A high pressure fuel pump is provided with a pumping bore and a pressure relief valve only opening to enable a return flow from the outlet conduit back to the compression chamber when the pressure in the outlet conduit exceeds a predetermined threshold. The pressure relief valve is arranged in an elongated pressure relief valve chamber extending parallel and offset to the pumping bore.

In a fuel supply device including a regulator and float-type level sensor, a fitting tube is formed integrally with an upper housing, a fuel pump being retained between the upper and lower housings. An outer periphery of a base part of the regulator is fitted into the tube. A regulator retaining member is formed as a separate member from the upper housing and retains the regulator in cooperation with the tube. The tube and the retaining member are joined via a snap-fit join part provided on fitting parts therebetween. The snap-fit join part is formed by engaging a projecting portion or a recess part, formed on an elastic piece provided on one of the fitting parts between the retaining member and the tube, with the recess part or the projecting portion formed on the other fitting part. A sensor support arm is molded as a unit with the retaining member.

An outlet and pressure relief valve assembly for a fuel pump includes a housing which extends along an axis from an inner end to an outer end. The housing has a bore which extends thereinto along the axis from the inner end. A valve seat is located within the bore and has an end wall which is transverse to the axis and also has a sidewall which is annular in shape and extends away from the end wall. An outlet flow passage extends through the end wall such that the outlet flow passage is centered about the axis. A pressure relief flow passage extends through the end wall such that the pressure relief flow passage is laterally spaced from the outlet flow passage. An outlet valve member is located within the valve seat sidewall and a pressure relief valve member is located between the valve seat and the inner end.

The fuel filling system of a fuel pump reservoir includes: a reservoir mounted in a fuel tank; a fuel pump mounted in the reservoir and configured to deliver the fuel in the reservoir to an engine and to discharge a portion of the fuel to a fuel branch line; a relief valve disposed on a fuel supply line and configured to release pressure applied to the fuel supply line; a first jet pump configured to fill the reservoir with the fuel using fuel jet flow from the fuel branch line; a second jet pump configured to fill the reservoir with the fuel using fuel jet flow from a fuel return line; and a fuel pump control module (FPCM) configured to control operation of the second jet pump based on a driving mode of a vehicle.

Disclosed is a method and a device for predicting the failure time of the pressure limiting valve of a high-pressure fuel pump of a motor vehicle. The method includes measuring a characteristic parameter of the pressure limiting valve each time the motor vehicle has been switched off, determining and storing a variable determined by using the measured characteristic parameter, determining the time profile of the variable determined from the characteristic parameter, predicting the future profile of the variable determined from the characteristic parameter, and comparing the predicted future profile of the variable determined from the characteristic parameter with a predetermined wear limiting value. The comparison is to predict the time at which the predicted future profile of the variable determined from the characteristic parameter reaches the predetermined wear limiting value.

A high-pressure pump includes a pressurizing chamber forming portion, a discharge passage forming portion, a discharge seat member, an intermediate member, a relief seat member, a discharge valve, and a relief valve. The intermediate member includes a first passage that passes through the intermediate member between one surface facing a pressurizing chamber and the other surface facing away from the pressurizing chamber. The relief valve seat includes a second passage that passes through the relief seat member between the one surface facing the pressurizing chamber and the other surface facing away from the pressurizing chamber. At least one of the intermediate member and the relief seat member includes an annular recess that fluidly connects the first passage and the second passage. The annular recess is recessed from a surface of the at least one of the intermediate member and the relief seat member facing the other.

A method for monitoring a pressure sensor in a direct injection system including at least one common rail, a high-pressure fuel pump, a hydraulic circuit connecting the high-pressure pump to the common rail, a passive pressure-limiting valve connected to the hydraulic circuit, configured to open once the pressure in the hydraulic circuit is greater than a threshold pressure, so as to discharge the fuel, including the steps of detecting the opening of the pressure-limiting valve, measuring the pressure P.sub.MES corresponding to the time of opening of the pressure-limiting valve and comparing the measured pressure P.sub.MES to the threshold pressure P.sub.1 in order to detect a drift in the pressure sensor.

A high-pressure fuel pump includes a pressure-limiting valve that opens from a high-pressure region of the high-pressure fuel pump towards a compression chamber or towards a low-pressure region of the high-pressure fuel pump. The pressure-limiting valve includes a valve body with a valve seat surface that tapers against the opening direction of the pressure-limiting valve, a spherical valve element, and a valve spring, which presses the spherical valve element against the opening direction of the pressure-limiting valve towards the valve seat surface. When the pressure-limiting valve is closed, the valve element and the valve seat surface bear against one another over a contact line, and a gap is formed between the valve element and valve body, next to the contact line. This gap is asymmetrically narrower upstream of the contact line than downstream of the contact line.

A fuel pressure regulator includes a fuel inlet; a fuel outlet; a seating surface; and a valve member assembly. The valve member assembly includes a poppet and also includes a sealing member which is made of an elastomer material and which is annular in shape and including a sealing member surface. The sealing member is supported by the poppet. The valve member assembly is moveable between 1) a closed position in which the sealing member surface engages the seating surface, thereby preventing fuel flow from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet and 2) an open position in which the sealing member surface is spaced apart from the seating surface, thereby allowing fuel flow from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet.

A fuel pressure regulator includes a fuel inlet; a fuel outlet; a seating surface; and a valve member assembly. The valve member assembly includes a poppet and also includes a sealing member which is centered about a valve member assembly axis, is annular in shape, and includes a sealing member surface. The valve member assembly is moveable between 1) a closed position in which the sealing member surface annularly engages the seating surface, thereby preventing fuel flow from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet and 2) an open position in which at least a portion of the sealing member surface is spaced apart from the seating surface, thereby allowing fuel flow from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet. A spring biases the valve member assembly toward the closed position and is centered about a spring axis which is laterally offset relative to the valve member assembly axis.