Support structure and support method for recirculation pipe

Abstract

To attain smooth coupling work with a tank side pipe, while suppressing a load applied to an oil supply port side pipe during assembly of a recirculation pipe into a vehicle body even when a gap between a bent part of a fuel pipe and the oil supply port side pipe of the recirculation pipe varies.SOLUTION: A recirculation pipe 20, which connects an upper space inside a tank 2 with an oil supply port 3 side of a fuel pipe 10 and has a bent part 11, is configured so that a tank side pipe 21 closer to the tank 2 and the oil supply port side pipe 22 closer to the oil supply port 3 can be connected to each other. When connecting the pipes 21, 22, the oil supply port side pipe 22 is arranged near the bent part 11 so that it is pushed toward the bent part 11 by the tank side pipe 21. Further, a spacer 30 is interposed between the bent part 11 and the oil supply port side pipe 22 in contact with these two portions 11, 22, and is provided with an oil supply port side pipe abutment surface 34 that is concavely curved toward the oil supply port side pipe 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a support structure and a support method that includes a fuel pipe that connects the inside of a tank with a fuel filler opening, and a recirculation pipe that connects an upper space inside the tank with the fuel filler opening side of the fuel pipe, and that supports the recirculation pipe by the fuel pipe on the vehicle body when assembled to the vehicle body. [Background technology]

[0002] The recirculation pipe is formed so that a tank-side pipe located closer to the tank and a fuel filler-side pipe located closer to the fuel filler can be connected to each other. The tank-side pipe and the fuel filler can be connected to each other when the recirculation pipe is installed on the vehicle body.

[0003] Here, when connecting the tank side pipe and the fuel filler side pipe, the connecting end of the tank side pipe is pushed into the connecting end of the fuel filler side pipe to connect them, but if the connecting end of the fuel filler side pipe becomes loose due to the connecting end of the tank side pipe being pushed in, it will be difficult to perform the connection work smoothly and a load will be applied to the fuel filler side pipe, which is not desirable.

[0004] For this reason, as exemplified in Patent Document 1, fixing the recirculation pipe to the fuel pipe arranged around it using a bracket is effective because it can support the pipe so that it does not rattle when pushed in from the tank side pipe when connecting the filler port side pipe to the tank side pipe.

[0005] However, because the dimensions of bent portions of a fuel pipe are more likely to vary due to factors such as processing errors than are the straight portions, when a fuel filler-side pipe located near a bent portion of the fuel pipe is fixed to the bent portion, the gap between the bent portion and the fuel filler-side pipe is also likely to vary. Under such circumstances, if an attempt is made to forcibly fix the fuel filler-side pipe to the bent portion using a bracket, ignoring the variations in the gap between the bent portion and the fuel filler-side pipe, a load may be applied to the fuel filler-side pipe, and measures must be taken to prevent this.

[0006] It should be noted that the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 merely discloses a structure in which, when fixing a recirculation pipe to a fuel pipe, the parts that are arranged in a substantially straight line are fixed together using a bracket, but does not disclose anything about fixing the recirculation pipe to a bent part of the fuel pipe or the above-mentioned problems that arise when such fixing is done. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 222031 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] This invention was made in consideration of these problems, and aims to provide a support structure and support method for a recirculation pipe that can achieve smooth connection work while suppressing the load applied to the fuel filler side pipe when connecting the fuel filler side pipe and the tank side pipe, even if the gap between the bent part of the fuel pipe and the fuel filler side pipe of the recirculation pipe varies. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The support structure for a recirculation pipe of this invention comprises a fuel pipe that communicates between the interior of a tank and a fuel filler port and that has a bent portion, and a recirculation pipe that communicates between an upper space inside the tank and the fuel filler port side of the fuel pipe, the recirculation pipe being formed so that a tank-side pipe located closer to the tank and a fuel filler port-side pipe located closer to the fuel filler port can be connected to each other, the fuel filler port-side pipe being positioned near the bent portion so that when the tank-side pipe and the fuel filler port-side pipe are connected, the fuel filler port-side pipe is positioned near the bent portion so that it is pushed towards the bent portion by the tank-side pipe, and a spacer is provided between the bent portion and the fuel filler port-side pipe in a state of abutting against both the bent portion and the fuel filler port-side pipe, and the spacer has a fuel filler port-side pipe abutment surface that is curved concavely relative to the fuel filler port-side pipe to allow the pushed-in fuel filler port-side pipe to abut against it.

[0010] According to this invention, in a structure in which, when the tank side pipe and the fuel filler side pipe of the recirculation pipe are connected during assembly to the vehicle body, the fuel filler side pipe is positioned so that it is pushed toward the bent portion by the tank side pipe, the size of the gap between the recirculation pipe and the fuel pipe is likely to vary at the bent portion of the fuel pipe. However, even in this case, by adjusting the position of the spacer along the bent portion, the curved fuel filler side pipe abutment surface can be reliably abutted against the fuel filler side pipe of the recirculation pipe.

[0011] Therefore, when connecting the fuel filler side pipe and the tank side pipe, the spacer suppresses the load applied to the fuel filler side pipe, while regulating (supporting) the position of the fuel filler side pipe in the pushing direction, thereby achieving a smooth connection operation.

[0012] As an aspect of the present invention, the fuel filler port side pipe abutting surface may be formed parallel to the routing direction of the fuel filler port side pipe that abuts against the fuel filler port side pipe abutting surface. According to this invention, when connecting the fuel filler side pipe and the tank side pipe, even if the tank side pipe pushes the fuel filler side pipe toward the bent portion, the fuel filler side pipe can be firmly abutted against the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface along the routing direction, and the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface can stably support the fuel filler side pipe.

[0013] As another aspect of the present invention, the filler port-side pipe abutment surface may be set to have a curvature smaller than that of the bent portion. According to the above configuration, the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface can be made wedge-shaped so that the closer it is to the fuel filler side pipe in the direction along the bent portion, the narrower the distance between it and the bent portion so that it can fit into the gap between the bent portion and the fuel filler side pipe.

[0014] Therefore, when the spacer is moved along the bent portion toward the fuel filler side pipe, the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface can be reliably abutted against the fuel filler side pipe by utilizing the wedge effect. Therefore, when the tank side pipe and the fuel filler side pipe are connected, the fuel filler side pipe, which is pushed toward the bent portion, abuts against the spacer, and the fuel filler side pipe can be firmly supported by the bent portion via the spacer.

[0015] As another aspect of the present invention, the circular orbit along the fuel filler port side pipe abutment surface may be inscribed in the circular orbit along the bent portion at a position closer to the fuel filler port side pipe than the spacer. According to the above configuration, the wedge shape can be formed even more precisely as described above, so that when the tank side pipe and the fuel filler side pipe are connected, the fuel filler side pipe can be firmly supported by the bent portion via the spacer.

[0016] As another aspect of the present invention, the spacer may be provided with a fixing member for fixing the spacer to the bent portion at least on one side of the fuel filler port side pipe abutment surface in a direction along the bent portion.

[0017] The fixing member is not particularly limited as long as it can fix the spacer to the bent portion, and for example, a cable tie, double-sided tape, hook-and-loop fastener, string-like member, fastening member, welded portion, adhesive, or a combination of these can be used.

[0018] According to the above configuration, when connecting the tank-side pipe and the fuel filler-side pipe, the spacer can be firmly fixed to the bent portion by the fixing member so that the fuel filler-side pipe does not rattle even when the tank-side pipe is pushed into the fuel filler-side pipe. In other words, the fuel filler-side pipe can be firmly supported by the bent portion via the spacer.

[0019] The present invention also provides a method of supporting a recirculation pipe, the method comprising: a fuel pipe that communicates the interior of a tank with a fuel filler port and that has a bent portion; a recirculation pipe that communicates an upper space inside the tank with the fuel filler port side of the fuel pipe and that is formed so that a tank-side pipe located closer to the tank and a fuel filler port-side pipe located closer to the fuel filler port can be connected to each other; and a spacer that has a fuel filler port-side pipe abutment surface that abuts against the fuel filler port-side pipe when the tank-side pipe and the fuel filler port-side pipe are connected together. The method for supporting a recirculation pipe, in which the fuel filler side pipe that has been pushed toward the bent portion by a push pin is supported by the fuel pipe via the spacer, is characterized in that the method includes, in this order: a spacer placement step of placing the spacer between the bent portion and the fuel filler side pipe in a state in which the spacer abuts against the bent portion; a spacer position specification step of sliding the spacer along the bent portion to a position where the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface abuts against the fuel filler side pipe; and a spacer fixing step of fixing the spacer to the bent portion at the position specified in the spacer position specification step.

[0020] According to this invention, even if the gap between the bent portion and the fuel filler-side pipe varies, the spacer can be fixed in a state of secure contact with both of these members. As a result, even if the tank-side pipe pushes the fuel filler-side pipe toward the bent portion when the fuel filler-side pipe is connected to the tank-side pipe, the fuel filler-side pipe can be supported without rattle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to this invention, it is possible to provide a support structure and a support method for a recirculation pipe that can achieve smooth connection work while suppressing the load applied to the fuel filler side pipe when connecting the fuel filler side pipe and the tank side pipe, even if the gap between the bent portion of the fuel pipe and the fuel filler side pipe of the recirculation pipe varies. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of the support structure for the recirculation pipe of the present embodiment, seen from the inside, rear, and above of the vehicle width; [Figure 2] Enlarged view of area X in Figure 1 from the front [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of a main portion of the support structure for the recirculation pipe of this embodiment, as seen from the pushing direction when connecting the tank-side pipe to the fuel filler-side pipe. [Figure 4] Enlarged view of the main part of Figure 3, taken along arrow A [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the spacer of the present embodiment in the position shown in FIG. 2; [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view of the spacer of the present embodiment, viewed from the inside, front, and above of the vehicle width; [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams illustrating a method for supporting a recirculation pipe, in which FIG. 1A illustrates a spacer placement step and FIG. 1B illustrates a spacer position determination step. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams illustrating a method for supporting a recirculation pipe, in which FIG. 1A shows a state at the completion of a spacer position specifying step and FIG. 1B shows a state at the completion of a spacer fixing step. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, arrow R indicates the rear of the vehicle, arrow U indicates the upper side of the vehicle, and arrow IN indicates the inside in the vehicle width direction (towards the passenger compartment, right side of the vehicle).

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the support structure 1 for a recirculation pipe 20 of this embodiment is provided in an automobile as a vehicle, and is a structure for supporting the recirculation pipe 20 on a fuel pipe 10 on the vehicle body side.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the fuel pipe 10 is a pipe that connects the fuel tank 2 with a fuel filler opening 3 through which fuel is poured in order to supply fuel to the fuel tank 2. The fuel tank 2 is provided below a rear floor panel (not shown) that forms the rear floor surface of the automobile, and is mounted on cross members (not shown) that extend in the vehicle width direction near the front and rear sides of the fuel tank 2.

[0026] The fuel filler opening 3 is configured to enable fuel injection when a fuel lid (not shown) is open, and is provided in a fuel box (not shown) located in a rear fender panel (not shown) on the left side of the vehicle. In other words, the fuel filler opening 3 is provided outside and above the fuel tank 2 in the vehicle width direction.

[0027] The fuel pipe 10 described above has a bent portion 11 in the middle portion between the filler opening 3 and the fuel tank 2, near the fuel tank 2. 1, the fuel pipe 10 has a transverse routing portion 12 that is routed from the fuel tank 2 to the outside in the vehicle width direction at a portion closer to the fuel tank 2 than the bent portion 11. Furthermore, the fuel pipe 10 has a vertical routing portion 13 that is routed so as to rise from the outer end of the transverse routing portion 12 via the bent portion 11 at a portion closer to the filler port 3 than the bent portion 11. The vertical routing portion 13 is routed so as to change direction upward at a bend angle of approximately 90 degrees via the bent portion 11 with respect to the transverse routing portion 12 that is substantially horizontal when viewed from the rear of the vehicle.

[0028] The fuel pipe 10 is made of steel pipe except for a portion of the vehicle width direction routing portion 12 near the fuel tank 2 . The fuel pipe 10 is provided with a protector 4 for protecting the fuel pipe 10 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the vertical routing portion 13 including the bent portion 11 and on the peripheral portion below the vehicle width direction routing portion 12. The protector 4 is attached to the surrounding body frame (for example, see the body frame 100 in FIG. 4).

[0029] The recirculation pipe 20 is a pipe that ventilates the space above the liquid level in the fuel tank 2 and exhausts gas inside the fuel tank 2 during refueling. The recirculation pipe 20 connects the upper space inside the fuel tank 2 with a portion of the fuel box near the filler port 3 of the fuel pipe 10, and is arranged to run parallel to the fuel pipe 10.

[0030] The recirculation pipe 20 is roughly divided into a tank-side pipe 21 made of a rubber tube and located closer to the fuel tank 2, and a fuel filler-side pipe 22 made of a steel pipe and located closer to the fuel filler neck 3. The tank-side pipe 21 located closer to the fuel tank 2 and the fuel filler-side pipe 22 extending from the fuel filler neck 3 side are connected to each other by a coupler connector serving as a connecting part 23.

[0031] The connecting portion 23 is disposed in the vehicle width direction between the fuel tank 2 and the bent portion 11 of the fuel pipe 10. The recirculation pipe 20 is connected to each other at the connecting portion 23 by inserting the connecting end portion located at the outer end portion of the tank-side pipe 21 in the vehicle width direction into the connecting end portion located at the inner end portion (lower end portion) of the filler-side pipe 22 in the vehicle width direction in a pushing manner. Here, the direction in which the tank side pipe 21 is pushed into the filler port side pipe 22 is toward the outside in the vehicle width direction, i.e., along the pushing direction wiring portion 24 described later, as shown by the white arrow Da in Figure 3, and this direction will be referred to as the "pushing direction Da" hereinafter.

[0032] 2 and 3 , the filler port-side pipe 22 of the recirculation pipe 20 has a pushing-direction routing portion 24 extending in the pushing direction Da from an inner end portion in the vehicle width direction, a front-rear direction routing portion 26 routed in the forward direction from an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction of the pushing-direction routing portion 24 via a rear bent portion 25, and a vertical direction routing portion 28 routed upward from a front end portion of the front-rear direction routing portion 26 via a front bent portion 27. The rear bent portion 25 is located near the rear of the bent portion 11 of the fuel pipe 10, and the front bent portion 27 is located near the front of the bent portion 11 of the fuel pipe 10.

[0033] The recirculation pipe 20 is arranged approximately horizontally so that the push-in direction routing section 24, rear bent section 25 and front-rear direction routing section 26 of the filler port side pipe 22, and the above-mentioned tank side pipe 21 are located at approximately the same height as the bent section 11 of the fuel pipe 10.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel filler port side pipe 22 is arranged so that the pushing direction routing portion 24 runs parallel to the vehicle width direction routing portion 12 of the fuel pipe 10 near the rear side, and the vertical direction routing portion 28 runs parallel to the vertical direction routing portion 13 of the fuel pipe 10 near the front side.

[0035] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the longitudinal routing portion 26 of the fuel filler side pipe 22 is arranged in the region Rin near the inner corner (diametrically inner side) of the bending portion 11, i.e., the region Rin near the inner side in the vehicle width direction, so that when the fuel filler side pipe 22 and the tank side pipe 21 are connected, the tank side pipe 21 pushes the fuel filler side pipe 22 toward the bending portion 11.

[0036] Furthermore, the longitudinal routing portion 26 of the fuel filler port side pipe 22 extends in the longitudinal direction so as to be perpendicular to the bent portion 11 that extends in the vertical direction and in the vehicle width direction. In this example, the longitudinal routing portion 26 is disposed substantially horizontally.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the support structure 1 for the recirculation pipe 20 of this embodiment is provided with a bracket 5 for attaching the recirculation pipe 20 together with the fuel pipe 10 to a protector 4 on the vehicle body side. More specifically, the bracket 5 holds the recirculation pipe 20 and the fuel pipe 10 by sandwiching them between the bracket 5 and the protector 4, and is fastened to the protector 4 using bolts and nuts.

[0038] The bracket 5 is provided at the portion where the fuel pipe 10 and the recirculation pipe 20 run parallel to each other in a substantially straight line, that is, in this example, at the midpoint of each of the vertical routing portions 13, 28, so as to maintain a distance between them. Although detailed explanations are omitted, the recirculation pipe 20 is attached to the vehicle body, including the fuel pipe 10, using other brackets in addition to the bracket 5 described above, which are arranged at intervals along the wiring direction.

[0039] The support structure 1 for the recirculation pipe 20 of this embodiment also includes a spacer 30 that fixes the recirculation pipe 20 mainly to the bent portion 11 of the fuel pipe 10 . The spacer 30 is a spacer with fixing means, which includes a spacer member 31 corresponding to the main body of the spacer 30 and a well-known binding band 32 for attaching the spacer member 31 to the fuel pipe 10 on the vehicle body side.

[0040] The spacer member 31 is a single member formed into a three-dimensional shape by molding synthetic resin, and is interposed between the bent portion 11 of the fuel pipe 10 and the filler port-side pipe 22 of the recirculation pipe 20, or in this example, between the bent portion 11 and the longitudinal routing portion 26 arranged in the inner corner vicinity region Rin. As will be described later, the spacer member 31 is fastened and fixed to the bent portion 11 of the fuel pipe 10 in this state with a cable tie 32. In this fixed state, the spacer member 31 abuts against both the bent portion 11 and the filler port-side pipe 22.

[0041] The spacer member 31 is not limited to the synthetic resin described above and may be formed from other materials such as metal. However, as described above, it is preferable to use a resin material different from that of the metal fuel pipe 10 and the filler port side pipe 22, as this prevents rust from forming at the contact points between them and ensures marketability.

[0042] The spacer member 31 will be further described below based on the position where it abuts against the bent portion 11 and the longitudinal routing portion 26 between the bent portion 11 and the fuel filler-side pipe 22, as shown in Fig. 4, which shows the arrow A in Fig. 3. Here, the depth direction with respect to the plane of Fig. 4 is defined as the thickness direction t of the spacer member 31. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3, the side with the vertical routing portion 28 in the thickness direction t (the rear side of the plane of Fig. 4) is defined as one thickness direction side tf, and the side with the pushing-in direction routing portion 24 (the front side of the plane of Fig. 4) is defined as the other thickness direction side tr. Furthermore, the arrow RH in Fig. 4 indicates the right side, the arrow LH indicates the left side, and the arrow Db in Fig. 4 indicates the radial direction of the bent portion 11.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the spacer member 31 has a bent portion abutting surface 33, a filler neck side pipe abutting surface , and a band mounting portion . The bent portion abutment surface 33 is located at a position facing the bent portion 11 when the spacer member 31 is interposed between the bent portion 11 and the fuel filler port-side pipe 22, and is formed in a curved shape that follows the bent portion 11. In more detail, the bent portion abutment surface 33 is formed in a convex shape toward the bent portion 11 so as to be able to abut against the outer surface of the radially inner side (inner edge side) of the bent portion 11, and is also formed in a curved shape that follows the bent portion 11.

[0044] 4, the bent portion abutting surface 33 is formed in an arc shape with a curvature R33 that is substantially the same as the curvature R11 of the bent portion 11 so that it can abut against the bent portion 11. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the bent portion abutting surface 33 has side wall portions 36 that protrude toward the bent portion 11 (radially outward) on both sides of the center in the thickness direction t, and is formed in a concave shape into which the radially inner portion of the bent portion 11 can be fitted. As a result, when the bent portion abutting surface 33 is brought into contact with the bent portion 11, the bent portion 11 abuts with its radially inner portion fitted into the bent portion abutting surface 33, as shown in FIG.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 4, the fuel filler-side pipe abutment surface 34 is located at a position facing the fuel filler-side pipe 22 (more specifically, the longitudinal routing portion 26) when the spacer member 31 is interposed between the bent portion 11 and the fuel filler-side pipe 22, and is formed into a shape that is curved concavely with respect to the fuel filler-side pipe 22. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 4, the fuel filler-side pipe abutment surface 34 is formed into a curved shape having a curvature R34 that is smaller than the curvature R33 of the bent portion abutment surface 33 (i.e., the curvature R11 of the bent portion 11) so that it can abut against the longitudinal routing portion 26 (see Fig. 3) of the fuel filler-side pipe 22 that is arranged in a direction that coincides with the thickness direction t. Note that the curvature R34 of the fuel filler-side pipe abutment surface 34 is formed to be larger than the curvature of the longitudinal routing portion 26 of the fuel filler-side pipe 22 in an orthogonal cross section.

[0046] However, the fuel filler port side pipe abutment surface 34 is formed in a curved shape having a size that takes into consideration variations in the gap between the bent portion 11 of the fuel pipe 10 and the fuel filler port side pipe 22 of the recirculation pipe 20. Here, due to dimensional variations in the bent portion 11 of the fuel pipe 10, the gap between the bent portion 11 and the longitudinal routing portion 26 of the filler port side pipe 22, i.e., the position of the longitudinal routing portion 26 relative to the bent portion 11, is prone to variation, as shown in Fig. 4. As shown by imaginary lines in Fig. 4, the longitudinal routing portion 26 is shown at positions (Pr) where it is displaced to the right and positions (Pl) where it is displaced to the left relative to the nominal position (Pn). As a guideline, the variation of the longitudinal wiring portion 26 relative to the bent portion 11 may be, for example, up to about 4 mm on each side.

[0047] Furthermore, FIG. 4 also shows positions where the longitudinal routing portion 26 varies in the vertical direction on both the left and right sides with respect to the nominal position (Pn). As shown in Figure 4, the fuel filler port side pipe abutment surface 34 is formed in a curved shape having a size (vertical width) that allows it to abut securely against the longitudinal routing portion 26 even if the longitudinal routing portion 26 deviates from the nominal position (Pn).

[0048] 5 and 6, a recess 34a is formed in a concave shape with respect to the fuel filler-side pipe abutment surface 34 at an upper corner on one side (tf) in the thickness direction t of the fuel filler-side pipe abutment surface 34. The recess 34a prevents interference between the front bent portion 27 and the fuel filler-side pipe abutment surface 34 even when the spacer member 31 is arranged near the front bent portion 27 of the fuel filler-side pipe 22 and the front-to-rear routing portion 26 of the fuel filler-side pipe 22 is abutting against the fuel filler-side pipe abutment surface 34.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3, 5, and 6, the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface 34 is formed along the routing direction of the fore-and-aft direction routing portion 26 of the fuel filler side pipe 22 that abuts against the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface 34, and in this example, is formed parallel to the routing direction. Specifically, excluding the recess 34a, the fuel filler port-side pipe abutment surface 34 is formed in a direction that coincides with the thickness direction t over the entire length of the thickness direction t of the spacer member 31. Meanwhile, the longitudinal routing portion 26, which is arranged horizontally as described above, is also arranged in a direction that coincides with the thickness direction t of the spacer member 31 so as to cross the fuel filler port-side pipe abutment surface 34.

[0050] As a result, the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface 34 is formed parallel to the routing direction of the longitudinal routing portion 26, and when the fuel filler side pipe 22 and the tank side pipe 21 are connected, the longitudinal routing portion 26 of the fuel filler side pipe 22, which has been pushed toward the bent portion 11 by the tank side pipe 21, abuts against the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface 34, but the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface 34 is formed so that it can receive the longitudinal routing portion 26 over its entire thickness direction t.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, when the spacer member 31 is interposed between the bent portion 11 and the fuel filler side pipe 22, the bent portion abutment surface 33 and the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface 34 are arranged in the same plane, with a circular orbit X33 along the bent portion abutment surface 33 and a circular orbit X34 along the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface 34, and the circular orbit X34 along the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface 34 is formed in a positional relationship in which it is inscribed in the circular orbit X33 along the bent portion abutment surface 33 at a position closer to the longitudinal routing portion 26 of the fuel filler side pipe 22 than the spacer member 31 (a position below and to the right) (see contact point Pa in FIG. 4).

[0052] Band attachment portion 35 is provided adjacent to and above filler neck-side pipe abutment surface 34 of spacer member 31, and is formed concavely on the right surface of the upper part of spacer member 31 so that the band portion of binding band 32 wrapped around bent portion 11 can be fitted in while spacer member 31 is abutting bent portion abutment surface 33. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, band attachment portion 35 is formed on the right surface of the upper part of spacer member 31 over the entire length in the thickness direction t.

[0053] Next, an embodiment of a method for supporting the recirculation pipe 20 at the bent portion 11 of the fuel pipe 10 on the vehicle body side via the spacer 30 will be described with reference to Figures 7(a)(b) and 8(a)(b). Note that the longitudinal routing portion 26 here is assumed to be displaced to the lower right with respect to the nominal position Pn, as shown in Figure 7(a).

[0054] The method of supporting the recirculation pipe 20 in this embodiment is a process that is carried out before connecting the tank side pipe 21 and the fuel filler side pipe 22 provided on the recirculation pipe 20 when assembling the recirculation pipe 20 to the vehicle body, and involves a spacer placement process, a spacer position identification process, and a spacer fixing process, which are carried out in this order.

[0055] 7(a), in the spacer placement step, when connecting the tank-side pipe 21 and the fuel filler-side pipe 22, the worker places the spacer member 31 near the inner corner side (diametrically inner side) of the bent portion 11, i.e., in the region between the bent portion 11 and the fuel filler-side pipe 22, so that the spacer member 31 is pushed toward the bent portion 11 by the tank-side pipe 21. At this time, the bent portion abutment surface 33 is in a state of abutting against the bent portion 11.

[0056] In the subsequent spacer position specifying step, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the worker slides the spacer member 31 from the state shown in FIG. 7(a) along the bent portion 11 toward the longitudinal routing portion 26 (see arrow Ds in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b)). At this time, the bent portion abutment surface 33 is guided by the pair of side wall portions 36 so as not to be displaced in the thickness direction t relative to the bent portion 11. Therefore, the spacer member 31 slides smoothly along the bent portion 11. Eventually, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the fuel filler port-side pipe abutment surface 34 abuts against the longitudinal routing portion 26, and the spacer member 31 is positioned in a state in which it abuts against both the bent portion 11 and the longitudinal routing portion 26.

[0057] In the subsequent spacer fixing step, the worker attaches the spacer member 31 positioned in the spacer position specifying step to the bent portion 11 with a binding band 32, as shown in FIG. 8(b). In detail, the worker wraps the band portion of the cable tie 32 together with the bending portion 11 around the spacer member 31 at the band attachment portion 35 of the spacer member 31, and then engages the band portion of the cable tie 32 with a lock portion also provided on the cable tie 32 and fastens it with a predetermined fastening force, thereby fixing the spacer member 31 in abutment against the bending portion 11 and the longitudinal wiring portion 26. Furthermore, since the band mounting portion 35 is provided on the upper part of the spacer member 31, it is easier for the worker to access the cable tie 32 from the outside in the vehicle width direction relative to the bent portion 11 of the fuel pipe 10, making it easier to perform the spacer fixing process described above.

[0058] Even if the longitudinal routing portion 26 is shifted to a position other than the lower right position, the spacer member 31 can be attached to the fuel pipe 10 in a state where it is securely abutting against the bent portion 11 and the longitudinal routing portion 26 in the same manner as the above-described method of supporting the recirculation pipe 20 when it is shifted to the lower right position.

[0059] This allows the spacer member 31 to firmly support the longitudinal routing portion 26 in the pushing direction Da. That is, after the spacer member 31 is fixed to the bent portion 11 of the fuel pipe 10 with the binding band 32 as described above, even if the longitudinal routing portion 26 of the fuel filler-side pipe 22 is pushed toward the bent portion 11 when connecting the fuel filler-side pipe 22 and the tank-side pipe 21, the bent portion 11 can firmly support the longitudinal routing portion 26 via the spacer member 31, thereby suppressing rattle of the fuel filler-side pipe 22.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 1, the support structure 1 for the recirculation pipe 20 of this embodiment includes a fuel pipe 10 that connects the interior of the fuel tank 2 with the fuel filler port 3, and a recirculation pipe 20 that connects the upper space inside the fuel tank 2 with the fuel filler port 3 side of the fuel pipe 10 and has a bent portion 11. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the recirculation pipe 20 is formed so that a tank-side pipe 21 located closer to the fuel tank 2 and a fuel filler port-side pipe 22 located closer to the fuel filler port 3 can be connected to each other.

[0061] Furthermore, when the tank-side pipe 21 and the fuel filler-side pipe 22 are connected, the fuel filler-side pipe 22 is arranged in the region Rin near the inner angle relative to the bent portion 11 so that it is pushed toward the bent portion 11 by the tank-side pipe 21, and a spacer 30 is provided between the bent portion 11 and the fuel filler-side pipe 22, in a state of abutting against both the bent portion 11 and the fuel filler-side pipe 22. The spacer 30 has a fuel filler-side pipe abutment surface 34 that is curved concavely relative to the fuel filler-side pipe 22 so that the pushed-in fuel filler-side pipe 22 can abut against it.

[0062] The above-described configuration improves the workability when connecting the tank-side pipe 21 and the fuel filler port-side pipe 22, and also minimizes the load applied to the fuel filler port-side pipe 22.

[0063] More specifically, in a structure in which, when the tank-side pipe 21 and the fuel filler-side pipe 22 of the recirculation pipe 20 are connected during assembly to the vehicle body, the longitudinal routing portion 26 of the fuel filler-side pipe 22 of the recirculation pipe 20, which is routed in the inner corner vicinity region Rin with respect to the bent portion 11, is positioned so that it is pushed toward the bent portion 11 by the tank-side pipe 21, the size of the gap between the recirculation pipe 20 and the fuel pipe 10 is likely to vary at the bent portion 11 of the fuel pipe 10. In other words, the gap between the longitudinal routing portion 26 of the recirculation pipe 20 and the bent portion 11 of the fuel pipe 10 is likely to vary.

[0064] Even in this case, the position of spacer 30 can be specified along bent portion 11 so that fuel filler-side pipe abutment surface 34 abuts against fuel filler-side pipe 22 of recirculation pipe 20. This allows curved fuel filler-side pipe abutment surface 34 to abut against fuel filler-side pipe 22 reliably.

[0065] Therefore, although the size of the gap between the recirculation pipe 20 and the fuel pipe 10 is likely to vary at the bent portion 11 of the fuel pipe 10, even in this case, the recirculation pipe 20 can be supported by the bent portion 11 via the spacer 30 without any load being applied.

[0066] Furthermore, when connecting the fuel filler side pipe 22 of the recirculation pipe 20 to the tank side pipe 21, even if the connecting end of the tank side pipe 21 is pushed into the connecting end of the fuel filler side pipe 22, it is supported by the spacer 30 as described above, so that rattle when connecting to the tank side pipe 21 can be suppressed and the load can also be suppressed.

[0067] In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface 34 is formed parallel to the routing direction of the fore-and-aft routing portion 26 of the fuel filler side pipe 22 that abuts against the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface 34.

[0068] According to the above configuration, when connecting the fuel filler side pipe 22 and the tank side pipe 21, even if the tank side pipe 21 pushes the longitudinal routing portion 26 of the fuel filler side pipe 22 toward the bent portion 11, the longitudinal routing portion 26 firmly abuts against the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface 34 along its routing direction, so that the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface 34 can stably support the longitudinal routing portion 26.

[0069] In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the filler neck side pipe abutment surface 34 is set to a curvature R34 that is smaller than the curvature R33 of the bent portion abutment surface 33, ie, the curvature R11 of the bent portion 11.

[0070] As a result, the spacer member 31 can be given a wedge shape in which the vertical distance between the bent portion abutment surface 33 and the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface 34 gradually narrows downward and to the right, allowing it to fit into the gap between the bent portion abutment surface 33 and the fuel filler side pipe 22.Therefore, when the spacer member 31 is brought close to the fuel filler side pipe 22 along the bent portion 11, the wedge effect can be utilized to ensure secure abutment between the bent portion 11 and the fuel filler side pipe 22.

[0071] Therefore, when connecting the tank side pipe 21 and the fuel filler side pipe 22, the spacer member 31 abuts against the fuel filler side pipe 22 that has been pushed toward the bent portion 11, and the fuel filler side pipe 22 can be firmly supported by the bent portion 11 via the spacer member 31.

[0072] In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, a circular orbit X34 that runs along the fuel filler port side pipe abutment surface 34 is inscribed in a circular orbit X33 that runs along the bent portion abutment surface 33 at a position closer to the fuel filler port side pipe 22 with respect to the spacer member 31 (see contact point Pa in FIG. 4).

[0073] According to the above configuration, the spacer 30 can be made wedge-shaped so that it can fit more easily into the gap between the bent portion abutment surface 33 and the fuel filler side pipe 22, so that when it is brought close to the fuel filler side pipe 22 along the bent portion 11, it can be reliably abutted against both the bent portion 11 and the fuel filler side pipe 22.

[0074] In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, the spacer member 31 is provided with a cable tie 32 as a fixing member at an upper portion relative to the fuel filler port side pipe abutment surface 34 in the direction along the bent portion 11, which serves as a fixing member for fixing the upper portion to the bent portion 11.

[0075] According to the above configuration, when connecting the tank side pipe 21 and the fuel filler side pipe 22, the spacer 30 can be firmly fixed to the bent portion 11 while the fore-and-aft direction routing portion 26 of the fuel filler side pipe 22 is supported by the fuel filler side pipe abutment surface 34 so that the fuel filler side pipe 22 does not rattle even if the tank side pipe 21 is pushed into the fuel filler side pipe 22.

[0076] In the correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, the tank corresponds to the fuel tank 2, and similarly, The vicinity of the bend 11 corresponds to an inner angle vicinity region Rin with respect to the bend 11, The fixing member corresponds to the cable tie 32, The curvature R11 of the bent portion 11 corresponds to the curvature R33 of the bent portion contact surface 33, The one side portion of the spacer corresponds to the upper side portion of the spacer member 31, The circular orbit along the bent portion corresponds to the circular orbit X33 along the bent portion contact surface 33, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0077] For example, although not shown in the figure, the spacer member 31 may be provided with a cable tie 32 as a fixing member for fixing the spacer member 31 to the bent portion 11 at the lower portion, which is the other side portion relative to the fuel filler port side pipe abutment surface 34 in the direction along the bent portion 11, or at both the upper and lower portions.

[0078] The fixing member of the present invention is not limited to the cable tie 32 as long as it can fix the spacer member 31 to the bending portion 11, and can be, for example, double-sided tape, hook-and-loop fasteners, string-like members, fastening members, adhesives, or a combination of these. Furthermore, the spacer of the present invention preferably includes a fixing member, but this is not essential, and may include a configuration in which no fixing member is provided as long as the fuel filler port side pipe can be supported on the bent portion side. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1...Recirculation pipe support structure 2. Fuel tank 3...Fuel filler cap 10...Fuel pipe 11...Bend 20...Recirculation pipe 21...Tank side pipe 22...Fuel filler pipe 30...Spacer 32...Cable ties 34...Fuel filler pipe contact surface Rin: Region near the inner angle side of the bend 11 R33: Curvature of the contact surface of the bent part R34...Curvature of the pipe contact surface on the fuel filler port side X33...Circular orbit along the contact surface of the bent section X34...Circular orbit along the pipe contact surface on the fuel inlet side

Claims

1. a fuel pipe that communicates the interior of the tank with a fuel filler port and has a bent portion; and a recirculation pipe that communicates the upper space inside the tank with the fuel filler port side of the fuel pipe, The above recirculation pipe is a tank-side pipe located closer to the tank and a fuel filler port-side pipe located closer to the fuel filler port are formed so as to be connectable to each other, When connecting the tank side pipe and the fuel filler port side pipe, the fuel filler port side pipe is The tank-side pipe is disposed in the vicinity of the bent portion so as to be pushed toward the bent portion by the tank-side pipe, and a spacer is provided between the bent portion and the fuel filler port-side pipe, the spacer being in contact with the bent portion and the fuel filler port-side pipe, The spacer has a fuel filler port-side pipe abutment surface that is curved concavely relative to the fuel filler port-side pipe so that the pushed-in fuel filler port-side pipe can abut against it. Support structure for recirculation pipe.

2. The fuel filler port side pipe abutting surface is formed parallel to the routing direction of the fuel filler port side pipe abutting on the fuel filler port side pipe abutting surface. The support structure for a recirculation pipe according to claim 1.

3. The filler port-side pipe abutment surface has a curvature set to be smaller than the curvature of the bent portion. The support structure for a recirculation pipe according to claim 1.

4. The circular orbit along the fuel filler port side pipe abutment surface is configured to be inscribed in the circular orbit along the bent portion at a position closer to the fuel filler port side pipe than the spacer. The support structure for a recirculation pipe according to claim 3.

5. a fixing member for fixing the spacer to the bent portion, the fixing member being provided at least on one side of the fuel filler port-side pipe abutting surface in a direction along the bent portion of the spacer; The support structure for a recirculation pipe according to claim 1.

6. a fuel pipe communicating with the interior of the tank and the fuel filler port and having a bent portion; a recirculation pipe communicating with an upper space inside the tank and the fuel filler port side of the fuel pipe and formed so that a tank-side pipe located closer to the tank and a fuel filler port-side pipe located closer to the fuel filler port can be connected to each other; and a spacer having a fuel filler port-side pipe abutting surface that abuts against the fuel filler port-side pipe when the tank-side pipe and the fuel filler port-side pipe are connected together, In this method of supporting a recirculation pipe, the fuel filler-side pipe, which has been pushed into a bent portion, is supported by the fuel pipe via the spacer, and the method includes a spacer positioning step of positioning the spacer between the bent portion and the fuel filler-side pipe in a state where the spacer abuts against the bent portion, a spacer position specifying step of sliding the spacer along the bent portion to a position where the fuel filler-side pipe abutment surface abuts against the fuel filler-side pipe, and a spacer fixing step of fixing the spacer to the bent portion at the position specified in the spacer position specifying step, in this order. Support method for recirculation pipe.

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