Fuel pick-up baffle

Claim 2

A fuel supply system comprising a tank having means including a tank bottom to define a main fuel chamber, a baffle container having a base located on the bottom of said tank, said container having a generally rectangular configuration to define a second fuel chamber within said tAnk, said baffle container including an upper open end and a peripheral sidewall having a height less than that of said tank, a fuel pick-up tube having an inlet end thereof located adjacent the base of said baffle container for drawing fuel from said second chamber, a pair of parallel conduits extending diagonally of said baffle container base, one of said conduits including an inlet located outside of one corner of said baffle container within said main tank and including an outlet located inside of an opposite corner of said baffle container, the other of said conduits including an inlet located outside of said opposite corner and including an outlet therefrom located inside of said one corner, said conduits serving to fill said second chamber with fuel from said main tank chamber when the fuel supply in the main tank is below the height of said sidewall and dynamic forces on the fuel supply are balanced, fuel within said conduits being responsive to vehicle maneuvers to produce a back pressure against fuel flow from within said secondary chamber to said main fuel chamber thereby to maintain an assured supply of fuel to the fuel pickup tube during vehicle maneuvers wherein a minimum fuel supply in the main tank is located out of communication with the fuel pickup tube.

Claim 3

A fuel supply system for a vehicle comprising: a main fuel tank having front and rear portions thereon interconnected by a tank bottom for containing a first main fuel supply, a baffle container located on the bottom of said main tank including an open ended upper portion and a base portion thereon supported on the bottom of the main tank and including a peripheral wall thereon having a height less than the vertical height of the main tank, means for directing fuel into said baffle container for passing a secondary fuel supply thereto from the main tank, said means including first and second conduits formed diagonally to the major lateral axis of said container, said first conduit including an inlet located on the peripheral wall of the baffle container at one corner thereof, said first conduit including an outlet thereon located inwardly of the peripheral wall at an opposite corner thereon from said inlet opening of said first conduit to define a conduit length therebetween to produce a dynamic pressure drop for preventing reverse fuel flow between the inlet and outlet during a first predetermined vehicle maneuver, said second conduit including an inlet located at the peripheral wall of said baffle at said opposite corner, said second conduit including an outlet therefrom to said container located within said baffle at the peripheral wall thereof at a point opposite to the outlet of said first conduit, said second conduit having a length between the inlet and outlet thereof to produce a dynamic pressure drop therebetween to prevent reverse fuel flow between the outlet and inlet of said second conduit during a second vehicle maneuver, a fuel pick-up tube directed interiorly of said main tank and including an inlet end thereon disposed within said baffle container to draw fuel from the secondary fuel therefrom as supplied from said main fuel supply during normal vehicle operations, said first and second conduits being operative to prevent reverse flow of secondary fuel from the baffle container during vehicle movements wherein secondary fuel within said baffle is shifted to uncover one of said outlets and is shifted into overlying relationship with the other of said outlets thereby to assure a supply of fuel to the fuel pick up during vehicle maneuvers.

Claim 4

A fuel supply system for a vehicle comprising: a main fuel tank having front and rear portions thereon interconnected by a tank bottom for containing a first main fuel supply, a baffle container located on the bottom of said main tank including an open ended upper portion and a base portion thereon supported on the bottom of the main tank and including a peripheral wall thereon having a height less than the vertical height of the main tank, means for directing fuel into said baffle container for passing a secondary fuel supply thereto from the main tank, said means including first and second conduits formed diagonally to the major lateral axis of said container, said first conduit including an inlet located on the peripheral wall of the baffle container at one corner thereof, said first conduit including an outlet thereon located inwardly of the peripheral wall at an opposite corner thereon from said inlet opening of said first conduit to define a conduit length therebetween to produce a dynamic pressure drop for preventing reverse fuel flow between the inlet and outlet during a first predetermined vehicle maneuver, said second conduit including an inlet located at the peripheral wall of said baffle at said opposite corner, said second conduit including an outlet therefrom to said container located within said baffle at the peripheral wall thereof at a point opposite to the outlet of said first conduit, said second conduit having a length between the inlet and outlet thereof to produce a dynamic pressure drop therebetween to prevent reverse fuel flow between the outlet and inlet of said second conduit during a second vehicle maneuver, a fuel pick-up tube directed interiorly of said main tank and including an inlet end thereon disposed within said baffle container to draw fuel from the secondary fuel therefrom as supplied from said main fuel supply during normal vehicle operations, said first and second conduits being operative to prevent reverse flow of secondary fuel from the baffle container during vehicle movements wherein secondary fuel within said baffle is shifted to uncover one of said outlets and is shifted into overlying relationship with the other of said outlets thereby to assure a supply of fuel to the fuel pick up during vehicle maneuvers.

Claim 5

A fuel tank supply system for a vehicle comprising: means for enclosing a main fuel supply including a forward and rear wall portion joined by a tank bottom, an open ended container having a base portion thereon located within said tank on the bottom thereof, said open ended container having a generally squared cross configuration to define a secondary fuel sump within said tank, said container having a major lateral axis thereof located at an intersectiOn point of predetermined low fuel grade lines within the main fuel tank between the front and rear wall portions thereof, a fuel pick-up tube directed inwardly of said main tank and including an inlet end thereon disposed within said open container approximately at the midpoint between the lateral major axis through said container parallel to the front and rear walls of said main tank, an inlet strainer supported on the base of said open-ended container at the rear half thereof extending to the rear corners of said container and covering the inlet end of said fuel pick-up tube to produce a wicking action for fuel flow from corners of said open-ended container into said inlet end of said pick-up tube, a pair of parallel conduits located on the underside of said open container formed diagonally to said lateral axis, each of said conduits including an inlet located outwardly of a corner of said open-ended container in communication with the fuel supply in said main tank, each of said conduits further including an outlet thereon located inwardly of an opposite corner of said open container to define a conduit length between the inlet and outlet of said conduits to produce a differential pressure therein upon fluid acceleration therethrough during vehicle maneuvers, said conduits serving to direct a secondary fuel supply from the main tank into the open ended container during vehicle operation with balanced dynamic forces, said conduits being operative during fore and aft vehicle acceleration to prevent drainage of fuel from within said open ended container to said main tank whereby said pick-up tube is located below a fuel level within said open-ended container during vehicle maneuvers thereby to draw fuel from the fuel trap therein by said parallel conduits.

Claim 6

A fuel tank supply system for a vehicle comprising: means for enclosing a main fuel supply including a forward and rear wall portion joined by a tank bottom, an open ended container having a base portion thereon located within said tank on the bottom thereof, said open ended container having a generally squared cross configuration to define a secondary fuel sump within said tank, said container having a major lateral axis thereof located at an intersectiOn point of predetermined low fuel grade lines within the main fuel tank between the front and rear wall portions thereof, a fuel pick-up tube directed inwardly of said main tank and including an inlet end thereon disposed within said open container approximately at the midpoint between the lateral major axis through said container parallel to the front and rear walls of said main tank, an inlet strainer supported on the base of said open-ended container at the rear half thereof extending to the rear corners of said container and covering the inlet end of said fuel pick-up tube to produce a wicking action for fuel flow from corners of said open-ended container into said inlet end of said pick-up tube, a pair of parallel conduits located on the underside of said open container formed diagonally to said lateral axis, each of said conduits including an inlet located outwardly of a corner of said open-ended container in communication with the fuel supply in said main tank, each of said conduits further including an outlet thereon located inwardly of an opposite corner of said open container to define a conduit length between the inlet and outlet of said conduits to produce a differential pressure therein upon fluid acceleration therethrough during vehicle maneuvers, said conduits serving to direct a secondary fuel supply from the main tank into the open ended container during vehicle operation with balanced dynamic forces, said conduits being operative during fore and aft vehicle acceleration to prevent drainage of fuel from within said open ended container to said main tank whereby said pick-up tube is located below a fuel level within said open-ended container during vehicle maneuvers thereby to draw fuel from the fuel trap therein by said parallel conduits.

Claim 7

A vehicle fuel supply system comprising: a main fuel tank including means for enclosing a main fuel supply including a forward and rear wall joined by a tank bottom, an open-ended container having a base portion thereon supportingly received on said tank bottom, the base of said open ended container having a pair of diagonal ridges formed therein diagonally thereacross, each of said ridges being formed inwardly of the base of said open ended container, means for closing said ridges to form fuel conduits, one of said conduits having an open end in communication with the main tank at one corner of said open-ended container and being closed at the opposite end thereof, an opening in the base of said open-ended container adjacent one corner thereof in communication with said one conduit to define a fixed length flow path to produce a pressure differential on fluid movement therethrough from the inlet end and the outlet opening therefrom produced by a first predetermined vehicle maneuver, another of said conduits having an inlet opening at the opposite corner of said open-ended container, an outlet opening in the base of said open ended container in communication with another of said conduits to define a fixed length flow path for producing a pressure differential thereacross upon fluid movement between said inlet opening and outlet of said another conduit produced by a second vehicle maneuver, a fuel pick-up tube directed through said main tank including an open inlet thereon in communication with the interior of said open-ended container, an inlet strainer located between the rear wall of said open-ended container and the mid-lateral axis thereof to produce a pick up of fuel from within said open-ended container for supply to said pick-up tube, said conduits to trap a secondary fuel supply within said open-ended container during vehicle maneuvers to produce an assured supply of fuel from within the open ended container to the inlet end of said pick-up tube during fore and aft vehicle maneuvers causing the fuel supply in said open ended container to shift between the front and rear walls thereof.

Claim 8

A vehicle fuel supply system comprising: a main fuel tank including means for enclosing a main fuel supply including a forward and rear wall joined by a tank bottom, an open-ended container having a base portion thereon supportingly received on said tank bottom, the base of said open ended container having a pair of diagonal ridges formed therein diagonally thereacross, each of said ridges being formed inwardly of the base of said open ended container, means for closing said ridges to form fuel conduits, one of said conduits having an open end in communication with the main tank at one corner of said open-ended container and being closed at the opposite end thereof, an opening in the base of said open-ended container adjacent one corner thereof in communication with said one conduit to define a fixed length flow path to produce a pressure differential on fluid movement therethrough from the inlet end and the outlet opening therefrom produced by a first predetermined vehicle maneuver, another of said conduits having an inlet opening at the opposite corner of said open-ended container, an outlet opening in the base of said open ended container in communication with another of said conduits to define a fixed length flow path for producing a pressure differential thereacross upon fluid movement between said inlet opening and outlet of said another conduit produced by a second vehicle maneuver, a fuel pick-up tube directed through said main tank including an open inlet thereon in communication with the interior of said open-ended container, an inlet strainer located between the rear wall of said open-ended container and the mid-lateral axis thereof to produce a pick up of fuel from within said open-ended container for supply to said pick-up tube, said conduits to trap a secondary fuel supply within said open-ended container during vehicle maneuvers to produce an assured supply of fuel from within the open ended container to the inlet end of said pick-up tube during fore and aft vehicle maneuvers causing the fuel supply in said open ended container to shift between the front and rear walls thereof.