Fuel system purge and starter system
AssigneeWalbro Engine Management, L.L.C.
InventorGeorge M. Pattullo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A recoil starter for an internal combustion engine has a housing with a pulley carried at least in part for rotation therein. The pulley is arranged in operable communication with a crankshaft of the engine. A pull cord is wound about the pulley with one end of the cord being arranged to be pulled by a user to rotate the pulley. An actuator is carried for rotation in response to rotation of the pulley. A pump is arranged for actuation in response to rotation of the actuator to provide fresh liquid fuel to a carburetor and remove fuel vapor and stale fuel from the carburetor and deliver it to a fuel tank prior to starting the engine.
Claims19
A recoil starter system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a housing;
- a pulley received in the housing;
- at least one spring for storing energy to rotate a crankshaft of the engine, the pulley being rotatable in an unwinding direction and a winding direction, the pulley being in operable communication with the spring for rotating in the unwinding direction to store energy in the spring prior to the spring causing the crankshaft to rotate;
- a pull cord wound about the pulley to facilitate rotating the pulley in the unwinding direction to store energy in the spring for rotation of the crankshaft to start the engine;
- an actuator carried for movement in response to rotation of the recoil pulley;
- a carburetor for the engine;
- and
- a pump driven by the actuator upon rotation of the pulley prior to initial rotation of the crankshaft by the spring to pump liquid fuel and fuel vapor from the carburetor into and away from the pump prior to rotation of the crankshaft by the spring.
A recoil starter system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a fuel tank;
- a carburetor in fluid communication with the fuel tank;
- a housing;
- a pulley received in the housing in operable communication with at least one spring to store energy for rotating a crankshaft of the engine, the pulley being rotatable in an unwinding direction and a winding direction, the pulley rotating in the unwinding direction to store energy in the spring prior to the spring causing the crankshaft to rotate;
- a pull cord wound about the pulley to facilitate rotating the pulley in the unwinding direction;
- a cam lobe arranged for movement in response to rotation of the recoil pulley;
- and
- a purge pump actuatable by the cam lobe to take in liquid fuel and fuel vapor from the carburetor and to discharge liquid fuel and fuel vapor into the fuel tank prior to initial rotation of the crankshaft by the spring during an attempt to start the engine to facilitate starting the engine.
A method of purging a fuel system of an engine, the engine having a recoil starter with a pulley in operable communication with a spring to store energy to rotate a crankshaft and with a pull cord wound about the pulley, an actuator arranged for movement in response to rotation of the pulley, a purge pump arranged in operable communication with the actuator and in fluid communication with a fuel tank downstream from the pump and a carburetor upstream from the pump, the method comprising the steps of:
- pulling the pull cord in an unwinding direction to cause movement of the pulley to store energy in the spring and conjoint movement of the actuator to actuate the purge pump prior to the crankshaft being caused to rotate by the spring, the purge pump taking in fluid from the carburetor and discharging such fluid into the fuel tank at least in part prior to rotation of the crankshaft by the spring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.