JP5164573B2 - Fuel supply device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pressure control device that adjusts fluid pressure, and more particularly to a pressure control device used in a fuel supply system of an engine and a fuel supply device using the same.

  In a fluid supply system such as an automobile fuel supply system or a hydraulic circuit, various pressure adjusting mechanisms are used to prevent the fluid pressure from becoming excessive. As such a pressure adjustment mechanism, a pressure regulator (pressure control device) using a diaphragm is known. For example, International Publication WO96 / 23969 discloses a pressure adjustment valve used in an engine fuel supply system. It is shown. In this case, the fuel pumped up from the fuel tank by the fuel pump is adjusted in pressure by the pressure adjusting valve and supplied to the fuel injection device, and surplus fuel is returned from the pressure adjusting valve to the fuel tank.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional pressure regulator used in such a fuel supply system of an engine. As shown in FIG. 5, the pressure regulator 51 has a configuration in which an armature 55 supported by a diaphragm 54 is disposed in a housing in which a case 52 and a cover 53 are caulked. In the pressure regulator 51, a fuel inlet 56 is provided in the case 52, and a fuel outlet 57 is provided in the cover 53. The armature 55 includes a valve body 58 and a spring holder 59, and the inner peripheral portion of the diaphragm 54 is sandwiched between the valve body 58 and the spring holder 59. The outer peripheral portion of the diaphragm 54 is sandwiched between the case 52 and the cover 53, whereby the armature 55 is supported by the diaphragm 54 so as to be vertically movable in the housing. On the other hand, a spring 60 that urges the armature 55 downward in the figure is disposed between the spring holder 59 and the inner periphery of the upper end of the cover 53.

  The valve body 58 further includes a valve body 61, a valve spring 62, a ball 63, and a ball holder plate 64. An oil passage 65 is formed inside the valve body 61, and a valve hole 66 and a taper portion 67 are provided in the oil passage 65. A valve spring 62 is accommodated in the valve hole portion 66, and a spherical ball 63 is disposed inside the tapered portion 67. The ball 63 is urged downward by a valve spring 62 in the figure. A valve seat portion 68 projects from the bottom surface 52 a of the case 52 so as to face the armature 55. The armature 55 is pressed against the upper surface of the valve seat portion 68 by the pressing force of the spring 60, and the ball 63 also contacts the valve seat portion 68. As a result, the ball 63 is pushed up against the pressing force of the spring 68 and comes into contact with the tapered portion 67, and the oil passage 65 is shut off and the valve is closed.

When the fuel flows in from the fuel inlet 56 in the state of FIG. 5 and the fuel pressure exceeds a predetermined adjustment pressure, the armature 55 receives the fuel pressure and moves upward. Then, the ball 63 is detached from the taper portion 67 by the pressing force of the spring 68, the oil passage 65 is opened, and the valve is opened. As a result, the fuel inlet 56 and the fuel outlet 57 communicate with each other via the oil passage 65, and excess fuel is returned to the fuel tank to adjust the fuel pressure.
International Publication No. WO96 / 23969 International Publication No. WO03 / 58364

  However, in the pressure control device having the coil spring and the diaphragm as components, like the pressure regulator 51 in FIG. 5, each of them has “spring property (elastic function)”. It becomes a compound spring structure. In such a composite spring structure, the biasing force of the coil spring and the diaphragm is complicatedly related, so that it is very difficult to set the valve opening pressure. In such a type of pressure control device, a certain predetermined flow rate is actually flowed. The valve opening pressure is set as the valve opening pressure. Therefore, in the pressure control device having the structure as shown in FIG. 5, when the device is applied to a system with a low flow rate (for example, 40 L / h or less), the absolute amount of the flow rate change is small, so the pressure gradient with respect to the flow rate change becomes large. There was a problem that.

  Further, in the diaphragm type pressure control device such as the pressure regulator 51, since the rubber member (diaphragm 54) is used in the fuel flow path, there are problems such as corrosion resistance to gasoline and aging deterioration of the rubber member. There was a need for improvement. Furthermore, there is a problem that the valve body operation may vary due to a change in temperature (cold heat) of the rubber member, and the fuel pressure cannot be stably controlled.

  Further, in this type of pressure control device, the load of the spring 60 is increased by crushing the cover 53 after assembly. At this time, since the load adjustment width due to the cover crushing is only about ± 1 mm with respect to the reference position, there is a problem that the adjustment allowance is narrow and there is a possibility that the optimum load cannot be adjusted. Even if the cover 53 is crushed to the set load, the set fuel pressure is always reduced by the springback at the moment when the jig is removed. Therefore, the cover must be crushed in anticipation of this, making adjustment difficult and load variation. Also grows. In addition, when the strength of the cover 53 is low, there is a possibility that the spring load may change due to aging, and there is a problem in terms of performance stability.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a pressure control device that is easy and accurate in adjusting the valve opening pressure, has a small pressure gradient at a low flow rate, and does not cause problems due to a rubber member.

A fuel supply device, which is attached to a fuel tank, includes an electric motor and a pump unit driven by the electric motor, and supplies fuel in the fuel tank to a fuel pipe connected to the engine by the pump unit. The fuel supply device is disposed on the downstream side of the pump unit, and a check valve for preventing a back flow of fuel from the fuel pipe side to the pump unit, and a valve in which the check valve is accommodated A pressure control device that is connected to a chamber and opens when the fuel pressure in the valve chamber is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and adjusts the pressure of fuel discharged from the pump unit, the pressure control device, A housing comprising a fluid inlet communicating with the valve chamber; a fluid outlet communicating with the fluid inlet via a flow path; a valve element disposed in the flow path; and the housing. A seal portion that is formed in the groove and closes the flow path when the valve body abuts, and one end side of the seal portion abuts on the valve body and urges the valve body toward the seal portion to A compression coil spring that is pressed against a portion, and after the valve body and the compression coil spring are inserted into the flow path, the compression coil spring is inserted into the flow path from the fluid outlet side, and the flow path is inserted into the housing. An adjustment that is arranged so as to be movable along the direction, abuts on the other end side of the compression coil spring, and can change the biasing force by changing the set length of the compression coil spring by moving in the flow path direction. And the adjustment member is press-fitted or welded into the housing, and an end portion on the fluid outlet side is formed by punching an opening edge of the fluid outlet on the inner diameter side. The adjusting member is on the fluid outlet side The Rukoto fixed by caulking to the housing by caulking portion for regulating the movement, is sandwiched between the compression coil spring and the crimping portion, the pressure control device moves the position of the adjusting member, the desired After adjusting the set height of the compression coil spring so that the valve opening pressure becomes the same, the caulking portion is formed and the adjusting member is caulked and fixed , whereby the fuel flow rate of the pump portion and / or the check valve The valve opening pressure is adjusted in accordance with the valve opening pressure, and the pressing force of the compression coil spring is received by the caulking portion .

In the fuel supply device of the present invention, the closing / opening of the flow path is controlled by one elastic member in the fuel supply device that is attached to the fuel tank and includes the electric motor, the pump unit, and the pressure control device. A pressure control device that does not require a complex spring structure that is difficult to set the valve opening pressure is used. For this reason, it is easy to adjust the valve opening pressure of the pressure control device, and the variation thereof is suppressed to be small. Even in the fuel supply device with a low flow rate, the fuel pressure regulation becomes good and the pressure gradient with respect to the flow rate change can be reduced. Further, since the structure of the pressure control device is simple and small and light, the fuel supply device can be reduced in size and weight. Furthermore, even if there are variations in the pump flow rate, the valve opening pressure of the pressure control device can be easily adjusted with various components assembled as the fuel supply device, and variations in the performance of the entire fuel supply device can be suppressed.

In addition, the pressure control device may be installed downstream of a fuel pump having a discharge flow rate of 40 L / h or less.

  According to the fuel supply device of the present invention, a fuel supply device that is attached to a fuel tank and includes an electric motor, a pump unit, and a pressure control device, is disposed as a pressure control device in a flow path in the housing. A valve body, a seal portion that closes the flow path when the valve body abuts, an elastic member that contacts the valve body and biases the valve body toward the seal portion, and the flow path direction in the housing It is arranged so that it can be moved and has an adjustment member that can change the urging force of the elastic member by moving in the direction of the flow path. A complex spring structure that can be controlled by the member and is difficult to set the valve opening pressure in the pressure control device is not required.

  Further, in the pressure control device used here, the biasing force of the elastic member can also be adjusted. Therefore, the valve opening pressure can be easily adjusted, and the variation can be suppressed small. For this reason, even in a low flow rate fuel supply device, the fuel pressure regulation becomes good and the pressure gradient with respect to the flow rate change can be reduced. Furthermore, since there is only one spring component in the pressure control device, the structure is simple, the pressure control device can be reduced in size and weight, and the fuel supply device can be reduced in size and weight. In addition, even if there is a variation in the pump flow rate, the valve opening pressure of the pressure control device can be easily adjusted with various components assembled as the fuel supply device, so that variations in the performance of the entire fuel supply device can also be suppressed. Further, since there is no rubber member in the apparatus, problems such as corrosion resistance of the rubber member to gasoline, aging deterioration, temperature change, etc. do not occur, the apparatus life is improved, and the fuel pressure can be stably controlled.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the pressure regulator which is Example 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of a retainer. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the pressure regulator which is Example 2 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the fuel supply apparatus which is Example 3 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the conventional pressure regulator used for the fuel supply system of an engine.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fuel supply apparatus 2 Electric motor 3 Fuel pump 4 Fuel pressure control part 5 Shell case 6 End cover 7 End cover 8 Brush holder part 9 Check valve 10 Pressure regulator 11 Fuel inlet 12 Permanent magnet 13 Armature 14 Slot 15 Core 16 Winding 17 Rotating shaft 17a D-cut part 18 Bearing part 19 Pump case 20 Bearing 21 Commutator 22 Ball 23 Return spring 24 Spring holder 25 Valve chamber 26 Seal part 27 Fuel inlet 28 Fuel outlet 29 Fuel inlet 30 Fuel return 31 Ball 32 Valve Spring 33 Retainer 34 Valve chamber 35 Seal portion 36 Male thread portion 37 Female thread portion 38 Impeller 39 Impeller accommodating portion 41 Pump chamber 42 Communication hole 51 Pressure regulator 52 Case 52a Bottom 53 cover 54 diaphragm 55 armature 56 fuel inlet 57 fuel outlet opening 58 the valve body 59 the spring holder 60 spring 61 valve body 62 valve spring 63 balls 64 balls holder plate 65 oil passage 66 valve hole portion 67 tapered portion 68 spring 68 valve seat portion
101 Pressure regulator 102 Housing
103 Ball 104 Valve spring
105 Retainer 106 Flow path
106a Inner peripheral surface 107 Large diameter flow path
108 Small-diameter channel 109 Communication channel
110 Sealing part 111 Fluid inlet
112 Fluid outlet 112a Open edge
113 Spring holding part 114 Caulking part
115 Locking piece 115a Slope
115b Return 116 Retainer
121 Pressure regulator 122 Retainer
123 Spring holder

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a pressure regulator 101 (pressure control device) that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The pressure regulator 101 in FIG. 1 is used, for example, for fuel pressure adjustment of an automobile fuel supply device (see Example 3). The pressure regulator 101 has a structure in which a ball (valve element) 103 made of a steel ball, a valve spring (elastic member) 104, and a retainer (adjusting member) 105 are accommodated in a metal housing 102. A flow path 106 is formed through the housing 102, and a large diameter flow path 107 is formed on the downstream side (upper side in the figure) of the flow path 106, and a small diameter flow path 108 is formed on the upstream side (lower side in the figure). Has been. A ball 103 and a valve spring 104 are accommodated in the large-diameter channel 107, and the valve spring 104 is held by a retainer 105. A communication path 109 is formed in the retainer 105 so as to penetrate in the flow path direction.

  A seal 110 is formed at the boundary between the large diameter channel 107 and the small diameter channel 108. The ball 103 is in contact with the seal portion 110 by the urging force of the valve spring 104, and the flow path 106 is closed when the ball 103 is in contact with the seal portion 110. The upstream end of the small diameter channel 108 is a fluid inlet 111, and the downstream end of the large diameter channel 107 is a fluid outlet 112. In the vicinity of the fluid outlet 112, a ring-shaped retainer (adjusting member) 105 is fixed. On the upstream side (lower end surface) of the retainer 105, a spring holding portion 113 is recessed. An upper end portion of a valve spring 104 made of a compression coil spring is in contact with the spring holding portion 113. The lower end side of the valve spring 104 is in contact with the ball 103, and the ball 103 is normally pressed against the seal portion 110 by the urging force of the valve spring 104.

  The retainer 105 is inserted into the channel 106 from the fluid outlet 112, and is press-fitted into the inner peripheral surface 106a of the channel 106. At this time, when the retainer 105 is pushed downward in the drawing in the flow path 106, the valve spring 104 is compressed and the urging force is increased. As the urging force increases, the ball 103 is more strongly pressed against the seal portion 110, and the valve opening pressure increases. That is, the set height (set length) of the valve spring 104 changes depending on the position of the retainer 105 in the large-diameter flow path 107, so that the valve opening pressure of the ball 103 can be adjusted appropriately. Become.

  Thus, in the pressure regulator 101, the valve opening pressure can be easily adjusted by setting the position of the retainer 105. At that time, since the spring component is only one of the valve springs 104, it is easy to adjust the valve opening pressure and the variation thereof is small. Therefore, even in a low flow rate fuel supply apparatus having a flow rate of 40 L / h or less, if the pressure regulator 101 is used, the fuel pressure regulation becomes good and the pressure gradient with respect to the flow rate change can be reduced. Moreover, since there is only one spring component in the pressure regulator 101, the structure of the device is simple, the pressure control device can be reduced in size and weight, and the fuel supply device using it can be reduced in size and weight. Is also planned. Furthermore, since the pressure regulator 101 does not include a rubber member such as a diaphragm in the apparatus, problems such as corrosion resistance of the rubber member due to gasoline, aging deterioration, temperature change, etc. do not occur, and the life of the apparatus is improved. In addition, stable fluid pressure control is possible.

  After the set height of the valve spring 104 is adjusted so as to obtain a desired valve opening pressure, a crimping portion 114 is formed, and the retainer 105 is fixed by crimping. The caulking portion 114 is formed by punching the opening edge 112a of the fluid outlet 112 on the inner diameter side at a plurality of locations (for example, four locations equally), and comes into contact with the end surface of the retainer 105 on the fluid outlet 112 side. The retainer 105 is restricted from moving in the axial direction by the caulking portion 114. Although the retainer 105 is press-fitted into the inner circumferential surface 106a of the flow path, the retainer 105 is biased upward in the axial direction by the valve spring 104, so that the position may shift due to long-term use, and the valve opening pressure may change. On the other hand, in the pressure regulator 101, since the retainer 105 is prevented from coming off by the caulking portion 114, the secular change of the plate position is suppressed, and the valve opening pressure is stabilized.

  A retainer 116 provided with a locking piece 115 as shown in FIG. 2 may be used as the retainer. A plurality of locking pieces 115 are formed on the outer periphery of the retainer 105 (for example, four equal parts) or over the entire periphery, the insertion tip side is a slanted portion 115a, and the rear end side is a return 115b. Yes. When the retainer 105 is inserted into the inner peripheral surface 106a of the flow path, the locking piece 115 contacts the inner peripheral surface 106a of the flow path and is crushed. Thereby, the retainer 116 is fixed in the flow path inner peripheral surface 106a, and at that time, the retainer 116 is prevented from being detached by the barb 115b. However, when the retainer 116 is used, it is desirable in terms of reliability and durability that the end is caulked.

  In such a pressure regulator 101, when a fluid such as fuel is supplied from the fluid inlet 111 and the pressure becomes higher than a predetermined valve opening pressure, the ball 103 resists the urging force of the valve spring 104 on the downstream side. Move to (rise). As a result, the ball 103 is detached from the seal portion 110, the small-diameter channel 108 and the large-diameter channel 107 communicate with each other, and the valve 106 is opened. On the other hand, when the pressure of the fluid becomes lower than a predetermined valve opening pressure, the ball 103 is returned (lowered) to the upstream side by the urging force of the valve spring 104. As a result, the ball 103 comes into contact with the seal portion 110, the small-diameter channel 108 and the large-diameter channel 107 are isolated and closed, and the channel 106 is closed.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a pressure regulator 121 (pressure control device) that is Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The pressure regulator 121 shown in FIG. 3 is also used, for example, for adjusting the fuel pressure of an automobile fuel supply device. In the present embodiment, the same members and portions as those of the pressure regulator 101 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The pressure regulator 121 also has a configuration in which a ball 103, a valve spring 104, and a retainer 122 are accommodated in a metal housing. However, here, the seal portion 110 is formed not on the housing 102 but on the upper end surface of the retainer 122. As described above, by providing the seal portion 110 on the retainer 122, the seal portion 110 is separated from the housing 102, so that the processing accuracy of the seal portion 110 can be improved and the sealing performance can be improved. In the pressure regulator 121, the spring holding portion (elastic member holding portion) 123 is not a retainer, but is formed at the boundary between the large-diameter channel 107 and the small-diameter channel 108 of the housing 102. That is, in the pressure regulator 121 of FIG. 3, the valve spring 104 is in contact with the ball 103 on one end and the spring holding portion 123 formed in the housing 102 on the other end, whereby the ball 103 is formed on the retainer 122. The seal portion 110 is pressed against.

  Further, in the pressure regulator 121, a small-diameter channel 108 is formed on the downstream side of the channel 106, and a large-diameter channel 107 is formed on the upstream side. The upstream end of the large-diameter channel 107 is a fluid inlet 111, and the downstream end of the small-diameter channel 108 is a fluid outlet 112. A ball 103 and a valve spring 104 are accommodated in the large-diameter channel 107, and the ball 103 is held by a retainer 122. The retainer 122 is inserted into the flow path 106 from the fluid inlet 111, and is here welded to the inner peripheral surface 106a. After the welding, the retainer 122 is prevented from coming off by a caulking portion 114 formed at the fluid inlet 111. In addition, as the retainer 122, it is possible to use a retainer having a locking piece 115 as shown in FIG.

  Also in such a pressure regulator 121, the valve opening pressure can be easily adjusted by setting the position of the retainer 122, and its variation is small. Further, since there is only one spring component in the pressure regulator 121, the structure of the apparatus is simple, and the apparatus can be reduced in size and weight. Further, since there is no rubber member such as a diaphragm, various problems caused by the rubber member do not occur, the life of the apparatus is improved, and stable fluid pressure control is possible.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a fuel supply apparatus that is Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The fuel supply device 1 of FIG. 4 is a device for a motorcycle, and the fuel pressure is adjusted by a pressure control device which is an embodiment of the present invention. The fuel supply device 1 is disposed in a fuel tank of a motorcycle and is used for a relatively low flow rate engine fuel supply system having a fuel flow rate of 40 L / h or less. A fuel pipe (not shown) is connected to the fuel supply apparatus 1, and fuel is supplied to the fuel injection valve of the engine via the fuel pipe.

  The fuel supply device 1 has a configuration in which an electric motor 2, a fuel pump (pump unit) 3, and a fuel pressure control unit 4 are integrated and housed in a shell case 5 made of steel. End covers 6 and 7 are fixed by crimping to both ends of the cylindrical shell case 5. The end cover (housing) 6 is formed of synthetic resin and is attached to one end side of the shell case 5. The end cover 6 is provided with a brush holder portion 8 that holds a brush (not shown) of the electric motor 2 and serves as a cover for the shell case 5 and the brush holder. The end cover 6 further accommodates a check valve 9 and a pressure regulator (pressure control device) 10 that constitute the fuel pressure control unit 4. The end cover 7 is formed by aluminum die casting and is attached to the other end side of the shell case 5. A fuel suction port 11 projects from the lower end side of the end cover 7.

  The electric motor 2 is a DC motor with a brush. The shell case 5 also serves as a yoke for the electric motor 2, and a plurality of permanent magnets 12 are fixed to the inner peripheral surface thereof. An armature 13 is rotatably disposed inside the permanent magnet 12. The armature 13 includes a core 15 having a plurality of slots 14 extending in the axial direction, and a winding 16 wound around the slot 14. The armature 13 is fixed to the rotary shaft 17 and is rotatably supported between a bearing portion 18 provided on the end cover 6 and a bearing 20 attached to the pump case 19.

  A commutator 21 is provided on the upper side of the armature 13 in FIG. The commutator 21 is fixed to the rotating shaft 17. A brush is in contact with the commutator 21 from the radial direction. The brush is accommodated in a brush holder portion 8 formed on the end cover 6 and pressed against the commutator 21 by a spring. Note that the electric motor 2 may be a flat type (flat type) commutator in which the brush slides in the axial direction.

  The fuel pressure control unit 4 is provided with a check valve 9 and a pressure regulator 10. The check valve 9 has a configuration in which a ball 22, a return spring 23 and a spring holder 24 are accommodated in a valve chamber 25. Unlike the pressure regulator 10, the check valve 9 does not have a fuel pressure control function, and is disposed to prevent fuel backflow from the fuel pipe side to the fuel pump 3 side. The ball 22 is pressed against the seal portion 26 by a return spring 23 made of a conical compression coil spring. The check valve 9 is supplied with fuel whose fuel pressure has been increased by the fuel pump 3 from the fuel inlet 27. When the fuel pressure exceeds a predetermined value, the ball 22 moves away from the seal portion 26 against the urging force of the return spring 23 and opens, and the fuel inlet 27 and the valve chamber 25 communicate with each other. A fuel discharge port 28 is formed at the end of the valve chamber 25, and a fuel pipe is connected to the fuel discharge port 28.

  A fuel introduction port (fluid inflow port) 29 is opened in the middle of the valve chamber 25. The fuel inlet 29 is connected to the pressure regulator 10. The pressure regulator 10 has a configuration in which a ball (valve element) 31, a valve spring (elastic member) 32, and a retainer (adjustment member) 33 are accommodated in a valve chamber (flow path) 34, and the fuel pressure in the valve chamber 25. When the fuel pressure exceeds a predetermined value, the valve is opened and the fuel pressure is adjusted appropriately. The ball 31 is pressed against the seal portion 35 by a valve spring 32 made of a conical compression coil spring. The right end side of the valve chamber 34 in the figure is a fuel return port (fluid outlet) 30 that opens into the fuel tank. As described above, in the fuel supply device 1, a pressure control device having a simple configuration is used as the pressure regulator 10.

  In the pressure regulator 10 of the fuel supply apparatus 1, the retainer 33 is disposed so as to be movable along the flow path direction by a screw mechanism. A male screw portion 36 is formed on the outer periphery of the retainer 33 and is screwed with a female screw portion 37 formed on the inner periphery of the valve chamber 34. The retainer 33 is disposed so as to be movable in the left-right direction in the drawing within the valve chamber 34 by both screw portions 36 and 37. When the retainer 33 is moved in the left direction in the figure, the valve spring 32 is compressed, the urging force thereof is increased, and the valve opening pressure is increased. On the other hand, when the retainer 33 is moved in the right direction in the figure, the valve spring 32 is extended to reduce its urging force, and the valve opening pressure is lowered. That is, the valve opening pressure can be adjusted only by the movement of the retainer 33.

  Thus, in the pressure regulator 10, the valve opening pressure can be adjusted as appropriate by adjusting the set height (set length) of the valve spring 32, which is the only spring component. At this time, since the spring component is only one of the valve springs 32, the valve opening pressure is easily adjusted and the variation thereof is small. Therefore, even in a low flow rate fuel supply apparatus with a discharge flow rate of 40 L / h or less, the fuel pressure regulation becomes good and the pressure gradient with respect to the flow rate change can be reduced. Further, since there is only one spring component in the pressure regulator 10, the structure is simple, the pressure control device can be reduced in size and weight, and the fuel supply device 1 can be reduced in size and weight. In addition, after adjusting the set height of the valve spring 32, the fuel return port 30 side of the retainer 33 is caulked and fixed in the same manner as in the pressure regulators of the first and second embodiments.

  On the other hand, since there is no rubber member such as a diaphragm in the pressure regulator 10 in the apparatus, problems such as corrosion resistance to gasoline of the rubber member, aging deterioration, temperature change, etc. do not occur, and the apparatus life is improved. Stabilization of fuel pressure control is achieved. In addition, even if the pump flow rate and the valve opening pressure of the check valve 9 vary, the valve opening pressure of the pressure regulator 10 can be easily adjusted in a modularized state as the fuel supply device 1. It becomes possible to suppress variations in the performance of the entire apparatus 1.

  As the pressure regulator 10, a configuration in which the retainer 33 is fixed by press-fitting or welding as in the first and second embodiments may be used. Further, after adjusting the set height of the valve spring 32, the retainer 33 may be caulked and fixed as in the above-described embodiment.

  The fuel pump 3 is a non-volume regenerative pump, and is formed of a pump case 19 and an impeller 38. A cylindrical impeller accommodating portion 39 is submerged at the lower end side of the pump case 19. An impeller 38 connected to the rotating shaft 17 of the electric motor 2 is disposed in the impeller accommodating portion 39. A D-cut portion 17 a is formed on the rotating shaft 17, and the impeller 38 is attached to the D-cut portion 17 a and rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 17. Near the outer periphery of the impeller 38, a large number of pump chambers 41 penetrating in the axial direction are provided along the circumferential direction. Corresponding to the pump chamber 41, the end cover 7 is provided with a fuel suction port 11 and a communication hole 42 on the upper end side of the impeller accommodating portion 39. The communication hole 42 is opened facing the shell case 5.

  The fuel supply apparatus 1 having such a configuration functions as follows. First, when the electric motor 2 is driven and the fuel pump 3 is operated, the fuel in the fuel tank is sucked from the fuel intake port 11. At this time, in the fuel pump 3, the impeller 38 rotates together with the rotating shaft 17, and fuel is sucked into the pump chamber 41 from the fuel suction port 11 as the impeller 38 rotates. The fuel sent into the pump chamber 41 is sent to the communication hole 42 by the rotation of the impeller 38 and supplied into the shell case 5.

  When fuel is supplied into the shell case 5 by the fuel pump 3 and the pressure inside the shell case 5 exceeds a predetermined pressure, the check valve 9 opens. Thereby, the fuel in the shell case 5 flows into the valve chamber 25 and is sent from the fuel discharge port 28 to the fuel pipe. On the other hand, when the fuel pressure rises and the fuel pressure in the valve chamber 25 becomes a predetermined value or more, the pressure regulator 10 opens. By opening the pressure regulator 10, the fuel in the valve chamber 25 is returned to the fuel tank from the fuel return port 30, and the fuel pressure in the valve chamber 25 is also reduced accordingly. Thereby, the pressure of the fuel supplied to the fuel pipe side is appropriately adjusted, and the fuel whose fuel pressure is adjusted is sent from the fuel discharge port 28 to the fuel pipe.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the retainer 33 is movably disposed in the valve chamber 34 by the both screw portions 36 and 37, but the moving / fixing means of the retainer 33 is not limited to this. That is, as in the first and second embodiments, the retainer 33 is press-fitted into the valve chamber 34, welded, or caulked and fixed. For each module of the fuel supply device 1, the pump flow rate and the check valve are set. 9 may be appropriately set in consideration of the valve opening pressure and the like. The pressure regulator 10 employs the configuration of the pressure regulator 101 of the first embodiment, but the configuration of the pressure regulator 121 of the second embodiment may be applied. However, in this case, since the fuel flow direction is reversed, a block module such as the pressure regulator 121 is separately formed and assembled to the fuel supply device 1. The spring holder 24 of the check valve 9 may be configured to be movable up and down in the drawing by forming a threaded portion.

  Moreover, although the example which applied the pressure control apparatus by this invention to the engine fuel supply system whose flow volume is 40 L / h or less was shown in the above-mentioned Example, the flow volume of the fluid delivery system used as application object is not restrict | limited in particular. However, the pressure regulator 10 is suitable for a system with a relatively low flow rate because it has a simple configuration with only one spring component. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the pressure control device according to the present invention is applied to a fuel supply device for a motorcycle has been shown, but the application is not limited to this, and various vehicles such as a four-wheeled vehicle are used. It can also be used for a fuel supply device. In addition, the present invention can be applied to various hydraulic circuits other than the engine fuel supply system. Furthermore, the fluid to be regulated is not limited to engine fuels such as gasoline and light oil, but can be applied to water, air, hydraulic circuit hydraulic oil, and the like.

Claims (2)

An electric motor, and a pump unit driven by the electric motor;
A fuel supply device that supplies fuel in the fuel tank to a fuel pipe connected to an engine by the pump unit,
The fuel supply device comprises:
A check valve disposed on the downstream side of the pump part to prevent a back flow of fuel from the fuel pipe side to the pump part;
A pressure control device that is connected to a valve chamber in which the check valve is accommodated and opens when the fuel pressure in the valve chamber is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and adjusts the pressure of fuel discharged from the pump unit. And
The pressure control device
A housing comprising a fluid inlet communicating with the valve chamber, and a fluid outlet communicating with the fluid inlet via a flow path;
A valve element disposed in the flow path;
A seal portion that is formed in the housing and that closes the flow path when the valve body abuts;
A compression coil spring whose one end is in contact with the valve body, biases the valve body toward the seal portion, and presses the valve body against the seal portion;
After the valve body and the compression coil spring are inserted into the flow path, the valve body and the compression coil spring are inserted into the flow path from the fluid outlet side, and disposed in the housing so as to be movable along the flow path direction. An adjustment member that abuts on the other end side of the compression coil spring and can change the set force of the compression coil spring and change its urging force by movement in the flow path direction;
The adjusting member is press-fitted or welded into the housing, and the end on the fluid outlet side is formed by punching the opening edge of the fluid outlet on the inner diameter side, and the adjusting member is the fluid. the Rukoto fixed by caulking to the housing by caulking portion for regulating the movement of the outlet side, is interposed between the compression coil spring and the crimping portion,
The pressure control device moves the position of the adjustment member, adjusts the set height of the compression coil spring so as to achieve a desired valve opening pressure, and then forms the crimping portion to fix the adjustment member by crimping Thus , the valve opening pressure is adjusted according to the fuel flow rate of the pump unit and / or the valve opening pressure of the check valve, and the pressing force of the compression coil spring is received by the crimping unit. A fuel supply device.   2. The fuel supply device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure control device is installed downstream of a fuel pump having a discharge flow rate of 40 L / h or less.

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