JP2021179201A - Canister device of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a canister device of a vehicle which can prevent fuel from intruding into a skeleton member from an atmospheric air release port even if the fuel in a fuel tank is leaked to a vent path.SOLUTION: A canister device 21 of a vehicle comprises a canister 25 which can adsorb a transpiration gas of fuel in a fuel tank 11, and can desorb the adsorbed transpiration gas, and a vent path 31 having an atmospheric air release port 32 for releasing air to an atmosphere at an end, and making the canister 25 and atmospheric air communicate with each other. The atmospheric air release port 32 of the vent path 31 is opened in a cross member 7 of a vehicle body. A separator 35 for making liquid α flowing out to the cross member side from the canister side in the vent path flow out to the ground surface is arranged at an end portion of the vent path 31 which is arranged outside the cross member being the vicinity of the atmospheric air release port 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle canister device installed on a vehicle body.

Vehicles such as automobiles are equipped with a canister device to process the vaporized gas of the fuel in the fuel tank.

The canister device adsorbs the vaporized gas of the fuel from the fuel tank, and at the same time, enables the adsorbed vaporized gas to be desorbed and processes it when the engine mounted on the vehicle operates.

Such a canister device is provided with a vent path that communicates the canister with the atmosphere. The vent path has an air opening at the tip, and this vent path serves to ventilate the fuel tank and the canister, and the vaporized gas in the fuel tank is adsorbed to the canister, and the adsorbed vaporized gas is desorbed from the canister. It is led out to the intake system of the engine and is burned together with fuel.

By the way, since the vent path is connected to the fuel tank, the engine, etc. via the canister, it is required to suppress the intrusion of foreign matter from the atmosphere opening.

For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the air opening of the vent path is opened in the skeleton member of the vehicle, and the air is circulated in the vent path through the skeleton member of the vehicle. It is designed to make it difficult for foreign substances such as dust and dirt to enter.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-248795

By the way, the vent path is arranged so that the canister side is higher than the atmosphere opening side so that the fuel does not flow out from the canister side to the atmosphere opening side as much as possible, but the fuel still flows out. It is conceivable to do. For example, due to a defective valve in the fuel tank, the fuel in the fuel tank may leak to the vent path and flow out from the atmosphere opening into the skeleton member of the vehicle.

In such a case, the fuel may flow out from an unintended point such as a seam of the skeleton member or a hole in the skeleton member.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle canister device that does not invade the skeleton member from the atmosphere opening even if the fuel in the fuel tank leaks into the vent path.

Aspects of the present invention have a canister capable of adsorbing and desorbing the vaporized gas of fuel in a fuel tank and desorbing the adsorbed vaporized gas, and an air opening port open to the atmosphere at the end, and the canister and the atmosphere are communicated with each other. A vehicle canister device that is provided with a vent path for allowing the vent path to be opened to the inside of the skeletal member of the vehicle body, and is an end of the vent path arranged outside the skeletal member in the vicinity of the vent path. A separator was provided in the portion to allow the liquid flowing from the canister side to the skeleton member side in the vent path to flow out to the ground.

According to the present invention, even if the fuel in the fuel tank leaks to the vent path due to valve sticking in the fuel tank, a separator is provided at the end of the vent path immediately before the skeleton member. The fuel flowing through the vent path is separated from the vent path by the separator and discharged to the ground before reaching the atmosphere opening of the vent path.

Therefore, even if the fuel in the fuel tank leaks to the vent path, it can be prevented from flowing out from an unintended part of the skeleton member, and the safety of the vehicle can be improved.

The bottom view which shows the canister device seen from the lower surface of the vehicle which is the aspect which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the periphery of the separator shown in the part A in FIG. An exploded perspective view illustrating the separator. Side sectional view of the separator. Also a plan view.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to one embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5.

FIG. 1 shows a lower surface on the rear side of a vehicle 1 called a hybrid vehicle equipped with, for example, an engine or a motor.

Explaining the main parts of the vehicle 1, reference numeral 3 in FIG. 1 is a floor member constituting the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1, and reference numeral 5 is a pair of floor members arranged on both sides of the floor member 3 in the vehicle width direction and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. The side frame and reference numeral 7 indicate a cross member bridged between the side frame portions on the rear side of the vehicle.

Incidentally, as the side frame 5 and the cross member 7, a hollow member or the like having an inverted hat-shaped cross section is used.

The vehicle body 2 is configured by combining each portion of the vehicle body (fender portion, roof portion, etc.) with the skeleton portion of the vehicle body 2 composed of such various skeleton members.

A motor (not shown) for driving a traveling wheel (not shown) and an engine 9 are mounted on the front portion of the lower surface of the floor member 3 of the vehicle body 2. The engine 9 is shown in a simplified block (FIG. 1). Further, a fuel tank 11 and a muffler 13 are mounted on the rear portion of the lower surface of the floor member 3. A battery (not shown) is mounted in the middle portion of the lower surface of the floor member 3.

Incidentally, the fuel tank 11 is arranged on the front side of the vehicle of the cross member 7, and the muffler 13 is arranged on the rearmost portion of the vehicle. An exhaust pipe 9a extending from the engine 9 is connected to the muffler 13.

That is, the vehicle 1 has a structure in which the engine 9 is driven by the fuel stored in the fuel tank 11 and the motor is driven by the electric power stored in the battery.

The canister device 21 is installed on the lower surface of the vehicle 1, here, for example, on the side of the muffler 13 (in the vehicle width direction).

The canister device 21 also desorbs the canister 25 containing the activated carbon 23 on which the vaporization gas (fuel gas in the fuel tank 11) can be adsorbed and desorbed, and the adsorption tube 27 (passage) extending from the canister 25. A tube 29 (passage) for venting and a tube 31 for venting (corresponding to the vent path of the present application) are provided.

Of these, the canister 25 is held by, for example, an adjacent side frame 5.

The suction tube 27 extends to the fuel tank 11. The tip of the suction tube 27 is connected to a fuel tank 11 or the like, and the opening at the tip communicates with a space above the liquid level of the fuel (not shown). As a result, the transpiration gas (fuel) in the fuel tank 11 can be guided to the activated carbon 23.

The detachable tube 29 extends toward the engine 9. The tip of the tube 29 is communicated with the intake system of the engine 9, for example, the throttle body. As a result, the intake negative pressure of the engine 9 is used to desorb the transpiration gas from the activated carbon 23 so that it can be guided to the intake system of the engine 9.

The tip of the vent tube 31 extends toward the front of the vehicle along the side frame 5 and is connected to a cross member 7 (skeleton member) arranged near the fuel tank 11.

Further, the tip of the tube 31 is equipped with a connection insertion port 33 having an atmosphere opening port 32 that opens to the atmosphere. The insertion port 33 is inserted and connected to the side wall 7a of the cross member 7 which is a skeleton member, and the atmospheric opening 32 formed at the tip thereof is opened inside the cross member 7. That is, the atmosphere opening 32 communicates with the outside of the vehicle body 1, that is, the atmosphere through the inside of the skeleton portion of the vehicle body 2. This makes it difficult for foreign matter such as water and dust to enter through the atmosphere opening 32, so that the atmosphere containing no foreign matter can flow through the tube 31.

The vent tube 31 fulfills ventilation with the fuel tank 11, ventilation with the activated carbon 23, and ventilation with the engine 9, and the vaporized gas in the fuel tank 11 is adsorbed on the activated carbon 23 or evaporated on the activated carbon 23. The gas is desorbed, purged into the intake system of the engine 9, and burned together with the fuel.

Incidentally, although not shown, a control valve, a suction pump, and the like for controlling the adsorption and desorption of evaporative gas are provided in the canister 25.

A separator 35 is provided at the insertion port 33 forming the tip of the vent tube 31.

The separator 35 leaks out in order to prevent the fuel leaking from the fuel tank 11 to the tube 31 (corresponding to the liquid of the present application) from flowing out into the cross member 7 which is a skeleton member of the vehicle body 2. This is a device that separates the fuel from the inside of the tube 31 and causes it to flow out to the ground (not shown). The structure of the separator 35 is shown in FIGS. 3 to 5.

The separator 35 is arranged immediately in front of the cross member 7 in the vicinity of the atmosphere opening 32, or has a fixing portion 34 for connecting the insertion port 33 so that the fuel outflow from the atmosphere opening 32 is surely suppressed. Various structures are applied, such as holding the separator 35 by using it, letting the leaked fuel α flow out to the ground from a position where there are no vehicle-mounted parts, and gradually letting the leaked fuel flow out to the ground. ing.

Explaining each part of the separator 35, as shown in FIG. 3, the fixing part 34 has a pair of clip parts 37 provided on the outer surfaces on both sides of the tip of the insertion port part 33.

The clip portion 37 is formed of a pair of displaceable levers extending from the tip end side of the insertion port 33 toward the proximal end side, and is inserted into, for example, an opening 7b formed in the side wall 7a of the cross member 7. It shrinks when it is inserted, and expands when it is completely inserted.

A panel portion 39 for pressing is provided at the insertion port portion immediately after the clip portion 37, and as the insertion port portion 33 is inserted into the opening portion 7b of the cross member 7, the opening portion is as shown in FIG. The opening edge portion of 7b is engaged with the engaging portion 37a formed at the end of the clip portion 37 and is sandwiched between the panel portion 39 and the engaging portion 37a.

That is, the tip portion of the tube 31 is fixed to the cross member 7 by an engaging structure (fixing portion 34) such as a clip portion 37.

The separator 35 is provided at the insertion port portion immediately after the panel portion 39. As a result, the separator 35 is held in the tube 31 by utilizing the fixing portion 34 as it is. Further, in the same holding structure, the separator 35 is held at a position outside the cross member 7 (outside the skeleton member) near the atmospheric opening 32, specifically, at a position immediately before the cross member 7. ..

That is, the leaked fuel α is separated and discharged to the ground immediately before flowing into the cross member 7. This ensures that the outflow of fuel from the atmospheric opening 32 is suppressed.

Specifically, the separator 35 is configured to have a chamber portion 40 arranged so as to protrude downward from the lower surface of the insertion port portion 33 (the tip end portion of the tube 31). The chamber portion 40 includes a chamber main body 40a having a bottomed hollow columnar shape with an open upper portion integrated with the insertion port 33, a lid portion 40b that detachably closes the open portion of the chamber main body 40a, and a chamber main body 40a. It has a discharge port 40c provided on the bottom wall 40d of the above.

As shown in FIG. 4, the internal space of the chamber body 40a is opened to the inside of the insertion port 33, and the fuel (liquid) α traveling along the inner surface of the tube 31 toward the cross member 7 is immediately before the cross member 7. It flows down into the chamber body 40a and is separated into gas and liquid. The fuel α collected in the chamber body 40a is discharged from the discharge port 40c to the ground (not shown).

In particular, the connection position of the insertion port 33 is a position where there are no vehicle-mounted parts around the separator 35 so that the fuel α discharged from the separator 35 does not hit other vehicle-mounted parts under the floor, for example, a side frame. 5 and the cross member 7 are arranged at a position closer to the connecting portion 6 where they are connected (FIG. 1).

Further, the lower part of the chamber body 40a extends downward as shown in FIG. 4 so that the fuel can be discharged without affecting the skeleton member such as the side frame 5 of the vehicle body 2, and the position of the discharge port 40c. Is arranged below the bottom wall 7d of the cross member 7, and the discharge port 40c is kept away from the skeleton member of the vehicle body 2 and the vehicle-mounted parts under the floor. In other words, fuel can be discharged from a position closer to the ground.

The discharge port 40c is formed with a through hole having a diameter considerably smaller than that of the atmosphere opening port 32 so that the fuel is gradually discharged to the ground (outside) from the inside of the chamber main body 40a (D1> d1).

In addition, the bottom wall 40d of the chamber body 40a is tilted to one side. Here, since many vehicles 1 tend to be inclined toward the front of the vehicle, the bottom wall 40d is inclined so as to be inclined toward the front of the vehicle (FIG. 4). The discharge port 40c is arranged at the lowermost position of the inclined bottom wall 40d, and the fuel α in the chamber body 40a is completely discharged from the inside of the chamber body 40a to the ground.

Next, the operation of the canister device 21 will be described.

That is, the transpiration gas generated in the fuel tank 11 reaches the activated carbon 23 from the adsorption tube 27 by using the vent tube 31 for ventilation, and is adsorbed by the activated carbon 23.

Then, when the engine 9 of the vehicle 1 is operating, the adsorbed evaporation gas is desorbed from the activated carbon 23 and purged to the intake system of the engine 9 by using the vent tube 31 for ventilation, and is burned together with the fuel (transpiration). Gas treatment).

Here, it is conceivable that fuel will flow out of the canister device 21. For example, it is conceivable that the fuel in the fuel tank 11 leaks into the vent tube 31 and invades the skeleton member due to a mistake in refueling the fuel tank 11.

In this case, there is a concern that the leaked fuel α may flow out from the unintended point of the skeleton member.

At this time, a separator 35 is provided at a position immediately before the cross member 7 (near the atmosphere opening 32) in the end portion of the tube 31 that opens to the cross member 7.

Therefore, even if the fuel in the fuel tank 11 leaks to the vent tube 31 due to the occurrence of valve sticking in the fuel tank 11, the leaked fuel α is as shown in FIG. Immediately before reaching the atmosphere opening 32 of the tube 31, the gas and liquid are separated from the inside of the tube 31 and accumulated in the chamber portion 40. The collected fuel α is discharged from the discharge port 40c toward the ground (outside) directly below the separator 35, which is a fixed position. That is, the leaked fuel α does not have to reach the inside of the cross member 7.

Therefore, even if the fuel in the fuel tank 11 leaks into the vent tube 31, it does not have to enter the skeleton member, here the cross member 7, from the atmosphere opening 32.

Therefore, by adopting the separator 35 as in the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the leaked fuel α from flowing out from an unintended part of the skeleton member, and improve the safety of the vehicle 1. Can be planned.

In particular, since the separator 35 is arranged at a position where there are no vehicle-mounted parts around it, the fuel α discharged from the discharge port 40c is not inadvertently applied.

Further, since the separator 35 is held by the fixing portion 34 for fixing the insertion port 33 (the end portion of the tube 31), a separate holder for holding the separator 35 is not required. In particular, the fixing portion 34 employs a clip portion 37 and engages with the opening edge portion of the cross member 7 to fix the insertion port portion 33 to the cross member 7, so that a simple structure is sufficient.

Moreover, since the separator 35 uses a gas-liquid separation structure in which the chamber portion 40 and the discharge port 40c are combined, a simple structure is sufficient.

Further, since the discharge port 40c of the separator 35 is arranged below the bottom wall of the cross member 7 to which the insertion port 33 is mounted, the fuel α from the discharge port 40c is carelessly applied to the cross member 7. Can be prevented.

In addition, since the chamber portion 40 has the bottom wall 40d tilted and the discharge port 40c is arranged at the bottom wall portion at the lowest level, the fuel α leaked from the inside of the chamber portion 40 can be reliably discharged to the ground. can. In particular, if the bottom wall 40d of the chamber portion 40 is tilted in accordance with the tilt of the vehicle 1, the leaked fuel α can be effectively discharged to the ground.

In addition, since the discharge port 40c of the chamber portion 40 has a smaller diameter than the atmosphere opening port 32 (D1> d1), the ventilation function of the tube 31 is not impaired, and the evaporation gas is adsorbed, desorbed, or leaked. The outflow of fuel α can be achieved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be varied and implemented within a range that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. For example, in one embodiment, an example in which a vent tube is connected to a cross member and opened is given, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the vent tube is used for venting to a skeletal member other than the cross member (side frame, other skeletal member, etc.). The tube may be connected to the skeleton member of the vehicle.

2 Body 7 Cross member (skeleton member)
7a Side wall (wall part)
7b Opening 11 Fuel tank 21 Canister device 23 Activated carbon 25 Canister 31 Vent tube (vent path)
32 Atmosphere opening 33 Insertion port 34 Fixed part 35 Separator 37 Clip part 40 Chamber part 40c Discharge port α Leaked fuel (liquid)

Claims (9)

A canister that can adsorb the vaporized gas of fuel in the fuel tank and desorb the adsorbed vaporized gas.
It has an atmospheric opening that opens to the atmosphere at the end, and has a vent path that communicates the canister with the atmosphere.
It is a vehicle canister device in which the atmospheric opening of the vent road is opened inside the skeleton member of the vehicle body.
It is characterized by having a separator at the end of a vent path arranged outside the skeleton member, which is in the vicinity of the atmospheric opening, to allow liquid flowing from the canister side to the skeleton member side in the vent path to flow out to the ground. Vehicle canister device. The vehicle canister device according to claim 1, wherein the separator is arranged at a position where there are no vehicle-mounted parts around the separator. The end portion of the vent path has a fixing portion fixed to the skeletal member.
The vehicle canister device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the separator is held by the fixing portion. The skeleton member has a wall portion having an opening, and the skeleton member has a wall portion.
The fixing portion has an insertion port portion to be inserted into the opening portion and a clip portion provided in the insertion port portion and engaged with the edge portion of the opening portion to fix the insertion port portion. ,
The vehicle canister device according to claim 3, wherein the separator is provided at the insertion port portion. The separator is provided so as to protrude downward from the vent path, and has a chamber portion that separates and collects liquid from the vent path.
The vehicle canister device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is provided on the bottom wall of the chamber portion and has a discharge port for discharging the collected liquid to the ground. The vehicle canister device according to claim 5, wherein the discharge port is arranged below the bottom wall of the skeleton member. The bottom wall of the chamber portion is inclined and
The vehicle canister device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the discharge port is arranged at the lowest position of the inclined bottom wall. The vehicle canister device according to claim 7, wherein the inclination of the bottom wall of the chamber portion is inclined so as to descend toward the front of the vehicle. The vehicle canister device according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the discharge port of the chamber portion has a smaller diameter than the air opening port of the vent path.

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