JP3216431B2 - Vehicle fuel tank - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fuel tank for a vehicle in which a tank body is formed of a synthetic resin and has an embedded cap.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Fuel tanks used in vehicles such as motorcycles include those made of metal and those integrally formed of synthetic resin. On the other hand, the tank cap that closes the fuel filler port has a general screw-in type,
There is an embedded type called an aircraft type. The recessed tank cap has a merit that the surface of the tank cap smoothly follows the upper surface of the fuel tank when the tank cap is closed, so that there is no protrusion on the upper surface of the fuel tank and the appearance is improved.

The recessed tank cap is provided with a receiving portion for receiving fuel spilled during refueling and raindrops collected during traveling in rainy weather. The receiving portion discharges spilled fuel and raindrops. Drain pipe is provided. The drain pipe extends downward from the receiving tray, passes through the inside of the fuel tank, protrudes from the bottom of the fuel tank to the outside, and is connected to a drain hose.

[0004]

However, in the case of a fuel tank integrally molded of synthetic resin, the inside of the fuel tank cannot be post-processed after molding, so that it is difficult to arrange a drain pipe in the fuel tank. It is possible. For this reason, in the related art, there is no example in which an embedded tank cap is used in a fuel tank made of synthetic resin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has as its object to provide a fuel tank for a vehicle in which an embedded tank cap can be provided in a tank body molded of a synthetic resin. I do.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a fuel tank for a vehicle according to the present invention has a cap housing recess formed at the top of a tank body integrally formed of synthetic resin, and the cap housing recess is formed in the cap housing recess. An embedded tank cap having a base and a lid is installed, and the base is liquid-tightly fixed to the cap storage recess so that the lid allows the opening of the base to be opened and closed in a liquid-tight manner. The drain pipe extends from the bottom of the drain groove formed around the opening of the base part to the tank bottom side, and the drain pipe can be assembled from the outside of the tank body to the part where the drain pipe penetrates the tank bottom, and the drain pipe is attached to the tank bottom. A joining means for detachably fixing and liquid-tightly sealing between the drain pipe and the tank bottom is provided.

[0007]

By providing the above-mentioned joining means, the lower end of the drain pipe extending from the tank cap is detachably fixed to the tank bottom and sealed in a liquid-tight manner. Since this joining means can be assembled from the outside of the tank main body, the drain pipe can be arranged in the fuel tank without post-processing the inside of the resin molded fuel tank. Therefore, an embedded tank cap can be used for a fuel tank integrally formed of a synthetic resin.

[0008]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle to which a fuel tank according to the present invention is applied. In the motorcycle 1, a front fork 4 supporting a front wheel 3 is provided on a front head of a body frame 2 with a handlebar 5 and a front fender 6.
And the like are provided so as to be rotatable left and right. A swing arm 9 for supporting a rear wheel 8 is vertically swayably connected to a pivot shaft 7 erected in a vehicle width direction at a lower center portion of the body frame 2. Suspended by 11 cushions.

An engine 12 is mounted on a front portion of the body frame 2, and its power is transmitted to the rear wheels 8 via a chain 13. A fuel tank 14 is installed above the engine 12, and a seat 15 is placed behind the fuel tank 14. The front half of the vehicle body is covered with a streamlined front cowling 16 to reduce air resistance during traveling. The rear portion of the body frame 2 is covered by a rear cowling 17.

The fuel tank 14 includes a tank body 20 integrally formed of a synthetic resin and an embedded tank cap 21.
And a drain pipe 22 extending from the tank cap 21 to the bottom side of the tank body 20, and a joining means A to be described later.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion II in FIG. 1 and shows an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIGS. 3 and 4.

A cap housing recess 24 is formed at the top of the tank body 20, and the tank cap 21 is provided in the cap housing recess 24. Cap storage recess
3, a bottom surface 25 is formed so as to be one step lower than the upper surface of the tank body 20, and a cap insertion opening 26 is formed in the center of the bottom surface 25 as shown in FIG. Around three insert nuts 27
a to 27c are embedded. These insert nuts
27a to 27c are provided at the same time when the tank body 20 is molded.

A drain pipe insertion hole 28 is formed in the bottom surface 25 of the cap housing recess 24. The drain pipe insertion hole 28 is formed, for example, by the insert nuts 27b and 27c.
And is provided between them. Further, annular grooves 29 and 30 are formed around the cap insertion opening 26 and around the drain pipe insertion hole 28 (see FIG. 3).

On the other hand, the tank cap 21 includes a base portion 32 fixed in the cap accommodating recess 24, and a lid portion 33 detachably provided on the base portion 32. As shown in FIG. 4, the base portion 32 is formed with three fastening bosses 34a to 34c.
34a to 34c are fastened to the insert nuts 27a to 27c of the cap storage recess 24 by bolts 35, respectively. Further, a cylindrical portion 36 integrally formed at the center of the base portion 32 extends through the cap insertion opening 26 of the cap storage recess 24 into the tank body 20. The upper end of the base portion 32 is located at a position lower than the upper surface of the tank body 20.

Further, a drain groove 38 is formed in the base portion 32 so as to surround the upper opening of the cylindrical portion 36. The bottom surface of the drain groove 38 is formed in a ship bottom shape and a drain hole 39 is provided. I have. The drain hole 39 is provided in accordance with the position of the drain pipe insertion hole 28 of the cap storage recess 24,
A drain boss 40 integrally formed in the base portion 32 so as to extend downward from the drain hole 39 is inserted into the drain pipe insertion hole 28, and the upper end of the drain pipe 22 formed of a metal tube or the like is connected to the drain boss 40. Is done. The drain pipe 22 extends toward the tank bottom.

In addition, annular grooves 41 and 42 are formed on the bottom surface of the base portion 32 so as to match the annular grooves 29 and 30 formed on the bottom surface 25 of the cap accommodating recess 24 (see FIG. 4). O-rings 43, 44 made of an elastic material are interposed between the annular grooves 29, 30 and 41, 42 of the cap storage recess 24.
The space between the base 25 and the base portion 32 is sealed in a liquid-tight manner.

The lid 33 of the tank cap 21 is constructed by integrally attaching a columnar lock mechanism 47 to the lower surface of a disc-shaped lid 46, and the lock mechanism 47 is mounted on the lower surface of the lid 46. A surrounding annular seal ring 48 is provided.

When closing the tank cap 21, the lid 33
Is inserted into the cylindrical portion 36 of the base portion 32, and the lid 46 is pressed from above. As a result, the seal ring 48 is pressed against the upper end of the cylindrical portion 36 to seal the upper opening of the cylindrical portion 36 in a liquid-tight manner, and at the same time, the lock pin 49 built in the lower end of the lock mechanism 47 is closed. The locking pin 49 is engaged with the lower portion of the cylindrical portion 36 so that the locking mechanism 47 cannot be pulled out through the lower opening of the cylindrical portion 36 through the lower opening of the portion 36, so that the lid portion 33 is locked. You. When the lid 33 is locked, the upper surface of the lid 46 smoothly follows the upper surface of the tank body 20, so that the appearance is kept good.

When opening the tank cap 21, the key 50
Is inserted into the lock mechanism 47 and twisted.
Is pulled back into the lock mechanism 47 and the lock mechanism 47 and the cylinder
The engagement with 36 is released, and the lid 33 can be pulled out upward.

The bottom of the tank body 20 is provided with a recess 52 that is recessed inward (upward), and a through wall 53 of the recess 52 is formed parallel to the lid 46 of the tank cap 21. The lower end of the drain pipe 22 penetrates through the through wall 53 and protrudes to the outside.

The lower end of the drain pipe 22 is formed in a union shape and is connected to a drain hose 54 shown in FIG. 1. The drain hose 54 extends downward along the vehicle body frame 2 and the other end is open to the outside. Have been. Fuel spills into the drain groove 38 of the tank cap 21 when fuel is supplied, or raindrops infiltrate during running on rainy weather. Is done.

Now, the drain pipe 22 is
In the part penetrating the bottom part (the penetration wall 53 of the depression 52),
The joining means A is provided. The joining means A is configured to be assemblable from the outside of the tank body 20, and detachably fixes the drain pipe 22 to the bottom of the tank body 20, and connects the drain pipe 22 to the bottom of the tank body 20. It seals in a liquid-tight manner and is configured as follows.

First, as shown in FIG.
An engagement boss 56 is fixed near the lower end of the 22. The engaging boss 56 has, for example, a columnar basic shape, and has a shape in which two flat surfaces 57 are formed on the peripheral surface thereof so as to face in parallel.

On the other hand, a through hole 53 of a depression 52 formed in the tank body 20 has a central hole having a diameter through which the engaging boss 56 can be inserted.
For example, three insert nuts 59 are embedded around the center hole 58. A disc-shaped fixing plate 60 is fixed to the lower surface of the through wall 53 with three screws 62. These three screws 62 are fastened to the insert nut 59 through screw holes 63 formed in the fixing plate 60.

The fixed plate 60 has a bulging portion 64 projecting downward. The inner diameter of the bulging portion 64 is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the center hole 58, but a large-diameter washer receiver 65 is formed at the upper end thereof.
A washer 66 is fitted into 65. At the inner peripheral portion of the washer receiver 65 and the outer peripheral portion of the washer 66, detent planes 67 and 68 are formed. At the center of the washer 66, the outer peripheral shape of the engaging boss 56 formed on the drain pipe 22 is the same. An engagement hole 69 having a shape is formed.

A drain pipe insertion hole 71 is formed at the bottom of the bulging portion 64, and a sealing member 72 made of an elastic material such as rubber is fitted into the bulging portion 64. The seal member 72 is provided with a hole 73 slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the drain pipe 22, and the thickness of the seal member 72 is obtained by subtracting the height h of the engaging boss 56 from the depth H of the bulging portion 64. It is thicker than its dimensions.

Further, the fixed plate 60 has a washer receiver 65.
Is formed on the lower surface of the through wall 53, and an annular groove 75 is formed on the lower surface of the through wall 53 so as to match the annular groove 74. An O-ring 76 made of an elastic material is interposed between these annular grooves 74, 75. Is interposed.

When assembling the joining means A thus constructed, first, the base 32 of the tank cap 21 is fixed to the tank body 20 and the lower end of the drain pipe 22 is connected to the tank body 20 (through wall 53). The central hole 58 is made to protrude outside.

Next, the sealing member 72 is fitted into the bulging portion 64 of the fixing plate 60, the washer 66 is fitted into the washer receiver 65, and the O-ring 76 is set in the annular groove 74. The lower end of the drain pipe 22 is applied to the through wall 53 of the main body 20 from below, and the drain pipe insertion hole of the bulging portion 64 is formed.
Pass through 71.

Then, the lower end of the drain pipe 22 is pulled out at the same time as the fixing plate 60 is strongly pressed upward, and the engaging boss 56 of the drain pipe 22 is inserted into the engaging hole 69 of the washer 66 and then fixed. Plate 60 is for example 90
゜ Twist.

As a result, the washer 66 is fixed to the fixing plate 60.
With the engaging boss 56, and the outer peripheral shape of the engaging boss 56 and the inner peripheral shape of the engaging hole 69 of the washer 66 are shifted. Can't escape. At this position, the screw holes of the fixing plate 60
The position of the insert nut 63 coincides with the position of the insert nut 59. When the screw 62 is tightened, the fixing plate 60 is fixed to the tank body 20.

When the fixing plate 60 is fixed, the lower end of the drain pipe 22 is fixed to the tank main body 20 with its movement in the axial and lateral directions regulated by the fixing plate 60, the washer 66 and the sealing member 72. The lower surface of the engaging boss 56 is pressed against the upper surface of the sealing member 72, and the inner periphery of the hole 73 of the sealing member 72 is
Is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the fixing plate 60, so that the space between the drain pipe 22 and the bulging portion 64 of the fixed plate 60 is sealed in a liquid-tight manner. on the other hand,
The space between the tank body 20 and the fixed plate 60 is also liquid-tightly sealed by the O-ring 76.

The fuel tank 14 configured as described above
The lower end of the drain pipe 22 is detachably fixed to the tank main body 20 by a joining means A that can be assembled from the outside of the tank main body 20, and a liquid-tight seal is provided between the drain pipe 22 and the tank main body 20. Therefore, the drain pipe 22 can be provided in the tank body 20 without post-processing the inside of the tank body 20 integrally formed of a synthetic resin. Therefore, the embedded tank cap 21 can be used also for the fuel tank 14 integrally molded with the synthetic resin.

The joining means A constructed as described above has advantages that the assembly is simple, the mounting rigidity of the drain pipe 22 is high, and the sealing structure is simple, so that fuel leakage hardly occurs.

The shape of the engaging boss 56 of the drain pipe 22 and the engaging hole 69 of the washer 66 are not limited to those of the present embodiment, but may be other shapes. In the present embodiment, the lid 33 of the tank cap 21 is of a type that can be attached to and detached from the base 32, but for example, a tank cap of a type in which the lid 33 is rotatably provided on the base 32. It may be.

[0036]

As described above, in the fuel tank for a vehicle according to the present invention, the cap housing recess is formed at the top of the tank body integrally formed of synthetic resin, and the base and the cover are formed in the cap housing recess. An embedding type tank cap comprising: is provided, and the base portion is liquid-tightly fixed to the cap storage recess so that the lid portion allows the opening portion of the base portion to be opened and closed in a liquid-tight manner. The drain pipe extends from the bottom of the drain groove formed around the part to the tank bottom side, and at the part where the drain pipe penetrates the tank bottom,
The drain pipe can be assembled from the outside of the tank body, the drain pipe is detachably fixed to the tank bottom, and a joining means for sealing the drain pipe and the tank bottom in a liquid-tight manner is provided.

Therefore, the drain pipe can be provided in the fuel tank without post-processing the inside of the molded fuel tank, and the embedded tank cap is also provided in the fuel tank integrally molded of synthetic resin. Will be available.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle to which a fuel tank according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a portion II in FIG. 1, showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a cap storage recess.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a base portion of the tank cap.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the joining means.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Motorcycle as a vehicle 14 Fuel tank 20 Tank main body 21 Tank cap 22 Drain pipe 24 Cap storage concave part 32 Base part 33 Cover part 38 Drain groove 56 Engaging boss which constitutes joining means A 60 Fixing plate which constitutes joining means A 66 Washer constituting joining means A 72 Seal member constituting joining means A 76 O-ring constituting joining means A

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A cap housing recess is formed at the top of a tank body integrally formed of synthetic resin, and an embedded tank cap having a base and a lid is installed in the cap housing recess, The opening of the base portion can be opened and closed in a liquid-tight manner by the lid, and the drain pipe is connected to the tank bottom side from the bottom of the drain groove formed around the opening of the base portion. To the part where the drain pipe penetrates the tank bottom,
A fuel tank for a vehicle, comprising a joining means for assembling from the outside of a tank body, detachably fixing a drain pipe to a tank bottom, and providing a liquid-tight seal between the drain pipe and the tank bottom.