Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
  • B60K15/00—Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks
  • B60K15/03—Fuel tanks
  • B60K15/077—Fuel tanks with means modifying or controlling distribution or motion of fuel, e.g. to prevent noise, surge, splash or fuel starvation
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
  • F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
  • F02M37/00—Apparatus or systems for feeding liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus; Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines
  • F02M37/04—Feeding by means of driven pumps
  • F02M37/08—Feeding by means of driven pumps electrically driven
  • F02M37/10—Feeding by means of driven pumps electrically driven submerged in fuel, e.g. in reservoir
  • F02M37/103—Mounting pumps on fuel tanks
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
  • B60K15/00—Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks
  • B60K15/03—Fuel tanks
  • B60K2015/0321—Fuel tanks characterised by special sensors, the mounting thereof
  • B60K2015/03217—Fuel level sensors
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
  • B60K15/00—Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks
  • B60K15/03—Fuel tanks
  • B60K2015/03328—Arrangements or special measures related to fuel tanks or fuel handling
  • B60K2015/03453—Arrangements or special measures related to fuel tanks or fuel handling for fixing or mounting parts of the fuel tank together

Definitions

• This invention relates to fuel component carriers that carry components in a fuel tank of a vehicle and, more particularly, to a stable carrier that ensures permanent contact with a bottom of a fuel tank even though spacing between the top and bottom of the fuel tank may vary.
• a fuel delivery module is conventionally mounted in a fuel tank of a vehicle through an opening in an upper wall of the tank.
• the module should accurately indicate the volume of fuel remaining in the tank at any time, even when the fuel tank flexes in use, for example, due to varying fuel volume or changes in internal pressure due to external ambient conditions. Therefore, it is important that the assembly should be correctly positioned relative to the bottom of the tank in order to accurately indicate fuel level. It is known to use a so-called bottom referencing mechanism which ensures that the part of the assembly which follows the level of the fuel is always in contact with the bottom of the fuel tank.
• FIG. 1 a schematic view of a conventional single sleeve bearing 10 is shown.
• a shaft 14 is pressed (loaded by spring 16) into engagement with the bottom of a fuel tank.
• the shaft 14 defines a carrier for a fuel level sensor 11 having a float 12.
• the bearing 10 is movable with respect the shaft 15 based on height variations in the tank.
• the bearing 10 is connected to a conventional fuel tank flange (not shown).
• the length A of the bearing 10 has to be sufficiently long.
• this disadvantageously increases the moving mass of the bearing 10 that may create an unstable structure.
• An object of the invention is to fulfill the need referred to above.
• this objective is achieved by a carrier for carrying a fuel component to be provided in a fuel tank of a vehicle.
• the carrier includes a first sleeve bearing assembly having a first shaft and a first sleeve bearing coupled with the first shaft.
• the first sleeve bearing is constructed and arranged to carry a fuel component thereon.
• the carrier includes a second sleeve bearing assembly having a second shaft associated with the first sleeve bearing such that the first sleeve bearing permits guided movement of the second shaft, and a second sleeve bearing coupled with the second shaft and associated with the first shaft such that the second sleeve bearing and second shaft can move in a guided manner with respect to the first shaft.
• a carrier for carrying a fuel component to be provided in a fuel tank of a vehicle.
• the carrier includes a first sleeve bearing assembly having a base, a first shaft coupled to the base, and a first sleeve bearing coupled with the first shaft,
• the carrier includes a second sleeve bearing assembly including a second shaft associated with the first sleeve bearing such that the first sleeve bearing permits guided movement of the second shaft, and a second sleeve bearing coupled with the second shaft and associated with the first shaft such that the second sleeve bearing and second shaft can move in a guided manner with respect to the first shaft.
• a flange is coupled to an end of the second shaft.
• At least one component is carried by the first sleeve bearing.
• a spring is associated with the first shaft such that when the base is engaged with a bottom of a fuel tank and the flange covers an opening generally at a top of the fuel tank, a biasing force of the spring and movement of the second shaft keeps the base in contact with the bottom of the fuel tank, even though spacing between a top and bottom of the fuel tank may vary.
• a method of providing a stable carrier for components to be mounted within a fuel tank of a vehicle provides a double sleeve bearing structure as a carrier.
• the structure includes first and second sleeve bearings assemblies.
• the first sleeve bearing assembly includes a fixed, first sleeve bearing and the second sleeve bearing assembly includes a second sleeve bearing that is movable with respect to the first sleeve bearing between a first position wherein the second sleeve bearing is generally adjacent to the first sleeve bearing, and a second position wherein the second sleeve bearing is spaced from the first sleeve bearing.
• a fuel component is mounted on the first sleeve bearing.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional single sleeve bearing as a carrier of a level sensor provided in a fuel tank of a vehicle.
• FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a double sleeve bearing structure as carrier structure for a fuel component shown provided in a fuel tank, in accordance with a present embodiment and shown in a first position.
• FIG. 3 is a view of the double sleeve bearing structure of FIG. 2 shown in a second position.
• FIG. 4 is a front view of a double sleeve bearing structure in accordance with an embodiment thereof.
• FIG. 5 is a side view of the double sleeve bearing structure of FIG. 4.
• FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of sleeve bearings of the double sleeve bearing structure of FIG. 5.
• FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view of the portion enclosed by box 7 in FIG. 6.
• FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the portion enclosed by box 8 in FIG. 6.
• FIG. 9 is a view of the double sleeve bearing structure of an embodiment with the holder carrying a fuel level sensor.
• FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a clip holding the fuel level sensor to the holder of FIG. 9.
• FIG. 11 is a view of the second sleeve bearing assembly shown with a flange coupled to an end of a shaft.
• a first sleeve bearing preferably in the form of a holder 24, is coupled to an end of the guide bar 22.
• the holder 24 is preferably press-fit to an end of the guide bar 22 to eliminate play and can be secured with a clip (not shown).
• the shaft 30 is guided for movement by the holder 24.
• the holder 24 includes a generally C-shaped portion that defines slot structure 31 that receives a generally T-shaped portion 33 of the second shaft 30. Cut-outs 35 are provided in the holder 24 to avoid interference with parting line mismatch of the shaft 30. This ensures easy and precise movement between the shaft 30 and the holder 23.
• the guide 28 ensures that the shaft 30 is guided for movement with respect to the shaft 22.
• the guide bar 22 preferably has an S- shaped profile and is received within passage 29 defined through the guide 28, to providing easy, precise movement between the guide 28 and the guide bar 22, thereby ensuring accuracy of the level sensor 11 under varying conditions in the fuel tank.
• the guide bar 22 is generally square in cross-section enabling the shaft 30 and holder 24 to advantageously be assembled at one of four different positions disposed 90 degrees apart, without adding or changing any of the components.
• horizontal ribs 37, recesses and cut-outs 39 in the shaft 30 avoid interference with parting line mismatch of the guide bar 22.
• the holder 24 carries at least one component such as a fuel level sensor level sensor 34, secured thereto via clip structure 36 on each side of the holder 24. More particularly, with reference to FIG. 10, each clip structure 36 is resilient and engages an opening 38 in the level sensor 34.
• an end 40 of the shaft 30 is coupled to a flange 41 that is constructed and arranged to close an opening 43 in generally in a top 45 of the fuel tank 25.
• Flange 41 is preferably press-fit and/or clipped to the end 40 of the shaft 30 to eliminate play.
• the mounting location of end 40 of the shaft 30 to the flange 41 is centered with respect to the guide 28 to reduce any rocking effect.
• the structure 18 is a mechanical system that adjusts to varying heights.
• the structure 18 with component(s) mounted on the holder 24 is placed in a fuel tank 25.
• the structure 18 is positioned in the fuel tank 25 so that the base 20 engages the bottom 23 of the fuel tank 25.
• the flange 41 is coupled with the end 40 of the shaft 30 and is mounted to cover the opening 43 in the fuel tank 25.
• Spring 32 provides a permanent biasing force and, together with movement of the second shaft 30, keeps the base 20 in permanent contact with the bottom 23 of the fuel tank 25, even though spacing between the top and bottom of the fuel tank 25 may vary depending on the weight of fuel in the tank 25, the internal pressure in the tank, or other factors.
• the component(s) carried by the holder 24 is at least a fuel level sensor 34 of the bottom-referencing type, the holder 24 maintains relative contact with the bottom 23 of the fuel tank 25 even if the fuel level in the fuel tank is changing.
• the virtual height D of the sleeve bearings 24 and 28 is substantially greater than height A and allows for a more accurate and stable performance, with a reduced moving mass.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Sustainable Development (AREA)
• Sustainable Energy (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Cooling, Air Intake And Gas Exhaust, And Fuel Tank Arrangements In Propulsion Units (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=40474654

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2009
  • 2009-02-12 WO PCT/US2009/033844 patent/WO2009102822A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2009-02-12 EP EP09711506A patent/EP2252476A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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