Combination fuel pump motor assembly with integral filter housing

Abstract

A fuel pump motor system 10 for providing fuel to an engine includes a pump motor assembly 12 having a rotor 16 for generating a rotor magnetic field; a shaft 21 mounted with respect to the rotor such that rotation of the rotor rotates the shaft, an impeller 20 mounted to the shaft, and a stator 18 for generating a stator magnetic field. The stator is associated with the rotor such that interaction of the rotor magnetic field and the stator magnetic field causes the rotor and thus the shaft and impeller to rotate thereby moving fuel from an inlet 24 to an outlet 26 of the pump motor assembly. A filter structure 14 is integral with the pump motor assembly and shares a substantially sealed, non-porous barrier 25 therewith. The filter structure includes filtration media 28 constructed and arranged to filter fuel received from the outlet of the pump motor assembly prior to delivery to an engine.

1 . A fuel pump motor system for delivering fuel to an engine, the system comprising: 
 a pump motor assembly comprising: 
 a rotor for generating a rotor magnetic field,  
 a shaft mounted with respect to the rotor such that rotation of the rotor rotates the shaft,  
 an impeller mounted to the shaft, and  
 a stator for generating a stator magnetic field, the stator being associated with the rotor such that interaction of the rotor magnetic field and the stator magnetic field causes the rotor and thus the shaft and impeller to rotate thereby moving fuel from an inlet to an outlet of the pump motor assembly, and  
   a filter structure integral with the pump motor assembly and sharing a substantially sealed, non-porous barrier therewith, the filter structure including filtration media constructed and arranged to filter fuel received from the outlet of the pump motor assembly prior to delivery to an engine.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the filter structure is disposed generally about a periphery of the pump motor assembly to define a housing for the pump motor assembly.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rotor includes an armature and windings, such that energizing the windings generates the rotor magnetic field, and wherein the stator includes permanent magnet structure generating the stator magnetic field.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the barrier is a wall having an inside surface exposed to non-filtered fuel and an outside surface adjacent to the filtration media such that the wall separates filtered fuel from non-filtered fuel, and wherein the permanent magnet structure is fixed to the inside surface of the wall.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , the barrier is a wall having an inside surface exposed to non-filtered fuel and an outside surface adjacent to the filtration media such that the wall separates filtered fuel from non-filtered fuel.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the pump motor assembly is defined by an opening through the barrier.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the impeller is disposed in a pumping chamber of the pump motor assembly.  
   
   
       8 . A fuel pump motor system for delivering fuel to an engine, the system comprising: 
 a pump motor assembly comprising: 
 first means for generating a rotor magnetic field,  
 a shaft mounted with respect to the first means such that rotation of the first means rotates the shaft,  
 means for displacing fuel mounted to the shaft, and  
 second means for generating a stator magnetic field, the second means being associated with the first means such that interaction of the rotor magnetic field and the stator magnetic field causes the first means and thus the shaft and means for displacing fuel to rotate thereby moving fuel from an inlet to an outlet of the pump motor assembly, and  
   means for filtering fuel integral with the pump motor assembly and sharing a substantially sealed, non-porous barrier therewith, the means for filtering fuel including filtration media constructed and arranged to filter fuel received from the outlet of the pump motor assembly prior to delivery to an engine.    
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the means for filtering fuel is disposed generally about a periphery of the pump motor assembly to define a housing for the pump motor assembly.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first means includes an armature and windings, such that energizing the windings generates the rotor magnetic field, and wherein the second means includes permanent magnet structure generating the stator magnetic field.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the barrier is a wall having an inside surface exposed to non-filtered fuel and an outside surface adjacent to the filtration media such that the wall separates filtered fuel from non-filtered fuel, and wherein the permanent magnet structure is fixed to the inside surface of the wall.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 8 , the barrier is a wall having an inside surface exposed to non-filtered fuel and an outside surface adjacent to the filtration media such that the wall substantially separates filtered fuel from non-filtered fuel.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the outlet of the pump motor assembly is defined by an opening through the barrier.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the means for displacing fuel is an impeller disposed in a pumping chamber of the pump motor assembly.  
   
   
       15 . A method of providing a fuel pump motor system for delivering fuel to an engine, the method including: 
 providing a pump motor assembly comprising motor having a shaft, and an impeller coupled to the shaft such that rotation of the shaft and impeller moves fuel from an inlet to an outlet of the pump motor assembly, and    generally surrounding a periphery of the pump motor assembly with filter structure such that the filter structure shares a substantially sealed, non-porous barrier with the pump motor assembly, the filter structure including filtration media constructed and arranged to filter fuel received from the outlet of the pump motor assembly prior to delivery to an engine.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , where the step of providing the pump motor assembly includes providing a rotor including an armature and windings, such that energizing the windings generates a rotor magnetic field, and providing a stator including permanent magnet structure generating a stator magnetic field.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of surrounding includes ensuring that the barrier substantially separates filtered fuel from non-filtered fuel.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , further including assembling the fuel pump motor system in a unidirectional manner.