| Title of Invention | FUEL SUPPLY DEVICE |
|---|---|
| Abstract | A fuel supply device (10), which is mounted to a fuel tank (20), includes a cover portion (30, 30A), a fuel pump (40), a connector portion (92) having s driving circuit holding portion (94) and a terminal portion (95), and a coupling portion (93). A sectional area of the coupling portion in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of a bottom wall (21) of the fuel tank is smaller than a sectional area of the driving circuit holding portion in the same direction. Thereby, intrusion of fuel molecules into the driving circuit holding portion can be suppressed while increasing in cost of the fuel supply device is suppressed. Furthermore, in the fuel supply device, electrical conduction among a lead of a driving circuit, a terminal of a terminal portion and a fuel pump side terminal, can be effectively maintained. 16 |
| Full Text | JiJ *1IA1^J.J |L IkJ %/*J Kl^-f L/^^l I*ja tH\^XJ- RJEL SUPPLY DEVICE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a fuel supply device, which is provided in a fuel tank, for supplying a fuel In the fuel tank into an interna! combustion engine outside the fuel tank. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For example, JP-A-2006-144596 discloses a fuel supply device, in which a fuel pump is attached to a cover portion covering an opening portion of a fuel tank. In the above fuel supply device, the cover portion is made of a resin material, and a driving circuit for driving the fuel pump and a connector for connecting the driving circuit to an external electric circuit are provided at the cover portion. In the above fuel supply device, the cover portion is generally made of the resin material. In addition, a hybrid IC is generally used as the driving circuit provided at the cover portion. For example, an electric circuit is formed on a crystalline silicon plate and the electric circuit mounted on the crystalline silicon plate is molded by a resin material so that the hybrid IC is configured. When the fuel supply device is used, the fuel pump and a portion, which is inside the fuel tank, of the cover portion are soaked in a fuel. In case that the cover portion is made of the resin material, a phenomenon that molecules constituting the fuel may intrude into molecules of the resin material may be caused. When the fuel molecules intrude into the molecules of the resin material configuring the cover portion to reach the hybrid IC as the driving circuit, the fuel molecules may intrude into the molded resin of the hybrid IC so that the molded resin expands and volume of the molded resin increases. Thereby, at least one of an electrically connecting portion between a lead of the hybrid IC and a terminal of the connector and a connecting port:ion between the hybrid IC and a fuel pump side terminal may be damaged and electrical conduction may become defective. In order to solve this kind of problems, feed members such as a driving circuit holding portion and the connector may be formed separately from the cover portion, and the feed members may be made of a resin material having greater resistance to a fuel than the cover portion, i.e., a resin material into which the fuel 1 molecules is difficult to intrude. However, in this case, the resin material having greater resistance to a fuel is expensive so that the cost of the fuej supply device ss increased. SUMI^ARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-described problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel supply device which can effectively maintain electrical conduction among a lead of a driving circuit, a terminal of a connector and a fuel pump side terminal by preventing fuel molecules from reaching the driving circuit attached to a cover portion while increasing of the cost of the fuel supply device is suppressed. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a fuel supply device is mounted to a fuel tank, and supplies a fuel in the fuel tank into an internal combustion engine outside the fuel tank. The fuel supply device includes a cover portion configured to cover an opening portion provided in a bottom wall of the fuel tank; a fuel pump, which is supported by the cover portion, and Is configured to pressurize the fuel and to discharge the pressurized fuel; a connector portion provided outside the fuel tank; and a coupling portion, which is provided outside the fuel tank, and is configured to connect the cover portion to the connector portion. The connector portion includes a driving circuit holding portion configured to hold a driving circuit for driving the fuel pump; and a terminal portion configured to connect the driving circuit to an external electric circuit. A sectional area of the coupling portion in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the bottom wait of the fuel tank is smaller than a sectional area of the driving circuit holding portion in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction. In the above configuration, intrusion of fuel molecules into the driving circuit holding portion can be suppressed while increasing in cost of the fuel supply device is suppressed. Thereby, in the fuel supply device, electrical conduction among a lead of a driving circuit, a terminal of a terminal portion and a fuel pump side terminal, can be effectively maintained. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present 2 invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a fuel supply device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; RG. 2 is a view when being viewed from a direction shown by an arrow II in FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a fuel supply device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a fuel supply device according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings by taking a case that the fuel supply device is applied to a pump module 10 attached to a fuel tank 20 of a two-wheel vehicle as an example. As shown in FIG. 1, the pump module 10 is attached to a bottom wall 21 of the fuel tank 20 of the two-wheel vehicle. In FIG. 1, a portion above the bottom wall 21 corresponds to an inside of the fuel tank 20, and a portion below the bottom wall 21 corresponds to an outside of the fuel tank 20. That is, when the two-wheel vehicle is used as usual, the pump module 10 is attached to a bottom side of the fuel tank 20 in a vertical direction. When the two-wheel vehicle is used as usual, an upper portion in FIG. 1 corresponds to a top side of the fuel tank 20 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the pump module 10 is generally configured by components such as a cover portion 30, a fuel pump 40, a pressure regulator 50, a suction filter 70 and a feed plug 90. The cover portion 30 and the feed plug 90 cover an opening 22, which is an opening portion formed in the bottom wall 21 of the fuel tank 20, and function as covering members supporting the fuel pump 40, the pressure regulator 50 and the suction filter 70. The cover portion 30 is formed by molding polyacetal resin, i.e., POM resin. As shown in FIG. 1, the cover portion 30 includes a flange portion 31 and a holder portion 32. The flange portion 31 is fitted in the opening 22 provided in the bottom wall 21 of the fuel tank 20. The holder portion 32 is provided to 3 protrude into the Inside of the fuel tank 20 and supports the fuel pump 40 and the pressure regulator 50, which are described below, or the !lke. In addition, as shown in RG. 1, the cover portion 30 Is provided to protrude to the outside of the fuel tank 20 and includes an outlet tube 33 for supplying a fuel discharged from the fuel pump 40 to the outside of the fuel tank 20. As shown in FIG. 1, a fuel passage 33a in the outlet tube 33 is extended to an inside of the holder portion 32 of the cover portion 30, and is connected to an outlet 42 of the fuel pump 40 and a pressure receiving portion 51 of the pressure regulator 50. As shown in FIG. 1, the holder portion 32 of the cover portion 30 includes supporting holes 32a and 32b, each of which is a cylindrical shape having a bottom. An outer periphery portion of the fuel pump 40 is fitted in the supporting hole 32a and a wall portion defining the supporting hole 32a supports the fuel pump 40. An outer periphery portion of the pressure regulator 50 is fitted in the supporting hole 32b and a wall portion defining the supporting hole 32b supports the pressure regulator 50. As shown in FIG. 1, the cylindrical bottom of the supporting hole 32a and the cylindrical bottom of the supporting hole 32b are connected to the fuel passage 33a. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, a through hole 32c for inserting a lead line 43 extending from the fuel pump 40 is provided at the bottom of the supporting hole 32a. Plural through holes 32c are provided to correspond to the number of plural lead lines 43. Because the fuel pump 40 in the pump module 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes three lead lines 43, three through holes 32c are provided. The through hole 32c is provided not to be connected to the fuel passage 33a. A through hole 39 for fitting therein a fitting portion 91 of the feed plug 90, which is described below, as a feed member is provided at the flange portion 31 of the cover portion 30. The through hole 39 is formed such that the flange portion 31 penetrates through the bottom wall 21 of the fuel tank 20 in the inside-outside direction of the fuel tank 20 and that a cross section thereof is a circular shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the through hole 39 has a large diameter portion 39a and a small diameter portion 39b. The portions 39a and 39b are arranged concentrically each other, and the diameter of the portion 39a differs from the diameter of the portion 39b. The fuel pump 40 is supported by the cover portion 30. The fuel pump 40 4 pressurizes a fuel in the fuel tank 20 so that the fuel is discharged to an outside of the fuel tank 20. The fuel pump 40 is configured by an electric pump, which is driven by an electric motor, and an outer shape thereof is a substantially cylindrical shape. In the fuel pump 40 of the pump module 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a brushless motor, which is not shown in the drawing, is used as the electric motor for driving. The fuel pump 40 used in the pump module 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes three lead lines 43 In order to supply electric power to the brushless motor to drive the brushless motor. An inlet 41 Is formed at one end of the cylindrical fuel pump 40 and the outlet 42 is formed at the other end in an axial direction of the fuel pump 40, respectively. The fuel pump 40 Is fitted in the supporting hole 32a of the holder portion 32 of the cover portion 30 with the outlet 42 arranged at the bottom side of the supporting hole 32a. The pressure regulator 50 adjusts the pressure of the fuel discharged from the fuel pump 40 to a predetermined pressure, which is set in advance. The pressure regulator 50 is fitted in the supporting hole 32b in the holder portion 32 of the cover portion 30 with the pressure receiving portion 51 connected to the bottom side of the supporting hole 32b, i.e., the fuel passage 33a. Therefore, the pressure of the fuel discharged from the fuel pump 40 is applied to the pressure receiving portion 51 of the pressure regulator 50 via the fuel passage 33a. When the pressure of the fuel discharged from the fuel pump 40 is higher than the predetermined pressure, the pressure receiving portion 51 is opened so that the fuel passage 33a is connected to an outside of the pump module 10, i.e., the fuel stored in the fuel tank 20, via the pressure regulator 50. Thereby, a part of the fuel discharged from the fuel pump 40 flows from an exhaust port 52 of the pressure regulator 50 into the inside of the fuel tank 20 and the pressure of the fuel in the fuel passage 33a is decreased. Then, when the pressure of the fuel in the fuel passage 33a becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined pressure, the pressure receiving portion 51 is closed so that the connection between the fuel passage 33a and the fuel stored in the fuel tank 20 is blocked. Thereby, decreasing of the pressure of the fuel in the fuel passage 33a is stopped and the pressure of the fuel in the fuel passage 33a is maintained at the predetermined pressure. In this manner, the pressure of the fuel in the fuel passage 33a is 5 maintained at the predetermined pressure. As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel pump 40 and the prssure regulator 50 are fixed to the holder portion 32 of the cover portion 30 by a cap 60. The cap 50 is made of polyacetal resin, i.e., POM resin, as well as the cover portion 30. The cap 60 is connected to the holder portion 32 by an engage means, which is configured by an engage claw and an engage hole in which the engage daw is engaged. When the cap 60 is fixed to the holder portion 32, the cap 60 prevents the fuel pump 40 and the pressure regulator 50 from moving in a direction away from the fuel passage 33a, i.e., in a leftward direction in FIG. 1. Thereby, the fuel pump 40 and the pressure regulator 50 are fixed to the holder portion 32. As shown in FIG. 1, a passage 61 is formed at the cap 60. The passage 61 connects the inlet 41 of the fuel pump 40 and an exterior portion of the cap 60, i.e., the fuel inside the fuel tank 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the suction filter 70 is attached to an end portion, which is opposite from the inlet 41 of the fuel pump 40, of the passage 61. The suction filter 70 removes foreign substances in the fuel, which Is drawn into the fuel pump 40. The suction filter 70 is attached such that a longitudinal direction thereof faces in the substantially same direction as a longitudinal direction of the fuel pump 40. The suction filter 70 includes a framework portion 71 and a cover element 72 covering the framework portion 71. The cover element 72 is made of nonwoven fabric, for example. The framework portion 71 is covered by the cover element 72 so that a cavity is reliably formed inside the cover element 72. Thereby, filtration of the fuel and a suction function can be accomplished. In addition, the feed plug 90, which is electrically connected to the fuel pump 40, is provided at the cover portion 30. The feed plug 90 is fixed to the cover portion 30 such that the feed plug 90 penetrates through the cover portion 30. The feed plug 90 is integrally formed by a molded resin material. The feed plug 90 includes the fitting portion 91 fitted in the cover portion 30, a connector portion 92 connected to an end portion of the fitting portion 91 at an outside of the cover portion 30, and a coupling portion 93 which connects the fitting portion 91 and the connecting portion 92. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the feed plug 90 as the feed member is fixed to the cover portion 30 such that the feed plug 90 penetrates through the 6 cover portion 30, specifically, the feed plug 90 penetrates through the cover pori;ion 30 in the inside-outside direction of the fuel tank 20. Tnat is, ttie feed plug 90 is. fitted in the through hole 39 formed at the cover portion 30. In this manner, the covering member for covering the opening 22 is configured by the cover portion 30 and the feed plug 90. As shown in FIG. 1, the feed plug 90 is configured by the fitting portion 91, the connector portion 92 and the coupling portion 93. The fitting portion 91 is fitted in the through hole 39 of the cover portion 30, the connector port:ion 92 connects the pump module 10 to an external electric circuit, and the coupling portion 93 is formed between the fitting portion 91 and the connecting portion 92 for connecting the fitting portion 91 and the connecting portion 92. Furthermore, the connector portion 92 is configured by a driving circuit holder 94 for holding a hybrid IC 80 as a driving circuit for driving the brushless motor of the fuel pump 40, and a terminal portion 95 for connecting to the external circuit. The fitting portion 91, the coupling portion 93 and the connector portion 92 including the driving circuit holder 94 and the terminal portion 95 are formed integrally by molding polyphenylene sulfide resin, i.e., PPS resin to configure the feed plug 90. The fitting portion 91 includes a cylindrical portion capable of fitting in the large diameter portion 39a and the small diameter portion 39b of the through hole 39 in the flange portion 31. Three fuel pump side terminals 96 are provided at an end portion of the fitting portion 91 inside the fuel tank 20, i.e., a top end portion in RG. 1, in order to connect three lead lines 43 from the fuel pump 40. As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel pump side terminal 96 is extended from the fitting portion 91 to an Inside of the driving circuit holder 94 via the coupling poriiion 93. An end portion of the fuel pump side terminal 96 at the driving circuit holder 94 side is connected to an electrode 81 of the hybrid IC 80. The driving circuit holder 94 is a portion for holding the driving circuit, and is configured to be a rectangular solid shape having a bottom opposite to the fitting portion 91. The hybrid IC 80 is held inside the driving circuit holder 94. The terminal portion 95 is provided adjacent to the driving circuit holder 94. The terminal poriiion 95 is connected to a connector of an external electric wiring so that the pump module 10 Is connected to the external electric circuit. The shape of the terminal portion 95 is set to correspond to a partiner connector, to 7 which the terminal portion 95 is connected. The terminal portion 95 includes a connector side terminal 97 to be connected to the electric drcuit The connector of the external electric wiring, the external electric circuit and the partner connector are not shown in the drawing. As shown in RG. 1, the connector side terminal 97 is extended to the inside of the driving circuit holder 94 and connected to an electrode 82 of the hybrid IC 80. The electrodes 81, 82 of the hybrid IC 80 are connected to the fuel pump side terminal 95 and the connector side terminal 97, respectively, and then, the hybrid IC 80 Is sealed by potting with a resin 98, as shown in RG. 1. The coupling portion 93 is located between the fitting portion 91 and the driving circuit holder 94 so that the fitting portion 91 and the driving drcuit holder 94 are connected via the coupling portion 93. As shown in FIG. 2, a cross-sectional shape of the coupling portion 93 is formed to be a substantially cross shape in a surface perpendicular to an axial direction of the fitting portion 91, i.e., a surface perpendicular to an up-down direction in RG. 1. The axial direction of the fitting portion 91 is parallel to a thickness direction of the bottom wall 21, In which the opening 22 is formed. That is, as shown in RG. 2, three fuel pump side terminals 96 are inserted in a center portion 93a corresponding to an intersection of the cross. A sectional area of the center portion 93a is set to have a sufficient size such that three fuel pump side terminals 96 are held and a favorable positional relationship thereof can be maintained. Four ribs 93b are provided at a circumference of the center portion 93a. The ribs 93b are set to have a requisite minimum thickness such that the connecting strength of the fitting portion 91 and the driving circuit holder 94 can be obtained sufficiently Specifically, the ribs 93b are set so that the relative displacement between the fitting port:ion 91 and the driving circuit holder 94 is not generated in assembling steps of the pump module 10 such as the attachment of the feed plug 90 to the cover portion 30. Therefore, as shown in RG. 2, a sectional area of the coupling portion 93 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the fitting portion 91 is set to be considerably smaller than a sectional area of the fitting portion 91 and a sectional area of the driving circuit holder 94 in the same direction. Next, a function and an effect by the configuration of the feed plug 90, 8 which is a feature of the pump module 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, that is, a function and an effect by setting the sectional area of the coupling portion 93 in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the fitting portion 91 to be considerably smaller than the sectional area of the fitting portion 91 and the sectional area of the driving circuit holder 94 in the same direction will be described. When the pump module 10 is used, that is, when the pump module 10 is mounted to the fuel tank 20 of a two-wheel vehicle and a fuel is supplied into the fuel tank 20, a portion of the pump module 10 inside the fuel tank 20 is soaked in the fuel. Similarly, the feed plug 90 attached to the cover portion 30 is soaked in the fuel. Because the feed plug 90 is made of PPS resin, a resin material such as the molecules constituting the fuel, e.g., various hydrocarbon molecules, may intrude into the molecules of the resin material. When the fuel molecules proceed in the feed plug 90 to reach the driving circuit holder 94, the fuel molecules may further intrude into the hybrid IC 80. When the fuel molecules intrude into the molded resin of the hybrid IC 80, the molded resin expands and volume of the molded resin increases so that the electrodes 81, 82 of the hybrid IC 80 move. Thereby, at least one of electrical conduction between the electrode 81 and the fuel pump side terminal 96 and electrical conduction between the electrode 82 and the connector side terminal 97 may become defective. In such a case, the pump module 10 becomes impossible to perform the normal function, that is, the function of supplying the fuel in the fuel tank 20 into the engine, which is not shown in the drawings. In the pump module 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the sectional area of the coupling portion 93 in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the fitting portion 91 is set to be considerably smaller than the sectional area of the fitting poriiion 91 and the sectional area of the driving circuit holder 94 in the same direction in the feed plug 90. Thereby, a passage, in which the fuel molecules pass, from the fitting portion 91 to the driving circuit holder 94 is narrowed by the coupling portion 93, which is located between the fitting portion 91 and the driving circuit holder 94. Therefore, compared with the feed member in the conventional fuel supply device, the number of the fuel molecules, specifically, the number of the fuel molecules per unit time, which are 9 intruded from the fitting portion 91 to reach the driving circuit holder 94, can be drastically decreased. Furthermore, In case that the feed plug 90 is made of PPS resin, the coupling portion 93 can be configured as the above-described shape without increasing in cost. Therefore, the intrusion of the fuel molecules Into the hybrid IC 80 held in the feed plug 90, which is attached to the cover portion 30, can be suppressed while increasing in cost of the pump module 10 is suppressed. Thereby, the pump module 10, which can effectively maintain the electrical conduction among the hybrid IC 80, the fuel pump 40 and the connector side terminal 97, can be obtained. Furthermore, in the pump module 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the feed plug 90 is made of a material having greater resistance to the fuel than the cover portion 30. The material having great resistance to the fuel is a material having low fuel permeability, for example. In case that the fuel is ethanol blended fuel, the resin materials of the cover portion 30 and the feed plug 90 are selected such that the fuel permeation amount ratio of the cover portion 30 to the feed plug 90 becomes 1000 : 1. In other words, the cover portion 30 is made of a materia! that Is permeable in fuel thousandfold than that of the feed plug 90. In the present embodiment, the feed plug 90 is made of PPS resin, i.e., a material having greater resistance to the fuel than POM resin configuring the cover portion 30. Thereby, the cover portion 30, in which the hybrid IC 80 Is not held directiy, is made of the inexpensive POM rean, and the used amount of the expensive PPS resin having great resistance to the fuel can be minimized. Furthermore, the pump module 10, which can effectively maintain electrical conduction among the hybrid IC 80, the fuel pump 40 and the connector side terminal 97, can be obtained while the intrusion of the fuel molecules into the hybrid IC 80 is suppressed. In addition, the hybrid IC 80 as an integrated circuit is used as the driving circuit, and thereby, the size of the driving circuit can be reduced. (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a hjel supply device 10 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, a portion corresponding to the element described in the first embodiment is shown by the 10 same reference numeral, and the redundant description wifi be skipped. In case that a part of the configuration is described in the second embodiment, the other part of the configuration is same as that described in the first embodiment. In the above-described first embodiment, the feed plug 90 is fitted in the through hole 39 of the cover portion 30. By contrast, as shown in RG. 3, the present embodiment has a feature that the connector portion 92 is provided at a cover portion 3QA via the coupling portion 93 without forming the through hole 39 In the cover poriiion 30A. In other words, the cover portion 30A of the present embodiment has the configuration of the fitting portion 91 of the first embodiment, and the cover portion 30A covers the opening 22 and supports the fuel pump 40, the pressure regulator 50 and the suction filter 70. Thus, the cover portion BOA is formed integrally by molding the resin material, which is the same material of the fitting portion 91 in the first embodiment. The coupling portion 93 is made of a resin material that is different from the cover portion 30A. The connector portion 92 and the coupling portion 93, which mechanically connects the connector portion 92 provided outside the fuel tank 20 to the cover port:ion BOA, are integrally formed by molding a resin material having great resistance to the fuel. The material having great resistance to the fuel is a material having low fuel permeability, for example. In case that the fuel is ethanoi blended fuel, the resin materials of the cover portion BOA, and the connector portion 92 and the coupling portion 93 are selected such that the fuel permeation amount ratio of the cover portion BOA to the connector portion 92 and the coupling portion 93 becomes 1000 : 1. In other words, the cover portion BOA is made of a material that is permeable in fuel thousandfold than that of the connector portion 92, and the coupling portion 93. In the present embodiment, the connector port:ion 92 and the coupling portion 93 are made of PPS resin. The connector portion 92, the coupling portion 93 and the cover portion BOA are mechanically connected by adhesive and ultrasonic bonding, for example. Because the connector portion 92 and the coupling portion 93 are made of the resin material having great resistance to the fuel in the present embodiment, the effect that the intrusion of the fuel molecules into the driving circuit holder 94 is prevented can be achieved as well as the above-described first embodiment. Furthermore, only the connector portion 92 and the coupling portion 93 are formed 11 by using the expensive material having great resistance to the fuel. Thereby, compared to the configuration that the whole feed plug 90 is made of the material having great resistance to the fuel as the above-described first embodiment, the used amount of the expensive material can be minimized and the intrusion of the fuel molecules into the driving circuit holder 94 can be prevented. (Other Embodiments) Hereinbefore, preferred embodiments of the present invention have described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. In the above-described first embodiment, although the brushless motor is used as the electric motor for driving the fuel pump 20 in the pump module 10, another electric motor may be used. For example, a com mutator-type direct current motor or the like may be used. Although the pump module 10 is applied to the fuel tank 20 of the two-wheel vehicle, it is not limited to the two-wheel vehicle. The pump module 10 may be applied to a fuel tank, in which a fuel for supplying into another internal combustion engine is stored. While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments and constructions. The invention is intended to cover various modification and equivalent arrangements. In addition, while the various combinations and configurations, which are preferred, ott>er combinations and configurations, including more, less or only a single element, are also within the spirit and scope of the invention. WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A fuel supply device (10), which is mounted to a fuel tank (20), for supplying a fuel In the fuel tank (20) into an internal combustion engine outside the fuel tank (20), the fuel supply device (10) comprising: a cover portion (30, 30A) configured to cover an opening portion (22) provided in a bottom wall (21) of the fuel tank (20); a fuel pump (40), which is supported by the cover portion (30, 30A), and is configured to pressurize the fuel and to discharge the pressurized fuel; a connector portion (92) provided outside the fuel tank (20); and a coupling portion (93), which is provided outside the fuel tank (20), and is configured to connect the cover portion (30, 30A) to the connector portion (92), wherein the connector portion (92) includes a driving circuit holding portion (94) configured to hold a driving circuit for driving the fuel pump (40), and a terminal portion (95) configured to connect the driving circuit to an external electric circuit, and a sectional area of the coupling portion (93) in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the bottom wall (21) of the fuel tank (20) is smaller than a sectional area of the driving circuit holding portion (94) in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction. 2. The fuel supply device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the connector portion (92) and the coupling portion (93) are made of a resin material having greater resistance to a fuel than a resin material configuring the cover portion (30, 30A). 3. The fuel supply device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a fitting portion (91) configured to be fitted in the cover portion (30) by penetrating the cover portion (30), wherein the cover portion (30) is formed by molding a resin material, and the fitting portion (91), the connector portion (92) and the coupling port:ion (93) are integrally formed by molding a resin material having greater resistance to a 13 fuel than the resin material configuring the cover portion (30). 4. The fuel supply device (10) according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the resin material having greater resistance to a fuel is polyphenylene sulfide resin. 5. The fuel supply device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the driving circuit is configured by an integrated circuit. 6. The fuel supply device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the fuel pump (40) is driven by a brushless motor. 7. The fuel supply device (10) according to claim 3, wherein the coupling portion (93) is located between the fitting portion (91) and the driving circuit holding portion (94) of the connector portion (92), and a sectional area of the coupling portion (93) in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction is smaller than a sectional area of the fitting portion (91) and a sectional area of the driving circuit holding portion (94) in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction. 8. The fuel supply device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a fitting portion (91), wherein the cover portion (30A) and the fitting portion (91) are integrally molded by using a resin material, the coupling portion (93) is located between the fitting portion (91) and the driving circuit holding portion (94) of the connector portion (92), and a sectional area of the coupling portion (93) in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction is smaller than a sectional area of the fitting portion (91) and a sectional area of the driving circuit holding portion (94) in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction. 14 9. The fuel suppty device (10) according to claim 7 or 3, wherein a cross section of the coupling portion (93) is a substar^tiaify cross shape. |
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| Patent Number | 271510 | |||||||||||||||
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| Indian Patent Application Number | 651/CHE/2009 | |||||||||||||||
| PG Journal Number | 09/2016 | |||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 26-Feb-2016 | |||||||||||||||
| Grant Date | 24-Feb-2016 | |||||||||||||||
| Date of Filing | 24-Mar-2009 | |||||||||||||||
| Name of Patentee | DENSO CORPORATION | |||||||||||||||
| Applicant Address | 1-1, SHOWA-CHO, KARIYA-CITY, AICHI-PREF. 448-8661 | |||||||||||||||
Inventors:
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| PCT International Classification Number | H02K5/22 | |||||||||||||||
| PCT International Application Number | N/A | |||||||||||||||
| PCT International Filing date | ||||||||||||||||
PCT Conventions:
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