JP5934023B2 - Fuel tank - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel tank mounted on a vehicle such as a truck or a bus.

  A conventional fuel tank of this type is provided with a separator for suppressing the oscillation of the fuel inside a cylinder whose both ends are closed by end plates, and the fuel tank is attached to the band outside the separator mounting position. There are some that are tightened and fixed to the bracket.

  At that time, a pair of left and right beads on both sides of the separator mounting position on the cylinder of the fuel tank, spanning a corner portion from the upper peripheral wall to the outer peripheral wall and a corner portion from the lower peripheral wall to the inner peripheral wall. The band is positioned and reinforced with both beads (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2002-160539 A JP 2008-279963 A

However, there are various fuel tank sizes, and the attachment position of the separator and the attachment position of the fuel tank to the bracket are not always the same.
That is, there is an appropriate separator mounting position to efficiently prevent the fuel in the fuel tank from swinging. To support the fuel tank stably, there is an appropriate bracket mounting position that matches the tank size. If it is attempted to make these coincide with each other, the number of parts, the number of processing steps, etc. increase.

  If the mounting position of the separator and the mounting position of the fuel tank to the bracket are different, especially when the fuel tank is fastened to the bracket with a band between the separator and the end plate, the tightening force of the fuel tank by the band Also, due to the mass of the fuel contained inside or the vibration load balance, excessive stress is concentrated on the joint between the cylinder and the end plate, especially on the flat surface facing the vertical direction of the cylinder. There is a risk of deformation, cracking, peeling, and the like. In particular, the bottom and top surfaces of the fuel tank are often curved surfaces with a large radius of curvature, but the front and rear surfaces are often flat surfaces, and deformation, cracking, peeling, etc. occur in the flat surfaces. easy.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and a band for tightening a fuel tank to a bracket by increasing the strength in the vicinity of the overlapping portion between the end plate and the cylindrical body. However, deformation, cracking, peeling, etc. can be prevented in the vicinity of the overlapping portion between the end plate and the cylindrical body even when it is hung from the separator mounting position and at an intermediate position between the end plate and the separator. An object of the present invention is to provide such a fuel tank.

According to the present invention, the above problem is solved as follows.
(1) In a fuel tank in which a cylinder facing in the left-right direction, closed at both ends by end plates, is fastened to a bracket with at least one pair of left and right bands, an inner side provided on the outer periphery of the end plate Alternatively, a portion of the bent portion facing outward and an end portion of the cylindrical body are provided, a welded portion is provided in a part of the overlapping portion , and the end plate on the front surface or the rear surface of the cylindrical body In the vicinity of at least one of the overlapping portions of the bent portion and the end portion of the cylindrical body, a bead facing in the vertical direction that is parallel to the welded portion is provided.

With such a configuration, the vicinity of the overlapping portion of the bent portion of the end plate and the end portion of the cylindrical body is reinforced by the bead, and the tightening force of the fuel tank by the band, the mass of the fuel accommodated in the inside, or Due to the vibration load balance or the like, it is possible to prevent deformation, cracking, peeling, or the like from occurring in the portion.

(2) In the above item (1), a bead is provided in a part of the bent portion of the end plate joined to the front surface or the rear surface forming the flat surface of the cylindrical body.

With this configuration, the strength weak parts in the fuel tank locally reinforced, deformation or cracking of the part, peeling or the like Ru can be effectively prevented.

According to the present invention, by increasing the strength in the vicinity of the overlapping portion between the end plate and the cylindrical body, the band for fastening the fuel tank to the bracket is separated from the separator mounting position, and the intermediate position between the end plate and the separator. Even when it is hung, it is possible to provide a fuel tank that can prevent deformation, cracking, peeling, and the like in the vicinity of the overlapping portion between the end plate and the cylindrical body.

It is a perspective view showing the state where one embodiment of the fuel tank of the present invention was attached to a bracket with three bands. It is also a front view. It is also a plan view. Similarly, it is a right side view. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view taken along line VV in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional plan view of a portion similar to the portion of FIG. 5 in a variation of the fuel tank. It is a cross-sectional top view of the part similar to the part of FIG. 5 in another modification of a fuel tank.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 6, the fuel tank 1 has a front surface 2 and a rear surface 3 facing in the vertical direction as flat surfaces, a bottom surface 4 and a top surface 5 as gentle arc surfaces with a large radius of curvature, A cylinder whose upper surface 5 has a gentle trapezoid having inclined surfaces 5a and 5b inclined forward and backward and rearwardly in the front and rear, and whose corners at the four corners are arcuate and facing in a lateral direction that is substantially square in a side view. 6 and an end plate 7 that closes both ends of the cylindrical body 6.

  Each end plate 7 is formed with a bent portion 7a by bending its outer peripheral portion inward, and the bent portion 7a is formed at each end portion of the cylindrical body 6 as shown in FIG. The outer edge of the overlapping portion 8, which is fitted on the inside and part of the bent portion 7 a and the end of the cylindrical body 6, is arc-welded to each other.

  An inclined portion 7b inclined in the centripetal direction is provided from the overlapping portion 8 to the tip of the bent portion 7a, and the bending strength of the bent portion 7a is increased by the inclined portion 7b.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, a vertical bead 9 is provided at an intermediate portion in the vertical direction of the portion of the front surface 2 of the cylindrical body 6 adjacent to the overlapping portion 8. The bead 9 reinforces the portion facing the vertical direction in the vicinity of the overlapping portion between the end portion of the cylindrical body 6 and the bent portion 7 a of the end plate 7. As shown in FIG. 5, the bead 9 has a mountain-shaped cross-sectional shape protruding outward, but conversely, the bead 9 may have a mountain-shaped cross-sectional shape protruding inward.

Separators 10 and 10 for suppressing the oscillation of the fuel in the fuel tank 1 are fixed to the left and right locations in the cylinder 6 by spot welding the outer peripheral portions thereof to the inner surface of the cylinder 6. .
Since the configuration of the separator 10 itself is not directly related to the present invention, illustration and detailed description thereof will be omitted, but the same as that described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-279963 listed above as Patent Document 2. can do.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, in the middle portion in the vertical direction of the portion of the front surface 2 of the cylindrical body 6 adjacent to the welded portion 11 of the outer periphery of each separator 10, A pair of left and right beads 12, 12 facing the direction are provided so as to sandwich each welded portion 11 from the left and right.

  As shown in FIG. 6, both beads 12, 12 have a mountain-shaped cross-sectional shape protruding outward, but conversely, they may have a mountain-shaped cross-sectional shape protruding inward.

  In the figure, 13 is a fueling port facing the front upper side provided in the front inclined surface 5 a on the upper surface 5 of the cylinder 6, 14 is a cap attached to the fueling port 13, and 15 is a surface of the upper surface 5 of the cylinder 6. A feed pipe 16 provided at the top, 16 is also a return pipe, and 17 is a hole cover in a unit gauge (not shown) mounting portion.

The fuel tank 1 is fastened and fixed with three bands 19 to three brackets 18 that are L-shaped in side view and fixed to a vehicle body (not shown) such as a truck.
That is, the bottom surface 4 of the fuel tank 1 is placed on the horizontal portion 18a of each bracket 18 via the holding plate 20, and the fuel is supplied to the front surface of the vertical portion 18b of each bracket 18 via the holding plate 21. In a state where the rear surface 3 of the tank 1 is pressed, a T-shaped hook 22 provided at one end of each band 19 is engaged with an engagement hole 23 provided at an upper portion of the vertical portion 18 b of the bracket 18, and The bolt 24 provided at the other end is passed through an insertion hole (not shown) provided at the front end portion of the horizontal portion 18a in each bracket 18, and a nut 25 is screwed into the bolt 24 from below the horizontal portion 18a and tightened. Thus, the fuel tank 1 has a central band 19 between the left and right separators 10 and 10 on the outer periphery of the cylindrical body 6, and between each separator 10 and the end plate 7. The band 19 so as to be positioned, are firmly fastened to three brackets 18.

  If the mounting position of each separator 10 on the cylinder 6 and the position of the band 19 on the outer periphery of the cylinder 6 are matched, the separator 10 receives the tightening force even if the band 19 is strongly tightened. Although the attachment strength of the tank 1 can be increased, if the attachment positions of the separators 10 and the wrapping positions of the bands 19 in the fuel tank 1 are as shown in the figure, the cylinders 6 are tightened by tightening the bands 19. The portion between the left and right separators 10 and 10 and the portion between each separator 10 and the end plate 7 are inwardly deformed, and in particular, the overlapping portion of the cylindrical body 6 and the end plate 7. However, in the case of this embodiment, it is close to the inside of the overlapping portion 8 on the outer periphery of the cylindrical body 6. Since the bead 9 is provided, the overlapping portion 8 is reinforced, and if the band 19 is excessively tightened, before the other portion of the cylindrical body 6 or the overlapping portion 8 is deformed, The bead 9 is deformed so as to open, and the stress can be absorbed, and cracks and peeling of the welded portion can be prevented in advance.

  Further, since the beads 12 and 12 are provided on both sides of the mounting position of the separator 10 on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 6, these beads 12 and 12 also operate in the same manner as the operation of the bead 9 described above. While reinforcing the body 6, with respect to an excessive stress, when the beads 12 and 12 open, the stress can be absorbed and the safety of the cylinder 6 can be maintained.

  Further, even when stress concentrates on the overlapping portion 8 between the cylindrical body 6 and the end plate 7 due to the mass of the fuel stored in the fuel tank 1 or the vibration load balance, the cylindrical body 6 faces in the vertical direction. By providing the front surface 2 with the beads 9 and 12 in the vertical direction, it is possible to counter these stresses and improve the durability of the fuel tank 1 by the same action as described above.

  In addition, the site | part which provides the bead 9 is not limited to said thing, If it is a part which faces the up-down direction of at least any one of the bending part 7a of the end plate 7, and the edge part of the cylinder 6, Good.

  For example, as in the modification shown in FIG. 7, the bead 26 similar to the bead 9 provided at the end of the cylindrical body 6 may also be provided in the bent portion 7 a of the end plate 7. In this example, the inclined portion 7b shown in FIG. 5 is omitted.

The present invention can be implemented in the following different forms, for example, without departing from the scope of the claims.
(1) The same thing as the bead 9 is also provided on the rear surface 3 of the cylindrical body 6 or the rear surface of the bent portion 7 a of the end plate 7.
(2) A continuous annular bead is also provided on the entire outer periphery of the end portion of the cylindrical body 6 or the entire outer periphery of the bent portion 7 a of the end plate 7.
(3) As shown in FIG. 8, the bent portion 7a of the end plate 7 is bent outward, the bent portion 7a and the end of the cylindrical body 6 are overlapped, and the overlapping portion While welding a part, the bead 9 parallel to a welding part is provided in the edge part (or bending part 7a) of the cylinder 6 in the vicinity of the welding part.
(4) The fuel tank 1 is fastened and fixed to the bracket 18 with only one pair of left and right bands 19, 19 or four or more bands.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fuel tank 2 Front surface 3 Rear surface 4 Bottom surface 5 Upper surface 5a, 5b Inclined surface 6 Cylindrical body 7 End plate 7a Bending part 7b Inclined part 8 Superposition part 9 Bead 10 Separator 11 Welding part 12 Bead 13 Filling port 14 Cap 15 Feed pipe 16 Return pipe 17 Hole cover 18 Bracket 18a Horizontal portion 18b Vertical portion 19 Band 20, 21 Holding plate 22 T-shaped hook 23 Engagement hole 24 Bolt 25 Nut 26 Bead

Claims (2)

In a fuel tank in which a cylindrical body facing left and right with both ends closed by end plates is fastened to a bracket with at least a pair of left and right bands,
A part of the bent part facing inward or outward provided on the outer peripheral part of the end plate and an overlap part of the end part of the cylindrical body are provided, a weld part is provided in a part of the overlap part, A bead facing in the vertical direction parallel to the welded portion is provided in the vicinity of at least one overlapping portion of the bent portion of the end plate and the end portion of the cylindrical body on the front surface or the rear surface of the cylindrical body. Features fuel tank. 2. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein a bead is provided at a part of a bent portion of the end plate joined to the front surface or the rear surface forming the flat plate surface of the cylindrical body.

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