Watercraft fuel supply system

Abstract

An improved fuel delivery and injection system for a small watercraft engine reduces the heat effects within an enclosed engine compartment upon a fuel pump of and the fuel within a fuel injection system. The fuel delivery system includes a vapor separator and a high-pressure fuel pump. The fuel pump is at least partially located within the vapor separator. The fuel within the vapor separator cools the fuel pump. The vapor separator also is positioned between a pair of air ducts such that an air stream between the ducts cools the fuel within the vapor separator. This arrangement consequently improves the consistency of the air/fuel ratio in the fuel charges delivered to the engine cylinders, provides a compact structure between the fuel pump, and the vapor separator and improves the durability of the fuel pump.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A small watercraft comprising a hull including an engine compartment, an internal combustion engine positioned within the engine compartment and powering a propulsion device of the watercraft, and a fuel supply system including a fuel pump which draws fuel from a vapor separator and supplies fuel to at least one charge former of the engine through a fuel supply line.  
     
     
         2 . A small watercraft as in  claim 1 , wherein said fuel pump is at least partially located within the vapor separator.  
     
     
         3 . A small watercraft as in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one charge former is a fuel injector, and said fuel supply system includes a fuel return line which communicates with the at least one fuel injector and the vapor separator to return excess fuel supplied to the at least one fuel injector to the vapor separator.  
     
     
         4 . A small watercraft as in  claim 1 , wherein the fuel supply system includes a main fuel tank in fluidic connection with the vapor separator, and the vapor separator is located between a front end of the engine and the main fuel tank.  
     
     
         5 . A small watercraft as in  claim 1 , wherein the engine includes a flywheel magneto located at the front end of the engine, and the vapor separator is at least partially positioned above the flywheel magneto.  
     
     
         6 . A small watercraft as in  claim 1 , wherein the hull includes at least two air openings located on opposite sides of the engine, and the vapor separator is positioned between the air openings.  
     
     
         7 . A small watercraft as in  claim 1  additionally comprising an exhaust system which communicates with at least one exhaust port of the engine to expel exhaust gases outside the engine compartment, the exhaust system including a water trap positioned on a side of a longitudinal axis of the watercraft hull opposite of the side on which the vapor separator is located.  
     
     
         8 . A small watercraft as in  claim 7 , wherein the vapor separator is mounted to a side wall of the hull.  
     
     
         9 . A small watercraft as in  claim 8 , wherein at least one damper is positioned between the hull and the vapor separator.  
     
     
         10 . A small watercraft as in  claim 1 , wherein the vapor separator includes a valve arranged to control fuel flow into an inlet port of the vapor separator and a float positioned within a tank of the vapor separator and arranged to operate said valve in order to maintain a predetermined fuel level within the tank.  
     
     
         11 . A small watercraft as in  claim 10 , wherein said float rotates about a pivot shaft.  
     
     
         12 . A small watercraft as in  claim 11 , wherein said pivot shaft is arranged within the vapor separator with an axis of the pivot shaft arranged generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the hull.  
     
     
         13 . A small watercraft as in  claim 1 , wherein said fuel supply system includes a breather pipe which connects a vapor port of the vapor separator to an induction system of the engine, and a check valve communicating with the breather pipe and positioned between the induction system and the vapor separator.  
     
     
         14 . A small watercraft as in  claim 1 , wherein said fuel supply system includes a breather pipe which connects a vapor port of the vapor separator to an induction system of the engine, and an end of the breather pipe that is connected to the induction system is lower than the vapor port.  
     
     
         15 . A small watercraft comprising a hull including an engine compartment, a fuel-injected, internal combustion engine positioned within the engine compartment and powering a propulsion device of the watercraft, and a fuel supply system including a fuel pump which supplies fuel to at least one fuel injector of the engine, the fuel pump being located in front of the engine.  
     
     
         16 . A small watercraft as in  claim 15 , wherein the hull includes at least two air ducts located on opposite sides of the engine, and the vapor separator is positioned between the air ducts.  
     
     
         17 . A small watercraft as in  claim 15 , wherein the fuel supply system includes a vapor separator, and the fuel pump is at least partially positioned within the vapor separator and is arranged to draw fuel from the vapor separator.  
     
     
         18 . A small watercraft as in  claim 15 , wherein said fuel pump is powered by an output shaft of said engine.  
     
     
         19 . A small watercraft as in  claim 18 , wherein a power transmission device is located on the output shaft of the engine and powers the fuel pump.  
     
     
         20 . A small watercraft as in  claim 18 , wherein the output shaft of the engine is connected to an input shaft of the pump.