Tank structure

Abstract

To provide a tank structure suitable for water supply and traveling.SOLUTION: A tank structure 1 includes: a urea water tank 10 mounted to a vehicle 100 and having a replenishment opening 11a formed thereon; and a filler pipe 20 having an insertion part 21a inserted into the replenishment opening 11a and an opening part 22a that is an end part on the side opposite to the insertion part 21a and to which urea water is sent. The filler pipe 20 is configured to be rotatable about the insertion part 21a serving as an axis, and is provided so that at least a position and an angle of the opening part 22a in a water supply state and those of the opening part 22a in a traveling state differ from each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a tank structure.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a tank structure including: a cap that engages with and disengages from a filling port of an aqueous urea tank; a hose that is inserted into the filling port and made of an elastically deformable material; a first flange portion that is provided at one end of the hose to prevent passage into the tank; a second flange portion that is provided at the other end of the hose, is deformable to reduce its diameter when passing through the filling port, and expands in diameter in a free state after passing through to engage with a fuel filling port; and a detaching / attaching device that is provided on the cap and has an operating portion for detaching and attaching the cap and the first flange portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the tank structure as described above, the angle and position of the filling port suitable for water supply are different from the angle and position of the filling port suitable for traveling, and it has been difficult to provide a structure suitable for both water supply and traveling.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a tank structure suitable for both water supply and traveling.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The tank structure according to one aspect of the present invention is mounted on a vehicle and includes an aqueous urea tank formed with a filling port, an insertion portion inserted into the filling port, and a pipe having a mouth portion at an end opposite to the insertion portion through which the aqueous urea is fed. The pipe is configured to be rotatable about the insertion portion, and at least the position and angle of the mouth portion in the water supply state and the position and angle of the mouth portion in the traveling state are provided to be different from each other.

[0007] In the tank structure according to one aspect of the present invention, a pipe is inserted into the filling port of the aqueous urea tank, and the pipe is configured to be rotatable so that the position and angle of the mouth portion of the pipe are different from each other in the water supply state and the traveling state. According to such a tank structure, by rotating the pipe, when supplying water, the mouth portion of the pipe is positioned outside the vehicle and the angle is upward, and water can be supplied easily and appropriately (so that spillage does not occur), and during traveling, the mouth portion of the pipe can be set to a position and angle that do not interfere with traveling. As described above, according to one aspect of the present invention, a tank structure suitable for both water supply and traveling can be provided.

[0008] The mouth portion of the pipe may be arranged outside the outermost side of the vehicle in the water supply state. According to such a structure, water can be supplied easily.

[0009] The above tank structure may further include a stopper that prevents the pipe from rotating in a direction opposite to the rotation direction when the pipe in the traveling state transitions to the water supply state. According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the rotatably provided pipe from rotating in an inappropriate direction (a direction not suitable for either the water supply state or the traveling state).

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a tank structure suitable for both water supply and traveling can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0013] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, the tank structure 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a mounted state in a vehicle 100 having the tank structure 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the tank structure 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing a filler pipe 20. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a fixing structure of the filler pipe 20. FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining the filler pipe 20 in a water supply state and the filler pipe 20 in a traveling state. FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining an angle in a water supply state of the filler pipe 20 according to the embodiment as compared with a comparative example. Note that, in each figure, some configurations are omitted from the illustration. For example, in FIG. 1, the illustration of a stopper 30 (see FIG. 5) described later is omitted.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the tank structure 1 is mounted on the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 is, for example, a truck, but is not limited thereto. The tank structure 1 is mounted on a vehicle 100 that uses, for example, a urea SCR system for reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) in exhaust gas with ammonia. The tank structure 1 may be disposed, for example, immediately in front of the rear wheels of the vehicle 100. The tank structure 1 includes a urea water tank 10, a filler pipe 20, a stopper 30 (see FIG. 5), and a tank holding portion 40. The tank holding portion 40 has a bracket or the like and holds the urea water tank 10.

[0015] The urea water tank 10 is a tank for storing urea water that is mounted on the vehicle 100 and has a replenishment port 11a (see FIG. 5). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the urea water tank 10 has an inclined surface 11 on the front side surface of the vehicle, and the replenishment port 11a (see FIG. 5) is formed on the inclined surface 11.

[0016] The filler pipe 20 is inserted into the replenishment port 11a (see FIG. 5) and is configured such that urea water is fed from a water supply gun 200 (see FIG. 5) or the like. In use, the filler pipe 20 is integrated with the urea water tank 10. As a result, for example, brackets or the like for fixing the pipes, which are required in a configuration where they are separate even during use, become unnecessary, and the number of parts can be reduced. Also, the tank assembly work, which is required in a configuration where they are separate even during use as described above, becomes unnecessary, and cost reduction can be achieved for the entire vehicle. As shown in FIG. 3, the filler pipe 20 has a first portion 21 and a second portion 22.

[0017] The first part 21 has an insertion part 21a inserted into the filling port 11a, and a bent pipe part 21b that is continuous with the insertion part 21a and is bent. In this way, the filler pipe 20 is provided with the bent pipe part 21b, and the inclined surface 11 (see FIG. 5) where the filling port 11a (see FIG. 5) into which the filler pipe 20 is inserted is formed is inclined. By the rotational movement of the filler pipe 20 described later, a gradient can be given to the filler pipe 20, and spillage during water supply can be appropriately prevented.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4(a), specifically, the insertion part 21a has a claw part 21c, a protrusion part 21d, an O-ring groove part 21e, and a lid part 21f. The claw part 21c is provided at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the insertion part 21a. The claw part 21c is a part that protrudes outward and engages with the lower surface of the inner convex part 50b of the filler pipe fixing adapter 50 described later (see FIG. 4(c)). The protrusion part 21d is provided above the claw part 21c in the insertion part 21a and is a part that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the insertion part 21a. The protrusion part 21d is provided over the entire circumference of the insertion part 21a. The protrusion part 21d functions as a sealing structure (specifically, a labyrinth seal) between the filler pipe 20 and the filler pipe fixing adapter 50 (see FIG. 4(c)). The O-ring groove part 21e is a groove in which the O-ring 21x is provided, and is formed over the entire circumference of the insertion part 21a above the protrusion part 21d. The lid part 21f is provided above the O-ring groove part 21e in the insertion part 21a and is a part that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the insertion part 21a. The lid part 21f is provided over the entire circumference of the insertion part 21a. The lid part 21f contacts the upper end of the base part 50a of the filler pipe fixing adapter 50 so as to cover the upper end (see FIG. 4(c)).

[0019] As shown in FIG. 4(b), a filler pipe fixing adapter 50 is provided at the replenishment port 11a of the urea water tank 10. The filler pipe fixing adapter 50 has a cylindrical base portion 50a, an inner convex portion 50b extending inward from the inner peripheral surface at the lower end of the base portion 50a, and an outer convex portion 50c extending outward from the outer peripheral surface of a substantially central portion in the vertical direction of the base portion 50a. The outer diameter of the base portion 50a substantially coincides with the diameter of the replenishment port 11a. The inner convex portion 50b and the outer convex portion 50c may be provided over the entire circumference of the base portion 50a. The inner convex portion 50b is a portion that engages with the claw portion 21c of the insertion portion 21a (see FIG. 4(c)). The outer convex portion 50c is fixed to the inclined surface 11 of the urea water tank 10 (see FIG. 4(b)) and is, for example, fused.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4(c), the insertion portion 21a of the filler pipe 20 is inserted into and fixed to a filler pipe fixing adapter 50 provided at the replenishment port 11a of the urea water tank 10. The procedure will be described below.

[0021] First, an O-ring 21x is fitted into the O-ring groove portion 21e of the insertion portion 21a. Subsequently, the insertion portion 21a is inserted into the filler pipe fixing adapter 50. At this time, the claw portion 21c is provided so as to engage with the lower surface of the inner convex portion 50b of the filler pipe fixing adapter 50 at the lower end of the insertion portion 21a. Also, the lid portion 21f of the insertion portion 21a is provided so as to cover the upper end of the base portion 50a of the filler pipe fixing adapter 50. In this state, the O-ring 21x and the protrusion portion 21d (labyrinth seal) function as a double seal structure. According to such a structure, airtightness is ensured, and the durability of the seal portion can be improved by the double seal structure. Further, the O-ring 21x, the protrusion portion 21d, and the claw portion 21c function as a pipe fixing structure. According to such a structure, the assemblability of the filler pipe 20 is improved. Also, due to the increase in frictional force by the double seal, it is suppressed that the filler pipe 20 is easily rotated due to input from the road surface during running or the like. Further, the wobbling of the filler pipe 20 is suppressed by the two-point support of the claw portion 21c and the protrusion portion 21d (labyrinth seal) (realization of a pipe centering structure).

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the second portion 22 is the end portion on the opposite side of the insertion portion 21a and has a mouth portion 22a into which aqueous urea solution is fed from a water supply gun 200 or the like. One end of the second portion 22 is continuous with the bent pipe portion 21b, extends straight, and the mouth portion 22a is provided at the other end. A cap 25 (see FIG. 5) may be detachably attached to the mouth portion 22a.

[0023] Next, the rotation operation of the filler pipe 20 according to the state will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. In FIG. 5, the filler pipe 20 in the water supply state (a state in which the vehicle 100 is stopped and aqueous urea solution is being fed from the water supply gun 200 into the filler pipe 20) is shown by a solid line, and the filler pipe 20 in the traveling state (a state in which the vehicle 100 is traveling) is shown by a virtual line. In FIG. 6, the filler pipe 20 in the water supply state according to the present embodiment is shown by a solid line, and the filler pipe 520 according to the comparative example is shown by a broken line. The filler pipe 520 according to the comparative example here is a fixed conventional filler pipe that cannot be rotated.

[0024] The filler pipe 20 is configured to be rotatable about the insertion portion 21a. The filler pipe 20 is rotated, for example, by a user who performs water supply. The filler pipe 20 is rotatably provided such that the position and angle of the mouth portion 22a (i.e., the cap 25) in the water supply state and the position and angle of the mouth portion 22a in the traveling state are different from each other.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 5, in the water supply state, the mouth portion 22a of the filler pipe 20 is disposed outside the outermost side 100x of the vehicle 100. Specifically, the position of the mouth portion 22a in the water supply state may be disposed, for example, about 40 mm to 70 mm outside the outermost side 100x of the vehicle 100. Thereby, it becomes easier for the user who performs water supply to feed the aqueous urea solution from the water supply gun 200 to the filler pipe 20. Further, as shown in Fig. 6, in the water supply state, the angle of the mouth portion 22a of the filler pipe 20 faces the upper side of the vehicle as compared with the angle of the mouth portion 522a of the fixed conventional filler pipe 520 according to the comparative example. The angle of the mouth portion 22a in the water supply state may be upward, for example, about 30° to 45° with respect to the horizontal direction. By setting the angle of the mouth portion 22a upward in this way, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of spillage during water supply. For example, when the mouth of the pipe is located inside the vehicle and close to the road surface, the posture becomes unstable during the water supply operation, and when the angle of the mouth is close to horizontal, spillage becomes a problem. In this regard, by rotating the filler pipe 20 so that the mouth portion 22a is disposed at a position and an angle suitable for the water supply state as described above, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the above-described problems.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 5, in the traveling state, the mouth portion 22a of the filler pipe 20 is arranged to face the inside of the vehicle 100. Thereby, it is possible to avoid the filler pipe 20 from obstructing the traveling during traveling. Since the orientation of the mouth portion 22a of the filler pipe 20 can be freely changed between the water supply state and the traveling state, the degree of freedom in mounting the urea water tank 10 is improved. This eliminates the need for capital investment such as creating a new tank, and cost reduction is achieved by sharing the urea water tank 10. For example, a stopper 30 is provided on an inclined surface 11 of the urea water tank 10. The stopper 30 is configured to prevent the filler pipe 20 from rotating in a direction opposite to the rotation direction when the filler pipe 20 in the traveling state transitions to the water supply state (the clockwise direction in the example shown in FIG. 5). The stopper 30 has a fixing portion 31 and a contact portion 32. The fixing portion 31 is a portion fixed to, for example, the inclined surface 11 of the urea water tank 10. The contact portion 32 is provided on the fixing portion 31 and is a portion that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the filler pipe 20 along the cylindrical shape of the filler pipe 20. In the traveling state, the filler pipe 20 may always be in contact with the contact portion 32, or the filler pipe 20 may come into contact with the contact portion 32 only when the filler pipe 20 rotates in the direction in which rotation is to be prevented.

[0027] Next, the operation when transitioning from the traveling state to the water supply state will be described. First, after the vehicle 100 stops, the filler pipe 20 with the mouth portion 22a facing inward is rotated. Specifically, the filler pipe 20 is rotated until the mouth portion 22a is positioned outside the outermost side 100x of the vehicle 100. Subsequently, the cap 25 attached to the mouth portion 22a is removed. Then, urea water is fed from the water supply gun 200 into the mouth portion 22a by a user who performs water supply. The above is the operation in the water supply state.

[0028] Next, the effects of the tank structure 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0029] The tank structure 1 is mounted on the vehicle 100 and includes a urea water tank 10 formed with a filling port 11a, an insertion portion 21a inserted into the filling port 11a, and a filler pipe 20 having a mouth portion 22a at the end opposite to the insertion portion 21a through which the urea water is fed. The filler pipe 20 is configured to be rotatable about the insertion portion 21a, and is provided such that at least the position and angle of the mouth portion 22a in the water supply state and the position and angle of the mouth portion 22a in the traveling state are different from each other.

[0030] In the tank structure 1 according to the present embodiment, the filler pipe 20 is inserted into the filling port 11a of the urea water tank 10, and the filler pipe 20 is configured to be rotatable such that the position and angle of the mouth portion 22a of the filler pipe 20 are different from each other between the water supply state and the traveling state. According to such a tank structure 1, by rotating the filler pipe 20, when supplying water, the mouth portion 22a of the filler pipe 20 is positioned on the outer side of the vehicle and the angle is upward so that water can be supplied easily and appropriately (so as not to cause spillage), and during traveling, the mouth portion 22a of the filler pipe 20 can be set to a position and angle that do not interfere with traveling. As described above, according to the tank structure 1 according to the present embodiment, a tank structure suitable for both water supply and traveling can be provided.

[0031] In the above-described tank structure 1, the mouth portion 22a of the filler pipe 20 may be arranged outside the outermost side 100x of the vehicle 100 in the water supply state. According to such a structure, water can be supplied easily.

[0032] The above-described tank structure 1 may further include a stopper 30 that prevents the filler pipe 20 from rotating in a direction opposite to the rotation direction when the filler pipe 20 in the traveling state transitions to the water supply state. According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the rotatably provided filler pipe 20 from rotating in an inappropriate direction (for example, a direction not suitable for either the water supply state or the traveling state).

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0033] 1... Tank structure, 10... AdBlue tank, 11... Inclined surface, 11a... Refueling port, 20... Filler pipe, 21... First part, 21a... Insertion part, 21b... Bent pipe part, 21c... Claw part, 21d... Protrusion part, 21e... Ring groove part, 21f... Cover part, 21x... O-ring, 22... Second part, 22a... Mouth part, 25... Cap, 30... Stopper, 31... Fixed part, 32... Contact part, 40... Tank holding part, 50... Filler pipe fixing adapter, 50a... Base part, 50b... Inner convex part, 50c... Outer convex part, 100... Vehicle, 100x... Outermost side, 200... Water supply gun.

Claims

1. A urea water tank mounted on a vehicle and having a filling port; and a pipe having an insertion portion inserted into the filling port and a mouth portion at an end opposite to the insertion portion through which urea water is fed. The pipe is configured to be rotatable about the insertion portion, and is provided such that at least the position and angle of the mouth portion in the water supply state and the position and angle of the mouth portion in the traveling state are different from each other. A tank structure.

2. The tank structure according to claim 1, wherein the mouth portion of the pipe is disposed outside the outermost side of the vehicle in the water supply state.

3. The tank structure according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a stopper that prevents the pipe from rotating in a direction opposite to the rotation direction when the pipe in the traveling state transitions to the water supply state.

Images