Compact Fuel Pump Module for Small Tank Openings
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a fuel pump module that can be inserted into a fuel tank with a small opening, as the demand for smaller fuel tanks in hybrid vehicles increases, requiring a compact design that fits within reduced dimensions.
Innovation Solution
The fuel pump module includes a fuel pump, housing, filter, bracket, lid, fuel passage, and pressure regulating valve, where the pressure regulating valve's gravity center is positioned within a virtual cylindrical surface defined by the housing, allowing all components except the discharge port to be housed within the tank, even with a small opening, and utilizing a flexible passage and residual pressure retention valves to manage fuel flow and pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the fuel pump module is designed with a compact layout to fit small opening fuel tanks, then the module size is reduced, but the arrangement of components becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure regulating valve is positioned inside the virtual cylindrical surface defined by the housing, nesting components within the spatial envelope created by the housing. This allows compact arrangement of multiple components (fuel pump, filter, pressure regulating valve) within a confined cylindrical space that can pass through small openings
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses vertical suspension from the fuel tank opening, utilizing the vertical dimension to accommodate the module. The component layout is arranged in the vertical direction with the fuel pump at the bottom, filter above it, and pressure regulating valve positioned to fit within the cylindrical envelope, effectively using three-dimensional space optimization
2Weight of moving object
If the opening of the fuel tank is reduced to decrease vehicle weight, then the fuel tank size is reduced, but the fuel pump module cannot be inserted into the tank
Solution Approach 1:
All components except the discharge port are positioned within the virtual cylindrical surface defined by the housing, creating a compact nested arrangement that fits through small openings while maintaining all necessary functions
Solution Approach 2:
The module is designed with separable components (fuel pump, filter, pressure regulating valve, housing) that can be assembled in a compact configuration. The discharge port is the only component extending outside the cylindrical envelope, allowing the majority of the module to pass through the opening
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel pump module includes a fuel pump, a housing, a filter, a bracket, a lid, a fuel passage, and a pressure regulating valve. The fuel pump supplies a fuel in a fuel tank that defines an opening to an outside of the fuel tank. The housing has a cylindrical shape and supports the fuel pump. The bracket connects the filter to the housing. The lid covers the opening and defines a discharge port through which the fuel is supplied to the outside. The fuel passage connects the fuel pump to the discharge port. The pressure regulating valve has a gravity center inside a space defined by a first virtual cylindrical surface including the housing. A minimum circumscribed circle of both the housing and the filter is smaller than the opening.