(19)
(11) EP 1 045 132 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
07.03.2001 Bulletin 2001/10

(43) Date of publication A2:
18.10.2000 Bulletin 2000/42

(21) Application number: 00108268.4

(22) Date of filing: 14.04.2000
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: F02M 37/10
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 16.04.1999 JP 10952899
16.04.1999 JP 10953099

(71) Applicants:
  • Mitsuba Corporation
    Kiryu-shi, Gunma-ken (JP)
  • HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Minato-ku Tokyo (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Narushima, Masahiko, c/o Mitsuba Corporation
    Kiryu-shi, Gunma (JP)
  • Mori, Shinya, c/o Mitsuba Corporation
    Kiryu-shi, Gunma (JP)
  • Yamada, Nobuo, c/o Mitsuba Corporation
    Kiryu-shi, Gunma (JP)
  • Inaoka, Hiroshi
    1-chome, Wako-shi, Saitama (JP)
  • Yashiro, Tomohiko
    1-chome, Wako-shi, Saitama (JP)

(74) Representative: Prato, Roberto et al
STUDIO TORTA S.r.l., Via Viotti 9
10121 Torino
10121 Torino (IT)

   


(54) Fuel feed apparatus


(57) In a fuel feed apparatus comprising a fuel pump 5, a strainer 6 and a pressure regulator 7, said fuel pump 5 and at least either of said strainer 6 and said pressure regulator 7 being arranged in a fuel tank, a holder 9 is arranged at an upper portion of reservoir 4b mounted in said fuel tank in order to hold the fuel pump 5 and the strainer 6 or the pressure regulator 7. The fuel pump 5 and the strainer 6 or the pressure regulator 7 are connected by a coupling cover 11 so that they may be held in position by the holder 9 and the coupling cover 11. The coupling cover 11 contains a check valve 20 in it. A thermistor 24 is arranged within the fuel tank 2 in order to detect the volume of fuel left in the fuel tank 2. The thermistor 24 is held within the fuel tank 2 by a thermistor arm 26 made of an electrically conductive material. The thermistor arm 26 is connected to the strainer 6 at an end thereof and to the grounding terminal of the thermistor 24 at the other end thereof where an earth-connecting section 26a is arranged. Thus, the thermistor arm 26 operates also as the grounding terminal of the strainer 6 so that the thermistor 24 and the strainer 6 share a common grounding terminal.






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