JP3919331B2 - Fuel shut-off valve mounting structure - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fuel cutoff valve mounting structure that guides fuel gas generated in a fuel tank to the outside of the fuel tank and prevents fuel from flowing out of the fuel tank.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A fuel shut-off valve is installed above the fuel tank to discharge fuel gas generated in the fuel tank to the outside of the fuel tank and to prevent fuel from flowing out when the vehicle is tilted or falls. Here, a structure for attaching the fuel cutoff valve to the fuel tank is shown in FIG.
The fuel shut-off valve 50 is provided inside the fuel tank 52, and includes a valve main body 54, a passage portion 56 formed integrally with the upper portion of the valve main body 54, and adjacent to the passage portion 56 and integrally therewith. The pipe fitting portion 58 is formed, and the coupling member 60 is formed on the side surface of the valve body 54 at a position opposite to the passage portion 56 and the pipe fitting portion 58. An internal space 62 is formed in the valve main body 54, and the internal space 62 communicates with the inside of the fuel tank 52 through an inlet (not shown). A gas vent passage 64 communicating with the internal space 62 of the valve body 54 is formed inside the passage portion 56 and the pipe fitting portion 58.
[0003]
One end of a pipe 66 is fitted into the pipe fitting portion 58, and the other end of the pipe 66 communicates with an external space of the fuel tank 52 or a canister (not shown). As shown in FIG. 6, a pair of large diameter portions 68 are formed near the insertion end of the pipe 66 into the pipe fitting portion 58, and an O-ring 70 is provided between the pair of large diameter portions 68. The O-ring 70 seals between the outer wall of the pipe 66 and the inner wall of the pipe fitting portion 58.
The fuel vapor generated in the fuel tank 52 reaches the gas vent passage 64 from the introduction port through the internal space 62 of the valve body 54 in the fuel cutoff valve 50, and from there to the external space of the fuel tank 52 through the pipe 66. Or it is discharged into a canister.
[0004]
The fuel cutoff valve 50 and the pipe 66 are attached to the upper surface of the fuel tank 52 by separate fixing means. That is, in the fuel cutoff valve 50, the coupling member 60 is integrally formed on the side surface of the valve body 54 (the side surface opposite to the passage portion 56 and the pipe fitting portion 58), and the coupling member 60 and the upper portion of the fuel tank 52 are formed. The fuel shut-off valve 50 is fixed to the upper portion of the fuel tank 52 by connecting the two with a bracket 72. On the other hand, the pipe 66 is fixed to the upper portion of the fuel tank 52 via a holding metal fitting 74.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Recently, there is a growing demand for expansion of indoor living spaces in passenger cars and the like, and the storage space for the fuel tank 52 may be limited accordingly. On the other hand, since it is necessary to ensure an appropriate full tank capacity in the fuel tank 52, the shape of the fuel tank 52 tends to be flattened and complicated recently. For this reason, gas pools can be formed at several locations in the upper part of the fuel tank 52, and it is necessary to provide the fuel cutoff valves 50 at the locations of the respective gas pools. In addition, there are narrow places where the fuel cutoff valve 50 is attached, and there is a demand for downsizing the fuel cutoff valve 50.
[0006]
On the other hand, the fuel tank 52 receives force from inside and outside in various ways. For example, the fuel tank 52 may be deformed due to a collision or the like, but the deformation of the fuel tank 52 may act in the direction of dropping the pipe 66 from the fuel cutoff valve 50. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 6, the pipe 66 is inserted into the inside of the passage portion 56 located behind the pipe fitting portion 58 of the fuel cutoff valve 50 so that the pipe 66 fits the pipe of the fuel cutoff valve 50. It is difficult to come off from the portion 58.
For this reason, in the conventional fuel cutoff valve 50, the length of the passage portion 56 is set to be long to some extent, and securing the length of the passage portion 56 has been one factor that hinders downsizing of the fuel cutoff valve 50.
[0007]
Further, even when the vehicle is traveling, the internal pressure of the fuel tank 52 fluctuates, whereby the fuel tank 52 repeatedly changes when it is positive and contracts when it is negative.
Since the components attached to the fuel tank 52 such as the fuel cutoff valve 50 and the pipe 66 follow the fluctuation caused by the expansion and contraction of the fuel tank 52, the bending moment is repeatedly applied to the connecting portion between the pipe 66 and the pipe fitting portion 58. work. Further, the vertical vibration is transmitted to the connecting portion between the pipe 66 and the pipe fitting portion 58 due to the vibration of the vehicle during traveling. For this reason, the O-ring 70 that seals the pipe fitting portion 58 is subject to wear deformation due to repeated bending moments and vibrations of the fuel tank 52, and the O-ring 70 may have a poor seal.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and by making the valve body compact, it is easy to install in a gas reservoir, and at the same time, a fuel that prevents dropping of a pipe and wear deformation of an O-ring. The object is to provide a shut-off valve.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention provides a fuel shut-off valve mounting structure in which a fuel shut-off valve having a pipe fitting portion in which a gas vent passage communicating with a pipe is formed is fixed to a fuel tank with a bracket, to the bracket of the fuel shut-off valve The fixed portion is a pipe fitting portion, and the pipe is fixed to the bracket.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a fuel cutoff valve mounting structure according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.
The fuel shut-off valve 10 of the present invention is provided inside a fuel tank 12, and includes a valve body 14, a passage portion 16 formed integrally with the valve body 14 at an upper portion thereof, and adjacent to the passage portion 16. It has the pipe fitting part 18 formed integrally with it. A gas vent passage 20 is formed across the passage portion 16 and the pipe fitting portion 18. As shown in FIG. 2, the diameter of the gas vent passage 20 in the pipe fitting portion 18 is set larger than the diameter of the gas vent passage 20 in the passage portion 16, and the step portion 22 is formed in the middle of the gas vent passage 20. .
One end of the pipe 24 is fitted into the gas vent passage 20 of the pipe fitting portion 18. A pair of large diameter portions 26 are formed in the vicinity of the insertion end of the pipe 24 into the pipe fitting portion 18, and an O-ring 28 is provided between the pair of large diameter portions 26. The space between the outer wall and the inner wall of the pipe fitting portion 18 is sealed.
[0011]
The configuration up to this point is the same as that of the conventional fuel cutoff valve, but in the fuel cutoff valve 10 of the present invention, the connecting member 60 provided in the conventional fuel cutoff valve 50 is omitted. The present invention further eliminates the need to insert the pipe 24 into the gas vent passage 20 in the passage portion 16. Therefore, the passage portion 16 is made as short as possible so that the pipe fitting portion 18 is as close to the valve body 14 as possible.
When the pipe 24 is inserted into the pipe fitting portion 18, as shown in FIG. 2, the insertion tip of the pipe 24 (or the large-diameter portion 26 on the tip side) comes into contact with the step portion 22 of the gas vent passage 20. Thus, when the pipe 24 is inserted into the pipe fitting portion 18, the pipe 24 is prevented from moving in the further insertion direction. That is, the step portion 22 functions as a means for preventing the pipe 24 from being inserted more than a predetermined amount.
[0012]
In the pipe fitting portion 18, a pair of notch grooves 30 are formed at a position near the opening, for example, at a symmetrical position. The position of the notch groove 30 in the axial direction of the pipe fitting portion 18 is greater than the position of the large-diameter portion 26 on the rear side in the insertion direction in a state where the pipe 24 is stopped from being inserted into the pipe fitting portion 18. It sets so that it may become a position near 18 openings.
[0013]
A bracket 32 shown in FIG. 4 is fitted into a pair of notch grooves 30 formed in the pipe fitting portion 18. The bracket 32 integrally forms a pair of arm portions 34, a U-shaped main body portion 38 having a space 36 between the arm portions, and a connecting portion 40 extending at right angles from the upper ends of the pair of arm portions 34. It is a thing. The pair of connecting portions 40 of the bracket 32 is fixed to the upper surface of the fuel tank 12 by fixing means (not shown).
The width W between the pair of arms 34 (space 36) is the same as or slightly smaller than the diameter of the pipe 24. That is, the width W between the pair of arm portions 34 (space 36) is clearly smaller than the diameter of the large diameter portion 26 of the pipe 24.
[0014]
Here, the pair of arm portions 34 of the bracket 32 are fitted into the pair of notch grooves 30 of the pipe fitting portion 18. As a result, the pair of arm portions 34 sandwich the pipe 24, and the pipe 24 is fixed to the bracket 32.
Further, in a state where the pair of arm portions 34 of the bracket 32 is fitted into the notch groove 30, the pipe fitting portion 18 is formed by the main body portion 38 of the bracket 32 (the main body portion 38 corresponding to the bottom of the space 36). Support the lower surface. In this state, the large-diameter portion 26 of the pipe 24 cannot pass through the pair of arm portions 34 (space 36) fitted in the notch groove 30. That is, the bracket 32 serves as a stopper for preventing the pipe 24 from being pulled out. As described above, in a state where the pipe 24 is inserted into the deepest part of the pipe fitting portion 18, the pipe 24 is prevented from being pulled out by the pair of arm portions 34 of the bracket 32. As a result, the pipe 24 is fixed to the bracket 32.
[0015]
In this manner, the pipe 24 and the pipe fitting portion 18 are fixed to the bracket 32 by fitting the pair of arm portions 34 of the bracket 32 into the pair of notch grooves 30 formed in the pipe fitting portion 18. It becomes a state. As a result, even if the internal pressure of the fuel tank 12 fluctuates and the fuel tank 12 is displaced due to expansion or contraction of the fuel tank 12 and the bracket 32 is displaced, the pipe 26 that is held and fixed to the bracket 32 and the pipe fitting The positional relationship of the joint 18 (fuel cutoff valve 10) does not change. Therefore, even if a bending moment is applied to the fuel tank 12 or vibration is transmitted to the fuel tank 12, the positional relationship between the pipe 26 and the fuel cutoff valve 10 does not change.
[0016]
In addition, if the bracket 32 fixes the pipe 26 and the pipe fitting part 18 (fuel cutoff valve 10), the shape of the bracket 32 and the width W of the space 36 are limited to those shown in FIG. It is not a thing.
Further, as shown in FIG. 4, in the bracket 32, projections 42 are respectively formed at appropriate positions where the pair of arm portions 34 of the bracket 32 face each other (position where the bracket 32 can snap fit to the pipe 26). May be.
[0017]
Further, in the present invention, the pipe fitting portion 18 of the fuel cutoff valve 10 is fixed to the fuel tank 12 via the bracket 32, so that the connecting member 60 formed in the conventional fuel cutoff valve 50 is omitted. be able to. Further, in the conventional fuel cutoff valve 50, the length of the passage portion 56 is increased in order to insert the pipe into the passage portion 56. However, in the present invention, the pipe 26 is inserted into the passage portion 16. Since it is not necessary, the length of the passage portion 16 can be made as short as possible.
Thus, in the present invention, the coupling member 60 provided in the conventional fuel cutoff valve 50 can be omitted, the length of the passage portion 16 can be shortened, the cost of the fuel cutoff valve 10 can be reduced, and The lateral length of the fuel cutoff valve 10 can be shortened.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the fuel cutoff valve mounting structure of the present invention, the pipe and the pipe fitting portion of the fuel cutoff valve can be respectively fixed to the bracket fixed to the fuel tank. As a result, even if the fuel tank is displaced by an external force due to the expansion and contraction of the fuel tank, the connecting portion between the pipe and the fuel cutoff valve maintains a fixed positional relationship, and the pipe can be prevented from coming off the fuel cutoff valve. .
Further, even if vibration is applied to the pipe and the pipe fitting portion, the positional relationship between the pipe and the pipe fitting portion is constant, so that wear and breakage of the O-ring provided in the connecting portion can be prevented.
In the present invention, since the bracket is fixed to the pipe fitting portion of the fuel cutoff valve, it is not necessary to provide a conventional bracket coupling portion on the fuel cutoff valve. Further, since the pipe is directly clamped by the bracket, the length of the passage portion for inserting the tip portion of the pipe as in the prior art can be made unnecessary. Thus, the present invention can be made slimmer than the shape and size of the conventional fuel shut-off valve, and can be mounted in a narrow space on the upper surface of the fuel tank that could not be mounted conventionally.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a fuel cutoff valve mounting structure according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a front view showing an example of a bracket used in the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a side view showing an example of a conventional fuel cutoff valve mounting structure.
6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Fuel shut-off valve 12 Fuel tank 14 Valve main body 16 Passage part 18 Pipe fitting part 20 Gas vent passage 22 Step part 24 Pipe 26 Large diameter part 28 O-ring 30 Notch groove 32 Bracket 34 Arm part 36 Space

Claims (2)

In a fuel cutoff valve mounting structure for fixing a fuel cutoff valve having a pipe fitting portion formed therein with a gas vent passage communicating with a pipe to a fuel tank with a bracket, the fuel cutoff valve is fixed to the bracket. A fuel shut-off valve mounting structure, wherein the pipe fitting portion is used and the pipe is fixed to the bracket. A pair of notch grooves are formed in the pipe fitting part, and the notch groove is fitted to the bracket, and a pair of arm parts for sandwiching the pipe, and a space between the pair of arm parts, Forming a large-diameter portion having a diameter larger than the width of the space between the pair of arm portions in the pipe, and forming means for preventing further insertion of the pipe in the middle of the gas vent passage And when the pipe is inserted into the gas vent passage to the maximum and the pair of arm portions of the bracket are fitted into the pair of notch grooves of the pipe fitting portion, the pipe is sandwiched between the pair of arm portions, 2. The fuel cutoff valve mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein a large diameter portion of the pipe is prevented from being pulled out by a pair of arm portions fitted in the notch grooves.

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