Fuel pump gasket

Abstract

Provided is a gasket for a fuel pump unit configured with a second outlet port for accommodating a pressure sensor to monitor the downstream pressure of pumped fuel. The gasket is adapted for placement between a pump cover incorporating the second outlet port and a pump body containing a gear pump. Providing fluid communication between a first outlet port downstream of the gear pump and the second outlet port is a passageway disposed through the pump cover and pump body. To avoid obstructing the passageway, the gasket includes an aperture. To prevent high pressure fuel from being forced through the gasket and leaked from the pump unit, the gasket includes a leakage collection channel having a first leg, a second leg and an intermediate portion surrounding the aperture. The leakage collection channel is adapted to return leaked fuel to a low pressure reservoir between the pump cover and pump body.

1 . A fuel pump unit for pumping fuel from a fuel tank to a combustion chamber, the fuel pump unit comprising: 
 a gear pump adapted to pump fuel;    a pump body housing the gear pump, the pump body including an outlet port downstream of the gear pump for outputting pumped fuel;    a pump cover mounted to the pump body;    a local reservoir defined between the pump body and the pump cover, the local reservoir being upstream of the gear pump;    a pressure gauge port in the pump cover connected by a passageway extending through the pump cover and the pump body to communicate with the outlet port; and    a gasket between the pump body and the pump cover to seal the local reservoir, the gasket including an aperture corresponding to the passageway to allow communication therethrough, the gasket including a leakage collection channel partially surrounding the aperture, the leakage collection channel having a first straight leg, a second straight leg, and a straight intermediate portion interconnecting the first and second straight legs, the leakage collection channel adapted to communicate and return leaked fuel from the passageway to the local reservoir to prevent external fuel leakage.    
   
   
       2 . The fuel pump unit of  claim 1 , wherein the leakage collection channel is located partially between aperture and an outer periphery of the gasket.  
   
   
       3 . The fuel pump unit of  claim 2 , wherein the gasket includes a sealing ring of gasket material surrounding the aperture, the sealing ring separating the aperture and the leakage collection channel and adapted to prevent leakage of fuel from the passageway between the pump cover and the pump body, and in the event of leakage past the sealing ring leaked fluid is adapted to be collected in the collection channel and returned to local reservoir.  
   
   
       4 . The leakage channel of  claim 3 , wherein at least one leg is in fluid communication with the local reservoir.  
   
   
       5 . The fuel pump unit of  claim 4 , wherein the intermediate portion is arranged between the aperture and the external environment, the first and second straight legs projecting inward from the intermediate portion toward the reservoir.  
   
   
       6 . The fuel pump unit of  claim 1 , wherein the gasket comprises a generally planar sheet, the collection channel extending completely through the generally planar sheet.  
   
   
       7 . The fuel pump unit of  claim 1 , wherein the gasket includes a second redundant aperture and a second redundant leakage collection channel proximate the second redundant aperture symmetric to the first aperture and first leakage connection channel, the redundant aperture and the redundant leakage collection channel being non-functional when mounted between the pump cover and the pump body.  
   
   
       8 . A pump gasket for sealing a low pressure local reservoir defined between a pump body having a downstream high pressure outlet port and a pump cover having a passage, the gasket comprising: 
 a generally planer gasket sheet having an outer periphery and an inner periphery defining an opening;    an aperture disposed through the gasket sheet, the aperture corresponding to the passage and the outlet port; and    a leakage collection channel in the gasket sheet, the leakage collection channel including a first straight leg, a second straight leg, and a straight intermediate portion interconnecting the first and second straight legs, the leakage collection channel partially surrounding the aperture and adapted to communicate with the low pressure local reservoir when the pump gasket is mounted between the pump body and the pump cover.    
   
   
       9 . The pump gasket of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second legs are located on opposing sides of the aperture.  
   
   
       10 . The pump gasket of  claim 9 , wherein the leakage collection channel is disposed through the gasket sheet.  
   
   
       11 . The pump gasket of  claim 8 , wherein the outer periphery is generally rectangular and the inner periphery is generally circular.  
   
   
       12 . The pump gasket of  claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of bolt holes, each bolt hole corresponding a corner of the rectangular outer periphery.  
   
   
       13 . The pump gasket of  claim 8 , wherein the gasket sheet is distinguished into an upper first quarter, an upper second quarter, a lower first quarter, and a lower second quarter, and wherein the aperture and the leakage collection channel are located in the upper first quarter.  
   
   
       14 . The pump gasket of  claim 8 , wherein the first straight leg and the second straight leg intersect the straight intermediate portion at defined corners.  
   
   
       15 . The pump gasket of  claim 13 , further comprising a second redundant aperture and a second redundant leakage collection channel, the second aperture and second leakage collection channel located through the upper second quarter.  
   
   
       16 . The pump gasket of  claim 15 , wherein the second redundant leakage collection channel includes a first straight leg, a second straight leg, and an straight intermediate portion interconnecting the first and second legs.  
   
   
       17 . The pump gasket of  claim 16 , wherein the gasket sheet is symmetrical between the upper and lower first quarters and the upper and lower second quarters.  
   
   
       18 . A pump gasket for sealing a low pressure local reservoir defined between a pump body having a downstream high pressure port and a pump cover having a slanted passage oriented at a non-perpendicular angle to the mating surfaces of the pump body and pump cover, the gasket comprising: 
 a generally planer gasket sheet having an outer periphery and an inner periphery defining an opening;    an aperture disposed through the gasket sheet, the aperture corresponding to the passage and the outlet port;    a leakage collection channel in the gasket sheet, partially surrounding the aperture and in fluid communication with low pressure reservoir; and    means in the planar gasket sheet between the channel and the aperture for providing sufficient strength planar gasket sheet to prevent leakage along the slanted passage to the channel when mounted between the pump body and pump cover and when the slanted passage is subjected to high fuel pressure.    
   
   
       19 . The pump gasket of  claim 18 , further comprising a plurality of bolt holes disposed through the gasket sheet material.  
   
   
       20 . The pump gasket of  claim 19 , wherein the gasket sheet has a rectangular outer periphery and a circular inner periphery.  
   
   
       21 . The pump gasket of  claim 19 , wherein the means includes a plurality of legs, each adjacent set of said legs intersecting at a defined corner.