JP6016049B2 - Vehicle fuel supply device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel supply device for a vehicle.

  Patent Document 1 describes a fuel tank in which a sub-chamber is disposed inside a tank body. The fuel in the subchamber is supplied to the engine from the feed pipe. Further, surplus fuel that has not been consumed by the engine returns from the return pipe to the sub-chamber. Even when the fuel level is tilted while the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank is reduced, the fuel level is secured in the sub-chamber and the fuel supply to the engine is maintained.

JP 2008-150975 A

  In the fuel tank disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the fuel heated by the engine returns to the sub-chamber having a small capacity, the fuel in the high temperature state is supplied from the feed pipe to the engine without sufficiently decreasing the temperature of the fuel. There is a possibility. The higher temperature of the return fuel from the engine is more likely to occur as the injection pressure of the engine is higher. The high temperature of the supplied fuel causes factors such as a decrease in engine operating performance and a decrease in durability of resin parts.

  The above inconvenience can be suppressed by providing a fuel cooling device in the return line for returning surplus fuel from the engine. However, it may be difficult to install the fuel cooling device for reasons such as placement space and cost.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle fuel supply device that can suppress a high temperature of fuel supplied to an engine due to return fuel from the engine with a simple and inexpensive configuration.

In order to achieve the above object, the fuel supply apparatus of the present invention includes a fuel tank, a bathtub, a partition plate, a first communication portion, a feed pipe, and a return pipe.

The fuel tank divides a storage space for storing fuel therein. A bathtub is arrange | positioned in accommodation space and partitions the storage space which stores a fuel inside. The partition plate is fixed to the bathtub and has a lower end that forms a gap between the bottom surface of the bathtub, partitions the storage space into a feed region and a return region, and separates the feed region and the return region from the bottom of the storage space. To communicate through the gap . The first communication part communicates the return area and the accommodation space. The feed pipe extends from the feed region to the outside of the fuel tank, and sends the fuel in the feed region as fuel supplied to the engine. The return pipe extends from the return region to the outside of the fuel tank, and returns the return fuel from the engine to the top of the return region. The lower end of the first communicating unit, the fuel tank is set to always vertically upward to become height position than the upper end of the gap when tilted at a predetermined angle range with respect to a predetermined reference position.

  In the above configuration, the return fuel in a high temperature state from the engine is returned to the upper portion of the return region by the return pipe. The return area and the feed area are partitioned by a partition plate, and fuel in the return area flows into the feed area from the lower part of the storage space (lower part of the return area). For this reason, the high temperature return fuel flowing in from the return pipe does not flow short-circuited to the lower end opening of the feed pipe. Therefore, the high temperature of the fuel supplied to the engine due to the return fuel from the engine can be suppressed by a simple and inexpensive configuration in which the partition plate is fixed to the bathtub.

The first communicating portion is located at a height position that is always vertically above a horizontal plane that passes through the lower end opening of the feed pipe when the fuel tank is tilted within a predetermined angle range with respect to a predetermined reference posture. it may be in communication with the space.

  In the above configuration, the high temperature return fuel from the return pipe is mixed with the low temperature fuel in the accommodation space via the first communication portion, so the temperature of the fuel in the return region is lowered.

  Further, the first communication portion is located at a height position that is always vertically above a horizontal plane passing through the lower end opening of the feed pipe when the fuel tank is inclined within a predetermined angle range with respect to a predetermined reference posture, It communicates with the containment space. The range of the predetermined angle with respect to the predetermined reference posture is the maximum tilt angle of the fuel tank with respect to the reference posture when the vehicle body is tilted due to being on a slope, etc., or when the fuel level changes due to acceleration / deceleration or turning It is set based on the maximum inclination angle of the liquid level of the fuel with respect to the horizontal plane. That is, when the level of the fuel stored in the storage space of the fuel tank in the reference posture is vertically above the lower end opening of the feed pipe, the vehicle body tilts, the fuel level changes, etc. ), The liquid level of the fuel in the bathtub is always located vertically above the lower end opening of the feed pipe, so that the fuel from the feed pipe to the engine Fuel supply is maintained.

  In this way, the basic structure of the bathtub that maintains the fuel supply to the engine by a simple and inexpensive configuration in which the partition plate is fixed to the bathtub and the first communication portion is provided between the return region and the accommodating space. Without impairing the function, it is possible to suppress an increase in the temperature of fuel supplied to the engine due to the return fuel from the engine.

  The fuel supply device has a feed region and a receiving space at a height position that is always vertically above a horizontal plane passing through the lower end opening of the feed pipe when the fuel tank is inclined within a predetermined angle range with respect to a predetermined reference posture. You may provide the 2nd communication part which communicates.

  In the above configuration, since the fuel in the feed region is mixed with the low-temperature fuel in the accommodation space via the second communication portion, the increase in the temperature of the fuel supplied to the engine due to the return fuel in the high-temperature state is further suppressed. The

  Further, the second communication portion is at a height position that is always vertically above a horizontal plane that passes through the lower end opening of the feed pipe when the fuel tank is tilted within the range of the predetermined angle with respect to the reference posture. Since the housing space communicates, the fuel in the bathtub (reservation space) flows from the second communicating portion even when the vehicle body is inclined or the fuel level fluctuates, as in the first communicating portion. The fuel supply from the feed pipe to the engine is maintained without flowing into the housing space.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the high temperature of the fuel supplied to an engine resulting from the return fuel from an engine can be suppressed with a simple and cheap structure.

It is a mimetic diagram of a system which has a fuel supply device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram of the fuel supply apparatus of FIG. It is a side view of the bathtub of FIG. It is a side view of the bathtub of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the outline | summary of the bathtub of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the lower part of the partition plate of the bathtub of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state in which the fuel supply apparatus of FIG. 2 inclined.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The fuel supply device 1 of the present embodiment is provided in a vehicle equipped with a diesel engine as the engine E, and light oil is used as the fuel. For this reason, the fuel in the fuel tank 2 can be sucked and supplied to the engine E by the negative pressure acting from the engine E. In addition, UP of each drawing shows vertically upward.

  As shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2, the fuel supply apparatus 1 has the fuel tank 2 which divides the accommodating space 3 in which a fuel is accommodated inside. The fuel tank 2 is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape (box shape) whose longitudinal direction is the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. An inlet pipe (not shown) is connected to the upper part of the fuel tank 2, and fuel is supplied into the fuel tank 2 through the inlet pipe.

  A bathtub 4 is disposed in the accommodation space 3 of the fuel tank 2. The bathtub 4 has a bottomed cylindrical shape in which the side wall 7 rises from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 6, and divides the storage space 5 having an open upper surface inside. The bathtub 4 is fixedly supported on the tank bottom surface 2L of the fuel tank 2 by a holding member (not shown).

  At the lower end of the side wall 7 of the bathtub 4, a lower communication portion 8 that connects the storage space 5 and the storage space 3 at the lower portion of the storage space 5 is provided. The lower communication portion 8 allows fuel to flow from the storage space 3 to the storage space 5 and prohibits fuel flow from the storage space 5 to the storage space 3. For example, the lower communication portion 8 includes a communication hole formed in the side wall 7 and a check valve that opens and closes the communication hole. When the bathtub 4 is disposed away from the tank bottom surface 2 </ b> L of the fuel tank 2, the lower communication portion 8 may be provided on the bottom wall 6 of the bathtub 4.

  A partition plate 9 that stands up and down is fixed inside the bathtub 4. The partition plate 9 has a rectangular plate shape, and both side edges thereof are in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 7 to partition the storage space 5 into a feed region 10 and a return region 11. The lower end of the partition plate 9 is separated from the bottom wall 6 of the bathtub 4, and the fuel flows through the gap 12 between the lower end of the partition plate 9 and the bottom wall 6. That is, the partition plate 9 connects the feed region 10 and the return region 11 at the lower part of the storage space 5. In this way, the return region 11 and the feed region 10 are partitioned by the partition plate 9, and the fuel below the return region 11 flows into the lower part of the feed region 10 via the gap 12. High-temperature return fuel that has flowed into the upper portion of the return region 11 does not short-circuit to the lower end opening 15 of the feed pipe 13 and flows.

On the tank upper surface 2U of the fuel tank 2, a feed pipe 13 connected to a feed line FL (shown in FIG. 1) for supplying fuel to the engine E and surplus fuel that has not been consumed by the engine E are supplied to the fuel tank 2 . A return pipe 14 connected to the return line RL that passes through penetrates. The feed pipe 13 extends from the feed region 10 to the outside of the fuel tank 2 and sends the fuel in the feed region 13 as the supply fuel to the engine E. The return pipe 14 extends from the return region 11 to the outside of the fuel tank 2, and returns the return fuel from the engine E to the upper portion of the return region 11 . The fuel in the feed region 10 is sucked from the lower end opening 15 of the feed pipe 13, and the return fuel flows into the upper portion of the return region 11 from the lower end opening 16 of the return pipe 14. The lower end opening 16 of the return pipe 14 is disposed vertically above the lower end opening 15 of the feed pipe 13. The feed pipe 13 and the return pipe 14 are fixed to the side wall 7 of the bathtub 4 by holding members 17 and 18, respectively.

  A first communication part 19 and a second communication part 20 are provided on the side wall 7 of the bathtub 4. The first communication portion 19 is a vertically long communication hole formed in a portion of the side wall 7 that partitions the return region 11, and connects the return region 11 and the accommodation space 3. The second communication portion 20 is a horizontally long communication hole formed in a portion of the side wall 7 that partitions the feed region 10, and communicates the feed region 10 and the accommodation space 3. A plurality of second communication portions 20 are formed along the circumferential direction of the side wall 7. The first communication part 19 has an opening part vertically below the lower end opening 16 of the return pipe 14, and the second communication part 20 is arranged vertically above the lower end opening 15 of the feed pipe 13. Therefore, the high temperature return fuel from the return pipe 14 is mixed with the low temperature fuel in the accommodation space 3 via the first communication portion 19. Further, the fuel in the feed region 10 is mixed with the low-temperature fuel in the accommodation space 3 through the second communication portion 20.

  Further, the first communication portion 19 and the second communication portion 20 are always vertically above the horizontal plane passing through the lower end opening 15 of the feed pipe 13 when the fuel tank 2 is inclined within a predetermined angle range with respect to a predetermined reference posture. Is set to a height position.

  The predetermined reference posture is, for example, the posture of the fuel tank 2 when the vehicle is located on a flat ground, and the range of the predetermined angle is the fuel tank 2 with respect to the reference posture when the vehicle body is inclined due to being located on a slope or the like. Is set based on the maximum inclination angle of the fuel, the maximum inclination angle of the liquid level of the fuel with respect to the horizontal plane when the liquid level of the fuel fluctuates due to acceleration, deceleration, turning, or the like. That is, when the level of the fuel stored in the storage space 3 of the fuel tank 2 in the reference posture is vertically above the lower end opening of the feed pipe, the vehicle body is inclined, the fuel level is fluctuated, etc. Even when the fuel flows out from the first communication portion 19 and the second communication portion 20 into the accommodation space 3, the fuel level in the bathtub 4 (storage space 5) is from the lower end opening 15 of the feed pipe 13. Is always located vertically above, so that the fuel supply from the feed pipe 13 to the engine E is maintained.

  For example, the fuel tank 2 is tilted from the basic posture (the state shown in FIG. 2), and the fuel level in the bathtub 4 and the fuel level in the accommodation space 3 other than the bathtub 4 are tilted. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, when the fuel level in the bathtub 4 reaches the first communication part 19 (shown by a solid line in FIG. 7), the fuel flows out from the first communication part 19 into the accommodation space 3. The fuel level in the bathtub 4 is lowered (indicated by a broken line in FIG. 7). However, since the liquid level of the fuel in the bathtub 4 never falls below the lower end opening 15 of the feed pipe 13, the fuel supply from the feed pipe 13 to the engine E is maintained.

  Further, when the warning that the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank 2 is low is notified by a warning warning (for example, lighting of an indicator provided in front of the driver's seat in the passenger compartment), the fuel level at the time of the warning warning is In the state where the fuel tank 2 is set to the basic posture, the fuel tank 2 is set vertically above the horizontal plane passing through the lower end opening 15 of the feed pipe 13, so that it is impossible to supply fuel to the engine E before the warning. Absent.

Thus, according to the present embodiment, the return region 11 and the feed region 10 are partitioned by the partition plate 9, and the fuel in the return region 11 has a gap 12 in the lower portion of the storage space 5 (lower portion of the return region 11). From the return pipe 14 to the upper part of the return area 11, the return fuel in a high temperature state does not short-circuit to the lower end opening 15 of the feed pipe 13 and flows. In addition, the high temperature return fuel from the return pipe 14 is mixed with the low temperature fuel in the accommodation space 3 via the first communication portion 19, so the temperature of the fuel in the return region 11 decreases. Further, fuel feed region 10 is mixed with low-temperature of the fuel in the accommodation space 3 via the second communication portion 20. Therefore, the high temperature of the fuel in the feed region 10 is suppressed, and the high temperature of the fuel supplied to the engine E due to the high temperature return fuel is suppressed.

  Further, the first communication portion 19 and the second communication portion 20 are always vertically above the horizontal plane passing through the lower end opening 15 of the feed pipe 13 when the fuel tank 2 is tilted within a predetermined angle range with respect to the reference posture. It is set to the height position. For this reason, even if the vehicle body tilts or the fuel level fluctuates, the fuel in the bathtub 4 flows into the housing space 3 from the first communication portion 19 or the second communication portion 20. The fuel level is always located vertically above the lower end opening 15 of the feed pipe 13. Therefore, the fuel supply from the feed pipe 13 to the engine E is reliably maintained.

  Further, the partition plate 9 is fixed to the bathtub 4 and the first communication portion 19 and the second communication portion 20 are provided between the return region 11 and the feed region 10 and the accommodating space 3. The high temperature of the fuel supplied to the engine E due to the return fuel from E can be suppressed.

  Thus, the supply of fuel to the engine E caused by the return fuel from the engine E can be achieved with a simple and inexpensive configuration without impairing the original function of the bathtub 4 for maintaining the fuel supply to the engine E. High temperature can be suppressed.

  As described above, the present invention has been described based on the above embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the content of the above embodiment, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the present invention. is there.

  For example, the lower communication part 8, the first communication part 19, or the second communication part 20 can be omitted, and the shape and number of the first communication part 19 and the second communication part 20 are arbitrary. The engine E may be other than a diesel engine (for example, a gasoline engine).

1: Fuel supply device 2: Fuel tank 3: Storage space 4: Bathtub 5: Storage space 6: Bottom wall 7: Side wall 8: Lower communication part 9: Partition plate 10: Feed region 11: Return region 12: Gap 13: Feed Pipe 14: Return pipe 15: Lower end opening 16 of the feed pipe: Lower end opening 19 of the return pipe 19: First communication part 20: Second communication part E: Engine

Claims (3)

A fuel tank that divides a storage space for storing fuel therein;
A bathtub which is disposed in the housing space and divides a storage space for storing fuel therein;
The lower end of the storage space is fixed to the bathtub and has a lower end that forms a gap with the bottom surface of the bathtub, and partitions the storage space into a feed region and a return region. And a partition plate communicating with the gap ,
A first communication portion communicating the return area and the accommodation space;
A feed pipe extending from the feed region to the outside of the fuel tank, and delivering fuel in the feed region as fuel supplied to the engine;
A return pipe extending from the return region to the outside of the fuel tank and returning the return fuel from the engine to the top of the return region,
The lower end of the first communicating unit, that the fuel tank is set to always vertically upward to become height position than the upper end of the gap when tilted at a predetermined angle range with respect to a predetermined reference position A fuel supply device for a vehicle. The fuel supply device according to claim 1,
The first communication portion is at a height position that is always vertically above a horizontal plane passing through a lower end opening of the feed pipe when the fuel tank is tilted within a range of the predetermined angle with respect to a predetermined reference posture. A fuel supply device for a vehicle, wherein a return region and the accommodation space are communicated. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 or 2,
When the fuel tank is inclined within the range of the predetermined angle with respect to the reference posture, the feed region and the accommodating space are at a height position that is always vertically above a horizontal plane passing through a lower end opening of the feed pipe. A fuel supply device for a vehicle, comprising a second communication portion that communicates.

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