US 11,708,797 B2
Valve system of vehicle fuel pump
Keun Soo Kim, Yongin-si (KR); Jung Hoon Park, Suwon-si (KR); and Dong Hyun Kim, Hwaseong-si (KR)
Assigned to Hyundai Motor Company, Seoul (KR); and Kia Motors Corporation, Seoul (KR)
Filed by HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, Seoul (KR); and KIA MOTORS CORPORATION, Seoul (KR)
Filed on Nov. 24, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/103,167.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2020-0035073 (KR), filed on Mar. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0293185 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. F02M 37/04 (2006.01); F02D 1/16 (2006.01); F02D 1/06 (2006.01); F02D 1/00 (2006.01); F02M 37/02 (2006.01)
CPC F02D 1/16 (2013.01) [F02D 1/06 (2013.01); F02D 2001/0005 (2013.01); F02D 2200/0602 (2013.01); F02M 37/025 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A valve system of a vehicle fuel pump, the valve system comprising:
a reservoir cup disposed within a fuel tank storing fuel in the reservoir cup;
a fuel pump configured to pump fuel from the reservoir cup to an engine while supplying fuel to a jet pump through a first discharge port of the fuel pump;
the jet pump configured to charge the reservoir cup with fuel by drawing fuel from the fuel tank by using a pressure of fuel supplied by the fuel pump; and
a jet pump control valve disposed on the first discharge port and configured to control a flow of fuel discharged from the fuel pump to the jet pump,
wherein, when the engine is on and a pressure of fuel discharged from the fuel pump to the engine is increased to reach a first set pressure, the jet pump control valve opens a jet pump flow path connecting the jet pump and the first discharge port of the fuel pump, and maintains the jet pump flow path in a closed state before reaching the first set pressure, and
wherein, when the engine is off and the pressure of fuel discharged from the fuel pump to the jet pump is reduced to reach a second set pressure determined to be smaller than the first set pressure, the jet pump control valve closes the jet pump flow path, and maintains the open jet pump flow path when the pressure of fuel discharged from the fuel pump to the jet pump is at a pressure value between the first set pressure and the second set pressure,
wherein the jet pump control valve comprises:
a first valve housing, in which a plunger lift path having a predetermined height is defined, wherein the jet pump flow path is configured to be connected to a middle position of the plunger lift path;
a plunger disposed on the plunger lift path in a liftable manner so as to open and close the jet pump flow path depending on a position on the plunger lift path;
a second valve housing, in which a piston lift path having a predetermined height is defined, having an open hole defined on a first sidewall portion of the second valve housing;
a piston disposed on the piston lift path in a liftable manner and configured to be integrally connected to the plunger via a lift bar;
an elastic member arranged between a bottom surface of a top end of the second valve housing and a top surface of the piston, the elastic member configured to be compressed when the plunger moves upwards; and
a foldable leaf spring disposed on the top surface of the piston and arranged between the piston and the elastic member, and configured to restrain the jet pump flow path from being opened by a pressure of fuel smaller than the first set pressure when the engine is on.