JP2541802Y2 - Automotive fuel tank protection structure - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure for protecting a fuel tank against a forward movement of a rear part in a rear collision of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the event of a rear collision of an automobile, for example, a muffler or a rear differential device (generally referred to as a rear differential)
It is necessary for safety measures to prevent the rear tank and the like from damaging the fuel tank when the rear parts move forward. Conventionally, for the movement of the peripheral parts of the fuel tank at the time of a collision, a sufficient space is secured so as not to hit the fuel tank, or a portion that may hit may be rounded to release the load, or Also, a method of protecting with a protector (for example, see Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 56-18217) is used.

[0003]

However, for example, a propeller shaft passes under the fuel tank, a rear differential is located immediately after the fuel tank, and a rear part such as a muffler is located near the rear part of the rear differential. In the case where the space behind the fuel tank cannot be secured, the load cannot be released by changing the shape of the contact part, and there is no space for installing the protector, the conventional fuel tank protection in the event of a rear collision None of the measures will be established.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel tank protecting means in the case where the conventional fuel tank protecting means cannot be established as described above.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a rear differential is floatingly supported on a vehicle body-side member via a rubber bush by a differential member front and a differential member rear at a rear portion of the fuel tank through a propeller shaft passing directly below the fuel tank. An automobile in which a muffler is arranged near a rear part of a rear differential, wherein a bracket is fixed to a rear surface of the differential member rearward so as to project rearward so that a rear end thereof faces an upper part of the muffler. is there.

[0006]

As described above, when the muffler moves forward at the time of a rear collision, the muffler first hits the bracket and pushes the bracket upward. Then, the rear of the differential member to which the bracket is fixed and the rear of the rear differential are integrally displaced upward, the rear differential rotates about the axle shaft, the front of the rear differential is lowered, and the drive pinion shaft of the rear differential and the propeller shaft The connecting portion with the rear end is displaced downward, that is, in the direction away from the fuel tank, and when the rear differential is pushed forward by the forward movement of the muffler, the connecting portion between the drive pinion shaft of the rear differential and the propeller shaft is further displaced downward. Therefore, the collision with the fuel tank and the damage to the fuel tank due to the collision are completely prevented.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a fuel tank installed under the floor of a vehicle body, and 2 denotes a propeller shaft passing through a tunnel-shaped recess formed in the center of the bottom surface of the fuel tank 1 in the front-rear direction. The rear end is connected to a drive pinion shaft of a rear differential 4 via a coupling 3 such as a viscous coupling. The coupling portion of the coupling 3 between the propeller shaft 2 and the drive pinion shaft of the rear differential 4 is located below the rear part of the concave portion on the bottom surface of the fuel tank 1. Reference numeral 5 denotes a differential member front for mounting and supporting a front portion of the rear differential 4.
The left and right ends are floatingly supported by left and right chassis frames 10 via rubber bushes 5a. 6
Is a differential member rear composed of a substantially plate-like body having a central portion fixed to the rear portion of the rear differential 5. The differential member rear 6 is supported at both left and right ends thereof by a floating member 6 via a rubber bush 6a. . The left and right ends of the cross member 7 are fixed to the chassis frame 10, and support brackets 7 a, 7 a are projected upward on two upper surfaces near the center of the cross member 7. The part is floating supported via a rubber bush 6a. Muffler 9 close to the rear of this cross member 7
Are arranged horizontally.

In the vehicle having the above-described under-floor parts arrangement structure, in the present invention, a bracket 8 projects from the rear surface of the differential member rear 6 toward the rear, and the rear end of the bracket 8 is the rear end surface of the cross member 7. Muffler 9 projecting more backward
Is formed so as to oppose a portion above the center of the frame.

The bracket 8 is, as shown in FIG.
Rear surface 81, left and right side surfaces 82, 82, bottom surface 83, and side surface 8
Mounting surfaces 84, 82 formed by bending the front ends of
84, a corner portion 85 connected from the lower end of the rear surface 81 to the bottom surface 83 has an arc shape, and the bottom surface 83 has a structure with a step h so that the rear portion is located above the front portion. The surfaces 84, 84 are joined to the rear surface of the differential member rear 6, and are fixedly attached by bolting or the like. Although the illustrated embodiment shows an example in which the bracket 8 is attached and fixed together by fixing bolts between the differential member rear 6 and the rear part of the rear differential 4, the bracket 8 may be fixed to the differential member rear 6 by welding.

In the above, at the time of a rear collision, the chassis frame 10 is buckled and deformed by the input from the rear bumper, and the muffler 9 is further pushed forward to hit the rear surface 83 of the bracket 8 before hitting the cross member 7. The corner portion 85 at the lower end of the rear surface of the bracket 8 is formed in an arc shape, and the rear portion of the bottom surface is provided with a step h so that the muffler 9 is easily slid under the bracket 8. When the rear surface 81 of the bracket 8 contacts the rear surface 81 of the bracket 8, the rear portion of the bracket 8 is pushed upward, and the rear portions of the differential member rear 6 and the rear differential 4 are pushed upward integrally with the bracket 8, whereby the rear differential 4 is moved around the axle shaft 11 in FIG. In B), the connecting portion between the drive pinion shaft and the rear end of the propeller shaft is displaced downward, that is, away from the fuel tank 1.
Next, the muffler 9 hits the rear surface of the cross member 7 and pushes the rear differential 4 forward while displacing the cross member 7 forward, but as described above, the front end of the rear differential 4 has been lowered downward. As the rear differential 4 is pushed forward, the connection between the drive pinion shaft and the propeller shaft 2 is displaced in a direction away from the fuel tank, so that the fuel tank 1 is prevented from hitting.

In the conventional structure having no bracket 8, when the muffler 9 moves forward due to a rear collision, the cross member 7
And the rotary member deforms the cross member 7 about its attachment point to the chassis frame 10, so that the front end of the rear differential 4 is displaced upward, and the connecting portion between the drive pinion shaft and the propeller shaft 2 is displaced upward. In other words, the fuel tank 1 may be displaced in a direction approaching the fuel tank 1 and hit the fuel tank 1.

In the present invention, as described above, the muffler 9 hits the bracket 8 before hitting the cross member 7, and the front end of the rear differential 4 is forcibly displaced downward, thereby completely hitting the fuel tank. Is to be prevented.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided an automobile in which a propeller shaft passes directly below a fuel tank, a rear differential is disposed immediately after the fuel tank, and a muffler is disposed close to the rear of the rear differential. With a very simple structure in which the bracket is fixed to the differential member rear which is the rear differential rear support member, when the muffler moves forward due to a rear collision, the front of the rear differential and the rear of the propeller shaft are connected by the muffler hitting the bracket. The part is displaced downward, that is, away from the fuel tank, and can completely prevent accidents such as contact with the fuel tank and damage to the fuel tank due to the displacement. Therefore, the structure is simple, the installation is easy, and the cost is low. In addition, it can bring a great effect in practical use.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B show an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a plan view and FIG.

FIG. 2 is a view showing details of a bracket 8 in FIG. 1;
(A) is a plan view and (B) is a side view.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 fuel tank 2 propeller shaft 4 rear differential 5 differential member front 6 differential member rear 7 cross member 8 bracket 9 muffler 10 chassis frame

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] A rear differential is supported by a differential member front and a differential member rear via a rubber bush via a rubber bush by a differential member front and a differential member rear at a rear portion of the fuel tank, with a propeller shaft passing directly below a fuel tank mounted below the floor. In a vehicle in which a muffler is provided, a bracket is fixed to a rear surface of a differential member rear coupled to a rear portion of the rear differential so as to project rearward so that a rear end thereof faces an upper portion of the muffler. A fuel tank protection structure for an automobile, wherein the rear differential is moved forward so as to hit the rear end of the bracket, forcibly push the bracket upward, and rotate the rear differential so that its front portion is displaced downward. 2. The differential member rear according to claim 1, wherein a center portion thereof is fixed to a rear portion of the rear differential, and left and right ends of the differential member rear are provided on upper surfaces of two right and left portions near a center portion of a cross member for mounting a rear suspension. The bracket fixed to the rear surface of the differential member rear protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the cross member, and when the muffler moves forward due to a rear collision, the muffler is moved before the cross member hits the cross member. A fuel tank protection structure for an automobile, wherein a rear differential is rotated so that a front portion thereof is displaced downward at a rear end.