JPH0215406B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a fuel tank support structure for an automobile, and in particular, a tunnel is formed in the widthwise center of a floor panel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and projects upward from the floor panel surface. The present invention relates to a support structure for a fuel tank of an automobile, in which the fuel tank is disposed inside.

Generally, in automobiles, and passenger cars in particular, the fuel tank is located behind the seat at the rear end of the passenger space, but this has limited the space available at the rear of the vehicle by the amount of space for the fuel tank.

In order to solve this problem, in rear-engine, rear-drive vehicles or front-engine, front-drive vehicles, where the propeller shaft does not run vertically below the floor panel of the vehicle, the center of the floor panel in the width direction is By forming a tunnel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle that protrudes upward from the floor panel surface, and locating the fuel tank within the tunnel, the space at the rear of the vehicle can be used effectively, and the overall length of the vehicle can be shortened. It is possible to try to reduce the weight.

In the case of the above-mentioned automobile, the fuel tank may be supported by a panel structured to close the bottom surface of a tunnel, or supported by a support structure such as suspended by a tank band.

In the latter case, the structure in which the fuel tank is suspended from the car by a tank band cannot sufficiently absorb the relative displacement between the tunnel and the fuel tank, or the so-called rattling, and the assembly of the fuel tank is difficult. During the work, there are problems such as the work of tightening and fixing the tank band is troublesome, and there are cases where sufficient tightening allowance cannot be taken.

This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a fuel tank support structure for an automobile using a tank band that can easily fix a fuel tank in a tunnel and can sufficiently absorb relative displacement between the fuel tank and the tunnel. The purpose is to provide

In this invention, in the widthwise central part of the floor panel,
A piece that forms a tunnel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle that projects upward from the floor panel surface, and has one end attached above the lower end of one inner and outer surface of the tunnel in the width direction, and a lower end of the other inner surface of the tunnel. A plurality of tank bands formed by connecting two pieces, one end of which is attached near the other, are arranged in the front and back direction of the tunnel, and within the tunnel, the fuel tank is attached to one side and the top of the tunnel by the tank band. The above object is achieved by tightening and supporting the two pieces constituting the tank band and connecting them with bolts near the lower corner of the fuel tank near the one inner surface of the tunnel. It is something.

Further, in the fuel tank support structure for an automobile as described above, the present invention provides that one piece of the tank band having one end attached above the lower end of the inner surface of one of the tunnels is suspended downward from the one end. At the same time, the free end is made to be variable in position within a certain range in the tunnel width direction, and the other side of the tank band is arranged in a substantially horizontal direction, and the free end is variable in position in the vertical direction within a certain range. The above objective is achieved by making the following.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, a tunnel 2 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle that projects upward from the floor panel surface is formed at the center in the width direction of a floor panel 1 of an automobile (whole illustration is omitted). One piece 3A has one end attached above the lower end of one inner side 2A of the tunnel 2 in the width direction, and the other piece 3B has one end attached near the lower end of the other inner side 2B of the tunnel 2. Two tank bands 3 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel 2, and within the tunnel 2, the fuel tank 4 is tightened and supported by the tank bands 3 in the direction of one side 2B and the top surface 2C of the tunnel 2. The two pieces 2A and 2B constituting the tank band 3 are attached to the one inner surface 2 of the tunnel 2.
The fuel tank 4 is tightened and connected with a bolt 5 and a nut 6 near the lower corner 4A of the fuel tank 4 near the point A.

That is, the tunnel 2 and the fuel tank 4 have a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, and one piece 3A and the other piece 3B of the tank band 3 are connected to the fuel tank 4 in the tunnel 2, as shown in FIG.
The fuel tank 4 is connected to the inner surface 2B and upper surface 2C of the tunnel 2 by the tightening force of the bolts 5 and nuts 6 during this connection. It is pressed and fixed via 7.

One piece 3A of the tank band 3 is connected to the tunnel 2
A hinge 8 is welded to the substantially central part in the height direction of one inner surface 2A of the tunnel 2, and the lower part is suspended from the hinge 8, so that the lower end, which is a free end, remains constant in the width direction of the tunnel 2. The position is variable within the range,
The other piece 3B of the tank band 3 is fixed to the inclined surface 1A rising from the floor panel 1 toward the tunnel 2 with bolts 9 and nuts 10, and extends horizontally from there in a cantilevered manner.
This allows the free end to be positioned vertically within a certain range.

Bottom surface 4 of the fuel tank 4 in the installed state
B is positioned above the lower surface of the floor panel 1, and thus one piece 3B of the tank band 3
is also positioned above the lower surface of the floor panel 1.

Further, the free ends of the two pieces 3A and 3B of the tank band are bent at right angles in the radial direction when viewed from the fuel tank 4, and the bent portions 13A and 13
B is tightened and approached by the bolt 5 and nut 6. These bent portions 13A and 13B and the bolt 5 and nut 6 are located between the lower corner portion 4A of the fuel tank 4 and the inside of the sloped surface 1A from the floor panel 1 to the tunnel 2 and the sloped surface 1B on the opposite side. This prevents the bolts 5, nuts 6, and bent portions 13A, 13B from interfering with the tunnel 2 or the floor panel 1, and also prevents the fuel tank 4 from being assembled. At times, it is designed to facilitate the tightening work of the bolts 5.

The bottom surface 4B of the fuel tank 4 is an inclined surface that is located upwardly toward the front and rear end surfaces of the fuel tank 4, and by hanging the pair of front and rear tank bands 3 on this bottom surface 4B, It resists the force applied to the fuel tank 4 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle due to acceleration and deceleration, and suppresses displacement of the fuel tank 4 in the longitudinal direction.

Reference numeral 12 in the figure indicates a reinforcing member attached to cover the tunnel 2 from the upper surface to the side surface thereof, and this reinforcing member 12 is attached to the floor panel 1.
This increases the rigidity of the fuel tank 4 and also insulates the sound of fuel flowing inside the fuel tank 4.

Reference numeral 13 in the figure indicates a passenger seat, 14 indicates a shift operation lever 15, a shift linkage that connects this shift operation lever 14 with a transmission (not shown) at the rear of the vehicle, 16 indicates an inlet pipe of the fuel tank 4,
Reference numeral 17 indicates a back panel, and 18 indicates a dash panel.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tunnel 2 and the fuel tank 4 are bulged upward on the side of the passenger seat 13, which increases the capacity of the fuel tank 4 and also increases the capacity of the tunnel 2. The upper surface can be used as an armrest for the occupant, and the present invention is also applicable to cases where there is no such upward bulge.

Further, the shift linkage 15 is arranged toward the transmission at the rear of the vehicle, but if the automobile is a front engine/front drive type,
It extends to the front of the vehicle.

In the above embodiment, one piece 3A of the tank band 3 is provided with a hinge 8, which allows its free end to be variable in position in the width direction within a certain range, as shown in FIG. Attach the upper end of one piece 3A of the tank band 3 to one inner surface 2A of the tunnel 2 via the bracket 19 with the bolt 2.
0 and a nut 21. In this case, the range of displacement in the width direction of the free end of the piece 3A is the range of elastic deflection of the cantilevered piece 3B.

This embodiment has the advantage that the strength of the connection between the upper end of the piece 3A and the inner surface 2A of the tunnel 2 is greater than that of the embodiment including the hinge 8. Further, the embodiment including the hinge 8 has the advantage that the installation space is small and the range of displacement of the free end can be increased.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the fuel tank can be assembled easily and quickly, and the fuel tank can be securely tightened and supported, and therefore, the force applied to the fuel tank in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle can be sufficiently absorbed. It has a great effect.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a fuel tank support structure for an automobile according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a -
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view along a line similar to FIG. 2 showing a second embodiment of the present invention. 1...Floor panel, 2...Tunnel, 2A...
...One inner surface, 2B...The other inner surface, 2C...
...Top surface, 3... Tank band, 3A... Piece, 3
B...One piece, 4...Fuel tank, 4A...Lower corner, 5...Bolt, 6...Nut, 8...Hinge.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A tunnel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle that projects upward from the floor panel surface is formed in the center of the floor panel in the width direction, and one end is formed above the lower end of one inner surface in the width direction of the tunnel. A plurality of tank bands are arranged in the front-rear direction of the tunnel, and are formed by connecting two pieces, one piece having one end attached to the inner surface of the other tunnel and the other piece having one end attached near the lower end of the other inner surface of the tunnel. The fuel tank is fastened and supported by the tank band in the direction of one side and the upper surface inside the tunnel, and the two pieces forming the tank band are placed near the lower corner of the fuel tank near the one inner side of the tunnel. An automobile fuel tank support structure that is connected by bolts. 2. One end of the tank band is attached above the lower end of the inner surface of one of the tunnels, and the piece is suspended downward from the one end, and its free end is variable in position within a certain range in the width direction of the tunnel. The fuel tank for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the other piece of the tank band is arranged substantially horizontally, and its free end is vertically variable within a certain range. Support structure.