Modular fuel delivery system

Claim 1

In a modular fuel delivery system for an installation on a fuel tank of an automotive vehicle and including a canister for disposition in said fuel tank, an electric pump disposed in said canister for pumping fuel therefrom to an engine of said vehicle, and a cover for closing an access port in a wall of said fuel tank having an inside surface facing said canister and an exposed surface opposite said inside surface and a low pressure return fuel connector on said exposed surface, the combination comprising: a plurality of hollow struts, means defining a plurality of sockets on said inside surface of said cover corresponding in number to the number of said struts and evenly angularly arrayed around said inside surface, a first end of each of said struts being press fitted into a respective one of sockets, means on said canister defining a plurality of cylindrical bores corresponding in number to the number of said struts and evenly angularly arrayed around said reservoir canister, said cylindrical bores communicating with the interior of said canister and telescopically receiving respective ones of said struts so that a second end of each of said struts is exposed to the interior of said canister, spring means between said cover and said canister urging relative separation therebetween, means on each of said struts defining a stop at said second end thereof engageable on said canister to limit relative separation between said canister and said cover, and means on said cover defining a passage from said return fuel connector to one of said sockets so that return fuel flows to the interior of said canister through the one of said struts press fitted into said one socket.