate the shape of the pumping chamber thus minimizing secondary counterflowing vortices with their attendant decrease in pump efficiency. An alternative design is the special case of an ellipse where the major axis and the minor axis of the ellipse have equal lengths such that the pumping chamber has semi-circular shaped flow channels.

Abstract: A fuel pump has a pump cover with an inlet through which fuel from a fuel tank is drawn by an impeller to a pumping chamber formed by a pump bottom and the pump cover. The inlet has divergent sides oriented such that fuel being pumped is routed radially outward of primary vortices in a section of the pumping chamber adjacent the inlet to a section of the pumping chamber opposite the inlet. In a first embodiment, the upper side of the inlet is oriented at approximately a 10 to 12 degree angle from the lower side. In a second embodiment, the upper side is oriented at approximately a 127 degree angle from a line parallel the shaft rotation, and the lower side is oriented at approximately a 139 degree angle from the same line.

Abstract: A fuel pump of the regenerative turbine type has an impeller enclosed between a pump cover and a pump bottom, with a pumping chamber formed between the cover and bottom along the periphery of the impeller. A vapor purge orifice, having a chamfered inlet, a plurality of different diameter sections, and a chamfered outlet, leads to a vapor purge channel which runs radially along an outside portion of the pump cover. The purge channel has baffles through which the fuel vapor flows before exiting through at least one outlet into the fuel tank. Fuel vapor is more effectively removed from the pumping chamber by the smoother sections and chamfers of the purge orifice and its energy is effectively dissipated by the purge channel baffles, thus reducing pump noise and increasing pump efficiency.