# US 2014/0154100 A1 · Fuel pump with metering valve > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154100 A1 - Document ID: US20140154100A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/706,131 - Filed: 2012-12-05 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-05 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Paul Zeng; Vince Paul Solferino; Patrick Brostrom; Kyi Shiah; Joseph F. Basmaji; Scott Lehto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154100A1 ## CPC - F02M 69/02: Pumps peculiar thereto {(elastic wall type pumps F02M59/14)} - F02M 59/367: {Pump inlet valves of the check valve type being open when actuated} - F02M 63/0015: {electrical, e.g. using solenoid} - F04B 49/243: {by keeping open the inlet valve} - F02D 41/3845: {by controlling the flow into the common rail, e.g. the amount of fuel pumped} - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) ## Abstract A method for operating a fuel pump is provided. The method may include decreasing a pump chamber pressure, passively opening a metering valve coupled to a pump chamber in response to the decreasing, and while the metering valve is open, generating a rotational output via a motor, transferring the rotational output into an actuation force applied to the metering valve via a metering valve actuation device, and inhibiting the metering valve from closing via sustaining application of the actuation force. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating a fuel pump comprising: decreasing a pump chamber pressure; passively opening a metering valve coupled to a pump chamber in response to the decreasing; and while the metering valve is open, generating a rotational output via a motor, transferring the rotational output into an actuation force applied to the metering valve via a metering valve actuation device, and inhibiting the metering valve from closing via sustaining application of the actuation force. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where decreasing the pump chamber pressure includes increasing a pump chamber volume via movement of a plunger in the pump chamber to decrease the pump chamber pressure beyond a threshold value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, where the threshold value is a supply chamber pressure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the sustained application of the actuation force on the metering valve applied by the metering valve actuation device to close the metering valve. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, where removing the sustained application of the actuation force to the metering valve includes generating a second rotational output via the motor in a direction opposing the first rotational output. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, where removing the sustained application of the actuation force is implemented while the pump chamber pressure is increasing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, where generating the rotational output, transferring the rotational output, and inhibiting the metering valve from closing are implemented during a first operating condition and removing the sustained application of the actuation force is implemented during a second operating condition. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the metering valve is a reed valve. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the metering valve actuation device is a screw slider converting the rotational output into linear force of an actuation element in the screw slider. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the metering valve actuation device is a multi-lobe cam. ### Claim 11 A method for operating a fuel pump, comprising: generating a rotational output from a motor; transferring the rotational output into a linear force in a screw slider; and actuating a reed valve via the screw slider via the linear force, the reed valve coupled to a pump chamber inlet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, where actuating the reed valve includes inhibiting the reed valve from closing when a pump chamber pressure is increasing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, where actuating the reed valve includes removing a force applied to the reed valve when a pump chamber pressure exceeds a metering valve chamber pressure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, where transferring the rotational output into a linear force via a screw slider includes rotating an external thread through an internal thread. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, where transferring the rotational output into a linear force includes moving the screw slider axially away from or towards a rotational output shaft of the motor. ### Claim 16 A fuel pump comprising: a motor having a rotational output shaft; and a screw slider coupled to the rotational output shaft and converting a rotation force from the rotational output shaft into a linear valve actuation force applied to a metering valve coupled to a pump chamber inlet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The fuel pump of claim 16, where the metering valve is a reed valve comprising a flexible flapper extending across the pump chamber inlet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The fuel pump of claim 16, where the screw slider comprises an inner shaft having an external thread mated with an internal thread in an actuation element, the actuation element including a guide extension positioned in a guide track inhibiting rotational movement of the actuation element. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The fuel pump of claim 18, where an end of the actuation element is curved. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The fuel pump of claim 16, where the metering valve includes a spring exerting a force on a valve plate when the metering valve is in an open configuration.