JP2006299974A - Pump module mounting structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pump module mounting structure in consideration of the corrosion of a fuel tank around its opening. <P>SOLUTION: The pump module mounting structure comprises a retainer 10 for fixing a pump module 5 to the opening 2 of a tank body 3 while covering the pump module 5 at its upper-end outer peripheral edge. The upper end face of the retainer 10 is located higher than the upper end face of the pump module 5. A flow path 11 is provided in communication through the inside of the retainer 10 with the outside. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a pump module mounting structure when a pump module is mounted to an opening of a fuel tank.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the conventional fuel module mounting structure for the fuel tank is such that the pump module 52 is inserted into an opening 51 provided in a part of a metal fuel tank 50 through a packing (not shown) for preventing fuel leakage. A metal retainer 53 is attached. The retainer 53 is fixed to the opening 51 while covering the outer peripheral edge of the upper end surface of the pump module 52.

  Since the retainer 53 has a predetermined thickness, the upper surface of the pump module 52 is formed in a concave shape depending on the thickness. Therefore, when the fuel tank 50 is attached to a vehicle such as an automobile, water 55 (rainwater, seawater, etc.) accumulates on the surface of the pump module 52 due to the influence of rainwater or the like.

  Generally, a pump module is formed of a resin material, and the resin material is vulnerable to acid and salt, and the top surface of the pump module is affected by water containing the acid and salt, causing erosion and cracks. In the case of, there is a possibility that a hole will be opened. Moreover, when water accumulates on the surface of the pump module 52, rust is generated in the retainer.

  Thus, regarding the mounting structure of the current pump module, no consideration is given to salinity and acid.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a pump module mounting structure that takes into account corrosion around the opening of a fuel tank.

  The present invention will be described below. In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, reference numerals in the accompanying drawings are appended in parentheses, but the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

  The mounting structure of the pump module according to claim 1 includes a retainer (10) for fixing the pump module to the opening (2) of the tank body (3) while covering the outer periphery of the upper end of the pump module (5), In the mounting structure of the pump module in which the upper end surface of the retainer is disposed higher than the upper end surface of the pump module, the retainer has a flow path (11) communicating from the inside to the outside of the retainer.

  Further, the pump module mounting structure according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the fuel tank according to claim 1, the retainer is formed with a notch communicating from the inside to the outside of the retainer. To do.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the fuel tank according to the first aspect, the retainer is disposed with a predetermined space (H) between the retainer and the outer peripheral surface of the opening. The flow path includes an introduction path (15) that introduces the space into the space from the upper end surface of the pump module, and a communication path (16, 18) that communicates from the space to the outside of the retainer. Features.

  The pump module mounting structure according to claim 4 is the fuel tank according to claim 3, wherein the opening is provided at one end of a cylindrical body formed to protrude from the tank body, The communication path is a through passage (16) in which the peripheral edge of the retainer is penetrated from the space to the outside of the retainer.

  The pump module mounting structure according to claim 5 is the fuel tank according to claim 3, wherein the opening is provided at one end of a cylindrical body formed to protrude from the tank body, Screws (10c, 2c) that are screwed to each other are formed on the inner periphery of the retainer and the outer periphery of the cylindrical body, and the communication path is at least one of the screws formed on the retainer and the cylindrical body. It is a cut groove (18) formed by cutting out the screw in a direction intersecting with one of the screws.

  The fuel tank of the present application relates to a structure for mounting the pump module in the fuel tank T. The fuel tank includes a retainer 10 that covers the outer periphery of the upper end of the pump module 5 and is fixed to the opening of the tank body 3. In the fuel tank T arranged higher than the upper end surface of the pump module 5, water (rain water or the like) accumulated on the upper end surface of the pump module 5 surrounded by one end of the retainer 10 is discharged to the outside of the retainer 10. In addition, a flow path communicating from the inside to the outside of the retainer 10 is provided.

  Hereinafter, each embodiment of the pump module mounting structure according to the present application will be described with reference to the drawings.

-First embodiment-
FIG. 1 is an external view of a fuel tank, FIG. 2 shows the structure of a pump module mounting structure in the fuel tank of the first embodiment, FIG. 2 (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II, and FIG. FIG. In the following description, the top / bottom / left / right direction of FIG. 2 is expressed as the top / bottom / left / right of the fuel tank for the sake of convenience. In FIG. 2, the illustration of the passages 5c and 5d shown in FIG. 1 is omitted.

  The fuel tank T includes a resin tank body 3 in which a cylindrical opening 2 is integrally formed at a part of an upper end portion, a resin pump module 5 attached to the opening, and the tank body 3. A fuel leakage preventing packing 7 disposed between the pump module 5 and the pump module 5 is fixed to the opening 2 while covering the outer peripheral edge of the upper end surface of the pump module 5. And a resin retainer 10 attached to the opening 2.

  The tank body 3 includes a substantially rectangular upper end body 3a in which the cylindrical opening 2 is integrally formed in a part thereof, and a side body extending in a substantially downward vertical direction from the outer periphery of the upper end body 3a. 3b and a bottom body (not shown) that covers the lower side of the side body 3b. The tank body 3 has a gas barrier property, and fuel such as gasoline is stored inside the tank body 3.

  The opening 2 includes a cylindrical body 2b having an opening 2a functioning as a fuel inlet / outlet at one end, and a screw 2c for fixing the retainer 10 to the opening 2 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 2b. Is formed. The opening 2 functions as the opening of the present application.

  The pump module 5 includes a circular upper end body 5a and a cylindrical side body 5b that extends downward from the lower end surface of the upper end body 5a and is integrally formed. Although not shown, a pump for supplying fuel in the tank body 3 to the engine or the like is attached below the side body 5b. Further, the upper end body 5a is formed to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the opening 2 of the fuel tank. Thereby, in a state where the pump module 5 is attached to the opening 2 of the fuel tank 3 by the retainer 10 described later, a predetermined gap is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the retainer 10 and the side surface of the upper end portion body 5a of the pump module 5. A space H can be formed. The space H functions as a flow path for discharging water accumulated on the upper surface of the upper end portion body 5a of the pump module.

  In the state where the pump module 5 is attached to the opening 2, the outer peripheral edge of the lower end surface of the upper end body 5a is disposed at the upper end of the opening 2, and the outer peripheral edge of the lower end surface of the upper end body 5a The upper part of the outer peripheral surface of the side body 5b is disposed so as to be in close contact with the upper end part and the upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the opening 2 via a packing 7 described later.

  In addition, the upper surface of the upper end body 5a communicates with the inside of the tank main body 3 so that fuel sucked by a pump (not shown) is supplied to the engine of the automobile, and surplus fuel from the engine flows back. A fuel return passage 5d is integrally formed. The fuel stored in the tank body 3 is supplied to an automobile engine or the like via the fuel supply passage 5c. Further, surplus fuel from the engine is returned to the inside of the fuel tank body 3 through the fuel return passage 5d.

  Note that only the fuel supply passage 5c may be formed on the upper surface of the upper end body 5a. The fuel supply passage 5c and the fuel return passage 5d may be formed separately from the pump module 5. For example, pipe parts such as the fuel supply passage 5c and the fuel return passage 5d may be provided separately on the top of the lid and attached via an O-ring.

  The packing 7 is made of an elastic body such as rubber, is an annular body, and is formed in a substantially reverse flange shape. The packing 7 is provided to prevent the fuel stored in the tank body 3 from leaking and to improve the airtightness inside the tank body 3.

  The retainer 10 includes an annular end portion 10a formed in an annular shape, and a side portion 10b extending in a downward vertical direction from the outer periphery of the upper end portion 10a, and is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the side portion 10b. Is formed with a screw 10c for screwing with a screw 2c formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 2b. Specifically, the retainer 10 is formed by bending one end of a cylindrical body inward.

  In this way, the retainer 10 presses the upper end portion 5a of the pump module 5 against the opening 2 side of the tank body 3 by the annular end portion 10a, while the screw 10c is the screw 2c of the cylindrical body 2b. And is fixed to the opening 2 of the tank body 3 while covering the outer periphery of the upper surface of the upper end body 5a of the pump module 5.

  Further, the retainer 10 is formed with a notch 11 communicating from the inside to the outside. Specifically, the notch 11 is formed to extend from the inner peripheral end of the annular end body 10a to the vicinity of the center of the side body 10b. In the state where the pump module 5 is attached to the opening 2 by the retainer 10, the notch 11 faces one of the upper surfaces of the pump module 5 and the other is the same as or lower than the upper end surface of the opening 2. Is formed. Preferably, the other end of the notch 11 is formed to have an inclined surface 11a inclined downward. In addition, the said notch 11 functions as a flow path of this application.

  In the fuel tank T thus configured, for example, conventionally, in a state where the fuel tank T is attached to a vehicle such as an automobile, water has accumulated on the upper surface of the pump module 5 due to rainwater, seawater, or the like. In this case, due to secular change, the upper surface of the pump module 5 is eroded or cracked by acid or the like due to water, but according to the present embodiment, the notch 11 formed in the retainer 10 is replaced with the pump module 5. Since it functions as a flow path for discharging water to the outside from the top surface, water does not accumulate on the top surface of the pump module 5, and the resin material can be prevented from being eroded or cracked.

-Second Embodiment-
Next, a pump module mounting structure in the fuel tank of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, the same reference numerals are given to portions common to FIGS. 1 and 2, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  3A and 3B show a mounting structure of the pump module in the fuel tank of the present embodiment, FIG. 3A is a longitudinal sectional view, and FIG. 3B is a plan view. As apparent from FIG. 3, the fuel tank T <b> 1 of the present embodiment includes an introduction path for introducing water accumulated on the upper surface of the pump module 5 into the space H from the upper surface of the pump module 5, and a retainer from the space H. 10 and a discharge path for discharging to the outside. Specifically, a groove 15 having a tapered surface 15a inclined downward in the outer peripheral direction is formed on at least a part of the outer peripheral edge of the upper end body 5a of the pump module 5, and a through hole 16 is formed in the retainer 10, The water collected on the upper surface of the pump module 5 is discharged to the outside of the retainer 10 through the groove 15, the space H, and the through hole 16.

  As shown in the figure, a groove 15 having a tapered surface 15a inclined downward in the outer circumferential direction is formed in a part of the outer peripheral edge of the upper end portion body 5a of the pump module 5. In the drawing, the groove 15 is formed at four locations on the outer peripheral edge of the pump module 5 in the cross direction with respect to the center of the opening 2. I do not care.

  Further, the retainer 10 is formed with a through hole 16. The through hole 16 is formed so that one of the through holes 16 faces the upper end surface of the opening 2 when the retainer 10 is attached to the opening 2. The other of the through holes 16 is formed to be equal to or lower than the height of the upper end surface of the opening 2. That is, the through hole 16 is formed so as to incline horizontally or outwardly downward.

  In addition, the groove | channel 15 of this embodiment functions as an introduction path of this application, and the through-hole 16 of this embodiment functions as a communicating path of this application, and a penetration path.

  In this way, the water accumulated on the upper surface of the pump module 5 is drained to the outside of the retainer 10 through the groove 15, the space H, and the through hole 16, so that the water is accumulated on the upper surface of the pump module 5. Thus, corrosion of the pump module 5 due to the influence of the water can be prevented.

-Third embodiment-
Next, a pump module mounting structure in the fuel tank of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, the same reference numerals are given to portions common to FIGS. 1 and 2, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  4A and 4B show the mounting structure of the pump module in the fuel tank of the present embodiment. FIG. 4A is a longitudinal sectional view, FIG. 4B is an appearance of the opening, and FIG. 4C is a plan view of the opening. It is. As apparent from FIG. 4, the fuel tank T <b> 2 of the present embodiment includes an introduction path for introducing water accumulated on the upper surface of the pump module 5 into the space H from the upper surface of the pump module 5, and a retainer from the space H. 10 and a discharge path for discharging to the outside. Specifically, a groove 15 having a tapered surface 15a inclined downward in the outer circumferential direction is formed in at least a part of the outer peripheral edge of the upper end portion body 5a of the pump module 5, and a screw formed on the outer periphery of the opening 2 In 2c, a cut groove 18 extending from the start end to the end of the screw along the axial direction of the opening is formed, and water accumulated on the upper surface of the pump module 5 is passed through the groove 15, the space H, and the cut groove 18. The form is discharged to the outside of the retainer 10.

  As shown in the figure, a groove 15 having a tapered surface 15a inclined downward in the outer circumferential direction is formed in a part of the outer peripheral edge of the upper end portion body 5a of the pump module 5. In the drawing, the grooves 15 are formed at four outer peripheral edges of the upper end body 5a of the pump module 5 in the cross direction with respect to the center of the opening 2. Or one place.

  Further, the screw 2c formed in the opening 2 is formed with a kerf 18 extending from the start end to the end of the screw 2c along the axial direction of the cylindrical body forming the opening 2. .

  The cut groove 18 is not necessarily formed in the screw 2c of the opening 2, and may be formed in the screw 10c formed in the retainer 10. Further, the kerf 18 may be formed in both the opening 2 and the retainer 10. Further, the kerf 18 is not necessarily formed in the vertical direction along the axial direction of the cylindrical body, and may be formed to be inclined downward.

  In addition, the groove | channel 15 of this embodiment functions as an introduction path of this application, and the cut groove 18 of this embodiment functions as a communicating path of this application.

  In this way, water accumulated on the upper surface of the pump module 5 is drained to the outside of the retainer 10 through the groove 15, the space H, and the cut groove 18, so that water accumulates on the upper surface of the pump module 5. Therefore, corrosion of the pump module 5 due to the influence of the water can be prevented.

It is an external view of a fuel tank. The structure of the attachment structure of the pump module in the fuel tank of 1st Embodiment is shown, Fig.2 (a) is II sectional drawing, FIG.2 (b) is an assembly structure figure. The attachment structure of the pump module in the fuel tank of 2nd Embodiment is shown, Fig.3 (a) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, FIG.3 (b) is a top view. FIG. 4A shows a mounting structure of a pump module in a fuel tank of a third embodiment, FIG. 4A is a longitudinal sectional view, FIG. 4B is an appearance of the opening, and FIG. 4C is a plan view of the opening. is there. It is a block diagram of the conventional fuel tank.

Explanation of symbols

T Fuel tank 3 Tank body 5 Pump module 7 Packing 10 Retainer 11 Notch 15 Groove 16 Through hole 18 Groove

Claims (5)

In the mounting structure of the pump module, provided with a retainer that fixes the pump module to the opening of the tank body while covering the outer peripheral edge of the upper end of the pump module, the upper end surface of the retainer is arranged higher than the upper end surface of the pump module.
A pump module mounting structure comprising a flow path communicating from the inside to the outside of the retainer. In the retainer,
2. The structure for mounting a pump module according to claim 1, wherein a notch communicating from the inside to the outside of the retainer is formed. The retainer is disposed with a predetermined space between the outer peripheral surface of the opening,
The flow path is
An introduction path to be introduced into the space from the upper end surface of the pump module;
The pump module mounting structure according to claim 1, further comprising a communication passage communicating from the space to the outside of the retainer. The opening has at one end of a cylindrical body formed to protrude from the tank body,
The mounting structure for a pump module according to claim 3, wherein the communication path is a through passage in which a peripheral edge of the retainer is penetrated from the space to the outside of the retainer. The opening has at one end of a cylindrical body formed to protrude from the tank body,
The inner periphery of the retainer and the outer periphery of the cylindrical body are formed with screws that are screwed together,
4. The communication path according to claim 3, wherein the communication path is a cut groove formed by cutting out the screw in a direction intersecting at least one of the retainer and the screw formed in the cylindrical body. Mounting structure of the described pump module.

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