Fuel tank arrangement for a vehicle

Abstract

The present application provides a fuel tank arrangement structure of a vehicle, in which a fuel tank (17) is arranged below a vehicle floor (10). The vehicle floor (10) has a low floor portion (13), a high floor portion (14), and an upward bent portion (15). The low floor portion (13) is arranged below a passenger room. The high floor portion (14) is arranged behind the passenger room and is higher than the low floor portion (13). The upward bent portion (15) is erected upward from a rear portion of the low floor portion (13) and links the low floor portion (13) and the high floor portion (14). The fuel tank (17) is arranged below the high floor portion (14) and is fixed to the upward bent portion (15) by a belt member (18A, 18B). A load applying member (30) is provided to the upward bent portion (15).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a fuel tank configuration structure for a vehicle in which a fuel tank is disposed below the vehicle floor. Background Technology

[0002] Most vehicles equipped with fuel tanks have the fuel tank mounted under the vehicle floor via support members. It is known that the fuel tank is prone to resonance due to driving vibrations and the operating vibrations of the fuel pump used for fuel extraction. Therefore, as a countermeasure, a fuel tank configuration structure in which vibration-absorbing members are provided in the support part of the fuel tank has been developed (see, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 64-36220).

[0003] The fuel tank configuration described in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 64-36220 involves a fuel tank positioned between a pair of front and rear crossbeams located on the lower surface of the vehicle body floor. The fuel tank is supported by a strip-shaped support member on the front and rear crossbeams. A vibration-absorbing member, consisting of a metal mass and a rubber spring, is mounted on the support member. This vibration-absorbing member is a dynamic shock absorber used to attenuate vibrations in the frequency band near the natural vibration frequency of the fuel tank. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The fuel tank configuration described in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 64-36220 includes a vibration-absorbing member consisting of a mass and a spring mounted on a support member that supports the lower surface of the fuel tank from below. On the other hand, in recent years, there has been a trend towards larger fuel tanks in vehicles, and a trend towards larger outputs in fuel pumps (pump motors) for fuel extraction.

[0005] Considering these trends, in order to fully suppress the vibration of the fuel tank, it is inevitable that the vibration-absorbing components will be made larger, which in turn will make the area around the fuel tank support larger.

[0006] The present invention provides a fuel tank configuration structure for a vehicle that can suppress the enlargement of the support portion around the fuel tank and effectively suppress the transmission of vibration from the fuel tank to the passenger compartment side.

[0007] One embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicle fuel tank configuration in which a fuel tank is disposed below the vehicle body floor, wherein the vehicle body floor includes: a low floor portion disposed below the passenger compartment; a high floor portion disposed at the rear of the passenger compartment and having a height greater than that of the low floor portion; and an upper bend portion that rises upward from the rear of the low floor portion, connecting the low floor portion and the high floor portion, wherein the fuel tank is disposed below the high floor portion and is fixed to the upper bend portion by a strip member, and a load-applying member is provided in the upper bend portion.

[0008] In the above structure, when the fuel tank is intentionally subjected to vibrations from vehicle driving or fuel pump operation, the vibration of the fuel tank is suppressed by the upward curve of the vehicle floor. Furthermore, the vibration of the upward curve is suppressed by the load-applying member.

[0009] Alternatively, a crossbeam may be disposed below the high floor section, forming a closed section extending along the vehicle width between the crossbeam and the high floor section, the fuel tank may be disposed between the upper bend and the crossbeam, and the strip member may be combined with the upper bend and the crossbeam.

[0010] In this case, the vibration of the fuel tank is suppressed by the high rigidity of the upper bend and the crossbeam, through the combination of the strip member with the upper bend and the crossbeam. At this time, since a load-applying member is attached to the upper bend, which has lower rigidity than the crossbeam, the vibration of the upper bend is suppressed by the load-applying member, thus preventing the transmission of the vibration to the passenger compartment side.

[0011] Alternatively, a lower longitudinal beam extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle may be provided below the side of the passenger compartment, with the outer end of the upper bend in the vehicle width direction connected to the lower longitudinal beam, and the load-applying member disposed at a position where at least a portion of the vertical height position overlaps with the joint between the strip member and the upper bend and the joint between the upper bend and the lower longitudinal beam.

[0012] In this configuration, the outer end of the upper curve in the vehicle width direction is firmly supported by the lower longitudinal beam. When vibrations from the fuel tank are input to the junction of the strip member and the upper curve, these vibrations are effectively suppressed by a load-applying member disposed between the junction and the lower longitudinal beam. In particular, at least a portion of the load-applying member, positioned vertically on the upper curve, overlaps with the junction of the strip member and the upper curve, thus further suppressing vibrations at the junction.

[0013] Alternatively, the load-applying member can be mounted on the upper bend via a cover member, the cover member having a U-shaped storage portion and an outwardly facing flange extending from the opening edge of the storage portion, the outwardly facing flange engaging with the upper bend, and the load-applying member being fixed inside the storage portion.

[0014] In this configuration, the load-applying member is securely fixed to the upper bend while covered by the cover member. Furthermore, in this configuration, the load-applying member can be constructed from a heavier component, and the cover member can be constructed from a component that is easy to process or join with other components. Therefore, with this structure, the vibration of the fuel tank entering the joint of the strip member on the upper bend can be more effectively suppressed by the load-applying member, and the load-applying member can be easily installed on the upper bend.

[0015] Alternatively, the load-applying member may be disposed in the space between the receiving portion and the upper bend of the cover member while ensuring a gap extending in the vertical direction, and a communication port is formed between the lower region of the cover member and the upper bend to connect the gap with the lower part.

[0016] In this configuration, a gap extending vertically is ensured within the space between the receiving portion and the upper curved portion of the cover member, and a connecting opening is provided below this gap. Therefore, if water droplets or dust enter the receiving portion of the cover member, the water droplets or dust can be easily discharged to the outside through the gap and the connecting opening. In particular, in the event of water droplets entering, water droplets can be prevented from remaining inside the cover member, thus preventing rusting of the cover member or the load-bearing component.

[0017] Alternatively, the width of the connecting port in the front-to-back direction may be narrower than the width of the load-applying member in the front-to-back direction.

[0018] In this case, even if the load-applying member and the cover member are sometimes detached, the load-applying member can be reliably prevented from falling outward through the connection.

[0019] Alternatively, a plurality of the strip members may be provided, and at least one of the strip members may be composed of a tubular tube whose main part is cylindrical, the tubular tube being fitted along a groove formed on the outer surface of the fuel tank, and the load-applying member being disposed between the junction of the tubular tube and the upper bend and the connection between the upper bend and the lower longitudinal beam.

[0020] In this configuration, the highly rigid hose engages with the groove in the fuel tank, thus reliably restricting fuel tank movement when impact loads are applied from the side of the vehicle. Furthermore, although fuel tank vibrations are easily transmitted to the upper bend via the highly rigid hose, the upper bend suppresses these vibrations, which are contained by the load-applying member. This effectively suppresses vibration transmission to the passenger compartment.

[0021] Alternatively, a buffer member may be disposed between the strip member other than the tube and the fuel tank.

[0022] In this case, the vibration at the part of the fuel tank that is separated from the hose can be suppressed by a buffer member sandwiched between the strip member outside the hose and the fuel tank.

[0023] The fuel tank configuration of the vehicle according to the present invention can suppress fuel tank vibration through the upward curve of the vehicle body floor, and suppress the vibration of the upward curve through a load-applying member. Therefore, when the fuel tank configuration of the vehicle using the present invention is adopted, the enlargement around the fuel tank support portion can be suppressed, and the transmission of vibration from the fuel tank to the passenger compartment can be effectively suppressed. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a bottom view of the vehicle in the implementation method.

[0025] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 A sectional view cut along line II-II.

[0026] Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 A sectional view cut along line III-III.

[0027] Figure 4 The vehicle and the implementation method Figure 1 The stereo diagram corresponding to the IV view.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the mounting portion of the load-applying component of the vehicle in the embodiment, viewed from below.

[0029] Figure 6 The mounting part of the load-applying member in the embodiment Figure 5 The VI view.

[0030] Figure 7 It is along Figure 5 A sectional view cut along line VII-VII.

[0031] Figure 8 The mounting part of the load-applying member in the embodiment Figure 5 The VIII view. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, in the following description, front and back, up and down, and left and right refer to directions relative to the vehicle's forward direction. Furthermore, arrows pointing forward to the vehicle 1 (FR), upward to the vehicle 1 (UP), and to the left of the vehicle 1 (LH) are shown in appropriate positions in the drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the vehicle 1 of this embodiment viewed from below. Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 A sectional view cut along line II-II. Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 A sectional view cut along line III-III.

[0034] Figure 1 Number 10 in the text refers to the vehicle floor, and number 11 refers to the area located in passenger compartment 2 (see reference). Figure 2 , Figure 3 The lower longitudinal beams 11 extend below the left and right sides of the vehicle body and along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. At the rear end of each lower longitudinal beam 11, a rear side frame 12 extending towards the rear of the vehicle body is connected at a position inside the vehicle width direction of the lower longitudinal beam 11. The left and right lower longitudinal beams 11 and the rear side frame 12 constitute the lower side skeleton members of the vehicle.

[0035] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle body floor 10 includes a low floor section 13 disposed below the passenger compartment 2, a high floor section 14 disposed at the rear of the passenger compartment 2 and higher than the low floor section 13, and an upwardly curved section 15 that rises from the rear of the low floor section 13 and connects the low floor section 13 and the high floor section 14. The vehicle body floor 10 is constructed by joining multiple metal plates.

[0036] At the front of the high floor section 14, a shelf section 14a is provided that curves downwards and forwards in a stepped manner. A curved flange 15f located at the upper end of the upper bend 15 is joined to the shelf section 14a. Furthermore, a crossbeam 16 is joined to the lower surface of the high floor section 14, separated from the front end by a predetermined distance to the rear. The crossbeam 16 has a hat-shaped cross-section extending along the vehicle width direction, and its left and right extended ends are connected to the corresponding left and right rear frame sections 12. A closed cross-section extending along the vehicle width direction is formed between the crossbeam 16 and the high floor section 14.

[0037] Below the high floor section 14, a fuel tank 17 for storing fuels such as gasoline is disposed. The fuel tank 17 is formed, for example, from resin or metal, into a hollow block shape that is substantially trapezoidal when viewed from above. The fuel tank 17 is fixed to the upper bend 15 and the crossbeam 16 of the vehicle body floor 10 by a pair of metal strip members 18A and 18B.

[0038] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the fuel tank 17 is fixed to the upper bend 15 and the crossbeam 16 by a pair of strip members 18A and 18B, but the number of strip members fixing the fuel tank 17 is not limited to two. The number of strip members can also be three or more, or even one.

[0039] On the rear surface (exterior side) of the upper bend 15 of the vehicle floor 10, a pair of support blocks 19 are fixed by welding or the like, and are joined to the front ends of the left and right strip members 18A and 18B. Each support block 19 is provided with a fixing wall 19a, which bulges from the rear surface of the upper bend 15 toward the rear of the vehicle and overlaps from below with the ends of the strip members 18A and 18B corresponding to the lower ends. The fixing wall 19a extends substantially horizontally.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, a pair of support blocks 19 are positioned approximately symmetrically to the left and right of the center position o in the vehicle width direction of the extended region of the upper bend 15. In other words, the pair of support blocks 19 are positioned at a predetermined distance to the left and right from the center position o in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the fixing wall 19a on the lower end side of each support block 19 is positioned approximately at the middle height in the vertical extension region of the upper bend 15 (see reference). Figure 2 ).

[0041] One of the strip-shaped members 18A consists of a tubular strip whose main part (except for the end parts) is cylindrical. The other strip-shaped member 18B consists of a strip-shaped belt that is entirely strip-shaped.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, one of the strip members 18A includes a horizontal portion 18Ah along the lower surface of the fuel tank 17, a front curved portion 18Af extending upward from the front end of the horizontal portion 18Ah substantially along the front surface of the fuel tank 17, and a rear curved portion 18Ar extending upward from the rear end of the horizontal portion 18Ah substantially along the rear surface of the fuel tank 17. Furthermore, the upper end of the front curved portion 18Af bends towards the front of the vehicle and is flattened in the vertical direction to form a fastening flange 18Ac. Similarly, the upper end of the rear curved portion 18Ar bends towards the rear of the vehicle and is flattened in the vertical direction to form a fastening flange 18Ac. The fastening flange 18Ac on the front side of the strip member 18A overlaps with the lower surface of the fixing wall 19a of the left support block 19 and is fastened to the support block 19 by bolts 20. Thus, the front end of the strip member 18A is connected to the upper curved portion 15 via the support block 19. In addition, the fastening flange 18Ac on the rear side of the strip member 18A overlaps with the lower surface of the crossbeam 16 and is fastened to the crossbeam 16 by bolts 21.

[0043] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the fastening flange 18Ac on the front side of the strip member 18A and the fastening part of each support block 19 fastened by bolts 20 constitute the joint between the strip member 18A and the upper bend 15.

[0044] In addition, such as Figure 1As shown, grooves 22 are formed on the lower surface of the fuel tank 17, as well as a portion of the front surface and a portion of the rear surface, for fitting the horizontal portion 18Ah, a portion of the front curved portion 18Af, and a portion of the rear curved portion 18Ar of the strip member 18A. The groove 22 is formed by an arc-shaped groove with an inner diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the tube of the strip member 18A. By fitting the strip member 18A along the groove 22 and fixing the strip member 18A to the upper curved portion 15 and the crossbeam 16 in this state, the movement of the fuel tank 17 in the vehicle width direction can be reliably restricted.

[0045] Figure 4 Is with Figure 1 The stereo diagram corresponding to the IV view.

[0046] The other strip member 18B is identical to the other strip member 18A, comprising a horizontal portion 18Bh along the lower surface of the fuel tank 17, a front curved portion 18Bf extending upward from the front end of the horizontal portion 18Bh substantially along the front surface of the fuel tank 17, and a rear curved portion 18Br extending upward from the rear end of the horizontal portion 18Bh substantially along the rear surface of the fuel tank 17. A fastening flange 18Bc extending towards the front of the vehicle is provided at the upper end of the front curved portion 18Bf. Similarly, a fastening flange 18Bc extending towards the rear of the vehicle is provided at the upper end of the rear curved portion 18Br. The fastening flange 18Bc on the front side of the strip member 18B overlaps with the lower surface of the fixing wall 19a of the right-side support block 19 and is fastened to the fixing wall 19a by bolts 20. Thus, the front end of the strip member 18B is connected to the upper curved portion 15 via the support block 19. In addition, the fastening flange 18Bc on the rear side of the strip member 18B overlaps with the lower surface of the crossbeam 16 and is fastened to the crossbeam 16 by bolts 21.

[0047] In addition, such as Figure 4 As shown, a buffer member 40, made of a rubber-like elastic member or the like, is sandwiched between the other strip member 18B and the fuel tank 17. Specifically, the buffer member 40 engages with the upper surface of the horizontal portion 18Bh, the upper surface of the front curved portion 18Bf, and the upper surface of the rear curved portion 18Br of the strip member 18B, absorbing vibrations transmitted from the fuel tank 17 to the strip member 18B.

[0048] Additionally, a load-applying member 30 of a predetermined mass is installed between the front end of one of the strip members 18A in the upper bend 15 and the joint (using the joint of bolts 20) of the support block 19 on the left side, and the connection 25 between the upper bend 15 and the lower longitudinal beam 11 on the left side (the lower longitudinal beam 11 on the side close to the strip member 18A). The load-applying member 30 is mounted on the rear surface of the upper bend 15 via a cover member 29. The load-applying member 30 is configured such that at least a portion of its vertical height position overlaps with the joint (using the joint of bolts 20) of the front end of the strip member 18A in the upper bend 15 with the support block 19. The load-applying member 30 mounted on the upper bend 15 suppresses the upper bend 15 from vibrating up and down or back and forth due to input vibration from the fuel tank 17 via the strip member 18A.

[0049] Figure 5 This is a diagram of the mounting portion of the load-applying member 30 in the upper bend 15, viewed from the lower left rear side. Figure 6 It is the mounting part of the load-applying component 30 Figure 5 VI-direction view, Figure 7 It is along Figure 5 A sectional view cut along line VII-VII. Additionally... Figure 8 It is the mounting part of the load-applying component 30 Figure 5 The VIII view.

[0050] like Figure 5 As shown, the load-applying member 30 is constructed from a rectangular metal block. The load-applying member 30 is fixed to the upper curved portion 15 via the cover member 29, with its thickness direction facing the front and rear of the vehicle and its long rectangular side facing up and down. Furthermore, the left and right sides of the load-applying member 30 are not flat surfaces, as... Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, it protrudes outward in an angular shape in the vehicle width direction with the central position in the thickness direction as the vertex.

[0051] On the other hand, the cover member 29 has a receiving portion 29a with a cross-section substantially U-shaped (substantially U-shaped) and a pair of outwardly projecting flanges 29b extending from the left and right opening edges of the receiving portion 29a. The cover member 29 has the opening side of the receiving portion 29a facing the rear surface of the upper curved portion 15, and in this state, the outwardly projecting flanges 29b are welded and fixed to the rear surface of the upper curved portion 15. A load-applying member 30 is housed inside the receiving portion 29a. The top 30st of each of the left and right sides of the load-applying member 30 is welded and fixed to the inner surface of the side wall of the receiving portion 29a of the cover member 29. With the cover member 29 fixed to the rear surface of the upper curved portion 15, the load-applying member 30... Figure 6 , Figure 7As shown, a gap 35a extending in the vertical direction is ensured between the rear surface of the load-applying member 30 and the bottom surface of the receiving portion 29a of the cover member 29. Additionally, in this state, a gap 35b extending in the vertical direction is ensured between the front surface of the load-applying member 30 and the rear surface of the upper bend 15.

[0052] Furthermore, downward flanges 29c extend from the lower edges of the receiving portion 29a and the left and right outward flanges 29b of the cover member 29. A portion of the central area of ​​the downward flange 29c in the vehicle width direction bulges towards the rear of the vehicle, and this bulging portion forms a communication opening 38 between itself and the rear surface of the upper bend 15. The communication opening 38 connects the front and rear gaps 35b, 35a within the receiving portion 29a with the lower part of the cover member 29. The width w1 of the communication opening 38 in the front and rear direction (refer to...) Figure 8 The width w2 in the front-to-back direction of the load-applying member 30 is set as (refer to...). Figure 6 )narrow.

[0053] It should be noted that, Figure 5 , Figure 7 Reference numeral 42 is a retaining hole used to hold the load-applying member 30 in the fixture when the load-applying member 30 is welded and fixed to the cover member. In addition, reference numeral 43 is an insertion hole on the side of the cover member 29 through which the fixture is inserted.

[0054] As described above, in the fuel tank configuration of this embodiment, the fuel tank 17, located below the high floor portion 14, is fixed to the upper bend 15 of the vehicle floor 10 by strip members 18A and 18B. A load-applying member 30 of a predetermined mass is installed on the upper bend 15 to limit the vibration of the upper bend 15. Therefore, when the fuel tank 17 is intentionally subjected to vibrations from vehicle driving, fuel pump operation, etc., the vibration of the fuel tank 17 is suppressed by the upper bend 15 of the vehicle floor 10. Furthermore, the vibration of the upper bend 15 is suppressed by the mass of the load-applying member 30.

[0055] Therefore, when the fuel tank configuration structure of this embodiment is adopted, it is possible to suppress the enlargement of the area around the support of the fuel tank 17 and effectively suppress the transmission of vibration from the fuel tank 17 to the passenger compartment 2.

[0056] Furthermore, in the fuel tank configuration of this embodiment, a crossbeam 16 is disposed below the high floor portion 14 of the vehicle body floor 10, and the fuel tank 17 is disposed between the upper bend 15 and the crossbeam 16. The strip members 18A and 18B are connected to the upper bend 15 and the crossbeam 16. Therefore, the vibration of the fuel tank 17 can be effectively suppressed by the high rigidity of the upper bend 15 and the crossbeam 16 connected to the strip members 18A and 18B. At this time, since a load-applying member 30 is attached to the upper bend 15, which has lower rigidity than the crossbeam 16, the vibration of the upper bend 15 can be suppressed by the load-applying member 30, thus preventing the vibration of the fuel tank 17 from being transmitted to the passenger compartment 2.

[0057] Furthermore, in the fuel tank configuration of this embodiment, the load-applying member 30 is disposed between the joint portion of the upper bend 15 that connects to the strip member 18A and the connecting portion 25 that connects to the lower longitudinal beam 11, at least a portion of its vertical height position overlapping with the joint portion that connects to the strip member 18A. Therefore, with this structure, the outer end of the upper bend 15 in the vehicle width direction can be firmly supported by the lower longitudinal beam 11. Moreover, since the load-applying member 30 is disposed between the joint portion of the upper bend 15 that connects to the strip member 18A and the connecting portion 25 that connects to the lower longitudinal beam 11, vibrations of the fuel tank 17 input to the joint portion of the strip member 18A and the upper bend 15 can be effectively suppressed by the load-applying member 30 disposed between the joint portion and the lower longitudinal beam 11. In particular, in this structure, since the load-applying member 30 is configured such that at least a portion of its height position in the vertical direction overlaps with the joint on the upper bend 15 that is connected to the strip member 18A, the vibration of the joint can be suppressed more effectively.

[0058] Furthermore, in the fuel tank configuration of this embodiment, the load-applying member 30 is mounted on the upper bend 15 via the cover member 29. The cover member 29 has a U-shaped storage portion 29a and an outwardly projecting flange 29b extending from the opening edge of the storage portion 29a. The outwardly projecting flange 29b engages with the upper bend 15, and the load-applying member 30 is fixed inside the storage portion 29a. Therefore, the load-applying member 30 can be securely fixed to the upper bend 15 while covered by the cover member 29. Additionally, the load-applying member 30 can be constructed from a component with a higher specific gravity, and the cover member 29 can be constructed from a component that is easy to process or join with other components.

[0059] Therefore, with this structure, the vibration of the fuel tank 17 input to the joint with the strip member 18A on the upward bend 15 can be suppressed more effectively by the load application member 30, and the load application member 30 can be easily installed on the upward bend 15.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, with the load-applying member 30 fixed to the upper bend 15 via the cover member 29, gaps 35b and 35a extending vertically are ensured before and after the load-applying member 30. Moreover, a communication port 38 is formed between the downward flange 29c of the cover member 29 and the upper bend 15, connecting the gaps 35b and 35a to the lower surface. Therefore, if water droplets or dust enter the receiving portion 29a of the cover member 29, the water droplets or dust can be easily discharged to the outside through the gaps 35b and 35a and the communication port 38. Especially when water droplets enter the receiving portion 29a, water droplet retention within the cover member 29 can be prevented, thus preventing rusting of the cover member 29 or the load-applying member 30.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the width w1 of the front-to-back direction of the connecting opening 38 of the cover member 29 is narrower than the width w2 of the front-to-back direction of the load applying member 30. Therefore, even if the load applying member 30 is accidentally separated from the cover member 29, the load applying member 30 can be reliably prevented from falling outward through the connecting opening 38.

[0062] Furthermore, in the fuel tank configuration of this embodiment, one of the strip members 18A is composed of a hose that fits into the groove 22 on the outer surface of the fuel tank 17. Moreover, the load-applying member 30 is disposed between the junction of the hose and the upper bend 15 and the connection between the upper bend 15 and the lower longitudinal beam 11. Therefore, when an impact load is input from the side of the vehicle, the movement of the fuel tank 17 can be reliably restricted by the hose.

[0063] In this structure, although vibrations from the fuel tank 17 can easily be transmitted to the upper bend 15 through the highly rigid hose, the upper bend 15 suppresses these input vibrations, and the vibrations of the upper bend 15 are suppressed by the load-applying member 30. Therefore, with this structure, vibration transmission to the passenger compartment 2 can be effectively suppressed.

[0064] Furthermore, in the fuel tank configuration of this embodiment, a buffer member 40 is disposed between the other strip member 18B and the fuel tank 17. Therefore, the vibration of the fuel tank 17 at the portion separated from the hose (strip member 18A) can be suppressed by the buffer member 40.

[0065] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from its spirit.

Claims

1. A fuel tank configuration for a vehicle, wherein a fuel tank is disposed beneath the vehicle floor, wherein, The vehicle floor has: The low floor section is located below the passenger compartment; The elevated floor section is located at the rear of the passenger compartment and is higher than the height of the low floor section. as well as The upper curved portion rises upward from the rear of the lower floor section, connecting the lower floor section to the upper floor section. The fuel tank is located below the elevated floor section and is fixed to the upper bend by a strip member. A load-applying member of a specified mass is provided in the upper bend to limit the vibration of the upper bend.

2. The fuel tank configuration of the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, A crossbeam is disposed below the elevated floor section, forming a closed section extending along the vehicle width direction between the crossbeam and the elevated floor section. The fuel tank is positioned between the upper bend and the crossbeam. The strip member is combined with the upper bend and the crossbeam.

3. The fuel tank configuration of the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein, A lower longitudinal beam extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is provided on the lower side of the passenger compartment. The outer end of the upper curve in the vehicle width direction is connected to the lower longitudinal beam. The load-applying member is disposed between the junction of the strip member and the upper bend and the connection between the upper bend and the lower longitudinal beam, and at least a portion of its vertical height position overlaps with the junction.

4. The fuel tank configuration of the vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The load-applying member is mounted on the upper bend via a cover member. The cover component has a U-shaped storage portion and an outwardly projecting flange extending from the opening edge of the storage portion. The outward flange engages with the upper bend, and the load-applying member is fixed inside the receiving portion.

5. The fuel tank configuration of the vehicle according to claim 4, wherein, The load-applying member is positioned within the space between the receiving portion and the upper bend of the cover member while ensuring a gap extending in the vertical direction. A communication opening is formed between the lower region of the cover member and the upper bend, allowing the gap to communicate with the lower part.

6. The fuel tank configuration of the vehicle according to claim 5, wherein, The width of the connecting port in the front-to-back direction is narrower than the width of the load-applying member in the front-to-back direction.

7. The fuel tank configuration of the vehicle according to claim 3, wherein, The facility is provided with a plurality of said strip-shaped members, and at least one of said strip-shaped members is composed of a tubular strip whose main part is cylindrical. The tubing fits into a groove formed on the outer surface of the fuel tank. The load-applying member is disposed between the junction of the tube and the upper bend and the connection between the upper bend and the lower longitudinal beam.

8. The fuel tank configuration of the vehicle according to claim 7, wherein, A buffer member is disposed between the strip member other than the tube and the fuel tank.

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