Impeller for automotive fuel pump

Abstract

An impeller for an automotive fuel pump, designed to minimize energy loss due to collision with fuel at fuel-inflow regions of blade chambers, is disclosed. The impeller includes a disk-shaped impeller body, a plurality of arched main blades radially provided at a peripheral area of the impeller body with arched blade chambers defined therebetween, and a plurality of arched auxiliary blades radially disposed between the main blades. Each of the blade chambers is provided at its inner side with an inner ridge portion defining upper and lower fuel-inflow regions and at its outer side with an outer ridge portion defining upper and lower fuel-outflow regions. The main and auxiliary blades are alternately arranged. The blade chambers are divided into arched sub-chambers by the auxiliary blades. Each of the auxiliary blades has a length shorter than that of each of the main blades and has a sharpened inner end. The sharpened inner end of the auxiliary blade is connected to the inner ridge portion so as to provide upper and lower flow paths separated from each other by the inner ridge portion.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An impeller for an automotive fuel pump, comprising: 
 an impeller body shaped to have a disk form;    a plurality of arched main blades radially provided at a peripheral area of the impeller body with arched blade chambers defined therebetween, each of the blade chambers being provided at its inner side with an inner ridge portion defining upper and lower fuel-inflow regions and at its outer side with an outer ridge portion defining upper and lower fuel-outflow regions; and    a plurality of arched auxiliary blades radially disposed between the main blades and inwardly extended from the centers of outer surfaces of the blade chambers, such that the main and auxiliary blades are alternately arranged and the blade chambers are divided into arched sub-chambers, each of the auxiliary blades having a length shorter than that of each of the main blades and having a sharpened inner end, the sharpened inner end of the auxiliary blade being connected to the inner ridge portion so as to provide upper and lower flow paths separated from each other by the inner ridge portion.    
     
     
         2 . The impeller as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein at least two auxiliary blades are provided between the two adjacent main blades.