JP4820399B2 - Reservoir tank and cap mounting structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a mounting structure of a reservoir tank that stores hydraulic oil such as a brake of a vehicle or a clutch master cylinder, and a cap that closes the oil supply port. More specifically, the present invention relates to a mounting structure that can prevent hydraulic oil from leaking from the air passage to the outside.

  A reservoir tank in which hydraulic oil such as a vehicle brake or a clutch master cylinder is stored is sealed with a cap so that the hydraulic oil does not leak from the oil supply port. On the other hand, in order to make the inside of the reservoir tank atmospheric pressure, the reservoir tank or the cap is provided with a vent hole. In order to prevent the hydraulic oil stored in the reservoir tank from reaching the vent and leaking to the outside due to vibration or the like, various ideas have been made.

  For example, in JP 07-237659 A or JP 06-067903 A, a reservoir tank and cap mounting structure in which a labyrinth air passage is formed on the back side of the cap and a vent is formed at the tip of the air passage. Is described. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-082125 discloses that a baffle member having a plurality of protruding walls is disposed near a vent formed in a tank body, and a maze-like air passage is provided between the baffle member and the tank body. It is described to form.

  By forming a labyrinth-like air passage in this way, the hydraulic oil that has flowed into the air passage must travel a long distance in order to reach the air vent, thus preventing leakage from the air vent to the outside. be able to.

However, in recent engine rooms, the mounting space is limited due to the increase in various devices, and the size of the reservoir tank is also limited, so the distance between the vent and the liquid level in the tank is close. Accordingly, there is a demand for a structure that can further prevent leakage of hydraulic oil from the vent.
JP 07-237659 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 06-067903 JP 2005-082125 A

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said situation, and makes it the problem which should be solved to set it as the attachment structure which can further prevent the leakage of hydraulic fluid.

The features of the reservoir tank and cap mounting structure of the present invention that solve the above-mentioned problems include a tank body having an oil storage chamber and a fuel filler port, a cap that is airtightly attached to the fuel filler port via a seal ring, and a cap A vent formed to communicate between the oil storage chamber and the outside, and a plate-shaped sealing member having a slit made of an elastic body and partially penetrating the front and back,
A concave portion protruding toward the oil storage chamber is formed on the surface of the cap, and a bottom portion of the concave portion further has a pin portion protruding toward the oil storage chamber,
The pin portion engages with the engaging portion formed on the seal member, so that the seal member is fixed to the cap, and the peripheral portion of the seal member elastically contacts the inner wall of the cap or the tank body, so that the oil storage chamber and the vent hole The bottom of the recess comes into contact with the seal member, so that an air passage is formed on the outer periphery of the recess, and the vent and the slit are formed on the opposite sides of the recess, respectively.

  It is desirable that the pin portion is eccentric with respect to the center of the recess and the engaging portion is eccentric with respect to the center of the seal member.

  Further, it is desirable that the inner wall surface of the cap or the tank main body has a sheet portion with which the peripheral edge portion of the seal member is elastically contacted, and the sheet portion is desirably a step portion formed on the inner wall surface of the cap.

  It is desirable that a ring-shaped ridge surrounding the pin portion is formed on the bottom surface of the recess, and the ridge is sealed by elastic contact with the seal member.

  It is desirable that a tool for attaching the cap to the tank body can be engaged with the recess.

  According to the reservoir tank and cap mounting structure of the present invention, the seal member partitions the oil storage chamber and the vent hole. On the other hand, from the slit formed in the sealing member, air flows but liquid does not easily flow. Therefore, the atmosphere easily circulates in the oil storage chamber from the vent and the slit. However, the hydraulic oil stored in the oil storage chamber collides with the seal member and returns to the oil storage chamber even if the oil is bounced up during vibration, so that it does not enter the opposite side of the seal member and leaks from the vent. Can be surely prevented.

  A vent path is formed on the outer periphery of the recess, and the vent and the slit are formed on the opposite sides of the recess, respectively. Therefore, even if the hydraulic oil in the oil storage chamber passes through the slit and enters the opposite side of the seal member, the outer wall surface of the recess becomes a barrier, and the hydraulic oil that has entered passes through the ventilation path and then reaches the vent hole. Leakage from the vent is further prevented. Further, if a tool such as a wrench can be engaged with the recess, the work of attaching and detaching the cap is high.

  Further, if the pin portion is eccentric with respect to the center of the recess and the engaging portion is eccentric with respect to the center of the seal member, the position of the slit is set to the vent when the seal member is attached to the cap. Positioning for the 180 ° opposite side becomes easy, and the sealing member can be securely attached so that the slit is 180 ° opposite to the vent with respect to the recess.

  Furthermore, if a seat portion is formed on the inner wall surface of the cap or the tank body, the peripheral edge portion of the seal member is elastically contacted, so that the hydraulic oil can be more reliably leaked between the peripheral edge portion of the seal member and the inner wall surface of the cap or the tank body. Can be prevented. Further, if the step portion formed on the inner wall surface of the cap is a seat portion, the state of the seal member can be visually recognized before the cap is attached to the tank body, so that an abnormal mounting of the seal member can be prevented.

  And when the engaging part formed in the sealing member is an engaging hole, it forms so that a ring-shaped protrusion which encloses a pin part may be formed in the bottom face of a recessed part, and a protrusion may elastically contact a sealing member. It is desirable. If it does in this way, it can prevent more reliably that hydraulic fluid leaks from the circumference of a pin part.

  The reservoir tank and cap mounting structure of the present invention includes a tank body, a cap, a seal ring, and a seal member.

  The tank body has an oil storage chamber in which hydraulic oil is stored and an oil supply port through which hydraulic oil is supplied to the oil storage chamber. A cap is detachably fixed to the oil filler port via a seal ring. The seal ring is also called a seal packing, and seals between the tank body and the cap in a liquid-tight manner, and is a ring-shaped soft body made of rubber, thermoplastic elastomer or the like.

  A cap consists of a cylinder part inserted in an oil filler opening, and a lid part which covers an oil filler opening, for example. The fixing means for fixing the cap to the tank body is not particularly limited, and may be fixed by screwing, or may be fixed by engaging notch flanges as shown in the embodiment.

  A seal member is fixed to the cap. The seal member is formed in a plate shape from an elastic body such as rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer, and the peripheral portion elastically contacts the inner wall of the cap or the tank body, thereby partitioning the oil storage chamber and the vent hole. This seal member has a slit penetrating the front and back in part, and the atmosphere enters and exits the oil storage chamber through the slit. That is, when the pressure in the oil storage chamber and the vent hole side is substantially the same, the slit is closed by the elasticity of the seal member. When the seal member bends according to the pressure difference between the oil storage chamber and the vent side, the slit opens, the atmosphere enters and exits, and the pressure difference is eliminated. Since this movement is performed instantaneously, the time during which the slit is opened is extremely short, and the probability that hydraulic oil enters the cap side from the slit during that time is very small.

  The length of the slit is preferably in the range of 4 to 7 mm, although it depends on the plate thickness of the seal member. If the length of the slit is shorter than this range, it is difficult to open due to the pressure difference, and the ventilation resistance increases, which is not preferable. On the contrary, when the length of the slit is longer than this range, it becomes difficult to close the hydraulic oil, so that the hydraulic oil easily enters the cap side. The number of slits may be one and at most two. If the number of slits is too large, the probability of hydraulic oil entering the cap side increases.

  The cap surface has a recess protruding toward the oil storage chamber, and the bottom of the recess further has a pin portion protruding toward the oil storage chamber. The seal member is fixed to the cap by engaging with the portion. The engaging portion can be a concave hole, a through hole, or the like. The pin portion is inserted into the engaging portion, and a push nut or the like is fitted from the back surface side of the sealing member so that the sealing member is pinned. Can be fixed to.

  Here, when the engaging portion is a through hole, it is necessary to prevent leakage of hydraulic oil from the periphery of the inserted pin portion. As this means, the diameter of the through hole may be smaller than the diameter of the pin portion, but a ring-shaped ridge that surrounds the pin portion is formed on the bottom surface of the recess, and this ridge is elastically contacted with the seal member. It is preferable to seal.

  The bottom of the recess formed in the cap abuts on the seal member, so that a ventilation path is formed on the outer periphery of the recess. In order to bring the bottom portion into contact with the seal member with certainty, it is desirable to form a ring-shaped ridge surrounding the pin portion on the bottom surface of the recess as described above, and to make this ridge elastically contact the seal member. . The seal member can be made to elastically contact with the ring-shaped protrusion, and the hydraulic oil can be reliably prevented from leaking into the air passage.

  It is desirable that the pin portion is eccentric with respect to the center of the recess and the engaging portion is eccentric with respect to the center of the seal member. With this configuration, when attaching the seal member to the cap, positioning for making the position of the slit opposite to the vent becomes easy, and sealing is performed so that the slit is opposite to the vent with respect to the recess. The member can be securely attached. Therefore, even if hydraulic oil enters the cap side from the slit, the concave portion becomes a barrier and reaches the vent after passing through a relatively long vent, so that leakage from the vent can be prevented. it can.

  The recess is preferably formed in a shape that can be engaged with a tool, such as a hexagon or a rectangle. If it does in this way, tools, such as a wrench, can be used at the time of attachment or detachment of a cap, and attachment man-hours can be reduced.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, it is desirable that the oil storage chamber and the vent hole be partitioned by the peripheral portion of the seal member elastically contacting the seat portion formed on the inner wall of the cap or the tank body. Although the seat portion can be formed on the tank body, it is desirable that a step portion formed on the inner wall surface of the cap or the tank body is the seat portion. If it does in this way, while it becomes easy to ensure sealing performance, since the state of a seal member can be visually recognized before attaching a cap to a tank main part, abnormal attachment of a seal member can be prevented. The step portion is formed so that the surface of the step is directed downward, and the peripheral portion of the seal member is configured to elastically contact the step portion from below.

  In this case, it is desirable that the seal member is configured to be attached in a curved state so as to protrude upward. By doing in this way, the peripheral part of a sealing member can be made to elastically contact with a step part. Even if hydraulic fluid enters the cap side, the hydraulic fluid that has flowed on the surface of the seal member accumulates on the peripheral edge due to gravity, and if the weight exceeds the elastic contact force of the peripheral edge, The hydraulic oil can be returned to the oil storage chamber from the gap formed between the two parts.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described specifically by way of examples.

Example 1
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a reservoir tank and cap mounting structure according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view showing its component structure, and FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view thereof. This attachment structure is formed by attaching a resin cap 2 to a resin tank body 1.

  The tank body 1 is composed of a box-shaped upper member 10 and a lower member 11, and the upper member 10 and the lower member 11 are integrated by welding the flange portions formed at the periphery of the opening to each other, and storing oil inside. A chamber 12 is formed. A cylinder part 13 (oil supply port) communicating with the oil storage chamber 12 is formed in the upper bottom part of the upper member 10, and a tank side notch flange 14 is cut out at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction at the base part of the cylinder part 13. Is formed so as to protrude in the inner circumferential direction. The tank body 1 is formed with a flow path (not shown) such as a nipple for supplying hydraulic oil stored in the oil storage chamber 12 to the outside.

  The cap 2 includes a cylindrical portion 20 and a disc-shaped lid portion 21 formed at one end of the cylindrical portion 20, and a nipple 22 communicating with the cylindrical portion 20 is formed on a part of the lid portion 21. Yes. A hexagonal concave portion 23 is formed at the center of the lid portion 21, and the concave portion 23 protrudes into the cylindrical portion 20. A ring groove 24 for holding the seal ring 3 is formed in the cylindrical portion 20.

  A pin portion 25 protruding into the cylindrical portion 20 is formed at the bottom of the recess 23. As shown in FIG. 3, the pin portion 25 is formed eccentrically from the center axis CC of the lid portion 21 and the concave portion 23.

  A cap-side notched flange 26 that is notched at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction is formed at the end of the cylindrical portion 20 opposite to the lid portion 21 so as to protrude in the outer circumferential direction. In addition, a ring-shaped step portion 27 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 20 toward the end opposite to the lid portion 21 of the cylindrical portion 20, and the step portion 27 is positioned below the bottom surface of the concave portion 23. Yes.

  A rubber seal member 4 is held on the cap 2. The seal member 4 is formed in a disc shape having a diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 20. Further, an engagement hole 40 through which the pin portion 25 can be inserted is formed at a position eccentric from the center. Further, a straight slit 41 is formed in a straight line connecting the center of the engagement hole 40 and the center of the seal member 4 at a position away from the engagement hole 40.

  The seal member 4 is fixed to the cap 2 in a state in which the pin portion 25 is inserted into the engagement hole 40 and the push nut 5 is fitted into the pin portion 25 so as to be in pressure contact with the bottom surface of the recess 23. . In that state, the seal member 4 is deeper in the center than the peripheral portion into the cylindrical portion 20 and has a convex curved shape, and the peripheral portion of the seal member 4 is pressed against the step portion 27 of the cylindrical portion 20 and sealed. Yes. Therefore, an air passage 28 communicating with the nipple 22 is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the recess 23, the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 20, and the seal member 4. In the air passage 28, a slit 41 is exposed on the opposite side of the nipple 22 from the recess 23 by 180 °.

  That is, when the seal member 4 is fixed to the cap 2, since the pin portion 25 and the engagement hole 40 are formed eccentrically, the pin portion 25 can be inserted into the engagement hole 40 only by inserting the pin portion 25 into the cap 2. The position in the circumferential direction of the seal member 4 is uniquely determined. Therefore, the position of the slit 41 with respect to the cap 2 can be determined reliably and easily. Moreover, since the attachment state of the seal member 4 can be visually recognized, an attachment abnormality can be prevented.

  The cap 2 holds the seal ring 3 in the ring groove 24 with the seal member 4 fixed as described above, and then inserts the cylindrical portion 20 of the cap 2 into the cylindrical portion 13 of the tank body 1. The cap-side notch flange 26 is engaged with the tank-side notch flange 14. The cap-side notch flange 26 and the tank-side notch flange 14 are formed so as to engage with each other only at one place in the circumferential direction. That is, the cap-side cutout flange 26 is inserted below the tank-side cutout flange 14, and a hexagon wrench is engaged with the recess 23 to rotate the cap 2. Then, the cap-side notch flange 26 and the tank-side notch flange 14 are engaged with each other, and the cap 2 is fixed to the tank body 1 in a state where the circumferential position with respect to the tank body 1 is determined.

  That is, according to the mounting structure of the present embodiment, the rubber seal member 4 is elastically contacted with the bottom surfaces of the stepped portion 27 and the recessed portion 23, respectively, and the slit 41 is normally closed. Therefore, a high sealing performance is expressed, and even if the hydraulic oil in the oil storage chamber 12 is splashed up by vibration or the like, the hydraulic oil can be prevented from entering the ventilation path 28 and leakage can be prevented.

  Further, when the seal member 4 bends according to the pressure difference between the oil storage chamber 12 and the air passage 28, the slit 41 opens and the atmosphere enters and exits to eliminate the pressure difference. Since this movement is performed instantaneously, the opening time of the slit 41 is extremely short, and the probability that the hydraulic oil stored in the oil storage chamber 12 enters the air passage 28 from the slit 41 during that time is very small.

  Furthermore, even if hydraulic oil enters the ventilation path 28 from the slit 41, the concave portion 23 becomes a barrier and leaks from the nipple 22 after moving around the concave portion 23 by about 180 °. Therefore, a maze effect similar to the conventional one can be obtained and leakage can be prevented. Further, the hydraulic oil that has entered the ventilation path 28 accumulates at the peripheral edge of the seal member 4 due to gravity, and flows down to the oil storage chamber 12 when the weight becomes larger than the elastic contact force to the step portion 27 of the seal member 4. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the hydraulic oil from accumulating in the ventilation path 28, and further prevent leakage.

(Example 2)
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the reservoir tank and cap mounting structure according to the present embodiment. The present embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that a ring-shaped protrusion 29 is formed around the pin portion 25 on the bottom surface of the recess 23.

  By forming the protrusion 29 in this manner, the sealing performance between the recess 23 and the seal member 4 is further improved, so that the leakage of hydraulic oil from between the pin portion 25 and the engagement hole 40 can be further reliably prevented. can do.

(Example 3)
FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a main part of the reservoir tank and cap mounting structure according to this embodiment. In the mounting structure of the present embodiment, the seal member 4 is formed to have a size exceeding the cylindrical portion 20 of the cap 2, and the peripheral portion is on the upper bottom surface (sheet portion) of the upper member 10 at the base of the cylindrical portion 13 of the tank body 1. Example 2 is the same as Example 2 except that it is in elastic contact. In this embodiment, the air passage 28 is defined by the inner peripheral wall surface of the cylindrical portion 13 of the tank body 1, the inner and outer peripheral wall surfaces of the recess 23 of the cap 2, and the seal member 4.

  According to the mounting structure of the present embodiment, the distance between the slit 41 and the nipple 22 can be further increased, so that leakage of hydraulic oil can be reliably prevented.

It is a whole perspective view which shows the attachment structure of the reservoir tank and cap concerning one Example of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the attachment structure of the reservoir tank and cap which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the attachment structure of the reservoir tank and cap which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing of the attachment structure of the reservoir tank and cap which concerns on 2nd Example of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing of the attachment structure of the reservoir tank and cap which concerns on 3rd Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: Tank body 2: Cap 3: Seal ring 4: Seal member 5: Push nut 22: Nipple (vent)
23: Recess 25: Pin 28: Ventilation path
40: engagement hole (engagement part) 41: slit

Claims (6)

A tank body having an oil storage chamber and an oil supply port; a cap airtightly attached to the oil supply port via a seal ring; a vent formed in the cap and communicating the oil storage chamber and the outside; It consists of a plate-like seal member with a slit that penetrates the front and back in part, and consists of a body,
A recess projecting toward the oil storage chamber is formed on the surface of the cap,
The bottom of the recess further has a pin portion protruding toward the oil storage chamber,
When the pin portion engages with an engaging portion formed on the seal member, the seal member is fixed to the cap, and the peripheral portion of the seal member elastically contacts the inner wall of the cap or the tank body. The oil storage chamber and the vent hole are partitioned, and the bottom of the recess comes into contact with the seal member to form a vent path on the outer periphery of the recess,
A structure for attaching a reservoir tank and a cap, wherein the vent and the slit are formed on opposite sides of the recess, respectively.   2. The reservoir tank and cap mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the pin portion is eccentric with respect to a center of the concave portion, and the engaging portion is eccentric with respect to a center of the seal member.   The reservoir tank and cap attachment structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a seat portion on which an outer peripheral portion of the seal member elastically contacts is provided on an inner wall surface of the cap or the tank main body.   The structure for attaching a reservoir tank and a cap according to claim 3, wherein the seat portion is a step portion formed on an inner wall surface of the cap.   The reservoir tank according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a ring-shaped protrusion that surrounds the pin portion is formed on a bottom surface of the recess, and the protrusion is sealed by elastic contact with the seal member. Cap mounting structure.   The reservoir tank and cap attachment structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a tool for attaching the cap to the tank body is engageable with the recess.

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