Claims:CLAIMS

We Claim

1. A mechanical feed pump (10), said mechanical feed pump (10) comprising:
a housing (12);
a washer (14) positioned in said housing (12);
a filter bowl (16) comprising a base portion (18) and a top portion (20), the base portion (18) of said filter bowl (16) positioned on said housing (12), the filter bowl (16) adapted to be secured to said housing (12) of said mechanical feed pump (10) by means of said washer (14) that is positioned between said filter bowl (16) and said housing (12); characterized in that
a groove (22) defined on the top portion (20) of said filter bowl (16), the groove (22) defined on the top portion (20) of said filter bowl (16) adapted to receive a strap (26) therein, the strap (26) positioned within the groove (22) defined on the top portion (20) of said filter bowl (16) adapted to compress said filter bowl (16), thereby securing said filter bowl (16) against said housing (12) of said mechanical feed pump (10).

2. The mechanical feed pump (10) in accordance with Claim 1, wherein the strap (26) is lifted upwardly and positioned within the groove (22) defined on the top portion (20) of said filter bowl (16), and therein tightened by applying a tension force on its two opposing free ends (28, 30) to facilitate compressing the strap (26) tightly against the groove (22) defined on the top portion (20) of said filter bowl (16), thereby securing said filter bowl (16) against said housing (12) of said mechanical feed pump (10).

3. The mechanical feed pump (10) in accordance with Claim 1, wherein the groove (22) defined on the top portion (20) of said filter bowl (16) extends from one end of a projection (30) that is defined on the top portion (20) of said filter bowl (16) to an opposite end of the projection (30) that is defined on the top portion (20) of said filter bowl (16).

4. The mechanical feed pump (10) in accordance with Claim 1, wherein the groove (22) that is defined on the top portion (20) of said filter bowl (16) is formed during a casting process of said filter bowl (16).

5. The mechanical feed pump (10) in accordance with Claim 1, wherein a width of the groove (22) that is defined on the top portion (20) of said filter bowl (16) is equal to a diameter of said strap (26), such that said strap (26) fits snugly within the groove (22) that is defined on the top portion (20) of said filter bowl (16), and wherein the groove (22) prevents said strap (26) from being released from within the groove (22) that is defined on the top portion (20) of said filter bowl (16).
, Description:Complete Specification:

The following specification describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
Field of the invention
[0001] This invention relates to a mechanical feed pump, and more specifically to a filter bowl design change for the mechanical feed pump.

Background of the invention
[0002] US 3082875 A describes a combined fuel pump and filter assembly. In a combined pump and filter assembly for an internal combustion engine fuel system, an adaptor having an inlet and an outlet is described. The adaptor being formed with an annular recess in its bottom face, a boss depending from the adaptor and centrally positioned in the recess. The boss being provided with a central opening forming a part of the outlet, a screw socket formed in the adaptor and axially aligned with the opening in the depending boss. Pump means fixed to one side of the adaptor for pumping fuel in through the inlet and out through the outlet responsive to operation of the engine. The filter means fixed to the other side of said adaptor for separating foreign material from the fuel prior to discharge through the outlet. The filter means comprising a body of generally tubular form, and caps formed of resilient non-metallic sheet material resilient to gasoline fixed to the upper and lower ends of the body. The cap at the upper end of the tabular body seating in the annular recess in the bottom face of the adaptor and including a central aperture and a port. The central aperture in the upper cap being of less diameter than the diameter of the depending boss whereby the cap may grippingly engage the outer wall of the boss for supporting the filter thereon and the port being spaced outwardly of the filter element for registration with the inlet opening in the adaptor. The lower cap having a central opening therein, a cup-shaped filter bowl for enclosing the filter element with its inner wall surface spaced therefrom. The filter bowl having a side wall and a bottom formed with a central aperture. The upper marginal edge of the side wall of the bowl being positioned in the annular recess in the bottom face of the adaptor and engaging the marginal edge of the upper cap seated therein, and a screw having a headed portion and a shank of greater diameter than the central opening in the lower cap. The screw is being adapted to extend through the central aperture in the bottom of the filter bowl and through the central aperture in the lower cap with its terminal threadingly engaging in the screw socket in the adaptor for clamping the filter bowl into sealing engagement against the upper cap and the adaptor and sealingly engaging and supporting the lower cap.

Brief description of the accompanying drawing
[0003] Figure 1 illustrates a filter bowl for a mechanical feed pump and a fastener that is secured thereto in one embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the embodiments
[0004] A mechanical feed pump 10 is described. The mechanical feed pump 10 comprises a housing 12, and a washer 14 positioned in the housing 12. A filter bowl 16 comprises a base portion 18 and a top portion 20. The base portion 18 of the filter bowl 16 is positioned on the housing 12, the filter bowl 16 adapted to be secured to the housing 12 of the mechanical feed pump 10 by means of the washer 14 that is positioned between the filter bowl 16 and the housing 12. A groove 22 is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16, the groove 22 defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 adapted to receive a strap 26 therein. The strap 26 that is positioned within the groove 22 defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 is adapted to compress the filter bowl 16, thereby securing the filter bowl 16 against the housing 12 of the mechanical feed pump 10.

[0005] Figure 1 illustrates a filter bowl 16 for a mechanical feed pump 10 and a fastener such as a strap 26 that is secured thereto in one embodiment of the invention. In an exemplary embodiment, a mechanical feed pump 10 is described. More specifically, the mechanical feed pump 10 is a low-pressure fuel pump 10 that supplies pressurized fuel to a high-pressure fuel pump for further pressurization and delivery of fuel to a fuel injector. In an exemplary embodiment, the mechanical feed pump 10 comprises a housing 12, and a washer 14 positioned in the housing 12. More specifically, the washer 14 that is positioned in the housing 12 is secured within a base portion 18 of the circumference of the housing 12. In an exemplary embodiment, a filter bowl 16 comprises a base portion 18 and a top portion 20 that opposes the base portion 18. The base portion 18 of the filter bowl 16 is positioned on the housing 12. Therein, the washer 14 that is positioned between the filter bowl 16 and the housing 12 is used to secure the filter bowl 16 to the housing 12 of the mechanical feed pump 10.

[0006] In an exemplary embodiment, a groove 22 is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16. More specifically, the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 is adapted to receive a strap 26 therein that secures the filter bowl 16 to the housing 12 of the mechanical feed pump 10. The strap 26 that is positioned within the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 is adapted to compress the filter bowl 16 against the housing 12. The compression of the filter bowl 16 against the housing 12 facilitates securing the filter bowl 16 against the housing 12 of the mechanical feed pump 10. In an exemplary embodiment, during the assembly of the strap 26 on the filter bowl 16, the strap 26 is lifted upwardly and positioned within the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 such that the strap 26 is secured within the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16. Therein, the strap 26 is tightened by applying a tension force on its two opposing free ends 28, 32 to facilitate compressing the strap 26 tightly against the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16. By compressing the strap 26 tightly against the groove 22 defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16, the filter bowl 16 is secured firmly against the housing 12 of the mechanical feed pump 10.

[0007] In an exemplary embodiment, the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 extends from one end of a projection 30 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 to an opposite end of the projection 30 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16. Therefore, the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 extends from one end of the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 to the opposite end of the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16. In addition, the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 is formed during a casting process of the filter bowl 16. In an alternate exemplary embodiment, the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 is formed by a machining operation, wherein the groove 22 is machined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 by any machining means that is known in the art.

[0008] A width of the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 that is formed during the casting process of the filter bowl 16 or machined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 is equal to a diameter of the strap 26. Therefore, when the strap 26 is positioned within the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16, the strap 26 fits snugly within the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16. The groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 prevents the strap 26 from being released from within the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16.

[0009] A working of the mechanical feed pump 10 is described as an example. The filter bowl 16 is positioned against the housing 12 of the mechanical feed pump 10 such that the washer 14 is positioned between the filter bowl 16 and the housing 12. Therein, the strap 26 is lifted and positioned on the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16. Therein, the strap 26 is tightened by applying a tensile force on its two opposing free ends 28, 30 to facilitate tightening the strap 26, and securing the strap 26 within the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16. The strap 26 once tightened by applying a tensile force on its two opposing free ends 28, 30 is snugly seated within the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16. The compressive force applied by the strap 26 on the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 facilitates securing the filter bowl 16 against the housing 12 of the mechanical feed pump 10. When it is required to separate the filter bowl 16 from the housing 12 of the mechanical feed pump 10, the strap 26 is lifted upwardly away from the groove 22 that is defined on the top portion 20 of the filter bowl 16 and released along the side surface of the filter bowl 16. Therein, the filter bowl 16 may be disengaged from the housing 12 of the mechanical feed pump 10.

[0010] It must be understood that the embodiments explained above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. Many modifications in the embodiments with regard to dimensions of various components are envisaged and form a part of this invention. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.