JP6327142B2 - Fuel tank and assembly method thereof - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fuel tank and an assembling method thereof .

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a resin fuel tank, a fuel pump or the like is attached from a mounting hole of a fuel tank body after resin molding to a sub-tank built in resin molding. For example, as in Patent Document 1, a technique has been proposed in which a fuel pump is attached to a sub tank by inserting and fitting a slide member for supporting the fuel pump into a fitting portion of a chamber (sub tank). Alternatively, as in Patent Document 2, a technique has been proposed in which a fuel pump is fixed to a swirl tank by slidingly inserting a bracket attached to the fuel pump into a cutout portion of the swirl tank inside the fuel tank from above.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 64-13257 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 64-11361

  The fuel pump mounting method described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 moves the fuel pump vertically from the mounting hole of the fuel tank main body while maintaining the mounting posture. Therefore, the pump module that is enlarged by integrating the fuel pump and the filter has a longer length in the longitudinal direction than the diameter of the mounting hole, and it is not possible to mount from the mounting hole by applying the above mounting method. Have difficulty.

  Although it is conceivable to increase the diameter of the mounting hole of the fuel tank body in response to the increase in size of the pump module, it is not desirable in view of the strength of the fuel tank body.

In view of the above facts, the present invention has an object to provide a fuel tank capable of easily mounting a built-in component having a length in the longitudinal direction longer than the diameter of the mounting hole of the fuel tank body to the sub tank, and an assembling method thereof. To do.

The fuel tank according to the first aspect has a fuel tank main body in which fuel is stored and an attachment hole is formed in an upper wall, and the fuel tank is inserted into the fuel tank main body from the attachment hole. And a built-in component in which a length in the longitudinal direction is longer than a diameter of the mounting hole, and a shaft body extending in a width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction is provided at an end in the longitudinal direction. A sub-tank fixed to the bottom wall of the fuel tank main body and having a recess that supports the shaft body rotatably at a position offset from the mounting hole in a plan view and opens upward in the vehicle vertical direction. Prepare.

In this fuel tank, a built-in component is attached after molding to a sub-tank built in the fuel tank body during molding. At this time, the built-in component is inserted along the longitudinal direction from the mounting hole toward the concave portion of the sub tank fixed to the bottom wall of the fuel tank body. Here, the recess of the sub tank is formed at a position offset from the mounting hole in plan view. Therefore, the built-in component is inserted with an inclination with respect to the horizontal direction from the mounting hole. A shaft body formed at the end in the longitudinal direction of the built-in component that has reached the sub tank is inserted into a concave portion of the sub tank that opens upward in the vehicle vertical direction , and the built-in component is supported by the sub tank. As a result, when the built-in component passes through the mounting hole, the built-in component is rotated around the shaft body extending in the width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the built-in component to install the built-in component in the sub tank. In this way, simply insert a built-in component that is longer in the longitudinal direction than the diameter of the mounting hole from the mounting hole in the fuel tank body, support the shaft body in the recess of the sub tank, and rotate the built-in component. Built-in parts can be installed in the sub tank. That is, it is excellent in workability of mounting the built-in parts to the sub tank.
The fuel tank according to a second aspect is the fuel tank according to the first aspect, wherein the recess is formed in a pair of side plates extending from the bottom surface of the sub tank to the upper side of the vehicle, and the recess is formed on the side plate. A vertical portion extending downward from the upper surface of the vehicle and a horizontal portion extending in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the vertical portion, and a locking portion having a locally narrow width is formed in the horizontal portion. Has been.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for assembling a fuel tank, wherein a longitudinal length is attached to the sub-tank fixed to the bottom wall of the fuel tank main body through a mounting hole formed in the upper wall of the fuel tank main body. A fuel tank assembling method for attaching a built-in component longer than the diameter of the hole, wherein a guide member is inserted into the fuel tank main body from the mounting hole and is engaged with an engaged part provided in the sub tank. A first step in which an engaging portion formed at one end in the longitudinal direction is engaged and the other end in the longitudinal direction is supported by an edge of the mounting hole; By sliding the built-in component from the end side to the one end side in the longitudinal direction, a shaft body provided to extend in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at the end portion of the built-in component in the longitudinal direction is provided. Of the sub tank Comprising a second step which is inserted into a recess provided in an opening in the vehicle upper side wall, a third step of withdrawing the guide member from the attachment holes on the outside of the fuel tank body.

Since the fuel tank and the method of assembling the fuel tank according to the first to third aspects have the above-described configuration, even a built-in component having a longitudinal length longer than the diameter of the mounting hole of the fuel tank body can be easily attached to the sub tank. Can do.

It is a longitudinal section showing a schematic structure of a fuel tank concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view showing a subtank and pump module concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the attachment middle state of the pump module in the fuel tank which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the recessed part of the sub tank which concerns on the other example of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the attachment middle state of the pump module in the fuel tank which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG.

[First embodiment]

  A fuel tank according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following description, in each drawing, the vehicle upper direction is indicated by an arrow UP, the vehicle width direction is indicated by an arrow W, and the vehicle longitudinal direction is indicated by an arrow FR. In the vehicle width direction, the left side in FIG. 1 may be referred to as the W1 direction, and the right side may be referred to as the W2 direction. Furthermore, the vehicle front-rear direction may be referred to as the FR direction.

  First, the whole fuel tank 10 of this embodiment is demonstrated with reference to FIG. The fuel tank 10 includes a fuel tank main body 12, a sub tank 14 disposed in the fuel tank main body 12, and a pump module 16 disposed in the sub tank 14.

  The fuel tank body 12 includes a bottom wall 18 that extends in the vehicle width direction, a left wall 20 and a right wall 22 that extend upward from both ends of the bottom wall 18 in the vehicle width direction, and a left wall 20 and a right wall 22. And an upper wall 24 that extends in the vehicle width direction.

  The upper wall 24 of the fuel tank body 12 is formed with a mounting hole 26 for mounting a built-in component inside the fuel tank body 12. The mounting hole 26 is closed by a lid 28. The diameter of the mounting hole 26 is D (mm).

  A sub tank 14 is fixed on the bottom wall 18 of the fuel tank body 12. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sub tank 14 includes a bottom plate 30, a standing plate 32 extending from the left end of the bottom plate 30 (W1 direction side end (see FIG. 1, arrow W <b> 1)) to the vehicle upper side, It is basically formed from a pair of side plates 34A, 34B formed so as to connect 30 and the standing plate 32. In the sub tank 14 configured as described above, the bottom plate 30 is surrounded on three sides by the upright plate 32 and the side plates 34A and 34B, and the side opposite to the upright plate 32 (W2 direction (see FIG. 1, arrow W2)) is open. It is made into a shape.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of side plates 34A and 34B are substantially L-shaped when viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction, and support a shaft body 55 (described later) of the pump module 16 on the upper side of the upper surfaces 35A and 35B. The recesses 36 </ b> A and 36 </ b> B that are substantially semicircular when viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction are formed. Moreover, rectangular holes 38A and 38B for snap fitting are formed in the vicinity of the W2 direction side end portions of the side plates 34A and 34B in order to fix the pump module 16 to the sub tank 14. Further, a caulking portion 42 in which a caulking hole 40 for the bottom wall 18 of the fuel tank main body 12 is formed is formed on the side plate 34A so as to protrude rearward in the vehicle.

  The recesses 36A and 36B formed in the side plates 34A and 34B are capable of rotating the pump module 16 toward the sub tank 14 when the shaft body 55 of the pump module 16 is inserted and the pump module 16 is supported by the sub tank 14. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 (see locus L2), the pump module 16 and the mounting hole 26 are formed at positions where they do not interfere with each other. In the present embodiment, the recesses 36 </ b> A and 36 </ b> B are formed at a position offset from the mounting hole 26 in plan view, and are rotatable when the pump module 16 is supported by the sub tank 14. Here, the “plan view” means a view in the central axis direction of the mounting hole 26.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the pump module 16 includes a base 44, a fuel pump 46 installed on the top of the base 44, and a filter 48 attached to the bottom of the base 44.

  The base 44 has a rectangular substrate 50, a pair of support plates 52A, 52B extending in the W1 direction from both ends in the FR direction in the vicinity of the W1 direction end portion of the substrate 50, and the substrate. In the vicinity of the W2 direction side end portion, there are provided fitting convex portions 54A and 54B formed to project upward from both ends in the FR direction.

  Holes 53A and 53B are formed in the vicinity of the upper ends of the support plates 52A and 52B. A columnar (circular cross section) shaft body 55 is inserted through the holes 53A and 53B. The shaft body 55 protrudes outward in the FR direction of the support plates 52A and 52B, and the protruding portions are supported by the recesses 36A and 36B of the sub tank 14. At this time, the shaft body 55 is provided so as to extend in the width direction (vehicle longitudinal direction) orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (vehicle width direction) of the pump module 16. Further, the shaft body 55 having a circular cross section is supported by the substantially semicircular recesses 36A and 36B as described above, so that the pump module 16 can rotate about the shaft body 55 as a rotation center.

  The fitting convex portions 54A and 54B are substantially L-shaped in an inverted shape when viewed in the vehicle width direction, and are inclined tanks 56A and 56B that are inclined outward in the FR direction toward the upper side, and sub tanks at the upper portions of the inclined surfaces 56A and 56B. 14 bulging portions 58A and 58B inserted into the 14 hole portions 38A and 38B. The fitting convex portions 54A and 54B have flexibility.

  The filter 48 has a rectangular shape that is substantially the same shape as the substrate 50, but the vehicle width direction length is longer than the substrate 50, and protrudes from the bottom of the substrate 50 in the W2 direction. Therefore, the length in the vehicle width direction of the filter 48 is the longitudinal length L (mm) of the pump module 16 (see FIG. 1). Further, the upper surface of the filter 48 is bonded to the lower surface of the substrate 50.

  The fuel pump 46 is fixed on the substrate 50 by a mounting member 60. The fuel pump 46 is connected to the fuel supply pipe 64 from the port 62 of the filter 48 and can supply fuel to the outside of the fuel tank main body 12 through the fuel delivery pipe 66. As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel delivery pipe 66 passes through the lid 28 and communicates with the outside of the fuel tank body 12.

  Next, the operation of the fuel tank 10 according to the first embodiment will be described. Specifically, a method for attaching the pump module 16 to the sub tank 14 of the fuel tank 10 will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 3, the pump module 16 is inserted into the fuel tank body 12 from the mounting hole 26 with the substrate 50 of the pump module 16 inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal (vehicle width) direction. Inserted. By inserting the pump module 16 into the fuel tank main body 12 through the mounting hole 26 in an inclined manner as described above, the pump module 16 having a length L in the longitudinal direction larger than the diameter D of the mounting hole 26 is made to be a fuel. It can be inserted into the tank body 12.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the pump module 16 is inserted in a state where both ends in the FR direction of the filter 48 of the pump module 16 are supported by the edges of the mounting hole 26 (see FIG. 3, locus L1). The shaft body 55 of the pump module 16 is inserted into the recesses 36 </ b> A and 36 </ b> B of the sub tank 14. As a result, the pump module 16 is supported by the sub tank 14. At this time, the upper end of the pump module 16 (filter 48) is separated from the edge of the mounting hole 26 (is removed from the mounting hole 26), and the mounting hole 26 is rotated when the pump module 16 described later is rotated. There is no interference with (the edge).

  In this state, the filter 48 is mounted on the bottom plate 30 of the sub tank 14 by rotating the pump module 16 in the arrow R direction around the shaft body 55 supported by the recesses 36A and 36B (see FIG. 3, locus L2). (See FIGS. 1 and 2). At this time, the fitting convex portions 54A and 54B provided on the substrate 50 of the pump module 16 are inserted between the side plates 34A and 34B. As a result, the inclined surfaces 56A and 56B of the fitting convex portions 54A and 54B slide with the side plates 34A and 34B, so that the bulging portions 58A and 58B move downward while being bent inward, and the holes of the side plates 34A and 34B The portions 38A and 38B are elastically fitted. That is, the fitting modules 54A and 54B (the bulging portions 58A and 58B) are fitted into the holes 38A and 38B of the side plates 34A and 34B, whereby the pump module 16 is fixed to the sub tank 14.

  As described above, in the fuel tank 10 according to the present embodiment, the pump module 16 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction and inserted into the fuel tank main body 12 from the mounting hole 26 and pumped into the recesses 36 </ b> A and 36 </ b> B of the sub tank 14. The pump module 16 can be fixed to the sub-tank 14 by a snap fit simply by supporting the shaft body 55 of the module 16 and rotating the pump module 16 about the shaft body 55. That is, the pump module 16 can be easily attached to the sub tank 14.

  Further, by inserting the pump module 16 obliquely with respect to the mounting hole 26 of the fuel tank body 12, the pump module 16 having a larger size (longitudinal length L) than the diameter D of the mounting hole 26 is obtained. It can be inserted into the fuel tank body 12. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase the diameter D of the mounting hole 26 of the fuel tank body 12 according to the size of the pump module 16.

  By the way, although the shape of the sub tank 14 that supports the shaft body 55 of the pump module 16 is the substantially semicircular recesses 36A and 36B in the vehicle front-rear direction, it is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a substantially L-shaped groove 68 in the vehicle front-rear direction can be formed in the side plate 34 </ b> A (the side plate 34 </ b> B is not shown) of the sub tank 14. The groove 68 includes a vertical part 70 extending downward from the upper surface 35A and a horizontal part 72 extending from the lower end of the vertical part 70 in the W1 direction. In the middle of the horizontal portion 72, a locking portion 74 is formed to protrude upward so as to narrow the width of the groove.

  Therefore, the shaft body 55 is locked by the locking portion 74 by inserting the shaft body 55 of the pump module 16 to the depth of the groove 68. As a result, when the pump module 16 is rotated around the shaft body 55, the shaft body 55 is stabilized, and the pump module 16 can be more easily attached to the sub tank 14.

[Second Embodiment]

  A fuel tank according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In the present embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the guide member 80 is the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 5, and the width direction is the direction of the arrow Y in FIG.

  In this embodiment, the guide member 80 is used to insert the pump module 16 from the mounting hole 26 of the fuel tank body 12 in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the guide member 80 includes a bottom wall 82 that supports the filter 48 of the pump module 16, side walls 84 </ b> A and 84 </ b> B that abut against the sides of the filter 48 and the substrate 50, and the side wall 84 </ b> A. The upper walls 86A and 86B extend inward from the upper end of the side wall 84B and contact the upper ends of the fitting convex portions 54A and 54B (the bulging portions 58A and 58B) of the base 44.

  As shown in FIG. 6, two convex portions 88A and 88B having an arcuate cross section are formed on the bottom wall 82 along the longitudinal direction of the guide member 80, and the filter 48 is formed at the apex of the convex portions 88A and 88B. It is the structure which supports.

  Side walls 84A and 84B formed upward from both widthwise end portions of the bottom wall 82 are located outward in the width direction so as to avoid the bulging portions 58A and 58B of the fitting convex portions 54A and 54B of the pump module 16. Overhanging portions 92A and 92B are formed.

  The upper walls 86A and 86B extend inward in the width direction from the upper ends of the projecting portions 92A and 92B, and abut against the upper ends of the bulging portions 58A and 58B of the fitting convex portions 54A and 54B.

  In the guide member 80, the pump module 16 is inserted from the longitudinal end portion into the concave portion 90 surrounded by the bottom wall 82, the side walls 84A and 84B, and the upper walls 86A and 86B, and the pump module 16 is moved in the longitudinal direction of the guide member 80. It is the structure to make.

  As shown in FIG. 5, engaging portions 94 are formed at both ends in the width direction of one end in the longitudinal direction of the guide member 80 (bottom wall 82), and an upper surface 35A (not shown) of the sub tank 14 is formed. It is inserted into the recess 96 formed in 35B.

  The length of the guide member 80 formed in this way in the longitudinal direction is such that the engaging portion 94 formed at one end in the longitudinal direction is inserted into the recess 96 of the sub tank 14 and the other end in the longitudinal direction is the mounting hole. It is the length supported by the edge of the part 26 (refer FIG. 5). In this state, when the pump module 16 slides in the recess 90 and moves to the sub tank 14 side, the shaft body 55 is inserted into the recesses 36A and 36B.

  The operation of the fuel tank 78 according to the second embodiment will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 5, the guide member 80 is inserted from the mounting hole 26 toward the inside of the fuel tank main body 12 while being inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, and the engagement formed at one end in the longitudinal direction thereof. The portion 94 is inserted into a recess 96 provided in the side plates 34A and 34B of the sub tank 14. At this time, the other end side of the guide member 80 is supported at both ends in the width direction by the edge of the mounting hole 26. As a result, the guide member 80 is positioned between the sub tank 14 and the mounting hole 26.

  In this state, the pump module 16 is inserted into the recess 90 of the guide member 80 from the other longitudinal end side of the guide member 80. Specifically, the filter 48 and the base 44 are inserted between the side walls 84A and 84B, the filter 48 is supported by the two convex portions 88A and 88B of the bottom wall 82, and the upper wall 86A and 86B are fitted convexly. The upper ends of the portions 54A and 54B are restricted. The fuel pump 46 is exposed to the outside from between the upper walls 86A and 86B.

  When the pump module 16 is slid in the recess 90 of the guide member 80 toward the sub tank 14 in this state, the filter 48 moves toward the sub tank 14 while sliding on the protrusions 88A and 88B of the bottom wall 82. As a result, the shaft body 55 of the pump module 16 is inserted into the recesses 36 </ b> A and 36 </ b> B of the sub tank 14. Here, when the guide member 80 is pulled out from the mounting hole 26, the pump module 16 that is no longer supported by the guide member 80 rotates around the shaft body 55 in the direction of the arrow R and is fitted and fixed to the sub tank 14.

  Thus, in the fuel tank 78 of the present embodiment, the engaging member 94 is inserted into the recess 96 of the sub tank 14 by inserting the guide member 80 into the fuel tank main body 12 from the mounting hole 26, and the sub tank 14 and the mounting hole 26 can be easily positioned.

  Further, the shaft body 55 of the pump module 16 is automatically inserted into the recesses 36 </ b> A and 36 </ b> B of the sub tank 14 simply by inserting the pump module 16 into the recessed portion 90 of the positioned guide member 80. Thereafter, the pump module 16 rotates in the direction of arrow R by its own weight and is fitted into the sub tank 14 simply by pulling out the guide member 80 from the mounting hole 26. As described above, the pump module 16 can be fixed to the sub tank 14 only by operating the guide member 80. That is, the pump module 16 can be easily attached to the sub tank 14.

  Further, the filter 48 of the pump module 16 slides inside the guide member 80, particularly on the bottom wall 82, but only slides on the apexes of the convex portions 88A and 88B that are curved in a circular arc shape. The filter 48 is suppressed from being damaged as compared with the case where the edge of the mounting hole 26 is slid.

  In the series of embodiments, the case where the pump module 16 is attached to the sub tank 14 has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to the case where other members are attached to the sub tank 14.

  In the series of embodiments, the recesses 36A and 36B of the sub tank 14 are formed at positions offset from the mounting hole 26 in plan view, so that the pump module 16 is supported when the pump module 16 is supported by the sub tank 14. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, it is sufficient that the pump module 16 can rotate toward the sub tank 14 when the shaft body 55 is inserted into the recesses 36A and 36B (if the pump module 16 and the mounting hole 26 do not interfere with each other).

  Furthermore, in the series of embodiments, the shaft body 55 of the pump module 16 is provided. However, a cylindrical pin member extending in the vehicle front-rear direction from the support plates 52A and 52B may be formed to project.

10, 78 Fuel tank 12 Fuel tank body 14 Sub tank 16 Pump module (built-in parts)
24 Upper wall 26 Mounting hole 36A, 36B Recess 55 Shaft body 68 Groove (recess)
D Diameter of mounting hole L Length of pump module in the longitudinal direction

Claims (3)

A fuel tank body in which fuel is stored and an attachment hole is formed in the upper wall;
The length of the longitudinal direction is longer than the diameter of the mounting hole, and the longitudinal direction is disposed at the end of the longitudinal direction. A built-in component provided with a shaft extending in the orthogonal width direction;
A sub-tank fixed to the bottom wall of the fuel tank main body and having a recess that supports the shaft body rotatably at a position offset from the mounting hole in a plan view and opens upward in the vehicle vertical direction ;
With fuel tank. The pair of side plates extending from the bottom surface of the sub tank to the upper side of the vehicle is formed with the recess, and the recess is
  A vertical portion extending downward from the upper surface of the side plate;
  A horizontal portion extending in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the vertical portion;
  The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein a locking portion having a locally narrow width is formed in the horizontal portion. A fuel for attaching a built-in component whose longitudinal length is longer than the diameter of the mounting hole to a sub tank fixed to the bottom wall of the fuel tank main body through a mounting hole formed in the upper wall of the fuel tank main body A tank assembly method,
  A guide member is inserted into the fuel tank main body from the mounting hole, and an engaging portion formed at one end in the longitudinal direction is engaged with an engaged portion provided in the sub tank, and the longitudinal direction A first step in which the other end side is supported by an edge of the mounting hole;
  By sliding the internal component inside the guide member from the other end in the longitudinal direction to the one end in the longitudinal direction, the guide member extends in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at the end in the longitudinal direction of the internal component. A second step in which a shaft provided is inserted into a recess provided on the side wall of the sub tank and opened to the vehicle upper side; and
  A third step of extracting the guide member from the mounting hole to the outside of the fuel tank body;
  A method for assembling a fuel tank.