Fuel delivery system

Abstract

A fuel delivery system containing a plurality of components that cooperate to provide improved fuel economy and reduced environmental pollution. These components include elastomeric check valve body members having a shaft and a cylindrical head, and an electrical heating system to recondition the fuel. A water separator designed to eliminate the flow restriction to the device that could negate the operation of the system through the usage of synthetic or wire screen in the element. A groove so positioned in the face of the transfer pump gear cavity so as to relieve the pressure on the powering shaft seal. A divider wall protruding from the filter head base into the upper area of the filter to divide the top portion of the filter that is normally a common area of incoming fuel into two separate chambers, an inlet chamber for the incoming liquid and an outlet chamber for the exiting air bubbles. An inverted cup formed in the face of the filter head surrounding the air bleed port to collect and channel the exiting air bubbles into the air bleed port. The top plate of the filter formed so as to position the fuel ports in the upper most portion of the plate to better channel the bubbles into the discharge chamber. A wire screen sock type filter situated on the pickup tube to further reduce the chance of air bubbles passing to the engine. A spin-on filter cartridge having a reservoir of predetermined volume is used in combination with a filter head having a plug that substantially fills the reservoir, so that the reservoir can accommodate fluid drainage from the system when the filter cartridge is removed from the filter head. The filter cartridge is specially designed according to a mathematical relationship and a narrow range of nominal filtration diameters that provide enhanced utility in comparison to prior designs.

1 . In an engine fuel delivery system having a fuel-air separator, the improvement comprising: 
 an electronic heating element for use in heating fuel formed as an integral component of the fuel-air separator.    
     
     
         2 . The engine fuel delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic heating element is disposed upstream in a flow pathway in respect to the fuel-air separator.  
     
     
         3 . The engine fuel delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic heating element is adapted to receive electricity from a source external to an engine.  
     
     
         4 . The engine fuel delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic heating element is adapted to receive electricity from a source internal to an engine.  
     
     
         5 . In an engine fuel delivery system having at least one check valve and a fuel-air separator, the improvement comprising: 
 the check valve including a coil spring and a valve member, and    the valve member having a shaft received within the coil spring and a semispherical head connected to the shaft.    
     
     
         6 . The engine fuel delivery system of  claim 5 , wherein the semispherical head has a shoulder proximate the shaft, the shoulder having a sufficient diameter for contacting the coil spring.  
     
     
         7 . The engine fuel delivery system as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the shaft is cylindrical.  
     
     
         8 . A non-spilling spin-on filter cartridge comprising: 
 an external wall circumscribing a filter to provide a plenum between the external wall and the filter;    a perforated wall crossing the external wall to define a reservoir having a predetermined volume sufficient to accommodate fluid drainage from a corresponding filtration system during renewal of the spin-on filter in the intended environment of use;    a threaded coupling mounted in the perforated wall to provide a flow pathway from the filter; and    the perforated wall providing a structural support for retaining the filter in place.    
     
     
         9 . A method of air-fuel separation through use of a filter assembly that includes: 
 a filter head including: 
 an inlet for receiving the fluids to be filtered,  
 an outlet for the fluids to exit the filter head after the fluids have been filtered,  
 a threaded connector for use in coupling the filter head with a filter cartridge when a filter cartridge is attached to the filter head, and  
 a plug of a predetermined volume sufficient to accommodate drainage of the fluids from the filter assembly; and  
   a filter cartridge including: 
 an external wall circumscribing a filter to provide a plenum between the external wall and the filter,  
 a perforated wall crossing the external wall to define a reservoir having a sufficient volume to accommodate the plug, and  
 a threaded coupling mounted in the perforated wall to threadably engage the threaded connector for selective attachment of the filter cartridge to the threaded coupling; and  
   the method comprising the steps of: 
 flowing fluid for filtration on a flow pathway between the inlet and the outlet;  
 selectively detaching the filter cartridge from the threaded connector to withdraw the plug from the reservoir; and  
 draining fluids from the inlet and the outlet into the reservoir.  
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  including a step of sealing the fluids within the reservoir by installing a cap to cover the reservoir.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the cap includes a threaded nipple and the step of sealing the fluids includes threading the threaded nipple cap into the threaded coupling.  
     
     
         12 . In a fuel delivery system including a fuel transfer pump having 
 a pump housing including a fuel transfer chamber with a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet,    a rotatable drive shaft, motive means operable for rotating the shaft,    the shaft coupled with a rotatable impeller located in the fuel transfer chamber for use in causing fuel to move from the inlet through the outlet, and    a seal isolating the fuel transfer chamber from the motive means,    the improvement to the fuel transfer pump comprising: 
 the fuel transfer chamber having a divider wall forming an opening penetrated by the shaft, and  
 the fuel transfer chamber having a radially outboard wall defining a plenum located between the impeller and the radially outboard wall, the radially outboard wall joining the divider wall, and  
 the divider wall having a groove therein, the groove extending from the opening towards the radially outboard wall.  
   
     
     
         13 . In a fuel delivery system including an air-fuel separation assembly having a filter head with an air bleed port, the improvement comprising, 
 the air bleed port having an inverted cup surrounding the air bleed port for use in collecting and channeling bubbles feeding into the air bleed port.    
     
     
         14 . In a fuel delivery system including a water-fuel separation assembly having a housing and a water-fuel separator element, the improvement comprising: 
 the water-fuel separator element comprising a screen material.