JP7478791B2 - Fuel supply system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fuel supply device.

Traditionally, efforts have been made to mitigate or reduce the impact of climate change, and research and development into reducing carbon dioxide emissions has been carried out to achieve this.
For example, in Patent Document 1, an injector is provided, a fuel joint (fuel chamber portion) that supplies fuel to a fuel supply port of the injector and holds the injector, and a heater device that is attached to the fuel joint and has a rod-shaped heater portion for heating the fuel in the fuel joint. The injector and the heater portion are arranged so that their axes are parallel and coaxial with each other.

Patent No. 4834728

However, if the above-mentioned conventional technology is applied directly to small devices such as motorcycles in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the short distance from the throttle body to the engine makes it difficult to ensure clearance between the heating section, which includes the heater device, and the throttle body.

The present invention aims to make it easier to ensure clearance between a heating section that heats fuel and a throttle body in a fuel supply device in which the heating section is connected to an injector. This will ultimately contribute to mitigating or reducing the impact of climate change.

As a means for solving the above problem, a first aspect of the present invention includes an internal combustion engine (10) mounted on a device (1), an intake passage forming section (36) connected to the internal combustion engine (10) and forming an intake passage (TA) therein, a throttle body (33) connected to the upstream side of the intake passage forming section (36) and adjusting the amount of intake air to the internal combustion engine (10), an injector (40) connected to the intake passage forming section (36) and having a first longitudinal direction and for injecting fuel into the intake passage (TA), and a second longitudinal direction connected to the injector (40) on the opposite side to the intake passage forming section (36) in the first longitudinal direction, and a heating section (65) that stores the fuel to be supplied and heats it, wherein the injector (40) is arranged so that a first central axis (C1) along the first longitudinal direction is inclined relative to a bore central axis (33c) along the center of the bore in the throttle body (33) so as to move away from the bore central axis (33c) toward the upstream side of the intake passage (TA), and the heating section (65) is arranged so that a second central axis (C2) along the second longitudinal direction is inclined relative to the first central axis (C1) of the injector (40) so as to move further away from the bore central axis (33c) toward the upstream side of the intake passage (TA).
According to this configuration, the first central axis of the injector along the first longitudinal direction is inclined relative to the bore central axis of the throttle body so as to move away from the bore central axis toward the upstream side of the intake passage, and the second central axis of the heating section along the second longitudinal direction is inclined relative to the first central axis of the injector so as to move further away from the bore central axis toward the upstream side of the intake passage, so that the heating section connected to the upstream side of the injector can be disposed as far away as possible in the radial direction from the throttle body. Therefore, even in a configuration in which the heating section is disposed in the longitudinal direction of the injector, it is easy to ensure a clearance between the heating section and the throttle body, and the degree of freedom in the arrangement of parts attached to the periphery of the throttle body can be increased.

In a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the heating section (65) comprises a fuel chamber section (50) that stores fuel to be supplied to the injector (40), and a heater device (60) that heats the fuel stored in the fuel chamber section (50), and the heater device (60) comprises a main body section (61) connected to the side of the fuel chamber section (50) opposite the injector (40) in the second longitudinal direction, and a heater section (62) extending from the main body section (61) into the fuel chamber section (50) and arranged along the second longitudinal direction.
According to this configuration, the heater extends along the longitudinal direction of the fuel chamber, so that the fuel in the fuel chamber can be heated efficiently. The fuel chamber and heater device connected to the upstream side of the injector can be disposed as far away as possible from the throttle body in the radial direction. Therefore, even in a configuration in which the fuel chamber and heater device are disposed in the longitudinal direction of the injector, it is easy to ensure clearance between the fuel chamber and heater device and the throttle body, and the degree of freedom in the arrangement of components attached to the periphery of the throttle body can be increased.

A third aspect of the present invention is related to the second aspect, wherein the throttle body (33) is provided with a butterfly valve (33d) which opens and closes the intake passage (TA), and the heater device (60) is arranged to overlap the throttle body (33) when viewed from an orthogonal direction (33v) which is orthogonal to both the rotation center axis (33d1) of the butterfly valve (33d) and the bore center axis (33c).
With this configuration, dead space is likely to occur around the butterfly valve, but by arranging the heater device and throttle body so that they overlap when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the central axis of rotation of the butterfly valve and the central axis of the bore, the dead space can be effectively utilized to position the fuel chamber and heater device.

In a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, the heater device (60) is arranged so as to overlap the throttle body (33) in a top view of the equipment (1).
According to this configuration, the heater device and the throttle body are arranged so as to overlap when viewed from above the equipment, so that, as described above, the fuel chamber and the heater device can be arranged by effectively utilizing the dead space around the butterfly valve.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is any one of the second to fourth aspects, wherein the equipment (1) is a mobile body whose traveling direction is forward, the fuel chamber portion (50) is disposed rearward of the internal combustion engine (10) and disposed so as to overlap with the internal combustion engine (10) when viewed in the front-to-rear direction, and the fuel chamber portion (50) is disposed so that the second central axis (C2) is at an angle closer to a right angle to the front-to-rear direction than the first central axis (C1) of the injector (40).
With this configuration, the second central axis of the fuel chamber is disposed at an angle closer to a right angle to the front-rear direction (vehicle travel direction) than the first central axis of the injector, making it easier to ensure a sufficient frontal projection area of the fuel chamber. This makes it easier for the heated wind that flows around the internal combustion engine to hit the fuel chamber, making it easier to use the heat of the internal combustion engine to heat the fuel in the fuel chamber.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is any one of the second to fifth aspects, wherein the fuel chamber portion (50) is provided with a rib (55) protruding outward from an outer wall (52) surrounding the internal space (T3).
According to this configuration, by integrally forming the ribs on the outer wall of the fuel chamber portion, the outer surface area (heat-receiving area) of the fuel chamber portion is increased, making it easier to receive heat from the internal combustion engine, and making it easier to heat the fuel in the fuel chamber portion.

According to the present invention, in a fuel supply device in which a heating section that heats fuel is connected to an injector, it is possible to easily ensure clearance between the heating section and the throttle body.

FIG. 1 is a right side view of a motorcycle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a top view of the vicinity of an intake passage part of the motorcycle. FIG. 4 is a top view in which some parts are omitted from FIG. 3 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an injector, a fuel chamber, and a heater device attached to the intake passage part. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the central axes of the injector and the fuel chamber portion. FIG.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the directions of front, rear, left and right, etc., are the same as those in the vehicle described below, unless otherwise specified. In addition, in the appropriate places in the drawings used in the following description, an arrow FR indicating the front of the vehicle, an arrow LH indicating the left side of the vehicle, an arrow UP indicating the top of the vehicle, and a line CL indicating the center of the left and right sides of the vehicle body are shown.

<Entire vehicle>
As shown in Fig. 1, this embodiment is applied to a motorcycle 1, which is a saddle-ride type vehicle. A front wheel 2 of the motorcycle 1 is supported at the lower ends of a pair of left and right front forks 3. The upper parts of the left and right front forks 3 are supported by a head pipe 21 at the front end of a body frame 20 via a steering stem 4. A bar handle 6 for steering is attached to the upper part of the steering stem 4.

The rear wheel 7 of the motorcycle 1 is supported by the rear end of the swing arm 8. The front end of the swing arm 8 is supported by a pivot frame 23 in the middle of the vehicle body frame 20. Note that "middle" as used in this embodiment includes not only the center between both ends of an object, but also the inner range between both ends of an object. The rear wheel 7 is connected to the power unit PU of the motorcycle 1 via a chain-type transmission mechanism located, for example, on the left rear part of the vehicle body.

The power unit PU is an integrated unit that includes an engine (internal combustion engine) 10, which is the prime mover of the motorcycle 1, and a clutch and transmission (neither shown) that connect and disconnect and change the speed of the output of the engine 10, and is fixedly supported on a body frame 20.
The engine 10 has a cylinder 12 standing upright above the front part of a crankcase 11. An intake passage part 32 is connected to the rear part of the cylinder 12. An exhaust pipe 14 is connected to the front part of the cylinder 12. The exhaust pipe 14 passes from the front to the bottom of the engine 10, for example, to the right rear, and is connected to an exhaust muffler 14a located on the right rear part of the vehicle body.

A fuel tank 15 that stores fuel to be supplied to the engine 10 is disposed above the engine 10. A seat 16 on which the driver and rear passenger sit is disposed behind the fuel tank 15. A pair of left and right main steps 17 on which the driver places his/her feet, and a pair of left and right pillion steps 18 on which the rear passenger places his/her feet are disposed on both sides of the lower body.

<Vehicle frame>
Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle body frame 20 is formed by integrally joining a plurality of types of steel materials together by welding or the like.
The body frame 20 comprises a single head pipe 21 whose axis is located in the left-right center of the vehicle body, a single main frame 22 which extends from the upper part of the head pipe 21 rearward and downward along the left-right center of the vehicle body, a single pivot frame 23 which extends rearward and downward from the lower rear end of the main frame 22 along the left-right center of the vehicle body at a relatively steep incline, and a single down frame 27 which extends rearward and downward from the lower part of the head pipe 21 along the left-right center of the vehicle body at a steeper incline than the main frame 22.

The body frame 20 also includes a pair of left and right seat rails 25 whose front ends are joined to the rear of the main frame 22 and extend rearward from the front ends in a generally horizontal manner, and a pair of left and right support frames 26 whose front ends are joined to the upper and lower middle parts of the pivot frame 23 and extend upward and rearward from the front ends. The rear ends of the left and right support frames 26 are joined from below to the fore-and-aft middle parts of the left and right seat rails 25, respectively.

The main frame 22, the pivot frame 23, the down frame 27 and the left and right seat rails 25 are each constructed by combining press frame bodies formed by pressing steel plates.
3, the main frame 22 is formed by integrally joining a pair of left and right main press frame bodies 22L, 22R. The left and right main press frame bodies 22L, 22R are each an integral steel plate press-formed part, and each has a bulging shape that bulges outward in the vehicle width direction (outward in the left-right direction). A joining flange 22b bends and extends from each of both ends of the bulging shape. These joining flanges 22b are abutted against each other in the vehicle width direction and integrally joined by spot welding or the like to form an integral main frame 22 having a closed cross-sectional structure in which the left and right bulging shapes face each other.
The pivot frame 23, the down frame 27 and the left and right seat rails 25 also have substantially the same closed cross-sectional structure, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The support frame 26 is made of, for example, a square steel pipe.
The vehicle body frame 20 is not limited to being formed by combining press frame bodies, but may be formed by combining steel pipes. The down frame 27 is not limited to being a single frame, but may be a pair of frames, one on the left and one on the right.

<Engine>
1 and 2, engine 10 is an air-cooled single-cylinder engine with a central axis of rotation (crank axis) of a crankshaft (not shown) aligned in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction). Engine 10 has a cylinder 12 standing upright at the front upper end of a crankcase 11 in a forward tilted position. Engine 10 can be operated using ethanol or a mixed fuel of gasoline and ethanol (hereinafter collectively referred to as ethanol fuel) in addition to gasoline. In other words, motorcycle 1 is a flexible fuel motorcycle (FFM) capable of running on multiple types of fuel.

The cylinder 12 has, in order from the crankcase 11 side, a cylinder body 12a, a cylinder head 12b, and a head cover 12c. A piston (not shown) is fitted inside the cylinder body 12a, and the reciprocating motion of this piston is converted into the rotational motion of a crankshaft inside the crankcase 11. The rotational power of the crankshaft is output to the rear left side of the crankcase 11 via a clutch and transmission (neither shown) inside the rear of the crankcase 11. The output rotational power is transmitted to the rear wheel 7 via a chain-type transmission mechanism.

The downstream end of an intake passage part 32 including a throttle body 33 is connected to the rear (intake side) of the cylinder head 12b. In the figure, reference numeral 34 denotes an air cleaner box to which the upstream end of the intake passage part 32 is connected, reference numeral 35 denotes a connecting tube that connects the throttle body 33 and the air cleaner box 34, and reference numeral 36 denotes an intake pipe member that connects the throttle body 33 and the cylinder head 12b. The connecting tube 35 and the intake pipe member 36 are included in the intake passage part 32.

The air cleaner box 34 is disposed within an area R1 (see FIG. 1) that is triangular in side view and is surrounded by the pivot frame 23, the seat rail 25, and the support frame 26. The outer side of the area R1 in the vehicle width direction is covered by a side cover 19 that serves as a vehicle body cover.

<Fuel supply device>
Here, the motorcycle 1 includes a fuel tank 15, a fuel pump (not shown), a fuel hose (not shown), an injector (fuel injection valve) 40, and the like, which constitute a fuel supply system.
1, 2 and 6, fuel in the fuel tank 15 is sucked into, for example, a fuel pump disposed in the fuel tank 15 and discharged downstream. The fuel discharged from the fuel pump is supplied into a chamber T3 of a fuel chamber 50 connected to the injector 40. A heater unit 62 faces the chamber T3 and is capable of heating the fuel stored in the chamber T3.

The injector 40 is controlled by an ECU (Electric Control Unit) and injects fuel into the intake passage part 32 in response to the output of a throttle sensor or the like.
3 and 4, the intake passage part 32 including the throttle body 33 is disposed so as to be biased to one left or right side (the right side in this embodiment) with respect to the vehicle body left-right center CL.

Referring to Figures 4 to 6, the rear of the cylinder head 12b is provided with a port opening 37 that forms an opening (external opening 38) of the intake port to the outside of the cylinder. The port opening 37 forms a plane S1 whose normal direction L1 (direction along the normal line L1) is inclined rearward and outward in the vehicle width direction, and an external opening 38 that is aligned with the plane S1. The external opening 38 of the intake port opens obliquely toward the normal direction L1 (rearward and outward in the vehicle width direction).

The front end (downstream end) of the intake pipe member 36 is fixed to the port opening 37. The intake pipe member 36 forms a first intake passage T1 that extends rearward generally along the normal direction L1 of the plane S1 of the port opening 37. In detail, the first intake passage T1 extends linearly and inclined with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction toward the normal direction L1 of the plane S1 of the intake port in a top view of the vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as a top view). The first intake passage T1 extends approximately linearly (more specifically, in a curved shape that is slightly convex upward) and inclined rearward with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction in a side view. The intake pipe member 36 is fixed to the port opening 37 by a pair of fastening parts 39 arranged on either side of the external opening 38.

Referring to Figures 2 to 4, the front end (downstream end) of the throttle body 33 is connected to the rear end (upstream end) of the intake pipe member 36. The cylindrical main body 33a of the throttle body 33 forms a second intake passage T2 that is linearly connected to the upstream side of the first intake passage T1 of the intake pipe member 36. The central axis (bore central axis 33c) of the second intake passage T2 in the throttle body 33 extends linearly rearward with a slight upward tilt in side view, and extends rearward with a tilt rearward and outward in the vehicle width direction in top view, similar to the normal direction L1 of the plane S1 of the intake port.

A butterfly valve 33d serving as a throttle valve is rotatably supported within the main body 33a of the throttle body 33. A rotation center axis 33d1 of the butterfly valve 33d is disposed substantially horizontally and perpendicular to the bore center axis 33c. One end (right end) of the valve rotation shaft protrudes to the outside of the main body 33a, and a pulley 33e is attached to this protrusion so as to be rotatable together with the valve. The pulley 33e is driven by an operating cable 33f.
Hereinafter, the intake passage (including the first intake passage T1 and the second intake passage T2) formed by the entire intake passage part 32 will be referred to as the intake passage TA (see FIG. 1). In FIG. 2, a line 33v is a straight line perpendicular to the rotation center axis 33d1 and the bore center axis 33c, and the direction along this straight line 33v will be referred to as the perpendicular direction 33v.

<Injector>
5 and 6, an injector 40 is attached to the upper front side of the intake pipe member 36.
The injector 40 includes a cylindrical injector body 41, a valve portion (not shown) housed in the injector body 41, and an electromagnetic drive portion (not shown) that drives the valve portion.
The injector body 41 defines a fuel flow passage through which fuel flows. A valve portion and a return spring (not shown) are provided in the fuel flow passage. The valve portion closes the fuel flow passage by the biasing force applied by the return spring. As a result, the injector 40 is closed.

The electromagnetic drive unit is provided in the injector body 41 and forms a magnetic circuit. The electromagnetic drive unit drives the valve unit in the axial direction of the injector body 41 against the biasing force of the return spring, opening the fuel flow path. As a result, the injector 40 opens and fuel is injected into the first intake passage T1 from the injection port 42 at the tip of the injector body 41. A coupler 43 protrudes from the outer periphery of the injector body 41 to connect a power supply harness for driving the valve. The coupler 43 protrudes to one side (the right side, in the offset direction of the intake passage part 32).

The injector 40 is arranged at an angle such that the central axis C1 along its longitudinal direction (the longitudinal direction of the injector body 41) is positioned higher (away from the intake pipe member 36 and the throttle body 33) toward the rear (upstream side). Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the injector 40 is referred to as the first longitudinal direction, and the central axis C1 of the injector 40 is referred to as the first central axis C1. The upper rear side of the injector 40 (the side opposite the injection port 42) corresponds to the upstream side of the injector 40.

The portion of the injector 40 extending rearward in the first longitudinal direction is provided with a fuel chamber 50 that stores fuel to be supplied to the injector 40, and a heater device 60 that heats (increases the temperature of) the fuel in the fuel chamber 50. The fuel chamber 50 and the heater device 60 constitute a heating section 65 that increases the temperature of the fuel to be supplied to the injector 40.

The fuel chamber section 50 includes a chamber case 51. The chamber case 51 is cylindrical and opens to the top and rear, forming a chamber T3 as an internal space. A nozzle 53 for connecting a fuel hose protrudes from the outer periphery of the axially middle portion (not limited to the center) of the outer periphery wall 52 of the chamber case 51. The nozzle 53 protrudes from the fuel chamber section 50 to the other left or right side (the left side, the side opposite the offset direction of the intake passage part 32), and the fuel hose (not shown) extends to the other left or right side and is connected to the fuel pump.

The upper rear portion of the injector body 41 is fitted and connected to the lower front portion of the chamber case 51. A main body portion 61 of a heater device 60 is fitted into and closes an opening 54 at the upper rear end of the chamber case 51.
The heater device 60 has a rod-shaped heater section 62 that protrudes into the chamber T3 from a main body section 61. The heater section 62 is disposed coaxially with the chamber case 51. A coupler 63 protrudes from the upper rear end of the main body section 61 for connecting a power supply harness for operating the heater.

Fuel supplied from the fuel hose is supplied and stored in the chamber T3, and is heated by heat generated by the heater portion 62. The heated fuel reaches the injector body 41 of the injector 40, and is injected from the injection port 42 into the intake passage TA by driving the valve portion.
In the ethanol fuel engine 10, in order to improve cold startability and to reduce the harmful components contained in the exhaust gas, it is effective to inject heated fuel into the intake passage TA to promote vaporization of the injected fuel.

Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the fuel chamber section 50 (the longitudinal direction (axial direction) of the chamber case 51 and the heater section 62) is referred to as the second longitudinal direction, and the central axis of the fuel chamber section 50 (the central axis common to the chamber case 51 and the heater section 62) is referred to as the second central axis C2. The longitudinal directions of the chamber case 51 and the heater section 62 are parallel to each other, and the central axes of the chamber case 51 and the heater section 62 coincide with each other. Note that the longitudinal directions of the chamber case 51 and the heater section 62 may be non-parallel to each other, or the central axes of the chamber case 51 and the heater section 62 may be arranged offset from each other.

The fuel chamber section 50 is disposed with an axial tilt relative to the injector 40. The second central axis C2 of the fuel chamber section 50 and the first central axis C1 of the injector 40 intersect with each other at the connection part J between the fuel chamber section 50 and the injector 40, but they do not necessarily have to intersect.

The first central axis C1 of the injector 40 is inclined upward toward the rear, and inclined rearward so as to approach the central axis of the intake passage TA (in this case, the bore central axis 33c).
The second central axis C2 of the fuel chamber portion 50, like the first central axis C1, is inclined upward and rearward and inclined rearward so as to approach the central axis of the intake passage TA (in this case, the bore central axis 33c).

The second central axis C2 is inclined with respect to the first central axis C1 so that it moves away from the throttle body 33 toward the rear (so that the fuel chamber section 50 is positioned higher toward the rear than the injector 40). The relative angle between the first central axis C1 and the second central axis C2 is, for example, less than 20 degrees, minimizing the impact on the space for arranging surrounding components due to the axis being too upright.

Referring to FIG. 4, the fuel chamber portion 50 is inclined further upward toward the rear with respect to the injector 40, which makes it easier to ensure clearance between the fuel chamber portion 50 and the throttle body 33. An intake system component 33g, such as an IACV (Idle Air Control Valve), is disposed on the upper surface of the throttle body 33, which makes it easier for the fuel chamber portion 50 to ensure clearance from this intake system component 33g.

A main body 61 of the heater device 60 is disposed so that at least a portion of it overlaps with the throttle body 33 when viewed from above.
If the entire main body 61 of the heater device 60 is positioned so that it overlaps the throttle body 33 when viewed from above, the placement space for the heater device 60 does not expand horizontally, but it becomes difficult to secure the vertical clearance between the heater device 60 and the throttle body 33.

On the other hand, by positioning the heater device 60 so that a portion of it overlaps with the throttle body 33 when viewed from above, it is easier to ensure a vertical clearance between the heater device 60 and the throttle body 33 while preventing the placement space for the heater device 60 from expanding horizontally.

Referring to FIG. 2, the heater device 60 and the fuel chamber section 50 are arranged to stand upright in the vertical direction relative to the injector 40. This allows the airflow from the vehicle, which has been heated by passing around the cylinder 12, to easily hit the fuel chamber section 50, making it easier to heat the fuel stored in the fuel chamber section 50. This makes it possible to heat the fuel while keeping heater power consumption down while the vehicle is moving.

Here, the operation of the heater device 60 will be described.
When the vehicle is parked and the engine 10 is stopped, the engine 10 is cold, and the fuel in the fuel supply system is also cold. In order to promote the vaporization of the fuel injected into the intake passage TA, it is necessary to heat the fuel by the heater device 60 before starting the engine 10. The appropriate timing for starting to heat the fuel by the heater device 60 is, for example, when the main switch of the vehicle is turned on while the engine 10 is stopped and the vehicle is parked and stopped.

The heating of the fuel by the heater device 60 starts, for example, when the heater device 60 is turned on. The control unit of the heater device 60 starts a timer when the heater device 60 is turned on, and turns off the heater device 60 after a specified time has elapsed. After that, the engine 10 can be started (starter driven). At this time, the user may be notified that the engine can be started by turning on an indicator lamp, for example.

The duration of the heater ON may be varied depending on, for example, the outside air temperature or the engine temperature. At this time, the temperature can be detected using information detected by, for example, an existing intake air temperature sensor, an oil temperature sensor, etc. Also, a temperature sensor can be installed in the fuel chamber 50 to directly detect the temperature of the fuel in the chamber T3. In addition to (or instead of) the duration of the heater ON, the output of the heater device 60 may be varied.
In this embodiment, the heater is turned off when a certain condition is met after the fuel starts to be heated (for example, the passage of a certain time), but the heater may be turned on to continue heating in order to promote vaporization of the fuel while the vehicle is running. Note that in this embodiment, the fuel chamber 50 is structured so that it is likely to be exposed to the heated wind that flows around the engine 10 while the vehicle is running, which contributes to reducing the amount of electricity used when the heater is turned on.
The heater device 60 is disposed so as to overlap with any one of the cylinder body 12a, the cylinder head 12b, and the head cover 12c of the engine 10 when viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction.

As described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the intake passage part 32 is disposed offset to one left or right side (right side) with respect to the left-right center CL of the vehicle body.
The intake passage parts 32 (particularly the injector 40, the fuel chamber 50 and the heater 62) are offset to one left-right side (right side) of the main frame 22 located at the left-right center CL of the vehicle body. The intake passage parts 32 are arranged to avoid the main frame 22 to one left-right side (right side) when viewed from above.

As a result, the upper end periphery of the fuel chamber section 50 (including the heater device 60), which is inclined upward toward the rear, can be positioned so as to overlap the main frame 22 in a side view (see FIG. 2). This allows the fuel chamber section 50 to have a large upward and rearward inclination angle, and the fuel chamber section 50 and heater device 60 can be raised more vertically to more easily receive engine heat.

In this embodiment, the main frame 22 is provided singly at the center CL of the vehicle body, and is provided so as to overlap the center CL of the vehicle body in a top view over the entire length in the front-rear direction. The intake passage part 32 is disposed offset to one side in the left-right direction relative to this main frame 22. As a variation of this configuration, a configuration in which a pair of main frames 22 are provided on the left and right is also possible.

That is, the main frame 22 may be offset from the vehicle body left-right center CL (avoiding the vehicle body left-right center CL), and the intake passage component 32 may be disposed at the vehicle body left-right center CL (overlapping the vehicle body left-right center CL in a top view). In this case, the intake passage component 32 is disposed offset in the left-right direction from the left and right main frames 22, and is disposed between the left and right main frames 22. This makes it difficult for external disturbances from the outside in the vehicle width direction to reach the intake passage component 32.

Referring to FIG. 5, plate-shaped ribs 55 extending outward in the left-right direction are integrally formed on the outer periphery of the front end side of the outer peripheral wall 52 of the chamber case 51. Each rib 55 is provided in a range from the front end of the chamber case 51 to the rear end of the injector body 41 of the injector 40, reinforcing the connection part J between the fuel chamber part 50 and the injector 40, and substantially increasing the outer surface area of the chamber case 51, making it easier to receive engine heat.

A fixing portion 56 for fixing the fuel chamber portion 50 to the passage member is integrally formed on the chamber case 51. The fixing portion 56 includes an arm portion 56a (see FIG. 6) that extends forward from the tip of the rib 55 on one of the left and right sides (the right side) so as to extend the rib 55, and a fastening boss 56b formed at the tip of the arm portion 56a. By providing the fixing portion 56 that extends the rib 55, the outer surface area of the chamber case 51 is further increased, making it easier to receive engine heat.

By fastening the fixing portion 56 to the intake pipe member 36, the fuel chamber portion 50 is fixed to the intake pipe member 36, and the injector 40 is fixed to the intake pipe member 36 by being pressed against the fuel chamber portion 50 from the upstream side. The fuel chamber portion 50 equipped with such a fixing portion 56 also serves as a fixing member for the injector 40.

As described above, the fuel supply device in the above embodiment includes an engine 10 mounted on a motorcycle 1, an intake pipe member 36 connected to the engine 10 and forming an intake passage TA (first intake passage T1) therein, a throttle body 33 connected to the upstream side of the intake pipe member 36 and adjusting the amount of intake air to the engine 10, an injector 40 connected to the intake pipe member 36, having a first longitudinal direction, and injecting fuel into the intake passage TA, and a second longitudinal direction connected to the side of the injector 40 opposite to the intake pipe member 36 in the first longitudinal direction, having a second longitudinal direction, and supplying fuel to the injector 40. and a fuel chamber portion 50 for storing fuel and facing a heater portion 62, wherein the injector 40 is arranged so that a first center axis C1 along the first longitudinal direction is inclined relative to a bore center axis 33c along the center of the bore in the throttle body 33 so that it moves away from the throttle body 33 as it approaches the upstream side of the intake passage TA, and the fuel chamber portion 50 is arranged so that a second center axis C2 along the second longitudinal direction is inclined relative to the first center axis C1 of the injector 40 so that it moves further away from the throttle body 33 as it approaches the upstream side of the intake passage TA.
According to this configuration, the first center axis C1 of the injector 40 along the first longitudinal direction is inclined relative to the bore center axis 33c of the throttle body 33 so as to move away from the throttle body 33 toward the upstream side of the intake passage TA, and the second center axis C2 of the fuel chamber 50 along the second longitudinal direction is inclined relative to the first center axis C1 of the injector 40 so as to move further away from the throttle body 33 toward the upstream side of the intake passage TA, so that the fuel chamber 50 connected to the upstream side of the injector 40 can be disposed as far away as possible in the radial direction from the throttle body 33. Therefore, even in the configuration in which the fuel chamber 50 is disposed in the longitudinal direction of the injector 40, it is easy to ensure a clearance between the fuel chamber 50 and the throttle body 33, and the degree of freedom in the arrangement of parts attached around the throttle body 33 can be increased.

The fuel supply device also includes a heater device 60 that heats the fuel stored in the fuel chamber portion 50, and the heater device 60 includes a main body portion 61 that is connected to the opposite side of the injector 40 in the second longitudinal direction of the fuel chamber portion 50, and a heater portion 62 that extends from the main body portion 61 into the fuel chamber portion 50 and is arranged coaxially with the fuel chamber portion 50.
According to this configuration, the heater portion 62 extends along the longitudinal direction of the fuel chamber portion 50, so that the fuel in the fuel chamber portion 50 can be efficiently heated. The fuel chamber portion 50 and the heater device 60, which are connected to the upstream side of the injector 40, can be disposed as far away as possible in the radial direction from the throttle body 33. Therefore, even in a configuration in which the fuel chamber portion 50 and the heater device 60 are disposed in the longitudinal direction of the injector 40, it is easy to ensure clearance between the fuel chamber portion 50 and the heater device 60 and the throttle body 33, and the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the components provided around the throttle body 33 can be increased.

In addition, in the above-mentioned fuel supply device, the throttle body 33 is provided with a butterfly valve 33d which opens and closes the intake passage TA, and when viewed from an orthogonal direction 33v which is perpendicular to both the rotation center axis 33d1 of the butterfly valve 33d and the bore center axis 33c, the heater device 60 is arranged so as to overlap the throttle body 33.
With this configuration, dead space is likely to occur around the butterfly valve 33d, but by arranging the heater device 60 and the throttle body 33 so that they overlap when viewed from the orthogonal direction 33v that is perpendicular to the rotation center axis 33d1 of the butterfly valve 33d and the bore center axis 33c, it is possible to effectively utilize the dead space and position the fuel chamber portion 50 and the heater device 60.

In the fuel supply system, the heater device 60 is disposed so as to overlap the throttle body 33 when viewed from above the throttle body 33 .
According to this configuration, the heater device 60 and the throttle body 33 are arranged so that they overlap when viewed from above, so that, as described above, the fuel chamber portion 50 and the heater device 60 can be arranged by effectively utilizing the dead space around the butterfly valve 33d.

In addition, in the above fuel supply device, the fuel chamber portion 50 is disposed rearward of the engine 10 and is disposed so as to overlap with the engine 10 when viewed in the front-to-rear direction, and the fuel chamber portion 50 is disposed so that the second central axis C2 is at an angle closer to a right angle (an angle closer to the vertical direction) with respect to the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle than the first central axis C1 of the injector 40.
According to this configuration, the second central axis C2 of the fuel chamber 50 is disposed at an angle closer to a right angle to the vehicle longitudinal direction (vehicle travel direction) than the first central axis C1 of the injector 40, which makes it easier to ensure a sufficient frontal projection area of the fuel chamber 50. This makes it easier for the heated wind flowing around the engine 10 to hit the fuel chamber 50, making it easier to heat the fuel in the fuel chamber 50 by utilizing the heat of the engine 10.

In the fuel supply device, the fuel chamber portion 50 is provided with a rib 55 that protrudes outward from the outer wall (outer peripheral wall 52) surrounding the internal space (chamber T3).
According to this configuration, by integrally forming the ribs 55 on the outer wall of the fuel chamber 50, the outer surface area (heat receiving area) of the fuel chamber 50 is increased, making it easier to receive heat from the engine 10 and making it easier to heat the fuel inside the fuel chamber 50. This can promote the evaporation of the fuel while the vehicle is running.

The fuel supply device includes an engine 10 mounted on a motorcycle 1, a frame member (main frame 22) of the motorcycle 1 that is disposed above the engine 10 in the vertical direction (vehicle vertical direction) of the motorcycle 1 and extends in a first direction (vehicle front-rear direction) as viewed in the vertical direction, an injector 40 that injects fuel to be supplied to the engine 10, a fuel chamber portion 50 that is connected to the injector 40 and that stores the fuel to be supplied to the injector 40, and a heater device 60 that is connected to the fuel chamber portion 50 and that heats the fuel stored in the fuel chamber portion 50, and the heater device 60 is disposed offset with respect to the main frame 22 in a second direction (vehicle left-right direction) perpendicular to the first direction as viewed in the vertical direction.
According to this configuration, the main frame 22 of the motorcycle 1 is disposed above the engine 10, and the heater device 60 connected to the injector 40 is disposed offset in the vehicle width direction (vehicle left-right direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (vehicle front-rear direction) of the main frame 22 when viewed from the top-bottom direction, making it easier to ensure clearance between the heater device 60 and the main frame 22. This improves the degree of freedom in the vertical arrangement of the heater device 60 relative to the main frame 22, and ensures ease of maintenance of the heater device 60 from above.

In the fuel supply device, the heater device 60 and the main frame 22 are disposed so as to overlap each other when viewed from the second direction (the left-right direction of the vehicle).
According to this configuration, by arranging the heater device 60 and the main frame 22 so that they overlap in the vertical direction, the configuration in which the fuel chamber portion 50 and the heater device 60 are connected to the injector 40 can be arranged efficiently.

In addition, in the above fuel supply device, the first direction is the fore-and-aft direction of the motorcycle 1, the second direction is the left-and-right direction of the motorcycle 1, the main frame 22 extends in the fore-and-aft direction along the left-and-right center CL of the motorcycle 1, and the intake passage TA of the engine 10 is offset to one left-and-right side (right side) from the left-and-right center CL of the vehicle body.
According to this configuration, the intake passage TA of the engine 10 is positioned offset to one side in the left-right direction, making it easier to position the injector 40 and heater device 60 provided in the intake passage TA on one side in the left-right direction, and making it easier to position the heater device 60 offset relative to the main frame 22.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the fuel supply device of the present embodiment may be applied to a saddle-type vehicle other than a motorcycle.
The saddle-ride type vehicle includes all vehicles on which a driver straddles the vehicle body, including not only motorcycles (including motorized bicycles and scooter-type vehicles), but also three-wheeled vehicles (including vehicles with one front wheel and two rear wheels, as well as vehicles with two front wheels and one rear wheel) or four-wheeled vehicles (four-wheeled buggies, etc.). The present invention may be applied to vehicles including an electric motor as a prime mover, such as HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles). The present invention may be applied to vehicles other than saddle-ride type vehicles (passenger cars, buses, trucks, etc.). That is, the vehicle in the embodiment is a flexible fuel motorcycle (FFM), but may also be a four-wheeled vehicle (flexible fuel vehicle (FFV)).
Although the fuel supply device of the present embodiment is applied to a vehicle, the present invention is not limited to application to vehicles, but may be applied to various vehicles and moving bodies such as various transport equipment such as aircraft and ships, construction machinery, industrial machinery, etc. Furthermore, the present invention can be widely applied to equipment other than vehicles that is equipped with a fuel supply device, such as hand-pushed lawnmowers and cleaning machines.
The configurations in the above-described embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention, such as replacing the components of the embodiments with well-known components.

1. Motorcycles (equipment, moving objects, saddle-type vehicles)
10. Engine (internal combustion engine)
22 Main frame (frame member)
32 Intake passage part 33 Throttle body 33c Bore central axis 33d Butterfly valve 33d1 Rotation central axis 33v Orthogonal direction 36 Intake pipe member (intake passage forming portion)
40 Injector (fuel injection valve)
50 Fuel chamber portion 52 Outer peripheral wall (outer wall)
55 Rib 60 Heater device 61 Main body 62 Heater C1 First central axis C2 Second central axis CL Vehicle body left-right center T3 Chamber (internal space)
TA Intake passage

Claims (5)

An internal combustion engine (10) mounted on the equipment (1);
an intake passage forming portion (36) connected to the internal combustion engine (10) and forming an intake passage (TA) therein;
a throttle body (33) connected to the upstream side of the intake passage forming portion (36) and adjusting the amount of intake air to the internal combustion engine (10);
an injector (40) connected to the intake passage forming portion (36), having a first longitudinal direction, and configured to inject fuel into the intake passage (TA);
a heating section (65) that is connected to a side of the injector (40) opposite to the intake passage forming section (36) in the first longitudinal direction, has a second longitudinal direction, and stores and heats fuel to be supplied to the injector (40),
the injector (40) is disposed such that a first central axis (C1) along the first longitudinal direction is inclined with respect to a bore central axis (33c) along a bore center in the throttle body (33) such that the first central axis (C1) becomes more distant from the bore central axis (33c) as it moves toward the upstream side of the intake passage (TA),
the temperature raising section (65) is disposed such that a second central axis (C2) along the second longitudinal direction is inclined with respect to the first central axis (C1) of the injector (40) so as to become further separated from the bore central axis (33c) toward the upstream side of the intake passage (TA) ,
The temperature raising section (65) includes a fuel chamber section (50) that stores fuel to be supplied to the injector (40),
The device (1) is a moving body whose travel direction is forward,
the fuel chamber portion (50) is disposed rearward of the internal combustion engine (10) and disposed so as to overlap with the internal combustion engine (10) when viewed in the front-rear direction;
the fuel chamber portion (50) is disposed so that the second central axis (C2) is at an angle closer to a right angle with respect to the front-rear direction than the first central axis (C1) of the injector (40). The temperature raising section (65) includes a heater device (60 ) for heating the fuel stored in the fuel chamber section (50),
The heater device (60) comprises:
a main body portion (61) connected to the fuel chamber portion (50) on the opposite side to the injector (40) in the second longitudinal direction;
2. The fuel supply device according to claim 1, further comprising: a heater portion (62) extending from the body portion (61) into the fuel chamber portion (50) and disposed along the second longitudinal direction. The throttle body (33) is provided with a butterfly valve (33d) that opens and closes the intake passage (TA),
3. The fuel supply device according to claim 2, wherein the heater device is arranged to overlap with the throttle body when viewed from an orthogonal direction perpendicular to both a rotation central axis of the butterfly valve and the bore central axis. The fuel supply device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the heater device (60) is arranged to overlap the throttle body (33) when viewed from above the device (1). 4. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel chamber portion (50) is provided with a rib (55) protruding outwardly from an outer wall (52) surrounding the internal space (T3).

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