JPH11348581A - Fuel tank - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent noise generation, and restrain deformation of a tank. SOLUTION: In this fuel tank 1, outer peripheries of two respectively up and down divided tank upper shell 1A and tank lower shell 1B are joined each other, and downward recessed part 1B1 is formed in the width directional central part of the tank lower shell 1B. In this case, a baffle plate 2 suspended and supported on the upper inner surface of a tank upper shell 1A is provided, the baffle plate 2 is faced to the bottom of the downward recessed part 1B1 provided for the tank lower shell 1B with a clearance D, and a buffer 4 is arranged in the clearance D.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fuel tank, and more particularly, to a structure for supporting a baffle plate disposed therein.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A fuel tank, which is a fuel tank for an automobile, may be provided with a baffle plate for preventing a flow noise of fuel contained therein and a fluctuation of a float of a fuel gauge. The fuel tank is, for example,
There is a structure in which a fuel storage space is formed inside by forming a press-formed part in the middle and seam welding the outer peripheral part, and it is laid horizontally on the upper inner surface of the tank upper shell located on the upper side The baffle plate is suspended.

Some of the fuel tanks have a saddle-shaped cross section. In other words, in order to prevent interference with a power transmission device arranged below the fuel tank, a downward recess corresponding to a tunnel portion for arranging a transmission device in a width direction central portion of a tank lower shell constituting a lower portion of the fuel tank is provided. Is formed. For this reason,
The shape of the baffle plate disposed inside the fuel tank is also shaped so that a central portion in the transverse direction can provide a slight gap with the downward recess so as not to interfere with the downward recess.

[0004]

However, when a baffle plate is provided for such a cross-sectional shape of the fuel tank, there are the following problems. In other words, although the baffle plate facing the downward concave portion of the tank lower shell has a small gap between the downward concave portion, noise is likely to occur due to interference with the tank shell unless the gap is accurately maintained. . In addition, the fuel tank not only increases in volume due to evaporation of the fuel contained therein, but may also contract due to liquefaction of the evaporated fuel. And the tank lower shell may interfere with each other to generate noise, or the tank upper shell may be deformed depending on the amount of contraction. In general, since the fuel temperature is not always constant, if the frequency of the above-described shrinkage deformation increases, noise generation becomes remarkable, or the frequency of pushing up the tank upper shell increases,
There is a possibility that a part of the fuel tank is deformed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel tank having a structure capable of restricting deformation of the tank in addition to preventing noise generation in view of the problem between the conventional fuel tank, particularly the baffle plate and the tank lower shell. To provide a fuel tank.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an outer peripheral portion of a tank upper shell and a tank lower shell which are divided into upper and lower portions are joined to each other, and a width direction of the tank lower shell is defined. In a fuel tank in which a downward recess is formed in the center, a baffle plate suspended from the upper inner surface of the tank upper shell is provided, and the baffle plate has a gap with the bottom of the downward recess in the tank lower shell. It is characterized in that a cushioning material is arranged in the gap.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the fuel tank according to the first aspect, the cushioning material is integrated with a top inner surface of the tank upper shell via a rivet.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the fuel tank according to the first aspect, the cushioning member is arranged in a state where the cushioning member is not in contact with the downward recess of the tank lower shell as an initial state. .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the fuel tank according to the first aspect, the cushioning member is disposed near a suspension position of the baffle plate.

[0010]

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the cushioning material is disposed in a gap formed at a position facing the bottom of the downward concave portion of the tank lower shell and the baffle plate, so that the tank lower shell and the tank upper shell are provided. Of the tank upper shell is restricted. Moreover, since the cushioning material is integrated with the tank upper shell via rivets, the cushioning material does not fall off and can be easily installed.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the initial state is such that the cushioning material is not in contact with the tank lower shell. Therefore, the tank lower shell is only formed when the tank lower shell is deformed to push up the tank upper shell. And the tank upper shell can be prevented from interfering with each other to prevent permanent deformation of the cushioning material.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the cushioning member is arranged near the suspension support position of the baffle plate, even if the tank lower shell is deformed to push up the baffle plate, the pushing-up force acts. Since the distance between the position of the tank upper shell and the position where the tank upper shell is supported can be shortened, the bending deformation of the tank upper shell can be suppressed.

[0013]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. FIG. 1 is an external view of a fuel tank 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The tank upper shell 1A and the tank lower shell 1B, which are divided into two parts, are joined at their outer peripheral portions to form a space for containing fuel inside. In the fuel tank 1 according to the present embodiment, since a space for disposing a power transmission device is provided below the lower tank shell 1B, the fuel storage space is set to two sides so that interference with the power transmission device can be prevented. Has been split. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2, the tank lower shell 1B has a saddle-shaped cross-sectional shape in which a downward recess 1B1 is formed substantially at the center of the fuel tank 1 in the width direction (the direction indicated by the arrow O in FIG. 1). Have been.

A baffle plate 2 is provided inside the fuel tank 1. In FIG. 2, the baffle plate 2 has a plate-like shape having a drooping piece 2A formed corresponding to the fuel storage space formed on the left and right sides of the fuel tank 1 except for a portion facing the downward recess 1B1 of the tank lower shell 1B. It is composed of members. The portion of the baffle plate 2 that faces the downward recess 1B1 of the tank lower shell 1B is a non-drooping piece 2B that faces away from the downward recess 1B1. Bracket 2C is formed. The baffle plate 2 is suspended from the tank upper shell 1A by being attached to suspension members 3 provided at a plurality of locations along the width direction of the tank upper shell 1A, and is also provided at the non-hanging piece 2B. , Tank lower shell 1B
A substantially equal position is suspended from the center of the downward recess 1B1.

Downward recess 1B1 of tank lower shell 1B
And the non-hanging piece 2B of the baffle plate 2 opposed thereto
And a gap D is formed between them, and the cushioning material 4 is disposed at the narrowest position in the gap D. Cushioning material 4
Is oil-resistant NBR (nitrile butyl rubber)
As shown in FIG. 3, the baffle plate 2 is integrated with the tank upper shell 1A via the rivet 5 in the vicinity of the hanging member 3 for the non-hanging piece 2B of the baffle plate 2 as shown in FIG. I have. The thickness of the cushioning material 4 can have a slight gap with the bottom of the downward recess 1B1 so as to obtain a non-contact state with the downward recess 1B1 of the tank lower shell 1B in the non-shrink deformation state. It is said to be thick. As a result, the initial state of the cushioning member 4 is such that the cushioning member 4 is not in contact with the downward recessed portion 1B1 of the tank lower shell 1B during the non-shrinkage deformation.

Since the present embodiment has the above configuration,
The fuel tank 1 is configured by joining an outer peripheral portion of a tank upper shell 1A and a tank lower shell 1B. On the tank upper shell 1A, a baffle plate 2 in which a cushioning material 4 is integrated is previously suspended and supported.
When joined to the tank lower shell 1B, the cushioning material 4 is opposed to the bottom of the downward recess 1B1 in the tank lower shell 1B with a gap.

The buffer member 4 is interposed between the tank upper shell 1A and the downward concave portion 1B1 of the tank lower shell 1B opposed to the tank upper shell 1A. Is prevented, the generation of noise is suppressed. In addition, fuel tank 1
When the tank lower shell 1B is deformed due to a change in internal pressure, when the tank lower shell 1B and the tank upper shell 1A deform in a direction in which they interfere with each other, the bottom of the downward recess 1B1 of the tank lower shell 1B causes a contraction deformation of the cushioning material 4. Let it. Thereby, the deformation of the tank lower shell 1B is suppressed, so that it is possible to prevent the load from acting intensively between the bottom of the downward recess 1B1 and the tank upper shell 1A. By preventing the upper shell 1A from being pushed up, it is possible to prevent stress concentration of each tank shell and damage to the surface treatment due to contact. In particular, the cushioning material 4
Since the baffle plate 2 is disposed in the vicinity of the suspension member 3 for suspending and supporting the non-hanging piece 2B, the distance between the position where the load acts on the tank upper shell 1A and the suspension support position is shortened to reduce the tank upper. Shell 1
A can be prevented from being easily bent and deformed.

[0018]

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention,
Since the cushioning material is arranged in the gap formed at the position facing the bottom of the downward concave portion of the tank lower shell and the baffle plate, interference between the tank lower shell and the tank upper shell is prevented, and the tank upper shell is pushed up. Be regulated. Moreover, since the cushioning material is integrated with the tank upper shell via rivets, the cushioning material does not fall off and can be easily installed. As a result, it is possible to easily prevent noise generation of the fuel tank and deformation of the tank shell.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the initial state is such that the cushioning material is not in contact with the tank lower shell. Therefore, only when the tank lower shell is deformed so as to push up the tank upper shell. It is possible to prevent the tank lower shell and the tank upper shell from interfering with each other, thereby preventing a permanent deformation of the cushioning material. This makes it possible to reliably prevent noise and deformation of the fuel tank by the cushioning material.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the cushioning member is arranged near the suspension support position of the baffle plate, even when the tank lower shell deforms to push up the baffle plate, the pushing-up force is maintained. Since the distance between the position of the tank upper shell where the pressure acts and the position where the tank upper shell is supported can be shortened, the bending deformation of the tank upper shell can be suppressed. This makes it possible to favorably prevent stress concentration and damage to the surface treatment in the tank shell constituting the fuel tank.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a fuel tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken in the direction indicated by reference numeral P in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining a mounting structure of a cushioning material used in the fuel tank shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fuel tank 1A Tank upper shell 1B Tank lower shell 1B1 Downward recessed part 2 Baffle plate 3 Suspension member corresponding to suspension support member of baffle plate 4 Buffer material 5 Rivet D Clearance

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A fuel tank in which an outer peripheral portion of a vertically divided tank upper shell and a tank lower shell is joined and a downward concave portion is formed in a central portion in a width direction of the tank lower shell. A baffle plate suspended from the upper inner surface is provided, and the baffle plate is opposed to the bottom of the downward concave portion of the tank lower shell with a gap, and a cushioning material is disposed in the gap. A fuel tank characterized by the following. 2. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning material is integrated with a top inner surface of the tank upper shell via a rivet. 3. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning member is arranged in an initial state where the cushioning member is not in contact with the downward recessed portion of the tank lower shell. 4. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning member is disposed near a suspension position of the baffle plate.