JPH0365288B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a mounting structure for a fuel tank of an automobile, and more particularly to a mounting structure for a fuel tank of an automobile in which an engine is disposed at the rear of the vehicle body.

(Prior art) In RR vehicles (including midship engine rear drive vehicles (MR vehicles)) in which the engine is located at the rear (or center) of the vehicle body to drive the rear wheels, the fuel tank Placement is often an issue.

For example, if a fuel tank is placed between the passenger compartment and the engine, the passenger compartment will be compressed and narrowed by the space of the fuel tank, and the fuel in the tank will bubble due to the heat of the engine, causing problems such as bumps while driving. There are defects that may cause such problems. Since the engine is located at the rear of the vehicle, it is conceivable to place the fuel tank at the front of the vehicle, but in this case the fuel tank would be the first to be damaged in a head-on collision, which is undesirable from a safety standpoint. Furthermore, there is a method of fitting the fuel tank within the closed section of the side sill portion, but in this case there is a problem that the fuel tank may be damaged in the event of a side collision.

For this reason, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-201722, the conventional front engine
It has been proposed that a fuel tank be disposed in a rear-drive vehicle (FR vehicle) by utilizing a tunnel extending longitudinally through the center of the vehicle body floor, which was formed to allow the propeller shaft to pass through. RR vehicles (MR vehicles) do not require a tunnel section, so this allows the fuel tank to be placed in the center of the vehicle body, where there is less risk of damage in the event of a collision. There is still a fear that since it protrudes into the interior, it will narrow the cabin space and impair the comfort of the vehicle. Particularly in small cars, ensuring a spacious cabin is a major goal, and it can be said that the smaller the car, the greater the influence of the tunnel section on the cabin size.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention has been developed in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to locate the fuel tank close to the center of the vehicle body and away from the engine, and to reduce the effect on the cabin space. The object of the present invention is to provide a mounting structure for a fuel tank.

(Structure of the Invention) The mounting structure of the present invention is such that, in an automobile in which the engine is disposed at the rear of the vehicle body, the mounting structure is mounted on the inside of the vehicle at approximately the center in the width direction of the vehicle below the dash panel that partitions the luggage compartment and the vehicle interior at the front of the vehicle body. The present invention is characterized in that a protruding recess is formed, and a fuel tank is disposed astride the luggage compartment and the recess.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the general shape of an automobile having a fuel tank mounting structure according to the present invention, and the left side of the figure shows the front of the vehicle body. This automobile 1 has an engine 2 disposed at the rear (or near the center) of the vehicle body, and power from the engine 2 is transmitted to rear wheels 4 to drive the rear wheels. A passenger compartment 5 is provided in front of the engine 2, and a passenger compartment 5 is provided with a steering wheel 6, a seat 7, and the like. Further, a luggage compartment 20 is formed in front of the vehicle compartment 5, and the compartment 5 and the luggage compartment 20 are separated by a dash panel 10. Note that the luggage compartment 20 is a space where the engine and the like are placed in a front engine/rear drive vehicle (FR vehicle). The dash panel 10 is formed with a recessed part 11 protruding toward the inside of the vehicle interior at its lower part and approximately at the center in the width direction of the vehicle body, and the fuel tank 30 is connected to the luggage compartment 20.
and the recessed portion 11.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional schematic diagram of the front part of the car body shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of this part seen from the front of the car body, and Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of this part seen from above the car body. FIG. Identical parts in FIGS. 2 to 3 are designated by the same reference numerals, and embodiments of the present invention will be described below using these figures together. Note that arrow F in the figure indicates the front of the vehicle.

A vehicle compartment 5 for a passenger and a luggage compartment 20 located in front of the vehicle compartment 5 are separated by a dash panel 10. At the lower part of the dash panel 10, a concave part 11 that protrudes from the luggage compartment 20 side to the vehicle compartment 5 side is formed at approximately the center in the width direction of the vehicle body. 30 are arranged. As shown in the figure, this concave portion is located on the side of the pedals (accelerator pedal 15a, brake pedal 15b, and clutch pedal 15c shown in FIG. 4) near the passenger's feet, and is usually covered by a console or the like. , due to this recess, the vehicle compartment 5
There is almost no impact such as pressure on the space. A cross member 23 extending in the vehicle width direction is disposed in front of the fuel tank 30, and both ends of the cross member 23 are joined to frames 13, 13 extending longitudinally on both sides of the vehicle body. This cross member 23 is curved at the approximately central portion located in front of the fuel tank 30 to the lower surface of the fuel tank 30, so that even if the cross member 23 is pushed rearward in the event of a collision from the front, this will directly impact the fuel tank 30. I'm trying not to hit it.

On the other hand, on the lower surface of the joint between the lower end of the recessed portion 11 and the floor panel 5a of the vehicle interior 5, a reinforcing member 16 is attached along this joint, surrounding the rear half of the fuel tank 30, and having both ends extending in the vehicle width direction. This increases the strength and rigidity of this part. A tank band 31 is attached across the reinforced portion of the reinforcing member 16 and the cross member 23, and the fuel tank 30 is supported by this tank band 31. Further, a plurality of cushioning materials 12 are arranged between the fuel tank 30 and the recessed portion 11 to help hold the fuel tank 30 and to soften the impact transmitted to the tank 30.

The left and right front wheels 3, 3 are the left and right suspensions 8,
The rotation of the steering wheel 6 arranged in the vehicle interior is transmitted to the left and right front wheels 3, 3 via the steering shafts 6a, 6b and the steering mechanism 9, and these wheels are steered. be steered.

A spare tire 22 is placed in the luggage compartment 20, and a radiator 21 is attached to the front. Furthermore, an accelerator pedal 15a, a brake pedal 15b, and a clutch pedal 15c are arranged in the driver's seat.
A brake master bag 14 is attached to the luggage compartment side of the dash panel 11. In addition, 8
a is a stabilizer.

In this way, in RR vehicles (MR vehicles), the front part of the cabin can be used as a luggage compartment, so as long as interference with the steering shaft, master bag, etc. is avoided, this luggage compartment space can be used to carry out the above-mentioned operations. This allows the fuel tank to be placed near the center of the vehicle body without protruding too much into the vehicle interior.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the present invention, in an automobile in which the engine is disposed at the rear of the vehicle body, a dash panel that partitions the front luggage compartment and the passenger compartment is provided at the lower center in the vehicle width direction on the passenger compartment side. Since a protruding recess is formed and the fuel tank is disposed astride this recess and the luggage compartment, the fuel tank can be placed near the center of the vehicle body, and the interior space of the vehicle does not become too narrow. There is no. Therefore, the risk of damage to the fuel tank in the event of a collision is small, and since it is located far from the engine, it is not affected by the heat of the engine.
Furthermore, since the concave portion protruding toward the inside of the vehicle interior is located at the lower center of the dash panel in the vehicle width direction, this portion is covered by a console or the like even in conventional vehicles, and the interior space of the vehicle is less likely to become narrow.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the general shape of an automobile having the fuel tank mounting structure of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing the front part of the automobile body of FIG.
This figure is a schematic perspective view of the front part of the vehicle body shown in FIG. 2, seen from the front of the vehicle body, and FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the front part of the vehicle body shown in FIG. 2, seen from above the vehicle body. 2... Engine, 3... Front wheel, 5... Vehicle interior, 7... Seat, 10... Dash panel, 11... Recessed part, 12
...Cushioning material, 20...Luggage space, 23...Cross member, 3
0...fuel tank, 31...tank band.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In an automobile in which the engine is disposed at the rear of the vehicle body, a vehicle interior is provided at approximately the center in the width direction of the vehicle below a darts panel that partitions a luggage compartment provided at the front of the vehicle body from a vehicle interior in which passengers board. 1. A fuel tank mounting structure for an automobile, characterized in that a recess is formed that projects inward, and a fuel tank is disposed astride the recess and the luggage compartment.