Pressure regulator and fuel filter-pressure regulator assembly for engine fuel supply system

Abstract

The utility model relates to a pressure regulator (10) for an engine oil supply system, which comprises a regulator shell (1), a rear cover (2), a spiral spring (3) and a valve core (4), the regulator shell (1) is provided with an oil inlet channel, and the rear cover is provided with an oil outlet and is cylindrical; the rear cover is molded from a plastic material and is directly fixedly connected to the regulator housing, wherein the coil spring and the spool are located within a receiving chamber (20) defined by the rear cover. The utility model further relates to a fuel filter-pressure regulator assembly comprising the pressure regulator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of engine fuel supply systems, in particular to a pressure regulator for an engine fuel supply system, and a fuel filter-pressure regulator assembly including such a pressure regulator, wherein the pressure regulator is detachably assembled to the fuel filter. Background Art

[0002] The fuel pump is part of the engine fuel supply system. The fuel filter is part of the fuel pump, providing clean fuel for the engine. The pressure regulator is also part of the fuel pump, providing fuel with a stable pressure for the engine.

[0003] Existing pressure regulators generally consist of five components: a valve core, a stainless steel spring, a stainless steel cover plate, a fixing ring, and a plastic housing. During the manufacturing process, it is necessary to assemble the pressure regulator, calibrate the pressure regulator, laser weld the pressure regulator, and perform a leak test on the pressure regulator in sequence, with a complex manufacturing process.

[0004] In addition, the valve core in the existing pressure regulator is generally composed of a powder metallurgy skeleton with a complex manufacturing process and FKM fluororubber, with a high price and difficult quality assurance.

[0005] Moreover, the rear cover in the existing pressure regulator is manufactured from a stainless steel plate through a complex continuous stretching process. Due to the small diameter of the rear cover, it is impossible to punch holes from the inside out, and only punching holes from the outside in can be done. The burrs generated will affect the function of sealing the valve core. Removing the burrs increases additional manufacturing costs, with high requirements for the spring base, great manufacturing difficulty, and high part costs. Summary of the Utility Model

[0006] In order to overcome at least one aspect of the above problems, it is necessary to provide a pressure regulator for an engine fuel supply system, which has fewer components, simple manufacturing and assembly processes, and low production costs.

[0007] To this end, the utility model provides a pressure regulator for an engine fuel supply system, which is composed of a regulator housing, a rear cover, a helical spring, and a valve core. The regulator housing has an oil inlet passage, and the rear cover has an oil outlet and is configured in a cylindrical shape; the rear cover is molded from a plastic material and directly fixedly connected to the regulator housing, and the helical spring and the valve core are located in the accommodation chamber defined by the rear cover.

[0008] In the above pressure regulator, the pressure regulator is composed of four components, reducing the assembly complexity and lowering the production cost. The rear cover is molded from a plastic material instead of being manufactured from a stainless steel plate through a complex continuous stretching process, making the manufacturing process of the rear cover simple and with low material costs.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the rear cover has an open first end, a second end opposite to the first end, a peripheral wall extending between the first end and the second end, and a bottom wall located at the second end. The peripheral wall defines a connecting section at the first end, which is adapted to be fixedly connected to the regulator housing.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the bottom wall is configured to have a protrusion extending towards the accommodating chamber. A spring seat for the helical spring is defined between the peripheral wall and the protrusion. The end of the protrusion is provided with a chamfer. Here, the spring seat for the helical spring is made by injection molding, and the manufacturing process is also simple.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, the oil outlet of the rear cover includes a plurality of first oil outlets disposed in the peripheral wall near the connecting section and a second oil outlet disposed in the bottom wall. Each of the first oil outlets has an oblique angle diversion structure. The oil outlets are arranged in such a way that the noise generated by the fuel flowing through the pressure regulator is very small. For example, the plurality of first oil outlets include four first oil outlets uniformly arranged along the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall, and the second oil outlet is located in the protrusion and is surrounded by the spring seat.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, the regulator housing is preferably molded from a plastic material and includes an outer housing and an inner housing that extends coaxially with the outer housing and is integrally formed with the outer housing. The inner housing has a first inner housing section and a second inner housing section surrounded by the outer housing. The connecting section is inserted into the gap between the outer housing and the second inner housing section in an interference fit manner.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present utility model, the rear cover is fixedly connected to the regulator housing by laser welding the connecting section to the outer housing.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, the rear cover further includes a plurality of rib portions, such as four rib portions, located on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall and extending between the connecting section and the second end. The provision of the rib portions not only functions to increase the strength of the rear cover, but also enables the pressure regulator to be assembled to or disassembled from the fuel filter without using tools.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, the valve core of the pressure regulator includes a skeleton injection molded from a plastic material and a sealing portion coated onto the skeleton by, for example, secondary molding. The sealing portion can be made of a rubber material.

[0016] The present utility model also provides a fuel filter - pressure regulator assembly, wherein the fuel filter - pressure regulator assembly includes a fuel filter and the above - mentioned pressure regulator detachably mounted to the fuel filter.

[0017] Due to the adoption of the above - mentioned technical solutions, the present utility model can achieve at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0018] The rear cover is formed by injection molding of plastic material instead of using stainless steel stretching, with simple manufacturing process, low material cost, and the used mold structure is simple and can be produced in multiple cavities, reducing costs; the valve core is composed of a plastic skeleton with simple manufacturing process and rubber, with low price and guaranteed quality; the pressure regulator is composed of four components, reducing the assembly complexity and lowering the production cost; the fuel filter and the pressure regulator adopt a detachable design, facilitating installation and maintenance, and no simple tools are required for installation and disassembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Referring to the accompanying drawings, by reading the following detailed description, the further features and advantages of the present utility model will be more clearly understood:

[0020] Figure 1 FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a pressure regulator according to the present utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 FIG. Figure 1 is a cross - sectional view of the pressure regulator shown in FIG.

[0022] Figure 3 FIG. Figure 1 is an exploded view of the pressure regulator shown in FIG.

[0023] Figure 4 FIG. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rear cover shown in FIG.

[0024] Figure 5 FIG. Figure 4 is a cross - sectional view of the rear cover shown in FIG.

[0025] Figure 5 FIG. 44A is a partial enlarged view of the cross - sectional view of the rear cover in FIG. Figure 5 ; and

[0026] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a fuel filter - pressure regulator assembly according to the present utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0027] The following will describe, with reference to the accompanying drawings and by way of examples, a pressure regulator for an engine fuel supply system implemented according to the present utility model, as well as a fuel filter - pressure regulator assembly including such a pressure regulator. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present utility model to those skilled in the relevant art. However, it is obvious to those skilled in the relevant art that some of these specific details may not be required for the implementation of the present utility model. In addition, it should be understood that the present utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments introduced. On the contrary, the present utility model can be implemented with any combination of the following features and elements, regardless of whether they relate to different embodiments.

[0028] Figure 1 and Figure 2 Fig. shows an embodiment of a pressure regulator 10 according to the present utility model, Figure 3 which shows an exploded view of the pressure regulator. The pressure regulator 10 is composed of four components, namely a regulator housing 1, a rear cover 2, a helical spring 3, and a valve core 4. In this embodiment, the regulator housing 1 has an oil inlet passage 30, and the rear cover 2 is configured as a cylinder to define a receiving chamber 20 and has an oil outlet. Advantageously, the rear cover 2 is injection - molded from a plastic material and can be directly fixedly connected to the regulator housing 1. The helical spring 3 and the valve core 4 are located within the receiving chamber 20. Since the pressure regulator 10 according to the present utility model is composed of four components, compared with the existing pressure regulator composed of five components, it integrates all the functions of the original design cover plate and fixing ring, does not require an additional fixing ring, and the installation calibration and laser welding can be completed at the same station, with fewer assembly steps, reducing the assembly complexity and lowering the production cost.

[0029] Figure 4 Fig. shows an embodiment of the rear cover 2 according to the present utility model. The rear cover 2 has an open first end 21, a second end 22 opposite to the first end, a peripheral wall 23 extending between the first end and the second end, and a bottom wall 24 located at the second end. Advantageously, the peripheral wall 23 defines a connecting section 23a at the first end 21 that is adapted to be fixedly connected to the regulator housing 1. Since the rear cover 2 is injection - molded from a plastic material, it is easy to configure the bottom wall 24 to have a protrusion 25 extending towards the receiving chamber 20, so that an annular groove between the peripheral wall 23, specifically the inner surface of the peripheral wall, and the protrusion 25 defines a spring seat 251 for the helical spring 3 (see Figure 5)。Moreover, a chamfered portion 252 is provided at the end of the convex portion 25, which plays a guiding role for the helical spring 3 and facilitates the spring assembly in place. Advantageously, an annular recess 253 is provided at a position adjacent to the convex portion 25 on the bottom of the annular groove. Such an annular recess is easily formed in the rear cover made by injection molding, and this annular recess can ensure that the dimensional accuracy, perpendicularity accuracy, concentricity accuracy, and flatness accuracy requirements of the spring seat can be guaranteed by the mold. And setting the annular recess has the following advantages: reducing the contact area: the annular recess design reduces the contact area between the spring seat and the spring, reducing the friction force, which makes the spring more smooth during compression and release, thereby improving the response speed and sensitivity of the pressure regulator; fixing the spring position: the recess can effectively fix the position of the spring and prevent it from shifting or tilting during operation; this fixing effect helps to maintain the stability of the pressure regulator and ensure its normal operation under different pressure conditions; dispersing stress: the recess design can disperse the stress on the spring seat and reduce local stress concentration, thereby prolonging the service life of the spring and the pressure regulator; reducing wear: by reducing friction and wear, the recess design not only prolongs the life of the spring but also reduces the maintenance requirements of the pressure regulator. These principles work together, making the recess design have significant advantages in the pressure regulator. In an embodiment of the present invention, refer to again Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the oil outlet of the rear cover 2 includes four first oil outlets 231 provided in the peripheral wall near the connecting portion section 23a and a second oil outlet 241 provided in the bottom wall 24. Among them, these four first oil outlets 231 are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall, and the second oil outlet extends through the convex portion 25. Advantageously, each of the first oil outlets has an inclined angle diversion structure 232, and the oil outlet of the rear cover 2 is arranged and constructed in such a way that the noise during the operation of the pressure regulator is significantly reduced and there is almost no noise.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, refer to again Figure 2, the regulator housing 1 includes an outer housing 11 and an inner housing 12. The inner housing and the outer housing are fixedly connected to each other and extend coaxially, and the inner housing defines a fluid passage 30 adapted to be in fluid communication with the accommodation chamber 20. Preferably, the inner housing and the outer housing can be integrally injection-molded from a plastic material. In this embodiment, the inner housing 12 has a first inner housing section 121 and a second inner housing section 122 surrounded by the outer housing. When assembling the pressure regulator, the connecting section 23a is inserted between the outer housing 11 and the second inner housing section 122 in an interference fit manner. Specifically, the inner peripheral surface of the connecting section 23a is in interference fit with the outer peripheral surface of the second inner housing section 122 for the installation and calibration of the pressure regulator; the outer peripheral surface of the connecting section 23a is in interference fit with the inner peripheral surface of the outer housing 11 for laser welding fixation. For example, the rear cover 2 can be fixedly connected to the regulator housing 1 by laser welding the connecting section 23a to the outer housing 11. The rear cover 2 according to the present invention not only has a simple manufacturing process, but also uses a plastic material instead of stainless steel, significantly reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0031] In an embodiment of the present invention, referring again to Figure 4 , the rear cover 2 may further include a plurality of rib portions 26 extending between the connecting section 23a and the second end 22 on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall, such as four rib portions, and these four rib portions extend in the axial direction of the rear cover. The provision of the rib portions can not only play a role in increasing the strength of the rear cover, but also facilitate the assembly of the rear cover to the regulator housing 1 or the assembly of the pressure regulator to, for example, a fuel filter without using tools, and play a role in calibration and positioning.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the valve core 4 includes a skeleton 41 injection-molded from a plastic material and a sealing portion 42 coated on the skeleton, wherein the sealing portion is made of a rubber material. Compared with the existing skeleton made of powder metallurgy, the cost is significantly reduced and the quality can be guaranteed.

[0033] When assembling the pressure regulator according to the present invention, it can be completed through three steps, namely assembling and calibrating the pressure regulator, laser welding the pressure regulator, and performing a leak test on the pressure regulator. Compared with the existing pressure regulator, the assembly process is significantly simpler.

[0034] FIG. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment of a fuel filter-pressure regulator assembly 200 according to the present invention. The fuel filter-pressure regulator assembly 200 includes a fuel filter 1 and a pressure regulator 10 detachably and sealingly fixedly assembled (or integrated) to the fuel filter 100. Here, the fuel filter 100 is preferably a lifetime filter.

[0035] Although the present utility model has been disclosed above with the preferred embodiments, the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any combination, change and modification made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present utility model shall be included within the protection scope of the present utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of the present utility model shall be subject to the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A pressure regulator for an engine fuel supply system, characterized in that, The pressure regulator (10) is composed of a regulator housing (1), a rear cover (2), a helical spring (3), and a valve core (4). The regulator housing (1) has an oil inlet passage (30), and the rear cover has an oil outlet and is configured in a cylindrical shape. The rear cover is injection molded from a plastic material and is directly fixedly connected to the regulator housing. The helical spring and the valve core are located in a receiving chamber (20) defined by the rear cover.

2. The pressure regulator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rear cover (2) has an open first end (21), a second end (22) opposite to the first end, a peripheral wall (23) extending between the first end and the second end, and a bottom wall (24) located at the second end. The peripheral wall (23) defines a connecting section (23a) at the first end that is adapted to be fixedly connected to the regulator housing.

3. The pressure regulator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom wall is configured to have a protrusion (25) extending towards the receiving chamber (20). An annular groove between the peripheral wall and the protrusion defines a spring seat (251) for the helical spring (3). The end of the protrusion is provided with a chamfered portion (252), and an annular recess (253) is provided at a position adjacent to the protrusion (25) at the bottom of the annular groove.

4. The pressure regulator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The oil outlet of the rear cover includes a plurality of first oil outlets (231) provided in the peripheral wall near the connecting section (23a) and a second oil outlet (241) provided in the bottom wall.

5. The pressure regulator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The plurality of first oil outlets (231) includes four first oil outlets uniformly arranged circumferentially along the peripheral wall. Each first oil outlet has an angled flow guiding structure (232); and the second oil outlet (241) is located in the protrusion (25).

6. The pressure regulator according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that The regulator housing (1) is injection molded from a plastic material and includes an outer housing (11) and an inner housing (12) that extends coaxially with the outer housing and is integrally formed with the outer housing. The inner housing (12) has a first inner housing section (121) and a second inner housing section (122) surrounded by the outer housing. The connecting section is inserted between the outer housing (11) and the second inner housing section (122) in an interference fit manner.

7. The pressure regulator according to claim 6, wherein The rear cover (2) is fixedly connected to the regulator housing (1) by laser welding the connecting section (23a) to the outer housing (11).

8. The pressure regulator according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The rear cover (2) further includes a plurality of rib portions (26) located on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall. The plurality of rib portions extend between the connecting section (23a) and the second end (22).

9. The pressure regulator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The valve core (4) includes a skeleton (41) injection molded from a plastic material and a sealing portion (42) coated onto the skeleton. The sealing portion is made of a rubber material.

10. A fuel filter - pressure regulator assembly, characterized in that, The fuel filter - pressure regulator assembly (200) includes a fuel filter (100) and the pressure regulator (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The pressure regulator is detachably fixedly installed to the fuel filter (100).

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