JP7236969B2 - fuel pump module - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fuel pump module for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine.

2. Description of the Related Art Vehicles equipped with an internal combustion engine, such as motorcycles, are conventionally known to have a fuel pump module that is arranged outside a fuel tank and supplies fuel in the fuel tank to the internal combustion engine (see, for example, Patent Documents 1).

The fuel pump module described in Patent Document 1 has a filter for filtering fuel, a pump body for pressurizing and discharging the fuel filtered by the filter, and a cylindrical peripheral wall, and the filter and the pump body are provided inside the peripheral wall. and a module case that houses the The module case has a partition wall that partitions the inside of the peripheral wall into a filter accommodation chamber and a pump accommodation chamber. A filter is accommodated in the filter accommodation chamber, and a pump main body is accommodated in the pump accommodation chamber. A suction pipe extending in a direction crossing the axial direction of the module case is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall forming the filter housing chamber of the module case. Fuel in the fuel tank is sucked into the upstream portion of the filter through a suction pipe. The downstream side of the filter is connected to the suction port of the pump body through a through-hole penetrating the partition wall. A feed pipe for feeding fuel discharged from the pump main body to the internal combustion engine is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall forming the pump housing chamber of the module case.

Further, in the fuel pump module disclosed in Patent Document 1, an opening is formed in the axial end portion of the module case on the side of the filter housing chamber, and the opening is detachably closed by the module cover. When replacing the filter inside the filter housing chamber, the module cover is removed and the filter inside the opening is replaced with a new one.

Japanese Patent No. 6444481

In the fuel pump module disclosed in Patent Document 1, the internal passage of the suction pipe penetrates the outer peripheral wall of the filter housing chamber and communicates with the filter housing chamber. From the viewpoint of enhancing gas-liquid exchange between the fuel introduced from the fuel tank and air bubbles in the filter housing chamber, it is desired that the opening area of the communication port of the suction pipe with the filter housing chamber is larger. That is, the fuel introduced into the filter housing chamber generates a large amount of air bubbles when the temperature is high. Therefore, the air bubbles remaining in the filter housing block the intake of the fuel.

However, the fuel pump module described in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which the internal passage of the intake pipe penetrates the outer peripheral wall of the filter housing chamber. Therefore, if an attempt is made to increase the opening area of the communication port in order to improve the gas-liquid exchangeability, the inner diameter of the suction pipe must be increased. However, if the inner diameter of the suction pipe is increased, the suction pipe is enlarged accordingly, which is not desirable from the viewpoint of miniaturization of the fuel pump module.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel pump module capable of improving gas-liquid exchange between fuel and air bubbles in a filter accommodating chamber while achieving miniaturization.

In order to solve the above problems, a fuel pump module according to the present invention employs the following configuration.
That is, a fuel pump module according to the present invention includes a filter for filtering fuel, a pump body for pressurizing and discharging the fuel filtered by the filter, and a cylindrical peripheral wall for accommodating the filter and the pump body inside. and a suction pipe extending from the module case in a direction crossing the axial direction of the module case and sucking fuel from the fuel tank to an upstream portion of the filter, the module case comprising: A filter housing chamber formed inside one end side of the module case for housing the filter, a pump housing chamber formed inside the other end side of the module case for housing the pump main body, and the filter housing chamber and a partition separating the pump housing chamber, the suction pipe and the filter housing chamber being connected via a communication port so that the fuel passes through, and an internal passage at the base of the suction pipe bulges toward the pump storage chamber from the partition wall when viewed from the direction in which the suction pipe extends, and extends to a radially inner position from the inner peripheral surface of the filter storage chamber, A portion of the communication port constitutes a radial communication portion that penetrates the peripheral wall in a direction intersecting the axial direction and communicates with the filter housing chamber, and the remaining portion of the communication port is the partition wall, or and an axial communication portion penetrating in the axial direction through an axially crossing wall continuous with the partition wall to communicate with the filter housing chamber.

The module case further has a recessed portion forming the cross-axis wall continuous with the partition wall, wherein a part of the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall forming the pump housing chamber is recessed radially inward, The communicating portion may pass through the cross-axis wall.

The fuel pump module may further include a module cover that detachably closes the opening of the end of the filter housing chamber in the axial direction opposite to the partition wall.

According to the present invention, a sufficiently large opening area of the communication port at the base of the suction pipe can be ensured by the radial communication portion and the axial communication portion. Therefore, without increasing the inner diameter of the suction pipe, air bubbles can be smoothly discharged from the filter housing chamber through the suction pipe and fuel can be sucked into the filter housing chamber smoothly. sexuality can be enhanced. Therefore, when the configuration of the present invention is adopted, it is possible to sufficiently suppress the intake of air bubbles from the filter housing chamber in the pump main body while miniaturizing the fuel pump module, thereby enhancing the fuel feeding efficiency. .

1 is an external perspective view of a fuel pump module according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the fuel pump module of the embodiment; FIG. Sectional drawing corresponding to the III-III section of FIG. 6 of the fuel pump module of embodiment. Sectional drawing corresponding to the IV-IV section of FIG. 6 of the fuel pump module of embodiment. The perspective view of the 1st module cover of embodiment. The rear view of the passage block of embodiment. The perspective view of the passage block of embodiment. The top view of the module case of embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view along line IX-IX in FIG. 8 of the module case of the embodiment; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view along line XX of FIG. 8 of the module case of the embodiment; FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the module case of the embodiment, part of which is taken along line XI-XI of FIG. 10; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view along line XII-XI in FIG. 10 of the module case of the embodiment;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the fuel pump module 1 of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the fuel pump module 1. FIG. 3 is a sectional view corresponding to the III-III section of FIG.
The fuel pump module 1 of the present embodiment is arranged, for example, outside a fuel tank (not shown) of a straddle-type vehicle such as a motorcycle. ) to an internal combustion engine (not shown). Of course, the fuel pump module 1 can also be mounted on other vehicles such as four-wheeled vehicles.

The fuel pump module 1 includes a substantially cylindrical module case 2 that is elongated in the axial direction, a first module cover 4 that closes an opening 3 at one end of the module case 2 in the axial direction, and the other end of the module case 2 in the axial direction. and a second module cover 6 (module cover) that closes the side opening 35 (see FIGS. 11 and 12). Both the module case 2 and the first and second module covers 4 and 6 are made of a resin material. The fuel pump module 1 of this embodiment is mounted below a fuel tank (not shown), for example, with the central axis of the module case 2 directed horizontally. The outer peripheral surface of the module case 2 is provided with an intake pipe 7 for sucking fuel from the fuel tank, a delivery pipe 8 for delivering the sucked fuel to the internal combustion engine, and a return pipe 9 for returning surplus fuel to the fuel tank. ing. These pipes (suction pipe 7, delivery pipe 8, return pipe 9) are connected to the fuel tank side and the internal combustion engine side via hoses or the like. The fuel pump module 1 is mounted below the fuel tank with the hose connecting ends of the intake pipe 7 and the return pipe 9 facing vertically upward.

Inside the substantially cylindrical module case 2 are a filter cartridge 10 for filtering fuel introduced into the interior through the suction pipe 7, and a pump body 11 for pressurizing and discharging the fuel that has passed through the filter 10a of the filter cartridge 10. , is housed. In the filter cartridge 10, bellows-folded filters 10a (filter elements) are arranged in an annular shape. The filter 10a is attached to a case portion 10b made of resin. The filter 10a, which is arranged in an annular shape, has an outer peripheral side serving as a fuel introduction side (pre-filtering side) and an inner peripheral side serving as a fuel outlet side (post-filtering side). The pump main body 11 incorporates an electric motor 11a (see FIG. 3) and is driven by the power of the electric motor 11a. The pump main body 11 sucks the fuel that has passed through the filter 10a from a pump suction port 11b on one axial end side and discharges it from a pump discharge port 11c on the other axial end side.

The suction pipe 7, the delivery pipe 8, and the return pipe 9 protrude from one end side (opening 3 side) of the module case 2 in the axial direction to a position separated by approximately two-thirds of the axial length of the module case 2. is set. Inside the module case 2, at a position separated from one axial end side of the module case 2 in the axial direction by approximately two-thirds of the axial length of the module case 2, the inside of the module case 2 is provided as a pump accommodating chamber. 12 (see FIGS. 10 to 12) and a filter accommodating chamber 36 (see FIGS. 9, 11 and 12) are separated by a partition wall 37 (see FIGS. 9 to 12). The suction pipe 7 communicates with the filter housing chamber 36 side, and the delivery pipe 8 and the return pipe 9 communicate with the pump housing chamber 12 side. A through hole 38 (see FIGS. 9 to 12) is provided in the partition wall 37 of the module case 2, and the inner cylinder 10c of the case portion 10b of the filter cartridge 10 is connected to the through hole 38. As shown in FIG. Reference numeral 13a in FIG. 2 denotes a sealing member for sealing between the inner cylinder 10c and the through hole 38. As shown in FIG. The inner cylinder 10c is connected to the pump suction port 11b of the pump main body 11 through the through hole 38. As shown in FIG.

3, a pump holding wall 14 for holding the pump body 11 is integrally formed inside the pump accommodating chamber 12 of the module case 2, and a delivery pipe 8 extends. there is The delivery pipe 8 extends radially inward of the module case 2 from the peripheral wall of the module case 2 and then extends substantially along the axial direction of the module case 2 toward the opening 3 . A connector 15 for connecting a three-phase power cable is integrally provided on the peripheral wall 2b surrounding the outside of the pump housing chamber 12 of the module case 2. As shown in FIG. The three-phase terminals of the connector 15 are connected to the power supply section of the pump main body 11 (electric motor 11a) through the relay cable unit 16 inside the pump housing chamber 12 .

The second module cover 6 has a cover bottom wall 6a that covers the opening 35 at the other end of the module case 2, and a plurality of lock tongues 6b that bend and extend axially from the outer peripheral edge of the cover bottom wall 6a. are doing. A plurality of locking tongues 6b are extended at regular intervals on the outer peripheral edge of the cover bottom wall 6a. Further, the locking tongue piece 6b is formed with an engaging hole 6c penetrating in the thickness direction of the locking tongue piece 6b. On the other hand, a plurality of locking protrusions 2a are protruded from the outer peripheral surface of the module case 2 on the other end side in the axial direction. The lock protrusions 2a are provided so as to correspond to the lock tongues 6b of the second module cover 6 on a one-to-one basis. In the state where the opening 35 of the module case 2 is covered with the cover bottom wall 6a, the second module cover 6 elastically deforms the lock tongues 6b so that the engagement holes 6c of the lock tongues 6b are engaged with the corresponding locks. It is fitted to the convex portion 2a. Thereby, the second module cover 6 is fixed to the axial end of the module case 2 in a snap-fit manner. The second module cover 6 is fixed to the axial end of the module case 2 after the filter cartridge 10 is accommodated in the filter accommodation chamber 36 of the module case 2 . 2 denotes a sealing member for sealing the space between the second module cover 6 and the module case 2. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the IV-IV cross section of FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first module cover 4. FIG.
The first module cover 4 includes a disk-shaped base wall 4a that covers the opening 3 on one axial end side of the module case 2, and an annular welded wall 4b that extends radially outward from the outer peripheral edge of the base wall 4a. , an inner peripheral wall 4c projecting cylindrically from the boundary between the base wall 4a and the welding wall 4b (from a radially inner position of the welding wall 4b); and a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 4d. The inner peripheral wall 4c and the outer peripheral wall 4d are formed coaxially with respect to the disk-shaped base wall 4a. The inner peripheral wall 4c is inserted into the opening 3 on the one end side of the module case 2 in the axial direction. The outer peripheral wall 4d covers the outer peripheral side of the peripheral wall 2b on the one end side of the module case 2 in the axial direction. The end surface 2c on the one axial end side of the peripheral wall 2b of the module case 2 is abutted against the welding wall 4b, and in this state, the end surface 2c on the one end side is fixed by welding.

The peripheral wall 2b of the module case 2 is provided with a chamfered portion 2d on the inner peripheral edge of the end surface 2c on the one axial end side. The chamfered portion 2d is formed in a tapered shape so that the wall thickness of the peripheral wall 2b gradually decreases toward the distal end side of the peripheral wall 2b. The chamfered portion 2 d of the peripheral wall 2 b forms a burr receiving portion 17 with the inner peripheral wall 4 c of the first module cover 4 . The burr receiving portion 17 is a space portion that receives melted resin when the welding wall 4b of the first module cover 4 is welded to the end face 2c of the peripheral wall 2b of the module case 2. As shown in FIG.

The inner peripheral wall 4c of the first module cover 4 includes an annular base portion 18 which is inserted into the opening 3 of the module case 2 with a minute gap therebetween, and an annular stepped surface 19 on the projecting end side of the annular base portion 18. and a small-diameter portion 20 that is continuously provided. The outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 20 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the outer peripheral surface of the annular base portion 18 . The outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter portion 20 near the annular base portion 18 and the stepped surface 19 form a seal holding portion 22 for holding an annular seal member 21 . The seal member 21 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall 4 c (small diameter portion 20 ) and the inner peripheral surface of the opening 3 of the module case 2 while being held by the seal holding portion 22 .

The outer peripheral wall 4d of the first module cover 4 protrudes from the welding wall 4b so as to be longer than the length from the welding wall 4b to the seal holding portion 22 (seal member 21). Therefore, when temporarily assembling the first module cover 4 with the sealing member 21 attached to the peripheral wall 2b of the module case 2, the end of the outer peripheral wall 4d is first fitted onto the end of the peripheral wall 2b of the module case 2. By doing so, the first module cover 4 can be centered with respect to the module case 2 while avoiding strong contact between the end portion of the peripheral wall 2b and the seal member 21 .
A strip-shaped protective wall 32 is integrally provided on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 2b of the module case 2 near one end, protruding radially outward and facing the end face of the outer peripheral wall 4d. The protruding height of the protective wall 32 is set to be higher than the outer diameter dimension of the outer peripheral wall 4d.

A passage block 23 is assembled at a position facing the rear surface of the first module cover 4 inside the module case 2 . Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the side of the passage block 23 facing the back surface of the first module cover 4 is called the front side, and the side opposite to the front side is called the back side.

6 is a rear view of the passage block 23, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the passage block 23 viewed from the front side.
The passage block 23 is made of a resin material and has a short axis columnar shape. The axial direction of the passage block 23 is the direction along the depth direction of the opening 3 of the module case 2 . A first concave portion 24 to which the pump discharge port 11c of the pump main body 11 is connected, and the module case 2 of the delivery pipe 8 are provided on the end face on the back side of the passage block 23 (the end face on the side facing the inside of the module case 2 in the axial direction). A second recess 25 to which an inner end is connected and a third recess 27 to which a pressure regulating valve 26 (pressure regulator) is assembled by press fitting are formed.

The first recess 24, the second recess 25, and the third recess 27 are all formed by substantially circular holes. The first concave portion 24 is fitted with the boss portion 11 d of the pump body 11 where the pump discharge port 11 c is formed, and the second concave portion 25 is fitted with the end portion of the delivery pipe 8 inside the module case 2 . A check valve 50 is attached to the pump discharge port 11c of the pump main body 11 to prevent reverse flow of fuel from the direction of the passage block 23, as shown in FIG. Sealing members 51 are interposed between the first recess 24 and the boss portion 11 d and between the second recess 25 and the delivery pipe 8 to prevent leakage of fuel.

The third recessed portion 27 is formed on the end surface of the passage block 23 at a position offset from a straight line connecting the axial centers of the first recessed portion 24 and the second recessed portion 25 . That is, the first recess 24 , the second recess 25 , and the third recess 27 are arranged at the vertices of an imaginary triangle when viewed from the end face of the passage block 23 .

The passage block 23 is formed with a first connection hole 28 that connects the bottoms of the first recess 24 and the second recess 25, and a second connection hole 29 that connects the bottoms of the third recess 27 and the second recess 25. It is The first connection hole 28 and the second connection hole 29 extend in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axial direction of the passage block 23 at the same height position in the axial direction of the passage block 23 . The axis 28 o of the first connection hole 28 and the axis 29 o of the second connection hole 29 intersect each other near the bottom of the second recess 25 .
In the case of this embodiment, the first recess 24, the first connection hole 28, and the second recess 25 constitute a connection passage 30 that connects the pump discharge port 11c and the delivery pipe 8, and the second connection hole 29 and the third recess 27 constitutes a branch passage 31 branching from the connection passage 30 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the pressure regulating valve 26 assembled in the third recess 27 includes a valve seat component 53 having a valve hole 53a inside a substantially cylindrical casing 52, and a spherical valve for opening and closing the valve hole 53a. It has a body 54 and a spring 55 that biases the valve body 54 in the valve closing direction (the direction to close the valve hole 53a). The valve body 54 opens and closes the valve hole 53 a from the pump housing chamber 12 side of the module case 2 . When the pressure of the fuel in the connection passage 30 connecting the pump discharge port 11c and the delivery pipe 8 rises above the set pressure, the pressure regulating valve 26 causes the valve body 54 to move against the urging force of the spring 55 to close the valve hole 53a. Open to return excess fuel into the pump housing chamber 12 . As a result, the pressure of the fuel sent to the delivery pipe 8 is regulated so as to be equal to or lower than the set pressure. The metal casing 52 of the pressure regulating valve 26 is press-fitted into the third recess 27 . A sealing member 56 is interposed between the third recess 27 and the pressure regulating valve 26 to prevent leakage of fuel.

7 and the like, the passage block 23 includes a large-diameter peripheral wall 23a inserted into the opening 3 of the module case 2 with a minute gap therebetween, and a stepped wall at one axial end of the large-diameter peripheral wall 23a. It has a small-diameter peripheral wall 23c continuously provided with 23b interposed therebetween, and a top wall 23d closing the end of the small-diameter peripheral wall 23c. The outer diameter of the small-diameter peripheral wall 23c is set smaller than the outer diameter of the large-diameter peripheral wall 23a. The small-diameter peripheral wall 23c and the top wall 23d are arranged inside the inner peripheral wall 4c of the first module cover 4, as shown in FIG. The protruding end of the inner peripheral wall 4c of the first module cover 4 (the protruding end of the small diameter portion 20) is in contact with the stepped wall 23b. As a result, the passage block 23 is axially pressed at its outer peripheral edge by the inner peripheral wall 4c of the first module cover 4, and as a result, axial displacement is restricted. In this state, a predetermined gap d is secured between the top wall 23d of the passage block 23 and the base wall 4a of the first module cover 4. As shown in FIG.
Further, a restricting projection 23e for restricting radial displacement of the protruding end of the inner peripheral wall 4c of the first module cover 4 (the protruding end of the small diameter portion 20) is projected from the outer peripheral edge of the stepped wall 23b. there is

A first connection hole 28 connecting the bottom of the first recess 24 and the bottom of the second recess 25 and a second connection hole 29 connecting the bottom of the third recess 27 and the bottom of the second recess 25 are formed in the passage block 23. It is shaped by a molding pin (not shown) at the time of molding. At this time, the forming pins are arranged so that the axes 28 o and 29 o intersect near the second recess 25 . Since each molding pin is arranged so as to penetrate a part of the small diameter peripheral wall 23c of the passage block 23, after the passage block 23 is molded, a hole after the molding pin is pulled out remains in the small diameter peripheral wall 23c. The hole is closed by heat staking the perimeter of the hole.

Specifically, when the passage block 23 is formed by molding, a boss portion projecting radially outward is formed in a portion of the small-diameter peripheral wall 23c where the drawing-out hole for the molding pin remains. Heat crimping is performed by crushing the tip of the boss portion into a spherical shape with a crimping jig of the shape. As a result, the tip of the boss melts so as to flow toward the center, and as a result, the remaining end of the hole is closed with the molten resin. Reference numeral 33 in FIG. 7 denotes a closed portion of the hole by heat caulking.

8 is a top view of the module case 2. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the module case 2 along line IX-IX in FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the module case 2 along line XX in FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the module case 2 taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 10, and FIG. 12 is a view of the module case 2 taken along line XII-XI in FIG. It is a sectional view along.
At a position above the peripheral wall 2b of the module case 2 (a position facing substantially vertically upward when the fuel pump module 1 is installed), as shown in FIG. A concave portion 45 is formed. The recessed portion 45 extends axially from a position adjacent to the partition wall 37 inside the peripheral wall 2b of the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 2b of the module case 2 to the vicinity of the position where the connector 15 is arranged. In the present embodiment, the end wall of the recess 45 on the side of the partition wall 37 constitutes an axis-crossing wall 46 that is continuous with the partition wall 37 . The axis-crossing wall 46 is a wall that continues to the partition wall 37 , but is not a wall that directly separates the filter housing chamber 36 and the pump housing chamber 12 .

The suction pipe 7 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape from a base portion 7a connected to the module case 2 to a tip portion connected to a connection hose (not shown) on the fuel tank side. The base portion 7a of the suction pipe 7 is connected across the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 2b of the filter housing chamber 36 adjacent to the axis-crossing wall 46 and the end surface of the axis-crossing wall 46 outside the filter housing chamber 36. . That is, a part of the base portion 7a of the suction pipe 7 bulges toward the pump housing chamber 12 from the axis crossing wall (partition wall 37) when viewed from the extending direction of the suction pipe 7, and extends to the vicinity of the bottom of the recess 45. extended. The end portion of the base portion 7a of the suction pipe 7 extending to the vicinity of the bottom portion of the recess 45 has a smoothly concave inner surface and is closed by the lid portion 7b. The lid portion 7b may be formed by a separate member, or may be formed by gently deforming a portion of the proximal end of the suction pipe 7. As shown in FIG. Further, the internal passage 41 of the base portion 7a of the suction pipe 7 partially bulges toward the pump housing chamber 12 from the axis-crossing wall 46 (partition wall 37) when viewed from the direction in which the suction pipe 7 extends. , extends radially inward of the inner peripheral surface of the filter housing chamber 36 .

The communication port 40 of the base portion 7a of the suction pipe 7 with the filter housing chamber 36 includes a radial communication portion 40a penetrating the outer peripheral wall 2b of the filter housing chamber 36 in a substantially radial direction (a direction intersecting the axial direction) and an axial direction communicating portion 40a. and an axial communication portion 40b axially penetrating through the cross wall 46. As shown in FIG. The communication port 40 is formed by being surrounded by a continuous line where the inner peripheral surface of the suction pipe 7 and the inner surface of the filter housing chamber 36 intersect.

Here, although not shown, a radial gap is secured between the outer peripheral surface of the filter 10a accommodated in the filter accommodating chamber 36 and the inner peripheral surface of the filter accommodating chamber 36. As shown in FIG. A communication port 40 consisting of a radial communication portion 40 a and an axial communication portion 40 b faces a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the filter 10 a and the inner peripheral surface of the filter housing chamber 36 .

9 and 10, the suction pipe 7 is arranged at substantially the same axial position as the return pipe 9 on the module case 2, and extends substantially vertically upward so as to be substantially parallel to the return pipe 9, as shown in FIGS. extended. The suction pipe 7 is arranged with a relatively large horizontal offset with respect to the central axis o of the peripheral wall 2b of the module case 2 . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, a part of the internal passage 41 of the base portion 7a of the suction pipe 7 expands radially outward (away from the central axis o) from the inner peripheral surface of the filter housing chamber 36. out.

(Effect of embodiment)
As described above, in the fuel pump module 1 of the present embodiment, a part of the internal passage 41 of the base portion 7a of the suction pipe 7 extends from the cross-axis wall 46 (partition wall 37) when viewed from the extending direction of the suction pipe 7. also bulges toward the pump housing chamber 12 and extends to a position radially inward of the inner peripheral surface of the filter housing chamber 36 . Part of the communication port 40 with the filter housing chamber 36 of the base portion 7a of the suction pipe 7 constitutes a radial communication portion 40a that penetrates the peripheral wall 2b in the radial direction and communicates with the filter housing chamber 36. The remaining portion of 40 constitutes an axial communication portion 40 b that axially penetrates the axial cross wall 46 and communicates with the filter housing chamber 36 . Therefore, in the fuel pump module 1 of the present embodiment, the opening area of the communication port 40 of the base portion 7a of the suction pipe 7 is reduced to the radial communication portion 40a and the axial communication portion 40b without enlarging the inner diameter of the suction pipe 7. can be ensured to be sufficiently large by As a result, air bubbles b (see FIG. 11) can be smoothly discharged from the filter housing chamber 36 through the suction pipe 7 and fuel can be sucked from the fuel tank smoothly. can be increased.
Therefore, when the fuel pump module 1 of the present embodiment is employed, the intake of air bubbles b from the filter housing chamber 36 in the pump main body 11 can be sufficiently suppressed, and the fuel feeding efficiency can be enhanced.

Further, in the fuel pump module 1 of the present embodiment, the communication port 40 of the intake pipe 7 is positively formed with different heights in the vertical direction by the radial communication portion 40a and the axial communication portion 40b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, a flow F1 that discharges the air bubbles b to the outside mainly from the radial communication portion 40a of the communication port 40 of the suction pipe 7 along the inner peripheral surface of the filter housing chamber 36, and a flow F1 that discharges the air bubbles b to the outside. It is possible to smoothly create a flow F2 in which fuel is sucked into the filter housing chamber 36 mainly through the axial communication portion 40b of the communication port 40 of the pipe 7.

In particular, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the radial communicating portion 40a is formed across the corner portion of the upper region of the peripheral wall 2b that intersects with the axis-crossing wall 46, and the axial communicating portion 40b is formed in the axis-crossing wall 46 so as to extend vertically downward from the end of the radial communication portion 40a. Therefore, in the filter housing chamber 36, the air bubbles b that tend to float upward along the inner peripheral surface of the filter housing chamber 36 can be smoothly discharged from the radial communication portion 40a to the suction pipe 7, and the air bubbles b , the fuel can be smoothly sucked into the filter housing chamber 36 through the axial communication portion 40b. Since this fuel flow F2 is directed toward the vicinity of the outer peripheral surface of the filter 10a in the filter housing chamber 36, the fuel can be smoothly sucked into the pump main body 11. As shown in FIG.
Therefore, when the configuration of this embodiment is adopted, the gas-liquid exchangeability in the filter housing chamber 36 can be further enhanced.

Further, in the fuel pump module 1 of this embodiment, a concave portion 45 is formed in a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 2b of the module case 2 forming the pump housing chamber 12, and the concave portion 45 is recessed radially inward. An axis-crossing wall 46 whose end is continuous with the partition wall 37 is formed. An axial communication portion 40 b of the communication port 40 of the suction pipe 7 passes through the axial cross wall 46 and communicates with the filter housing chamber 36 . For this reason, the dead space inside the pump accommodating chamber 12 of the module case 2 is effectively used to form a recess 45 that is recessed radially inward in the peripheral wall 2b. A cross-axis wall 46 may be formed to form the axial communication portion 40b of the .

Further, in the fuel pump module 1 of the present embodiment, the axial communication portion 40b of the communication port 40 is formed in the cross-axis wall 46 exposed to the outside air through the outer surface of the recess 45. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the heat of the fuel passing through the base portion 7a of the suction pipe 7 can be efficiently cooled by the outside air.
Therefore, when the fuel pump module 1 of this embodiment is employed, the module case 2 can be made compact and lightweight, and the fuel inside the module case 2 and the suction pipe 7 can be efficiently cooled by outside air. and the generation of air bubbles can be further suppressed.
Further, in the case of this embodiment, the heat of the fuel inside the filter housing chamber 36 and the pump housing chamber 12 can be efficiently radiated to the outside air through the wall of the thin recessed portion 45 .

In this embodiment, the recess 45 is formed in the peripheral wall of the module case 2, and the recess 45 forms the axis-crossing wall 46, but the configuration of the recess 45 and the axis-crossing wall 46 is not necessarily essential. For example, a part of the base of the suction pipe may enter the inside of the pump accommodating chamber, and a part of the internal passage of the base may be communicated with the filter accommodating chamber through an axial communication portion formed in the partition wall. In this case, the wall in which the axial communication portion is formed is the partition wall because it separates the filter housing chamber and the pump housing chamber.

Further, in the fuel pump module 1 of this embodiment, an opening 35 is formed at the end of the module case 2 on the side of the filter housing chamber 36, and the second module cover 6 (module cover 6) detachably closes the opening 35 at the end. cover) is installed. Therefore, the filter 10a can be easily replaced by removing the second module cover 6 while the hose connecting the filter housing chamber 36 and the fuel tank is connected to the intake pipe 7. FIG. In this embodiment, while adopting a structure in which the opening 35 can be easily opened and closed by the second module cover 6, the opening area of the communication port 40 of the suction pipe 7 can be sufficiently secured as described above. Neither does the gas-liquid exchange efficiency in the storage chamber 36 be sacrificed.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Fuel pump module 2... Module case 2b... Surrounding wall 6... Second module cover (module cover)
7 suction pipe 7a base 10a filter 11 pump body 12 pump housing chamber 35 opening 36 filter housing chamber 37 partition wall 40 communication port 40a radial communication portion 40b axial communication portion 41 internal passage 45... Recess 46... Cross axis wall

Claims (3)

a filter for filtering fuel;
a pump body for pressurizing and discharging the fuel filtered by the filter;
a module case having a cylindrical peripheral wall that accommodates the filter and the pump body therein;
a suction pipe extending from the module case in a direction crossing the axial direction of the module case and sucking fuel from the fuel tank to an upstream portion of the filter;
The module case is formed inside one end side of the module case, and includes a filter accommodation chamber that accommodates the filter;
a pump accommodation chamber formed inside the other end side of the module case and accommodating the pump main body;
a partition separating the filter housing chamber and the pump housing chamber,
the suction pipe and the filter housing chamber are connected via a communication port so that the fuel passes through;
A part of the internal passage at the base of the suction pipe bulges toward the pump housing chamber from the partition wall when viewed from the direction in which the suction pipe extends, and extends radially from the inner peripheral surface of the filter housing chamber. It extends to the inner position,
A part of the communication port constitutes a radial communication portion that penetrates the peripheral wall in a direction intersecting the axial direction and communicates with the filter housing chamber,
A remaining portion of the communication port constitutes an axial communication portion communicating with the filter housing chamber through the partition wall or an axis-crossing wall connected to the partition wall in the axial direction. fuel pump module. 2. The fuel pump module of claim 1, wherein
the module case further includes a recessed portion forming the cross-axis wall continuous with the partition wall, wherein a part of the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall forming the pump housing chamber is recessed radially inward;
The fuel pump module, wherein the axial communication portion penetrates through the axial cross wall. In the fuel pump module according to claim 1 or claim 2,
A fuel pump module, further comprising a module cover that detachably closes an opening of the end portion of the filter housing chamber in the axial direction opposite to the partition wall.

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