Information
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Patent Grant
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6322410
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Patent Number
6,322,410
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Date Filed
Monday, May 10, 199925 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, November 27, 200123 years ago
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Inventors
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Original Assignees
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Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A fuel pump (14) is driven by a marine engine (12) for pumping fuel from a fuel tank (16) to the internal combustion engine (12). A cooling jacket (18) is disposed about the fuel pump (14) and is in sealing engagement with the fuel pump (14) to form a cooling chamber (20) about the fuel pump (14). The cooling jacket (18) has a water inlet (22) for admitting cooling water to the cooling chamber (20). A water pump (24) is driven by the engine (12) for supplying environmental water to the water inlet (22) of the cooling jacket (18). A pickup (26) is connected to the water pump (24) for supplying environmental marine water to the water pump (24), i.e., the pickup (26) is disposed in the water in which the watercraft is buoyed. The cooling jacket (18) has a water outlet (28) for dumping water from the cooling chamber (20) back to the environmental marine water, i.e., the water outlet (28) is disposed to dump cooling water into the same water in which the watercraft is buoyed.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a marine propulsion system in which the supply of fuel is cooled to prevent fuel vapors by cooling the fuel pump.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known in the art to cool the fuel pump which supplies fuel to an engine of a watercraft. An example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,962 to Iwata et al. Other systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,822 to Mickle et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,855 to Takahashi. These systems teach the cooling of the fuel by use of cooling water which is commingled with the cooling water for the engine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES
The invention involves the cooling of a fuel pump for a marine engine in a watercraft disposed in environmental water by pumping water from the environmental water in which the watercraft is disposed with power from the marine engine and directing the water around the fuel pump as cooling water and thereafter dumping the cooling water from the fuel pump back to the environmental water.
Accordingly, the subject invention provides a unique jacketed fuel pump for maximizing cooling in a marine propulsion engine and the concept of using the environmental water independently of the cooling water for the engine.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein
FIG. 1
is a schematic view.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawing, a marine propulsion assembly is generally shown at
10
in FIG.
1
.
The assembly
10
includes an internal combustion engine
12
. A fuel pump
14
is driven by the engine
12
for pumping fuel from a fuel tank
16
to the internal combustion engine
12
.
A cooling jacket
18
is disposed about the fuel pump
14
and is in sealing engagement with the fuel pump
14
to form a cooling chamber
20
about the fuel pump
14
. The cooling jacket
18
has a water inlet
22
or
28
for admitting cooling water to the cooling chamber
20
.
A water pump
24
is driven by the engine
12
for supplying environmental water to the water inlet
22
or
28
of the cooling jacket
18
. A pickup
26
is connected to the water pump
24
for supplying environmental marine water to the water pump
24
, i.e., the pickup
26
is disposed in the water in which the watercraft is buoyed.
The cooling jacket
18
has a water outlet
28
or
22
for dumping water from the cooling chamber
20
back to the environmental marine water, i.e., the water outlet
28
or
22
is disposed to dump cooling water into the same water in which the watercraft is buoyed. However, this dumping water could cool other devices before actually being dumped into the environmental water.
In order to drain the cooling jacket
18
during shutdown, the water outlet
28
or
22
is disposed on the bottom of the cooling jacket
18
for draining the cooling jacket
18
under the force of gravity.
The fuel pump
14
extends longitudinally along an axis between first and second ends, i.e., a first end having a fuel outlet
32
and a second end having a fuel inlet
34
. The jacket
18
extends in a cylinder around the longitudinal axis of the fuel pump
14
between the first and second ends thereof. The jacket
18
includes radially extending lips
36
and
38
at each end thereof in sealing engagement with the ends of the fuel pump
14
. The jacket
18
comprises an integral member extending cylindrically around the fuel pump
14
between the ends thereof and including one
36
of the lips at the first end, i.e., an integral lip
36
. The other
38
of the lips is defined by an independent washer-like element secured to the integral element at the second end thereof, e.g., as by an adhesive defining a water tight joint. The jacket
18
preferably consists of a thermally conductive material, as a non-metallic material.
The invention therefore includes a method of cooling a fuel pump
14
for a marine engine
12
in a watercraft disposed in environmental water which comprises the steps of pumping water from the environmental water in which the watercraft is disposed with power from the marine engine
12
and directing the water around the fuel pump
14
as cooling water, while dumping the cooling water from the fuel pump
14
back to the environmental water.
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, wherein reference numerals are merely for convenience and are not to be in any way limiting, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
Claims
- 1. A marine propulsion assembly comprising:an internal combustion engine; an elongated fuel pump for pumping fuel from a fuel tank to said internal combustion engine, said pump extends longitudinally along an axis between first and second ends, said pump oriented with its longitudinal axis in a substantially horizontal position; a cooling jacket disposed about said pump and in sealing engagement with said pump to form a cooling chamber about said pump, said jacket including a radially extending lip at each end thereof in sealing engagement with said ends of said fuel pump, wherein said jacket extends around the longitudinal axis of said fuel pump between said ends thereof; a water inlet in said cooling jacket for admitting cooling water to said cooling chamber; a water pump driven by said engine for supplying water to said water inlet of said cooling jacket; a pickup connected to said water pump for supplying environmental marine water to said water pump; a vapor separator disposed between said fuel pump and said engine; and said cooling jacket having a water outlet disposed on the bottom of said cooling jacket for dumping water from said cooling chamber back to said environmental marine water.
- 2. A marine propulsion assembly comprising:an internal combustion engine; an elongated fuel pump for pumping fuel from a fuel tank to said internal combustion engine, said pump extends longitudinally along an axis between first and second ends, said pump oriented with its longitudinal axis in a substantially horizontal position; a cooling jacket disposed about said pump and in sealing engagement with said pump to form a cooling chamber about said pump, said jacket including a radially extending lip at each end thereof in sealing engagement with said ends of said fuel pump, said jacket comprising an integral member extending around said fuel pump between said ends thereof and including one of said lips at said first end, wherein said jacket extends around the longitudinal axis of said fuel pump between said ends thereof; a water inlet in said cooling jacket for admitting cooling water to said cooling chamber; a water pump driven by said engine for supplying water to said water inlet of said cooling jacket; a pickup connected to said water pump for supplying environmental marine water to said water pump; a vapor separator disposed between said fuel pump and said engine; and said cooling jacket having a water outlet disposed on the bottom of said cooling jacket for dumping water from said cooling chamber back to said environmental marine water.
- 3. A marine propulsion assembly comprising:an internal combustion engine; an elongated fuel pump for pumping fuel from a fuel tank to said internal combustion engine, said pump extends longitudinally along an axis between first and second ends, said pump oriented with its longitudinal axis in a substantially horizontal position; a cooling jacket disposed about said pump and in sealing engagement with said pump to form a cooling chamber about said pump, said jacket including a radially extending lip at each end thereof in sealing engagement with said ends of said fuel pump, said jacket comprising an integral member extending around said fuel pump between said ends thereof and including one of said lips at said first end, the other of said lips defined by an independent element secured to said integral element at said second end thereof, wherein said jacket extends around the longitudinal axis of said fuel pump between said ends thereof; a water inlet in said cooling jacket for admitting cooling water to said cooling chamber; a water pump driven by said engine for supplying water to said water inlet of said cooling jacket; a pickup connected to said water pump for supplying environmental marine water to said water pump; a vapor separator disposed between said fuel pump and said engine; and said cooling jacket having a water outlet disposed on the bottom of said cooling jacket for dumping water from said cooling chamber back to said environmental marine water.
US Referenced Citations (6)