# US 8,783,287 B2 · Apparatus and method for modifying a fuel tank to accept an in-tank fuel pump > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,783,287 B2 - Document ID: US8783287B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/795,718 - Filed: 2013-03-12 - Published: 2014-03-20 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2012-09-18 - Assignees: Aeromotive, Inc. - Applicants: Aeromotive, Inc. - Inventors: Steven M. Matusek; Shawn D. Wessol - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8783287B2 ## CPC - F02M 37/106: {the pump being installed in a sub-tank} - B23P 11/00: Connecting or disconnecting metal parts or objects by metal-working techniques not otherwise provided for (connecting sheet metal or metal tubes, rods or profiles B21D39/00; riveting B21J; soldering, unsoldering, welding B23K; hand tools for connecting wire or strip B25B25/00; connecting metal parts by adhesives F16B11/00) - B60K 15/03: Fuel tanks - B60K 15/03006: {Gas tanks (B60K15/07 takes precedence)} - F02M 37/103: {Mounting pumps on fuel tanks} - F02M 37/44: Filters structurally associated with pumps - B60K 2015/03032: {Manufacturing of fuel tanks} - B60K 2015/03105: {with supplementary interior tanks inside the fuel tank} - B60K 2015/03111: {Swirl pots} - B60K 2015/03243: {characterised by special pumps, the mounting thereof} - B60K 2015/03453: {for fixing or mounting parts of the fuel tank together} - B60K 2015/03467: {by clip or snap fit fittings} - B60Y 2304/076: by add-on parts, e.g. retrofit - B60Y 2304/078: by interchangeable parts, e.g. new part adapting to old design - Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining - Y10T 29/53: Means to assemble or disassemble - Y10T 29/53443: Means to assemble or disassemble container and fluid component - Y10T 137/0402: Cleaning, repairing, or assembling - Y10T 137/794: With means for separating solid material from the fluid - Y10T 137/86043: Reserve or surge receiver - Y10T 137/86228: With communicating opening in common walls of tanks or compartments - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A baffle has a sidewall and an interior space sized to receive the in-tank pump. The sidewall is formed of a flexible material so as to be longitudinally compressible. The compressibility of the sidewall allows the baffle to be mounted in fuel tanks of varying depths. The baffle is used in a method for mounting an in-tank fuel pump in a fuel tank. The method includes the steps of cutting a hole in a top wall of the fuel tank, inserting the baffle into the tank through the hole, compressing the sidewall of the baffle so that the baffle extends between the top and bottom walls of the tank, installing the in-tank pump in the interior space of the baffle and installing a cover plate over the hole. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for mounting an in-tank pump in a tank for holding a liquid, the apparatus comprising: a) a baffle having a sidewall, a bottom surface extending generally transverse to said sidewall and an interior space within said sidewall sized to receive the in-tank pump, said sidewall formed of a flexible material longitudinally compressible from a first length in a relaxed state to a shorter, second length; and b) biasing means for biasing said sidewall toward its first length such that said bottom surface of said baffle abuts against a bottom of the tank and c) wherein said baffle is sufficiently radially compressible along its length, including across the bottom surface thereof, to fit through a hole which is smaller in diameter than an outside diameter of said baffle in its radially uncompressed state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the tank has a top wall and a bottom wall and said first length of said sidewall of said baffle is selected such that said sidewall is at least partially compressed when fitted in the tank and extending between the top wall and the bottom wall of the tank. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said biasing means is a spring. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said baffle includes at least one door which is hinged to allow liquid to flow from the tank to the interior space of the baffle but prevents the liquid from flowing from the interior space of the baffle out to the tank. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus as in claim 1 and further including a pump mounting assembly for supporting the in-tank pump within the interior space of said baffle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the tank has an access hole formed in a top wall thereof and said pump mounting assembly includes a cap sized to cover the access hole and a pump hanger depending from said cap and supporting the pump. ### Claim 7 An apparatus for mounting an in-tank pump in a tank for holding a liquid, the apparatus comprising: a) a baffle having a sidewall and an interior space within said sidewall sized to receive the in-tank pump, said sidewall comprises a core of compressible foam material longitudinally compressible from a first length in a relaxed state to a shorter, second length; and b) biasing means for biasing said sidewall toward its first length. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said biasing means is provided by an expansive force of said foam material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said foam material is permeable to the liquid. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus as in claim 9 and further including a skin impermeable to the liquid and covering at least part of said sidewall. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said skin covers a lower part of said sidewall and has an upper margin such that liquid in the tank can flow over said skin and through said foam material of said sidewall to said interior space when a liquid level in the tank is higher than said upper margin of said skin. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus as in claim 11 wherein at least one opening is formed in said skin below said upper margin such that liquid in the tank can flow through said at least one opening when a liquid level in the tank is lower than said upper margin of said skin. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the size of said at least one opening is sized to impede liquid from flowing from said interior space of said baffle out to the tank during transient periods when the liquid sloshes away from said baffle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said skin includes: a) at least one first opening sized and positioned to allow liquid in the tank to flow freely through said at least one first opening to said interior space of said baffle when a liquid level in the tank is above a selected level; and b) at least one second opening sized and positioned to allow liquid in the tank to flow through said at least one second opening to said interior space when a liquid level in the tank is below said selected level and further sized to impede liquid from flowing from said interior space out to the tank during transient periods when the liquid sloshes away from said baffle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The apparatus as in claim 7 wherein the tank has an access hole formed in a top wall thereof, said baffle is larger in diameter than said access hole in an uncompressed state and said baffle is radially compressible to a diameter smaller than the diameter of said access hole. ### Claim 16 An apparatus for mounting an in-tank pump in a tank for holding a liquid having a top wall and a bottom wall, the apparatus comprising: a) a baffle having a sidewall and an interior space within said sidewall sized to receive the in-tank pump, said sidewall having a core of flexible foam material longitudinally compressible from a first length in a relaxed state to a shorter, second length, said first length selected such that said sidewall is at least partially compressed when fitted in the tank and extending between the top wall and the bottom wall of the tank; and wherein b) expansive force of said foam material urges said sidewall toward its first length when said sidewall is at least partially compressed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus as in claim 16 wherein said foam material is permeable to the liquid and said baffle further includes a skin impermeable to the liquid covering at least part of said sidewall. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus as in claim 17 wherein said skin covers a lower part of said sidewall and liquid in the tank is free to flow through said foam material of said sidewall to said interior space when a liquid level in the tank is above said lower part of said sidewall. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus as in claim 18 wherein at least one opening is formed in said skin on said lower part of said sidewall such that liquid in the tank can flow through said at least one opening to said interior space when a liquid level in the tank is below said lower part of said sidewall, said at least one opening sized and positioned to impede liquid from flowing from said interior space out to the tank during transient periods when the liquid sloshes away from said baffle. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The apparatus as in claim 16 wherein the tank has an access hole formed in the top wall thereof, said baffle is larger in diameter than said access hole in an uncompressed state and said baffle is radially compressible to a diameter smaller than the diameter of said access hole. ### Claim 21 An apparatus for mounting an in-tank pump in a tank for holding a liquid, the apparatus comprising: a) a baffle including a longitudinal biasing member and a radially compressible cup having a cup sidewall, an open top and an inwardly projecting cup bottom wall extending generally transverse to the cup sidewall when the cup is in a radially uncompressed state; said cup, including the cup bottom wall, being sufficiently radially compressible to fit through a hole which is larger in diameter than the in-tank pump and smaller in diameter than an outside diameter of the cup in its radially uncompressed state; the longitudinal biasing member having a lower end positionable in the cup; the longitudinal biasing member having a length in its longitudinally uncompressed state which is longer than the depth of the tank so as to urge the cup against a bottom of a tank when the cup and the longitudinal biasing member are inserted in the tank through the hole therein; the longitudinal biasing member, when positioned in the cup, supporting the cup in its radially uncompressed state; and the longitudinal biasing member having an interior space formed therein sized to receive the in-tank pump. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The apparatus as in claim 21 wherein the cup is formed from an elastomeric membrane. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The apparatus as in claim 21 wherein at least one opening is formed in the cup sidewall such that liquid in the tank can flow through the at least one opening and to the interior space of the longitudinal biasing member when a liquid level in the tank is below an upper edge of the cup sidewall, the at least one opening sized and positioned to impede liquid from flowing from the interior space out to the tank during transient periods when the liquid moves away from the baffle.