JP6687880B2 - Evaporative fuel processor - Google Patents

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an evaporated fuel processing device for processing evaporated fuel generated in a fuel tank.

  Since the evaporated fuel generated in the fuel tank causes air pollution, a vehicle equipped with an engine is generally equipped with an evaporated fuel processing device for suppressing emission of the evaporated fuel into the atmosphere. ing. The evaporated fuel processing apparatus connects, for example, a fuel tank and an intake system of an engine with a purge pipe provided with a canister to allow the evaporated fuel generated in the fuel tank to be once adsorbed by the activated carbon in the canister and to suck the engine intake air. Fuel adsorbed by activated carbon according to negative pressure is introduced into the intake system of the engine and burned with fresh air. Further, the canister may be arranged in the engine room in order to promote desorption of the evaporated fuel by utilizing heat from the engine.

  In recent years, vehicles such as a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) and a hybrid vehicle (HEV) that have a running motor and a secondary battery together with an engine have been put into practical use (for example, Patent Document 1). 1).

  In such a vehicle, the layout space is limited because the engine and the secondary battery are mounted. Under such constraints, it is considered to arrange the canister outside the engine room. For example, in Patent Document 1, a canister is arranged between a fuel tank and a secondary battery.

  When the canister is placed outside the engine room, it is necessary to protect the canister from the impact of a collision and small stones scattered during traveling. Further, if it is assumed that the canister will be damaged due to a collision or the like and fuel leakage will occur, it is not preferable to dispose the canister in the vicinity of the exhaust pipe serving as a heat source. In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the canister is not arranged in consideration of such impact and the influence of the exhaust pipe.

Japanese Patent No. 5056957

  In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vaporized fuel processing device that can more reliably prevent fuel leakage from a canister.

A first aspect of the present invention that solves the above problems is a fuel tank mounted on a vehicle, a secondary battery mounted in front of the fuel tank, and a canister that adsorbs evaporated fuel in the fuel tank. The canister is disposed between the secondary battery and the fuel tank, and is disposed on the opposite side of the exhaust pipe with respect to a center line extending in the front-rear direction through the center of the vehicle in the width direction , The atmospheric opening of the canister is arranged above the secondary battery in the evaporated fuel processing apparatus.

  In the first aspect, it is possible to prevent the canister from being damaged by the front-back impact that occurs when the vehicle collides, and it is possible to more reliably prevent fuel leakage from the canister.

Further, the canister is arranged on the side opposite to the exhaust pipe with respect to the center line. As a result, even if the fuel leaks from the canister, it is far from the heat source and the risk of ignition can be reduced.
Further, since the canister is located above the secondary battery, the bottom surface side of the canister can be protected by the secondary battery. With such a configuration, it is possible to make it difficult for scattered objects such as pebbles to reach the canister when the vehicle is traveling. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the canister from being damaged by the collision of scattered objects.
A second aspect of the present invention is the vaporized fuel processing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the secondary battery includes a chamfered portion with chamfered corners, and the canister is provided between the fuel tank and the chamfered portion. The vaporized fuel processing device is characterized in that the vaporized fuel processing device is arranged in a gap formed in the.
In the second aspect, when the vehicle collides from the front, the gap can be left without being crushed even if the secondary battery is pushed until it comes into contact with the fuel tank. This can reduce the possibility that the canister will be sandwiched between the secondary battery and the fuel tank and damaged.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the evaporated fuel processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the canister is arranged between a pair of side members extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The transpiration fuel processing device is characterized by

In the third aspect, the canister can be more reliably protected from the impact at the time of a side collision of the vehicle.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is the vaporized fuel processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a cross member that holds the secondary battery, wherein the canister is formed from the cross member. Is also disposed rearward in the evaporated fuel processing device.

In the fourth aspect, it is possible to more reliably prevent the canister from being damaged by the impact from the front of the vehicle.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is the transpiration fuel processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further including a rear cross member arranged rearward of the fuel tank, wherein the canister is the The evaporated fuel processing device is characterized in that it is arranged in front of the rear cross member.

In the fifth aspect, it is possible to more reliably prevent the canister from being damaged by the impact from the rear of the vehicle.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is the vaporized fuel processing device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the kick-up portion is a part of a floor panel of the vehicle and is inclined upward toward the rear. And the canister is provided on the lower surface side of the floor panel and on the rear side of the kick-up portion.

In the sixth aspect, it is possible to more reliably prevent damage to the canister due to scattered matter from the bottom surface side of the vehicle.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a vaporized fuel processing device capable of more reliably preventing fuel leakage from a canister.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the evaporated fuel processing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a top view which shows an evaporated fuel processing apparatus. It is a side view which shows an evaporated fuel processing apparatus.

<Embodiment 1>
Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described. Note that the description of the embodiments is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the following description.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an evaporated fuel processing apparatus according to this embodiment. The transpiration fuel processing device according to the present embodiment is mounted on a vehicle such as a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and the transpiration fuel generated in a fuel tank for storing the fuel supplied to the engine is discharged to the atmosphere. It is a device for suppressing.

  The evaporated fuel processing device 10 includes a canister 12 that is filled with activated carbon and adsorbs evaporated fuel generated in the fuel tank 100. The canister 12 is connected to the fuel tank 100 by a vapor pipe 14. Specifically, the vapor pipe 14 has one end arranged in the fuel tank 100 and the other end connected to the canister 12.

  The leveling pipe 106 provided in the fuel tank 100 controls the liquid level of the fuel in the fuel tank 100 during refueling. The roll-over valve 108 prevents the fuel from flowing out of the fuel tank 100 due to the action of the float valve, and the two-way valve 110 limits the amount of refueling when the fuel tank 100 is near full. Since the rollover valve 108 and the two-way valve 110 have existing configurations, detailed description thereof will be omitted here. Further, the fuel tank 100 is provided with a fuel pump 116 that supplies a fuel injection valve (not shown) of the engine 102 via a fuel pipe 114.

  The canister 12 is connected to the intake passage 104 of the engine 102 via the purge pipe 20. That is, in the present embodiment, the fuel tank 100 is connected to the intake passage 104 of the engine 102 by the vapor pipe 14 and the purge pipe 20. The purge pipe 20 is provided with, for example, a purge valve 22 that opens and closes the purge pipe 20 near the end portion on the engine 102 side.

  Further, the canister 12 is provided with an atmosphere opening port 12a on the upper surface that communicates with the outside. A vent pipe 26 is connected to the atmosphere opening port 12a. The canister 12 communicates with the outside air via the vent pipe 26. The purge valve 22 is a so-called normally-closed type solenoid valve.

  A filler pipe 120 for supplying fuel into the fuel tank 100 is connected to the fuel tank 100. A fuel filler port 122 is provided at the end of the filler pipe 120 opposite to the fuel tank 100. The fuel filler port 122 is configured to be sealed by a fuel filler cap 124. The fuel filler port 122 is formed in the recess 126, and the opening of the recess 126 is configured to be opened and closed by a fuel filler lid 128. For example, in the present embodiment, the fuel filler lid 128 is held in the closed state by the lock mechanism (not shown), and the lock mechanism is released by the operation of the opening switch 150 provided in the driver's seat of the vehicle to be in the open state. Is configured.

  The ECU 130 includes an input / output device, a storage device that stores a control program and a control map, a central processing unit, timers and counters, and the engine 102 including the evaporated fuel processing device 10 based on information from various sensors. The overall control of.

  Further, although not particularly shown, the vehicle includes a battery that is a secondary battery and a traveling motor (driving device) that operates by power supply from the battery. The traveling motor is connected to the drive wheels via a drive mechanism. The traveling motor drives the drive wheels via the drive mechanism, and at the time of so-called regenerative operation, the drive motor receives rotation from the drive wheels to generate electric power and supplies the electric power to the battery. Further, the battery can be charged from an external power source. The ECU 130 appropriately controls the operation (output) of the traveling motor, that is, the power supply of the traveling motor from the battery.

  The arrangement of the fuel tank 100, the battery 140, the canister 12, and the like, which form the evaporated fuel processing apparatus 10, will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the evaporated fuel processing device 10, and FIG. 3 is a side view showing the evaporated fuel processing device 10. It should be noted that FIG. 2 does not show the floor panel of the vehicle. Further, the X direction represents the vehicle width direction, the Y direction represents the vehicle front-rear direction, and the Z direction represents the vehicle height direction.

  The vehicle includes a body frame 30 that forms a skeleton of the lower portion of the vehicle. The body frame 30 includes a pair of left and right front side members 40, side sills 50, and rear side members 60 as members extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The body frame 30 also includes front cross members (not shown), front floor side braces 70, first rear cross members 71, second rear cross members 72, and third rear cross members 73 as members extending in the vehicle width direction. Is equipped with.

  The front side member 40 and the rear side member 60 are examples of side members in the claims, and the second rear cross member 72 and the third rear cross member 73 are examples of rear cross members in the claims.

  Each of the above-mentioned members is formed of, for example, a steel plate so that a cross-section (a surface cut by a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of each member) or a cross-section combined with the floor panel 90 to be joined forms a rectangular closed cross-section. Is pressed.

  The pair of left and right front side members 40 are arranged apart from each other in the vehicle width direction from the front part to the center part of the vehicle. The rear end side of the front side member 40 is connected to the first rear cross member 71. A front cross member (not shown) is provided between the pair of front side members 40 at the front portion of the vehicle body frame 30.

  A pair of left and right side sills 50 are provided outside the pair of left and right front side members 40 in the vehicle width direction. Each side sill 50 is arranged apart from the front side member 40 in the vehicle width direction. The side sills 50 and the front side members 40 are connected by a plurality of front floor side braces 70.

  A pair of rear side members 60 are arranged at the rear of the pair of side sills 50 so as to be separated from each other in the vehicle width direction. Each rear side member 60 constitutes the rear side of the vehicle body frame 30, and has an inclined portion 61 and a horizontal portion 62 in order from the front.

  The inclined portion 61 is a portion that is inclined rearward and upward toward the center of the vehicle body, and the front end portion is coupled to the upper surface of the corresponding side sill 50. The horizontal portion 62 is a portion that is continuous with the inclined portion 61 and that extends substantially horizontally along the front-rear direction.

  A first rear cross member 71 is installed between the pair of rear side members 60. The left and right ends of the first rear cross member 71 are joined to the rear side members 60. Further, the first rear cross member 71 is coupled to the upper surface of each front side member 40. The first rear cross member 71 is formed in an arc shape that is convex upward, and is arranged so as to straddle over the battery 140.

  A second rear cross member 72 is arranged at a position rearwardly spaced from the first rear cross member 71 with a predetermined gap. Further, a third rear cross member 73 is arranged at a position rearwardly spaced from the second rear cross member 72 with a predetermined gap. The left and right ends of the second rear cross member 72 and the third rear cross member 73 are connected to the respective rear side members 60. Further, although not particularly shown, a traveling motor attached to the rear wheels is installed on the second rear cross member 72 and the third rear cross member 73.

  On the upper surfaces of the side sill 50, the front floor side brace 70, and the rear side member 60, a floor panel 90 that constitutes the floor surface of the vehicle is provided. The floor panel 90 also includes a kick-up portion 95 that constitutes a part of the floor panel 90. The kick-up portion 95 is a part of the floor panel 90 that is inclined upward toward the rear. In the present embodiment, the kick-up portion 95 is inclined rearward upward between the vicinity of the first rear cross member 71 and the front of the canister 12. Further, in the floor panel 90, the front side of the kick-up portion 95 is referred to as a first floor panel portion 91, and the rear side of the kick-up portion 95 is referred to as a second floor panel portion 92.

  The fuel tank 100, the battery 140, the canister 12, and the like are attached to the vehicle body frame 30 having the above-described configuration.

  The fuel tank 100 is arranged in a space surrounded by the first rear cross member 71, the second rear cross member 72, and the pair of rear side members 60 in a plan view. Further, the fuel tank 100 is arranged below the second floor panel portion 92 on the rear side of the kick-up portion 95. Although not shown, the fuel tank 100 is fixed to the second rear cross member 72, the floor panel 90, and the like.

  The fuel tank 100 includes a first tank portion 100a that constitutes the lower side of the fuel tank 100 and a second tank portion 100b that constitutes the upper side. The second tank portion 100b projects from the upper surface of the first tank portion 100a, and the first tank portion 100a and the second tank portion 100b form a stepped portion 100c at the upper portion of the fuel tank 100. The vapor pipe 14 connected to the canister 12 bends downward above the step 100c and is connected to the first tank 100a.

  The battery 140 is fixed below the floor panel 90 in a space surrounded by the front cross member (not shown), the front side member 40, and the first rear cross member 71 in a plan view.

  Specifically, the battery 140 includes a cross member 80 that is a member for attaching the battery 140 to the front side member 40. Each cross member 80 has one end in the X direction fixed to the side surface of the battery 140 and the other end in the X direction fixed to the lower surface side of the front side member 40. In the present embodiment, four batteries 140 are arranged on both sides in the X direction at predetermined intervals in the Y direction. The battery 140 is fixed to the front side member 40 via the cross member 80.

  The corners of the battery 140 are chamfered in plan view. In the present embodiment, the battery 140 has the chamfered portion 141 in which all four corners are chamfered. Note that the chamfer 141 does not have to be provided at all four corners.

  The battery 140 as described above is arranged in front of the fuel tank 100. With such an arrangement, a gap is formed between the fuel tank 100 and the battery 140. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the chamfered portion 141 is formed in the battery 140, the chamfered portion 141 on the rear end side of the battery 140 and the side surface of the fuel tank 100 form a gap S having a triangular shape in a plan view. Has been formed.

  Although the fuel tank 100 and the battery 140 are separated from each other in the front-rear direction in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to such an aspect. The fact that the battery 140 is mounted in front of the fuel tank 100 also includes a mode in which the battery 140 partially overlaps or contacts the fuel tank 100 in a plan view. For example, even if the battery 140 partially overlaps or contacts the fuel tank 100, the chamfer 141 may be provided to provide the gap S in which the canister 12 can be stored.

  The canister 12 is arranged in the gap S between the fuel tank 100 and the battery 140. That the canister 12 is arranged between the fuel tank 100 and the battery 140 means that the canister 12 does not overlap the fuel tank 100 and the battery 140 in a plan view as in the present embodiment. This also includes a case where the canister 12 is arranged so as to partially overlap the fuel tank 100 and the battery 140 when viewed.

  The canister 12 is arranged above the battery 140. The canister 12 being disposed above the battery 140 means that the canister 12 is partially disposed in the height direction in addition to the case where the canister 12 is disposed completely above the battery 140 as in the present embodiment. It also includes the case where they are placed so as to overlap.

  The canister 12 is fixed to the floor panel 90 via a bracket 17. In this embodiment, the canister 12 is fixed to the second floor panel portion 92 on the rear side of the kickup portion 95 of the floor panel 90 via the bracket 17.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle is provided with an exhaust pipe 18 that exhausts exhaust gas from an engine (not shown) to the rear of the vehicle. The canister 12 is arranged on the side opposite to the exhaust pipe 18 with respect to the center line L. The center line L is an imaginary line that passes through the center of the vehicle in the width direction (X direction) and extends in the front-rear direction (Y direction). The canister 12 and the exhaust pipe 18 are arranged with the center line L interposed therebetween.

  As described above, in the evaporated fuel processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, the canister 12 is arranged between the fuel tank 100 and the battery 140. That is, since the canister 12 is arranged so as to be surrounded by the fuel tank 100 and the battery 140 in the front-rear direction, it is protected from an impact in the front-rear direction. As a result, it is possible to prevent the canister 12 from being damaged by an impact in the front-rear direction that occurs when the vehicle collides, and it is possible to more reliably prevent fuel leakage from the canister 12.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the battery 140 has the chamfered portion 141 and the gap S is formed. With such a configuration, when the vehicle collides from the front, the gap S can be left without being crushed even if the battery 140 is pushed until it comes into contact with the fuel tank 100. This can reduce the possibility that the canister 12 is sandwiched between the battery 140 and the fuel tank 100 and damaged.

  Further, the canister 12 is arranged on the side opposite to the exhaust pipe 18 with the center line L as the center. With such a configuration, the canister 12 can be separated from the exhaust pipe 18 of the heat source. As a result, even if the fuel leaks from the canister 12, since it is far from the heat source, the risk of ignition can be reduced.

  In the evaporated fuel processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, the canister 12 is arranged between the pair of front side members 40 and rear side members 60. With such a structure, the canister 12 can be more reliably protected from the impact at the time of a side collision of the vehicle.

  In the evaporated fuel processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, the canister 12 is arranged behind the cross member 80. With such a configuration, the front of the canister 12 can be protected by the cross member 80. This can more reliably prevent the canister 12 from being damaged by an impact from the front of the vehicle.

  In the evaporated fuel processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, the canister 12 is arranged in front of the second rear cross member 72 and the third rear cross member 73 (rear cross member in the claims). With such a configuration, the rear of the canister 12 can be protected by the second rear cross member 72 and the third rear cross member 73. This can more reliably prevent the canister 12 from being damaged by an impact from the rear of the vehicle.

  In the evaporated fuel processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, the battery 140 is arranged in front of the kick-up section 95 and the canister 12 is arranged in rear of the kick-up section 95. With such a structure, the canister 12 can be arranged further apart from the battery 140. As a result, damage to the canister 12 due to scattered matter from the bottom surface of the vehicle can be prevented more reliably.

  In the evaporated fuel processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, the canister 12 is positioned above the battery 140, so that the bottom surface side of the canister 12 can be protected by the battery 140. With such a configuration, scattered objects such as pebbles jump into the gap S when the vehicle is traveling, and can hardly reach the canister 12. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the canister 12 from being damaged by the collision of the scattered objects.

  Further, although the canister 12 is arranged above the battery 140, it is arranged in the gap S between the fuel tank 100 and the battery 140 in a plan view. With such an arrangement, the canister 12 is not blocked by other members when viewed from the bottom side of the vehicle. Therefore, workability for the canister 12 can be ensured during maintenance of the vehicle.

  Further, the atmosphere opening port 12 a of the canister 12 is located above the battery 140. Particularly, in the present embodiment, the canister 12 is arranged rearward of the kick-up portion 95, so the canister 12 is attached to the second floor panel portion 92 located above the kick-up portion 95. As described above, since the canister 12 is attached so as to be positioned higher on the lower side of the floor panel 90, it is possible to reduce the risk that water may enter the atmosphere opening port 12a.

<Other Embodiments>
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The present invention can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit thereof.

  For example, the present invention is not limited to the vehicle body frame 30 of the first embodiment, and the present invention can be applied to an arbitrary vehicle body frame configuration. Further, the vapor pipe 14 that connects the fuel tank 100 and the canister 12 is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment, and the present invention can be applied to an arbitrary vapor pipe 14 configuration. Further, the vapor pipe 14 may be provided with a sealing valve for opening and closing the vapor pipe 14. By closing the sealing valve when the engine 102 is stopped, it is possible to prevent the evaporated fuel from being adsorbed by the canister 12. As a result, starting of the engine 102 for the purpose of canister purging can be made unnecessary, or the starting frequency can be reduced, so that fuel consumption can be improved.

  Further, the structure of the canister 12 is not limited to the structure of the first embodiment. Further, the atmosphere opening port 12a does not need to be located above the battery 140.

  Further, although the fuel tank 100 has a shape including the first tank portion 100a and the second tank portion 100b, the shape is not limited to this.

  Further, although the floor panel 90 includes the kick-up portion 95, the floor panel 90 is not limited to such a configuration, and the present invention can be applied to a floor panel 90 of any shape not including the kick-up portion 95.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used in the industrial field of automobiles.

10 Evaporative Fuel Processing Device 12 Canister 12a Atmosphere Opening Port 14 Vapor Pipe 18 Exhaust Pipe 20 Purge Pipe 30 Body Frame 40 Front Side Member (Side Member)
50 side sill 60 rear side member (side member)
70 front floor side brace 71 first rear cross member 72 second rear cross member (rear cross member)
73 Third Rear Cross Member (Rear Cross Member)
80 Cross Member 90 Floor Panel 95 Kickup Part 100 Fuel Tank 102 Engine 140 Battery (Secondary Battery)

Claims (6)

A fuel tank installed in the vehicle,
A secondary battery mounted in front of the fuel tank,
A canister for adsorbing the evaporated fuel in the fuel tank,
The canister is arranged between the secondary battery and the fuel tank, and is arranged on the side opposite to the exhaust pipe with respect to the center line extending in the front-rear direction passing through the center of the vehicle in the width direction ,
The vaporized fuel processing device is characterized in that the atmosphere opening port of the canister is arranged above the secondary battery . The transpiration fuel processing device according to claim 1,
The secondary battery includes a chamfered portion with chamfered corners,
The canister is arranged in a gap formed between the fuel tank and the chamfered portion.
A vaporized fuel processing device characterized by the above. In the transpiration fuel processing device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The evaporated fuel processing device is characterized in that the canister is disposed between a pair of side members extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. In fuel vapor processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A cross member for holding the secondary battery,
The evaporated fuel processing apparatus is characterized in that the canister is arranged rearward of the cross member. The transpiration fuel processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
A rear cross member disposed behind the fuel tank,
The evaporated fuel processing apparatus is characterized in that the canister is arranged in front of the rear cross member. The evaporated fuel processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
A kick-up part that is a part of the floor panel of the vehicle and is inclined upward toward the rear,
The evaporated fuel processing apparatus is characterized in that the canister is provided on a lower surface side of the floor panel and on a rear side of the kick-up portion.

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