Patents by Inventor William S. Zimmerman

William S. Zimmerman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6966306
    Abstract: A fuel pump module assembly for a fuel tank in a vehicle includes a reservoir adapted to be disposed in the fuel tank. The fuel pump module assembly also includes a fuel pump disposed in the reservoir to pump fuel from the fuel tank to an engine of the vehicle. The fuel pump module assembly includes a filter disposed in the reservoir and having an inlet fluidly connected to the fuel pump and having a first outlet fluidly connected to the engine and a second outlet. The fuel pump module assembly further includes a regulating valve disposed in the reservoir and fluidly connected to the second outlet to control fuel supply pressure to the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ulf Sawert, William S. Zimmerman, David H. Burke, Joanne F. Tersigni, Rick E. Crandall, Robert A. Roth, Susan P. Tyndall, Nicholas D. Tenbrink
  • Patent number: 5431047
    Abstract: A float lever assembly for a fuel sender in a fuel tank of a motor vehicle includes a urethane float having a flat passage therein, a metal wire float lever attached to a pivot arm of a transducer of the fuel sender, and a bayonet connector formed integrally on the end of the float lever. The bayonet connector includes an inner leg, a relatively shorter outer leg, and a knee therebetween. The bayonet connector has a span dimension which exceeds a width dimension of the passage in the float so that when the bayonet connector is plugged into the passage, a tip on the outer leg of the connector bears against a side wall of the passage and defines a barb which prevents dislodgement of the bayonet connector from the passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy F. Coha, Ulf Sawert, William S. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 5398659
    Abstract: Fuel sender at a remote or terminal end of a suction circuit of a fuel system of a motor vehicle. The fuel sender includes an unsealed reservoir in a fuel tank of the vehicle replenished by return fuel from a return fuel circuit of the fuel system and a junction chamber in the reservoir communicating with the terminal end of the suction circuit and with each of a primary flow channel and a secondary flow channel. The primary flow channel terminates at a primary screen in the fuel tank outside the reservoir. The secondary flow channel terminates at a secondary screen inside the reservoir. The secondary flow channel is restricted relative to the primary flow channel so that vacuum in the suction circuit induces flow in the primary flow channel in preference to flow in the secondary channel. Under low fuel conditions, the primary flow channel is blocked and vacuum in the suction circuit induces flow in the secondary flow channel from the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1995
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: William S. Zimmerman, Wayne F. Harris, Ulf Sawert, Randall L. Dockery, Timothy F. Coha
  • Patent number: 5329899
    Abstract: A high pressure fuel hose for disposition between a fluid connector on a fuel pump canister in a fuel reservoir and a fluid connector through the reservoir wall. The fuel hose, located intermediate the fuel delivery system and a check valve at the fuel pump, has a flexible tubular body characterized by a plurality of annular sinusoidal convolutions well suited for accepting volumetric and pressure increases in the fuel trapped between the check valve and the fuel delivery system caused by temperature loading of the fuel following engine shut-down. A region of reduced wall thickness is formed in the tubular body to act as a pressure fuse having a predetermined burst pressure allowing system leakage due to overpressurization to be location controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1994
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Ulf Sawert, Timothy F. Coha, William S. Zimmerman, Gregory K. Rasmussen
  • Patent number: 5218942
    Abstract: A modular fuel sender in a fuel tank of a motor vehicle includes a reservoir, a fuel pump in the reservoir, a low pressure conduit conducting hot return fuel back to the reservoir, a secondary pump in the reservoir for pumping new fuel from the tank into the reservoir, and a control which effects a recirculation mode of secondary pump operation when the new fuel level in the fuel tank is above a predetermined low level and a scavenge mode of secondary pump operation when the new fuel level in the reservoir is below the predetermined low level. In the recirculation mode, the secondary pump recirculates reservoir fuel to avoid overflowing hot fuel into the fuel tank. In the scavenge mode, the secondary pump continuously maintains a partial vacuum in a screen in the fuel tank regardless of the fuel level in the reservoir to maximize new fuel scavenged from the fuel tank before fuel starvation occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1993
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy F. Coha, Ulf Sawert, Neal M. Letendre, William S. Zimmerman, Gregory K. Rasmussen, Leon Pitek, Dan H. Emmert