Plug-in Fuel Pump Bypass System for TIPM Relay Failure
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) fuse boxes in certain vehicles experience frequent failures of the fuel pump relay, leading to issues like vehicle non-start conditions, battery drainage, and safety concerns due to the high cost, complexity, and temporary nature of existing solutions for addressing faulty fuel pump relays.
Innovation Solution
A plug-in fuel pump power bypass/test system that uses terminal pins and a circuit to bypass and test the fuel pump relay, providing an alternate power route without cutting or splicing existing wire harnesses, and includes modes for bypassing, testing, and disabling the fuel pump, with LED indicators for diagnostic feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an external fuel pump relay is installed to bypass the faulty relay, then the vehicle can start and operate, but the installation requires cutting and splicing wire harnesses which increases complexity and potential damage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fuse box as an intermediary device that provides a safe connection point for the external relay. Instead of cutting wire harnesses, the external relay connects to the fuse box's existing electrical structure, using the fuse box as a mediator between the power source and fuel pump. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliability while eliminating the complex and dangerous wire splicing required in conventional solutions.
2Reliability
If the fuse box is sent to a repair shop for circuit board level repair, then the faulty fuel pump relay is replaced, but the vehicle becomes inoperable for days to weeks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fuel pump relay function from the faulty integrated circuit board and relocates it to an external relay that can be independently serviced. By taking out the relay function from the main fuse box assembly and placing it externally, the system allows the vehicle to remain operational while the original circuit board is being repaired or replaced at the shop, eliminating the need for prolonged vehicle downtime.
3Reliability
If the fuse box is replaced entirely with a new or used unit, then the faulty relay is replaced, but the cost increases to $350-$1,200 and installation time increases to an hour or more
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fuel pump relay function from the entire fuse box assembly, allowing the relay to be replaced or bypassed independently without replacing the whole fuse box. This segmentation enables a simple external relay installation that costs significantly less than replacing the entire fuse box, while also reducing installation time from an hour or more to a much shorter duration, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of manufacture.
4Reliability
If wire harnesses are cut and spliced under the fuse box to install an external relay, then the faulty relay is bypassed, but the risk of damaging the fuse box increases and professional installation is required
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse box serves as an intermediary that provides pre-established electrical connection points, eliminating the need to cut or splice wire harnesses. By connecting the external relay to the fuse box's existing structure rather than directly to wire harnesses, the system maintains reliability while significantly reducing the risk of damage to the fuse box and surrounding components, making the installation safe enough for DIY enthusiasts.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution significantly reduces installation time and cost, provides a permanent fix without altering the vehicle's electrical configuration, and includes safety features like anti-theft disabling and battery voltage monitoring, addressing the limitations of existing solutions.
Implementation Method 1
power is applied to the electromagnetic coil in the fuel pump relay, causing the fuel pump relay to switch to the normally open position
Implementation Method 2
causing the fuel pump relay to switch to the normally closed position via a spring return mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an apparatus for bypassing and testing a fuel pump relay for a fuel pump of a vehicle. In an aspect, the apparatus includes a first pair of terminal pins configured to be inserted into the run/start signal fuse slot in the fuse box of the vehicle, a second pair of terminal pins configured to be inserted into a fuel pump fuse slot in the fuse box of the vehicle, a power input device configured to be conductively coupled to a power source of the vehicle, and a circuit configured to conductively couple, based on reception of electrical current from a run/start signal out terminal pin of the first pair of terminal pins, the power input device to a fuel pump terminal pin of the second pair of terminal pins to provide electrical current from the power input device to the fuel pump of the vehicle.