Liquid supply port structure of liquid tank

Abstract

To improve liquid supply performance such as oil supply and water supply while securing a storage amount in a liquid tank having a check valve in a filler neck.SOLUTION: A liquid supply port structure of a liquid tank 1 mounted on a vehicle includes: a cylindrical filler neck 3 that is attached to the liquid tank 1 at an angle relative to the horizontal level, with a first opening 311 disposed outside the liquid tank 1 and a second opening 312 disposed inside the liquid tank 1, and through which a liquid supply nozzle 4 can be inserted; and a flap 323 provided inside the filler neck 3 and capable of closing the filler neck 3. The flap 323 has one end as a support end 3231 supported on the filler neck 3 so as to be rotatable toward the inside of the liquid tank 1, and the other end as a movable end 3232 that can pass through the opening surface of the second opening 312, and the length of the filler neck 3 in the axial direction from the support end 3231 to the second opening 312 is shorter than the length from the support end 3231 to the movable end 3232 of the flap 323.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid supply port structure for a liquid tank. [Background technology]

[0002] Some vehicle fuel tanks are equipped with a check valve to prevent fuel from leaking from the filler neck.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a fuel tank structure in which a flap is provided at the tip opening inside the fuel tank of a filler tube inserted into the fuel tank, thereby preventing fuel from leaking from inside the fuel tank to the outside through the filler tube.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a fuel tank mounted on a vehicle such as a truck, in which the fuel tank is disposed on the side of the vehicle and the fuel filler port is provided on the side of the vehicle and on the top of the fuel tank. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-130850 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-257202 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In order to provide the fuel tank described in Patent Document 2 with the function of a check valve, for example, the flap (shutter) described in Patent Document 1 can be provided at the tip of the filler neck on the fuel tank side.

[0007] Incidentally, there are fueling nozzles, such as the fueling gun (fueling nozzle) described in Patent Document 2, that have an auto-stop function that automatically stops the supply of fuel when the nozzle comes into contact with the fuel in the fuel tank. The fuel tank described in FIG. 2 of Patent Document 2 has a filler neck that extends into the fuel tank. In this case, if the flap (shutter) described in Patent Document 1 is provided at the tip of the filler neck on the fuel tank side, there is a risk that the fueling nozzle will not reach the flap and the flap will not be able to open. Furthermore, when refueling using a fueling nozzle with an auto-stop function as shown in FIG. 7 of Patent Document 2, increasing the angle of the filler neck relative to the horizontal as shown in FIG. 4(A) of the present disclosure can reduce the length of the filler neck, but there is a risk that the fueling nozzle will come into contact with the fuel at a fuel level ASL1 that is lower than the full level of the fuel tank, causing refueling to stop.

[0008] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4(B) of the present disclosure, if the angle of the filler neck is reduced relative to the horizontal, the liquid level ASL2 at which the auto-stop activates will be higher than the previous liquid level ASL1, but the length of the filler neck will increase, and if a flap such as that in Patent Document 1 is attached to the tip of the filler neck, there is a risk that the flap will not open fully.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a liquid tank liquid supply port structure that can improve the liquid supply performance, such as for oil and water supply, while ensuring storage capacity in a liquid tank equipped with a check valve in the filler neck. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention has been made to solve at least some of the above-mentioned problems, and can be realized as the following aspects or application examples.

[0011] (1) In this application example, the liquid supply port structure for a liquid tank mounted on a vehicle includes a cylindrical filler neck that is attached to the liquid tank at an angle to the horizontal, with a first opening at one end located outside the liquid tank and a second opening at the other end located inside the liquid tank, through which a liquid supply nozzle can be inserted, and a flap that is provided inside the filler neck and can close the filler neck, wherein one end of the flap is a support end that is supported on the filler neck so as to be rotatable toward the inside of the liquid tank, and the other end is a movable end that can pass through the opening surface of the second opening of the filler neck, and the axial length of the filler neck from the support end to the second opening is shorter than the length from the support end to the movable end of the flap.

[0012] According to the fuel filler neck structure for a liquid tank relating to the above application example, even if the flap is provided inside the filler neck, the length of the filler neck on the pivot axis side of the flap can be shortened, and the opening angle of the flap can be increased by reducing the area where the periphery of the flap interferes with the periphery of the second opening.

[0013] (2) In the fuel filler opening structure for a liquid tank according to the application example of (1) above, the support end of the flap may be located below a lower end of the first opening of the filler neck. This allows the full tank level of the liquid tank to be set above the second opening, ensuring the storage capacity of the liquid tank.

[0014] (3) In the fuel filler opening structure for a liquid tank according to the application example of (1) or (2) above, the flap may be attached to the filler neck such that its lower end becomes the support end when the filler neck is closed. This allows the weight of the liquid filler nozzle to push the flap downward and open it, making it easier to open the flap than when the pivot shaft is provided on the upper side.

[0015] (4) In the fuel filler opening structure for a liquid tank according to any one of the application examples (1) to (3) above, the flap may have a cross section that is generally convex, thereby improving the strength of the flap.

[0016] (5) In the fuel filler opening structure for a liquid tank according to any one of the application examples (1) to (3) above, the flap may be interposed between the liquid filler nozzle and a pivot shaft of the flap when the liquid filler nozzle passes through the filler neck, thereby preventing damage to the support end of the flap, which is the pivot shaft. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fuel tank according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a liquid supply port of a fuel tank according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the flap in FIG. 2 is open. [Figure 4] 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship between the angle of the filler neck and the liquid supply nozzle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fuel tank according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the front-rear, left-right (width), and up-down directions are defined based on the traveling direction of a vehicle on which the fuel tank 1 according to this embodiment is mounted.

[0020] The liquid tank in this embodiment is a fuel tank 1 that is mounted on a vehicle and stores liquid fuel for driving the vehicle. The vehicle on which the fuel tank 1 is mounted is a large vehicle such as a bus or truck. The fuel tank 1 is disposed on the side of the vehicle, and its liquid supply port is provided on the side of the vehicle.

[0021] The fuel tank 1 comprises a tank body 2 and a filler neck 3. Each component of the fuel tank 1 is made of metal, resin, or a combination of these materials. The fuel tank 1 also has a full tank level FL that indicates the liquid level at which the maximum amount of fuel stored in the tank is full.

[0022] The tank body 2 is a hollow container for storing liquid fuel. In this embodiment, the outer shape of the tank body 2 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The tank body 2 has a mounting hole 21 at its top. The filler neck 3 is attached to the mounting hole 21.

[0023] Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the liquid supply port of the fuel tank according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state in which the flap of Fig. 2 is open.

[0024] The filler neck 3 communicates with the inside of the tank body 2 and is capable of supplying fuel to the tank body 2. In other words, the filler neck 3 is a liquid supply port for the fuel tank 1. The filler neck 3 protrudes from the tank body 2 and is tilted relative to the horizontal. The filler neck 3 includes a hollow cylindrical body 31 and a flap unit 32 that functions as a check valve.

[0025] The cylindrical body 31 is a tubular member. The cylindrical body 31 is fixed to the tank body 2 by welding the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body 31, which is close to the inner periphery of the mounting hole 21, to the tank body 2 while being partially inserted into the mounting hole 21 of the tank body 2. The cylindrical body 31 has a central axis C (hereinafter simply referred to as axis C) and an inner diameter that allows the nozzle of the fuel filler nozzle 4 to pass through. The cylindrical body 31 is fixed to the tank body 2 so that its axis C forms a predetermined angle R1 with respect to the horizontal. In FIG. 2, the axis C is shown at the predetermined angle R1 with the liquid level at the full tank level FL (shown by a dashed line) being horizontal.

[0026] The cylindrical body 31 has a first opening 311 at one end and a second opening 312 at the other end.

[0027] The first opening 311 has a circular opening surface cut out perpendicular to the axis C of the cylindrical body 31. The first opening 311 is disposed on the outside of the tank body 2.

[0028] The second opening 312 has an elliptical opening surface cut obliquely at a predetermined angle R2 with respect to the axis C of the cylindrical body 31. The second opening 312 is disposed inside the tank body 2.

[0029] Second opening 312 has one end of the major axis of its ellipse, i.e., a first major axis end 3121, which is one end of the two intersections of the major axis and the circumference, and the other end, a second major axis end 3122. As shown in Fig. 2, first major axis end 3121 is the point on the circumference of second opening 312 that is the longest distance to first opening 311 in the axial direction. On the other hand, second major axis end 3122 is the point on the circumference of second opening 312 that is the shortest distance to first opening 311 in the axial direction.

[0030] The flap unit 32 is disposed inside the cylindrical body 31 between the first opening 311 and the second opening 312, and is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical body 31. The flap unit 32 includes a base 321, a hinge portion 322, and a flap 323.

[0031] The base 321 is a ring-shaped member that is coaxial with the axis C of the cylindrical body 31 and has a sufficiently short axial length relative to the cylindrical body 31. The base 321 has a tubular sleeve portion 3211 with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical body 31, and an annular plate portion 3212 that protrudes radially inward from the axial upper end of the sleeve portion 3211 and has a hole 3213 in its center.

[0032] The base 321 is disposed inside the cylindrical body 31 at a position close to the second opening 312 of the cylindrical body 31. A portion of the lower axial side of the base 321 may protrude from the second opening 312, but the upper axial end of the base 321 is disposed above the second long axis end 3122. The base 321 is fixed by welding to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical body 31. The inner diameter of the annular plate portion 3212, i.e., the diameter of the central hole 3213, is large enough to allow the nozzle portion of the fuel filler nozzle 4 to pass through.

[0033] Hinge portion 322 has a hinge as a support means for supporting flap 323 so that it can be opened and closed, and a spring as a flap biasing means provided on the hinge. Hinge portion 322 is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of base 321 in close proximity to the lower surface of annular plate portion 3212. The axis of the hinge of hinge portion 322 is arranged parallel to the minor axis of the ellipse of second opening 312.

[0034] The flap 323 is a circular plate member having substantially the same shape as the hole 3213 of the annular plate portion 3212 and an outer diameter larger than that of the hole 3213. The flap 323 has a support end 3231 at one end of its periphery that is rotatably engaged with and supported by a hinge. The support end 3231 is engaged with the hinge portion 322 so that the periphery of the upper surface of the flap 323 can abut against the lower surface of the annular plate portion 3212. This allows the flap 323 to close the hole 3213 (hereinafter referred to as the closed state). In other words, by placing the flap 323 in the closed state, the filler neck 3 is placed in the closed state.

[0035] When the flap 323 is in a closed state, the flap 323 is interposed between the annular plate portion 3212 and the hinge portion 322. When the flap 323 is in a closed state, the flap 323 is approximately perpendicular to the axis C. When the fuel filler nozzle 4 is inserted from outside the fuel tank 1, the top surface of the flap 323 is pressed by the fuel filler nozzle 4, so that the flap 323 can be opened around the hinge with which the support end 3231 is engaged as the pivot axis, and when the fuel filler nozzle 4 is pulled out, the urging means of the hinge portion 322 closes the flap 323 to the closed state.

[0036] The flap 323 has a movable end 3232 located on the other side of the support end 3231. The length of the flap 323 from the support end 3231 to the movable end 3232 is greater than the axial length from the hinge portion 322 of the cylindrical body 31 (specifically, the rotation axis of the flap 323) to the second opening 312. The movable end 3232 passes through the opening surface of the second opening 312 as the flap 323 moves from the closed state to the open state at the maximum opening angle (and vice versa). The flap 323 can open until its periphery contacts the periphery of the second opening 312, and the maximum opening angle is 90 degrees or more. At this time, the flap 323 is restrained by the periphery of the second opening 312 on the second major axis end 3122 side rather than both ends of the minor axis.

[0037] According to the liquid supply port structure of the fuel tank 1 of this embodiment, the second opening 312 arranged inside the fuel tank 1 of the filler neck 3 is cut diagonally, so that even if the flap 323 is provided inside the filler neck, the length of the filler neck 3 on the pivot axis side of the flap 323 can be shortened, and by reducing the area where the periphery of the flap 323 interferes with the periphery of the second opening 312, the flap 323 can be opened wide to more than 90 degrees. Furthermore, since the pivot axis of the flap 323 (or the hinge portion 322 of the flap unit 32) is positioned below the lower end of the first opening 311 of the cylindrical body 31, the full tank level FL of the fuel tank 1 can be set above the second opening 312, thereby ensuring the storage capacity of the fuel tank 1. Furthermore, by attaching the flap unit 32 to the filler neck 3 so that the lower end of the flap 323 when the flap 323 is in the closed state becomes the pivot axis of the flap 323, the weight of the nozzle of the fuel filling nozzle 4 can push the flap 323 downward to open it, making it easier to open the flap than when the pivot axis is located on the upper side. Furthermore, when the fuel nozzle 4 passes through the filler neck 3, the flap 323 is always interposed between the fuel nozzle 4 and the hinge portion 322, which is the pivot axis of the flap 323, so damage to the hinge portion 322, which is a pivoting member, and the support end 3231 of the flap 323 can be prevented. The liquid supply port structure of the fuel tank 1 configured as above can improve the liquid supplying performance while ensuring the storage amount of the fuel tank 1.

[0038] Although the description of the embodiment of the present invention has been completed above, the aspects of the present invention are not limited to this embodiment.

[0039] The flap 323 in the above embodiment may have a cross section that is generally convex, thereby improving the strength of the flap. In the above embodiment, the second opening 312 is cut obliquely so as to shorten the length of the flap 323 on the rotation axis side, but the portion that interferes when the flap 323 is opened may be cut out. The filler opening structure of the fuel tank 1 in the above embodiment may be applied to a liquid tank that stores other liquids, for example, a urea tank for an exhaust gas purification system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1: Fuel tank 2: Tank body 3: Filler neck 4: Fuel nozzle 31: Cylinder 32: Flap unit 311: First opening 312: Second opening 321: Bass 322: Hinge part 323: Flap 3121: 1st long axis end 3122: 2nd long axis end 3211: Sleeve part 3212: Annular plate 3213 :hole 3231 :Support end 3232: Movable end C: Central axis FL: Full tank level

Claims

1. A liquid supply port structure for a liquid tank mounted on a vehicle, a cylindrical filler neck attached to the liquid tank at an angle relative to the horizontal, the first opening at one end of the filler neck being located outside the liquid tank and the second opening at the other end of the filler neck being located inside the liquid tank, and through which a liquid supply nozzle can be inserted; a flap provided inside the filler neck and capable of closing the filler neck; The flap is a support end, one end of which is supported by the filler neck so as to be rotatable toward the inside of the liquid tank; the other end is a movable end that can pass through an opening surface of the second opening of the filler neck, The length of the filler neck in the axial direction from the support end to the second opening is shorter than the length of the flap from the support end to the movable end. Liquid tank inlet structure.

2. The support end of the flap is located below a lower end of the first opening of the filler neck. The liquid supply port structure of a liquid tank according to claim 1.

3. the flap is attached to the filler neck such that its lower end becomes the support end when the filler neck is closed; The liquid supply port structure of a liquid tank according to claim 1.

4. The flap has a generally convex cross section. The liquid supply port structure of a liquid tank according to claim 1.

5. When the liquid supply nozzle passes through the filler neck, the flap is interposed between the liquid supply nozzle and a pivot shaft of the flap. The liquid supply port structure of a liquid tank according to claim 1.

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