JP2009262649A - Lock device of fuel tank cap - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lock device of a fuel tank cap capable of certainly avoiding starting of an engine while a fuel filler port is kept in an open state or in a halfway opened state. <P>SOLUTION: This lock device of the fuel tank cap is furnished with an operation knob 2 free to operate to revolve, an engagement click 3 to work between an engaging position to interlock with revolving operation of the operation knob 2 and to hold a state where the cap 1 is engaged with the fuel filler port A and closes the fuel filler port A and an allowing position to allow opening motion of the cap 1 by releasing engagement and a locking means 5 to lock working of the engagement click 3 from the engaging position to the allowing position by regulating revolution of the operation knob 2 or free to unlock it by allowing the revolution. It is also furnished with a detection means 8 to detect a position of the operation knob 2 when the engagement click 3 is at the engaging position and permits starting of the engine of a vehicle as long as detection of the detection means 8 is carried out. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel tank cap locking device for locking or unlocking a cap for closing a fuel filler port communicating with a fuel tank.

  Usually, a fuel filler is provided at the upper part of a fuel tank in a large two-wheeled vehicle, and a cap for closing the fuel filler is formed to be openable and closable. Such a cap is locked when closed and is provided with an insertion port (key hole) for a mechanical key. By rotating the mechanical key while inserting it into the key hole, the cap can be released to open the cap. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

However, conventionally, it is configured so that the mechanical key can be removed from the insertion port (key hole) only when the cap is in a state of closing the oil supply port (that is, in the closed state), forgetting to attach the cap, What has been proposed to avoid starting the engine with the mouth open. As a result, if the cap does not close the fuel filler opening, the engine start operation by the mechanical key becomes impossible, and safety can be improved.
JP-A-2005-178430

However, the conventional fuel tank cap locking device has the following problems.
Recently, a transmission unit that can be carried by the driver and transmits a vehicle-specific ID code, a reception unit that is disposed on the vehicle side and that can receive an ID code from the transmission unit, and the reception unit Determining means for determining whether or not the received ID code is legitimate in the vehicle, and a mechanical key such as a so-called smart entry system that does not allow the engine to start unless the legitimate ID code is received. Have been proposed that can make the

  When such a system is adopted, a mechanical key is not required, so that the mechanical key cannot be removed from the insertion port only when the cap is in a state of closing the oil filler port as in the prior art. Forgetting to install the engine, the engine may start with the refueling port open. In particular, in the case of a fuel tank cap locking device comprising a locking claw that is interlocked with the turning operation of the operation knob formed on the cap, and holding the state where the cap closes the fuel filler port by the locking claw, There has been a problem that a lock failure (this is referred to as a “half-hanging state”) is likely to occur due to poor locking.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a fuel tank cap locking device that can reliably prevent the engine from being started while the fuel filler port is open or half-hanged. The purpose is to provide.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an operation knob that is formed in a cap that can open and close a fuel filler port that communicates with a fuel tank of a vehicle, and that can be rotated. A locking position that interlocks with the movement operation and holds the state in which the cap is closed with the oil filler opening, and an allowable position that releases the locking and allows the cap to open. The locking claw that operates between the locking claw and the rotation of the operation knob is restricted to lock the movement of the locking claw from the locking position to the allowable position, or the rotation is allowed and the lock is released. A fuel tank cap locking device comprising a locking means capable of detecting a position of the operation knob when the locking claw is in a locking position, and detecting the detection means Only if the vehicle is And permits the emission starting.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the fuel tank cap locking device according to the first aspect, wherein the driver can carry the transmitter and transmits a vehicle-specific ID code; Receiving means capable of receiving the ID code from the vehicle, and determining means for determining whether the ID code received by the receiving means is legitimate in the vehicle, wherein the determining means is a legitimate ID code. The engine start of the vehicle is permitted only when it is determined that the vehicle has been received and when the detection means has detected the vehicle.

  According to a third aspect of the invention, in the fuel tank cap locking device according to the first or second aspect, the detection means comprises a Hall IC element for detecting a magnet formed at a predetermined position of the operation knob. It is characterized by.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the fuel tank cap locking device according to any one of the first to third aspects, the lock means abuts against a projecting portion projecting from the operation knob and performs the operation. It has a lock claw that is movable between a position that restricts the rotation of the knob and a position that is spaced apart from the projection and allows the operation knob to rotate.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the detection means for detecting the position of the operation knob when the locking claw is in the locking position is provided, and the vehicle engine is allowed to start only when the detection means is detected. Therefore, it is possible to reliably avoid starting the engine while the fuel filler opening is in an open state or a half-hanging state.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since it is determined that the determination means has received the legitimate ID code and the detection of the detection means is permitted, the engine of the vehicle is permitted to start. It is possible to prevent the engine from starting and improve the crime prevention effect, and to reliably prevent the engine from being started while the fuel filler port is open or half-hanged, thereby improving safety.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since the detecting means is composed of a Hall IC element that detects a magnet formed at a predetermined position of the operation knob, it is possible to detect a locking failure of the locking means by detecting the state of the cap. Thus, it is possible to reliably avoid starting the engine while the fuel filler opening is in an open state or a half-hanging state.

  According to the invention of claim 4, the locking means abuts the protruding portion protruding from the operating knob and restricts the rotation of the operating knob, and the locking means is spaced from the protruding portion and rotates the operating knob. Since the lock claw that is movable between the permissible positions is provided, the unlocking operation of the cap can be simplified with a simple configuration.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
The fuel tank cap locking device according to the present embodiment locks or unlocks the opening and closing of the cap for closing the fuel filler port leading to the fuel tank in the large two-wheeled vehicle, as shown in FIGS. The operation knob 2 and the locking claw 3 formed on the cap 1, the lock unit 5, the transmission unit 9, the reception unit 10, the determination unit 11, and the detection unit 8 are mainly configured. The determination means 11 and the detection means 8 are electrically connected to an ECU 12 that controls the engine of the two-wheeled vehicle (vehicle).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cap 1 is for closing the fuel filler opening A formed in the upper portion of the fuel tank T, and a recess (not shown) into which an operator's finger can be fitted is formed in the upper portion. The operation knob 2 and the engaging claw 3 (see FIG. 2) that can be engaged with the flange portion Aa of the fuel filler opening A are provided. The operation knob 2 can be rotated with respect to the cap 1, and the interlocking claw is interlocked with the rotation operation of the operation knob 2, and the locking position (position protruding outward) and the permissible position. It is possible to operate between (the position where it is immersed inward).

  Specifically, the locking claw 3 is formed on the cap 1 and interlocks with the turning operation of the operation knob 2, and is locked with the fuel filler A (flange portion Aa), so that the cap 1 opens the fuel filler A. It operates between a locking position that holds the closed state and a permissible position that releases the locking and allows the cap 1 to open (swinging around the axis L as shown in FIG. 3). To do.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation knob 2 is integrally formed with the shaft portion 2 a extending in the vertical direction and is connected to the locking claw 3 via the cam member 4. When the pivoting operation is performed in the direction, the latching claw 3 moves to the right in the figure via the shaft portion 2a and the cam member 4, and the latching claw 3 is unlocked from the flange portion Aa. It is.

  Thus, when the cap 1 swings about the axis L, the oil filler port A faces the outside, and the oil can be supplied. That is, the cap 1 can be opened and closed by rotating with respect to the fuel tank T. In the figure, symbol F indicates an annular member formed in the fuel tank T and surrounding the periphery of the cap 1 mounting portion, and symbol G indicates the upper end edge of the fuel filler port A when the cap 1 is closed. The sealing member which seals by contacting is shown.

  The lock means 5 can restrict the rotation of the operation knob 2 to lock the operation of the locking claw 3 from the locking position to the allowable position, or allow the rotation and release the lock. 4 to 11, a position α (see FIG. 6) that restricts the rotation of the operation knob 2 by contacting the protrusion 2 b that protrudes outward from the operation knob 2, and downward from the position α. It has a lock claw 7 that can move between a position β (see FIG. 7) that allows the operation knob 2 to rotate by moving and separating from the protrusion 2b.

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 11, the lock claw 7 is formed at the tip of the shaft member 6, and when the shaft member 6 rotates around its axis, the position α and It is comprised so that it can rotate between (beta). The shaft member 6 has a base end connected to, for example, a solenoid, and is configured such that when the solenoid is off, the lock claw 7 is at position α, and when the solenoid is on, the lock claw 7 is at position β. That is, the lock means 5 includes a lock claw 7, a shaft member 6, and the like, and is operated by a drive means such as a solenoid, thereby restricting the rotation of the operation knob 2 to lock the opening and closing. The lock can be released while allowing movement.

  The detecting means 8 detects whether or not the cap 1 is in the closed state (closed state) by detecting the position of the operation knob 2 when the locking claw 3 is in the locked position. The magnet M is formed on the protrusion 2b of the operation knob 2 and the Hall IC element H that can detect the magnetic force of the magnet M. That is, when the cap 1 closes the filler opening A and the locking claw 3 is in the locking position (see FIG. 4), the position where the Hall IC element H faces the magnet M formed in the protruding portion 2b. Therefore, the magnetic force is set to be detected. Thereby, if the Hall IC element H detects the magnetic force, it can be recognized that the cap 1 is in a state of closing the fuel filler opening A and the locking claw 3 is in the locking position.

  The operating means 13 is for driving a driving means such as a solenoid to rotate the shaft member 6 and move the lock claw 7 to the position β. For example, the operating means 13 is provided on a handle switch (not shown) or a meter panel. It consists of separate switches such as operation buttons. Since the operation means 13 is for moving the lock claw 7 to the position β, the cap 1 remains in the state where the oil filler A is closed although the lock is released by simply operating the operation means 13. It has become. As will be described later, the operation unit 13 can be unlocked on the condition that the determination unit 11 determines that a regular ID code has been received.

  The transmission means 9 transmits a vehicle-specific ID code by radio waves or the like that can be carried by the driver, and comprises, for example, a card-type electronic key that can be carried by the driver. That is, the transmission means 9 is configured to continuously transmit an ID code by radio waves or the like at predetermined intervals by a power source. When the driver approaches the two-wheeled vehicle (vehicle) while carrying the transmission means 9, The receiving antenna of the arranged receiving means 10 can receive the ID code.

  The determination unit 11 determines whether or not the ID code received by the reception unit 10 is a genuine one in the vehicle, and is electrically connected to the ECU 12 included in the vehicle. Then, only when the determination unit 11 determines that a legitimate ID code has been received and magnetism is detected by the Hall IC element H of the detection unit 8, the engine start of the vehicle is permitted. Yes.

Next, the operation in this embodiment will be described.
4 and 5, the lock claw 7 of the lock means 5 is at the position α as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. (The state of the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4), the rotation is restricted (locked). This restricts the cap 1 from being opened.

  When the operation means 13 is operated during refueling, the solenoid is turned on, and the shaft member 6 of the lock means 5 rotates and the lock claw 7 reaches the position β as shown in FIGS. Thus, the lock claw 7 is separated from the projecting portion 2b to allow the operation knob 2 to rotate, so that the lock is released. That is, when the operation knob 2 is rotated, the locking claw 3 moves inward and the locking with the flange portion Aa is released. Therefore, the entire cap 1 is swung around the axis L while maintaining this state. If it is moved, it will be in an open state as shown in FIG.

  In this state, the fuel filler port A faces upward, so that fuel is supplied by pouring fuel such as gasoline from the fuel filler port A. After the cap 1 is opened, the operation knob 2 is configured to automatically restore a predetermined angle in the counter-operation direction (direction toward the initial position), and the solenoid is turned off and the lock claw 7 is positioned. It returns to α.

  After refueling, when the entire cap 1 is swung around the axis L to be in the closed state, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the protrusion 2b presses the lock claw 7 and rotates again from the position α to the position β. It is supposed to be moved. At this time, the magnet M formed on the protruding portion 2b is outside the detection range of the Hall IC element H, and is not detected by the detection means 8. If the operation knob 2 is rotated to the initial position side in such a state, the lock claw 7 reaches the position α and restricts the rotation of the operation knob 2 again.

  When the operation knob 2 reaches the initial position, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the magnet M formed on the protruding portion 2 b faces the Hall IC element H, and the Hall IC element H Will be detected. However, when the Hall IC element H detects the magnetic force, a signal is transmitted to the ECU 12 to recognize that the cap 1 is in a state of closing the fuel filler A and that the locking claw 3 is in the locking position. The ECU 12 permits the engine start of the vehicle only when the determination unit 11 determines that the regular ID code has been received and the detection unit 8 (Hall IC element H) is detected.

  According to the above embodiment, the detection means 8 for detecting the position of the operation knob 2 when the locking claw 3 is in the locking position is provided, and the vehicle engine is started only when the detection means 8 is detected. Therefore, it is possible to reliably avoid starting the engine while the fuel filler opening A is in an open state or a half-hanging state as shown in FIG.

  In addition, since the determination unit 11 determines that the legitimate ID code has been received and the detection unit 8 has detected the vehicle, the vehicle engine is allowed to start only. Thus, the crime prevention effect can be improved, and the safety can be improved by reliably avoiding starting the engine while the fuel filler opening A is in an open state or a half-hanging state.

  Further, since the detection means 8 is composed of a Hall IC element H that detects the magnet M formed at a predetermined position of the operation knob 2, it is possible to grasp the locking failure of the locking means 3 by detecting the state of the cap 1. Thus, it is possible to reliably avoid starting the engine while the fuel filler opening A is in an open state or a half-hanging state. Still further, the lock means 5 is in contact with the protruding portion 2b protruding from the operation knob 2 to restrict the rotation of the operating knob 2, and is spaced from the protruding portion 2b. Since the lock claw 7 that is movable between the position β that allows the cap 1 is provided, the unlocking operation of the cap 1 can be simplified with a simple configuration.

  Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the shaft member constituting the lock means may be operated and rotated via a wire or the like. Moreover, when the engine of the vehicle is driven, it may be configured to prohibit the unlocking by the locking means 5. That is, even when the determination unit 11 determines that a legitimate ID code has been received and the operation unit 13 is operated, unlocking is prohibited when the vehicle engine is driven. Thus, it is possible to reliably prevent the cap 1 from being inadvertently opened while the vehicle engine is being driven, thereby improving safety. In addition to the fuel tank cap locking device of a two-wheeled vehicle, the present invention can be applied to a fuel tank locking device in other vehicles such as a four-wheeled vehicle, a buggy, and a snow vehicle.

  A fuel tank cap locking device having a detecting means for detecting the position of the operation knob when the locking claw is in the locking position and permitting the engine start of the vehicle only when the detection means is detected. If so, the present invention can also be applied to ones having different external shapes or to which other functions are added.

The top view which shows the locking device of the fuel tank cap which concerns on embodiment of this invention It is the II-II sectional view taken on the line in FIG. 1, and the state which closed the cap It is the II-II sectional view taken on the line in FIG. 1, and the state which the cap opened The fuel tank cap locking device viewed from above, with the operation knob locked The figure which shows the positional relationship of the lock nail | claw and protrusion part in the state of FIG. The fuel tank cap locking device viewed from above, with the operation knob unlocked The figure which shows the positional relationship of the lock nail | claw and protrusion part in the state of FIG. The fuel tank cap locking device viewed from above, showing the process of closing the cap The figure which shows the positional relationship of the lock nail | claw and protrusion part in the state of FIG. The fuel tank cap locking device viewed from above, with the cap closed and locked The figure which shows the positional relationship of the lock nail | claw and protrusion part in the state of FIG. It is II-II sectional view taken on the line in FIG. 1, and a cap is half-hanging state Block diagram showing the entire components of the fuel tank cap locking device

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cap 2 Operation knob 2b Protruding part 3 Locking claw 4 Cam member 5 Locking means 6 Shaft member 7 Locking claw 8 Detection means 9 Transmission means 10 Reception means 11 Determination means 12 ECU
13 Operating means A Refueling port M Magnet (detection means)
H Hall IC element (detection means)

Claims (4)

An operation knob formed on a cap capable of opening and closing a fuel filler port leading to a fuel tank of the vehicle, and capable of rotating;
A locking position formed on the cap and interlocking with the rotation operation of the operation knob, and holding the state where the cap is closed by locking the oil filler port, and the lock is released. A locking claw that operates between an allowable position that allows the cap to open, and
Locking means for restricting the rotation of the operation knob to lock the movement of the locking claw from the locking position to the allowable position, or allowing the rotation and releasing the lock;
A fuel tank cap locking device comprising:
It has a detection means for detecting the position of the operation knob when the locking claw is in the locking position, and permits the engine start of the vehicle only when the detection means is detected. The fuel tank cap locking device. A transmission means for transmitting a vehicle-specific ID code that can be carried by the driver;
Receiving means arranged on the vehicle side and capable of receiving an ID code from the transmitting means;
Determining means for determining whether or not the ID code received by the receiving means is legitimate in the vehicle;
2. The engine start of a vehicle is permitted only when it is determined that the determination means has received a regular ID code and the detection means has been detected. Fuel tank cap locking device.   3. The fuel tank cap locking device according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises a Hall IC element that detects a magnet formed at a predetermined position of the operation knob.   The locking means is between a position that contacts the protruding portion that protrudes from the operating knob and restricts the rotation of the operating knob, and a position that is spaced apart from the protruding portion and allows the operating knob to rotate. The fuel tank cap locking device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a movable locking claw.

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