Liquid storage structure for vehicle

Abstract

To improve space efficiency of a vehicle cabin outside room while reducing influence on steering stability of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A liquid storage structure is applied to a vehicle 10 in which a trunk 20 and a washer tank 30 (liquid tank) having a storage chamber 32 for washer liquid 31 (liquid) are arranged in a cabin outside room. The vehicle 10 has a power source room 12 in which a power source is housed, as a vehicle cabin outside room, in front of a vehicle cabin. A skeleton portion of the washer tank 30 is constituted by a tank main body portion 33 whose outer shell portion is formed by a wall portion. The tank main body portion 33 has an opening 39 in a portion of the wall. In a state where the opening portion 39 is closed by a portion of the trunk 20, the wall portion of the tank main body portion 33 is attached to the trunk 20 in a close contact state at a peripheral edge portion of the opening portion 39. The washer tank 30 is formed by the tank main body portion 33 and a portion of the trunk 20 that closes the opening 39.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid storage structure for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A front end panel (sometimes called a front face support or radiator support) is attached to the front end of a vehicle to maintain the rigidity of the body. The radiator, headlights, etc. are fixed to the front end panel, which is a structural member (framework member).

[0003] In addition, in a vehicle, a washer tank that stores washer fluid is mounted in an exterior compartment provided outside the passenger compartment, for example, in a power source compartment that houses a power source such as an engine or a motor.

[0004] As a technique relating to these front end panels and washer tanks, Patent Document 1 describes a liquid storage structure configured by attaching a resin washer tank to a front end panel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-72591 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-146741 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, when a washer tank is attached to the front end panel, which is a main structural member (framework member) of a vehicle, the following concern arises: The washer tank and washer fluid increase the overall weight of the front end panel, lowering its natural frequency. This can lead to a decrease in the rigidity of the vehicle body and affect the vehicle's handling stability. Furthermore, as the washer fluid is consumed and replenished, the overall weight of the front end panel, including the washer fluid, fluctuates significantly. This in turn causes the natural frequency of the front end panel to fluctuate, causing the rigidity to vary over time. This can also be a factor affecting the vehicle's handling stability. These problems can occur in any liquid storage structure in which a liquid tank containing a liquid other than washer fluid is attached to the front end panel.

[0007] Patent Document 2 describes a technology for arranging a storage structure in the exterior compartment of the vehicle. Therefore, it is conceivable to configure a liquid storage structure by attaching a liquid tank, such as the washer tank, to a component arranged in the exterior compartment of the vehicle. While this liquid storage structure can solve the above-mentioned problems associated with attaching a liquid tank to the front end panel, the liquid storage structure occupies a large amount of space in the exterior compartment of the vehicle, leaving room for improvement in terms of space efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] Various aspects of a vehicle liquid storage structure for solving the above problems will be described below. [Mode 1] This liquid storage structure for a vehicle is applicable to a vehicle that has an exterior compartment outside the passenger compartment, and that has a trunk and a liquid tank having a liquid storage chamber disposed in the exterior compartment, wherein the skeletal portion of the liquid tank is constituted by a tank main body portion whose outer shell portion is formed by a wall portion, the tank main body portion has an opening in part of the wall portion, and with the opening blocked by part of the trunk, the wall portion of the tank main body portion is attached in close contact with the trunk around the periphery of the opening, and the liquid tank is constituted by the tank main body portion and the part of the trunk that blocks the opening.

[0009] According to the above configuration, the trunk, which is located in the exterior compartment of the vehicle, does not play a role as a main structural member (framework member) of the vehicle, unlike the front end panel. The trunk has a smaller impact on the sense of rigidity of the vehicle body than the main structural members of the vehicle. Therefore, even if the natural frequency of the entire trunk and liquid tank is reduced by adding the tank body and liquid, this is unlikely to result in a decrease in the sense of rigidity. Here, the total weight of the liquid tank is defined as the sum of the weight of the liquid tank itself and the weight of the liquid in the storage chamber. Therefore, even if the overall weight of the liquid tank fluctuates due to the consumption or refilling of liquid, this has a small impact on the sense of rigidity.

[0010] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the portion of the trunk that closes the opening also serves as part of the wall of the liquid tank. In other words, part of the trunk and part of the wall of the liquid tank are common to each other. Therefore, the tank main body is positioned closer to the trunk than when the trunk and the wall of the liquid tank do not share a common part. The liquid storage structure in which the tank main body is attached to the trunk occupies less space in the exterior of the vehicle than when there is no common part.

[0011] [Aspect 2] A liquid storage structure for a vehicle described in [Aspect 1], in which the liquid stored in the storage chamber is washer fluid, and the trunk and the tank main body are each formed from a resin material.

[0012] According to the above configuration, when the washer fluid freezes, its volume increases. When this happens, stress generated by the expansion acts on the tank body and the trunk. However, since both the tank body and the trunk are made of a resin material, part of the stress is absorbed by the expansion (deformation) of the tank body and the trunk.

[0013] [Aspect 3] A liquid storage structure for a vehicle described in [Aspect 1] or [Aspect 2], wherein the trunk and the tank main body are formed from a resin material or a composite material in which a resin material is reinforced with a reinforcing material, and the wall portion of the tank main body is joined to the trunk by welding at the peripheral portion of the opening.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the wall of the tank body is joined to the trunk at the periphery of the opening by welding. That is, the interface between the wall of the tank body and the trunk is melted by heat, and the two are joined. The joint between the wall of the tank body and the trunk is sealed without any gaps. Therefore, leakage of the liquid stored in the storage chamber from the joint is appropriately prevented. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the space efficiency of the exterior compartment of the vehicle while reducing the influence on the driving stability of the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid storage structure according to an embodiment, as seen obliquely from the front. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the front part of the vehicle to which the liquid storage structure of FIG. 1 is applied, showing a state in which the bonnet hood is slightly opened. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the liquid storage structure according to the embodiment, seen obliquely from behind. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a liquid storage structure for a vehicle will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the forward direction of the vehicle 10 is referred to as the front, and the backward direction is referred to as the rear. Furthermore, the up-down direction refers to the up-down direction of the vehicle 10, and the left-right direction refers to the width direction of the vehicle, which coincides with the left-right direction when the vehicle 10 is moving forward.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 2, vehicle 10 has a passenger compartment 15 as a space for passengers, and an exterior compartment outside of passenger compartment 15. In vehicle 10 of this embodiment, a power source room 12 that houses a power source (not shown) is the exterior compartment, and this power source room 12 is located in front of passenger compartment 15. In an internal combustion engine vehicle that uses an internal combustion engine as a power source, or in a hybrid vehicle that uses an internal combustion engine and a motor as power sources, power source room 12 is called an engine room. In a fuel cell vehicle, an electric vehicle, etc., power source room 12 is called a motor room.

[0019] A front end panel (sometimes called a radiator support), not shown, is attached to the front end of the power source room 12 for the purpose of maintaining the rigidity of the vehicle body 11. A radiator (not shown), headlights 16, etc. are fixed to the front end panel, which is a structural member (framework member).

[0020] At least the power source, such as an engine and a motor, is housed behind the front end panel in the power source room 12. In addition to the power source, a transmission, accessories, a battery, etc. are also housed in the power source room 12 as appropriate.

[0021] 1 and 2, a trunk 20 is disposed in the power source room 12, and a washer tank 30 serving as a liquid tank is also disposed therein. The trunk 20 is also called the "frunk" because it is located at the front of the vehicle body 11.

[0022] <Trunk 20> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 , the trunk 20 includes a bottom wall 21, a front wall 22, a rear wall 23, and a pair of side walls 24. The front wall 22 rises upward from the front edge of the bottom wall 21. The rear wall 23 is inclined relative to the horizontal plane so that it is positioned higher toward the rear from the rear edge of the bottom wall 21. The rear wall 23 is inclined to avoid interference with other components disposed in the power source compartment 12. The side walls 24 rise upward from both left-right edges of the bottom wall 21. The space surrounded by the bottom wall 21, the front wall 22, the rear wall 23, and the side walls 24 constitutes a storage compartment 25 for storing luggage and the like. The upper end of the storage compartment 25 is open. The open portion of the storage compartment 25 functions as an entrance and exit for luggage and the like. When the bonnet hood 13 (see FIG. 2) of the vehicle 10 is closed, the bonnet hood 13 blocks the open portion.

[0023] A flat extension 26 extending downward from the rear wall 23 is formed at the rear of each side wall 24 . The trunk 20 has a flange portion 27 around the storage portion 25. Here, the "side" and "direction" that intersect with the walls of the trunk 20, i.e., the bottom wall portion 21, the front wall portion 22, the rear wall portion 23, and the pair of side wall portions 24, and move away from the center (center of gravity) of the storage portion 25, are referred to as the "outside" and "outward," respectively. Furthermore, the "side" and "direction" that intersect with the wall portions of the trunk 20, such as the side wall portions 24, and move closer to the center (center of gravity) of the storage portion 25 are referred to as the "inside" and "inward," respectively. A portion of the flange portion 27 protrudes forward from the upper end of the front wall portion 22 outward in the front-to-rear direction. A portion of the flange portion 27 protrudes outward in the left-to-right direction from the upper end of each side wall portion 24.

[0024] A notch 28 is formed in the flange portion 27 at a location above each of the left and right extension portions 26. Each notch 28 extends inward from the outer edge of the flange portion 27, i.e., the edge on the side not connected to the side wall portion 24. Note that instead of the notch 28, a hole may be formed that penetrates the flange portion 27 from top to bottom.

[0025] <Washer Tank 30> As shown in Fig. 6, the washer tank 30 has a storage chamber 32 for storing a liquid washer fluid 31. The washer fluid 31 is a cleaning fluid that is sprayed toward the windshield 14 (see Fig. 2) of the vehicle 10. The washer tank 30 is composed of a part of the trunk 20 (the rear part of the side wall portion 24 and the extension portion 26) and a tank main body portion 33 provided separately from the trunk 20.

[0026] The tank main body 33 is a member that constitutes the framework of the washer tank 30. The tank main body 33 is disposed on one side of the trunk 20 in the left-right direction, that is, on the outer side of the left side wall 24 in this embodiment, and below the flange 27.

[0027] As shown in Figures 3, 5, and 6, the outer shell of the tank main body 33 is composed of a wall. The tank main body 33 has an opening 39 in the inner portion, which is part of the wall, that connects the inside and outside of the storage chamber 32 in the left-right direction. The wall includes a lower wall 34 and an upper wall 35 located above the lower wall 34. The wall also includes a front connecting wall 36, a rear connecting wall 37, and an outer connecting wall 38 that extend in the up-down direction. The front connecting wall 36 connects the front edge of the lower wall 34 to the front edge of the upper wall 35. The rear connecting wall 37 connects the rear edge of the lower wall 34 to the rear edge of the upper wall 35. The outer connecting wall 38 connects the outer edge of the lower wall 34 to the outer edge of the upper wall 35.

[0028] The wall does not have a portion corresponding to the inner connecting wall. The opening 39 is defined by the inner edges of the lower wall 34, the upper wall 35, the front connecting wall 36, and the rear connecting wall 37.

[0029] The opening 39 is closed by a part of the trunk 20. The wall of the tank main body 33 is attached in close contact with the rear part of the side wall 24 and the extension 26 around the periphery of the opening 39. The space surrounded by the tank main body 33 and the part of the trunk 20 that closes the opening 39 constitutes the storage chamber 32.

[0030] The tank main body 33 is provided with an injection pipe 41 for injecting the washer fluid 31 from the outside into the storage chamber 32. The injection pipe 41 protrudes upward from the upper wall 35, connecting the inside and outside of the storage chamber 32. The injection pipe 41 penetrates the flange 27 in the vertical direction at the cutout 28. A portion of the injection pipe 41, including at least the upper end portion, is exposed above the flange 27. A piping member (not shown) that guides the washer fluid 31 to the storage chamber 32 is connected to this exposed portion.

[0031] <Materials for forming the trunk 20 and the tank main body 33> The trunk 20 and the tank main body 33 are each made of a resin material. Examples of resin materials include PP (polypropylene) and ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer). In this embodiment, the trunk 20 and the tank main body 33 are made of the same type of resin material. However, the trunk 20 and the tank main body 33 may be made of different types of resin materials, provided that they are weldable.

[0032] The trunk 20 is formed using a resin material that is colored black or the like, for example, a colored resin material in which a coloring agent such as a pigment, such as black, is mixed into the resin material. This is to restrict visible light from passing through the trunk 20, thereby preventing components located below the trunk 20 from being seen through the trunk 20.

[0033] <Attachment structure of tank main body 33 to trunk 20> The wall of the tank main body 33 is joined to the trunk 20 at the periphery of the opening 39 by welding in a tight contact state. That is, the interfaces between the wall of the tank main body 33 and the trunk 20 are fused to each other by heat, thereby joining (bonding) them together. In the tank main body 33, the areas to be welded are the inner edges of the lower wall 34, upper wall 35, front connecting wall 36, and rear connecting wall 37. In the trunk 20, the areas to be welded are a portion of the outer surface 24a of the side wall 24 on one side (the left side) and a portion of the outer surface 26a of the extension 26. By the above-mentioned joining, the washer tank 30 is integrated with the trunk 20.

[0034] <Operation of this embodiment> As shown in Fig. 2, the trunk 20, which is disposed in the power source room 12 and has a storage section 25, does not play a role as a main structural member (framework member) of the vehicle 10, unlike the front end panel. The trunk 20 has a smaller effect on the sense of rigidity of the vehicle body 11 than the main structural members of the vehicle 10 have. Therefore, even if the natural frequency of the entire trunk 20 and washer tank 30 is reduced by adding the tank main body 33 and washer fluid 31, the reduction in the sense of rigidity is unlikely to occur.

[0035] Here, the total weight of the washer tank 30 is defined as the sum of the weight of the washer tank 30 itself and the weight of the washer fluid 31 in the reservoir 32. As the washer fluid 31 is consumed, the fluid level 31a drops, for example, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6. As the washer fluid 31 is replenished, the fluid level 31a rises, for example, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 6. As the fluid level 31a drops and rises, the total weight of the washer tank 30 fluctuates. However, this has little effect on the sense of rigidity. The sense of rigidity is unlikely to vary over time due to weight fluctuations.

[0036] Furthermore, the portion of the trunk 20 that closes the opening 39 also serves as part of the wall of the washer tank 30. In other words, part of the trunk 20 and part of the wall of the washer tank 30 are made common. Therefore, compared to when the trunk 20 and the washer tank 30 wall do not have a common part, the tank main body 33 is positioned at a location that is even closer to the trunk 20. The liquid storage structure in which the tank main body 33 is attached to the trunk 20 occupies less space in the power source room 12 than when there is no common part.

[0037] Furthermore, the tank body 33 and the trunk 20 are sealed without any gaps at the points where they are joined by welding. Furthermore, if the washer fluid 31 freezes, such as in winter, the washer fluid 31 expands and increases in volume. At this time, stress generated by the expansion acts on the tank main body 33 and the trunk 20. However, both the tank main body 33 and the trunk 20 are made of a resin material. Therefore, the tank main body 33 and the trunk 20 each stretch (deform), thereby absorbing part of the stress.

[0038] <Effects of this embodiment> (1) As shown in Figure 6, the tank body 33, which constitutes the outer frame of the washer tank 30, has an opening 39 in a portion of its wall. With the opening 39 closed by the rear portion of the side wall 24 and the extension 26 of the trunk 20, the wall of the tank body 33 is attached to the trunk 20 in a state of tight contact with the periphery of the opening 39. The tank body 33 and the portion of the trunk 20 that closes the opening 39 form the washer tank 30.

[0039] This can prevent a decrease in the sense of rigidity of the vehicle body 11 caused by the addition of the tank main body 33 and the washer fluid 31. Also, even if the overall weight of the washer tank 30 fluctuates due to consumption and replenishment of the washer fluid 31, the effect of this on the sense of rigidity can be reduced. In either case, the tank main body 33 attached to the trunk 20 and the washer fluid 31 stored in the storage chamber 32 can reduce the effect on the driving stability of the vehicle 10.

[0040] Furthermore, the tank main body 33 can be disposed at a location closer to the trunk 20. The liquid storage structure reduces the space occupied in the power source room 12, thereby improving the space efficiency of the power source room 12.

[0041] (2) In electric vehicles, as shown in FIG. 2, the power source room 12 tends to be located at the front of the passenger compartment 15. In electric vehicles, there is a need to place a trunk 20 (frunk) having a large-capacity storage section 25 in the power source room 12.

[0042] On the other hand, when the trunk 20 and the washer tank 30 are separately assembled to the vehicle body 11, a gap must be provided between them to prevent interference between them. This gap reduces the available capacity of the storage section 25.

[0043] In this regard, in this embodiment, the washer tank 30 is configured by joining the tank main body 33 to the trunk 20, so no gap is required between them. This unnecessary gap can be used to increase the capacity of the storage section 25, thereby meeting the above-mentioned need for a larger capacity storage section 25.

[0044] (3) As shown in Figure 6, both the trunk 20 and the tank body 33 are made of a resin material. Therefore, even if the washer fluid 31 freezes and expands, stress is generated and acts on the trunk 20 and the tank body 33, but this stress can be reduced.

[0045] It should be noted that the front end panel described in Patent Document 1 is made of a high-strength resin material, and therefore it is difficult to obtain such an effect. (4) The wall of the tank body 33 is welded to the trunk 20 at the periphery of the opening 39. This prevents the washer fluid 31 stored in the reservoir 32 from leaking out from the joint between the tank body 33 and the trunk 20.

[0046] Furthermore, the number of parts can be reduced compared to when the trunk 20 and the washer tank 30 are formed separately and then the washer tank 30 is attached to the trunk 20 using fastening members, locking members, etc. Furthermore, the number of assembly steps can be reduced, improving ease of assembly.

[0047] (5) The trunk 20 and the tank main body 33 are made of the same type of resin material. Therefore, when welding, the tank main body 33 and the trunk 20 are melted by heat and mixed appropriately at the interface, resulting in a stronger bond.

[0048] (6) As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the washer tank 30 is modularized and integrated with the trunk 20. Therefore, by assembling the trunk 20 to the vehicle body 11, the washer tank 30 can also be assembled to the vehicle body 11 together with the trunk 20. This improves assembly ease compared to assembling the trunk 20 and the washer tank 30 separately to the vehicle body 11.

[0049] (7) The front end panel can be a target for integration with the tank main body 33. On the other hand, the front end panel is a structural material of the vehicle 10 and is an important skeletal member. Therefore, it is desirable to standardize the front end panel between vehicle models rather than developing a front end panel for each vehicle model. However, if the front end panel is integrated with other components, such as the tank main body 33, standardization is difficult. In this regard, in this embodiment, the tank main body 33 is not integrated with the front end panel. Therefore, it is easy to standardize the front end panel between vehicle models.

[0050] In contrast, the shape of the trunk 20 generally tends to differ depending on the vehicle model. Therefore, there is not much merit in standardizing the trunk 20 across vehicle models. In this regard, in this embodiment, the tank main body 33 is integrated into the trunk 20. Integrating the tank main body 33 into the trunk 20 has no disadvantages, or if any, they are minimal.

[0051] (8) The trunk 20 has a larger area where the tank main body 33 can be joined than the front end panel. Therefore, there are more options for where to install the tank main body 33. Therefore, there is a high degree of freedom in designing the installation location of the tank main body 33.

[0052] <Example of change> This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0053] [Matters regarding the configuration of Trunk 20] The flange portion 27 may be formed at a position lower than the upper end of the housing portion 25 . The shape of the trunk 20 may be changed to a shape different from that of the above embodiment in accordance with the arrangement of surrounding components.

[0054] The storage section 25 may be open at a location other than the top end of the trunk 20, such as the rear end or side end. [Matters Concerning Materials Constituting the Trunk 20 and Tank Body 33] The trunk 20 and the tank main body 33 may be formed using a composite material in which a resin material is used as a base material and the base material is reinforced with a reinforcing material. Examples of composite materials include a PP base material reinforced with a reinforcing material such as talc, glass fiber, or EPDM. In this case, since the base material is a resin material, depending on the amount of reinforcing material mixed in, it is possible to obtain the same effect as in (3) above by causing the trunk 20 and the tank main body 33 to deform when the washer fluid 31 freezes.

[0055] Alternatively, one of the trunk 20 and the tank main body 33 may be formed from a composite material, and the other from a resin material that does not contain a reinforcing material. The base material of the former composite material and the latter material may be the same type of resin material, or different types of resin materials. In this case, the latter material may be deformed when the washer fluid 31 freezes. Furthermore, the former material may be deformed when the washer fluid 31 freezes, depending on the amount of reinforcing material added. Therefore, this modified example can also achieve the same effect as in (3) above.

[0056] The trunk 20 and the tank main body 33 may also be formed from a composite material in which a reinforcing material is blended in different blending ratios with a base resin material. The base materials in the composite material may be the same type of resin material or different types of resin materials. In this case, since the base material is a resin material, depending on the blending amount of the reinforcing material, it is possible to obtain the same effect as in (3) above by deforming the trunk 20 and the tank main body 33 when the washer fluid 31 freezes.

[0057] [Liquid tank matters] The liquid tank may be changed to a tank that stores a liquid other than the washer liquid 31, for example, a reservoir tank that stores a coolant.

[0058] The shape of the tank body 33 may be changed to a shape different from that of the above embodiment in accordance with the arrangement of surrounding components. A tank main body 33 having an opening 39 in part of its wall may be disposed in the storage section 25. The wall of the tank main body 33 may be attached to the trunk 20 in a state where the periphery of the opening 39 is in close contact with the trunk 20, with the opening 39 being closed by part of the trunk 20. The tank main body 33 and the part of the trunk 20 that closes the opening 39 may form a liquid tank. The tank main body 33 may be formed from a transparent resin material.

[0059] According to this modification, the liquid stored in the liquid tank can be seen through the tank main body 33. This makes it easy to check the amount of liquid stored in the storage chamber 32 (contents).

[0060] When the tank main body 33 is arranged on only one side of the storage section 25 in the left-right direction, as in the above embodiment, at least one of the notch 28 in the flange 27 and the extension 26 may be omitted on the other side.

[0061] A similar tank main body 33 may be arranged on the opposite side (right side) of the storage section 25 from the tank main body 33 of the above embodiment in the left-right direction, and attached to the trunk 20. In other words, the tank main bodies 33 may be arranged on both sides of the storage section 25 in the left-right direction. In this case, the additional tank main body 33 is arranged below the flange 27. The injection pipe 41 protruding upward from the upper wall 35 of the tank main body 33 penetrates the flange 27 in the up-down direction at the cutout 28. The same type of liquid is stored in both storage chambers 32.

[0062] According to this modification, the total volume of liquid that can be stored in the vehicle 10 can be increased compared to when the tank main body 33 is disposed on one side. A liquid tank for storing a type of liquid other than the washer fluid 31 may be provided on the opposite side (right side) of the tank main body 33 in the above embodiment, across the storage section 25 in the left-right direction.

[0063] The tank main body 33 may have the opening 39 on the top instead of on the inside of the wall. In this case, the tank main body 33 is disposed, for example, below the flange 27. The injection pipe 41 is provided at a location on the wall of the tank main body 33 that is different from the upper wall 35. With the opening 39 closed by a portion of the flange 27, the wall of the tank main body 33 may be joined in close contact with the flange 27 around the periphery of the opening 39. The tank main body 33 and the portion of the flange 27 that closes the opening 39 form a liquid tank.

[0064] Furthermore, the tank main body 33 may have an opening 39 at the top in addition to the inner portion of the wall. In this case, the tank main body 33 is disposed, for example, below the flange 27. The filling pipe 41 is provided at a location on the wall of the tank main body 33 that is different from the upper wall 35. With the portion of the opening 39 located on the inner portion of the wall closed by the side wall 24 and the extension 26, the wall of the tank main body 33 is joined in close contact with the side wall 24 and the extension 26 around the periphery of the opening 39. In addition, the portion of the opening 39 located at the top of the wall may be joined in close contact with the flange 27. The tank main body 33 and the portion of the trunk 20 that closes the opening 39 form a liquid tank.

[0065] [Matters regarding the mounting structure of the tank main body 33] The tank main body 33 may be attached to the trunk 20 by a joining method other than welding, such as adhesive.

[0066] [Other matters] The liquid storage structure described above can also be applied to a vehicle 10 in which the power source room 12 is provided at the rear of the passenger compartment 15 and the trunk 20 and liquid tank are arranged in the power source room 12.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the trunk 20 including the flange portion 27 is formed from a resin material that is colored black or the like, and does not transmit or transmits almost no visible light. For this reason, components that are arranged around the trunk 20 in the power source room 12 may be arranged below the flange portion 27. Furthermore, the above components may be attached to the trunk 20 below the flange portion 27. An example of such a component is a wire harness. Furthermore, if the injection pipe portion 41 is arranged below the flange portion 27, the piping member connected to the injection pipe portion 41 becomes the corresponding component.

[0068] According to the above modification, when power source room 12 of vehicle 10 is viewed from above with bonnet hood 13 open, the above components are hidden by trunk 20. This improves the appearance of the area around trunk 20 in power source room 12.

[0069] A sealing member such as a weather strip may be attached to flange portion 27 at least in a portion that includes a portion between filling pipe portion 41 and storage portion 25. The sealing member may be attached to flange portion 27 in a state that surrounds filling pipe portion 41.

[0070] In this case, when pouring washer fluid 31 into washer tank 30 from filling pipe 41 to replenish washer fluid 31, the sealing member can stop any spillage outside filling pipe 41. The sealing member can prevent the spilled liquid from flowing down flange 27 into storage portion 25.

[0071] Generally, in a vehicle equipped with a pop-up hood, when an impact such as a collision occurs, a rod protrudes upward from the actuator and pushes up the front end of the bonnet hood. The liquid storage structure described above may be applied to such a vehicle. In this case, for example, a rod passage hole is formed in the flange portion 27. The actuator may be disposed below the flange portion 27 in the trunk 20.

[0072] According to this modification, when an impact is applied to the vehicle 10, the rod rises through the hole in the flange portion 27 and pushes up the front end of the bonnet hood 13. When the actuator is not in operation and the power source room 12 of the vehicle 10 is viewed from above with the bonnet hood 13 open, the actuator is hidden by the trunk 20. This improves the appearance of the area around the trunk 20 in the power source room 12.

[0073] The exterior compartment may be a room different from the power source room 12, or in other words, a room that does not house a power source such as an engine or motor, provided that the exterior compartment is located outside the passenger compartment 15 of the vehicle 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 10...Vehicle 12...Power source room (outside the vehicle) 15...Vehicle compartment 20...Trunk 30...Washer tank (fluid tank) 31... Washer fluid (liquid) 32...Storage chamber 33...Tank body 34...Lower wall (wall) 35...Upper wall (wall) 36...Front connecting wall (wall) 37...Rear connecting wall (wall) 38...Outer connecting wall (wall) 39...Opening

Claims

1. The present invention is applicable to a vehicle having an exterior compartment outside the passenger compartment, and the exterior compartment has a trunk and a liquid tank having a liquid storage chamber disposed therein, a skeleton portion of the liquid tank is constituted by a tank main body portion having an outer shell portion formed by a wall portion, the tank body has an opening in a part of the wall, With the opening being closed by a part of the trunk, the wall portion of the tank main body is attached to the trunk in a state of being in close contact with the trunk at a peripheral edge portion of the opening, A liquid storage structure for a vehicle, wherein the liquid tank is constituted by the tank main body and a portion of the trunk that closes the opening.

2. The liquid stored in the storage chamber is washer fluid, The liquid storage structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the trunk and the tank body are each made of a resin material.

3. the trunk and the tank main body are formed of a resin material or a composite material in which a resin material is reinforced with a reinforcing material, 3. The liquid storage structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the wall of the tank body is joined to the trunk by welding at the periphery of the opening.

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