JP7124781B2 - fuel supply mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fuel supply mechanism.

In a conventional fuel supply mechanism, a filler pipe having a fuel flow path is attached to a fuel tank, and steam in the tank is discharged through a breather pipe during the fuel supply process. The technique of Patent Document 1 accommodates the breather pipe in the filler pipe to integrate the members, thereby simplifying the handling and assembly of the fuel tank-related members. On the other hand, the fuel supply mechanism is also required to suppress backflow of fuel to the filler pipe when the internal pressure of fuel vapor remaining in the tank rises. The technique of Patent Document 2 provides a check valve at the tip of the filler pipe to meet the demand for suppressing the backflow of fuel.

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 61-53220 JP 2011-174606 A

In the technique of Patent Literature 1, there is no choice but to use a partial area of the opening of the filler pipe as a storage area for the breather pipe. On top of that, it is assumed that a check valve as proposed in Patent Document 2 is beneficial for suppressing backflow to the filler pipe. Since the steam has been discharged and the tank internal pressure has not risen that much, the technique of Patent Document 2, which is based on the assumption that the tank internal pressure will rise when refueling is stopped, cannot be used as it is. In addition, since the breather pipe and check valve coexist at the filler pipe opening, the opening area for fuel to flow into the fuel tank becomes narrower, and there is concern that it will take longer to fill the fuel tank with fuel. be For this reason, it is desired to accommodate the breather pipe in the filler pipe to integrate the members, and to suppress the backflow with the check valve and to suppress the deterioration of the fuel supply performance. reached.

The present invention can be implemented as the following modes.

(1) According to one aspect of the fuel supply mechanism, there is provided a fuel supply mechanism for supplying fuel. This fuel supply mechanism has a fuel flow path for guiding the supplied fuel to a fuel tank, a filler pipe attached to the fuel tank, and a filler pipe accommodated in the filler pipe to feed the fuel from an opening of the fuel flow path. A breather pipe that protrudes into the tank and guides steam in the tank to the fuel flow path during refueling; The valve body has a recess for protruding the breather pipe from the opening in the fuel tank.
In this type of fuel supply mechanism, the breather pipe is accommodated in the filler pipe, and the members are integrated. In addition, the fuel supply mechanism of this embodiment suppresses the reverse flow by the check valve and the deterioration of the fuel supply performance as follows.
Of the opening area of the fuel flow path, the remaining area excluding the storage area of the breather pipe projecting from the flow path opening into the fuel tank serves as the fuel passage area. In this type of fuel supply mechanism, the recess provided in the valve element of the check valve that opens and closes the passage opening causes the breather pipe to protrude into the fuel tank from the opening, so there is no interference between the valve element and the breather pipe. . Therefore, according to the fuel supply mechanism of this aspect, almost the entire remaining area excluding the breather pipe accommodating area can be secured as a passage area for fuel, thereby suppressing deterioration in refueling performance. In addition, according to the fuel supply mechanism of this aspect, the backflow of fuel can be suppressed by the check valve in the fuel passage area, which is the remaining area excluding the area where the breather pipe is accommodated.
(2) In the fuel supply mechanism of the above aspect, the check valve is arranged such that the valve body rotates around a rotation shaft supported above the flow channel axis of the fuel flow channel. It may have a body. In this way, backflow of fuel can be suppressed with a simple valve structure in which the valve body rotates about the rotation axis located above the flow path axis of the fuel flow path.
(3) In the fuel supply mechanism of the above aspect, the breather pipe protrudes into the fuel tank at an open upper end on the upper side of the flow path axis of the fuel flow path, and the check valve extends into the recess. It may be provided on the side of the rotating shaft that is pivotally supported on the side. In this way, the supporting side of the rotating shaft and the receiving side of the breather pipe are both located above the channel axis, so that the supporting work of the rotating shaft and the receiving work of the breather pipe can be performed on the same side, which is convenient. .

It should be noted that the present invention can be implemented in various modes. For example, it can be realized in the form of a fuel tank having a fuel supply mechanism, the form of a filler neck having a fuel supply mechanism, or the form of a manufacturing method of a fuel supply mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline|summary of the fuel supply mechanism concerning embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration around the tip of the breather pipe in association with the filler pipe; It is explanatory drawing which shows the state of holding|maintenance of a breather pipe, cross-sectionally viewed in the surface orthogonal to a flow-path axis. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a process of assembling the tip portion and a process of holding the breather pipe; Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the main structure of the fuel supply mechanism attached to the fuel tank;

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a fuel supply mechanism 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fuel supply mechanism 10 sends fuel supplied from a fuel gun (not shown) to the fuel tank FT, and includes a filler pipe 20 and a breather pipe 30 . The filler pipe 20 has a fuel passage 21 that guides fuel from a fuel gun inserted into a filler neck (not shown) to the fuel tank FT. be worn. The filler pipe 20 is connected to a filler neck (not shown) at the upper end of the pipe, and is bent from the filler neck to the fuel tank FT along the oil supply path. The filler pipe 20 is a so-called bellows-shaped tubular body at appropriate portions including curved portions, and opens and closes the fuel flow path 21 with a check valve 63 at the end of the pipe in the tank.

The breather pipe 30 is accommodated in the filler pipe 20, and has a tip portion 40, which will be described later, protruding from the fuel flow path 21 into the fuel tank FT. The breather pipe 30 guides the steam in the tank from the tip portion 40 to the fuel flow path 21 on the upstream side of the filler pipe 20 during the refueling process. The breather pipe 30 is held by the filler pipe 20 on the tip portion 40 side and the upstream end 33 side of the pipe body 31 . The accommodation position of the breather pipe 30 in the filler pipe 20 is the upper end side of the filler pipe in cross-sectional view perpendicular to the fuel flow path 21 on the distal end portion 40 side. The upstream end 33 is located at a position higher than a full-tank liquid level FL1 (to be described later) in the fuel tank FT. A liquid seal 32 is used to hold the breather pipe 30 on the upstream end 33 side. The holding of the breather pipe 30 on the distal end portion 40 side will be described later.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the configuration around the tip portion 40 of the breather pipe 30 in association with the filler pipe 20. As shown in FIG. The filler pipe 20 has a pipe containing tubular body portion 22 at the end of the fuel flow path 21 and has a check valve holding portion 60 in the pipe containing tubular body portion 22 . The pipe housing tubular body portion 22 has an engaging protrusion 23 on the outer wall of the tubular body. The engaging protrusions 23 are scattered about the flow channel axis 21c of the fuel flow channel 21 at a predetermined formation pitch, and position the filler pipe 20 around the flow channel axis 21c with respect to the tube connector 50, which will be described later.

The check valve holding part 60 has a metal pipe holding cylinder 61 and a check valve 63 . The check valve 63 is composed of a valve body holding ring 62 and a valve body 63a, and the valve body holding ring 62 and the valve body 63a are molded products of oil-resistant resin. The pipe holding tube 61 has a ring holding ring 61b at the tube end. The ring retaining ring 61b is formed with an enlarged diameter at the end of the pipe retaining cylinder 61, and retains a valve body retaining ring 62, which will be described later. How the valve element holding ring 62 is held and how the check valve holding portion 60 is incorporated into the filler pipe 20 will be described later, including how each member is positioned around the flow channel axis 21c.

The valve body retaining ring 62 includes an outer ring 62a surrounded and retained by the ring retaining ring 61b, a valve seat ring 62b having a smaller diameter than the outer ring 62a, valve body supporting arms 62c, and a valve seat concave wall portion 62d. have. Each part such as the outer ring 62a is integrally formed using an oil-resistant resin. The valve seat ring 62b and the valve seat recessed wall portion 62d are flush with each other as an inclined surface inclined with respect to the channel axis 21c so that the vertically lower side is thicker than the upper side. 62f is inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The check valve 63 includes a valve body 63a that abuts against a valve seat 62f formed by the valve seat rings 62b and 62b, and a pair of rotating shafts 63b that rotatably hold the valve body 63a. are prepared as one. A valve support arm 62 c of the valve support ring 62 pivotally supports a rotation shaft 63 b of the check valve 63 . The valve seat recessed wall portion 62d is recessed from the contour of the outer ring 62a toward the channel axis 21c, and the pipe main body 31 enters the pipe holding recess 62e from the recess opening. That is, the valve body holding ring 62 holds the breather pipe 30 accommodated in the filler pipe 20 in the pipe holding recess 62e at the upper end of the opening above the flow channel axis 21c of the fuel flow channel 21, as shown in FIG. . Therefore, the breather pipe 30 protrudes into the fuel tank FT at the open upper end of the fuel flow path 21 above the flow path axis 21c. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing how the breather pipe 30 is held in a plane orthogonal to the channel axis 21c. In FIG. 3, the outline of a check valve 63, which will be described later, is indicated by a chain double-dashed line.

The pipe holding recess 62e is a recess that is 1 to 2 mm wider than the diameter of the pipe body 31 of the breather pipe 30. It is deepened by about 2 to 3 mm. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the breather pipe 30 is held in the pipe holding recess 62e such that the pipe outer shell of the pipe main body 31 fits in the arcuate line of the outer ring 62a. That is, even when the valve element holding ring 62 is held by the pipe holding cylinder 61, the breather pipe 30 can be accommodated in the filler pipe 20 so that the pipe main body 31 is held by the pipe holding recess 62e. Further, the gap between the pipe outer shell of the pipe body 31 and the arcuate line of the outer ring 62a and the gap between the pipe outer shell of the pipe body 31 and the side wall of the pipe holding recess 62e are only about 2 to 3 mm. .

The pipe holding cylinder 61 holds the valve element holding ring 62 with the outer ring 62a so that the pipe holding recess 62e is positioned vertically above the flow channel axis 21c. As a result, the positional relationship of the pipe holding recess 62e is defined, so that the pipe holding recess 62e holding the pipe main body 31 is positioned with respect to the pipe holding cylinder 61 around the channel axis 21c of the fuel channel 21. will be Further, when the pipe holding cylinder 61 holding the valve body holding ring 62 is press-fitted into the pipe housing tubular body portion 22, the pipe holding recess 62e holding the pipe main body 31 also moves along the flow path axis with respect to the filler pipe 20. Positioned around 21c. A procedure for holding the pipe body 31 in the pipe holding recess 62e and a procedure for assembling the pipe holding cylinder 61 holding the valve element holding ring 62 will be described later. When holding the valve body retaining ring 62, the valve body retaining ring 62 may be fixed by caulking with the outer ring 62a.

The check valve 63 includes a valve body 63a as an integrally molded product of oil-resistant resin, and has a notch recess 63c in the valve body 63a. The check valve 63 has a valve seat 62f formed by a valve seat ring 62b and a valve seat concave wall portion 62d. Close the road 21. In the refueling process, the valve body 63a of the check valve 63 is pushed by the refueled fuel to open the fuel passage 21 . When the check valve 63 is submerged in fuel, it is pushed by the fuel in the fuel tank FT to bring the valve body 63a into contact with the valve seat 62f, thereby closing the fuel passage 21. As shown in FIG. The notch recess 63c is formed by notching the valve body 63a from the rotating shaft 63b side. It does not interfere with the breather pipe 30 held at the place 62e. The check valve 63 rotates the valve body 63a about a rotation shaft 63b supported by the valve body support arm 62c of the valve body holding ring 62. It does not interfere with the breather pipe 30 held in the pipe holding recess 62e. When the notch recess 63c contacts the pipe connecting arm portion 41b, the rotation of the valve body 63a is completed, and the check valve 63 fully opens the fuel passage 21 at this time. Therefore, in the subsequent refueling process, the fuel is fed into the fuel tank FT without any trouble. The procedure for assembling the check valve 63 will also be described later. The valve seat 62f may be a valve seat perpendicular to the channel axis 21c, and the valve body 63a of the check valve 63 may be separated from the valve seat 62f during non-refueling.

The breather pipe 30 has a tip portion 40 at the end of the pipe body 31, as shown in FIG. The tip portion 40 is configured separately from the pipe body 31 that guides the in-tank steam to the fuel flow path 21 and is assembled to the pipe body 31 . The tip portion 40 has a pipe connection portion 41, a first tip portion 42, and a second tip portion 43 from the pipe main body 31 side. The pipe connection portion 41 has a connection portion main body 41a and a pipe connection arm portion 41b, and each portion is integrally molded using an oil-resistant resin. The pipe connection arm portion 41b is configured as a large number of arms continuous from the connection portion main body 41a, and surrounds the arm portion through hole 41e that is continuous with the through hole 41c of the pipe connection portion 41. As shown in FIG. The pipe connecting arm portion 41b has a pipe buried portion 41d at its tip. When the pipe connection arm portion 41b is inserted into the pipe flow path 31a of the pipe body 31 to a fixed position, the pipe buried portion 41d is buried in the pipe wall of the pipe body 31, and the pipe connection portion 41 is replaced by the pipe body. 31 is positioned around the pipe channel axis 31b.

The first tip portion 42 and the second tip portion 43 are an integrally molded product using an oil-resistant resin. The first tip portion 42 is inserted into the through hole 41c of the pipe connection portion 41 and integrated with the pipe connection portion 41 by adhesive or heat welding. The first tip portion 42 has a first breather flow path 42a over the pipe body portion of the first tip portion 42, and has an engaging protrusion 44 on the outer peripheral wall. The engaging protrusions 44 are scattered around the first breather flow path 42 a of the first tip portion 42 . The pipe connecting portion 41 into which the first tip portion 42 is inserted is provided with groove-like engaging recesses 41f at the same pitch as the engaging protrusions 44 in the through hole 41c. Therefore, since the engaging convex portion 44 engages with the engaging concave portion 41f as the first tip end portion 42 is inserted into the through hole 41c, the engaging convex portion 44 does not move the pipe connecting portion 41 from the first tip portion 41c. The tip portion 42 and the second tip portion 43 are positioned around the channel axis of the first breather channel 42a.

The second tip portion 43 is formed continuously with the first tip portion 42 and has a second breather flow path 43a over the pipe body portion thereof. This second breather flow path 43a is continuous with the first breather flow path 42a of the first tip portion 42, and the manner thereof will be described later. In addition, the first tip end portion 42 has a valve seat forming portion 45 at a location where it is continuous with the second tip end portion 43, and a drainage hole 46 that passes through the valve seat forming portion 45 and reaches the first breather flow path 42a. , an on-off valve 47 for opening and closing the drain hole 46, and a valve support arm 48 for rotatably supporting the on-off valve 47. As shown in FIG. The valve seat forming portion 45 and the valve support arm 48 are molded integrally with the first tip portion 42 . The on-off valve 47 is a molded product in which a valve body 47a and a rotating shaft 47b are integrally molded using an oil-resistant resin having a lower specific gravity than fuel. The on-off valve 47 rotates about the rotating shaft 47 b to open and close the drain hole 46 by pivotally supporting the rotating shaft 47 b on the valve support arm 48 . That is, the on-off valve 47 is driven (rotated) about the rotation shaft 47b by its own weight, thereby separating from the valve seat 45a of the valve seat forming portion 45 and opening the drain hole 46 . On the other hand, in the refueling process, buoyancy is received from the fuel reaching the vicinity of the valve seat forming portion 45 to close the drain hole 46 . How the drain hole 46 is opened and closed by the on-off valve 47 will be described later together with the state of assembly to the fuel tank FT.

Next, a procedure for obtaining the fuel supply mechanism 10 in which the breather pipe 30 is accommodated in the filler pipe 20 will be described. In order to obtain such a fuel supply mechanism 10, first, the filler pipe 20 is formed in the form of a short straight tubular pipe with a bellows portion contracted. Then, the pipe main body 31 of the breather pipe 30 is fixed to the filler pipe 20 via the liquid seal 32 on the upstream end 33 side. Thereby, the pipe main body 31 of the breather pipe 30 is housed in the filler pipe 20 . At this time, the upstream end 33 is fixed via the liquid seal 32 so that the upstream end 33 is above the full-tank level FL1 when the fuel supply mechanism 10 is assembled to the fuel tank FT. In this state, the pipe main body 31 projects the pipe end from the pipe containing tubular body portion 22 of the filler pipe 20 . Note that if the breather pipe 30 has a form in which the pipe body 31 is preliminarily bent along a predetermined path, the filler pipe 20 is also preliminarily bent following the path of the pipe body 31 within the accommodation range of the breather pipe 30 .

Next, a holding process of the breather pipe 30 by the valve element holding ring 62 of the check valve holding part 60 and an assembly process of the tip part 40 to the pipe main body 31 already accommodated in the short straight filler pipe 20 are performed. . 4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams for explaining the assembly process of the tip portion 40 and the holding process of the breather pipe 30. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the holding process of the breather pipe 30 includes a process P10 of pivotally supporting the rotation shaft 63b of the valve body 63a to the valve body holding ring 62, and a process P10 of supporting the valve body holding ring 62 to the pipe holding cylinder 61. A process P11 of holding and fixing with the ring 61b, and a process P12 of press-fitting and fixing the pipe holding cylinder 61 in which the valve body holding ring 62 has been held and fixed into the pipe housing tubular body portion 22 of the filler pipe 20 are executed. Incidentally, before the process P10 is performed, the breather pipe 30 is temporarily held so as to be positioned substantially vertically above the channel axis 21c of the fuel channel 21 in the filler pipe 20. FIG.

In process P11, the valve body retaining ring 62 is once contracted in the width direction so that the interval between the pipe retaining recesses 62e is narrowed, and in this state, the outer ring 62a of the valve body retaining ring 62 is moved to the ring retaining portion of the pipe retaining cylinder 61. Insert into ring 61b. Next, the contraction in the width direction of the valve body retaining ring 62 is released. As a result, the valve element holding ring 62 is held and fixed on the outer ring 62a by the ring holding ring 61b in a state in which the outer ring 62a is in close contact with the inner peripheral wall surface of the ring holding ring 61b. In this case, the ring holding ring 61b may be provided with an assembly mark for the valve element holding ring 62 so that the pipe holding recess 62e can be positioned with respect to the pipe holding cylinder 61. FIG. Process P12 is performed in a state in which the pipe body 31 protrudes from the pipe containing tubular body portion 22 of the filler pipe 20 at the upper side in the vertical direction with respect to the flow channel axis 21c. , is inserted into the pipe holding recess 62e of the valve body holding ring 62 and held by the pipe holding recess 62e. Further, in process P12, the pipe holding cylinder 61 is press-fitted and fixed to the pipe housing tubular body portion 22 in a state where the pipe main body 31 is already held in the pipe holding recess 62e. As a result, the check valve holding portion 60 positions and fixes the pipe body 31 to the filler pipe 20 around the channel axis 21c in a state where the pipe main body 31 is already held by the valve seat recessed wall portion 62d.

As shown in FIG. 4, the process of assembling the tip portion 40 to the pipe body 31 includes a process P20 of pivotally supporting the pivot shaft 47b of the on-off valve 47 on the valve body supporting arm 48, and a process P20 of connecting the first tip portion 42 to the pipe. A process P21 of press-fitting and fixing the pipe connecting portion 41 to the through-hole 41c of the portion 41 and a process P22 of press-fitting and fixing the pipe connection portion 41 with the fixed first end portion 42 into the pipe flow path 31a of the pipe main body 31 are executed.

In process P21, the first tip portion 42 is press-fitted and fixed to the pipe connection portion 41 so that the engagement projection 44 engages with the engagement recess 41f of the pipe connection portion 41, as described above. As a result, the valve seat forming portion 45 having the first tip portion 42 , the second tip portion 43 continuing therewith, and the liquid drain hole 46 is located at the arm portion through hole 41 e with respect to the pipe buried portion 41 d of the pipe connection portion 41 . It is positioned around and fixed to the pipe connection 41 . Further, in the process P22, the pipe connecting portion 41, which has been positioned and fixed by the first tip portion 42, the second tip portion 43, and the valve seat forming portion 45, has the pipe buried portion 41d of the pipe main body 31 of the breather pipe 30. By expanding the wall and burying it in the expanded portion, the pipe main body 31 is positioned around the pipe channel axis 31b. Thus, the tip portion 40 including the first tip portion 42 is positioned and assembled to the breather pipe 30 . In this case, the pipe main body 31 of the breather pipe 30 is formed into a bellows shape around the portion where the pipe burying portion 41d is incorporated, and by engaging the pipe burying portion 41d with this bellows-shaped portion, the pipe connecting portion 41 is connected to the pipe main body 31. may be fixed to Since the pipe body 31 is already positioned by the check valve holding portion 60 around the flow path axis 21c of the filler pipe 20, each portion of the tip portion 40 is positioned around the flow path axis 21c of the filler pipe 20. and integrated with the filler pipe 20 . That is, by process P22, the fuel supply mechanism 10 in which the breather pipe 30 having the tip portion 40 at the pipe end is accommodated in the filler pipe 20 and the filler pipe 20 and the breather pipe 30 are integrated is obtained. The fuel supply mechanism 10 thus obtained is handled as a finished product, and is assembled to the fuel tank FT using the pipe connector 50 .

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the main structure of the fuel supply mechanism 10 attached to the fuel tank FT. In addition, in FIG. 5, appropriate portions are shown in an end view.

A pipe connector 50 used for assembling the fuel supply mechanism 10 to the fuel tank FT has a connection flange 51 , a welding leg 52 and a pipe holding pipe 53 . Each part such as the connection flange 51 is integrally molded using heat-sealable oil-resistant resin. The welding leg 52 is an annular body protruding from the lower surface of the connection flange 51, and is thermally welded to the fuel tank FT while in contact with the wall surface of the fuel tank FT. In addition, the welding leg 52 has a leg protrusion 54 at a part thereof, for example, on the upper side in the vertical direction shown in FIG. When the fuel supply mechanism 10 is assembled to the fuel tank FT, the leg protrusion 54 enters a bottomed hole FTh recessed in the tank outer wall of the fuel tank FT. The leg protrusion 54 positions the fuel supply mechanism 10 with respect to the fuel tank FT by entering the bottomed hole FTh. The state of this positioning will be described later in connection with the assembly of the fuel supply mechanism 10 to the fuel tank FT.

The pipe holding pipe 53 is a cylindrical body protruding from the connection flange 51 and holds the fuel supply mechanism 10 in the pipe housing tubular body portion 22 of the filler pipe 20 in a liquid-tight manner. This pipe holding tube 53 has an engagement hole 55 on its wall surface. The engagement holes 55 are formed so as to match the formation pitch of the engagement projections 23 of the filler pipe 20 on the pipe housing tubular body portion 22 . Therefore, the filler pipe 20 of the fuel supply mechanism 10 is inserted into the pipe holding tube 53 from the tip portion 40 side, and the engaging protrusion 23 of the pipe housing tube body portion 22 of the filler pipe 20 is engaged with the engaging hole 55 of the pipe holding tube 53. , the filler pipe 20 containing the breather pipe 30 is positioned around the flow path axis 21c with respect to the tube connector 50, and is also positioned along the axial direction of the flow path axis 21c. be. In this case, the tip portion 40 has already been positioned and attached to the breather pipe 30 as described above. Therefore, as the engaging protrusion 23 engages with the engaging hole 55 of the pipe holding tube 53, the distal end portion 40 is positioned around the channel axis 21c with respect to the tube connector 50. As shown in FIG. An O-ring 25 is attached to the outer periphery of the pipe housing tube body portion 22 before the filler pipe 20 is inserted into the pipe holding tube 53 . Therefore, the filler pipe 20 is positioned as described above and assembled to the tube connector 50 in a liquid-tight manner. By assembling the filler pipe 20, the fuel supply mechanism 10 is integrated with the pipe connector 50 and handled by a tank installation operator or a tank installation device.

The fuel supply mechanism 10 can be assembled to the fuel tank FT by handling the fuel supply mechanism 10 integrated with the pipe connector 50, or the pipe connector 50 and the fuel supply mechanism 10 can be handled separately. It is also possible to do Assembly when handling the fuel supply mechanism 10 integrated with the pipe connector 50 is performed as follows. First, the fuel supply mechanism 10, which has been positioned and assembled to the pipe connector 50 as described above, is inserted into the tank opening FTa from the tip portion 40 side. This insertion is performed until the leg protrusion 54 of the tube connector 50 enters the bottomed hole FTh of the fuel tank FT and the welding leg 52 of the tube connector 50 comes into contact with the wall surface of the fuel tank FT. Then, the welding leg 52 is thermally welded to the fuel tank FT while the welding leg 52 is in contact with the wall surface of the fuel tank FT. This thermal welding completes the assembly of the fuel supply mechanism 10 to the fuel tank FT. In this case, the tube connector 50 is positioned with respect to the fuel tank FT by the entry of the leg protrusion 54 into the bottomed hole FTh. Further, the fuel supply mechanism 10, which has already been positioned with respect to the pipe connector 50, is also positioned with respect to the fuel tank FT.

Assembly when the pipe connector 50 and the fuel supply mechanism 10 are individually handled is performed as follows. First, the pipe holding pipe 53 of the pipe connector 50 is inserted into the tank opening FTa. This insertion is performed until the leg protrusion 54 enters the bottomed hole FTh of the fuel tank FT and the welding leg 52 comes into contact with the wall surface of the fuel tank FT. Then, the welding leg 52 is thermally welded to the fuel tank FT while the welding leg 52 is in contact with the wall surface of the fuel tank FT. The tube connector 50 is positioned with respect to the fuel tank FT by the entry of the leg protrusion 54 into the bottomed hole FTh. Next, the fuel supply mechanism 10 is inserted from the tip portion 40 side into the pipe holding tube 53 of the tube connector 50 that has been positioned and heat-sealed, and the engaging projection 23 of the pipe housing tubular body portion 22 of the filler pipe 20 is engaged. It is engaged with the engaging hole 55 of the pipe holding tube 53 . By engaging the engaging projection 23 with the engaging hole 55, the fuel supply mechanism 10 is positioned with respect to the fuel tank FT via the pipe connector 50 already positioned with respect to the fuel tank FT.

In the fuel supply mechanism 10 thus positioned, as shown in FIG. 5, the first breather passage 42a of the first tip portion 42 of the tip portion 40 is perpendicular to the inside opening of the fuel passage 21 in the fuel tank FT. It extends downward along a direction intersecting the direction. Further, the second breather passage 43a of the second tip portion 43, which is continuous with the first tip portion 42, extends upward along the direction crossing the vertical direction in the fuel tank FT from the end of the first breather passage 42a. Extend. Further, the fuel supply mechanism 10 maintains the attitude of the tip end portion 40 including the first tip end portion 42 by positioning the parts as described above. In addition, the lowest end portion 49 is positioned at the lowest end portion 49 in the vertically downward direction in the breather passage 40a from the first breather passage 42a to the second breather passage 43a. In the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, the lowermost end portion 49 is a connection point between the first breather passage 42a and the second breather passage 43a. The second breather channel 43a may extend upward along the vertical direction from the end of the first breather channel 42a.

The fuel supply mechanism 10 adjusts the height of the opening end of the second breather passage 43a extending upward along the direction intersecting the vertical direction in the fuel tank FT to the full tank liquid level FL1 of the fuel tank FT. ing. Therefore, in the refueling process in which the fuel level FL in the fuel tank FT is lower than the full-tank level FL1, the fuel refueling mechanism 10 causes the vapor in the tank to flow from the second breather passage 43a to the breather pipe 30 through the breather passage 40a. , and led to the fuel flow path 21 from the pipe flow path 31a. Further, in the refueling process, the valve body 63a of the check valve 63 is pushed inward of the tank by the fuel passing through the fuel passage 21. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the valve body 63a rotates about the rotation shaft 63b, and fully opens the fuel passage 21 as indicated by the two-dot chain line in the figure, whereby the fuel is sent into the fuel tank FT without any trouble. . In addition, during the refueling process until the fuel level FL reaches the lowest end portion 49, the valve body 47a of the on-off valve 47 rotates around the rotation shaft 47b due to its own weight. , and opens the drainage hole 46 .

When refueling progresses and the fuel level FL reaches the drooping valve body 47a, the valve body 47a of the on-off valve 47 receives buoyancy from the fuel in the subsequent refueling process, and moves to the valve seat about the rotating shaft 47b. The forming portion 45 is rotated toward the valve seat 45a side. When the fuel level FL reaches the lowermost end portion 49, the valve body 47a of the on-off valve 47 abuts against the valve seat 45a to close the drain hole .

When the fuel supply progresses further and the fuel level FL reaches the full tank level FL1, the second tip portion 43 of the tip portion 40 is submerged in the supplied fuel, and the breather flow path 40a becomes the second breather flow path 43a. blocked in As a result, the internal pressure of the fuel tank FT increases, and the increase in internal pressure activates the automatic stop of the fuel gun to stop the fuel supply.

In the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment described above, the filler pipe 20 having the fuel passage 21 for guiding the supplied fuel to the fuel tank FT, and the breather pipe 30 for guiding the steam in the tank to the fuel passage 21 during the refueling process. is accommodated and both members are integrated. Therefore, according to the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, it is possible to enhance the convenience of handling including the operation of attaching to the fuel tank FT.

In the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, the opening area of the fuel flow path 21 is a fuel passage area except for the storage area of the breather pipe 30 projecting from the flow path opening into the fuel tank FT. This is the residual area. In the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, the notch recess 63c provided in the valve body 63a of the check valve 63 that opens and closes the passage opening causes the breather pipe 30 to protrude into the fuel tank FT from the opening. and the tip portion 40 of the breather pipe 30, more specifically, the pipe connecting arm portion 41b does not interfere with each other. Therefore, according to the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, substantially the entire remaining area excluding the storage area of the breather pipe 30 can be secured as a fuel passage area, thereby suppressing deterioration in refueling performance. Further, according to the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, the check valve 63 can suppress backflow of fuel in the fuel passage area, which is the remaining area excluding the accommodation area of the breather pipe 30 .

In the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, the valve body 63a of the check valve 63 is configured to rotate about the rotation shaft 63b supported above the channel axis 21c of the fuel channel 21. . Therefore, according to the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, the valve element 63a has a simple valve configuration that rotates about the rotation shaft 63b positioned above the flow path axis 21c of the fuel flow path 21. Backflow of fuel can be suppressed.

In the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, the breather pipe 30 is protruded into the fuel tank FT at the opening upper end of the flow path axis 21c on the upper side of the flow path axis, and the check valve 63 is formed by the notch recess 63c. The flow path shaft 21c is supported by a rotating shaft 63b above the flow path axis. Therefore, according to the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, both the supporting side of the rotating shaft 63b and the receiving side of the breather pipe 30 are located above the channel axis, so that the supporting work of the rotating shaft 63b and the breather are performed. The pipe 30 can be accommodated on the same side, which is convenient.

In the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, the tip portion 40 of the breather pipe 30 protrudes into the fuel tank FT, so that refueled fuel may remain in the breather flow path 40a of the tip portion 40 . However, when fuel consumption progresses and the fuel level FL drops below the lowermost end portion 49 of the breather passage 40a, the valve body 47a of the on-off valve 47 provided at the lowermost end portion 49 of the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment rotates about the rotating shaft 47b by its own weight to open the drain hole 46. As shown in FIG. Therefore, even if fuel remains in the breather passage 40a, the remaining fuel all drops from the liquid drain hole 46 into the tank. In this case, since the first breather passage 42a is inclined downward toward the drain hole 46, residual fuel also drops into the tank from the first breather passage 42a. Therefore, new fueling is performed in a state where there is no fuel in the breather flow path 40a of the tip portion 40, so according to the fueling mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, it is possible to ensure steam discharge during the fueling process.

In the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, when the fuel level FL reaches the lowest end portion 49 during the refueling process, the valve body 47a of the on-off valve 47, which has opened the drain hole 46 until then, moves to the lowest end portion. It is driven by the buoyancy received from the fuel reaching 49 and closes the drain hole 46 . Therefore, according to the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the fuel from entering the breather passage 40a through the drain hole 46 during the refueling process, so that steam discharge during the refueling process can be ensured more reliably.

In the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment, the tip portion 40 is prepared separately from the pipe main body 31 that guides the steam in the tank to the fuel flow path 21, and the separate tip portion 40 is attached to the pipe main body. 31 is assembled. As shown in FIG. 5, the second tip portion 43 of the tip portion 40 extends continuously from the first tip portion 42 and slanted upward along a direction crossing the vertical direction. defines the position FL1. Therefore, by changing the length of the second tip portion 43 and the degree of inclination with respect to the first tip portion 42, the full tank liquid level FL1 can be adjusted. For this reason, by preparing tip portions 40 having different channel lengths and degrees of inclination of the second breather passage 43a and using the prepared tip portions 40 properly according to the full tank liquid level FL1, fuel tanks of various tank specifications can be used. , the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment can be applied to increase versatility.

Other embodiments:
In the above-described embodiment, the drain hole 46 is provided at the lowermost end portion 49 in the vertically downward direction of the breather flow path 40 a , but the drain hole 46 may be provided at a position other than the lowermost end portion 49 . For example, in the first breather channel 42a of the first tip portion 42 shown in FIG. 5, the drain hole 46 and the opening/closing valve 47 may be provided near the approximate center of the channel. The drain hole 46 provided near the approximate center of the first breather passage 42a is not the lowermost end portion 49, but is the lower end portion of the breather passage 40a in the vertically downward direction. Even if it remains, most of this remaining fuel drops into the tank from the drain hole 46. - 特許庁Therefore, in the fuel supply mechanism 10 having the configuration in which the drain hole 46 and the on-off valve 47 are provided near the approximate center of the first breather passage 42a, a slight amount of Only the fuel can remain, and the breather flow path 40a will not be blocked by this residual fuel. As a result, even with the fuel refueling mechanism 10 in which the drain hole 46 and the on-off valve 47 are provided near the center of the first breather passage 42a, new fuel is supplied to the breather passage 40a of the tip portion 40. It can be executed in almost no state, and can ensure steam discharge in the refueling process.

In the above-described embodiment, the drain hole 46 is opened and closed by the on-off valve 47 , but a configuration having only the drain hole 46 may be employed without providing the on-off valve 47 . In the fuel supply mechanism 10 of this embodiment as well, if the refueled fuel remains in the breather passage 40a at the tip portion 40, the remaining fuel is consumed and the fuel level FL drops to the lowest portion. When it falls below 49, it is dropped into the tank from the drainage hole 46. - 特許庁Therefore, new refueling is performed with almost no fuel in the breather passage 40a of the tip portion 40, so even with the fuel refueling mechanism 10 having only the drain hole 46, steam discharge during the refueling process can be ensured. be able to.

In the fuel supply mechanism 10 having only the drain hole 46, fuel may enter the breather flow path 40a through the drain hole 46 during the refueling process. However, the amount of fuel entering the fuel tank FT from the fuel flow path 21 of the filler pipe 20 is much larger than the amount of fuel entering the breather flow path 40a from the drain hole 46. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the supplied fuel submerges the second tip portion 43 of the tip portion 40 before the fuel entering the breather passage 40a from the drain hole 46 accumulates to block the breather passage 40a. Due to this submersion, the internal pressure of the fuel tank FT increases, and the increase in internal pressure activates the automatic stop of the refueling gun to stop refueling. After this refueling stop, fuel is not supplied thereafter, so fuel does not flow from the second breather flow path 43a into the breather flow path 40a, and the breather flow path 40a is not clogged with fuel. As a result, even with the fuel supply mechanism 10 having only the drain hole 46, there is no problem in discharging steam during the refueling process.

In the fuel supply mechanism 10 of the above-described embodiment, the breather pipe 30 is projected into the fuel tank FT at the opening upper end of the fuel passage 21 above the passage axis 21c. It may be protruded into the fuel tank FT at the lower end of the opening on the lower side. In this case, the notch recess 63c may be formed on the side symmetrical to the rotation shaft 63b with respect to the channel axis 21c.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, examples, and modifications, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the technical features in the embodiments, examples, and modifications corresponding to the technical features in each form described in the outline of the invention are used to solve some or all of the above problems, or In order to achieve some or all of the above-described effects, it is possible to appropriately replace or combine them. Also, if the technical features are not described as essential in this specification, they can be deleted as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Fuel supply mechanism, 20... Filler pipe, 21... Fuel flow path, 21c... Flow path axis, 22... Pipe accommodation tubular body part, 23... Engagement projection, 25... O-ring, 30... Breather pipe, 31... Pipe Main body 31a... Pipe channel 31b... Pipe channel axis 32... Liquid seal 33... Upstream end 40... Tip part 40a... Breather channel 41... Pipe connection part 41a... Connection part main body 41b... Pipe connection arm 41c Through hole 41d Pipe burying portion 41e Arm portion through hole 41f Engagement recess 42 First tip 42a First breather channel 43 Second tip , 43a... second breather flow path, 44... engaging convex portion, 45... valve seat forming portion, 45a... valve seat, 46... drainage hole, 47... on-off valve, 47a... valve body, 47b... rotating shaft, 48... Valve support arm 49... Lowermost end portion 50... Pipe connector 51... Connection flange 52... Welding leg 53... Pipe holding tube 54... Leg protrusion 55... Engagement hole 60... Reverse stop valve holding portion 61 pipe holding tube 61b ring holding ring 62 valve body holding ring 62a outer ring ring 62b valve seat ring 62c valve body support arm 62d valve seat recessed wall portion 62e... pipe holding recess, 62f... valve seat, 63... check valve, 63a... valve body, 63b... rotating shaft, 63c... notch recess, FL... fuel level, FL1... full tank level, FT... Fuel tank, FTa... Tank opening, FTh... Bottomed hole

Claims (3)

A fuel supply mechanism (10),
a filler pipe (20) having a fuel flow path for guiding the supplied fuel to the fuel tank (FT) and attached to the fuel tank (FT);
A breather that is housed in the filler pipe (20) and protrudes into the fuel tank (FT) from the opening of the fuel flow path (21) to guide vapor in the tank to the fuel flow path (21) during refueling. a pipe (30);
a check valve (63) having a valve body (63a) for opening and closing the opening of the fuel flow path (21);
The check valve (63) is
A fuel supply mechanism (10), wherein the valve body (63a) has a recess (63c) for protruding the breather pipe (30) from the opening in the fuel tank (FT). A fuel supply mechanism (10) according to claim 1,
In the check valve (63), the valve body (63a) rotates about a rotation shaft (63b) pivotally supported above the channel axis (21c) of the fuel channel (21). A fuel supply mechanism (10) having the valve body (63a). A fuel supply mechanism (10) according to claim 2,
The breather pipe (30) protrudes into the fuel tank (FT) at an opening upper end on the upper side of the channel axis (21c) of the fuel channel (21),
A fuel supply mechanism (10), wherein the check valve (63) has the recess (63c) on the side of the rotating shaft (63b) pivotally supported on the upper side.

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