JP5462409B2 - Fuel supply device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel supply device that is held in an opening of a fuel tank that stores fuel for a vehicle and that sends the fuel in the fuel tank to the outside of the fuel tank.

  The conventional fuel supply device is held in the opening of the fuel tank that stores the fuel of the vehicle and sends the fuel in the fuel tank to the outside of the fuel tank, but when the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank decreases However, it is necessary to supply fuel stably.

  Such a fuel supply apparatus has a subtank in which a fuel pump for discharging fuel is accommodated in the fuel tank, and this subtank is coupled to a lid member attached to the fuel tank, and extends in the axial direction of the lid member. It is formed so that it can reciprocate.

  As a result, the sub tank is pressed against the inner bottom surface of the fuel tank regardless of the change in the volume of the fuel tank, and stable fuel supply is possible even if the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank decreases.

  The lid member and the sub tank are supported by a rod-like support member, and the end of the support member on the sub tank side is a free end, and the sub tank is guided by the support member and freely moved in a predetermined direction. While being movable, the end of the support member on the lid member side is fixed to the lid member. (For example, see Patent Document 1 and FIG. 2)

JP 2004-316517 A

  In the above-described conventional fuel supply device, the lid member to which the support member is fixed is formed of a resin molded product, and in the case where a vehicle on which the fuel supply device is mounted causes a collision or the like, Due to this fuel movement, excessive stress is applied to the sub-tank, which is applied to the holding portion of the support member fixed to the lid member and breaks the holding portion.

  As a result, cracks penetrating the lid member occur, and in the worst case, there is a problem that fuel in the fuel tank leaks.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and its object is to provide a reliability that does not generate cracks penetrating the lid member when an excessive stress is applied to the sub tank. A high fuel supply device is provided.

  A fuel supply device according to the present invention is a fuel supply device that is attached to a fuel tank and supplies the fuel in the fuel tank to the outside of the fuel tank, and a lid member that covers an opening formed in the fuel tank; A subtank that is disposed in the fuel tank and houses a fuel pump that discharges the fuel sucked from the fuel tank; and the subtank is capable of reciprocating in the axial direction with respect to the lid member. A support member that supports the inside of the tank; and a holding member that is formed on the lid member and has a fitting insertion portion into which the lid member side end portion of the supporting member is fitted, and the fitting insertion portion of the holding member includes: In addition, the sub-tank has a fragile portion that is damaged when a predetermined stress or more is applied.

  According to the fuel supply device of the present invention, since the weak portion is provided in the fitting insertion portion of the holding member that holds the support member that supports the sub tank, the weak portion is damaged when a predetermined or more stress is applied to the sub tank, A highly reliable fuel supply device that does not generate cracks penetrating the lid member can be obtained.

It is a side view which shows the state with which the fuel supply apparatus concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention is mounted | worn with the fuel tank. It is a longitudinal side view which shows the fuel supply apparatus concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a principal part expanded sectional view which shows the principal part of the fuel supply apparatus concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a principal part expanded side view which shows the principal part of the fuel supply apparatus concerning Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is the figure which looked at the principal part of the fuel supply apparatus concerning Embodiment 2 of this invention from the downward direction.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In the drawings, the same or equivalent members and parts will be described with the same reference numerals. 1 is a side view showing a state in which a fuel supply apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is mounted on a fuel tank. FIG. 2 is a vertical side view showing the fuel supply apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part showing the main part of the fuel supply apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the lid member 10 of the fuel supply device 100 is formed of a molded product made of a thermoplastic resin and formed in a disk shape, for example, so as to cover the opening 2 formed in the fuel tank 1. Is attached to the upper wall of the fuel tank 1.
Parts other than the lid member 10 of the fuel supply device 100 are accommodated in the fuel tank 1.

  In FIG. 2, the lid member 10 is provided with a discharge pipe 12 that is a pipe that supplies fuel discharged from a fuel pump 18 described later to the outside of the fuel tank 1, and an electrical connector 13 that supplies power to the fuel pump 18. The lead wire 14 is connected from the electrical connector 13 to the fuel pump 18, and the electric power input from the power source via the electrical connector 13 is supplied to the fuel pump 18 via the lead wire 14.

2 and 3, for example, one end 16a on the lid member 10 side is fitted into the fitting insertion portion 111 of the holding member 11 formed integrally with the lid member 10, and the other end is engaged with a sub tank 15 described later. In addition, a support member 16 for supporting the sub tank 15 is provided.
The fitting portion 111 of the holding member 11 is provided with a predetermined dimension away from the lid member 10 in the inner direction of the fuel tank 1. That is, it is provided in a state of projecting toward the Zaff tank 15 side.

  A spring 17 as an urging member is fitted into the support member 16, and the lid member 10 and the sub tank 15 are urged away from each other by the spring 17, whereby the lid member 10 and the sub tank are urged. 15 is reciprocally movable in the axial direction of the lid member 10, that is, in the vertical direction in FIG.

  Therefore, even if the resin fuel tank 1 in which the fuel supply device 100 is accommodated expands or contracts due to a change in internal pressure or a change in the amount of fuel due to a temperature change, the sub tank bottom 15a of the sub tank 15 is fueled by the biasing force of the spring 17. The tank 1 is always pressed against the inner wall of the fuel tank bottom 1a.

  The fuel in the fuel tank 1 is sucked into the sub tank 15, the fuel pump 18 that sucks and discharges the fuel in the sub tank 15, the suction filter 19 that filters the fuel sucked by the fuel pump 18, and the fuel that the fuel pump 18 discharges A discharge filter 20 for filtering the water is accommodated.

  The fuel pump 18 is accommodated vertically in the sub tank 15 with the fuel suction side in the lower side in FIG. 2, and accommodates a motor unit (not shown) inside, and a sub tank by an impeller (not shown) that rotates together with the motor. The fuel in 15 is sucked and pressurized.

  The fuel pressurized by the fuel pump 18 is discharged to the pressure regulator 21 after the foreign matter is removed by the discharge filter 20. The fuel discharged to the pressure regulator 21 is adjusted to a predetermined pressure and supplied to the discharge pipe 12 via the bellows tube 22. The fuel in the fuel tank 1 is supplied from the discharge pipe 12 to the outside of the fuel tank 1.

  The suction filter 19 is connected to the fuel suction port of the fuel pump 18 and removes relatively large foreign matters contained in the fuel sucked from the sub tank 15 by the fuel pump 18.

  A jet pump 23 that supplies fuel into the sub tank 15 is attached to the outside of the sub tank 15 and is caused by suction pressure generated by ejecting excess fuel discharged from the pressure regulator 21 toward a suction port (not shown). The fuel in the fuel tank 1 is supplied into the sub tank 15. Thereby, even if the amount of fuel in the fuel tank 1 decreases, the sub tank 15 is filled with fuel.

  A sender gauge 24 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the sub tank 15, and the sender gauge 24 has a sensor unit 25, an arm 26, and a float 27 attached to the tip of the arm 26.

  The float 27 can float in the fuel in the fuel tank 1, and the arm 26 rotates around the end on the sensor unit 25 side. A plurality of conductive patterns having different resistance values are formed on the sensor unit 25, and the end of the arm 26 on the non-float side can contact the conductive pattern of the sensor unit 25.

  When the float 27 floating in the fuel in the fuel tank 1 floats and sinks according to the remaining amount of fuel, the arm 26 rotates as the float 27 floats and sinks. Thereby, the contact state between the arm 26 and the conductive pattern of the sensor unit 25 changes, and the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank 1 is detected. The detected remaining amount of fuel is output as an electrical signal to an ECU (electronic control unit) (not shown) via a lead wire (not shown) and an electrical connector 13.

  Next, the vicinity of the supporting member 16 and the holding member 11 provided on the lid member 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The holding member 11 is formed in, for example, a cylindrical shape, and a fitting insertion portion 111 having an accommodation hole 111a into which the one end 16a of the supporting member 16 is fitted and inserted is provided at an end portion of the holding member 11 protruding toward the sub tank 15 side. ing. The insertion part 111 has a cylindrical shape.

  The fitting portion 111 of the holding member 11 that holds the supporting member 16 with the one end 16a of the supporting member 16 inserted therein has a fragile portion 111b that is damaged when a predetermined stress or more is applied to the sub tank 15. ing. As an example, the fragile portion 111 b is configured to have a step by making the thickness of the cylindrical portion of the fitting portion 111 thinner than the thickness of the cylindrical portion of the holding member 11. That is, the rigidity of the fitting portion 111 is made smaller than the rigidity of the holding member 11. A reinforcing portion 11 a is disposed at the base portion of the holding member 11.

  Here, when a collision accident occurs while a vehicle (not shown) equipped with the fuel supply device 100 is traveling in the vehicle traveling direction indicated by the arrow A, the sub tank that stores a plurality of components including the fuel pump 18 is stored. A stress (F) based on the inertial force of 15 acts on the support member 16. The stress acting on the support member 16 is applied to the holding member 11 from the one end 16a of the support member 16 through the fitting insertion portion 111 into which the one end 16a of the support member 16 is fitted.

  This stress propagates to the holding member 11 via the support member 16, but since the reinforcing portion 11 a is disposed at the base portion of the holding member 11, the base portion of the holding member 11 has high strength and is damaged by the stress. In other words, a crack is generated at the step B which is the fragile portion 111b of the insertion portion 111, that is, the base B between the end portion of the holding member 11 protruding toward the sub tank 15 and the fragile portion 111b of the insertion portion 111.

  As described above, according to the fuel supply device 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention, since the support member 16 that supports the sub tank 15 is provided with the fragile portion 111b in the holding member 11 that holds the support member 16, the sub tank When a predetermined stress or more is applied to 15, the root of the fragile portion 111 b is not damaged, cracks penetrating the lid member 10 are not generated, and fuel in the fuel tank 1 is not leaked. Therefore, a highly reliable fuel supply device can be obtained.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. In the figures, the same or corresponding members and parts will be described with the same reference numerals. FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view showing a main part of a fuel supply apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a view of the main part of the fuel supply apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention as viewed from below.

  In the first embodiment described above, the one end 16a of the support member 16 is fitted and the stepped portion 111b of the holding member 11 that holds the support member 16 is provided with a step to form the fragile portion 111b. Although the portion 111b has been described with respect to the case where the thickness of the cylindrical portion of the insertion portion 111 is made smaller than the thickness of the cylindrical portion of the holding member 11, a step is provided. For example, slits 111c1 and 111c2 are formed at the end of the insertion portion 111 of the holding member 11 in which the one end 16a of the support member 16 is inserted to hold the support member 16 to form the weakened portion. You may make it do.

  It should be noted that the slit 111c1 is disposed substantially perpendicular to the vehicle traveling direction, and the slit 111c2 is disposed in the same direction with respect to the vehicle traveling direction. When a vehicle equipped with the fuel supply device 100 travels in the vehicle traveling direction indicated by the arrow A and a collision accident occurs, a crack occurs at the base portion C of the slit 111c1, and another vehicle collides with the vehicle from the side. In this case, cracks are generated at the base of the slit 111c2, so that cracks penetrating the lid member 10 do not occur and fuel in the fuel tank 1 does not leak. Therefore, a highly reliable fuel supply device can be obtained. In addition, although the case where it provides in four places is shown as a slit, many places may be sufficient.

  The present invention is suitable for realizing a highly reliable fuel supply device that does not generate cracks penetrating the lid member.

Claims (4)

  In a fuel supply device that is attached to a fuel tank and supplies the fuel in the fuel tank to the outside of the fuel tank, a lid member that covers an opening formed in the fuel tank, and is disposed in the fuel tank, A sub-tank that houses a fuel pump that discharges the fuel sucked from the fuel tank; a support member that supports the sub-tank in the fuel tank in a state of being reciprocally movable in the axial direction with respect to the lid member; A holding member formed on the lid member and having a fitting insertion portion into which the lid member side end of the support member is fitted, and the fitting insertion portion of the holding member has a predetermined stress on the sub tank. A fuel supply device having a fragile portion that breaks when added.   2. The fuel supply device according to claim 1, wherein the fragile portion is formed by providing a step in the insertion portion into which the support member is inserted.   The fuel supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fragile portion is formed by providing a slit in the insertion portion into which the support member is inserted.   The fuel supply device according to claim 3, wherein the slit is formed at an end portion on the sub-tank side of the fitting insertion portion.

Images