pressure regulating valve

Abstract

To miniaturize a pressure control valve itself, to achieve improvement in processing and to easily insert a plug cover member into a housing, by performing insertion for press-fitting a plug cover member into a housing, from an opening side of the cylindrical plug cover member.SOLUTION: A pressure control valve 22 includes components 72, 74, 68 configuring the pressure control valve 22 in a housing 46 and a plug cover member 56. The plug cover member 56 is formed to be press-fitted and inserted into a cylinder of the housing 46 from one end side of an opening form, and a cylindrical shape at an inlet side to insert the plug cover member 56, of the housing 46 is a diameter-expanded shape 66 gradually expanded in diameter toward the inserting direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a pressure regulating valve, and more particularly to a pressure regulating valve provided in a fuel supply system. [Background technology]

[0002] A pressure regulating valve is sometimes disposed in a path for supplying a liquid such as fuel to adjust the supply pressure to a predetermined pressure. For example, a vehicle such as an automobile has a fuel supply device for supplying fuel from a fuel tank to an engine. The fuel supply device is provided with a fuel pump to supply fuel from the fuel tank to the engine. A pressure regulating valve is provided in the fuel supply path from the fuel pump to the engine to adjust the pressure of the fuel supplied to the engine to a predetermined pressure (see Patent Document 1 below).

[0003] Typically, the pressure regulating valve of a fuel supply system is provided in a case member formed in the fuel supply path. The case member is provided with a housing portion for housing the pressure regulating valve, and the pressure regulating valve is housed and fixed in this housing portion.

[0004] A pressure regulating valve device typically comprises a valve body, a valve seat, a spring that biases the valve body against the valve seat, a cylindrical metal housing that contains the aforementioned components such as the valve body, valve seat, and spring, and a metal plug cover member that seals the aforementioned components within the housing.

[0005] The plug cover member is press-fitted and fixed into the cylindrical housing of the pressure regulating valve, and therefore the plug cover member is also formed in a cylindrical shape corresponding to the cylindrical shape of the housing. The cylindrical shape is generally open at one end and closed at the other end.

[0006] The plug cover member is generally inserted into the housing for press-fitting from the closed, bottomed side of the cylindrical plug cover member, because it is generally easier to insert the plug cover member into the cylindrical housing from the closed side rather than the open side. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-116745 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, when the plug cover member is press-fitted into the housing from the closed, bottomed side of the cylindrical plug cover member, while the insertion operation is easy, there are problems such as the pressure regulating valve itself becoming larger and the processing of the metal plug cover member being disadvantageous.

[0009] That is, if the plug cover member is formed into a simple cylindrical shape with the closed side serving as a mounting seat for the spring, the axial length of the pressure regulating valve itself will be longer by the amount of the plug cover member that is press-fit into the housing, resulting in a problem of increased physical size in the longitudinal direction.

[0010] Therefore, if the spring mounting seat is bent deeply radially inward of the plug cover member in order to shorten the longitudinal size, a deep bend is required, which results in the problem of increasing the number of processing steps.

[0011] In order to alleviate the above-mentioned problems, the inventors focused on a basic configuration in which the plug cover member is inserted into the housing from the opening side of the cylindrical plug cover member in order to press-fit it into the housing, and came up with the idea of ​​making it possible to easily insert the plug cover member into the housing even when such a basic configuration is adopted.

[0012] The problem to be solved by the technology disclosed in this specification was devised in light of the above-mentioned points, and is to provide a configuration in which the plug cover member is inserted into the housing from the opening side of the cylindrical plug cover member to press-fit it into the housing, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the pressure regulating valve itself, improve processing, and make it easier to insert the plug cover member into the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In order to solve the above problems, the pressure regulating valve disclosed in this specification takes the following measures.

[0014] The first means includes a valve body, a valve seat, and The aforementioned Valve body The aforementioned Apply pressure to the valve seat coil a spring, the valve body, the valve seat, and the coil A pressure regulating valve comprising a cylindrical metal housing containing spring components and a metal plug cover member sealing the components within the housing, wherein the plug cover member is The aforementioned The plug cover member has a cylindrical shape that is press-fitted and fixed into the cylinder of the housing, and the plug cover member has an open end in the axial direction of the cylindrical shape, a bottomed end in the axial direction of the cylindrical shape, and a side surface that serves as a press-fit portion. coil A positioning seat portion is provided for positioning one end side of the spring, and the plug cover member is press-fitted into the cylindrical housing from one end side of the opening, and the cylindrical shape of the inlet side of the housing for inserting the plug cover member is The plug cover member Insertion Direction In the opposite direction The diameter gradually increases towards the center. the positioning seat portion of the plug cover member is formed in a convex cylindrical shape with a central portion of a bottom surface portion on the other end side protruding toward one end side of the opening, and positions the end side of the coil spring from its inner side. It is a pressure regulating valve.

[0015] According to the first aspect, the plug cover member is inserted into the housing from the opening side of the cylindrical plug cover member to press-fit it into place, which allows for a reduction in the size of the pressure regulating valve itself and improves the processing of the plug cover member.

[0016] According to the first aspect, the cylindrical shape of the inlet side of the housing into which the plug cover member is inserted is Plug cover material Insertion Direction In the opposite direction This allows for easy insertion of the plug cover member into the housing from the closed side of the plug cover member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the pressure regulating valve disclosed in this specification, the plug cover member is inserted into the housing from the opening side of the cylindrical plug cover member to press-fit it into place, which makes it possible to reduce the size of the pressure regulating valve itself, improve processing, and also makes it easy to insert the plug cover member into the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall schematic view showing a fuel supply path in a fuel supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a case member that includes a fuel pump and a pressure regulating valve disposed in a fuel supply path, with the pressure regulating valve removed. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a bottom view of the case member for the pressure regulating valve in the case member of FIG. 3, as seen from the direction of arrow IV. [Figure 5]5 is a cross-sectional view of the pressure regulating valve taken along line VV in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the pressure regulating valve taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the pressure regulating valve shown in FIG. 5 taken along line VII-VII. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view of the pressure regulating valve shown in FIG. 5 taken along the line VIII-VIII. [Figure 9] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the pressure regulating valve shown in FIG. 5 taken along line IX-IX. [Figure 10] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in FIG. 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a pressure regulating valve, which is a technology disclosed in this specification, will be described with reference to the drawings. The pressure regulating valve of this embodiment is a pressure regulating valve provided in a fuel supply system of a vehicle or the like. Directional indications such as left and right, up and down, front and back, etc. in the explanation of the drawings indicate directions in the drawings, and do not indicate directions in a state in which the pressure regulating valve of the fuel supply system is mounted on a vehicle or the like, unless otherwise specified.

[0020] [Overall configuration of fuel supply device 10] First, the overall configuration of a fuel supply device 10 of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of the fuel supply device 10. The fuel supply device 10 includes a fuel supply path 16 that runs from a fuel tank 12 to an engine (internal combustion engine) 14 and supplies fuel F from the fuel tank 12 to the engine 14. The fuel supply path 16 includes a fuel filter 18, a fuel pump 20, and a pressure regulating valve 22 within the fuel tank 12. The fuel F in the fuel tank 12 is pumped up by an electric motor 24 of the fuel pump 20 via the fuel filter 18 and supplied to the fuel supply path 16.

[0021] The fuel F pumped into the fuel supply path 16 is adjusted to a predetermined fuel supply pressure by a pressure regulating valve 22 and supplied to the engine 14. Typically, the fuel pump 20 and the pressure regulating valve 22 are disposed adjacent to each other and housed in an integrally formed resin case member 26. In FIG. 1, a fuel pump case member 28 and a pressure regulating valve case member 30 are disposed adjacent to each other and integrally formed, and the upper positions of the fuel pump case member 28 and the pressure regulating valve case member 30 are connected by a connecting case member 32 to form the fuel supply path 16. Although omitted from the schematic diagram of FIG. 1, the fuel pump case member 28 and the pressure regulating valve case member 30 are disposed integrally formed within the outer case member 26.

[0022] [Case member 26] Next, the case member 26 that houses the fuel pump 20 and the pressure regulating valve 22 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 shows an external perspective view of the outer case member 26 with the pressure regulating valve 22 removed, and Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the outer case member 26 taken along line III-III in Figure 2. The fuel supply path 16 is formed within the outer case member 26 as shown in Figure 1. The pressure regulating valve 22 and fuel pump 20 shown in Figure 1 are housed and disposed within the outer case member 26 shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 shows the state in which the pressure regulating valve 22 is removed.

[0023] In Fig. 2, the pressure regulating valve 22 is housed and disposed within the left side of the outer case member 26, and the fuel pump 20 is housed and disposed within the right side of the outer case member 26. This state is clearly shown in Fig. 3, which shows the outer case member 26 in Fig. 2 in a cutaway view. As shown in Fig. 3, a case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve is disposed within the outer case member 26 at the left side, and a case member 28 for the fuel pump is disposed at the right side. The case member at the upper position in Figs. 2 and 3 is the connecting case member 32 shown in Fig. 1.

[0024] 2 and 3, a piping-shaped member 34 formed at an upper position of the connecting case member 32 forms part of the fuel supply path 16 shown in Fig. 1, and serves to connect a pipe for supplying fuel to the engine 14. At the position of this piping-shaped member 34, the fuel supply path 16 is also connected to a pressure regulating valve 22, which will be described in detail later, so that the fuel supplied to the engine 14 is adjusted to a predetermined fuel supply pressure.

[0025] [Arrangement of pressure regulating valve 22 in case member 26] Next, the configuration of the pressure regulating valve 22, which is disposed in the fuel supply device 10 of this embodiment and is a feature of this embodiment, will be described in detail. The configuration of the pressure regulating valve 22 is shown in FIGS. 4 to 10. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the pressure regulating valve case member 30 in the outer case member 26 shown in FIG. 3, as seen from the direction of arrow IV. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the pressure regulating valve 22 as seen from the direction of arrow VV in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the pressure regulating valve 22 as seen from the direction of arrow VI-VI in FIG. 4. FIGS. 7 to 10 are cross-sectional views sequentially showing cross sections of the pressure regulating valve 22 shown in FIG. 5 at various positions in the up-down direction (axial direction). As can be seen from each of these drawings, the pressure regulating valve 22 is disposed housed within the pressure regulating valve case member 30 that forms the fuel supply path 16 shown in FIG. 1.

[0026] The case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve is made of resin, and has a cylindrical housing portion 36 formed therein to house the pressure regulating valve 22. In this embodiment, the cylindrical shape is cylindrical as shown in each of FIGS. 4 to 10. The pressure regulating valve 22 is inserted and housed in this cylindrical housing portion 36. In this embodiment, the pressure regulating valve 22 is inserted into the housing portion 36 from below as viewed in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0027] The housing portion 36 of the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve in this embodiment has a two-stage configuration. When viewed in the insertion direction into the housing portion 36, the housing portion 36 is configured to include an upper housing portion 38 that houses the front portion of the pressure regulating valve 22, and a lower housing portion 40 that houses the rear portion. The inner diameter of the lower housing portion 40 is set to be larger than the inner diameter of the upper housing portion. That is, as viewed in Figures 5 and 6, the housing portion 36 has a smaller diameter at the upper position and a larger diameter at the lower position.

[0028] The side surface portion 42 forming the large-diameter lower accommodating portion 40 disposed at a lower position is formed as an elastically deformable portion 43 that is elastically deformable radially outward. Therefore, in this embodiment, the elastically deformable portion 43 and the side surface portion 42 forming the lower accommodating portion 40 are the same portion. The elastically deformable portion 43 elastically deforms radially outward when the pressure regulating valve 22 is inserted into the lower accommodating portion 40, facilitating insertion of the pressure regulating valve 22. In this embodiment, a slit 44 is further formed in the vertical direction of the side surface portion 42, facilitating elastic deformation of the side surface portion 42.

[0029] [Slit 44] The slits 44 are formed at a position on the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve shown in FIG. 3. This position is the position of the side surface portion 42 that forms the large-diameter lower accommodating portion 40, and is the position of the elastic deformation portion 43. There are two types of slits 44: a first slit 45 and a second slit 98. The first slits 45 and the second slits 98 are formed at different positions in the circumferential direction of the lower accommodating portion 40 in the case member 30. Both are formed in the elastic deformation portion 43 of the side surface portion 42 of the large-diameter lower accommodating portion 40 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Both the first slits 45 and the second slits 98 are formed to extend in the insertion direction of the pressure regulating valve 22.

[0030] In this embodiment, the first slits 45 are formed at two symmetrical positions on the circumference of the cylindrical large-diameter lower accommodating portion 40. They are formed at positions on the VV cross-sectional line in Fig. 4. In this embodiment, the first slits 45 are formed in the side surface portion 42 of the large-diameter lower accommodating portion 40 in Fig. 5, and the upper end position of the first slits 45 extends to the lower end position of the upper accommodating portion 38. Note that a slip-out prevention structure 86, which will be described in detail later, is formed in the side surface portion 42 of the elastically deformable portion 43 below the first slit 45.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 3, the second slits 98 are also formed at the position of the lower accommodating portion 40 in the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve, and are formed at a lower position in the up-down direction of the lower accommodating portion 40. In this embodiment, the second slits 98 are formed at four equally spaced locations, as shown in Figs. 4 and 10. More specifically, the second slits 98 are formed at positions on both sides of the two first slits 45 described above. As shown in Fig. 3, the second slits 98 are formed so that their lower ends are open, and their upper ends extend to the middle position in the up-down direction of the lower accommodating portion 40. This makes it easier for the side surface portions 42 that form the lower accommodating portion 40 to elastically deform.

[0032] [Overall configuration of pressure regulating valve 22] Next, we will explain the overall structure of the pressure regulating valve 22. The overall structure is clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6. The skeleton shape of the pressure regulating valve 22 is formed by a metal housing 46 and a metal plug cover member 56. Normally, both the housing 46 and the plug cover member 56 are made of press-formed steel plate.

[0033] The outer shape of the housing 46 is a shape that can be accommodated in the accommodation portion 36 of the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve. Therefore, the housing 46 has a cylindrical shape that corresponds to the inner cylindrical shape of the accommodation portion 36. In this embodiment, the housing 46 has a cylindrical shape similar to the accommodation portion 36.

[0034] The cylindrical shape of the housing 46 is also two-staged, similar to the accommodating portion 36 of the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve. It is made up of a large-diameter lower housing portion 50 corresponding to the shape of the large-diameter lower accommodating portion 40 and a small-diameter upper housing portion 48 corresponding to the shape of the small-diameter upper accommodating portion 38. In this embodiment, similar to the accommodating portion 36 of the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve, both the large-diameter lower housing portion 50 and the small-diameter upper housing portion 48 are cylindrical. The small-diameter upper housing portion 48 is further formed in a two-staged shape, and is made up of an upper small-diameter housing-shaped portion 52 and a lower small-diameter housing-shaped portion 54. The upper small-diameter housing-shaped portion 52 has a diameter slightly smaller than the lower small-diameter housing-shaped portion 54.

[0035] An annular seal ring 58 is interposed between the upper small-diameter housing-shaped portion 52 and the inner cylindrical portion of the upper accommodating portion 38 of the pressure regulating valve case member 30 at the step between the upper small-diameter housing-shaped portion 52 and the lower small-diameter housing-shaped portion 54. A cross-sectional view of this state is shown in Figure 7. This seal ring 58 is configured to prevent fuel from entering from above to below as viewed in Figures 5 and 6 through the gap between the pressure regulating valve case member 30 and the housing 46.

[0036] [Plug cover member 56] Next, the plug cover member 56 will be described. The plug cover member 56 is clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6. The plug cover member 56 has a cylindrical shape that is press-fitted and fixed within the cylindrical housing 46, and is disposed at a lower position within the housing 46. More specifically, it is disposed so as to close the lower portion of the cylindrical portion of the large-diameter lower housing portion 50 of the housing 46. For this reason, the plug cover member 56 is formed in a cylindrical shape with one end open and the other end closed. In other words, the plug cover member 56 has a cylindrical shape in which one axial end is open, the other end is closed, and the side surface forms a portion 60 for press-fitting into the housing 46.

[0037] The plug cover member 56 is press-fitted into the cylindrical interior of the housing 46 from the open side of the plug cover member 56. Therefore, as seen in Figures 5 and 6, the plug cover member 56 is configured so that the cylindrical side surface is a press-fit portion 60, the bottom side is a lower surface portion 62, and the open side is an upper surface portion 64. In this configuration, the plug cover member 56 is inserted into the cylindrical interior of the lower housing portion 50 and press-fitted and fixed. Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional view of this state.

[0038] A positioning seat portion 70 is provided on the underside portion 62 of the plug cover member 56 to position one end of a coil spring 68 disposed inside the housing 46, which will be described later. The positioning seat portion 70 is provided by forming a slight upward protrusion at the center of the underside portion 62, as viewed in Figures 5 and 6. This protrusion is shaped to position the lower end of the coil spring 68 from the inside.

[0039] [Configuration for facilitating insertion of plug cover member 56 into housing 46] Next, in this embodiment, the lower end of the housing 46 has a shape that facilitates insertion of the plug cover member 56, and this shape will be described. The shape is such that the cylindrical shape of the inlet side for inserting the plug cover member 56 in the lower housing portion 50 is The plug cover member 56 Insertion Direction In the opposite direction 5 and 6, the plug cover member 56 is inserted from the bottom up, so the lower end of the large-diameter lower housing section 50 has a cylindrical, expanding diameter shape 66 that expands downward.

[0040] Normally, when the plug cover member 56 is press-fitted into the lower housing portion 50 from the opening side of the top surface portion 64 of the plug cover member 56, the end face on the opening side gets caught on the lower end opening of the housing 46, making insertion difficult. For this reason, the plug cover member 56 is inserted from the bottom side on the closed side. However, even when the plug cover member 56 is inserted into the housing 46 from the opening side of the top surface portion 64, as in this embodiment, the lower end portion of the housing 46 on the side where the plug cover member 56 is inserted into the housing 46 has an expanded diameter shape 66, which makes insertion easy. In other words, the plug cover member 56 does not get caught on the lower end of the housing 46 during insertion, and can be inserted smoothly.

[0041] [Components of the pressure regulating valve 22] Next, the components of the pressure regulating valve 22 disposed within the housing 46 will be described. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the components of the pressure regulating valve 22 disposed within the housing 46 of the pressure regulating valve 22 include a valve element 72, a valve seat 74, and a coil spring 68 that biases the valve element 72 against the valve seat 74. In addition, a filter member 76 is disposed above the small-diameter housing-shaped portion 52 at the upper position.

[0042] [Valve body 72 and valve seat 74] The valve element 72 is disposed in an upper position within the larger diameter lower housing section 50. Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the location of the valve element 72. The valve seat 74 is formed by a stepped shape at the connection between the upper housing section 48 and the lower housing section 50 as seen in Figures 5 and 6.

[0043] A rubber member 78 is disposed on the valve body 72 to make the upper surface thereof a rubber surface, thereby ensuring sealing at the contact point with the valve seat 74. The rubber member 78 is fitted into an axial hole 79 formed in the axial center of the valve body 72, and is integrated with the valve body 72. As seen in Figures 5 and 6, a positioning seat portion 80 for the upper end of the coil spring 68 is formed on the underside of the valve body 72.

[0044] 8, the outer diameter shape of the valve body 72 is such that a plurality of protrusions 82 are disposed in contact with the inner surface of the lower housing part 50. A gap is formed between adjacent protrusions 82, allowing fuel that has passed through the pressure regulating on-off valve 75 formed by the valve seat 74 and the valve body 72 to flow downward. In this embodiment, eight protrusions 82 are formed and are spaced equally apart.

[0045] A fuel discharge hole 84 is provided at an axially intermediate position of the lower housing portion 50. The position where the fuel discharge hole 84 is formed is on the cross-sectional line IX-IX in FIG. 5, and the arrangement position thereof is shown in FIG. 9. In this embodiment, four fuel discharge holes 84 are formed and arranged at equal intervals. The fuel that has passed through the pressure regulating on-off valve 75 is discharged to the outside of the housing 46 through these fuel discharge holes 84.

[0046] The fuel discharged to the outside of the housing 46 is returned from inside the housing 46 to the inside of the fuel tank 12 shown in Fig. 1 through a slit 44 formed in the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve. The slit 44 is shown in Figs. 3 to 5 and 8 to 10.

[0047] [Coil spring 68] Next, the coil spring 68 will be described. The coil spring 68 is clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6. The coil spring 68 is disposed between the valve body 72 and the plug cover member 56. The upper end of the coil spring 68 is positioned and seated on a positioning seat portion 80 on the underside of the valve body 72, and the lower end is positioned and seated on a positioning seat portion 70 of the plug cover member 56. As a result, the spring force of the coil spring 68 is applied to the valve body 72, and pressure regulation is performed by the pressure regulating valve 22 through valve action with the valve seat 74. Therefore, the fuel supply pressure to the engine 14 in the fuel supply path 16 shown in Figure 1 is determined by the spring pressure of the coil spring 68.

[0048] [Filter member 76] Next, we will explain the filter member 76 that is fitted and disposed at the upper end position of the upper housing portion 48 of the housing 46. The filter member 76 is disposed in the fuel supply path 16, in the path to the pressure regulating valve 22. A fine filtering path is formed in the filter member 76, and in the event that dust is mixed in with the fuel flowing into the pressure regulating valve 22, the filter member 76 serves to prevent the fuel from flowing into the pressure regulating valve 22. This ensures that the valve body 72 and valve seat 74 function as a pressure regulating opening and closing valve, and allows the pressure regulating valve 22 to accurately regulate pressure.

[0049] [Fuel flow in the pressure regulating valve 22] Next, the flow of fuel in the pressure regulating valve 22 will be described with reference to Figure 5. Fuel F in the fuel supply path 16 flows into the filter member 76 via path arrow X1. Dust in the fuel is filtered out by the filter member 76, and the fuel is supplied to the pressure regulating on-off valve 75, which is composed of the valve body 72 and the valve seat 74, via path arrow X2. When the fuel pressure supplied by the pressure regulating on-off valve 75 is higher than a predetermined pressure, the valve is opened to regulate the fuel pressure in the fuel supply path 16 to the predetermined pressure. The fuel discharged by opening the pressure regulating on-off valve 75 is returned to the fuel tank 12 (see Figure 2) via path arrow X3, as described above, through the fuel discharge hole 84 in the lower housing part 50 and the slit 44 in the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve.

[0050] [Pressure Regulating Valve 22 Retention Structure 86] Next, a description will be given of a retaining structure 86 for the pressure regulating valve 22 formed between the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve and the housing 46 of the pressure regulating valve 22. The retaining structure 86 for the pressure regulating valve 22 is clearly shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The retaining structure 86 is formed at the lower end of the elastically deformable portion 43 that forms the accommodation portion 36 of the pressure regulating valve 22. The position of this lower end is the position on the inlet side where the pressure regulating valve 22 is inserted. The retaining structures 86 are formed at positions on the VV cross section line in FIG. 4, and are formed at two locations on the circumference. In this embodiment, they are formed at symmetrical positions on the circumference, 180 degrees apart. The positions are the same as the circumferential positions where the above-mentioned slits 44 are formed, with the slits 44 formed at the upper position and the retaining structure 86 formed at the lower position.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 5, the retaining structure 86 comprises an engagement piece 88 set in the elastically deformable portion 43, which is the lower accommodating portion 40 of the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve, and an engagement portion 90 set in the lower end of the lower housing portion 50 of the pressure regulating valve 22. The engagement piece 88 is formed to protrude in the inner diameter direction of the lower accommodating portion 40 at the lower end of the elastically deformable portion 43, and a protrusion 92 that protrudes upward as viewed in Fig. 5 is formed at the tip of the engagement piece 88 in the inner diameter direction, forming an upward-facing mating recess 94. The engagement portion 90 at the lower end of the lower housing portion 50 is configured to fit into this mating recess 94, and in the fitted state, the side surface portion 42 of the elastically deformable portion 43 is prevented from displacing radially outward.

[0052] That is, in the state where the engaging portion 90 is fitted into the fitting recess 94 in the retaining structure 86, the radial movement of the elastically deformable portion 43 of the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve is restricted by the housing 46 of the pressure regulating valve 22, which is formed of a rigid metal body. This prevents the pressure regulating valve 22 from coming off after insertion.

[0053] [Rib shape 96] As clearly shown in Figures 8 to 10, rib shapes 96 that support the outer cylindrical surface of the lower housing part 50 of the pressure regulating valve 22 are formed on the inner cylindrical surface of the lower accommodating part 40 of the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve. As seen in Figures 8 to 10, three rib shapes 96 are formed on each side of the slits 44 formed on both the left and right sides. This supports the lower housing part 50 of the pressure regulating valve 22 inserted into the lower accommodating part 40 of the case member 30.

[0054] [Effect of the expanded diameter portion 66 of this embodiment when the pressure regulating valve 22 overcomes the retaining structure 86 during insertion] 5 and 6, the pressure regulating valve 22 is inserted from below into the receiving portion 36 of the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve and accommodated therein. The pressure regulating valve 22 is inserted with the upper housing portion 48 of the pressure regulating valve 22 at the leading edge, with the upper housing portion 48 of the pressure regulating valve 22 accommodated in the upper receiving portion 38 of the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve, and the lower housing portion 50 of the pressure regulating valve 22 accommodated in the lower receiving portion 40.

[0055] When the lower housing part 50 of the pressure regulating valve 22 is accommodated in the lower accommodation portion 40 of the case member 30, the lower shape of the lower housing part 50 is the expanded diameter shape 66. Therefore, when the area of ​​the expanded diameter shape 66 passes over the retaining structure 86, the side surface part 42 of the case member 30 serves as the elastic deformation part 43, and therefore elastically deforms outward to accommodate the lower housing part 50. Then, when the area of ​​the expanded diameter shape 66 passes over the locking piece 88 of the retaining structure 86, the elastic deformation of the side surface part 42 of the case member 30 returns to normal, and the outer cylindrical surface of the lower housing part 50 other than the area of ​​the retaining structure 86 is supported by the rib shape 96 of the case member 30, as shown in Figures 8 to 10 .

[0056] Next, a detailed description will be given of the insertion action when the portion of the enlarged diameter shape 66 overcomes the locking piece 88 of the retaining structure 86. The pressure regulating valve 22 is inserted until the portion of the enlarged diameter shape 66 overcomes the protruding piece 92 of the retaining structure 86. This overcome action is achieved by the elastic deformation portion 43 of the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve elastically deforming radially outward. Once overcome, the elastic deformation portion 43 contracts radially inward, and the inner cylindrical surface of the elastic deformation portion 43 abuts against the engaging portion 90 at the tip of the lower housing portion 50. In this state, the engaging portion 90 is not yet engaged with the mating recess 94 of the retaining structure 86. In this state, temporary fuel is supplied from the path arrow X1 above the pressure regulating valve 22 shown in FIG. 5 to move the pressure regulating valve 22 downward. This downward movement of the pressure regulating valve 22 causes the engaging portion 90 to engage with the mating recess 94, thereby positioning the pressure regulating valve 22. FIG. 5 shows the state in which the pressure regulating valve 22 is positioned, whereby the pressure regulating valve 22 is fixedly attached to the case member 30.

[0057] The retaining effect of the retaining structure 86 is achieved when the lower housing part 50 of the pressure regulating valve 22 is housed in the lower accommodation part 40 of the case member 30. In this state, an engaging part 90 formed at the lower end of the lower housing part 50 fits into a fitting recess 94 formed by an engaging piece 88 and a protruding piece 92 that are configured in the lower accommodation part of the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve, thereby positioning the pressure regulating valve 22 in the case member 30.

[0058] As described above, according to this embodiment, the pressure regulating valve 22 is attached by the retaining structure 86 formed between the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve and the housing 46 of the pressure regulating valve 22. As a result, the pressure regulating valve 22 can be fixed to the accommodating portion 36 of the case member 30 simply by inserting the pressure regulating valve 22 into the accommodating portion 36 of the case member 30. Therefore, a separate fixing member is not required to fix the pressure regulating valve 22 as in the conventional case, and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0059] [Functions and Effects of the Plug Cover Member 56 of the Present Embodiment] The plug cover member 56 according to this embodiment is configured to be inserted into the lower housing member 50 from the opening-side upper surface portion 64 and then press-fitted and fixed. The bottomed lower surface portion 62 of the plug cover member 56 serves as a positioning seat portion 70 that positions the lower end of the coil spring 68. This allows the internal space of the plug cover member 56 to be used as an installation space for the coil spring 68, and the axial length of the pressure regulating valve 22 can be shortened.

[0060] It is possible to shorten the longitudinal size of the pressure regulating valve 22 even when the plug cover member 56 is inserted into the lower housing section 50 from the bottom side. However, in this case, it becomes necessary to form the mounting seat for the coil spring 68 by deeply bending the plug cover member 56 radially inward. This necessitates deep bending, which increases the number of processing steps. The configuration of this embodiment has the advantage of being able to solve this problem.

[0061] When inserting the plug cover member 56 into the lower housing section 50 from the upper surface section 64 on the opening side, there is a problem that the plug cover member 56 gets caught and the insertion operation is difficult to perform smoothly. However, in this embodiment, the cylindrical shape of the inlet side of the housing 46 through which the plug cover member 56 is inserted is The plug cover member 56 Insertion Direction In the opposite direction The plug cover member 56 has an expanding diameter shape 66 that gradually expands in diameter toward the opening. This allows the plug cover member 56 to be inserted smoothly into the lower housing section 50 from the opening side.

[0062] <Other embodiments> The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[0063] For example, in this embodiment, the elastic deformation portion 43 of the side portion 42 of the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve is formed with a slit 44 to facilitate elastic deformation. However, if the material of the elastic deformation portion 43 is easily elastically deformed, the slit 44 may be omitted.

[0064] Furthermore, when forming the slits 44, the length of the slits 44 can be changed without being limited to the length of the above-described embodiment. However, it is preferable to use the length of the above-described embodiment from the viewpoint of elastically deforming the elastically deforming portion 43.

[0065] In addition, in this embodiment, the case member 30 for the pressure regulating valve is disposed adjacent to the case member 28 of the fuel pump, but they may be disposed separately. However, disposing them adjacent to each other has the advantage of enabling the fuel supply device 10 to be made smaller. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10 Fuel supply device 12 Fuel tank 14 Engine (internal combustion engine) 16 Fuel supply route 18 Fuel filter 20 Fuel pump 22 Pressure Regulating Valve 24 Electric motor 26 Case material 28 Fuel pump case material 30 Case material for pressure regulating valve 32 Connecting case member 34 Piping shaped components 36 Storage section 38 Upper storage compartment 40 Lower storage section 42 Side part 43 Elastic deformation part (side part of lower storage part) 44 Slit 45 First Slit 46 Housing 48 Upper housing part 50 Lower housing part 52 Upper position small diameter housing shape part 54 Lower position small diameter housing shape part 56 Plug cover member 58 Seal ring 60 Press-fit part 62 Bottom part 64 Top part 66 Expanded diameter shape 68 coil spring 70 Positioning seat part 72 Valve body 74 Valve seat 75 Pressure regulating shut-off valve 76 Filter material 78 Rubber parts 79 Shaft hole 80 Positioning seat for the upper end of the coil spring 82 Protrusion 84 Fuel drain hole 86 Anti-slip structure 88 Engagement piece 90 Engagement part 92 Projection piece 94 Fitting recess 96 Rib Shape 98 Second Slit F fuel

Claims

[Claim 1] A valve body, A valve seat; a coil spring that biases the valve body against the valve seat; a cylindrical metal housing containing the valve body, the valve seat, and the coil spring; a metallic plug cover member that seals the component within the housing; A pressure regulating valve comprising: the plug cover member has a cylindrical shape that is press-fitted and fixed into the cylindrical housing, the plug cover member has a cylindrical shape with one axial end open, the other axial end closed, and a side surface serving as a press-fit portion, and the other axial end closed is provided with a positioning seat portion for positioning the one end of the coil spring, The plug cover member is press-fitted into the cylindrical housing from one end side of the opening, a cylindrical shape of the housing on an inlet side into which the plug cover member is inserted has a diameter gradually increasing in a direction opposite to the insertion direction of the plug cover member, The positioning seat portion of the plug cover member is formed in a cylindrical shape with a central portion of a bottom surface portion on the other end side protruding toward one end side of the opening, and positions the end of the coil spring from its inner side, A pressure regulating valve in which the center of the bottom surface portion on the other end side slightly protrudes toward one end side of the opening form so that the positioning seat portion does not come into contact with any portion of the coil spring other than the end.

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