JP3594851B2 - Fuel cylinder support system for automobiles - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for supporting a fuel cylinder in an automobile in which a fuel cylinder is supported on a floor panel via a support base.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a fuel cylinder support device for the above-mentioned automobile, there is a device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-290647.
[0003]
According to the above publication, the vehicle body includes left and right side walls and a floor panel disposed between the lower ends of the side walls, and a fuel cylinder is supported on the floor panel via a support. .
[0004]
The fuel can be charged into the cylinder body from a fuel supply source such as a gas station through a protected cylinder valve housed in the semi-container case, and the fuel is supplied from the cylinder body to a vehicle-mounted traveling drive engine. Can be supplied.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, as shown in FIG. 12 of the above-mentioned publication, particularly, in the width direction of the vehicle body, each side wall of the vehicle body and the semi-container case which is the end of the fuel cylinder are arranged near each other. Have been.
[0006]
For this reason, at the time of a "side collision" in which some object collides with the side wall of the vehicle body from the outside, when the side wall is greatly deformed toward the inside of the vehicle body, the deformed side wall comes into contact with the end of the fuel cylinder. Therefore, there is a risk of damaging this.
[0007]
In addition, in the case of the "side collision", a large impact force may be applied to the fuel cylinder from the support base side. In this case, if the fuel cylinder is not sufficiently supported by the support base, the fuel cylinder may be damaged. Therefore, it is desired that the fuel cylinder be more firmly supported on the support base and that this be achieved with a simple configuration.
[0008]
Further, it is desired that the operation for supporting the fuel cylinder on the support table can be easily performed, and that this can be achieved with a simple configuration.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and when a fuel cylinder is supported by a support base on a floor panel of a vehicle body, the side wall that is deformed due to a `` side collision '' on the vehicle body is as described above. An object of the present invention is to prevent the fuel cylinder from being damaged by preventing the fuel cylinder from abutting on the fuel cylinder.
[0010]
Further, the support of the fuel cylinder with respect to the support table is strengthened, so that the fuel cylinder is more reliably prevented from being damaged, and the operation for supporting the fuel cylinder on the support table can be easily performed. It is another object of the present invention to achieve these with simple configurations.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A fuel cylinder support device for an automobile according to the present invention for solving the above problems is as follows.
[0012]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the vehicle body 2 includes left and right side walls 3 and 3 and a floor panel 4 disposed between the lower ends of the side walls 3 and 3. In a car supporting the fuel cylinder 27 through the
[0013]
In the width direction of the vehicle body 2, the ends 37 a, 38 a, and 37 b of the support 28 are located outside the ends of the fuel cylinder 27, and the ends of the support 28 are centered on the side walls 3. An external force receiving member 47 having an area larger than the cross-sectional area of the end of the support base 28 is fixed to the end of the support base 28 in the vicinity of the pillar 20 and in a side view of the vehicle body 2. Is to face.
[0014]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first aspect, the fuel cylinder 27 has a cylindrical center 31 extending substantially horizontally and having a bottom 31a at one axial end. A semi-container case 32 which is located on substantially the same axis 30 as the cylinder main body 31 and protrudes from the other end of the cylinder main body 31 to accommodate a cylinder main valve; and the cylinder main body 31 and the semi-container case 32 And an annular groove 33 extending between the shaft center 30 and extending outward in the radial direction of the fuel cylinder 27.
[0015]
The support base 28 is provided with a movement restricting member 50 that fits the lower part of the annular groove 33 in the vertical direction and restricts the fuel cylinder 27 from moving horizontally on the support base 28.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0017]
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a two-box type automobile, and an arrow Fr indicates the front, and the left and right described below refer to the width direction of the vehicle body 2 toward the front.
[0018]
The vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 is made of sheet metal. The vehicle body 2 is disposed between the left and right side walls 3 and the lower ends of the both side walls 3 and 3 and extends substantially horizontally. A floor panel 4 coupled to the lower end of each corresponding side wall 3; a roof panel 5 erected between the upper ends of the side walls 3; and the left and right side walls 3, 3, the floor panel 4, and And a vehicle compartment 6 formed by being surrounded by a roof panel 5.
[0019]
In all the drawings, each of the side walls 3 has an outer panel 9 and an inner panel 9 facing each other on the left and right, and these panels 9 and 10 are connected to each other.
[0020]
A side door opening 12 is formed at a front portion of each of the side walls 3, and a side door 13 that closes the side door opening 12 so as to be able to open and close is provided. A seat 14 is provided at the front of the cabin 6 inside the side door opening 12 and is supported by the floor panel 4. In addition, a rear quarter window 16 is provided on the upper rear portion of each of the side walls 3. Further, a back door opening 17 is formed on the rear surface of the vehicle body 2, and a back door 18 that closes the back door opening 17 so as to be able to open and close is provided.
[0021]
Each of the side walls 3 is located between the side door opening 12 and the rear quarter window 16 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 2 and forms a center pillar 20 in the front-rear direction of each side wall 3; A rear pillar 21 is provided between the quarter window 16 and the back door opening 17 and constitutes a rear end of each of the side walls 3. The center pillar 20 and the rear pillar 21 each have a closed sectional structure in plan view. Each side wall 3 forms a skeletal member having high strength and rigidity.
[0022]
The vehicle body 2 is supported on a traveling surface 25 by front and rear wheels 23 and 24, and the vehicle 1 can travel on the traveling surface 25 by driving a vehicle-mounted engine supported by the vehicle body 2.
[0023]
A fuel supply device 26 for supplying fuel (CNG or the like) to the engine is provided. The fuel supply device 26 includes a fuel cylinder 27 for storing fuel to be supplied to the engine, and a support 28 for supporting the fuel cylinder 27 on the floor panel 4. Is disposed in the vehicle compartment 6 near the rear of the seat 14.
[0024]
The fuel cylinder 27 includes a cylindrical cylinder body 31 having an axis 30 extending substantially horizontally in the width direction of the vehicle body 2 and having a bottom 31a at one end (right end) in the axial direction and storing fuel. A semi-container case 32 having a circular cross section and located on the same axis 30 as the cylinder main body 31 and protruding from the other end (left end) of the cylinder main body 31; and the cylinder main body 31 and the semi-container case 32 And an annular groove 33 extending around the axis 30 over the entire circumference and opening outward in the radial direction of the fuel cylinder 27.
[0025]
The semi-container case 32 accommodates a cylinder base valve (not shown) and is protected by the semi-container case 32. Fuel is supplied from a fuel supply source to the cylinder main body 31 through the cylinder base valve and a plurality of pipes. On the other hand, fuel can be supplied from the cylinder main body 31 to the engine mounted on the vehicle. Outside the fuel cylinder 27, a protection pipe 34 is provided to protect the pipes by fitting the pipes therein.
[0026]
The support base 28 includes a pair of front and rear circular pipe metal support frames 37 and 38 extending in the width direction of the vehicle body 2 and a plurality of left and right sheet metal members extending in the front and rear direction and connecting the support frames 37 and 38 to each other. The support base 28 is detachably fixed to the floor panel 4 by fasteners 42.
[0027]
Of the connection frames 39 to 41, recesses 44 are formed on the upper surfaces of the pair of connection frames 40 and 41 on the cylinder body 31 side, respectively, and open upward when viewed from the side of the vehicle body 2. The cylinder body 31 of the fuel cylinder 27 is removably fitted into the cylinders 44 and 44 from above, whereby the fuel cylinder 27 is positioned with respect to the support base 28 in the front-rear direction. Rolling in the front-rear direction is restricted. In addition, the support base 28 is provided with fixing members 45 that allow the fuel cylinder 27 to be releasably fixed on the connection frames 40 and 41, respectively, and these fixing members 45 are configured by bands. In the above case, the fuel cylinder 27 is located between the front and rear support frames 37 and 38 in a plan view of the vehicle body 2.
[0028]
One end 37a, 38a (left end) of each of the support frames 37, 38 of the support base 28 on the side of the semi-container case 32 in the width direction of the body 2 is an end of the semi-container case 32 of the fuel cylinder 27. It is located outside (left side) of the part (left end). One end 37a of the front support frame 37 is located further outward (left side) than the one end 38a of the rear support frame 38, and is located near the center pillar 20 of the left side wall 3. It is positioned and faces this center pillar 20. Further, a disk-shaped external force receiving member 47 having an area larger than the cross-sectional area of the one end 37a in a side view of the vehicle body 2 is fixed to one end 37a of the front support frame 37.
[0029]
A gap 48 having a short dimension in the width direction of the vehicle body 2 is provided between the center pillar 20 and one end 37a of the front support frame 37 and the external force receiving member 47. The gap 48 may not be provided, and the one end 37a of the support frame 37 and the external force receiving member 47 may be brought into contact with the center pillar 20.
[0030]
On the other hand, in the width direction of the vehicle body 2, the other end 37 b of the support frame 37 on the front side of the support stand 28 on the cylinder body 31 side is an end (right end) of the fuel cylinder 27 on the bottom 31 a side of the cylinder body 31. Part) is located outside (right side). The other end 37b of the front support frame 37 is located near the center pillar 20 on the right side wall 3 and faces the center pillar 20. The other end 37b of the front support frame 37 has the same configuration as the one end 37a, and is provided with an external force receiving member 47 and a gap 48.
[0031]
Among the connection frames 39 to 41 of the support 28, a movement restricting member 50 fixed to the connection frame 39 on the semi-container case 32 side and restricting the fuel cylinder 27 from moving horizontally on the support 28. Is provided.
[0032]
The movement restricting member 50 has a plate shape, protrudes upward from the connection frame 39 and extends in the front-rear direction, and has a semicircular notch 51 that opens upward in a side view of the vehicle body 2 at an upper end thereof. Is formed. The notch 51 restricts the movement of the fuel cylinder 27 by fitting the lower half portion of the annular groove 33 so as to be vertically removably fitted.
[0033]
Another movement regulating member 54 is provided at the upper end of the movement regulating member 50 so as to be detachably fixed by a fastener 53 and keeps the annular groove 33 fitted in the notch 51. The other movement restricting member 54 has a plate shape, and has another semicircular notch 55 formed at its lower end, which opens downward when viewed from the side of the vehicle body 2. The other notch 55 is fitted in the upper half portion of the annular groove 33 so as to be vertically removably fitted to regulate the movement of the fuel cylinder 27 in the horizontal direction, and also from the movement regulating member 50 side. It also regulates upward movement.
[0034]
A box-shaped cover member 57 made of sheet metal is provided to integrally and entirely open and close the fuel cylinder 27, the movement restricting member 50, and the other movement restricting members 54 from above. The support 28, the movement restricting member 50, and the other movement restricting members 54 are detachably fixed to each other by fasteners 58.
[0035]
When the operation of supporting the fuel cylinder 27 on the support base 28 is performed, first, the cylinder body 31 of the fuel cylinder 27 is fitted into each of the recesses 44 from above, and the annular groove 33 of the fuel cylinder 27 is formed. Is fitted into the notch 51 of the movement restricting member 50, and the fuel cylinder 27 is placed on the support base 28.
[0036]
Next, the cylinder main body 31 of the fuel cylinder 27 is fixed on the support base 28 by the fixing member 45, and another movement restricting member 54 is fixed to the movement restricting member 50 by the fastener 53. The movement of the fuel cylinder 27 on the support base 28 in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction is regulated by 50 and 54. Then, the operation of supporting the fuel cylinder 27 on the support base 28 is completed.
[0037]
Next, if the fuel cylinder 27 is covered with a cover body 57 and the cover body 57 is fastened to the support base 28 or the like with a fastener 58, the protection of the fuel cylinder 27 against external force becomes more reliable.
[0038]
According to the configuration, the ends (37a, 38a, 37b) of the support base 28 are located outside the ends of the fuel cylinder 27 in the width direction of the vehicle body 2, and the ends of the support base 28 are The portion is located near the center pillar 20 on the side wall 3 and faces the center pillar 20.
[0039]
For this reason, when the center pillar 20 of the side wall 3 is going to be deformed toward the inside of the vehicle body 2 at the time of “side collision” in which some object collides with the side wall 3 of the vehicle body 2 from the outside, the dashed line in FIG. As shown by, the center pillar 20 abuts on the ends (37a, 38a, 37b) of the support base 28 just before reaching the fuel cylinder 27, and the progress of its deformation is suppressed. In this case, the progress of deformation of the center pillar 20 is more reliably suppressed by the external force receiving member 47.
[0040]
Moreover, since the center pillar 20 forms a skeletal member of the side wall 3, the deformation of the center pillar 20 is suppressed, so that the deformation of the side wall 3 is entirely suppressed.
[0041]
Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the side wall 3 that is deformed due to the “side collision” on the vehicle body 2 from coming into contact with the fuel cylinder 27, and therefore, the fuel cylinder 27 is more likely to be damaged by the contact of the side wall 3. It is reliably prevented.
[0042]
Further, in plan view of the vehicle body 2, the fuel cylinder 27 is located between the front and rear support frames 37, 38 in front of the support base 28, so that the deformable side wall 3 comes into contact with the fuel cylinder 27. Is more reliably prevented.
[0043]
In the above case, since the gap 48 is provided between the center pillar 20 of the side wall 3 and the end portion (37a, 38a, 37b) of the support base 28, the side wall 3 is smoothly moved at the time of "side collision". Deformation is allowed by the existence of the gap 48, and the impact force accompanying the "side collision" is reduced, thereby also preventing the fuel cylinder 27 from being damaged.
[0044]
Further, as described above, the movement restricting member 50 that fits the lower part of the annular groove 33 in the up-down direction to restrict the fuel cylinder 27 from moving in the horizontal direction on the support base 28 is provided on the upper surface of the support base 28. It is provided on the side.
[0045]
For this reason, the support of the fuel cylinder 27 by the support stand 28 is further strengthened by the movement restricting members 50 and 54, and it is more reliable that the fuel cylinder 27 is damaged by the impact force at the time of “side collision”. Is prevented.
[0046]
Further, when the fuel cylinder 27 is supported by the support 28 as described above, the annular groove 33 of the fuel cylinder 27 is used, and accordingly, the support of the fuel cylinder 27 by the support 28 can be firmly supported. This is achieved with a simple configuration.
[0047]
In the operation for supporting the fuel cylinder 27 on the support base 28, when the fuel cylinder 27 is mounted on the support base 28, the annular groove 33 of the fuel cylinder 27 is fitted to the movement restricting member 50. The fuel cylinder 27 is positioned at a predetermined position on the support base 28 by this fitting.
[0048]
Therefore, by fitting the annular groove 33 into the movement restricting member 50, the fuel cylinder 27 can be automatically positioned, so that the operation for supporting the fuel cylinder 27 on the support base 28 can be facilitated. . In addition, since the movement restricting member 50 is used for the positioning, the operation for supporting the fuel cylinder 27 can be achieved with a simple configuration.
[0049]
【The invention's effect】
The effects of the present invention are as follows.
[0050]
The invention according to claim 1 is directed to an automobile in which a vehicle body includes left and right side walls and a floor panel disposed between lower ends of the side walls, and a fuel cylinder is supported on the floor panel via a support base. ,
[0051]
In the width direction of the vehicle body, the end of the support stand is located outside the end of the fuel cylinder, and the end of the support stand is located near the center pillar on the side wall ; In a side view, an external force receiving member having an area larger than a cross-sectional area of the end is fixed to an end of the support base so as to face the center pillar.
[0052]
For this reason, at the time of a “side collision” in which an object collides with the side wall of the vehicle body from the outside, when the center pillar of the side wall is going to deform toward the inside of the vehicle body, the center pillar is located just before reaching the fuel cylinder. The abutment comes into contact with the end of the support, and the progress of the deformation is suppressed.
[0053]
In addition, since the center pillar forms a skeletal member of the side wall, the deformation of the center pillar is suppressed, so that the deformation of the side wall is entirely suppressed.
[0054]
Therefore, it is more reliably prevented that the side wall which is deformed due to the "side collision" with the vehicle body comes into contact with the fuel cylinder, and the fuel cylinder is more reliably prevented from being damaged by the contact of the side wall. .
[0055]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the fuel cylinder has a cylindrical cylinder body having an axial center extending substantially horizontally and having a bottom at one end in the axial direction, and located on the same axial center as the cylinder main body. A semi-container case protruding from the other end of the cylinder main body and accommodating the cylinder main valve; and a semi-container case formed between the cylinder main body and the semi-container case, extending around the axis, and having a diameter of the fuel cylinder. An annular groove that opens outward in the direction
[0056]
The support base is provided with a movement restricting member that fits a lower part of the annular groove in a vertical direction to restrict the fuel cylinder from moving horizontally on the support base.
[0057]
For this reason, the support of the fuel cylinder by the support table is further strengthened by the movement restricting member, and the fuel cylinder is more reliably prevented from being damaged by the impact force at the time of “side collision”.
[0058]
Further, when the fuel cylinder is supported on the support as described above, the annular groove provided in the fuel cylinder is used, and accordingly, the solid support of the fuel cylinder by the support is achieved with a simple configuration. Is done.
[0059]
In the operation for supporting the fuel cylinder on the support, when the fuel cylinder is placed on the support, the annular groove of the fuel cylinder is fitted to the movement restricting member. Thereby, the fuel cylinder is positioned at a predetermined position on the support base.
[0060]
Therefore, by fitting the annular groove into the movement restricting member, the position of the fuel cylinder can be automatically determined, so that the operation for supporting the fuel cylinder on the support base can be facilitated. Further, since the movement restricting member is used for the positioning, the operation for supporting the fuel cylinder can be achieved with a simple configuration.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged view of FIG.
FIG. 2 is a side view of an automobile.
FIG. 3 is a rear sectional view of the automobile.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of what is shown in FIG.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of what is shown in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
Reference Signs List 1 automobile 2 body 3 side wall 4 floor panel 6 casing 20 center pillar 26 fuel supply device 27 fuel cylinder 28 support base 30 axis 31 cylinder body 31a bottom 32 semi-container case 33 annular grooves 37, 38 support frames 37a, 38a one end 37b, 38b Other end portions 39, 40, 41 Connecting frame
47 External force receiving member 50 Movement restricting member

Claims (2)

In an automobile in which a vehicle body includes left and right side walls and a floor panel disposed between respective lower end portions of these side walls, and a fuel cylinder is supported on the floor panel via a support base,
In the width direction of the vehicle body, the end of the support stand is located outside the end of the fuel cylinder, and the end of the support stand is located near the center pillar on the side wall ; A fuel cylinder support device for an automobile , wherein an external force receiving member having an area larger than a cross-sectional area of the end portion is fixed to an end portion of the support base in a side view, and faces the center pillar. The fuel cylinder has a substantially horizontal axis and a cylindrical cylinder body having a bottom at one end in the axial direction; and a cylinder cylinder positioned substantially on the same axis as the cylinder body. A semi-container case projecting from the end and containing the cylinder base valve; and a semi-container case formed between the cylinder main body and the semi-container case, extending around the axis and radially outward of the fuel cylinder. In an automobile having an open annular groove,
2. The fuel cylinder according to claim 1, wherein a movement restricting member is provided on the support base, the lower part of the annular groove being fitted in a vertical direction to restrict the fuel cylinder from moving horizontally on the support base. Support device.

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