JP6380066B2 - Fuel tank - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel tank.

  Conventionally, vehicles have a canister that adsorbs fuel components from excess fuel vapor in a fuel tank, releases excess gas to the atmosphere, and supplies the adsorbed fuel components to the engine side when negative pressure is applied from the engine. It has been.

  The canister is provided in the vicinity of the fuel tank in the lower part of the vehicle because of its use, but a dedicated space is required in the lower part of the vehicle. In addition, mounting parts such as a bracket and a protective cover are required for mounting the vehicle, which increases costs.

  As a method for solving such a problem, it may be possible to arrange a canister inside the fuel tank (see Patent Document 1). However, disposing a canister inside the fuel tank has the disadvantage that the capacity of the fuel tank decreases and the cruising distance of the vehicle decreases.

JP 2004-100512 A

  Therefore, by incorporating the canister in the fuel tank, the space for installing the canister in the lower part of the vehicle is unnecessary, the number of attachment parts to the lower part of the vehicle is suppressed, and the available fuel capacity in the fuel tank is increased. It was hoped that this would be compatible.

  In view of the above-described facts, the present invention has an object to provide a fuel tank that incorporates a canister and suppresses a decrease in the cruising range of the vehicle due to the incorporation of the canister.

A fuel tank according to a first aspect of the present invention is a fuel tank body in which fuel is stored in an interior surrounded by a bottom wall, a side wall, and an upper wall, and is installed on the bottom wall side of the fuel tank body. A pump module for supplying fuel stored in the body to the outside of the fuel tank body; a filter attached to a fuel suction port of the pump module; and an upper surface attached to the bottom wall inside the fuel tank body. Includes a canister including an inclined surface that is inclined vertically upward toward the side wall from the end of the filter or a position spaced from the end of the filter toward the side wall on the end side.

  Since this fuel tank has a canister attached to the inside of the fuel tank body, it is not necessary to dispose the canister in the lower part of the vehicle outside the fuel tank, and the space under the vehicle can be used effectively and the canister is attached to the lower part of the vehicle. Mounting parts are not required.

  By the way, in a fuel tank that does not have a built-in canister, when the fuel that is low in the fuel tank body is shifted to the side wall side when the vehicle is turning, etc., it is vertically upward from the filter side to the side wall side. The inclined surface becomes the fuel level. If the end of the liquid level of the fuel does not cover the filter, the fuel cannot be supplied from the pump module to the engine. At this time, the fuel existing in the region of the triangular shape surrounded by the liquid level (inclined surface), the bottom wall, and the side wall formed from the end of the filter toward the side wall cannot be supplied to the engine, that is, cannot be used effectively. This is the area where fuel is present.

  On the other hand, the canister disposed in the fuel tank main body is installed on the bottom wall of the fuel tank main body, and the side wall from the position where the upper surface is separated from the end of the filter or from the end of the filter to the side wall on the end side. And an inclined surface inclined vertically upward. Therefore, even when the fuel having the same amount as the above in the fuel tank is shifted to the side wall side by turning the vehicle or the like, at least a part of the canister exists in the region, so the liquid of the fuel As a result, the fuel reaches the filter and can be supplied to the engine. As a result, fuel can be supplied to the engine to a smaller remaining amount.

  That is, the fuel capacity of the fuel tank main body is reduced by arranging the canister inside the fuel tank main body, but the fuel in the fuel tank main body can be supplied to the engine to a smaller remaining amount when the vehicle turns or when the vehicle accelerates or decelerates. .

  Since the fuel tank according to the first aspect of the present invention has the above-described configuration, it is not necessary to provide a space for arranging the canister at the bottom of the vehicle, and it is possible to suppress or prevent a decrease in the cruising distance of the vehicle.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state at the time of the vehicle straight traveling of the fuel tank which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state at the time of the vehicle left turn of the fuel tank which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state at the time of the vehicle left turn of the fuel tank which concerns on a comparative example.

  A fuel tank according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Hereinafter, in each drawing, the upper side of the vehicle is indicated by an arrow UP, and the vehicle width direction is indicated by an arrow W.

  First, the entire fuel tank 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The fuel tank 10 includes a bottom wall 12 extending in the vehicle width direction, a left wall 14, a right wall 16, a left wall 14, and a right wall 16 extending from both ends of the bottom wall 12 in the vehicle width direction. The fuel tank main body 20 is provided with an upper wall 18 that connects the upper ends and extends in the vehicle width direction.

  A canister 22 extending from the left wall 14 to the right wall 16 is disposed on the bottom wall 12 inside the fuel tank body 20. The canister 22 is fixed on the bottom wall 12 and extends from the left wall 14 to the right wall 16.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the upper surface of the canister 22 has a first horizontal portion 24 extending in the horizontal direction at the center in the vehicle width direction, and a left wall 14 and a right wall 16 from both ends of the first horizontal portion 24. Inclined portions 26, 28 that are inclined vertically upward, and second horizontal portions 30, 32 that extend in the horizontal direction from the end portions of the inclined portions 26, 28 to the left wall 14 and the right wall 16, respectively.

  Inside the canister 22, a fuel supply chamber 36 and a purge chamber 38 defined by a partition wall 34 having an L-shaped cross section are formed below the second horizontal portion 30. In addition, an air communication chamber 40 communicating with the outside is formed in the lower portion of the second horizontal portion 32 of the canister 22. Between the fuel supply chamber 36 and purge chamber 38 of the canister 22 and the atmosphere communication chamber 40, an adsorbent 48 such as activated carbon that adsorbs the fuel component of the fuel gas is disposed.

  A pump module 49 is attached to the first horizontal portion 24 of the canister 22 by a snap fit (not shown). The pump module 49 includes a rectangular filter 50 and a fuel pump 52 that supplies fuel F sucked through the filter 50 to an engine (not shown). The filter 50 is disposed on the first horizontal portion 24, and if the fuel F comes into contact with a part of the surface, a film of the fuel F is formed on the entire surface exposed to the gas, and the fuel pump 52 The gas F is prevented from being sucked, and the fuel F having a small remaining amount can be sucked.

  A fuel pump 52 for supplying the fuel F sucked through the filter 50 to an engine (not shown) is disposed above the filter 50. The fuel supply pipe 54 directed outward from the fuel pump 52 passes through a lid 58 attached to a hole 56 formed in the upper wall 18 of the fuel tank body 20.

  The upper wall 18 of the fuel tank main body 20 is provided with a cut-off valve 60 for discharging the fuel gas to the outside when the internal pressure of the fuel tank main body 20 becomes excessive. A pipe 66 is connected to a fuel supply port 64 of a port 62 provided in the body 58. The fuel supply port 64 is connected to the fuel supply chamber 36 of the canister 22 by a pipe 68. The purge chamber 38 of the canister 22 is also connected to the port portion 62 by a pipe 70 and communicates from the purge port 72 of the port portion 62 to the engine side. Further, the atmosphere communication chamber 40 of the canister 22 is communicated with the port portion 62 via the pipe 74, and is communicated with the outside from the atmosphere communication port 76 of the port portion 62.

  Next, the operation of the fuel tank 10 configured as described above will be described. First, the use state of the fuel tank during straight traveling will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, even when the remaining amount of the fuel F is reduced in the fuel tank body 20, it is surrounded by the first horizontal portion 24 and the inclined portions 26 and 28 of the canister 22 provided on the bottom wall 12. Therefore, the fuel F is reliably supplied to the filter 50 disposed in the first horizontal portion 24 that is the lowest on the upper surface of the canister 22, and the fuel pump 52 supplies the fuel F to the engine. Is supplied.

  By the way, when the internal pressure of the fuel tank body 20 exceeds a predetermined value, the cutoff valve 60 is opened, and the fuel gas is supplied to the fuel supply chamber 36 of the canister 22 via the pipe 66, the fuel supply port 64 of the port portion 62, and the pipe 68. Is supplied. The fuel gas that has reached the fuel supply chamber 36 of the canister 22 is adsorbed by the adsorbent 48, and the gas from which the fuel component has been removed is discharged from the atmosphere communication chamber 40 to the outside through the pipe 74 and the atmosphere communication port 76. The

  When negative pressure from the engine acts on the purge chamber 38 from the purge port 72 of the port portion 62 via the pipe 70, air flows from the atmosphere communication chamber 40 side to the purge chamber 38 side. As a result, the fuel component adsorbed by the adsorbent 48 is supplied as fuel gas from the purge chamber 38 to the engine side via the pipe 70 and the purge port 72 of the port portion 62.

  Next, an operation when the fuel F is unevenly distributed in the fuel tank main body 20 due to turning of the vehicle when the remaining amount of the fuel F is reduced will be described. In order to explain this operation, a description will be given using a fuel tank 100 according to a comparative example in which a canister is not built in the same fuel tank body and a filter is directly installed on the bottom wall. Note that, in the fuel tank 100, the same constituent elements as those of the fuel tank 10 are denoted by reference numerals obtained by adding 100 to the reference numerals of the constituent elements of the fuel tank 10, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the vehicle turns to the left with the remaining amount of fuel F in the fuel tank 100 reduced (predetermined amount), fuel is generated by the action of centrifugal force (hereinafter referred to as “lateral G”). The fuel F is offset to the right side of the tank body 20. At this time, the liquid level of the fuel F becomes an inclined surface Si3 inclined vertically upward from the filter 150 side toward the right wall 116. As the lateral G acting on the fuel tank 100 is increased, the left end of the inclined surface Si3 of the fuel F does not hang on the right end of the filter 150 at a certain lateral G. This lateral G is the limit lateral G. Accordingly, when a lateral G that is equal to or greater than the lateral limit G acts on the fuel tank 100, the fuel F does not contact the filter 150, and the fuel pump 152 cannot suck the fuel F from the filter 150. That is, the remaining fuel F cannot be used as an effective fuel that can be used for running the vehicle. When this limit lateral G acts on the fuel tank 10, the angle between the liquid level (inclined surface Si3) of the fuel F and the bottom wall 112 is θ, and the region is surrounded by the bottom wall 112, the right wall 116, and the inclined surface Si3. Is a region A3 (see the hatched portion in FIG. 3). That is, when the remaining amount of the fuel F becomes a predetermined amount and the limit lateral G acts on the fuel tank 100, the region where the unusable fuel F exists becomes the region A3.

  Similarly, the region where the fuel F is located when the remaining amount of fuel becomes a predetermined amount and the limit lateral G acts on the fuel tank 100 when the vehicle turns right, that is, the inclined surface Si4, the bottom wall 112, and the left wall 114. A region surrounded by is defined as a region A4 (see the hatched portion in FIG. 3).

  In contrast, in the fuel tank 10, as shown in FIG. 1, the canister 22 is disposed over the entire bottom wall 12, and the filter 50 is disposed on the first horizontal portion 24 of the canister 22. Therefore, the region of the fuel tank 10 corresponding to the region A3 of the fuel tank 100 is divided into a horizontal plane Sv1 extending horizontally from the bottom surface 50A of the filter 50 and the right wall 16 from the right end of the filter 50, as shown in FIG. A region A1 surrounded by an inclined surface Si1 and a right wall 16 inclined vertically upward at an angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane Sv1. Similarly, a region corresponding to the region A4 is a region A2 surrounded by the horizontal surface Sv2, the inclined surface Si2, and the left wall 14.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the area A <b> 1 includes an inclined portion 28 that is inclined vertically upward from an end in the width direction of the horizontal portion 24, and extends in the horizontal direction from the end of the inclined portion 28. The existing second horizontal portion 32 is located. That is, in the area A1, a portion of the canister 22 that is sandwiched between the inclined portion 28 and the second horizontal portion 32 and the horizontal plane Sv1 is located. Similarly, in the region A2, a portion of the canister 22 sandwiched between the inclined portion 26 and the second horizontal portion 30 and the horizontal plane Sv2 is located.

  Accordingly, when the limit lateral G acts on the fuel tank 10 when the vehicle turns left with the same amount (predetermined amount) of fuel F remaining in the fuel tank 100 as shown in FIG. The liquid level of the inclined surface Si5 that forms an angle θ vertically upward with respect to the horizontal plane Sv1 is also formed in the fuel tank 10.

  In this way, in the fuel tank 10, since a part of the canister 22 is disposed in the region A1, the fuel formed on the upper surface (the inclined portion 28, the second horizontal portion 32) of the canister 22 by the volume thereof. The liquid level (inclined surface Si5) of F becomes higher than the inclined surface Si1. Therefore, even if the remaining amount of the fuel F is a predetermined amount and the limit lateral G acts on the fuel tank 10, the fuel F comes into contact with the filter 50 as shown in FIG. It becomes possible to supply fuel. In addition, if the fuel F contacts the part of the surface of the filter 50, the film of the fuel F is formed on the other part of the surface to prevent the gas from being sucked, so that the fuel F can be sucked. is there.

  That is, even when the remaining amount of the fuel F in the fuel tank body 20 is a predetermined amount and the limit lateral G acts on the fuel tank 10, the fuel F is kept until the liquid level of the fuel F is lowered to the position of the inclined surface Si1. Can be supplied to the engine. Thus, even when the limit lateral G acts on the fuel tank 10, the amount of available fuel F (effective fuel capacity) can be increased. Therefore, the built-in canister 22 reduces the fuel capacity of the fuel tank 10, but can suppress a decrease in the cruising distance of the vehicle.

  As described above, the fuel tank 10 incorporates the canister 22, thereby eliminating the need for a canister arrangement space and attachment parts in the lower part of the vehicle and enabling effective use of the space in the lower part of the vehicle.

  In addition, the upper surface of the canister 22 fixed to the bottom wall 12 of the fuel tank 10 is between the filter 50 in the vehicle width direction end and the right wall 16 and at a position vertically above the horizontal plane Sv1 and the second horizontal Since the part 32 is provided, the effective fuel capacity at the time of vehicle turning can be increased. Therefore, although the capacity of the fuel tank 10 is reduced by incorporating the canister 22 in the fuel tank 10, it is possible to suppress or prevent a decrease in the cruising distance of the vehicle.

  In the present embodiment, the vehicle tank 10 is described as turning left, but the fuel tank 10 also includes the canister 22 in the region A2, so that the inclined surface Si6 is provided even when the vehicle turns right. The liquid level of the fuel F is formed, and the same effect as when turning left is obtained.

  Further, the canister 22 has a shape extending from the left wall 14 to the right wall 16 through the lower side of the filter 50, but it may be formed only on the left side or the right side of the filter 50.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the upper surface of the canister 22 forms inclined portions 26 and 28 that are inclined vertically upward from a position spaced from the width direction end of the horizontal portion 24, that is, the width direction end of the filter 50. However, you may form from the width direction edge part position of the filter 50. FIG.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the inclined portions 26 and 28 are formed in the vehicle width direction of the canister 22 to suppress a decrease in the effective fuel capacity of the fuel tank body 20, but the inclined portion is formed in the vehicle front-rear direction of the canister 22. Thus, a decrease in the effective fuel capacity during vehicle acceleration / deceleration may be suppressed.

10 Fuel pump 12 Bottom wall 14 Left wall (side wall)
16 Right wall (side wall)
18 Upper wall 20 Fuel tank body 22 Canisters 26, 28 Inclined portion (inclined surface)
49 Pump module 50 Filter

Claims (1)

A fuel tank body in which fuel is stored in an interior surrounded by a bottom wall, a side wall, and an upper wall;
A pump module installed on the bottom wall side of the fuel tank body and supplying fuel stored in the fuel tank body to the outside of the fuel tank body;
A filter attached to the fuel inlet of the pump module;
It is attached to the bottom wall inside the fuel tank body , and the upper surface is inclined vertically upward from the end of the filter or from the end of the filter to the side wall on the end side toward the side wall. fuel tank comprising a canister, a containing inclined surface.

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