Fuel supply device

Abstract

An expanding and contracting connection unit (50) for mutually connecting a flange unit (10) and a pump unit (30) comprises a housing member (60) and a joint member (80) fitted into the housing member (60) so as to be slidable in the axial direction. Positioning protrusion portions (69, 70, 71) are provided in an inner peripheral portion of the housing member (60). Positioning grooves (88, 89, 90) that engage with the positioning protrusion portions (69, 70, 71) are provided in an outer peripheral portion of the joint member (80).

Description

fuel supply device

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a fuel supply device.

[0002] Conventionally, a fuel supply device is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile that runs on liquid fuel such as gasoline. The fuel supply device supplies fuel in a fuel tank to an internal combustion engine, or so-called engine. The fuel supply device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-63673 (Patent Publication No. 673) includes a cover member and a pump unit. The cover member closes an opening formed in an upper wall of the fuel tank. The pump unit is placed on a bottom wall of the fuel tank. The cover member and the pump unit are connected by a telescopic connecting unit. The telescopic connecting unit includes a cylindrical member connected to the cover member and a support member connected to the pump unit. The cylindrical member and the support member are fitted together to be able to move relative to each other in the axial direction, thereby allowing the telescopic connecting unit to be telescopic.

[0003] In addition, in the evaporated fuel treatment device of Publication No. 673, the cylindrical member and the support member are formed of resins with different melting points in order to suppress abnormal noise caused by stick-slip when the telescopic connection unit extends and retracts.

[0004] However, in conventional fuel supply devices, the rotation of the tubular member and the support member of the telescopic connection unit was not sufficiently restricted. Therefore, when the tubular member and the support member rotate relative to each other, the pump unit rotates relative to the lid member fixed to the top wall of the fuel tank, causing rattle of the pump unit. This can cause the float of the sender gauge fixed to the pump unit to swing, reducing the measurement accuracy of the sender gauge. In particular, when the tubular member and the support member are made of different resins, as in Publication No. 673, the dimensional changes of the components differ when the resin swells due to fuel, which can lead to greater rattle of the pump unit.

[0005] There has been a demand for a fuel supply device that can suppress the relative rotation of the pump unit with respect to the cover member.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a fuel supply device includes a cover member fixed to an upper wall of a fuel tank so as to close an opening formed in the upper wall, and a pump unit placed on a bottom wall of the fuel tank. A cylindrical member is connected to one of the cover member and the pump unit. A support member is connected to the other of the cover member and the pump unit. The support member is fitted into the cylindrical member so as to be slidable in the axial direction. A protrusion is provided on an inner peripheral portion of the cylindrical member. A groove portion is provided on an outer peripheral portion of the support member that fits into the protrusion and restricts relative rotation between the cylindrical member and the support member.

[0007] As described above, the projections on the cylindrical member and the grooves on the support member fit together to restrict rotation of the support member within the cylindrical member, thereby restricting relative rotation between the cover member connected to either the support member or the pump unit and the pump unit connected to the other member.

[0008] In another aspect of the present disclosure, two or more sets of the protrusions and the grooves are provided. The protrusions include a first protrusion and a second protrusion that protrude in different directions in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member. The grooves include a first groove that fits with the first protrusion and a second groove that fits with the second protrusion. Therefore, relative rotation between the support member and the tubular member, and therefore relative rotation of the pump unit with respect to the cover member, can be effectively suppressed.

[0009] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the protrusion is a ridge extending from an upper end to a lower end of the inner periphery of the tubular member along the axial direction of the tubular member. By increasing the length of the protrusion that fits into the groove in the axial direction, it is possible to prevent the support member from tilting relative to the tubular member.

[0010] 2 is a perspective view of a fuel supply device according to one embodiment; FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which the fuel supply device is attached to a fuel tank; FIG. 4 is a view showing a state in which the fuel supply device is in the middle of being attached to the fuel tank; FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the fuel supply device, with some components not shown; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a housing member; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the housing part shown in FIG. 2 taken along line A-A; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a joint member; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the joint member shown in FIG. 2 taken along line A-A; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the telescopic connection unit shown in FIG. 2 taken along line A-A;

[0011] A fuel supply device according to the present embodiment is attached to a fuel tank of a vehicle and supplies fuel to an internal combustion engine of the vehicle from the fuel tank.

[0012] (Fuel Tank 2) As shown in Figure 2, the fuel supply device 1 is attached to the fuel tank 2. The fuel tank 2 is a hollow container having a top wall 3 and a bottom wall 4. A circular opening 5 is formed in the top wall 3. The fuel tank 2 is mounted on the vehicle so that the top wall 3 and the bottom wall 4 are horizontal. The fuel tank 2 is made of resin, and deforms (mainly expands and contracts vertically) due to changes in the internal tank pressure. The fuel tank 2 stores gasoline, for example, as a liquid fuel.

[0013] (Fuel supply device 1) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the fuel supply device 1 includes a flange unit 10, a pump unit 30, and a telescopic connection unit 50. As shown in Figure 2, the flange unit 10 is fixed to the upper wall 3 so as to close the opening 5. The pump unit 30 is installed inside the fuel tank 2, more specifically, on the bottom wall 4 of the fuel tank 2. The telescopic connection unit 50 connects the flange unit 10 and the pump unit 30. In this embodiment, the flange unit 10, the pump unit 30, and the telescopic connection unit 50 are each configured as separate entities.

[0014] (Flange Unit 10) The flange unit 10 includes a flange body 11 and an evaporated fuel valve 12. In this specification, the flange unit 10 is also referred to as a "lid member."

[0015] (Flange main body 11) The flange main body 11 is formed mainly of a circular plate-shaped cover plate portion 13. The flange main body 11 is made of polyacetal (POM). As shown in FIG. 2, an annular fitting cylindrical portion 14 is concentrically formed on the underside of the cover plate portion 13. An annular plate-shaped flange portion 15 is formed on the outer periphery of the cover plate portion 13 and protrudes radially outward beyond the fitting cylindrical portion 14. A cylindrical valve accommodating portion 16 with a top is formed in the cover plate portion 13 so as to protrude upward. An evaporation port 17 protruding radially outward is formed at the upper end of the valve accommodating portion 16.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the cover plate 13 is provided with a fuel discharge port 18, a first electrical connector 19, and a second electrical connector 20. The fuel discharge port 18 is formed in the shape of a straight pipe that passes through the cover plate 13 in the vertical direction. A predetermined number of metal terminals are disposed within the electrical connectors 19, 20. The fuel discharge port 18 and the electrical connectors 19, 20 are disposed behind the valve accommodating portion 16.

[0017] (Evaporative Fuel Valve 12) As shown in Figure 2, the evaporative fuel valve 12 is attached with its upper portion housed within the valve housing portion 16 of the flange body 11. For example, the evaporative fuel valve 12 is an integrated valve equipped with an evaporative fuel control valve and a full tank limiting valve. The evaporative fuel control valve closes when the internal pressure of the fuel tank 2 is lower than a predetermined value and opens when the internal pressure exceeds the predetermined value. The full tank limiting valve opens when the fuel tank 2 is not full of fuel and closes when it is full.

[0018] 1 and 2, the pump unit 30 includes a sub-tank 31, a sender gauge 40, and a fuel pump 46. The pump unit 30 is mounted on the bottom wall 4 of the fuel tank 2, and pumps fuel from within the fuel tank 2 to the outside of the fuel tank 2.

[0019] (Sub-tank 31) The sub-tank 31 has a sub-tank body 32, a cover member 33, and a fuel filter .

[0020] The subtank body 32 is made of resin and has the shape of an inverted shallow box with an open bottom. As shown in Figure 1, the subtank body 32 has a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction. A rectangular inlet hole 35 is formed in the upper surface of the subtank body 32 at a position near the right.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, an engagement shaft 36 that protrudes forward is formed at a position near the left of the lower front surface of the subtank body 32. Also, as shown in Fig. 1, a plate-shaped upright wall portion 37 that faces in the front-rear direction is provided at the front right portion of the top surface of the subtank body 32.

[0022] The cover member 33 is made of resin and is formed in a generally rectangular plate shape. The outer edge of the cover member 33 is fixed to the outer edge of the subtank body 32. As shown in FIG. 2 , the cover member 33 has a plurality of through-holes 38 that penetrate in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The bottom surface of the cover member 33 has a plurality of support portions 39 that protrude downward. Each support portion 39 abuts against the bottom wall 4 of the fuel tank 2 from above, thereby ensuring a gap between the cover member 33 and the bottom wall 4. Fuel near the bottom of the fuel tank 2 flows into the subtank 31 through this gap and the through-holes 38.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1 , a fuel filter 34 is disposed between the cover member 33 and the subtank body 32. The fuel filter 34 has a flat, bag-shaped filter member and serves to filter the fuel. The filter member is made of a material that exhibits filtering function, such as porous resin, woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, resin mesh, or metal mesh. A fuel storage space (not shown) is formed by the fuel filter 34 and the subtank body 32, and fuel that flows into the subtank body 32 through the inlet 35 is stored in the fuel storage space.

[0024] (Sender Gauge 40) As shown in Figure 2, the sender gauge 40 includes a gauge body 41, an arm 42, and a float 43. The gauge body 41 is attached to the vertical wall portion 37 of the subtank 31. A base end of an arm 42 is attached to a pivot portion 44 that is rotatable about a horizontal axis on the gauge body 41. A float 43 is attached to the free end of the arm 42. The sender gauge 40 detects the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank 2 by utilizing the angle of the arm 42 that is connected to the float 43 that floats on the surface of the fuel in the fuel tank 2. The sender gauge 40 is electrically connected to the first electrical connector portion 19 via a first wire harness 45 (see Figure 1).

[0025] 1, the fuel pump 46 is a generally cylindrical electric fuel pump that discharges fuel from the fuel tank 2 and the sub-tank 31 to the fuel discharge port 18 via a fuel supply pipe 47. The fuel supply pipe 47 is made of a flexible resin hose or the like. The fuel pump 46 is electrically connected to the second electrical connector 20 via a second wire harness 48.

[0026] (Telescopic connection unit 50) As shown in Figure 1, the telescopic connection unit 50 connects the flange unit 10 and the pump unit 30. The telescopic connection unit 50 includes a housing member 60, a joint member 80, and a spring 100 (see Figure 4). In this specification, the housing member 60 and the joint member 80 are also referred to as the "cylindrical member" and the "support member," respectively.

[0027] (Housing Member 60) The housing member 60 is made of polyacetal and has a cylindrical shape with a top. As shown in Figure 5, the housing member 60 includes a housing main body 61 and a locking portion 62.

[0028] The housing body 61 is generally rectangular tubular and has an opening 63 at its lower end. The housing body 61 has a generally U-shaped joint engagement portion 64 near the lower right end of the rear surface. The joint engagement portion 64 has an engagement piece 65 that protrudes from the lower inner surface toward the inside of the housing body 61.

[0029] The housing body 61 is provided with a rod-shaped spring guide 66 that extends from the upper surface to near the lower end inside the housing body 61. As shown in Figure 6, the spring guide 66 is provided in approximately the center inside the housing body 61, and has a cross-sectional shape with three protrusions arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0030] 5, the locking portion 62 is formed so as to extend horizontally from near the upper end of the housing main body 61 around the periphery of the housing main body 61. The locking portion 62 is provided with two locking holes 67 that penetrate in the vertical direction. The portion of the housing main body 61 that protrudes above the locking portion 62 is called a protrusion 68.

[0031] The housing member 60 is fixed to the flange unit 10 by fitting the locking holes 67 and protrusions 68 of the housing member 60 into the locking projections 21 (see FIG. 4) and recesses (not shown) formed on the underside of the cover plate 13. Because the housing member 60 and the flange unit 10 are made of the same resin material, polyacetal in this embodiment, they are more easily fixed to each other and can be firmly connected compared to when they are made of different resin materials.

[0032] (Joint Member 80) As shown in Figure 7, the joint member 80 has a joint plate 81 and a support pillar 82. The joint plate 81 is made of glass fiber reinforced polyamide (PA6-GF30) and is a thick plate that is flat in the front-to-rear direction. The joint plate 81 has a substantially flat upper end surface 81a. The support pillar 82 extends upward from the center of the upper end surface 81a of the joint plate 81.

[0033] An engagement shaft hole 83 penetrating in the front-to-rear direction is formed in the lower part of the joint plate part 81. In addition, an engagement part 84 for engaging with the pump unit 30 is formed on the rear surface of the joint plate part 81. As shown in FIG. 2 , the engagement shaft 36 of the subtank body 32 is rotatably engaged with the engagement shaft hole 83 of the joint plate part 81. In addition, the engagement part 84 of the joint member 80 is engaged with a rotation groove (not shown) formed in an arc shape on the subtank body 32. In this way, the joint member 80 is connected to the pump unit 30 so as to be rotatable around the engagement shaft 36.

[0034] As shown in Figure 7, the center of the support pillar 82 is formed into a cylindrical shape with an opening 85 at its upper end. A spring 100 made of a metal coil spring is housed inside the support pillar 82 (see Figures 4 and 9). As a result, the inner peripheral surface of the support pillar 82 guides the expansion and contraction of the spring 100. A concave restriction groove 86 extending in the vertical direction is provided on the right side of the rear of the support pillar 82. A horizontally extending anti-slip rib 87 is provided near the upper end of the restriction groove 86 to fill the recess of the restriction groove 86.

[0035] (Assembly of the Telescopic Connection Unit 50) As shown in FIG. 4 , the spring 100 is inserted into the support post 82 through the opening 85 of the joint member 80. In this state, the support post 82 of the joint member 80, together with the spring 100, is slidably fitted into the housing main body 61 through the opening 63 of the housing member 60. At this time, the spring guide 66 formed in the housing main body 61 is inserted into the spring 100 (see FIG. 9 ). In addition, the engagement piece 65 of the housing member 60 rides over the retaining rib 87 of the joint member 80 and fits into the restriction groove 86. As a result, the housing member 60 and the joint member 80 are connected to each other. In this state, the housing member 60 and the joint member 80 are biased away from each other by the elasticity of the spring 100. As the joint member 80 slides upward, the area of ​​the support post 82 housed in the housing main body 61 increases, and the axial length (height) of the entire telescopic connection unit 50 becomes smaller. In this way, the longitudinal length of the telescopic connection unit 50 can be freely extended or retracted.

[0036] 2 and 3, a method for attaching the fuel supply device 1 to the fuel tank 2 will be described. The flange unit 10, the telescopic connection unit 50, and the pump unit 30 are connected in advance to assemble the fuel supply device 1.

[0037] First, as shown in Figure 3, the fuel supply device is placed in an extended state. In this state, the joint member 80 is suspended from the housing member 60 connected to the flange unit 10, and the pump unit 30 is suspended from the joint member 80. That is, the joint member 80 is lowered to its lowest position (furthest position) relative to the housing member 60. In addition, the pump unit 30 is rotated so as to be tilted downward to the right relative to the joint member 80.

[0038] Next, with the fuel supply device 1 still in the extended state, the pump unit 30 is inserted from above into the opening 5 of the fuel tank 2. The pump unit 30 is rotated relative to the joint member 80 in the opposite direction to when it was suspended, so that it is placed in a horizontal position and is placed on the bottom wall 4 of the fuel tank 2 (see FIG. 2).

[0039] Next, the flange unit 10 is pushed down against the biasing force of the spring 100, so that the fitting cylindrical portion 14 of the flange main body 11 fits into the opening 5 of the fuel tank 2. In this state, the flange portion 15 of the flange main body 11 is fixed to the top wall 3 of the fuel tank 2 via fixing means (not shown), such as fixing brackets or bolts (see FIG. 2). In this manner, the installation of the fuel supply device 1 on the fuel tank 2 is completed.

[0040] When the fuel supply device 1 is installed (see FIG. 2 ), the pump unit 30 is held pressed against the bottom wall 4 of the fuel tank 2 by the biasing force of the spring 100. The fuel tank 2 deforms, i.e., expands and contracts, due to changes in the tank internal pressure caused by changes in temperature, the amount of fuel, and the like. Accordingly, the distance between the top wall 3 and the bottom wall 4 of the fuel tank 2 changes (increases or decreases). In this case, the housing member 60 and the joint member 80 move vertically relative to each other to follow the change in the height of the fuel tank 2.

[0041] Although not shown, when the fuel tank 2 attempts to contract excessively, the lower end of the housing main body 61 abuts against the upper end surface 81a of the joint member 80, thereby acting as a tension rod. This limits the distance between the flange unit 10 and the pump unit 30 to a minimum. Furthermore, when the fuel tank 2 attempts to expand excessively, the engaging piece 65 of the housing main body 61 abuts against the retaining rib 87 from below. This prevents the flange unit 10 and the pump unit 30 from separating any further, limiting the distance between them to a maximum.

[0042] (Operation of fuel supply device 1) The fuel pump 46 is driven by external driving power. Then, fuel in the fuel tank 2 and / or the fuel in the fuel storage space of the sub-tank 31 is drawn into the fuel pump 46 via the fuel filter 34 and pressurized. The pressurized fuel is supplied to the engine from the fuel discharge port 18 of the flange unit 10 via the fuel supply pipe 47.

[0043] (Characteristic Configuration of the Telescopic Connection Unit 50) As shown in FIG. 6 , the inner periphery of the housing main body 61 of the housing member 60 is provided with a first positioning protrusion 69, a second positioning protrusion 70, and a third positioning protrusion 71, which protrude in different directions. Each of the positioning protrusions 69, 70, and 71 is a protrusion extending from the upper end to the lower end of the inner periphery of the housing main body 61. Furthermore, in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the housing main body 61, each of the positioning protrusions 69, 70, and 71 has a substantially rectangular cross section with the long side extending in the direction of protrusion. In this plane, the first positioning protrusion 69 protrudes leftward from the center of the right surface of the inner periphery of the housing main body 61. The second positioning protrusion 70 protrudes rearward from near the left end of the front surface of the inner periphery of the housing main body 61. The third positioning protrusion 71 protrudes forward from near the left end of the rear surface of the inner periphery of the housing main body 61, i.e., toward the second positioning protrusion 70. That is, the second positioning protrusion and the third positioning protrusion protrude in directions opposite to each other in the cross section of the housing main body 61. Furthermore, the first positioning protrusion 69 protrudes in a direction approximately perpendicular to the directions in which the second positioning protrusion 70 and the third positioning protrusion 71 protrude. In this specification, the positioning protrusions 69, 70, and 71 are also referred to as "protrusions."

[0044] As shown in FIG. 8 , a first positioning groove 88, a second positioning groove 89, and a third positioning groove 90 are provided on the outer periphery of the support column 82 of the joint member 80. Each of the positioning grooves 88, 89, and 90 extends from the upper end to the lower end of the outer periphery of the support column 82. In a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the support column 82, each of the positioning grooves 88, 89, and 90 has a substantially rectangular cross section with the width direction as the short side. In the same cross section, the first positioning groove 88 is recessed leftward from the center of the right surface of the outer periphery of the support column 82. The second positioning groove 89 is recessed rearward from near the left end of the front surface of the outer periphery of the support column 82. The third positioning groove 90 is recessed forward from near the left end of the rear surface of the outer periphery of the support column 82. Note that in this specification, the positioning grooves 88, 89, and 90 are also referred to as "grooves."

[0045] As shown in Figure 9, the width of each positioning groove 88, 89, 90 is set slightly larger than the thickness (width) of the corresponding positioning protrusion 69, 70, 71. More specifically, the housing member 60 and joint member 80, which are made of resin, swell when immersed in fuel in the fuel tank 2. The polyacetal material used for the housing member 60 and the glass fiber reinforced polyamide material used for the joint member 80 have different swelling ratios (ratios of swelling volume to original volume) when swollen by fuel. Therefore, the housing member 60 and joint member 80 are designed so that when the housing member 60 and joint member 80 change dimensions due to swelling, the widthwise gaps between the positioning protrusions 69, 70, 71 and the positioning grooves 88, 89, 90 fall within a predetermined range. As a result, when the fuel supply device 1 is immersed in fuel, the first positioning protrusion 69 fits into the first positioning groove 88, the second positioning protrusion 70 fits into the second positioning groove 89, and the third positioning protrusion 71 fits into the third positioning groove 90 with almost no gaps.

[0046] 9, the distance that the support post 82 can move within the housing main body 61 in the direction in which the first positioning protrusion 69 protrudes, i.e., in the left-right direction, is set to be shorter than the length over which the first positioning protrusion 69 fits into the first positioning groove 88. The same applies to the second positioning protrusion 70 and the third positioning protrusion 71.

[0047] Advantages of First Embodiment According to the fuel supply device 1 of this embodiment, the relative rotation between the housing member 60 connected to the flange unit 10 and the joint member 80 connected to the pump unit 30 can be restricted by the engagement between the positioning protrusions 69, 70, 71 and the positioning grooves 88, 89, 90. This makes it possible to prevent the pump unit 30 from rotating relative to the flange unit 10 attached to the fuel tank 2.

[0048] Furthermore, the positioning protrusions 69, 70, and 71 of the housing member 60 protrude in different directions. This effectively prevents relative rotation between the housing member 60 and the joint member 80, and therefore effectively prevents relative rotation of the pump unit 30 with respect to the flange unit 10. This prevents the float 43 of the sender gauge 40 from swinging, improving the measurement accuracy of the sender gauge 40.

[0049] Furthermore, the distance that the support post 82 can move within the housing main body 61 in the direction in which each positioning protrusion 69, 70, 71 protrudes is set to be shorter than the length over which each positioning protrusion 69, 70, 71 fits into the corresponding positioning groove 88, 89, 90. This makes it possible to prevent the positioning protrusions 69, 70, 71 from coming off the corresponding positioning groove 88, 89, 90 when the support post 82 moves horizontally within the housing main body 61.

[0050] Furthermore, each of the positioning protrusions 69, 70, 71 is a protrusion that extends from the upper end to the lower end of the inner periphery of the housing main body 61 along the axial direction of the housing member 60. Therefore, the length over which the positioning protrusions 69, 70, 71 and the positioning grooves 88, 89, 90 fit together in the axial direction is increased, thereby preventing the joint member 80 from tilting relative to the housing member 60.

[0051] Furthermore, the housing member 60 and the joint member 80 are designed so that when the fuel supply device 1 is immersed in fuel, the widthwise gap between the positioning protrusions 69, 70, 71 and the positioning grooves 88, 89, 90 is within a predetermined range. This prevents the housing member 60 and the joint member 80 from adhering to each other even if they swell and change in size, and also prevents a significant decrease in the effect of suppressing relative rotation provided by the positioning protrusions 69, 70, 71 and the positioning grooves 88, 89, 90.

[0052] In addition, the housing member 60 and the joint member 80 are made of different resins. This prevents noise from being generated by friction when the housing member 60 and the joint member 80 slide against each other. Furthermore, compared to when the housing member 60 and the joint member 80 are made of the same resin, the housing member 60 and the joint member 80 can be prevented from adhering to each other.

[0053] (Other Embodiments) The technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications are possible within the scope of the intent and spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the fuel supply device 1 for a vehicle, and may be applied to other fuel supply devices, such as for a ship. Furthermore, the telescopic connection unit 50 may be configured such that the joint member 80 is formed in a cylindrical shape and the housing member 60 is fitted into the joint member 80.

[0054] At least one set of positioning protrusions 69, 70, 71 and positioning grooves 88, 89, 90 is sufficient, but two or more sets are preferable, and three or more sets are even more preferable. The positioning protrusions 69, 70, 71 may be provided on a portion of the housing main body 61 in the axial direction, or may be ridges provided intermittently. Alternatively, a positioning groove may be provided on the housing member 60, and a positioning protrusion may be provided on the joint member 80.

[0055] The materials for the housing member 60 and the joint member 80 may be different resins, and other resins such as polyphenylene sulfide may also be used. Note that, since the housing member 60 is connected to and fixed to the flange unit 10, it is preferable to form the housing member 60 from the same resin to prevent relative movement.

Claims

1. A fuel supply device comprising: a cover member fixed to an upper wall of a fuel tank so as to close an opening formed in the upper wall; a pump unit placed on a bottom wall of the fuel tank; a cylindrical member connected to one of the cover member and the pump unit; a support member connected to the other of the cover member and the pump unit and fitted within the cylindrical member so as to be axially slidable; a protrusion provided on an inner peripheral portion of the cylindrical member; and a groove provided on an outer peripheral portion of the support member that fits with the protrusion to regulate relative rotation between the cylindrical member and the support member.

2. A fuel supply device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the protrusion includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion that protrude in different directions in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member, and the groove includes a first groove that fits into the first protrusion and a second groove that fits into the second protrusion.

3. A fuel supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protrusion is a ridge extending from the upper end to the lower end of the inner periphery of the cylindrical member along the axial direction of the cylindrical member.

Images