JP7439524B2 - fuel tank equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fuel tank device.

Conventionally, in a fuel tank provided in a vehicle, a fuel tank device using a fuel pump (hereinafter referred to as an in-tank pump) provided within the fuel tank is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the fuel tank device of Patent Document 1, an in-tank pump sucks up fuel in a fuel tank, and the fuel is supplied to an engine fuel injection device via a fuel supply path.

Furthermore, a fuel tank device in which an engine is provided with a high-pressure pump (hereinafter referred to as a supply pump) is conventionally known (for example, see Patent Document 2). In the fuel tank device of Patent Document 2, the supply pump sucks up fuel from the fuel tank, increases the pressure of the fuel, and supplies the fuel to the fuel injection device of the engine.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-214891 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-281252

In the fuel tank device of Patent Document 1, the in-tank pump is driven only when the in-tank pump can suck fuel, thereby preventing air from entering the fuel supply path. However, when the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank becomes low, it is not possible to completely prevent air from entering the fuel supply path. Furthermore, when a supply pump like the fuel tank device of Patent Document 2 is included in the fuel supply path on the engine side of the fuel tank device of Patent Document 1, air in the fuel supply path is sucked up by the supply pump. As a result, fuel mixed with air is likely to be supplied to the supply pump. If fuel mixed with air is supplied to the supply pump, the fuel is likely to carbonize when pressurizing the fuel.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel tank device in which fuel is less likely to be carbonized in a supply pump.

A fuel tank device according to the present invention includes a fuel tank, a reservoir cup, a first pump, a second pump, and a control section. A fuel tank is provided in a vehicle equipped with an engine. A reservoir cup is provided within the fuel tank. The first pump supplies fuel in the reservoir cup to the engine side. The second pump supplies fuel in the fuel tank into the reservoir cup. The control unit controls driving of the second pump. The control unit stops driving the second pump for a predetermined period of time when the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank becomes less than or equal to a first predetermined value. The predetermined time period is changed depending on the amount of decrease in the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank.

According to this fuel tank device, by stopping the second pump for a predetermined period of time depending on the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank, it is possible to prevent air from entering the fuel supplied from the fuel tank to the reservoir cup. As a result, it is possible to prevent air from being mixed into the fuel supplied from the reservoir cup to the first pump. This makes it possible to provide a fuel tank device in which fuel is less likely to be carbonized in the first pump.

The predetermined time may be set to be shorter as the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank decreases .

According to this configuration, the smaller the remaining amount of fuel, the shorter the stop time of the second pump can be. That is, when the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank is small, the fuel in the reservoir cup also tends to decrease, and the fuel level in the reservoir cup decreases. When the fuel level in the reservoir cup decreases, the second pump in the reservoir cup sucks air, which tends to cause air to be mixed into the fuel in the reservoir cup. Therefore, the lower the remaining amount of fuel, the shorter the stop time of the second pump can suppress the drop in the fuel level in the reservoir cup.

The control unit may prohibit stopping the second pump when the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank becomes equal to or less than a second predetermined value that is smaller than the first predetermined value.

According to this configuration, when the remaining amount of fuel becomes equal to or less than the second predetermined value, stopping of the second pump is prohibited, so that fuel can be constantly supplied into the reservoir cup. Thereby, the control unit can suppress the possibility that the first pump runs out of fuel supplied from the reservoir cup to the engine 12 side. As a result, it is possible to prevent the engine from stopping due to a shortage of fuel supplied to the engine.

The control unit may stop the second pump for a predetermined period of time, then re-drive the second pump, and when the second pump continues to be driven for a predetermined period of time after being re-driven, stop the second pump again.

According to this configuration, since the second pump is continuously driven for a predetermined period of time, fuel is reliably supplied into the reservoir cup. As a result, a drop in the liquid level in the reservoir cup can be suppressed.

The control unit may stop the second pump when the vehicle is idling.

According to this configuration, the second pump can be stopped while the engine is being operated stably during idling. This stabilizes the amount of fuel that the first pump draws from the reservoir cup. Therefore, the rate at which the fuel level in the reservoir cup decreases is also stabilized.

The control unit may stop the second pump when the outside temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature.

According to this configuration, the second pump can be stopped in a state where the viscosity of the fuel is stable.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fuel tank device in which fuel is less likely to be carbonized in a supply pump.

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a fuel tank device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the in-tank pump according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a flowchart showing processing performed by a control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel tank device 1 includes a fuel tank 2, a reservoir cup 4, a supply pump (an example of a first pump) 6, an in-tank pump (an example of a second pump) 8, and a control unit. 10.

The fuel tank 2 is provided in a vehicle equipped with an engine 12. The fuel tank 2 is connected to the engine 12 via a fuel supply path 14 . The fuel tank 2 stores fuel to be supplied to the engine 12. In this embodiment, the fuel tank 2 has a main fuel tank chamber 2a and a sub fuel tank chamber 2b, and a saddle integrally formed by connecting the upper parts of the main fuel tank chamber 2a and the sub fuel tank chamber 2b. It is a type fuel tank 2. In such a saddle-shaped fuel tank 2, for example, when the vehicle is a four-wheel drive vehicle or a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the propeller shaft that transmits driving force to the rear wheels is located between the main fuel tank chamber 2a and the auxiliary fuel tank chamber 2b. The fuel tank 2 is provided between the propeller shaft and the fuel tank 2 to prevent interference between the propeller shaft and the fuel tank 2.

Reservoir cup 4 is provided within fuel tank 2 . In this embodiment, the reservoir cup 4 is provided in the main fuel tank chamber 2a. The reservoir cup 4 temporarily stores the fuel supplied from the main fuel tank chamber 2a and the auxiliary fuel tank chamber 2b. By providing such a reservoir cup 4, fuel can be stably supplied to the fuel supply path 14 even when the vehicle is turning or traveling on a slope.

Supply pump 6 is attached to engine 12 . The supply pump 6 is driven by a cam of the engine 12, increases the pressure of fuel, and supplies the fuel to the fuel injection device 16 of the engine 12. In this embodiment, the engine 12 is a diesel engine, and includes a common rail 16a that stores pressurized fuel and a fuel injection valve 16b. Furthermore, the supply pump 6 sucks up the fuel in the reservoir cup 4 through the fuel supply path 14 and the fuel filter 14a provided on the fuel supply path 14, and supplies it to the engine 12 side. Further, the supply pump 6 is connected to a return pipe 18, and returns surplus fuel when pressurizing the fuel to the reservoir cup 4 and the main fuel tank chamber 2a. The return pipe 18 is provided with a thermovalve 18a, which returns the fuel to the reservoir cup 4 when the temperature of the fuel is low. On the other hand, if the temperature of the fuel is high, the fuel is returned to the main fuel tank chamber 2a.

In-tank pump 8 supplies fuel in fuel tank 2 into reservoir cup 4 . In-tank pump 8 sucks up fuel in reservoir cup 4 via in-tank pump filter 8a and supplies it to regulator 8b. In the regulator 8b, part of the fuel is sucked up from the supply pump 6, and the rest flows to the filling jet 8c and the suction jet 8d. In-tank pump 8 is electrically connected to control section 10 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the filling jet 8c has a throttle 8f and a discharge port 8g. The fuel flowing into the regulator 8b is throttled by the throttle 8f, and the pressure downstream of the throttle 8f is reduced. A passage 8e connected to the main fuel tank chamber 2a is connected downstream of the throttle 8f. The fuel in the main fuel tank chamber 2a is sucked into the fuel whose pressure has decreased downstream of the throttle 8f, and is supplied to the reservoir cup 4 via the discharge port 8g.

Moreover, the suction jet 8d has a throttle 8h and a discharge port 8i. The fuel flowing into the regulator 8b is throttled by the throttle 8h, and the pressure downstream of the throttle 8h is reduced. A transfer passage (hereinafter referred to as a suction passage) 20 (see FIG. 1) connected to the auxiliary fuel tank chamber 2b is connected downstream of the throttle 8h. The fuel in the auxiliary fuel tank chamber 2b is sucked into the fuel whose pressure has decreased downstream of the throttle 8h, and is supplied to the reservoir cup 4 via the discharge port 8i.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 10 is a functional configuration realized by software stored in an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 22. ECU 22 is electrically connected to various devices such as supply pump 6, in-tank pump 8, and fuel injection valve 16b. The ECU 22 is actually constituted by a microcomputer including an arithmetic unit, a memory, an input/output buffer, and the like. The ECU 22 controls each device so that the fuel tank device 1 is in a desired operating state based on signals from each sensor and various devices, as well as maps and programs stored in memory.

Next, the control procedure executed by the control unit 10 will be described using the flowchart in FIG. 3. The control unit 10 starts the control procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 when an ignition switch (not shown) is turned on.

The control unit 10 determines whether the vehicle is idling or not (S1). Here, idling means that the vehicle is stopped and the engine 12 is in an idling state. In such a state, the engine 12 is not subjected to any load due to the running of the vehicle, so that the engine 12 is operated stably. That is, the amount of fuel that the supply pump 6 supplies from the reservoir cup 4 to the engine 12 side is stabilized. Furthermore, since the vehicle is stopped, the level of fuel in the fuel tank 2 is stabilized. That is, the amount of fuel that in-tank pump 8 supplies from fuel tank 2 to reservoir cup 4 is stabilized. If the control unit 10 determines that the vehicle is idling (S1 Yes), the control unit 10 advances the process to S2. On the other hand, if the control unit 10 determines that the vehicle is not idling (NO in S1), it returns the process to before S1 and puts the fuel tank device 1 into a desired operating state (hereinafter referred to as normal operating state) in accordance with the load of the engine 12. control each device so that

The control unit 10 determines whether a condition for prohibiting stop control to stop the in-tank pump 8 is not satisfied (S2). Here, the condition for prohibiting the stop control is, for example, when the voltage of the battery mounted on the vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage. In such a case, the driving force of the in-tank pump 8 decreases. When the driving force of the in-tank pump 8 decreases, the negative pressure of the suction jet 8d decreases, and the amount of fuel transferred through the suction passage 20 decreases. As a result, the amount of fuel supplied from the auxiliary fuel tank chamber 2b to the reservoir cup 4 is reduced. Moreover, the negative pressure of the filling jet 8c also decreases, and the amount of fuel supplied from the main fuel tank chamber 2a to the reservoir cup 4 decreases. In addition, stop control is also prohibited when it is not possible to accurately determine whether the vehicle is idling or not due to a malfunction in the vehicle's vehicle speed sensor, wheel rotation speed sensor, or accelerator position sensor. Further, even if the engine 12 is in idle operation, if the rotation speed of the engine 12 is higher than the predetermined rotation speed, stop control is prohibited. In such a case, more fuel is supplied from the reservoir cup 4 to the engine side by the supply pump 6, and the fuel level in the reservoir cup 4 tends to drop.

Further, the conditions for prohibiting the stop control include a case where the outside temperature W is less than the predetermined temperature W1. That is, when the outside temperature W is less than the predetermined temperature W1, the viscosity of the fuel increases, and the resistance when the fuel passes through the filling jet 8c, the suction jet 8d, and the suction passage 20 increases. As a result, the pumping capacity of the in-tank pump 8 is reduced. In such a state, it is preferable not to stop the in-tank pump 8. That is, the control unit 10 stops the in-tank pump 8 if the outside temperature W is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature W1. Further, the control unit 10 may prohibit the stop control when the fuel temperature is low even when the outside temperature W is high. The temperature of the fuel may be obtained by providing a temperature sensor in the fuel tank 2 or the fuel supply path 14.

When the control unit 10 determines that the condition for prohibiting the stop control to stop the in-tank pump 8 is not satisfied (S2 Yes), the control unit 10 advances the process to S3, detects the remaining fuel amount FL in the fuel tank 2, and The process advances to S4. The remaining fuel amount FL can be detected by, for example, a fuel level sensor (not shown). On the other hand, if the control unit 10 determines that the conditions for prohibiting the stop control for stopping the in-tank pump 8 are satisfied (S2 No), the control unit 10 returns the process to before S1. That is, the control unit 10 does not perform the stop control of the in-tank pump 8 while the condition that prohibits the stop control is satisfied.

In S4, the control unit 10 determines whether the remaining fuel amount FL is less than or equal to the first predetermined value FL1 and greater than or equal to the second predetermined value FL2. That is, the control unit 10 determines whether the remaining fuel amount FL is within the predetermined range FLw. The first predetermined value FL1 is the remaining fuel amount FL at which it is expected that there is sufficient fuel in the reservoir cup 4. In this embodiment, the fuel level FL in the main fuel tank chamber 2a is set to be higher than the upper end of the in-tank pump 8. On the other hand, even if there is sufficient fuel in the main fuel tank chamber 2a, there may be cases where there is not enough fuel in the auxiliary fuel tank chamber 2b. When the remaining fuel amount FL is the first predetermined value FL1, there is a possibility that the fuel in the auxiliary fuel tank chamber 2b becomes less than that in the main fuel tank chamber 2a. In such a case, there is a risk that air may be mixed into the fuel supplied from the auxiliary fuel tank chamber 2b to the reservoir cup 4 via the suction jet 8d. That is, the first predetermined value FL1 is a value that changes depending on the shape of the fuel tank 2. In the present embodiment, the first predetermined value FL1 is, for example, a value equal to or more than half of the fuel that can be stored in the fuel tank 2.

Further, the second predetermined value FL2 is a value smaller than the first predetermined value FL1, and when the in-tank pump 8 is stopped, there is a risk that the supply pump 6 will run out of fuel to be supplied from the reservoir cup 4 to the engine 12 side. This is the resulting remaining fuel amount FL. In this embodiment, the second predetermined value FL2 is set to the remaining fuel amount FL at which the liquid level in the reservoir cup 4 is predicted to be lower than the discharge port 8g of the filling jet 8c or the discharge port 8i of the suction jet 8d. Ru. This is because when the in-tank pump 8 is stopped, fuel is sucked up by the supply pump 6 from the discharge ports 8g and 8i, but the liquid level in the reservoir cup 4 is lower than the discharge ports 8g and 8i. This is because if it is low, the supply pump 6 will suck up air along with the fuel. In the present embodiment, the second predetermined value FL2 is, for example, a value that is one-fifth or less of the fuel that can be stored in the fuel tank 2. When the control unit 10 determines that the remaining fuel amount FL is less than or equal to the first predetermined value FL1 and within a predetermined range FLw that is greater than or equal to the second predetermined value FL2 (S4 Yes), the process proceeds to S5.

In S5, the control unit 10 determines whether the remaining fuel amount FL is greater than or equal to the third predetermined value FL3. Here, the third predetermined value FL3 is the remaining fuel amount FL at which there is a risk that the fuel level in the reservoir cup 4 will drop too much when the in-tank pump 8 is stopped. If the fuel level in the reservoir cup 4 drops too much, there is a risk that the supply pump 6 will run out of fuel to supply from the reservoir cup 4 to the engine 12 side, and there is a risk that air will be mixed into the fuel sucked by the supply pump 6. . That is, the third predetermined value FL3 is a value that changes depending on the pumping capacity of the supply pump 6 and the capacity of the reservoir cup 4. Further, the third predetermined value FL3 is a value larger than the second predetermined value FL2 and smaller than the first predetermined value FL1. In the present embodiment, the third predetermined value FL3 is, for example, a value that is one-fourth or less of the fuel that can be stored in the fuel tank 2. When the control unit 10 determines that the remaining fuel amount FL is equal to or greater than the third predetermined value FL3 (S5 Yes), the control unit 10 advances the process to S6.

In S6, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the drive time (predetermined period) Td of the in-tank pump 8 has elapsed for a second predetermined time T2. Here, the second predetermined time T2 is a time period during which sufficient fuel is supplied to the reservoir cup 4 from the main fuel tank chamber 2a and the auxiliary fuel tank chamber 2b by driving the in-tank pump 8. That is, the second predetermined time T2 is a time that changes depending on the pumping capacities of the in-tank pump 8 and the supply pump 6, and the capacity of the reservoir cup 4. When the control unit 10 determines that the driving time Td of the in-tank pump 8 has not elapsed for the second predetermined time T2 (S6 No), the control unit 10 returns the process to before S1. That is, the control unit 10 drives the in-tank pump 8 until the drive time Td of the in-tank pump 8 elapses by the second predetermined time T2. When the control unit 10 determines that the drive time Td of the in-tank pump 8 has passed the second predetermined time T2 (S6 Yes), the control unit 10 advances the process to S7 and stops the in-tank pump 8. That is, the control unit 10 does not stop the in-tank pump 8 when the in-tank pump 8 is not continuously driven for the second predetermined time T2 or more.

The control unit 10 stops the in-tank pump 8 in S7, and advances the process to S8. In S8, the control unit 10 determines whether the stop time (predetermined time) Ts of the in-tank pump 8 has passed the first predetermined time T1. The first predetermined time T1 is a time period during which the fuel level in the reservoir cup 4 does not drop too much when the in-tank pump 8 is stopped while there is sufficient fuel in the reservoir cup 4. When the control unit 10 determines that the stop time Ts of the in-tank pump 8 has passed the first predetermined time T1 (S8 Yes), the control unit 10 advances the process to S9, drives the in-tank pump 8 (S9), and returns the process to S1. Return to before.

When the control unit 10 determines that the remaining fuel amount FL is not within the predetermined range FLw (S4 No), the process proceeds to S10. In S10, the control unit 10 determines whether the remaining fuel amount FL is less than the second predetermined value FL2. When the control unit 10 determines that the remaining fuel amount FL is less than the second predetermined value FL2 (S10 Yes), the control unit 10 advances the process to S11, prohibits the in-tank pump 8 from stopping (S11), and returns the process to S1. Go back. By prohibiting the stoppage of the in-tank pump 8 in this way, the control unit 10 prevents the fuel in the reservoir cup 4 from running out, and prevents the supply pump 6 from supplying fuel to the engine 12 side, causing the engine 12 to stop running. prevent it from stopping. On the other hand, if the control unit 10 determines that the remaining fuel amount FL is not less than the second predetermined value FL2 (S10 No), that is, if the remaining fuel amount FL is greater than the first predetermined value FL1, the control unit 10 executes the process in S1. Go back. That is, while controlling the in-tank pump 8 in the normal operating state, the control unit 10 again determines whether or not to stop the in-tank pump 8.

In S5, when the control unit 10 determines that the remaining fuel amount FL is less than the third predetermined value FL3 (S5 No), the control unit 10 advances the process to S12. In S12, similarly to S6, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the drive time (predetermined period) Td of the in-tank pump 8 has elapsed for the second predetermined time T2. If the control unit 10 determines that the in-tank pump 8 has not been driven for the second predetermined time T2 (S12 No), it returns the process to before S1. When the control unit 10 determines that the in-tank pump 8 has been driven for the second predetermined time T2 (S12 Yes), the process proceeds to S13. In S13, the control unit 10 stops the in-tank pump 8, and advances the process to S14. In S14, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the stop time Ts of the in-tank pump 8 has passed the third predetermined time T3. When the control unit 10 determines that the stop time Ts of the in-tank pump 8 has passed the third predetermined time T3 (S14 Yes), the process proceeds to S15. In S15, the control unit 10 drives the in-tank pump 8. After driving the in-tank pump 8 in S15, the control unit 10 returns the process to before S1.

Here, the third predetermined time T3 is shorter than the first predetermined time T1. That is, the control unit 10 shortens the stop time Ts of the in-tank pump 8 as the remaining fuel amount FL decreases. Thereby, the control unit 10 suppresses a decrease in the fuel level in the reservoir cup 4. That is, when the remaining fuel amount FL is less than the third predetermined value FL3, when the in-tank pump 8 stops, the supply pump 6 supplies the fuel in the reservoir cup 4 to the engine 12 side, thereby reducing the fuel in the reservoir cup 4. The liquid level may drop excessively. More specifically, when the height of the fuel liquid level in the fuel tank 2 (in this embodiment, the auxiliary fuel tank chamber 2b) becomes lower than the height of the fuel liquid level in the reservoir cup 4, the fuel level in the reservoir cup 4 In addition to being carried away by the supply pump 6, the fuel flows out into the fuel tank 2 through the suction passage 20 by the siphon principle. At this time, when the remaining fuel amount FL is small (for example, the remaining fuel amount FL is less than the third predetermined value FL3), compared to when the remaining fuel amount FL is large (for example, the remaining fuel amount FL is more than the third predetermined value FL3). The fuel in the reservoir cup 4 then flows out into the fuel tank 2 through the suction passage 20 until the fuel level in the reservoir cup 4 reaches a lower level. As a result, the time it takes for the liquid level in the reservoir cup 4 to drop excessively when the fuel level is less than the third predetermined value FL3 is the same as the time it takes for the liquid level in the reservoir cup 4 to drop excessively when the remaining fuel amount FL is at or above the third predetermined value FL3. It's relatively short. By setting the stop time Ts of the in-tank pump 8 to the third predetermined time T3, which is shorter than the first predetermined time T1, the control unit 10 prevents the fuel in the reservoir cup 4 from being reduced too much by the supply pump 6. This suppresses an excessive drop in the liquid level in the reservoir cup 4.

If the control unit 10 determines in S8 that the stop time Ts of the in-tank pump 8 has not passed the first predetermined time T1 (S8 No), the condition for prohibiting the stop control to stop the in-tank pump 8 is satisfied. It is determined whether or not it is not (S16). If the control unit 10 determines that the condition for prohibiting the stop control is not satisfied (S16 Yes), the process proceeds to S17, and determines whether the remaining fuel amount FL is equal to or higher than the third predetermined value FL3 (S17). . When the control unit 10 determines that the remaining fuel amount FL is not equal to or greater than the third predetermined value FL3 (S17 No), the process proceeds to S18. In S18, it is determined whether the stop time Ts of the in-tank pump 8 has elapsed for a third predetermined time T3. When the control unit 10 determines that the third predetermined time T3 has not elapsed (S18 No), the process proceeds to S14. Further, when the control unit 10 determines that the third predetermined time T3 has elapsed (S18 Yes), the control unit 10 advances the process to S15 and drives the in-tank pump 8.

That is, if the remaining fuel amount FL decreases to less than the third predetermined value FL3 while the in-tank pump 8 is stopped for the first predetermined time T1, the control unit 10 sets the stop time Ts of the in-tank pump 8 to the third predetermined time Ts. Switching to predetermined time T3. Further, if the stop time Ts of the in-tank pump 8 when the remaining fuel amount FL decreases to less than the third predetermined value FL3 has elapsed for a third predetermined time T3, the control unit 10 drives the in-tank pump 8. do.

On the other hand, if the control unit 10 determines that the conditions for prohibiting the stop control to stop the in-tank pump 8 are satisfied (S16 No), the control unit 10 returns the process to before S1. Further, when the control unit 10 determines that the remaining fuel amount FL is equal to or greater than the third predetermined value FL3 (S17 Yes), the control unit 10 returns the process to before S8 and continues stopping the in-tank pump 8.

Further, when the control unit 10 determines that the stop time Ts of the in-tank pump 8 has not elapsed after the third predetermined time T3 (S14 No), the process proceeds to S19. In S19, it is determined whether a condition for prohibiting stop control for stopping the in-tank pump 8 is not satisfied. If the control unit 10 determines that the condition for prohibiting the stop control is not satisfied (S19 Yes), the control unit 10 returns the process to before S14 and stops the in-tank pump 8 until the third predetermined time T3 has elapsed. . When the control unit 10 determines that the conditions for prohibiting the stop control to stop the in-tank pump 8 are satisfied (S19 No), the control unit 10 returns the process to before S1.

As explained above, according to the fuel tank device 1 of the present invention, the in-tank pump 8 can be stopped for the first predetermined time T1 or the third predetermined time T3 depending on the remaining fuel amount FL in the fuel tank 2. This can prevent air from entering the fuel supplied from the fuel tank 2 to the reservoir cup 4. As a result, the fuel supplied from the reservoir cup 4 to the supply pump 6 can be prevented from being mixed with air. Thereby, it is possible to provide the fuel tank device 1 in which the fuel is less likely to be carbonized in the supply pump 6.

<Other embodiments>
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In particular, the plurality of modifications described in this specification can be arbitrarily combined as necessary.

(a) In the above embodiment, the engine 12 is explained using a diesel engine as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. The engine 12 may be a direct injection gasoline engine having the supply pump 6.

(b) In the above embodiment, the fuel tank 2 having the main fuel tank chamber 2a and the auxiliary fuel tank chamber 2b has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The fuel tank 2 may be a fuel tank 2 having only a main fuel tank chamber 2a. In this case, the suction jet 8d and the suction passage 20 are unnecessary.

(c) In the above embodiment, the fuel tank 2 was explained as an example of a saddle-shaped fuel tank 2 that was integrally formed by connecting the upper parts of the main fuel tank chamber 2a and the auxiliary fuel tank chamber 2b. but not limited to. The main fuel tank chamber 2a and the auxiliary fuel tank chamber 2b may be provided separately.

(d) In the above embodiment, the stop time Ts of the in-tank pump 8 is the first predetermined time T1 when the remaining fuel amount FL is equal to or greater than the third predetermined value FL3, and the stop time Ts of the in-tank pump 8 is the first predetermined time T1 when the remaining fuel amount FL is equal to or greater than the third predetermined value FL3. Although the description has been made using an example in which the third predetermined time T3 is shorter than the predetermined time T1, the present invention is not limited to this. The stop time Ts of the in-tank pump 8 may be set according to the remaining fuel amount FL in the fuel tank. Note that the stop time Ts of the in-tank pump 8 may be set to be longer as the remaining fuel amount FL in the fuel tank is smaller. That is, the smaller the remaining fuel amount FL in the fuel tank, the more air will be sucked in by the in-tank pump 8. Therefore, the in-tank pump 8 is stopped for a long time to prevent air from getting mixed into the fuel in the reservoir cup 4. You may.

1: Fuel tank device, 2: Fuel tank, 4: Reservoir cup, 6: Supply pump, 8: In-tank pump, 10: Control unit, 12: Engine FL: Remaining amount of fuel, FL1: First predetermined value, FL2: First 2 predetermined value FL3: third predetermined value, T1: first predetermined time, T2: second predetermined time T3: third predetermined time, Td: drive time Ts: stop time, W: outside temperature, W1: predetermined temperature

Claims (6)

A fuel tank installed in a vehicle equipped with an engine,
a reservoir cup provided within the fuel tank;
a first pump that supplies fuel in the reservoir cup to the engine side;
a second pump that supplies fuel in the fuel tank into the reservoir cup;
a control unit that controls driving of the second pump;
Equipped with
The control unit stops driving the second pump for a predetermined time when the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank becomes equal to or less than a first predetermined value;
The predetermined time is changed depending on the amount of decrease in the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank.
Fuel tank equipment. The predetermined time is set to be shorter as the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank decreases .
The fuel tank device according to claim 1. The control unit prohibits stopping the second pump when the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank becomes a second predetermined value or less, which is smaller than the first predetermined value.
The fuel tank device according to claim 1 or 2. The control unit causes the second pump to be restarted after being stopped for the predetermined period of time, and when the second pump continues to be driven for the predetermined period after being re-driven, causes the second pump to be stopped again.
The fuel tank device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The control unit stops the second pump when the vehicle is idling.
The fuel tank device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The control unit stops the second pump when the outside temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature.
A fuel tank device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.