Fuel feed apparatus having cooling structure

Abstract

A resinous lid member is constructed of a flange, a lower case, an upper case and a cover. The lower case is connected with the upper case, so that a cooling passage is formed. Fuel is discharged from a fuel pump into the cooling passage through a discharge pipe of a filter case, a flexible pipe and an inlet pipe. The cover covers the opening of the upper case, so that the cover forms a receiving chamber with the upper case to receive a circuit portion that generates heat. The receiving chamber has an air outlet port which is connected with an intake manifold of an engine. The engine is operated, and negative pressure is generated in the intake manifold, so that air flows from an air inlet port, which is opened to the air, to the air outlet port through the receiving chamber, so that the air flow cools the control circuit received in the receiving chamber.

1 . A fuel feed apparatus that supplies fuel received in a fuel tank to a fuel consuming device located in an outside of the fuel tank, the fuel feed apparatus comprising: 
 a lid member that covers an opening defined in the fuel tank;    an electric fuel pump that is received in the fuel tank to pump fuel received in the fuel tank;    a circuit portion that is provided to the lid member, the circuit portion controlling electric power supplied to the fuel pump;    wherein the lid member is formed of a resinous material, the lid member defines a cooling passage through which fluid flows, and    the circuit portion is cooled by fluid flowing through the cooling passage via a partition wall.    
   
   
       2 . A fuel feed apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein fuel flows from a pressurizing portion of the fuel pump to the fuel consuming device through the cooling passage.  
   
   
       3 . A fuel feed apparatus according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the lid member has a receiving chamber that receives the circuit portion,    the lid member has an air inlet port and an air outlet port, and    the air inlet port and the air outlet port communicate with the receiving chamber so that airflow is generated in the receiving chamber.    
   
   
       4 . A fuel feed apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the partition wall located between the circuit portion and the cooling passage is formed of a resinous material and a thermally conductive material that has a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of the resinous material.  
   
   
       5 . A fuel feed apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the thermally conductive material has a volume resistance that is equal to or higher than 10 6  Ω·cm.  
   
   
       6 . A fuel feed apparatus according to any one of claims  1 , wherein the cooling passage has at least one turning path.  
   
   
       7 . A fuel feed apparatus that supplies fuel received in a fuel tank to an outside of the fuel tank, the fuel feed apparatus comprising: 
 a lid member that covers an opening defined in the fuel tank;    a fuel pump that is received in the fuel tank; and    a circuit portion that is provided to the lid member, the circuit portion controlling electric power supplied to the fuel pump,    wherein the lid member has a receiving chamber that receives the circuit portion, and    the lid member has an air inlet port and an air outlet port that communicate with the receiving chamber through which air flows from the air inlet port to the air outlet port.    
   
   
       8 . A fuel feed apparatus that supplies fuel received in a fuel tank to a fuel consuming device located in an outside of the fuel tank, the fuel feed apparatus comprising: 
 a lid member that covers an opening defined in the fuel tank;    an electric fuel pump that is received in the fuel tank to pump fuel received in the fuel tank; and    a circuit portion that is provided to the lid member, the circuit portion controlling electric power supplied to the fuel pump,    wherein the lid member defines a cooling passage,    fuel flows from a pressurizing portion of the fuel pump to the fuel consuming device through the cooling passage, and    the circuit portion is cooled by fuel flowing through the cooling passage via a partition wall.    
   
   
       9 . A fuel feed apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein pressure of fuel is controlled in a downstream of the cooling passage.  
   
   
       10 . A fuel feed apparatus according to  claim 2 , 
 wherein the fuel pump has a vent hole, and    fuel intermediately pressurized in the fuel pump is partially introduced from the vent hole to the cooling passage.    
   
   
       11 . A fuel feed apparatus that supplies fuel received in a fuel tank to a fuel consuming device located in an outside of the fuel tank, the fuel feed apparatus comprising: 
 a lid member that covers an opening defined in the fuel tank;    an electric fuel pump that is received in the fuel tank to pump fuel received in the fuel tank; and    a circuit portion that is provided to the lid member, the circuit portion controlling electric power supplied to the fuel pump,    wherein the fuel pump has a vent hole that partially introduces fuel intermediately pressurized in the fuel pump,    the lid member defines a cooling passage through which fuel introduced from the vent hole flows, and    the circuit portion is cooled by fuel flowing through the cooling passage via a partition wall.    
   
   
       12 . A fuel feed apparatus that supplies fuel received in a fuel tank to a fuel consuming device located in an outside of the fuel tank, the fuel feed apparatus comprising: 
 a lid member that covers an opening defined in the fuel tank;    an electric fuel pump that is received in the fuel tank to pump fuel received in the fuel tank; and    a circuit portion that is provided to the lid member, the circuit portion controlling electric power supplied to the fuel pump,    wherein the lid member is formed of a resinous material,    the lid member defines a cooling passage through which fluid flows,    the circuit portion is cooled by fluid flowing through the cooling passage via a partition wall,    the lid member includes a pump terminal that is electrically connected with the fuel pump,    the lid member includes a control portion that includes the circuit portion,    the control portion includes a connecting terminal, and the control portion is snap fitted to the lid member so that the connecting terminal of the control portion is electrically connected with the pump terminal of the lid member.    
   
   
       13 . A fuel feed apparatus that supplies fuel received in a fuel tank to an outside of the fuel tank, the fuel feed apparatus comprising: 
 a lid member that covers an opening defined in the fuel tank;    a fuel pump that is received in the fuel tank; and    a circuit portion that is provided to the lid member, the circuit portion controlling electric power supplied to the fuel pump,    wherein the lid member has a receiving chamber that receives the circuit portion,    the lid member has an air inlet port and an air outlet port that communicate with the receiving chamber through which air flows from the air inlet port to the air outlet port,    the lid member includes a pump terminal that is electrically connected with the fuel pump,    the lid member includes a control portion that includes the circuit portion,    the control portion includes a connecting terminal, and    the control portion is snap fitted to the lid member so that the connecting terminal of the control portion is electrically connected with the pump terminal of the lid member.    
   
   
       14 . A fuel feed apparatus that supplies fuel received in a fuel tank to a fuel consuming device located in an outside of the fuel tank, the fuel feed apparatus comprising: 
 an electric fuel pump that is received in the fuel tank to pump fuel received in the fuel tank;    a lid member that covers an opening defined in the fuel tank, the lid member including a pump terminal that is electrically connected with the fuel pump; and    a control portion that is provided to the lid member, the control portion including a connecting terminal,    wherein the control portion is snap fitted to the lid member so that the connecting terminal of the control portion is electrically connected with the pump terminal of the lid member to control electric power supplied to the fuel pump.    
   
   
       15 . A fuel feed apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the control portion has a cooling fin to cool a control circuit included in the control portion.  
   
   
       16 . A fuel feed apparatus according to  claim 14 , 
 wherein the control portion has a case that is snap fitted to the lid member, and    the case and the lid member are formed of a resinous material.    
   
   
       17 . A fuel feed apparatus according to  claim 14 , 
 wherein the lid member has a receiving chamber that receives the control portion, and    the lid member has an air inlet port and an air outlet port that communicate with the receiving chamber through which air flows from the air inlet port to the air outlet port.    
   
   
       18 . A fuel feed apparatus according to  claim 14 , 
 wherein the lid member defines a cooling passage,    fuel flows from a pressurizing portion of the fuel pump to a fuel consuming device through the cooling passage, and    the control portion is cooled by fuel flowing through the cooling passage via a partition wall.    
   
   
       19 . A fuel feed apparatus according to  claim 14 , 
 wherein the fuel pump has a vent hole that partially introduces fuel intermediately pressurized in the fuel pump,    the lid member defines a cooling passage through which fuel introduced from the vent hole flows, and    the control portion is cooled by fuel flowing through the cooling passage via a partition wall.