JP2008238903A - Fuel tank - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel tank decreasing dead remaining amount in the fuel tank, and hardly generating the running out of fuel even when acceleration/deceleration is acted in various directions. <P>SOLUTION: The fuel tanks 300, 400 mounted on a vehicle 101 or a vessel 1 comprises fuel tank bodies 310, 410; and fuel collecting chambers 320, 420 bulging downward from the bottom surfaces of the fuel tank bodies 310, 410. A fuel pump 340 is disposed in the fuel tank bodies 310, 410, and on the other hand, a fuel sucking port 344 of the fuel pump 340 is opened to the fuel collecting chambers 320, 420. Throttling portions 350, 450 extended in a generally horizontal direction so as to continue to bottom surfaces 312, 412 of the fuel tank bodies 310, 410 are provided at openings 313, 413 of the bottom surfaces 312, 412 of the fuel tank bodies 310, 410 which are connecting portions between the fuel collecting chambers 320, 420 and the fuel tank bodies 310, 410. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel tank used for a vehicle or a ship.

A fuel tank mounted on a vehicle (including a saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle, a motorcycle, or the like) or a ship has a fuel pump inside the fuel tank. This fuel pump sucks the fuel in the fuel tank and supplies the fuel to the fuel supply device.
For example, in a conventional motorcycle, a large acceleration / deceleration acts and the fuel in the fuel tank is shifted forward or backward, so that the suction port of the fuel pump may be exposed on the liquid level. In order to prevent the occurrence of such fuel shortage, a pump case (fuel reservoir chamber) extending downward from the bottom of the fuel tank is provided to open the fuel pump suction port in the fuel pump case. A technique for securing fuel in the fuel pump case including the enclosure by providing an enclosure that protrudes from the bottom surface of the fuel tank toward the upper side of the fuel tank at the opening edge of the case is known (for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent No. 3772630

However, in the above-described technique, when the fuel in the fuel tank is reduced, the remaining fuel cannot flow into the pump case by the enclosure. For this reason, the fuel remaining in the fuel tank cannot be used to the end (hereinafter, the unusable fuel remaining in the fuel tank is referred to as a dead fuel amount).
Further, in a ship navigating on the water or a vehicle traveling on rough terrain, acceleration / deceleration in the vertical direction as well as in the front / rear direction also acts. In this way, when the fuel moves upward in the fuel tank, the fuel goes out of the pump case beyond the enclosure, and thus the above-described fuel shortage may occur.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and reduces the amount of dead fuel in the fuel tank, and even when acceleration / deceleration acts in all directions, the fuel tank is unlikely to cause fuel shortage. The purpose is to provide.

In the present invention, a fuel tank mounted on a vehicle or a ship includes a fuel tank body and a fuel reservoir chamber that bulges downward from the bottom surface of the fuel tank body, and a fuel pump is disposed in the fuel tank body. On the other hand, a fuel suction port of a fuel pump is opened in the fuel reservoir chamber, and is a connection portion between the fuel reservoir chamber and the fuel tank body, and is continuous with the bottom surface of the fuel tank body and the bottom surface of the fuel tank body. As described above, an aperture portion extending in a substantially horizontal direction is provided.
According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the fuel in the fuel tank main body from entering the fuel reservoir chamber and to prevent the fuel in the fuel reservoir chamber from striking the throttle portion and moving upward.

The throttle portion may be formed integrally with the bottom surface of the fuel tank main body, and the fuel reservoir chamber may be formed separately from the bottom plate of the fuel tank main body.
According to this structure, the bottom part and throttle part of a fuel reservoir chamber and a fuel tank main body can be comprised easily.

Further, the fuel tank body and the fuel reservoir chamber may be integrally formed by blow molding.
According to this configuration, the assembling work of the fuel tank main body, the fuel reservoir chamber, and the throttle portion is not necessary.

Furthermore, the fuel reservoir chamber may be formed in a cylindrical shape, a screw may be formed on the outer periphery, and a nut for fastening the fuel pump may be screwed.
According to this configuration, the number of parts for fixing the fuel pump can be reduced, and the fuel pump can be easily fixed to the fuel reservoir chamber.

According to the present invention, a fuel tank main body and a fuel reservoir chamber that bulges downward from the bottom surface of the fuel tank main body are provided, and a fuel pump is disposed in the fuel tank main body, while a fuel pump is disposed in the fuel reservoir chamber. The fuel intake port of the fuel tank body is opened, and the connection portion between the fuel reservoir chamber and the fuel tank main body is extended to the opening on the bottom surface of the fuel tank main body in a substantially horizontal direction so as to be continuous with the bottom surface of the fuel tank main body. Since the throttle portion is provided, the fuel in the fuel tank main body, which has been the remaining amount of fuel in the past, flows into the fuel reservoir chamber along the surface of the throttle portion that is continuous with the bottom surface. There is no hindrance to entering the storage chamber. As a result, the amount of fuel that is the remaining amount of death can be reduced, and it is possible to make it more difficult for fuel to run out.
Further, since the fuel that is going to move upward from the fuel reservoir chamber hits the throttle part, it is difficult to move the fuel upward. Therefore, even if acceleration / deceleration acts on the fuel in the fuel reservoir chamber in various directions, up and down, left and right, and front and rear, the fuel pump suction port is not exposed on the fuel level. As a result, it is possible to make it difficult for the suction port of the fuel pump to suck air or to run out of fuel.

  Further, the throttle portion is formed integrally with the bottom surface of the fuel tank main body, and the fuel reservoir chamber is formed separately from the bottom plate of the fuel tank main body, so that the bottom portion and the throttle portion of the fuel tank main body can be easily formed. In addition to being able to be configured, the configuration required for the present invention can be easily obtained simply by attaching the fuel reservoir chamber to the fuel tank body.

  Further, since the fuel tank body and the fuel reservoir chamber are integrally formed by blow molding, the assembling work between the fuel tank body and the fuel reservoir chamber becomes unnecessary. As a result, the assembly cost of the fuel tank can be reduced. In addition, the drawn portion can be easily formed.

  Furthermore, the fuel reservoir chamber has a cylindrical shape, a screw is formed on the outer periphery, and a nut for tightening the fuel pump is screwed, so that parts for fixing the fuel pump can be reduced, The fuel pump can be easily fixed to the fuel reservoir chamber. As a result, component costs can be reduced and assembly costs can be reduced.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a fuel tank according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of a small boat equipped with a fuel tank according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the up-down direction and the front-rear direction indicate directions based on FIG. 1, and the left-right direction refers to the left-right in the forward direction.

  A small boat 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a saddle-type small boat, and acceleration / deceleration acts in all directions such as up and down, front and rear, and left and right while navigating on water. The small boat 1 can be operated by an occupant sitting on a seat 12 on a hull 11 and holding a steering handle 13 with a throttle lever 13a. The hull 11 has a floating structure in which a lower hull panel 14 and an upper hull panel 15 are joined to form a space 16 therein. In the space 16, an engine 20 is mounted on the lower hull panel 14, and a jet pump 30 as propulsion means driven by the engine 20 is provided at the rear part of the lower hull panel 14.

  The jet pump 30 includes a flow path 32 that extends from the water intake port 17 that opens to the bottom of the ship to a jet nozzle 31 that opens to the rear end of the hull, and an impeller (not shown) disposed in the flow path 32. A shaft 33 is connected to the output shaft 21 of the engine 20. Therefore, when the impeller is rotationally driven by the engine 20, water taken from the water intake port 17 is ejected from the ejection nozzle 31, thereby propelling the hull 11. The driving speed of the engine 20, that is, the propulsive force by the jet pump 30, is operated by rotating the throttle lever 13 a of the steering handle 13. The ejection nozzle 31 is linked to the steering handle 13 by an operation wire (not shown), and is rotated by the operation of the steering handle 13, whereby the course can be changed.

  A fuel tank 40 for supplying fuel to the engine 20 is mounted on the bottom of the inner wall of the hull 11 in front of the engine 20. The lower hull panel 14 has a double structure of an outer hull 14a and an inner hull 14b at least at a portion where the fuel tank 40 is mounted, and the space between the inner hull and the outer hull is filled with foam. Constructs a floating body. The inner hull 14b is provided with positioning convex portions (not shown) and four convex support portions 19, and the fuel tank 40 is supported by these convex portions. The fuel tank 40 is a blow molded product of synthetic resin (for example, polyethylene).

  FIG. 2 is a side view of the saddle-ride type four-wheel vehicle equipped with the fuel tank according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the vertical direction and the front-rear direction indicate directions based on FIG. 2, and the left-right direction refers to the left and right in the forward direction.

  A saddle-ride type four-wheel vehicle 101 shown in FIG. 2 includes a pair of left and right front wheels 102 and rear wheels 103, which are relatively large-diameter low-pressure balloon tires, in front of and behind a compact and lightweight vehicle body, so that the lowest ground It is an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) that has secured a large height and improved its ability to run mainly on rough terrain.

  The front wheels 102 and the rear wheels 103 are suspended from the front portion and the rear portion of the vehicle body frame 104 via suspension devices (not shown). An engine 105 is mounted at a substantially central position of the vehicle body frame 104, and a front output shaft 106 and a rear output shaft 107 are provided before and after the engine 105, respectively. The front output shaft 106 and the rear output shaft 107 are connected to the front wheel drive mechanism 108 and the rear wheel drive mechanism 109 via the front drive shaft 110 and the rear drive shaft 111, respectively. The driving force of the engine 105 is transmitted to the front wheels 102 and the rear wheels 103 via the driving mechanisms 108 and 109.

  In addition, a steering shaft 112, a fuel tank 113, and a saddle riding seat 114 are arranged in this order from the vehicle body front side in the vehicle width direction center of the saddle riding type four-wheel vehicle 101. A lower end portion of the steering shaft 112 is connected to a steering mechanism (not shown) for steering the front wheels 102, and a handle 115 is attached to the upper end portion of the steering shaft 112. A resin body cover 116 covering the front part of the vehicle body including the fuel tank 113 and a resin front fender 117 covering the front wheels 102 are attached to the front part of the body frame 104, and in front of the steering shaft 112. A front protector 118 and a front carrier 119 mainly made of a steel pipe are attached. Further, a resin rear fender 120 that covers each rear wheel 103 is attached to the rear portion of the vehicle body frame 104, and a rear carrier 121 mainly made of a steel pipe is attached to the rear of the saddle riding seat 114.

  A pair of left and right upper pipes 122 and a lower pipe 123 extending substantially along the front-rear direction are disposed on the upper and lower parts of the body frame 104. A front portion of each upper pipe 122 is curved downward in front of the steering shaft 112, and a lower end thereof is joined to a front end portion of each lower pipe 123. Further, the rear portion of the lower pipe 123 is curved upward at the rear of the engine 105, and the upper end thereof is joined to the rear portion of the upper pipe 122. As described above, the upper pipe 122 and the lower pipe 123 form a closed loop structure in a side view of the vehicle body. The lower pipe 123 is positioned slightly below the front axle 124, which is the rotation center axis of the front wheel 102, and the rear axle 125, which is the rotation center axis of the rear wheel 103. .

  The upper end portion of the front tension pipe 126 is joined to the curved portion of the upper pipe 122, and the lower end portion of the front tension pipe 126 is joined to a portion closer to the center in the front-rear direction of the lower pipe 123. A rear end portion of the front sub pipe 127 is joined to an intermediate portion of the front tension pipe 126, and the front sub pipe 127 extends substantially horizontally and a front end thereof is joined to the upper pipe 122. The lower end of the rear tension pipe 128 is joined to the curved portion of the lower pipe 123 from the front side, and the upper end of the rear tension pipe 128 is joined to a portion closer to the center in the front-rear direction of the upper frame. Further, the lower end of the rear sub-pipe 129 is joined to the curved portion of the lower pipe 123 from the rear side, and the upper end of the rear sub-pipe 129 is joined to the rear end portion of the upper pipe 122.

  Then, a left frame portion 130 that constitutes the left portion of the vehicle body frame 104 is formed mainly of the left upper pipe 122, the lower pipe 123, each tension pipe, and each sub pipe. Similarly, a right frame 131 that constitutes the right side of the vehicle body frame 104 is formed mainly by the right upper pipe 122, the lower pipe 123, each tension pipe, and each sub pipe. Further, the left frame portion 130 and the right frame portion 131 are integrally coupled via a plurality of cross members (not shown) along the vehicle width direction, so that the vehicle frame direction center portion is long and robust in the front-rear direction. A body frame 104 having a box structure is formed. Here, a space formed between the left frame portion 130 and the right frame portion 131 and formed at the center in the vehicle width direction so as to be surrounded by the members constituting the vehicle body frame 104 is denoted by K. A front end portion of the vehicle body frame 104 (a front end portion of the space portion K) extends to the front of the front axle 124. Reference numeral 133 denotes an occupant step, and a step board (not shown) can be attached by the step 133 and a board frame 134 provided around the step 133.

  The engine 105 is an air-cooled single cylinder reciprocating engine, for example, and is disposed in the space K of the body frame 104. The engine 105 has a so-called vertical layout in which the rotation axis C of the crankshaft 135 is arranged along the front-rear direction at a position slightly shifted to the right side from the center in the vehicle width direction. The cylinder 136 and the cylinder head 137 of the engine 105 are provided so as to be inclined from the portion closer to the right side in the vehicle width direction above the crankcase 138 so as to be located on the left side in the vehicle width direction as it is positioned higher. A transmission case 139 that accommodates a transmission (not shown) is integrally formed on the left side of the crankcase 138. The transmission case 139 is located in front of and behind the transmission case 139 at a position slightly shifted to the left side from the center in the vehicle width direction. A front output shaft 106 and a rear output shaft 107 are provided so as to protrude from the front wall and the rear wall of the transmission case 139, respectively.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the cylinder 136 and the cylinder head 137 are arranged so as to be located at a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction when viewed from the side of the vehicle body. Here, the fuel tank 113 is located at the front of the vehicle body and above the space K of the vehicle body frame 104, and the cylinder 136 and the cylinder head 137 are located obliquely downward and rearward. The fuel tank 113 is an integrally molded product made of resin, for example, and is formed in a desired shape so as to secure a capacity while avoiding peripheral parts, for example, the front part is bifurcated so as to sandwich the steering shaft 112. Yes.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the fuel reservoir chamber 320 formed on the bottom surface of the fuel tank of the small boat 1 or the fuel tank of the saddle-ride type four-wheel vehicle. The shape of the fuel tank 40 of the small boat 1 shown in FIG. 1 and the shape of the fuel tank 113 of the saddle-ride type four-wheel vehicle 101 shown in FIG. 2 can take various shapes depending on the space and volume inside the vehicle body. . Hereinafter, the fuel tanks 40 and 113 will be collectively referred to as the fuel tank 300.
FIG. 3 shows a state in which the remaining amount of the fuel 305 in the fuel tank 300 is reduced and the fuel 305 is accumulated only in the fuel reservoir chamber 320.

  The fuel tank 300 includes a fuel tank main body 310 for substantially storing the fuel 305 and a fuel reservoir chamber 320 located below the bottom surface of the fuel tank main body 310. The fuel tank main body 310 and the fuel reservoir chamber 320 are each formed by processing a steel plate.

The fuel tank body 310 is filled with fuel 305 from a fuel inlet (not shown) located at the upper portion thereof, and the fuel 305 is stored in the interior 311 thereof. The bottom surface 312 of the fuel tank main body 310 has a substantially horizontal surface, and the fuel 305 is prevented from accumulating in a part of the bottom surface 312. The bottom surface 312 is formed with a round hole-shaped opening 313 penetrating in the vertical direction. A fuel pump 340, which will be described later, is inserted into the opening 313 into the fuel tank main body 310 from below.
Note that the overall shape of the fuel tank main body 310 can be appropriately changed according to the shape, space, and capacity of the small boat 1 or the saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle 101.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the fuel reservoir chamber 320 is integrally provided with a bottom surface portion 321 and a cylindrical wall surface portion 322, and has an arm shape having an opening 323 on the upper side. A flange portion 324 extending in a substantially horizontal plane toward the outside of the opening 323 is integrally formed on the upper edge portion of the wall surface portion 322. As shown in FIG. 3, the flange portion 324 is watertightly attached to the outer surface of the bottom surface 312 of the fuel tank main body 310 by welding or the like. As a result, the fuel 305 is also stored in the interior 327 of the fuel storage chamber 320.

In addition, a plurality of support portions 325 for attaching the fuel pump 340 are provided on the bottom surface portion 321 of the fuel reservoir chamber 320. The support portion 325 protrudes downward from the outer surface of the bottom surface portion 321, and a plurality of support portions 325 are provided at intervals along the circumferential direction of the wall surface portion 322.
Further, a mounting hole 326 for inserting the fuel pump 340 into the fuel reservoir chamber 320 and further into the fuel tank main body 310 is formed in the bottom surface portion 321.

As shown in FIG. 3, the above-described fuel pump 340 is attached by attaching a mounting bracket 341 to the lower side of the fuel pump 340 and supporting the mounting bracket 341 by a support portion 325. In addition, a cover 342 for watertightly closing the mounting hole 326 of the fuel reservoir 320 is provided on the upper portion of the mounting bracket 341.
A fuel pump motor 343 and a fuel suction port 344 are provided in the upper part of the fuel pump 340 and in the fuel tank main body 310 and the fuel reservoir chamber 320. A fuel discharge port 345 to which a fuel pipe (not shown) is connected and a connector 346 for supplying power to the fuel pump motor 343 are provided below the fuel pump 340 and below the fuel reservoir chamber 320. I have.

  The opening 313 of the fuel tank body 310 is formed smaller than the opening 323 of the fuel reservoir chamber 320 as shown in FIG. More specifically, a throttle portion 350 is formed in which the bottom surface of the fuel tank main body 310 extends in a substantially horizontal direction toward the inner side of the opening 323 of the fuel reservoir chamber 320.

Next, the operation of the fuel tank 300 in the first embodiment will be described.
The fuel 305 put from the fuel supply port located in the upper part of the fuel tank main body 310 is stored in the interior 311 of the fuel tank main body 310. At this time, the fuel 305 enters the fuel reservoir chamber 320 by its own weight and is also stored in the fuel reservoir chamber 320. When the remaining amount of the fuel 305 is reduced, the fuel in the fuel tank main body 310 flows into the opening 313 along the bottom surface 312 of the fuel tank main body 310, and all flows into the fuel reservoir chamber 320 from the opening 313. It will be.

On the other hand, in the state shown in FIG. 3, when acceleration / deceleration in the front / rear or left / right direction is applied to the small boat 1 or the saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle 101, the fuel 305 in the fuel reservoir chamber 320 is stored in the fuel reservoir chamber 320. It only hits the wall surface 322 and does not flow out of the fuel reservoir chamber 320.
Further, in the state shown in FIG. 3, when vertical acceleration / deceleration acts on the small boat 1 or the saddle-ride type four-wheel vehicle 101, the fuel 305 moves upward. At that time, most of the fuel 305 that has moved upward hits the throttle 350 and is returned to the fuel reservoir 320 again. Further, the fuel overflowing from the opening 313 toward the fuel tank main body 310 flows to the opening 313 along the bottom surface 312 of the fuel tank main body 310 when acceleration / deceleration in the vertical direction stops working. All the fuel flows into the fuel reservoir chamber 320.

According to the fuel tank 300 according to the first embodiment, the bottom surface of the fuel tank main body 310 faces the opening 313 of the fuel tank main body 310 inward of the opening 323 of the fuel reservoir chamber 320 in a substantially horizontal direction. Since the extended throttle portion 350 is formed, the fuel 305 in the fuel tank body 310 flows to the opening 313 along the bottom surface 312 of the fuel tank body 310 when the remaining amount of the fuel 305 decreases. All of the fuel flows into the fuel reservoir chamber 320 from the opening 313. For this reason, almost no fuel 305 remains in the fuel tank main body 310, so that it is possible to prevent the generation of fuel that is not used in the fuel tank 300 (the fuel that is the remaining amount of death).
Even if acceleration / deceleration in the vertical direction is applied to the small boat 1 or the saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle 101, most of the fuel 305 that has moved upward hits the throttle portion 350 and is returned to the fuel reservoir chamber 320 again. Further, the fuel 305 overflowing from the opening 313 to the fuel tank body 310 side flows to the opening 313 along the bottom surface 312 of the fuel tank body 310 when acceleration / deceleration in the vertical direction stops working. All of the fuel flows into the fuel reservoir chamber 320 from 313. For this reason, almost no fuel 305 remains in the fuel tank main body 310, so that it is possible to prevent the generation of fuel that is not used in the fuel tank 300 (the fuel that is the remaining amount of death).

  Further, since the throttle portion 350 is formed integrally with the bottom surface 312 of the fuel tank main body 310, it is not necessary to provide other parts to constitute the throttle portion 350, and the bottom surfaces of the fuel reservoir chamber 320 and the fuel tank main body 310 are provided. The shapes of the 312 and the diaphragm 350 can be a simple shape and structure.

Although the first embodiment of the present invention has been described above, various modifications and changes can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention.
In the first embodiment, the fuel tank main body 310 and the fuel reservoir chamber 320 are made of processed steel plates. However, resin molded products may be used. For example, the fuel tank main body 310 and the fuel reservoir chamber 320 can be respectively formed by injection molding or the like, and the flange portion 324 of the fuel reservoir chamber 320 can be joined in a watertight manner by, for example, ultrasonic welding or laser welding. As a result, an effect equivalent to the effect of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the fuel tank main body 310 and the fuel reservoir chamber 320 can be manufactured at a lower cost.

(Second Embodiment)
In the second embodiment, the fuel tank of the first embodiment is integrally formed by blow molding. That is, it is the same in that it is used for the small boat 1 and the saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle 101, and detailed description thereof is omitted. The same members are indicated by the same reference numerals.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the fuel tank 400 of the small boat 1 or the fuel tank 400 of the saddle-ride type four-wheel vehicle. The shape of the fuel tank 40 of the small boat 1 shown in FIG. 1 and the shape of the fuel tank 113 of the saddle-ride type four-wheel vehicle 101 shown in FIG. 2 can take various shapes depending on the space and volume inside the vehicle body. . Hereinafter, the fuel tanks 40 and 113 will be collectively referred to as the fuel tank 400. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the remaining amount of the fuel 305 is reduced and the fuel 305 is accumulated only in the fuel reservoir chamber 420.

  The fuel tank 400 includes a fuel tank main body 410 for substantially storing the fuel 305 and a fuel reservoir chamber 420 located below the bottom surface of the fuel tank main body 410. The fuel tank body 410 and the fuel reservoir chamber 420 are integrally formed by blow molding.

The fuel tank main body 410 is configured such that fuel 305 is introduced from a fuel supply port 414 located at an upper portion thereof, and the fuel 305 is stored in the interior 411 thereof. The bottom surface 412 of the fuel tank main body 410 has a substantially horizontal plane, and the fuel 305 is prevented from accumulating in a part of the bottom surface 412. The bottom surface 412 is formed with a round hole-shaped opening 413 communicating with the fuel reservoir chamber 420 in the vertical direction. A fuel pump 340, which will be described later, is inserted into the opening 413 into the fuel tank body 410 from below.
The overall shape of the fuel tank body 410 is shown as a square shape in FIG. 4, but mounting portions are provided in accordance with the shape, space, and capacity of the small boat 1 or the saddle-ride type four-wheel vehicle 101. Or further provided with a convex portion or a concave portion.

As shown in FIG. 4, the fuel reservoir chamber 420 is integrally provided with a bottom surface portion 421 and a cylindrical wall surface portion 422, and communicates with the fuel tank main body 410 at the opening 413. As a result, the fuel 305 is also stored in the interior 427 of the fuel storage chamber 420.
A mounting hole 426 for inserting the fuel pump 340 into the fuel reservoir chamber 420 and further into the fuel tank body 410 is formed in the bottom surface portion 421 of the fuel reservoir chamber 420.

  The above-described fuel pump 340 is fixed to the lower side of the bottom surface portion 421 of the fuel reservoir chamber 420 via a nut 440 as shown in FIG. Specifically, the nut 440 is screwed onto a screw 423 formed on the outer wall surface (outer periphery) of the wall surface portion 422 of the fuel reservoir chamber 420 and is attached from the lower side of the fuel reservoir chamber 420. The fuel pump 340 is sandwiched between the nut 440 and the bottom surface portion 421 of the fuel reservoir chamber 420 so as to be tightened. When the nut 440 is attached, the nut 440 closes the attachment hole 426 in a watertight manner.

  A fuel pump motor 343 and a fuel intake port 344 are provided in the upper part of the fuel pump 340 and located in the fuel tank main body 410 and the fuel reservoir chamber 420. A fuel discharge port 345 to which a fuel pipe (not shown) is connected and a connector 346 for supplying electric power to the fuel pump motor 343 are provided below the fuel pump 340 and outside the fuel reservoir chamber 420. I have.

  The diameter of the opening 413 of the fuel tank body 410 is smaller than the inner diameter of the wall surface portion 422 of the fuel reservoir chamber 420 as shown in FIG. More specifically, a throttle portion 450 is formed in which the bottom surface of the fuel tank main body 410 extends in a substantially horizontal direction toward the inside of the wall surface portion 422 of the fuel reservoir chamber 320.

Next, the operation of the fuel tank 400 in the second embodiment will be described.
The fuel 305 put from the fuel supply port 414 located at the upper part of the fuel tank main body 410 is stored in the interior 411 of the fuel tank main body 410. At this time, the fuel 305 enters the fuel reservoir chamber 420 by its own weight and is also stored in the fuel reservoir chamber 420. When the remaining amount of the fuel 305 decreases, the fuel in the fuel tank main body 410 flows into the opening 413 along the bottom surface 412 of the fuel tank main body 410, and all flows into the fuel reservoir chamber 420 from the opening 413. It will be.

On the other hand, in the state shown in FIG. 4, when acceleration / deceleration is applied to the small boat 1 or the saddle-ride type four-wheel vehicle 101 in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction, the fuel 305 in the fuel reservoir chamber 420 is stored in the fuel reservoir chamber 420. It only hits the wall surface 422 and does not flow out of the fuel reservoir chamber 420.
In the state shown in FIG. 4, when vertical acceleration / deceleration acts on the small boat 1 or the saddle-ride type four-wheel vehicle 101, the fuel 305 moves upward. At that time, most of the fuel 305 that has moved upward hits the throttle 450 and is returned to the fuel reservoir 420 again. Further, the fuel overflowing from the opening 413 to the fuel tank body 410 side flows to the opening 413 along the bottom surface 412 of the fuel tank body 410 when the acceleration / deceleration in the vertical direction stops working. All flows into the fuel reservoir chamber 420.

According to the fuel tank 400 according to the second embodiment, the bottom surface of the fuel tank main body 410 is substantially horizontal with the opening 413 of the fuel tank main body 410 facing the inner side of the inner diameter of the wall surface portion 422 of the fuel reservoir chamber 420. Since the throttle portion 450 extending in the direction is formed, the fuel 305 in the fuel tank body 410 flows to the opening 413 along the bottom surface 412 of the fuel tank body 410 when the remaining amount of the fuel 305 decreases. All of the fuel flows into the fuel reservoir chamber 420 from the opening 413. Therefore, since almost no fuel 305 remains in the fuel tank body 410, it is possible to prevent the generation of fuel that is not used in the fuel tank 400 (the fuel that is the remaining fuel amount).
Even if acceleration / deceleration in the vertical direction is applied to the small boat 1 or the saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle 101, most of the fuel 305 moved upward hits the throttle portion 450 and is returned again into the fuel reservoir chamber 420. Further, the fuel 305 overflowing from the opening 413 to the fuel tank body 410 side flows to the opening 413 along the bottom surface 412 of the fuel tank body 410 when acceleration / deceleration in the vertical direction stops working. All of the fuel flows into the fuel reservoir chamber 420 from 413. Therefore, since almost no fuel 305 remains in the fuel tank body 410, it is possible to prevent the generation of fuel that is not used in the fuel tank 400 (the fuel that is the remaining fuel amount).

  Furthermore, since the fuel tank main body 410, the fuel reservoir chamber 420, and the throttle portion 450 are integrally formed by blow molding, it is not necessary to provide other parts to configure the throttle portion 450. Therefore, the assembly work is not necessary, and the cost required for the assembly can be reduced. Further, the shape of the fuel reservoir chamber 420, the bottom surface 412 of the fuel tank main body 410, and the throttle portion 450 can be made into a simple shape and structure.

It is a side view of the small boat carrying the fuel tank which concerns on the 1st and 2nd embodiment of this invention. 1 is a side view of a saddle-ride type vehicle equipped with a fuel tank according to first and second embodiments of the present invention. It is a fuel tank concerning a 1st embodiment, and is an expanded sectional view showing a fuel sump provided in the bottom of a fuel tank main part. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a fuel tank according to a second embodiment, in which a fuel reservoir is formed integrally with a fuel tank body.

Explanation of symbols

1 Small boat (ship)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Hull 13 Steering handle 20 Engine 101 Saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle 105 Engine 300, 400 Fuel tank 305 Fuel 310, 410 Fuel tank main body 311, 411 Inside of fuel tank main body 312, 412 Bottom 313, 413 Opening 320, 420 Fuel reservoir Chambers 321, 421 Bottom surface portion 322, 422 Wall surface portion 323 Opening portion 324 Flange portion 325 Support portion 326, 426 Mounting hole 327, 427 Inside of fuel reservoir 340 Fuel pump 350, 450 Restriction portion 414 Fuel supply port 423 Screw 440 Nut

Claims (4)

In fuel tanks mounted on vehicles or ships,
A fuel tank main body and a fuel reservoir chamber that bulges downward from the bottom surface of the fuel tank main body. A fuel pump is disposed in the fuel tank main body, and a fuel intake port of the fuel pump is opened in the fuel reservoir chamber. A throttle portion extending in a substantially horizontal direction so as to be continuous with the bottom surface of the fuel tank main body is provided at the connection between the fuel reservoir chamber and the fuel tank main body and at the opening of the bottom surface of the fuel tank main body. A fuel tank characterized by   2. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the throttle portion is formed integrally with a bottom surface of the fuel tank main body, and the fuel reservoir chamber is formed separately from a bottom plate of the fuel tank main body.   The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the fuel tank body and the fuel reservoir chamber are integrally formed by blow molding.   4. The fuel tank according to claim 3, wherein the fuel reservoir chamber has a cylindrical shape, a screw is formed on the outer periphery, and a nut for fastening the fuel pump is screwed.

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