High pressure pumpless fuel system

A fuel delivery system for delivering fuel to an internal combustion engine, said delivery system comprising:

• a fuel tank;
• a filler pipe in fluid communication with said fuel tank;
• a fuel line for carrying fuel from said fuel tank to said engine;
• means for pressurizing the entire quantity of said fuel within said fuel tank, said means for pressurizing comprising a piston sealably mounted within said fuel tank and dividing said fuel tank into a first variable volume chamber for containing said fuel, and a second variable volume chamber void of said fuel, with the position of said piston within said fuel tank determined by positioning means responsive to fuel pressure in said fuel tank line, said positioning means comprising:
• guide means fixedly attached to said fuel tank, with said piston movably fitted thereon for movement relative to said fuel tank;
• clutch means attached to said piston and mounted on said guide means for allowing said piston to move along said guide means toward said first chamber to compress fuel therein;
• means for controlling pressure within said second chamber;
• means for releasing said clutch means so that said piston slides along said guide means toward said second chamber when pressure therein is less than pressure in said first chamber;
• and
• means for depressurizing said second chamber upon removal of a filler pipe cover means for refueling.

A system for delivering fuel to an internal combustion engine, the system comprising:

• a fuel tank;
• means for filling the fuel tank with the fuel;
• means for conducting the fuel from the fuel tank to the engine;
• means for compressably pressurizing the entire quantity of the fuel within the fuel tank to a pressure above atmospheric pressure, such that the fuel is delivered under pressure to the engine and so that vaporization of the fuel is reduced, the means for compressably pressurizing the fuel is a piston sealably mounted within the fuel tank, the piston dividing the fuel tank into a first variable volume chamber for containing the fuel, and a second variable volume chamber void of the fuel, with the position of the piston within the fuel tank determined by positioning means responsive to fuel pressure in the fuel tank and the fuel line.