Fuel tank mounting structure

Abstract

To provide a mounting structure of a fuel tank capable of suitably mounting the fuel tank while reducing components necessary for mounting the fuel tank.SOLUTION: A fuel tank 8 is stored in an internal space formed by a member constituting a vehicle body, and an outer peripheral surface of the fuel tank 8 is brought into contact with the member constituting the vehicle body from the inside to restrain the fuel tank 8 to the vehicle body. Upper and lower sides of the fuel tank 8 are restrained by a base portion of a frame 9 and an upper cover 11, and left and right sides of the fuel tank are restrained between a rib of the frame 9 and a side cover 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure for attaching a fuel tank to a vehicle such as a construction machine.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a resin fuel tank has been used as a fuel tank mounted on a vehicle such as a construction machine or a work vehicle. As a structure for attaching such a fuel tank, for example, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below, a band made of rubber, metal, or the like is wound around the fuel tank, and a fastener provided on the band is moored to the vehicle body side. Such a structure is widely adopted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Needless to say, a certain volume is required for the fuel tank of a vehicle. On the other hand, it is also necessary to avoid interference with other devices and structures mounted on the vehicle. Therefore, the capacity of the fuel tank is naturally limited. In particular, in a construction machine provided with mechanisms for various operations, there is a great demand to avoid interference with other devices. Further, in a small construction machine such as a mini excavator, careful adjustment is required regarding the relationship between the arrangement of devices on the vehicle body and the volume of the fuel tank. Furthermore, when the vehicle is a swing-type vehicle, there is also a demand to make the turning radius as small as possible. Therefore, the adjustment of the arrangement of devices and the volume and shape of the fuel tank is even more severe. For example, a situation where the volume of the fuel tank has to be increased to some extent can be assumed.

[0005] Here, in the prior art, as described above, for example, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 above, a band is used as a component for attaching a fuel tank. In such a structure, not only does the band itself occupy space due to its volume and shape, but also components such as brackets for mooring the band are required, and these have been factors that compress the volume of the fuel tank and the mountability of various devices in the vehicle.

[0006] In view of such circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a mounting structure for a fuel tank that can suitably mount the fuel tank while reducing the components required for attaching the fuel tank.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention relates to a mounting structure for a fuel tank, characterized in that a fuel tank is housed in an internal space formed by members constituting a vehicle body, and an outer peripheral surface of the fuel tank is in contact with the members constituting the vehicle body from the inside, so that the fuel tank is constrained with respect to the vehicle body.

[0008] In the mounting structure of the fuel tank of the present invention, the vehicle body is configured to include a frame forming a skeleton of the vehicle body and an upper cover located above the frame and covering an upper surface of the vehicle body, and the fuel tank is housed between the frame and the upper cover and can have a structure in which the fuel tank is constrained vertically by the frame and the upper cover.

[0009] In the mounting structure of the fuel tank of the present invention, the vehicle body is configured to include a frame forming a skeleton of the vehicle body and a side cover located outside the frame in the left-right direction and covering a side surface of the vehicle body, the frame includes ribs located inside the side cover in the left-right direction, and the fuel tank is housed between the ribs and the side cover and can have a structure in which the fuel tank is constrained left and right by the side cover and the ribs.

Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the mounting structure of the fuel tank of the present invention, it is possible to achieve an excellent effect of suitably mounting the fuel tank while reducing the parts necessary for mounting the fuel tank.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 shows an example of the form of a vehicle as an application target of the present invention. Here, it is assumed that the vehicle 1 is a mini-excavator which is a construction machine. The vehicle 1 which is a mini-excavator is provided with an upper slewing body 4 rotatably via a slewing ring 3 above a lower traveling body 2 which is a crawler, and various devices are mounted on the upper slewing body 4 in addition to a driver's seat 5, an operating device 6, and an arm 7.

[0014] The form of the fuel tank and its surroundings in the upper revolving body 4 is shown in FIGS. 2 to 6. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fuel tank 8 is attached to the left position in the upper revolving body 4 and is housed inside the cover that covers the upper revolving body 4. Incidentally, various holes, protrusions, etc. are formed in the fuel tank 8 and its surrounding structures shown in FIGS. 2 to 6 for the purpose of ensuring strength, attaching equipment, etc. The actual form is more complicated than the shape shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, but the illustration is appropriately omitted for the parts not directly related to the gist of the present invention.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper revolving body 4 as the vehicle body of the vehicle 1 is configured by assembling various devices (not shown), including the fuel tank 8, to a frame (swivel frame) 9 that forms the skeleton of the vehicle body, and attaching covers (side covers 10 and upper cover 11 described later) to cover this from the outside.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the swivel frame 9 is configured to include a plate-shaped base portion 9a that is attached to the swivel wheels 3 (see FIG. 1) and forms the bottom surface of the vehicle body, and ribs 9b that project upward from the upper surface of the base portion 9a. It constitutes the skeleton of the upper revolving body 4 and supports various devices attached to the upper revolving body 4. The base portion 9a has a substantially octagonal shape with the four corners of a substantially rectangular plate material that is slightly longer in the front-rear direction cut into an arc shape. In the front (downward in FIG. 5), a mounting bracket 9c for attaching the arm 7 is provided.

[0017] Two ribs 9b extend along the front-rear direction at positions slightly inside in the left-right direction from both side edges of the base portion 9a. The ribs 9b on both sides form surfaces along the vertical direction. In the rearward part, they extend parallel to each other along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and in the forward part, they are arranged on the upper surface of the base portion 9a so that the distance between them becomes shorter as they go forward. The mounting bracket 9c is configured as a total of three plate-shaped members provided so as to form a surface along the horizontal direction in front of these ribs 9b and the base portion 9a.

[0018] Of the outer periphery of the upper revolving body 4 in a plan view, an arm 7 is attached to the front surface via a mounting bracket 9c, and side covers 10 are attached to both side surfaces and the rear surface so as to cover various devices (including the fuel tank 8) assembled to the base portion 9a. The side covers 10 are attached along both side edges and the rear edge of the base portion 9a, and are members that form a surface in a shape rising upward from the height of the base portion 9a. Incidentally, the side covers 10 are appropriately divided and configured according to convenience such as attachment to the upper revolving body 4, access to the assembled devices, and production of parts of the side covers 10, and lids, doors, openings, etc. are also provided as necessary at various locations.

[0019] Of the upper revolving body 4, the surface corresponding to the upper side of the side cover 10 is partially further covered by an upper cover 11. On the upper side of the base portion 9a constituting the upper revolving body 4, devices such as an engine are mainly assembled on the rear side and are raised, and further, a driver's seat 5 is attached thereon. An operating device 6 such as an operating lever is provided at a position closer to the front surface of the base portion 9a, and the low portions on both sides of the operating device 6 and between the operating device 6 and the driver's seat 5 are configured as a floorboard for an operator sitting on the driver's seat 5, and this portion is covered by a floorboard as the upper cover 11.

[0020] As described above, the left and right ribs 9b are located slightly inward in the left - right direction with respect to both side edges of the base portion 9a. On the other hand, the portions of the side covers 10 on the left and right of the vehicle body that cover the side surface of the vehicle body are located outside in the left - right direction with respect to the base portion 9a constituting the slewing frame 9. Therefore, there is a distance between the outer surfaces in the left - right direction of each rib 9b and the side covers 10. That is, the left and right side covers 10 are located outside in the left - right direction with respect to the left and right ribs 9b. The fuel tank 8 is installed in the space between these members.

[0021] The fuel tank 8 is a resin container having an elongated shape along the front-rear direction as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. At the intermediate portion in the front-rear direction, a neck portion 8a protrudes upward, and a fuel filler port 8b with a detachable cap is provided at the upper end of the neck portion 8a.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fuel tank 8 is attached over the front and rear of the upper swivel body 4 in the space between the left rib 9b and the side cover 10 near the left side surface of the upper swivel body 4. At this position, the fuel tank 8 is surrounded by the base portion 9a and the rib 9b of the swivel frame 9 constituting the upper swivel body 4, the side cover 10, and the upper cover (floor plate) 11. And the shape and outer dimensions of the fuel tank 8 are configured in accordance with the shape and dimensions of the space formed by these members.

[0023] The shape and dimensions of the fuel tank 8 and the surrounding structures will be further described. The outer contour of the upper swivel body 4 is mainly formed by the base portion 9a, the side cover 10, and the upper cover 11, and various equipment and devices including the fuel tank 8 are housed in its internal space. Among the upper swivel body 4, the front portion is covered with the upper cover 11 as a floor plate on the upper surface, and the height from the base portion 9a is lower compared to the rear portion provided with the driver's seat 5 at the upper part. The fuel tank 8 is housed together with other devices in the internal space of the upper swivel body 4 having such a shape.

[0024] The installation position of the fuel tank 8 within the upper revolving body 4 is immediately inside the side cover 10 corresponding to the left side surface. When viewed from the fuel tank 8, the base portion 9a of the slewing frame 9 is located below, and the upper cover 11 as a floor plate is located above. On the left and right sides of the fuel tank 8, there are respectively a side cover 10 (referred to as the left side cover 10a) forming the left side surface of the upper revolving body 4 and a rib 9b on the left side of the slewing frame 9 (referred to as the left rib 9d). The fuel tank 8 is set such that (at least) some of the dimensions of the outer dimensions in the vertical direction match the distance between the lower surface of the upper cover 11 and the upper surface of the base portion 9a, and (at least) some of the dimensions of the outer dimensions in the horizontal direction match the distance between the inner surface (right side surface) in the horizontal direction of the left side cover 10a and the outer surface (left side surface) in the horizontal direction of the left rib 9d. As a result, the outer peripheral surface of the fuel tank 8 is in contact with the members (slewing frame 9, side cover 10, and upper cover 11) constituting the vehicle body (upper revolving body 4) from the inside, so that the fuel tank 8 is constrained with respect to the vehicle body.

[0025] In the case of this embodiment, the portion of the fuel tank 8 located forward of the neck portion 8a is disposed below the floor plate 11 corresponding to the front part within the internal space of the upper revolving body 4, and the portion corresponding to the rear from the neck portion 8a is disposed within the higher space behind the installation portion of the floor plate 11. The portion of the fuel tank 8 forward of the neck portion 8a is set to have outer dimensions in the vertical direction that just fit between the floor plate 11 and the base portion 9a. The neck portion 8a is disposed in a portion of the internal space where the height is higher and closer to the rear than the installation portion of the floor plate 11, and the fuel filler port 8b protrudes to a height above the floor plate 11. The portion behind the neck portion 8a is set to have shorter dimensions in the vertical direction compared to the portion in front of the neck portion 8a in consideration of the balance with other devices disposed in the internal space.

[0026] Further, the lower part of the fuel tank 8 is set to have outer dimensions in the left-right direction that exactly fit between the right side surface of the left side cover 10a and the left side surface of the left rib 9d. The left side cover 10a is formed to match the shape in plan view of the base portion 9a which is like a rectangle with its corners cut into arcs. Also, the left rib 9d is arranged on the base portion 9a in a shape such that the front part approaches inward (right side) in the left-right direction as it goes forward. However, the lower part of the fuel tank 8 is formed in a shape that exactly fits into the space between such left side cover 10a and left rib 9d. In this way, the fuel tank 8 is sandwiched vertically and horizontally between the base portion 9a and the floor board (upper cover) 11, the left rib 9d and the left side cover 10a, and a part of its upper, lower, left, and right surfaces is in contact with these, and it is accommodated in the internal space of the upper revolving body 4.

[0027] Also, the front part of the inner (right side) surface of the fuel tank 8 in the left-right direction is in contact with the diagonally arranged part of the front part of the left rib 9d. In this part, as shown in FIG. 6, an overhanging part 8c that protrudes inward (right side) in the left-right direction is provided at the upper part of the fuel tank 8. This overhanging part 8c is arranged to ride over the upper side of the left rib 9d in the mounting state shown in FIG. 3.

[0028] On the other hand, on the upper side of the part of the left rib 9d that is in contact with the front part of the fuel tank 8, a locking part 9e is formed that goes forward and has an increasing height dimension from the base portion 9a in the lower front as seen from the overhanging part 8c. In the state where the fuel tank 8 is attached as shown in FIG. 5, a part of the upper side of the left rib 9d that forms the locking part 9e contacts the front surface of the lower front of the overhanging part 8c from the front.

[0029] Further, the front portion of the left rib 9d is obliquely arranged so as to be positioned more to the right as it goes forward as described above, and the front portion of the fuel tank 8 is accommodated on the left side thereof. Due to the above arrangement of the left rib 9d, in the front portion of the swing frame 9, the space between the left rib 9d and the left side cover 10a becomes wider as it goes forward. Also, at the front lower portion of the fuel tank 8, a shape with a wider front width is formed in accordance with the shape of this space (see Fig. 6). In a state where the fuel tank 8 is attached to the swing frame 9, the front portion of the left rib 9d is in contact with a part of the front lower portion of the fuel tank 8 from behind. In this way, with respect to the fuel tank 8, a member of the left rib 9d is in contact with a part (overhanging portion 8c) of the fuel tank 8 from the front and the rear.

[0030] In addition, the fuel tank 8 is appropriately provided with irregularities for enhancing strength and avoiding interference with other devices and structures. Also, in these irregularities, the components of the upper swing body 4 are appropriately in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fuel tank 8. Since the fuel tank 8 is constrained in the up-down, left-right, and front-rear directions by these members constituting the vehicle body, the fuel tank 8 will not deviate from the vehicle body due to the movement of the vehicle 1 and the accompanying vibrations.

[0031] According to the above configuration, since the fuel tank 8 is constrained with respect to the vehicle body by the contact between the members (swing frame 9, side cover 10, upper cover 11) constituting the vehicle body and the fuel tank 8, the fuel tank 8 can be suitably attached to the vehicle body without separately requiring a structure for attaching the fuel tank 8. By adopting a structure that sandwiches the fuel tank 8 in contact with it from both sides in each of the up-down, left-right, and front-rear directions in three-dimensional space, the movement of the fuel tank 8 in each direction is constrained.

[0032] That is, in the case of this embodiment, an upper cover (floor board) 11 is disposed above the fuel tank 8, a base portion 9a which is a part of the swivel frame 9 is disposed below the fuel tank 8, a side cover 10 (left side cover 10a) is disposed on the left side of the fuel tank 8, a rib 9b (left rib 9d) which is a part of the swivel frame 9 is disposed on the right side of the fuel tank 8, a locking portion 9e which is a part of the left rib 9d is disposed in front of the fuel tank 8, and a front portion of the left rib 9d is also in contact with the rear of the fuel tank 8, whereby the fuel tank 8 is preferably constrained.

[0033] In addition, in this embodiment, with respect to the vertical and horizontal directions, each part (swivel frame 9, side cover 10, and upper cover 11) constituting the vehicle body (upper revolving body 4) sandwiches a part of the fuel tank 8 from both sides. However, when constraining the fuel tank 8, it is not necessarily required to sandwich the fuel tank 8 from both sides by other members in each of the vertical, horizontal, and front-rear directions. In fact, with respect to the front-rear direction, although a part of the swivel frame 9 is in contact with the fuel tank 8 from the front and rear respectively, the fuel tank 8 is not sandwiched from both the front and rear sides.

[0034] In addition, for example, with respect to the front-rear direction, by providing a concave shape on the fuel tank 8 side and providing a convex portion on a part of the member on the vehicle body side so as to fit into the concave shape, the movement of the fuel tank 8 in the front-rear direction can be similarly constrained. In such a case, the portion corresponding to the front surface of the protrusion contacts the front portion of the concave shape of the fuel tank from the rear, and the portion corresponding to the rear surface of the protrusion contacts the rear portion of the concave shape from the front, whereby the backward and forward movements of the fuel tank 8 can be restricted respectively. Thus, to constrain the movement of the fuel tank 8, it is sufficient that the surrounding members contact the members constituting the fuel tank 8 from the vertical, horizontal, front, and rear directions respectively.

[0035] Here, for the sake of convenience of explanation, a configuration has been described in which contact points between the fuel tank 8 and the surrounding members are provided in six directions: up, down, left, right, front, and rear, to restrict movement in each direction. However, for example, the same contact point can serve both the function of restricting movement forward and the function of restricting movement to the right, so the number of contact points can be reduced. Theoretically, to restrict the movement of the fuel tank 8, which is a three-dimensional solid (to define the position and orientation of the fuel tank 8), there should be at least four contact points between the fuel tank 8 and the surrounding members. Of course, five or more than seven contact points can also be set.

[0036] Regarding the expression that the fuel tank 8 "contacts" the surrounding members, in the state where the fuel tank 8 is attached to the vehicle 1, it is not necessarily always in contact with members such as the swivel frame 9, the side cover 10, and the upper cover 11 in all directions of up, down, left, right, front, and rear. For reasons such as ease of installation and product processing accuracy, a certain clearance may be set between the fuel tank 8 and these members. In such a case, depending on the installation situation of the fuel tank 8, the fuel tank 8 may move slightly due to vibrations during the running or driving of the vehicle 1. However, if as a result of such movement of the fuel tank 8, the fuel tank 8 contacts the above-mentioned members in the internal space of the upper rotating body 4, thereby restricting further movement, the mounting structure of the fuel tank 8 is practically sufficient.

[0037] When using resin as the material for the fuel tank, it can be manufactured at a lower cost compared to a tank made of steel plate. However, the physical properties of the materials are significantly different, and it is undeniable that it is inferior in terms of strength and formability. This has a great impact when attaching the tank to a vehicle. Resin has a lower surface friction coefficient compared to metal. Moreover, due to the requirements of vacuum forming, it inevitably takes a shape with rounded corners, and it is also difficult to process with high precision in terms of dimensions and shape. On the other hand, since it has lower toughness and is more brittle than metal, methods such as tightly clamping and fixing cannot be used. Therefore, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 above, for example, a band is put on the fuel tank, and a structure such as a dedicated bracket for mooring the band is provided on the vehicle to fix the tank. However, according to the mounting structure as in this embodiment, the fuel tank 8 can be attached to the vehicle body without the need for these bands and mooring structures. This makes it possible to reduce the number of parts while improving the volume of the fuel tank and the mountability of equipment. Note that the same mounting structure can be used to attach a fuel tank made of, for example, metal to a vehicle with the same structure as above regardless of the material of the fuel tank.

[0038] As described above, in the mounting structure of the fuel tank of the present embodiment, the fuel tank 8 is accommodated in the internal space formed by the members (frame (swivel frame) 9, side cover 10, upper cover 11) constituting the vehicle body, and the outer peripheral surface of the fuel tank 8 is configured to be in contact with the members constituting the vehicle body from the inside, so that the fuel tank 8 is restrained with respect to the vehicle body. In this way, the fuel tank 8 can be attached to the vehicle body without the need for bands and mooring structures.

[0039] In the mounting structure of the fuel tank of this embodiment, the vehicle body includes a frame (swivel frame) 9 that forms the framework of the vehicle body, and an upper cover 11 that is located above the frame 9 and covers the upper surface of the vehicle body. The fuel tank 8 is accommodated between the frame 9 (base portion 9a) and the upper cover 11, and is vertically constrained by the frame 9 and the upper cover 11. In this way, the frame (swivel frame) 9 and the upper cover 11 that constitute the vehicle body can preferably constrain the up and down movement of the fuel tank 8.

[0040] In the mounting structure of the fuel tank of this embodiment, the vehicle body includes a frame (swivel frame) 9 that forms the framework of the vehicle body, and a side cover 10 that is located outside the frame 9 in the left-right direction and covers the side surface of the vehicle body. The frame 9 is provided with a rib 9b that is located inside the side cover 10 in the left-right direction. The fuel tank 8 is accommodated between the rib 9b (left rib 9d) and the side cover 10 (left side cover 10a), and is horizontally constrained by the side cover 10 (left side cover 10a) and the rib 9b (left rib 9d). In this way, the frame (swivel frame) 9 and the side cover 10 that constitute the vehicle body can preferably constrain the left and right movement of the fuel tank 8.

[0041] Therefore, according to each of the above embodiments, while reducing the components necessary for installing the fuel tank, the fuel tank can be preferably mounted.

[0042] Note that the mounting structure of the fuel tank of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the vehicle to which the present invention is applied is not limited to construction machines such as mini excavators, and can be applied to various vehicles on which equipment is mounted together with the fuel tank. In addition, various modifications can be made within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention when implementing the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0043] 8 Fuel tank 9 Frame (swivel frame) 9a Base portion 9b Rib 9d Left rib 10 Side cover 10a Left side cover 11 Upper cover (floor board)

Claims

1. A fuel tank is accommodated in an internal space formed by members constituting a vehicle body, and the outer peripheral surface of the fuel tank is configured to be in contact with the members constituting the vehicle body from the inside, so that the fuel tank is restrained with respect to the vehicle body. A mounting structure of a fuel tank, characterized by the above.

2. The vehicle body includes a frame forming a skeleton of the vehicle body and an upper cover located above the frame and covering an upper surface of the vehicle body, and the fuel tank is accommodated between the frame and the upper cover and is vertically restrained by the frame and the upper cover. The mounting structure of a fuel tank according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The vehicle body includes a frame forming a skeleton of the vehicle body and a side cover located outside the frame in the left-right direction and covering a side surface of the vehicle body, the frame includes ribs located inside the side cover in the left-right direction, and the fuel tank is accommodated between the ribs and the side cover and is horizontally restrained by the side cover and the ribs. The mounting structure of a fuel tank according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

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