Fuel supply apparatus

Abstract

A fuel supply apparatus includes an electric pump, a control circuit, a lid component, and a connection component. The electric pump has a pressure raising part which raises a pressure of fuel in a fuel tank. The control circuit controls electric power supplied to the electric pump, and is arranged on the lid component. The connection component connects the lid component and the electric pump with each other, and defines a communicating path inside. A fuel outlet part of the electric pump and a circulation space of the lid component communicate with each other through the communicating path defined in the connection component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fuel supply apparatus supplying fuel from a fuel tank to a fuel-consuming device comprising:
 an electric pump disposed in the fuel tank, the electric pump including
 a pressure raising part which raises a pressure of the fuel in the fuel tank, and 
 a fuel outlet part which flows out the fuel having the pressure raised by the pressure raising part; 
   a control circuit which controls electric power supplied to the electric pump;   a lid component which covers an opening of the fuel tank, the lid component having
 a circulation part which defines a circulation space in which the fuel flowing from the fuel outlet part circulates, and 
 an installation part having a first surface facing the circulation space, and a second surface to which the control circuit is arranged; and 
   a connection component formed into a cylindrical shape to connect the lid component and the electric pump with each other, the connection component defining a communicating path inside, the fuel outlet part and the circulation space communicating with each other through the communicating path.   
     
     
         2 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the fuel outlet part is a vapor fuel discharge part which discharges a part of the fuel having the pressure raised by the pressure raising part with air contained in fuel in the pressure raising part.   
     
     
         3 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the circulation part has a communication hole through which the circulation space and an interior space of the fuel tank communicate with each other.   
     
     
         4 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the communication hole is located at a position in a manner that fuel discharged from the communication hole contacts an external wall surface of the connection component.   
     
     
         5 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the communication hole has a size in a manner that an amount of fuel discharged from the communication hole becomes larger than or equal to an amount of fuel discharged from the vapor fuel discharge part.   
     
     
         6 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first surface of the installation part has a heat exchange fin.   
     
     
         7 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the lid component is made of a resin material, and   the installation part includes a heat mover material having a heat conductivity which is higher than a heat conductivity of the resin material.   
     
     
         8 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the circulation part and the installation part are made of the same resin material.   
     
     
         9 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the fuel outlet part is a fuel discharge part which discharges the fuel having the pressure raised by the pressure raising part toward the fuel-consuming device,   the lid component has a fuel delivery part connected with the fuel-consuming device, and   the circulation part is connected with the fuel delivery part.