Fuel pickup return line and separator
| Title: | Fuel pickup return line and separator |
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| Patent Number: | 7,410,022 |
| Publication Date: | August 12, 2008 |
| Appl. No: | 10/984120 |
| Application Filed: | November 09, 2004 |
| Abstract: | Systems, methods, and assemblies for providing improved fuel management to fuel injected engine systems of off-road vehicles, such as snowmobiles, personal watercraft, motorcycles, utility vehicles, and all-terrain vehicles. The fuel-injected engine systems can return fuel after passing through a pressure regulator located either upstream or downstream of the engine. Fuel may be returned to the fuel pump through various routes, rather than simply returning the fuel into the fuel of the fuel tank. Fuel may be returned directly to the fuel pump upstream of all fuel pickups or upstream of some fuel pickups and downstream from other fuel pickups. Some embodiments include a vapor separator located downstream of the pressure regulator but somewhere upstream of the fuel pump. |
| Inventors: | Berg, Jeffrey J. (Warroad, MN, US); Corneliusen, Douglas M. (Warroad, MN, US); McKinster, Scott E. (Salol, MN, US) |
| Assignees: | Polaris Industries Inc. (Medina, MN, US) |
| Claim: | 1. A snowmobile comprising: a chassis; a straddle-type seat mounted to the chassis; a pair of handlebars carried by the chassis adjacent to the seat configured for steering the snowmobile; an endless track carried by a rear suspension system mounted to the chassis; a front suspension system mounted to the chassis; a fuel injected engine operably coupled to the endless track to drive the endless track; a fuel tank; at least one fuel pickup disposed in the fuel tank; a fuel pump coupled to the at least one fuel pickup; a fuel supply line coupled to the fuel pump; at least one fuel injector coupled to the fuel supply line downstream of the fuel pump; a fuel return line in fluid communication with the at least one fuel injector for returning unused fuel; and the fuel return line being in fluid communication with, and upstream of, the fuel pump to supply returned fuel to the fuel pump, the at least one fuel pickup being connected to the fuel return line upstream of the fuel pump. |
| Claim: | 2. The snowmobile of claim 1 , in which the at least one fuel pickup further includes a second fuel pickup disposed upstream of the first fuel pickup and feeding fuel to the first fuel pickup. |
| Claim: | 3. The snowmobile of claim 1 , in which the at least one fuel pickup includes a second fuel pickup for supplying the fuel pump, in which the fuel return line is coupled upstream of the second fuel pickup. |
| Claim: | 4. The snowmobile of claim 1 , further comprising a vapor separator interposed in the fuel return line, for removing at least some vapor from the returning fuel before the fuel returns to the fuel pump. |
| Claim: | 5. The snowmobile of claim 1 , in which the fuel pump is disposed within the fuel tank. |
| Claim: | 6. The snowmobile of claim 1 , in which the fuel pump is disposed external to the fuel tank. |
| Claim: | 7. The snowmobile of claim 1 , in which the at least one fuel pickup is adapted to close in the presence of air and open in the presence of liquid fuel. |
| Claim: | 8. The snowmobile of claim 1 , in which the at least one fuel pickup includes only a single fuel pickup. |
| Claim: | 9. The snowmobile of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure regulator supplied by the fuel pump and having a low pressure side supplying the fuel return line and a high pressure side supplying the fuel injector. |
| Claim: | 10. The snowmobile of claim 9 , in which the pressure regulator is located downstream of the fuel injector. |
| Claim: | 11. The snowmobile of claim 9 , in which the pressure regulator is located upstream of the fuel injector. |
| Claim: | 12. A system for providing fuel to an off-road vehicle having a fuel injected engine, the system comprising: a fuel tank; at least one fuel pickup disposed in the fuel tank; a fuel pump coupled to the at least one fuel pickup; a fuel supply line coupled to the fuel pump; at least one fuel injector coupled to the fuel supply line; and a fuel return line in fluid communication with the at least one fuel injector for returning fuel, the fuel return line being in fluid communication with the fuel pump to supply returned fuel to the fuel pump, the at least one fuel pickup includes a first fuel pickup for supplying the fuel pump, in which the fuel return line is coupled upstream of the first fuel pickup. |
| Claim: | 13. The system of claim 12 , in which the at least one fuel pickup further includes a second fuel pickup disposed upstream of the first fuel pickup and feeding fuel to the first fuel pickup. |
| Claim: | 14. The system of claim 12 , in which the at least one fuel pickup further includes a second fuel pickup disposed upstream of the first fuel pickup and feeding fuel to the first fuel pickup, in which the fuel return line is coupled up stream upstream of the second fuel pickup. |
| Claim: | 15. The system of claim 12 , in which the at least one fuel pickup further includes a second fuel pickup disposed upstream of the first fuel pickup and feeding fuel to the first fuel pickup, in which the fuel return line is coupled up stream upstream of the first fuel pickup and downstream of the second fuel pickup. |
| Claim: | 16. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a vapor separator interposed in the fuel return line, for removing at least some vapor from the returning fuel. |
| Claim: | 17. The system of claim 12 , in which the fuel pump is disposed within the fuel tank. |
| Claim: | 18. The system of claim 12 , in which the fuel pump is disposed external to the fuel tank. |
| Claim: | 19. The system of claim 12 , in which the at least one fuel pickup is adapted to close in the presence of air and open in the presence of liquid fuel. |
| Claim: | 20. The system of claim 12 , in which the at least one fuel pickup includes only a single fuel pickup. |
| Claim: | 21. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a pressure regulator supplied by the fuel pump and having a low pressure side supplying the fuel return line and a high pressure side supplying the fuel injector. |
| Claim: | 22. The system of claim 21 , in which the pressure regulator is located downstream of the fuel injector. |
| Claim: | 23. The system of claim 21 , in which the pressure regulator is located upstream of the fuel injector. |
| Claim: | 24. A system for providing fuel to an off-road vehicle having a fuel injected engine, the system comprising: means for containing fuel; means for drawing in fuel disposed in the means for containing fuel; means for pumping fuel coupled to the means for drawing in fuel; means for supplying fuel to the engine coupled to the fuel pumping means; means for injecting fuel into the engine coupled to the fuel supply means; means for returning fuel from the fuel injecting means to the fuel pumping means; wherein the means for returning fuel is in fluid communication with the fuel pumping means to supply returned fuel to the means for supplying fuel; and means for closing the means for drawing in fuel responsive to the presence of air. |
| Claim: | 25. The system of claim 24 , in which the means for returning fuel is coupled downstream of the means for drawing in fuel and upstream of the means for pumping fuel. |
| Claim: | 26. The system of claim 24 , in which the means for returning fuel is coupled upstream of the means for drawing in fuel. |
| Claim: | 27. The system of claim 24 , further comprising means for separating vapor from liquid fuel interposed in the means for returning fuel, in which the means for separating vapor from liquid removes at least some vapor from fuel going to the means for pumping fuel. |
| Claim: | 28. The system of claim 24 , further comprising means for regulating fuel pressure coupled to the fuel pumping means and having a low pressure side for supplying fuel to the fuel pumping means. |
| Claim: | 29. The system of claim 28 , in which the pressure regulating means is located downstream of the fuel injecting means. |
| Claim: | 30. The system of claim 28 , in which the pressure regulating means is located upstream of the fuel injecting means. |
| Current U.S. Class: | 180/190 |
| Patent References Cited: | 4288086 September 1981 Oban et al. 6216809 April 2001 Etou et al. 6575145 June 2003 Takahashi 6626155 September 2003 Ueda et al. 6857419 February 2005 Harvey et al. 6932061 August 2005 Tsuruta |
| Assistant Examiner: | Scharich, Marc A |
| Primary Examiner: | Morris, Lesleyb D. |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Baker & Daniels LLP |
| Accession Number: | edspgr.07410022 |
| Database: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| Language: | English |
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