JP2024011681A - fuel supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To add a fitting structure of a columnar body to a cylindrical body in a fuel supply device in which relative rotation of the columnar body to the cylindrical body is suppressed by a plurality of ribs formed on an inner surface of the cylindrical body, and thereby enhance the effect of suppressing the relative rotation of the columnar body to the cylindrical body to suppress rattling due to the relative rotation.

SOLUTION: A connection member 4 that connects a lid member 2 and a pump unit 3 to each other, includes a cylindrical body 10 and a columnar body 20 that is fitted and inserted into the cylindrical body 10. The columnar body 20 comprises a claw 21 at its upper end part, and the cylindrical body 10 comprises an engaging protrusion 12 that engages with the claw 21 to prevent the columnar body 20 from coming out of the cylindrical body 10. The cylindrical body 10 comprises a plurality of ribs 11 on its inner wall that protrude so as to surround an outer peripheral surface of the columnar body 20 and extend along a direction in which the columnar body 20 is inserted into the cylindrical body 10. The columnar body 20 comprises a protrusion part 22 that protrudes from its outer peripheral surface, and is sandwiched between two adjacent ribs of the rib 11.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The technology disclosed herein relates to a fuel supply device.

The fuel supply device installed inside the fuel tank consists of a pump unit placed at the bottom of the fuel tank, and a fuel pipe that passes through the top plate of the fuel tank to guide the fuel pumped up by the pump unit to the engine. has been done. The portion where the fuel pipe penetrates the top plate of the fuel tank is constructed by closing an opening formed in the top plate with a lid member, and passing the fuel pipe through the lid member. The lid member and the pump unit are connected by a connecting member to form one component. In order to allow the pump unit to be placed on the bottom of the fuel tank regardless of the difference in depth of the fuel tank, the connecting member is vertically expandable and retractable.

Patent Document 1 discloses that a columnar body fixed upward to a pump unit is fitted and inserted into a cylindrical portion of a cylindrical body provided downwardly in a lid member, so that the amount of insertion can be changed freely. A fuel supply device is disclosed. Here, the cylindrical body and the columnar body constitute a connecting member. Furthermore, the lower end of the cylindrical body and the upper end of the columnar body are provided with an engaging part and an engaged part that engage with each other in the anti-insertion direction of the columnar body, so that the pump unit is suspended from the lid member. It is possible to maintain the state. Further, the columnar body has a rectangular tube shape, and is prevented from rotating relative to the tube when inserted into the tube. Therefore, on the inner surface of the cylindrical shape, a plurality of ribs that protrude toward the outer peripheral surface so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the square cylindrical columnar body are integrally formed and extend in the vertical direction. The reason why the shape to prevent relative rotation is formed by multiple ribs is to reduce the contact area when the columnar body is inserted into the cylindrical body and slides, thereby reducing sliding resistance. At the same time, this is to suppress the generation of sliding noise as abnormal noise.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-11851

In the fuel supply device of Patent Document 1, the shape for preventing relative rotation is formed by a plurality of ribs to reduce the contact area when the columnar body is inserted and slides with respect to the cylindrical body. The effect of suppressing relative rotation is reduced, and it is not possible to prevent small relative rotation from occurring. That is, there is a problem in that backlash occurs due to relative rotation of the columnar body with respect to the cylindrical body.

The problem of the technology disclosed in this specification is that in a fuel supply device that suppresses the relative rotation of the columnar body to the cylindrical body by a plurality of ribs formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical body, the fitting of the columnar body to the cylindrical body is It's about adding structure. Thereby, the purpose is to enhance the effect of suppressing the relative rotation of the columnar body with respect to the cylindrical body, and to suppress backlash caused by the relative rotation of the columnar body with respect to the cylindrical body.

In order to solve the above problems, the fuel supply device disclosed in this specification takes the following measures.

The first means includes a lid member fixed to the top plate of the fuel tank so as to close an opening drilled in the top plate of the fuel tank, and a lid member that can be placed on the bottom plate inside the fuel tank. A pump unit including a pump for pumping fuel, and a connecting member that connects the lid member and the pump unit to each other, and the connecting member includes a cylinder provided on the lower surface of the lid member with an opening facing downward. a columnar body whose lower end is coupled to the pump unit and whose upper end is fitted and inserted into the cylindrical body from an opening of the cylindrical body, the columnar body has a lower end that is connected to the pump unit; is provided with a claw protruding toward the inner wall of the cylindrical body on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body, and the cylindrical body is inserted into the cylindrical body at a position that leaves a space in the cylindrical body into which the columnar body can be further inserted. The cylindrical body is provided with an engaging protrusion that engages with a claw and prevents the columnar body from coming out of the state inserted into the cylindrical body, The columnar body includes a plurality of ribs that protrude toward the outer circumferential surface of the columnar body so as to surround the outer circumferential surface of the columnar body and extend along the insertion direction of the columnar body into the cylindrical body. The outer peripheral surface is provided with a protrusion that protrudes toward the inner wall of the cylindrical body and is sandwiched between two adjacent ribs among the plurality of ribs.

According to the first means, the outer peripheral surface of the columnar body is provided with a protrusion, and the protrusion is sandwiched between two adjacent ribs of a plurality of ribs formed to protrude inside the cylindrical body. Therefore, when the columnar body is relatively rotated while being inserted into the cylindrical body, the protrusion engages with the rib on the rotation direction side and suppresses the relative rotation. Therefore, backlash due to relative rotation can be suppressed. Each rib extends in the insertion direction of the columnar body, and the protrusion is always sandwiched between adjacent ribs regardless of the amount of insertion of the columnar body into the cylindrical body. Therefore, the above-mentioned backlash can be suppressed regardless of the amount of insertion of the columnar body.

In a second means, in the first means described above, the protrusion has the same shape as the claw, and the protrusion is attached to the cylindrical body in a positional relationship that engages with the engagement protrusion. When the columnar body is inserted, the claws are arranged so as to be sandwiched between the two adjacent ribs.

According to the second means, when the protrusion functions as a pawl, the pawl is sandwiched between two adjacent ribs and can function in the same manner as the protrusion. Therefore, the fuel supply device can be used by switching between a so-called coaxial type, in which the vertical positions of the lid member and the pump unit match each other, and a so-called offset type, in which the vertical positions of the lid member and the pump unit do not match. Moreover, in either type, the engagement between the protrusion or the claw and the rib can suppress backlash caused by relative rotation between the columnar body and the cylindrical body.

A third means is that in the second means described above, the columnar body has a square tube shape inserted into the opening of the columnar body, and the claw and the protrusion have a square tube shape of the columnar body. are installed on opposite walls.

According to the third means, when inserting the columnar body into the cylindrical body, the columnar body can be rotated 180 degrees relative to the cylindrical body, and the fuel supply device can be switched between a coaxial type and an offset type. Furthermore, in either type, it is possible to suppress backlash due to relative rotation between the columnar body and the cylindrical body.

A fourth means is that in the second means described above, a plurality of the protrusions are formed distributed around the outer circumferential surface of the columnar body, and each of the protrusions is one of two adjacent ribs. caught in between.

According to the fourth means, the plurality of protrusions can strongly suppress backlash caused by relative rotation between the columnar body and the cylindrical body.

According to a fifth means, in the fourth means described above, the plurality of protrusions and the plurality of claws are arranged at equal intervals around the outer peripheral surface of the columnar body.

According to the fifth means, the plurality of protrusions and claws are arranged at equal intervals. Therefore, by changing the relative angle of the inserted state of the columnar body with respect to the cylindrical shape, the fuel supply device can be switched between a coaxial type and an offset type. The unit offset amount can be selected from multiple levels.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 2; 3 is an enlarged view of section V in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a columnar body in the first embodiment. It is a perspective view when the corresponding relationship between the lid member and the pump unit is a coaxial type in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view when the correspondence relationship between the lid member and the pump unit is an offset type in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing a second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing a third embodiment.

<Overall configuration of first embodiment>
1 and 2 show a fuel supply device 1 according to a first embodiment. This fuel supply device 1 supplies fuel from a fuel tank to a gasoline engine of a vehicle, and includes a pump unit 3 having a built-in fuel pump 42, a lid member 2 fixed to a top plate 51 of the fuel tank, and a pump unit. 3 to the lid member 2. The pump unit 3, the lid member 2, and the connecting member 4 are entirely made of resin.

In the fuel supply device 1, the pump unit 3 is inserted into the fuel tank through an opening 51a formed in a top plate 51 of the fuel tank, with the lid member 2 and the pump unit 3 connected by the connection member 4. Thereafter, the opening 51a is closed by the lid member 2, and the lid member 2 is fixed to the top plate 51 at that position. In this state, the pump unit 3 is installed with the bottom cover 43 on the bottom abutting against the bottom plate 52 inside the fuel tank by the spring force of the connecting member 4. A float 5 is provided on the side of the pump unit 3 for measuring the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank. Here, the lid member 2, the pump unit 3, and the float 5 are basically the same as those known in the art (for example, Japanese Patent No. 7046778, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2021-11851), and detailed explanations are omitted here. do.

<Configuration of connecting member 4>
The connecting member 4 includes a cylindrical body 10 and a columnar body 20. The cylindrical body 10 is formed by integral molding of resin on the bottom surface of the cover member 2, which has a disk shape as a whole, so as to protrude downward into a semicylindrical shape (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The columnar body 20 has a lower end connected to the pump unit 3 and is formed upward into a rectangular tube shape (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The upper end of the columnar body 20 is fitted and inserted into the lower end opening (corresponding to the opening of the first means) 10c of the cylindrical body 10, thereby forming the connecting member 4. A plurality of flanges 2a are integrally formed on the lower surface of the lid member 2 and extend downward to serve as a guide when the lid member 2 is placed over the opening 51a of the fuel tank (see FIGS. 2, 3, 7, and 8). ). The flange portion 2a is partially integrated with the cylindrical body 10.

As shown in FIG. 6, the columnar body 20 has a rectangular cylindrical shape as a whole, and a claw 21 and a protrusion 22 are integrally formed on the outer surface of the opposing wall at the top end thereof, both of which protrude outward. The claw 21 and the protrusion 22 have the same shape and are symmetrical to each other. Furthermore, a semi-cylindrical pedestal 23 is integrally formed at the lower end of the columnar body 20. The pedestal 23 is fitted into and fixed to a columnar body receiving portion 41a that is recessed in a part of the container 41 of the pump unit 3 (see FIG. 2). A reinforcing rib 41b is formed in a portion of the container 41 forming the columnar body receiving portion 41a at a position corresponding to the side surface of the pedestal 23 in order to ensure the strength of the columnar body receiving portion 41a in a state in which the pedestal 23 is received. (See Figures 4, 7, and 8). The reinforcing ribs 41b have a shape extending along the outer periphery of the pedestal 23, and are formed in a total of six, three each on both sides of the pedestal 23.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, a plurality of ribs 11 extend parallel to each other on the inner wall surface of the cylindrical body 10 along the direction in which the columnar body 20 is inserted (up and down). A plurality of ribs 11 are formed so as to surround the columnar body 20 toward the outer peripheral surface of the columnar body 20 inserted into the cylindrical body 10 . Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, a total of eight strips are formed, two strips corresponding to each of the four sides forming the square cylinder shape of the columnar body 20. Further, a slit 10a is formed in a part of the cylindrical body 10 along the direction in which the columnar body 20 is inserted. The slit 10a is formed in a portion of the cylindrical body 10 excluding the upper and lower ends, and is formed at a position corresponding to the outer peripheral side of the disc-shaped lid member 2. Furthermore, the slits 10a are formed between the ribs 11 adjacent to each other.

As shown in FIG. 5, an engaging protrusion 12 is formed at the lower end of the slit 10a to engage with the claw 21 of the columnar body 20 inserted into the cylindrical body 10 in the insertion direction. The slit 10a is required to move a slide core that is a mold for molding the engagement protrusion 12 with resin. The engagement protrusion 12 is formed long in the direction of insertion of the columnar body 20, has a lower end 12c integrated with the cylindrical body 10, and an upper end 12d protrudes into the cylinder of the cylindrical body 10 as a free end. . Further, the engaging protrusion 12 can be elastically deformed to the outside of the cylindrical body 10 as shown by the arrow in FIG. Therefore, when the columnar body 20 is inserted into the cylindrical body 10, the tip inclined surface 21a of the claw 21 comes into contact with the inner inclined surface 12a of the engagement protrusion 12, causing the engagement protrusion 12 to move elastically in the direction of the arrow. The columnar body 20 can be inserted into the cylindrical body 10 by deformation. After insertion, the engaging protrusion 12 returns to the illustrated position as shown in FIG. engages with the engagement portion 12b on the upper surface of the engagement protrusion 12 to prevent the columnar body 20 from slipping out of the cylindrical body 10. Therefore, as described above, when the pump unit 3 is inserted into the fuel tank, the pump unit 3 can be suspended by the connecting member 4.

When inserting the columnar body 20 into the cylindrical body 10, by selecting a position where the claw 21 can engage with the engagement protrusion 12, the protrusion 22 can be inserted into the two ribs 11 on the side facing the slit 10a. (See Figures 3 and 5). By setting the interval between the two ribs 11 that sandwich the protrusion 22 to a size that allows the protrusion 22 to fit in, the direction in which the relative angle changes when the columnar body 20 is inserted into the cylindrical body 10 (columnar Shaking in the circumferential direction of an imaginary circle centered on the central axis of the body 20 can be suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the columnar body 20 is inserted into the cylindrical body 10, the cylindrical space of the columnar body 20 and the cylindrical space of the cylindrical body 10 become one connected space. A compression type coil spring 31 is inserted into the space in a compressed state in the insertion (up and down) direction of the columnar body 20. The coil spring 31 has an upper end in contact with the upper end ceiling 10b of the cylindrical body 10, and a lower end in contact with the lower end bottom 20a of the cylindrical body 10. A pillar 32 having a Y-shaped horizontal cross section (see FIG. 3) is integrally formed in the center of the upper end ceiling portion 10b of the cylindrical body 10 and extends downward. Therefore, the inner diameter side of the coil spring 31 is supported by the support column 32 and held in the center of the cylindrical body 10 . Further, since the outer diameter of the coil spring 31 is set to a size that just fits inside the columnar body 20, the coil spring 31 is held at the center of the columnar body 20. In this state, the pump unit 3 receives the repulsive force of the coil spring 31 via the columnar body 20, and the pump unit 3 is pressed against the lid member 2 and held on the bottom plate 52 of the fuel tank.

<Actions and effects of the first embodiment>
According to the first embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the columnar body 20 is provided with the protrusions 22 together with the claws 21, and the protrusions 22 are formed of two adjacent ribs 11 formed protrudingly within the cylindrical body 10. caught in between. Therefore, when the columnar body 20 is inserted into the cylindrical body 10 and relatively rotated, the protrusion 22 engages with the rib 11 on the rotation direction side and suppresses the relative rotation. Therefore, backlash due to relative rotation can be suppressed. Each rib 11 extends in the axial direction, and while the columnar body 20 slides in the insertion (up and down) direction within the cylindrical body 10, the protrusion 22 is continuously sandwiched between adjacent ribs 11. ing. Therefore, the above-mentioned backlash can be suppressed regardless of the insertion amount of the columnar body 20.

Moreover, the claw 21 and the protrusion 22 are line symmetrical and have the same shape. Therefore, if the relative angle when inserting the columnar body 20 into the cylindrical body 10 is changed by 180 degrees and the protrusion 22 functions as the claw 21, the original claw 21 will be sandwiched between the two adjacent ribs 11. The protrusion 22 can function in the same manner as the original protrusion 22. Therefore, the same fuel supply device 1 can be divided into a so-called coaxial type, in which the vertical positions of the lid member 2 and the pump unit 3 match each other, as shown in FIG. 8, and a so-called offset type, in which the vertical positions of the lid member 2 and pump unit 3 do not match, as shown in FIG. It can be used by switching to . Moreover, in either type, the engagement between the protrusion 22 or the claw 21 and the rib 11 can suppress backlash caused by the relative rotation of the columnar body 20 and the cylindrical body 10 in the inserted state.

<Second embodiment>
FIG. 9 shows a second embodiment. A feature of the second embodiment over the first embodiment is that both the cylindrical body 110 and the columnar body 120 are square cylinder-shaped. The other configurations of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same parts will not be explained again.

In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when the columnar body 120 is inserted into the cylindrical body 110, the protrusion 22 is sandwiched between two adjacent ribs 11. Therefore, it is possible to suppress backlash due to relative rotation between the columnar body 120 and the cylindrical body 110 in the inserted state. Furthermore, by changing the relative angle at which the columnar body 120 is inserted into the cylindrical body 110 by 180 degrees, the same fuel supply device 1 can be used by switching between a coaxial type and an offset type.

<Third embodiment>
FIG. 10 shows a third embodiment. A feature of the third embodiment over the first embodiment is that both the cylindrical body 210 and the columnar body 220 are cylindrical. Another point is that there are a plurality of protrusions 22, specifically three protrusions. The other configurations of the third embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same parts will not be explained again.

In the third embodiment, one claw 21 and three protrusions 22 have the same shape and are provided on the outer periphery of the columnar body 220 at 90 degree intervals. The two ribs 11 sandwiching each protrusion 22 are set at intervals such that the protrusion 22 just fits between the two ribs 11. Therefore, the effect of suppressing backlash due to relative rotation in the state where the columnar body 220 is inserted into the cylindrical body 210 can be further enhanced. Furthermore, the relative angle at which the columnar body 220 is inserted into the cylindrical body 210 can be changed at intervals of 90 degrees. Therefore, the same fuel supply device 1 can be used by switching between a coaxial type and an offset type, and when using the offset type, the amount of offset of the pump unit 3 with respect to the lid member 2 can be switched in three stages. .

<Other embodiments>
Although the technology disclosed in this specification has been described above with respect to a specific embodiment, it can be implemented in various other forms. For example, although the above embodiment is a fuel supply device that supplies fuel to a gasoline engine of a vehicle, the fuel supply device can also be used to supply fuel to various engines other than vehicles, and is not limited to gasoline engines. Good too. Further, in the above embodiment, the pump unit 3, the lid member 2, and the connecting member 4 are made of resin as a whole, but they may be made of a material other than resin, such as metal. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the claws 21 and the protrusions 22 are linearly symmetrical to each other and have the same shape, but the claws 21 and the protrusions 22 do not have to have the same shape and may be linearly symmetrical to each other. It may be located at a position shifted from the position in the insertion direction of the columnar body 20 or around the insertion direction.

1 Fuel supply device 2 Lid member 2a Flange portion 3 Pump unit 4 Connection member 5 Float 10, 110, 210 Cylindrical body 10a Slit 10b Upper end ceiling portion 10c Lower end opening 11 Rib 12 Engagement protrusion 12a Inner slope 12b Engagement portion 12c Lower end portion 12d Upper end portions 20, 120, 220 Column body 20a Lower end bottom portion 21 Claw 21a Tip inclined surface 21b Jaw portion 22 Projection portion 23 Pedestal 31 Coil spring 32 Support column 41 Container 41a Column body receiving portion 41b Reinforcing rib 42 Fuel pump 43 Bottom surface Cover 51 Top plate 51a Opening 52 Bottom plate

Claims (5)

a lid member fixed to the top plate so as to close an opening formed in the top plate of the fuel tank;
A pump unit that can be placed on a bottom plate inside the fuel tank and includes a fuel pump that pumps fuel inside the fuel tank;
a connecting member that connects the lid member and the pump unit to each other,
The connecting member is
a cylindrical body provided on the lower surface of the lid member with the opening facing downward;
a columnar body whose lower end is coupled to the pump unit and whose upper end is fitted and inserted into the cylindrical body from an opening of the cylindrical body;
The columnar body is provided with a claw protruding toward the inner wall of the cylindrical body on the outer circumferential surface of the upper end thereof,
The cylindrical body is engaged with the pawl in a state where the cylindrical body is inserted into a position leaving a space in the cylindrical body into which the cylindrical body can be further inserted, and the cylindrical body is inserted into the cylindrical body. Equipped with an engaging protrusion that prevents it from slipping out,
The cylindrical body protrudes from its inner wall toward the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body so as to surround the outer periphery of the cylindrical body inserted into the cylindrical body. Equipped with multiple ribs extending along the insertion direction,
The columnar body includes a protrusion on its outer peripheral surface that protrudes toward the inner wall of the cylindrical body and is sandwiched between two adjacent ribs among the plurality of ribs. In claim 1,
The protrusion has the same shape as the claw,
When the columnar body is inserted into the cylindrical body in such a position that the protrusion engages with the engagement protrusion, the claw is sandwiched between the two adjacent ribs. Fuel supply system located. In claim 2,
The columnar body has a square tube shape inserted into the opening of the cylindrical body,
The claw and the protrusion are respectively provided on opposing wall surfaces of the square tube shape of the columnar body. In claim 2,
A plurality of the protrusions are formed distributed around the outer peripheral surface of the columnar body,
The protrusion is sandwiched between two adjacent ribs. Fuel supply device. In claim 4,
The plurality of protrusions and the plurality of claws are arranged at equal intervals around the outer peripheral surface of the columnar body. The fuel supply device.

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