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 variable pressure regulating valve for a fuel supply module, and more specifically to the variable pressure regulating valve for maintaining a variable line pressure of fuel downstream of the fuel supply module.

Background of the invention
[0002] WO 9940313 A1 describes a fuel supply module for a gasoline direct injection in an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle. The fuel supply module has an electric fuel pump and a valve that is attached to a pressure line of an electric fuel pump and that has a first chamber. Fuel can flow from the pressure line to the internal combustion engine through the first chamber. The valve operates then as a fuel pressure regulator that generates an additional pressure in the first chamber.

Brief description of the accompanying drawing
[0003] Figure 1 illustrates a variable pressure regulating valve for a fuel supply module in one embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the embodiments
[0004] Figure 1 illustrates a variable pressure regulating valve 100 for a fuel supply module 110. The variable pressure regulating valve 100 comprises an electronic pressure regulator valve 120 in flow communication with a fuel supply module 110 and adapted to receive pressurized fuel from the fuel supply module 110. The electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is adapted to control a line pressure of fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 in proportion to a load acting on the engine by delivering a mass flow rate of fuel to the engine that corresponds to the line pressure of fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120.

[0005] Figure 1 illustrates a variable pressure regulating valve 100 for a fuel supply module 110 in one embodiment of the invention. The variable pressure regulating valve 100 comprises an electronic pressure regulator valve 120 that is in flow communication with the fuel supply module 110 that comprises an electric feed pump. The variable pressure regulating valve 100 is adapted to receive pressurized fuel from the fuel supply module 110. More specifically, once the variable pressure regulating valve 100 receives pressurized fuel from the fuel supply module 110 that comprises the electric feed pump, the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is adapted to control a line pressure of the fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120. More specifically, the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is adapted to control the line pressure of the fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 in direct proportion to a load acting on the engine. Therefore, if the load acting on the engine is increased, the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 controls the line pressure of fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 to increase in direct proportion to the load acting on the engine. This is accomplished by delivering a mass flow rate of fuel to the engine that is directly proportional to the line pressure of fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120. Therefore, if the line pressure of fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is required to be increased, the mass flow rate of fuel that is delivered to the engine is increased in direct proportion of this line pressure of fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120.

[0006] In an exemplary embodiment, an electronic control unit 130 is in electronic communication with the electronic pressure regulator valve 120. More specifically, the electronic control unit 130 that is in electronic communication with the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is adapted to control the mass flow rate of fuel flowing from the fuel supply module 110 to a fuel injector 140 of the engine via the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 to maintain the line pressure of the fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 in proportion to the load acting on the engine. Therefore, as the load acting on the engine is increased, the line pressure of the fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is also required to be increased in direct proportion in order to increase the mass flow rate of fuel flowing from the fuel supply module 110 to the fuel injector 140 of the engine via the electronic pressure regulator valve 120. Similarly, as the load acting on the engine is decreased, the line pressure of the fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is also required to be decreased in direct proportion in order to decrease the mass flow rate of fuel flowing from the fuel supply module 110 to the fuel injector 140 of the engine via the electronic pressure regulator valve 120.

[0007] In an exemplary embodiment, a return fuel flow path 150 is positioned between the electronic pressure regulator 120 and the fuel tank 160. The return fuel flow path 150 channels excess pressurized fuel that flows from the fuel supply module 110 beyond what is required to maintain the line pressure of the fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 at the required line pressure back to the fuel tank 160. Therefore, when it is required to increase the mass flow rate of fuel flowing from the fuel supply module 110 to the fuel injector 140 of the engine via the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 when the line pressure of the fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is also required to be increased, the return fuel flow path 150 channels a reduced quantity of excess pressurized fuel that flows from the fuel supply module 110 beyond what is required to maintain the required line pressure of the fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 back to the fuel tank 160. Similarly, when it is required to decrease the mass flow rate of fuel flowing from the fuel supply module 110 to the fuel injector 140 of the engine via the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 when the line pressure of the fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is also required to be decreased, the return fuel flow path 150 channels an increased quantity of excess pressurized fuel that flows from the fuel supply module 110 beyond what is required to maintain the required line pressure of the fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 back to the fuel tank 160.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is a solenoid actuated electronic pressure regulator valve 120. When it is required to activate the electronic pressure regulator valve 120, the solenoid coil of the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is activated by supplying electric power to the solenoid coil of the electronic pressure regulator valve 120. Therein, the excess pressurized fuel beyond what is required to maintain the line pressure of the fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is delivered back to the fuel tank. When the solenoid coil is activated by supplying maximum electric power to the solenoid coil, all the fuel is channeled back to the fuel tank from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 with no fuel being supplied to the fuel injector 140. When it is required to deactivate the electronic pressure regulator valve 120, the solenoid coil of the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is deactivated by disengaging the power supply to the solenoid coil. Therein, no excess fuel is returned back to the fuel tank via the electronic pressure regulator valve 120. Rather, all the fuel that is supplied to the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 from the fuel supply module 110 is delivered to the fuel injector 140, thereby maintaining the maximum line pressure of the fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is actuated by means of the solenoid valve that is actuated to control the line pressure of the fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120. More specifically, the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is actuated by means of the solenoid valve in proportion to the load acting on the engine by delivering the mass flow rate of fuel to the engine that corresponds to the line pressure of fuel downstream from the electronic pressure regulator valve 120. When the load acting on the engine is high that corresponds to the high mass flow rate of fuel that is required by the engine, the electronic pressure regulator valve 120 is actuated by means of the solenoid valve in direct proportion to deliver the required quantity of fuel from the fuel supply module 110 to the fuel injector 140 via the electronic pressure regulator valve 120. The remaining residual fuel that is not required to be delivered to the fuel injector 140 is channeled back to the fuel tank 160 via the return fuel flow path 150 of the electronic pressure regulator valve 120.

[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.

, Claims:CLAIMS

We Claim

1. A variable pressure regulating valve (100) for a fuel supply module (110), the variable pressure regulating valve (100) comprising:
an electronic pressure regulator valve (120) in flow communication with the fuel supply module (110) and receives pressurized fuel from said fuel supply module (110), wherein said electronic pressure regulator valve (120) is adapted to control a line pressure of fuel downstream from said electronic pressure regulator valve (120) in proportion to a load acting on an engine by delivering a mass flow rate of fuel to said engine that corresponds to the line pressure of fuel downstream from said electronic pressure regulator valve (120).

2. The variable pressure regulating valve (100) for the fuel supply module (110) in accordance with Claim 1, further comprising an electronic control unit (130) in electronic communication with said electronic pressure regulator valve (120), said electronic control unit (130) adapted to control the mass flow rate of fuel flowing from said electronic pressure regulator valve (120) to a fuel injector (140) of said engine to maintain the line pressure of fuel downstream from said electronic pressure regulator valve (120) in proportion to the load acting on said engine.

3. The variable pressure regulating valve (100) for the fuel supply module (110) in accordance with Claim 1, further comprising a return fuel flow path (150) positioned between said electronic pressure regulator (120) and a fuel tank (160), wherein said return fuel flow path (150) channels excess pressurized fuel that flows from the fuel supply module (110) beyond what is required to maintain the line pressure of fuel downstream from said electronic pressure regulator valve (120) back to the fuel tank (160).

4. The variable pressure regulating valve (100) for the fuel supply module (110) in accordance with Claim 1, wherein said electronic pressure regulator valve (120) is a solenoid actuated electronic pressure regulator valve (120).

5. The variable pressure regulating valve (100) for the fuel supply module (110) in accordance with Claim 1, wherein said electronic pressure regulator valve (120) is actuated by means of a solenoid valve to control the line pressure of fuel downstream from said electronic pressure regulator valve (120) in proportion to a load acting on said engine by delivering the mass flow rate of fuel to said engine that corresponds to the line pressure of fuel downstream from said electronic pressure regulator valve (120).