JP5018302B2 - Fuel tank insulator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel tank insulator technique, and more particularly to a fuel tank insulator having a lower surface portion protecting a bottom surface of a fuel tank held on a vehicle side.

  Conventionally, when a vehicle is scrapped or the like, it is general that residual fuel (hereinafter simply referred to as fuel) remaining in a fuel tank held on the vehicle side is discharged outside the fuel tank and collected. Usually, a discharge hole for discharging the fuel to the outside is formed at a predetermined position on the bottom surface of the fuel tank, and the fuel discharged from the discharge hole is collected in another tank or the like. Here, the predetermined position of the fuel tank is a position where there is no obstacle inside the fuel tank and means the lowest position inside the fuel tank so that the fuel can be easily discharged (hereinafter referred to as such). The position is the recommended position for drilling the discharge hole). In addition, when the above-described discharge hole is drilled, the drilling tool is positioned upward in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface of the fuel tank with the drilling tool positioned substantially vertically below the drilling encouragement position. As a result of the movement, a discharge hole is formed in the wall surface of the fuel tank.

  With regard to the configuration of such a fuel tank, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration of a fuel tank in which a stamp indicating a drilling position is provided at a position corresponding to the above-described drilling encouragement position on the bottom surface of the fuel tank. (See Patent Document 1). In other words, since the predetermined engraving is provided at the position corresponding to the drilling encouragement position in this way, the drilling encouragement position can be easily discriminated (viewed) from the outside. Therefore, the discharge hole can be easily drilled.

  By the way, normally, the vehicle is provided with an insulator having a lower surface portion for protecting the bottom surface of the fuel tank below the fuel tank as described above. Specifically, the insulator is for protecting the bottom surface of the fuel tank from heat and flying objects from the road surface, and is formed along the shape of the bottom surface of the fuel tank. It is attached to the vehicle frame and fuel tank so as to cover the part and the entire surface.

Thus, since the insulator is attached so as to cover the bottom surface of the fuel tank, when the fuel discharge hole is formed in the fuel tank, it is necessary to remove the insulator, and workability is deteriorated. And in order to drill the discharge hole in the fuel tank with the insulator attached so as to cover the bottom surface of the fuel tank, the bottom surface of the fuel tank cannot be directly seen, so the discharge hole is securely drilled. It was difficult to drill in the recommended position.
Also, normally, the insulator is usually provided with a drain hole for discharging water accumulated in the upper part, but the fuel discharged from the drain hole flows out into the upper part of the insulator and falls down from the drain hole. As a result, the discharged fuel could not be recovered well.
JP 2004-9827 A

  Accordingly, the present invention relates to an insulator for a fuel tank, which solves the above-mentioned conventional problems. The fuel tank insulator is capable of reliably forming a discharge hole in the fuel tank and improving the fuel recovery efficiency. The purpose is to provide.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above. Next, means for solving the problem will be described.

That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the fuel tank held on the vehicle side has a discharge hole formed when the fuel in the fuel tank is discharged, the interior of the fuel tank at the bottom surface of the fuel tank. In a fuel tank insulator having a bottom surface for protecting a bottom surface of a fuel tank drilled at a drilling encouraged position set at the lowest position in the space , the bottom surface includes water accumulated in an upper portion of the bottom surface. A drain hole for discharging the fuel tank is provided substantially vertically downward with respect to the drilling encouragement position of the fuel tank .

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the lower surface portion is provided with a position display means for indicating a drilling encouragement position of the discharge hole at a position in the vicinity of the drain hole.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the drain hole is formed in a horizontal plane formed so that the lower surface portion protrudes downward in a side view.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the lower surface portion is formed with a drain hole different from the drain hole at a place other than the concave portion.

  As effects of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

  With the configuration shown in claim 1, the discharge hole can be reliably drilled at the fuel tank drilling encouragement position, and the fuel recovery efficiency can be improved.

  Since the structure shown in claim 2 is provided, when the discharge hole is drilled in the fuel tank, the position display means is visually recognized so that the fuel tank can be easily drilled regardless of the skill level of the operator. A discharge hole can be drilled at the position.

  With the configuration shown in claim 3, even when the fuel discharged from the discharge hole accumulates in the upper part of the insulator, the fuel can be collected and recovered from the drain hole, Recovery efficiency can be further improved.

  Since it was set as the structure shown in Claim 4, the drainage function of the water collected on the upper part of the insulator can be improved by providing a drain hole separately.

Next, the best mode for carrying out the invention will be described.
1 is a side view showing an overall configuration of an insulator according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a discharge hole formed in a fuel tank with the insulator attached. FIG. 4 is a plan view of an insulator according to another embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a side view of the insulator according to another embodiment.
In the following embodiments, the arrow direction in FIG. 1 is the vertical direction of the fuel tank 1 and the insulator 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the insulator 2 of the fuel tank 1 of the present embodiment is configured to cover the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1 fixed to the vehicle side from below, and the fuel tank 1 Are attached by bolts (not shown).

  The fuel tank 1 is formed in the shape of a resin container as a tank member, and contains fuel (gasoline) inside. Below the fuel tank 1 is formed a bottom surface 10 that is continuous in a concave-convex shape when viewed from the side. The bottom surface 10 is an upper surface 10a that is a substantially horizontal surface located above, and a substantially lower surface that is located below the upper surface 10a. It is comprised by the lower plane 10b which is a horizontal surface. Further, the outer peripheral edge portion of the bottom surface 10 is continuous with the side surface 11 of the fuel tank 1.

  The bottom surface 10 of this embodiment is provided with a discharge hole 12 for discharging residual fuel remaining in the fuel tank 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as fuel) to the outside of the fuel tank 1 when the vehicle is scrapped. The Since the discharge hole 12 is formed in the fuel tank 1 when the vehicle is scrapped or the like, the discharge hole 12 is not normally provided in the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1. When the fuel in the fuel tank 1 is discharged, a discharge hole 12 is formed at a predetermined position on the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1. In the present embodiment, the discharge hole 12 is drilled at a drilling encouraged position 13 on the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1, and the inner space and the outer space are communicated with each other through the wall surface of the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1. The

  Here, the drilling encouragement position 13 is a position where there is no obstacle in the internal space of the fuel tank 1, and is set to the lowest position of the internal space of the fuel tank 1 so that the fuel can be easily discharged. . In other words, the drilling encouragement position 13 is set to a position where the internal fuel is naturally collected in the internal space of the fuel tank 1. By forming the discharge hole 12 at the drilling encouragement position 13, the internal fuel can naturally flow out from the fuel tank 1 through the discharge hole 12. In the present embodiment, the drilling encouragement position 13 of the discharge hole 12 is set to a predetermined position on the bottom surface 10 b of the lower surface 10 b of the fuel tank 1. In the present embodiment, the discharge hole 12 is formed at one location with respect to one fuel tank 1.

  The insulator 2 is for protecting the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1 from heat, flying objects from the road surface, and the like, and is formed of aluminum, the same kind of resin as the fuel tank 1, or the like as a material. Specifically, the insulator 2 is shaped so as to cover the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1 from below. The bottom surface 20 for protecting the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1 described above, and the bottom surface of the fuel tank 1. It is comprised with the side part 21 for protecting the side surface 11 which continues to the edge part of 10. FIG.

  The lower surface portion 20 is formed in substantially the same shape as the shape of the bottom surface 10 so as to follow the shape of the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1. Specifically, the lower surface portion 20 is formed so that the substantially horizontal plane is continuously concave and convex so as to cover the bottom surface 10, and the upper horizontal surface 20 a that is a substantially horizontal surface corresponds to the upper surface 10 a of the bottom surface 10. The lower horizontal plane 20b, which is a substantially horizontal plane, is formed at a position corresponding to the lower plane 10b.

  The side surface portion 21 is formed by bending the outer peripheral edge portion of the lower surface portion 20 upward, and the side surface portion 21 defines the side surface 11 of the fuel tank 1 with the insulator 2 attached to the fuel tank 1. Part (below) is covered. The insulator 2 is provided with a side surface portion 21 along the edge portion on the lower surface portion 20, and is formed so that the lower horizontal surface 20b protrudes downward in a side view with respect to the upper horizontal surface 20a.

  In the state where the insulator 2 is attached to the fuel tank 1, the upper horizontal surface 20a and the lower horizontal surface 20b of the lower surface portion 20 abut on the upper surface 10a and the lower surface 10b of the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1 substantially in parallel. Or it is fixed so as to be close. In such a state, the lower surface portion 20 (upper horizontal surface 20a and lower horizontal surface 20b) of the insulator 2 is positioned and fixed so as to be substantially horizontal with respect to the ground surface.

  In the lower surface portion 20 of the present embodiment, a water drain hole 22 is formed for discharging water accumulated in the upper portion of the insulator 2 downward. The drain hole 22 is a hole having a substantially circular shape in plan view, and is formed so as to penetrate the lower horizontal surface 20b of the lower surface portion 20 in the vertical direction. Since the insulator 2 has the side surface portion 21 formed at the edge of the lower surface portion 20, water that has entered from the gap between the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1 and the bottom surface 20 is accumulated in the sewage plane 20 b. May end up. Since the insulator 2 of the present embodiment is formed so that the sewage plane 20b protrudes downward in a side view as described above, water is collected on the sewage plane 20b. For this reason, the water drainage hole 22 is formed in the sewage plane 20b, whereby the water accumulated on the lower surface portion 20 (the sewage plane 20b) can be discharged below the insulator 2.

  In particular, the drain hole 22 of the present embodiment is provided substantially vertically below the drilling encouragement position 13 of the discharge hole 12 drilled to discharge the fuel in the fuel tank 1 at the lower surface portion 20. Specifically, in the state where the insulator 2 is attached to the fuel tank 1, the drilling encouragement position 13 and the drainage hole 22 set on the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1 are located on the same axis. That is, in the insulator 2 of the present embodiment, the discharge hole 12 is moved upward substantially vertically in a state where a drill portion 31 of a drilling tool 3 to be described later is inserted into the drain hole 22, so that the discharge hole 12 is made to the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1. Can be reliably drilled in the drilling encouragement position 13 set to (see FIG. 3).

  Further, the lower surface portion 20 of the present embodiment is a side surface in the outer side direction of the lower surface portion 20 and a position substantially vertically below the perforation encouragement position 13 at a position near the drain hole 22. A mark 23 is provided as a position display means for indicating. The marking 23 of this embodiment is configured by forming an annular groove on the outer surface of the lower surface portion 20 along the outer periphery of the drain hole 22. In addition, the shape of the stamp 23 is not limited to this.

Next, the process of making the discharge hole 12 in the fuel tank 1 to which the insulator 2 of this embodiment is attached will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 3, when drilling the discharge hole 12 of the fuel tank 1, a drilling tool 3 is used. The drilling tool 3 of the present embodiment includes an inner hollow outer tube 30, a drill portion 31 that is movably inserted along the axial direction inside the outer tube 30, and a drain that is connected to the outer tube 30. It is comprised with the tube 32 grade | etc.,.

  The outer tube 30 is a bellows tube having a substantially circular cross section formed of a rubber member or the like, and is formed to be extendable and contractable in the axial direction. The outer tube 30 is positioned in a state in which the opening end of one end thereof is in pressure contact with the lower surface portion 20 of the insulator 2. The drill portion 31 is provided with a drill shaft portion that is rotated at a high speed in the circumferential direction, and the drill shaft portion is configured to be movable along the axis of the outer tube 30. Further, one end of the drain tube 32 communicates with the internal space of the outer tube 30, and the fuel accumulated in the outer tube 30 is discharged through the drain tube 32 by a pump (not shown) connected to the other end. The

  First, as shown in FIG. 3A, the drilling tool 3 is located substantially vertically below the drain hole 22 formed in the lower surface portion 20 of the insulator 2, and the drill portion 31 is located on the lower surface portion 20. It is positioned and fixed in the orthogonal direction. At this time, the outer tube 30 of the drilling tool 3 is in contact with the lower surface portion 20 of the insulator 2 in a state in which one end is pressed. Thus, in a state where the drilling tool 3 is positioned, the drill portion 31 is disposed substantially vertically below the drilling encouragement position 13 of the discharge hole 12 set in advance on the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1. is there. The drilling tool 3 is positioned with a marking 23 provided in the vicinity of the drain hole 22 as a mark.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the drill portion 31 of the drilling tool 3 is moved upward in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface 10 (lower flat surface 10 b) of the fuel tank 1. Then, the drilling encouragement position 13 set in the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1 is penetrated by the drill portion 31 and the discharge hole 12 is drilled. The tip of the drill portion 31 passes through the outer wall of the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1 and reaches the internal space of the fuel tank 1.

  In addition, the diameter of the drain hole 22 is formed to be substantially the same as the shaft diameter of the drill portion 31 (the drill member) or smaller than the shaft diameter of the drill portion 31. In particular, when the diameter of the drain hole 22 is formed to be smaller than the shaft diameter of the drill part 31, the drill part 31 is moved upward while the diameter of the drain hole 22 is increased.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 3C, when the drill portion 31 is moved downward and pulled out from the outer wall of the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1, the fuel in the fuel tank 1 is discharged from the perforated discharge hole 12 into the external space. To leak. The drill part 31 moved down is retracted to the original position. The fuel that has flowed out of the fuel tank 1 is discharged to the outside of the insulator 2 through the drain hole 22 and is collected in the outer tube 30 of the drilling tool 3. In the outer tube 30, the recovered fuel is discharged from the outer tube 30 through the drain tube 32.

  At this time, a part of the fuel discharged from the discharge hole 12 may overflow from the discharge hole 12, but the overflowed fuel accumulates in the upper portion of the insulator 2 and is immediately discharged from the drain hole 22. That is, in this embodiment, the fuel discharged from the discharge hole 12 is discharged only from the drain hole 22 while being collected by the insulator 2.

  As described above, the insulator 2 according to this embodiment includes the lower surface portion 20 in the insulator 2 of the fuel tank 1 having the lower surface portion 20 that protects the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1 held on the vehicle side. Since the drain hole 22 for discharging the water accumulated in the upper portion of the fuel tank 1 is provided substantially vertically downward with respect to the drilling recommended position 13 of the drain hole 12 drilled in the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1, the drain hole 12 can be reliably drilled at the drilling encouragement position 13 of the fuel tank 1, and the fuel recovery efficiency can be improved.

  That is, since the insulator 2 of this embodiment is attached so as to cover the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1, the exhaust hole 12 is directly visually recognized at a predetermined position (a drilling encouragement position 13) on the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1. Instead of drilling, the tool is moved upward substantially vertically through the drainage hole 22 while marking the drainage hole 22 disposed substantially vertically below the drilling encouragement position 13 on the lower surface portion 20. The discharge hole 12 can be easily and reliably drilled at the drilling encouragement position 13 simply by moving it. Further, when the drain hole 22 is drilled in the bottom surface 10 (the recommended drilling position 13) of the fuel tank 1, the fuel in the fuel tank 1 flows out to the outside through the discharge hole 12. Since the drain hole 22 is provided substantially vertically below the discharge hole 12, the fuel discharged from the discharge hole 12 can be efficiently collected from the drain hole 22, and the fuel recovery efficiency can be improved. is there.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the lower surface portion 20 of the insulator 2 is provided with a stamp 23 as a position display means indicating the drilling encouragement position 13 of the discharge hole 12 in the vicinity of the drain hole 22. By visually recognizing when the discharge hole 12 is drilled, the discharge hole can be easily drilled without depending on the skill level of the operator.

  Further, since the bottom surface 20 of the insulator 2 is provided with a drain hole 22 in a sewage plane 20b formed so as to protrude downward in a side view, the fuel discharged from the discharge hole 12 is placed on the top of the insulator 2. Even if it is scattered and collected, the fuel can be collected and collected from the drain hole 22 without leaking from the upper part of the insulator 2 and the fuel recovery efficiency can be further improved. it can.

  In addition, the structure of the insulator 2 etc. of a present Example is not limited to the structure mentioned above.

  That is, in the insulator 2 according to the above-described embodiment, the drain hole 22 is provided at one position of the sewage plane 20b in the lower surface portion 20, but the arrangement location and number of the drain holes 22 are not particularly limited. For example, a drainage hole 24 different from the drainage hole 22 provided substantially vertically below the drilling encouragement position 13 set on the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1 is separately provided on the lower surface portion 20 of the insulator 2. Also good. In such a case, it is particularly preferable that the drain hole 24 is formed at a place other than the sewage plane 20b.

  In the insulator 2 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a drain hole 24 is separately provided at a predetermined location on the upper horizontal surface 20 a of the lower surface portion 20. Thus, when the drain hole 24 is provided separately, it is provided in the place (position) which does not obstruct so that the fuel discharged | emitted from the discharge hole 12 may be discharged | emitted only from the predetermined drain hole 22. FIG. And the drainage function of the water collected on the upper part of the insulator 2 can be improved by providing the drain hole 24 separately.

Further, the drain holes 22 provided in the insulator 2 are provided at the number and positions corresponding to the perforation encouragement positions 13 when a plurality of perforation encouragement positions 13 are set on the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1.
For example, in the insulator 2 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, two lower horizontal surfaces 20 b are provided on the lower surface portion 20 along the shape of the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1. The fuel tank 1 is provided with two lower planes 10b on the bottom surface 10, and drilling encouragement positions 13 and 13 are provided on each lower plane 10b. Therefore, in the insulator 2 of the present embodiment, the drain hole 22 is located at a position substantially vertically below the drilling recommended position 13 of the discharge hole 12 on the lower horizontal plane 20 b corresponding to the lower plane 10 b of the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1. Is provided.

  Further, in the configuration of the fuel tank 1 to which the insulator 2 is attached, for example, as a fracture promoting portion that concentrates stress when the discharge hole 12 is drilled at the drilling encouragement position 13 on the surface of the wall surface of the fuel tank 1. May be provided. By adopting such a configuration, the tip of the drilling tool is guided by the recess, and the destruction of the wall surface of the fuel tank 1 can be promoted, so that the discharge hole 12 can be reliably and easily drilled. it can.

  Moreover, in the insulator 2 of the embodiment described above, it is formed so as to cover the entire bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1, but for example, it may be formed in a shape that covers a part of the bottom surface 10 of the fuel tank 1. Good.

  Moreover, as a structure of the drilling tool 3, it is not limited to the structure shown in the Example mentioned above, For example, what was comprised by the gun type may be used.

The side view which showed the whole structure of the insulator which concerns on one Example of this invention. The top view of FIG. 1 similarly. The figure which showed the process of drilling a discharge hole in a fuel tank in the state which attached the insulator. The top view of the insulator of another Example. The side view of the insulator of another Example.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fuel tank 2 Insulator 10 Bottom surface 11 Side surface 12 Discharge hole 13 Drilling encouragement position 20 Lower surface part 21 Side surface part 22 Drain hole 23 Marking (position display means)

Claims (4)

A fuel tank held on the vehicle side, and a discharge hole formed when discharging the fuel in the fuel tank is set at the lowest position of the internal space of the fuel tank on the bottom surface of the fuel tank. in the insulator of the fuel tank having a bottom surface to protect the fuel tank is formed in bored encouraging position, the bottom surface of,
An insulator for a fuel tank , wherein the lower surface portion is provided with a drain hole for discharging water accumulated in the upper portion of the lower surface portion, substantially vertically downward with respect to the fuel tank drilling recommended position.   2. The fuel tank insulator according to claim 1, wherein the lower surface portion is provided with a position display unit that indicates a position for encouraging the discharge hole to be formed in a position in the vicinity of the drain hole.   3. The fuel tank insulator according to claim 1, wherein the drainage hole is formed in a horizontal plane formed so that the lower surface portion protrudes downward in a side view. 4.   4. The fuel tank insulator according to claim 3, wherein the lower surface portion is formed with a drain hole different from the drain hole at a location other than the horizontal plane.