Canister mounting structure

Abstract

To provide a mounting structure of a canister capable of suppressing expansion in an upward direction of a part where the canister is mounted on an upper surface part of a fuel tank, and suppressing stress concentration on a fastening part of the canister and the fuel tank.SOLUTION: A canister mounting member 40 is mounted on the upper surface part 11 of the fuel tank 1, the canister 30 is mounted on the canister mounting member 40, a mounting part 15 for mounting the canister mounting member 40 is formed separately on the upper surface part 11, the canister mounting member 40 is provided with a flange part 42 to be engaged with the mounting part 15 and a recessed part 41 to be connected to the flange part 42, and the lower surface 45 of the recessed part 41 is brought into contact with the upper surface part 11 of the fuel tank 1, and the canister 3 is mounted on the upper surface 406 of the recessed part 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a canister mounting structure in which a canister is disposed on the upper surface of a resin fuel tank. [Background technology]

[0002] In vehicles such as automobiles, a fuel tank for storing fuel such as gasoline to be supplied to the engine is mounted in an appropriate position on the vehicle, for example, under the front or rear seats. This fuel tank is generally a sealed type to prevent vaporized fuel from diffusing into the atmosphere. Furthermore, plastic fuel tanks are widely used from the viewpoints of weight reduction, improved conformability to the shape of the vehicle floor panel, and contribution to vehicle balance.

[0003] A canister is used to collect evaporated fuel in a fuel tank. For example, the canister is attached to the top of the fuel tank. Figure 3 shows the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, which relates to a canister mounting structure in which a canister is mounted to the top of a fuel tank.

[0004] 3, the canister 300 is attached to a recess 130 formed in an upper surface 110 of a fuel tank 100 fixed to the vehicle body. The recess 130 is formed at an end of the upper surface 110 in the vehicle width direction. In a plan view of the vehicle body, the fuel tank 100 has an inclined surface 160 adjacent to the recess 130 and extending obliquely from a side surface 140 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction toward a rear surface 150.

[0005] The technology of Patent Document 1 has the above-mentioned structure, so that when removing the canister 300, the rear of the sloped portion 160 can be used as a space for the canister 300 to escape, and the worker removing the canister 300 can reach in from outside and below the vehicle body to grab the canister 300 and remove it by sliding it along the sloped portion 160. Therefore, when removing the canister 300 attached to the vehicle body, there is no need to remove the fuel tank 100 as a unit, which improves maintainability. However, Patent Document 1 does not specifically disclose a method for attaching the canister 300 to the top surface portion 110 of the fuel tank 100. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-211520 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In a sealed plastic fuel tank, when the outside temperature rises, the internal pressure of the tank rises, causing the fuel tank to expand vertically. When a canister is attached to the top of the plastic fuel tank, stress caused by the upward expansion of the fuel tank is concentrated at the joint between the top of the fuel tank and the canister, causing problems such as damage to the joint and a decrease in the rigidity of the fuel tank.

[0008] Furthermore, the upward expansion of the fuel tank may narrow the gap between the underside of the vehicle floor panel and the canister, potentially causing the canister to collide with the underside of the panel, which could result in malfunction or damage to the canister.

[0009] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by providing a canister mounting structure that suppresses upward expansion of the portion of the top surface of the fuel tank where the canister is mounted, and suppresses stress concentration at the fastening portion between the canister and the fuel tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention in a first aspect provides a canister mounting structure in which a canister is disposed on an upper surface of a resin fuel tank fixed to a vehicle body, wherein a canister mounting member is attached to the upper surface, the canister is attached to the canister mounting member, and a mounting portion for mounting the canister mounting member is formed and spaced apart from the upper surface, the canister mounting member has a flange portion that engages with the mounting portion and a recess portion that is connected to the flange portion, the lower surface of the recess portion abuts against the upper surface of the fuel tank, and the canister is mounted on the upper surface of the recess portion.

[0011] In a first aspect of the present invention, a canister mounting member is attached to an upper surface of a plastic fuel tank, the canister is attached to the canister mounting member, a mounting portion for mounting the canister mounting member is formed and spaced apart from the upper surface of the fuel tank, the canister mounting member has a flange that engages with the mounting portion and a recess that connects to the flange, the lower surface of the recess abuts against the upper surface of the fuel tank, and the canister is attached to the upper surface of the recess, so that when the internal pressure of the plastic fuel tank increases, the recess of the canister mounting member abutting against the upper surface of the fuel tank can suppress upward expansion and deformation of the upper surface of the fuel tank. As a result, stress caused by upward expansion of the fuel tank can be suppressed from concentrating on the fastening portion between the canister mounting member and the mounting portion of the fuel tank, thereby preventing damage to the fastening portion and a decrease in rigidity of the fuel tank.

[0012] Furthermore, by suppressing upward expansion and deformation of the upper surface of the fuel tank to which the canister is attached, it is possible to prevent the canister from colliding with the underside of the panel, thereby preventing malfunction or damage to the canister that would result from the canister colliding with the underside of the panel.

[0013] A second aspect of the present invention is a canister mounting structure according to the first aspect, wherein the canister mounting member is made of metal. In the second aspect of the present invention, the canister mounting member is made of metal, which provides high rigidity, and when the internal pressure of a plastic fuel tank increases, the recessed portion presses the upper surface of the tank downward, thereby suppressing upward expansion and deformation of the upper surface of the fuel tank. As a result, stress caused by upward expansion of the fuel tank can be suppressed from concentrating on the fastening portion between the canister mounting member and the mounting portion of the fuel tank, thereby preventing damage to the fastening portion and a decrease in the rigidity of the fuel tank. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] A canister mounting structure in which a canister is disposed on an upper surface of a plastic fuel tank fixed to a vehicle body, the canister mounting member being attached to the upper surface, the canister being attached to the canister mounting member, a mounting portion for mounting the canister mounting member being formed at a distance from the upper surface, the canister mounting member having a flange that engages with the mounting portion and a recess that is connected to the flange, the lower surface of the recess abutting against the upper surface of the fuel tank, the canister being attached to the upper surface of the recess, so that when the internal pressure of the plastic fuel tank increases, the recess of the canister mounting member abutting against the upper surface of the fuel tank can suppress upward expansion and deformation of the upper surface of the fuel tank. As a result, stress caused by upward expansion of the fuel tank can be suppressed from concentrating at the fastening portion between the canister mounting member and the mounting portion of the fuel tank, thereby preventing damage to the fastening portion and a decrease in rigidity of the fuel tank.

[0015] Furthermore, by suppressing upward expansion and deformation of the upper surface of the fuel tank to which the canister is attached, it is possible to prevent the canister from colliding with the underside of the panel, thereby preventing malfunction or damage to the canister that would result from the canister colliding with the underside of the panel. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a resin fuel tank to which a canister is attached, as viewed from above a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of a conventional fuel tank and canister (Patent Document 1). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a plan view of a resin fuel tank 1 to which a canister is attached, as seen from above the vehicle, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 1. Note that a nut 50 (Figure 2) is not shown in Figure 1.

[0018] The fuel tank 1 has a multi-layer structure, with high density polyethylene (HDPE) as the main material and an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EvOH) as the layer with extremely low fuel permeability. The top surface 11 of the fuel tank 1 is formed with a top surface recess 13 that is recessed downward and has a slope 12. A canister 30 is disposed in the top surface recess 13.

[0019] The canister 30 adsorbs vaporized gasoline in the fuel tank 1 onto activated carbon disposed inside, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere. Although not shown, the canister 30 is equipped with three pipes: an evaporated fuel pipe, an engine pipe, and an outside air pipe. When the engine is running, the check valve in the fuel tank pipe operates, and the air inside the canister 30 is sucked in by the engine's negative pressure, allowing outside air to flow into the canister 30. At this time, the gasoline vapor adsorbed on the activated carbon is separated from the activated carbon and sent to the engine for combustion.

[0020] The canister 30 is formed with three canister connection portions 32 each having a through hole 31 for attaching the canister 30 to a canister attachment member 40 (described later). However, the number of canister connection portions 32 is not limited to three.

[0021] A supply device mounting portion 14 for mounting a fuel supply device 20 is formed in a portion of the top surface portion 11 of the fuel tank 1 adjacent to the top surface recess 13. A lid 21 of the fuel supply device 20 is attached to the supply device mounting portion 14.

[0022] A liquid fuel supply unit 22 that supplies fuel to the engine is provided on the lid 21. The liquid fuel supply unit 22 is connected to a fuel pump (not shown) that is provided inside the fuel tank 1. The lid 21 also has an evaporated fuel supply unit 23 that is connected to the canister 30 and supplies evaporated fuel to the canister 30.

[0023] Two mounting portions 15 for mounting a canister mounting member 40 (described later) are formed on the top surface 11 of the fuel tank 1. However, the number of mounting portions 15 is not limited to two. As shown in FIG. 2 , the mounting portion 15 includes a base portion 16 that is connected to the top surface 11 of the fuel tank 1 by welding, and a threaded portion 17. In this embodiment, one of the mounting portions 15 is formed in the top surface recess 13.

[0024] The canister mounting member 40 is made of metal. The canister mounting member 40 has a recess 41 for mounting the canister 30, and a flange 42 that engages with the mounting portion 15. The recess 41 is formed in a shape that follows the shape of the top surface 11 of the fuel tank 1, and the flange 42 is formed above the recess 41 by the height of the base portion 16. In addition, the flange 42 has a through-hole 43 formed therein that allows the screw portion 17 to be inserted.

[0025] The canister mounting member 40 is formed with a canister mounting portion 44 that engages with the canister connecting portion 32 of the canister 30. The canister mounting portion 44 is threaded. In this embodiment, the canister mounting member 40 is fabricated by bending a steel plate having a thickness of 1.6 mm, drilling the through-holes 43 after the bending process, and welding the canister mounting portion 44 to the plate.

[0026] When the through hole 43 of the canister mounting member 40 is inserted into the threaded portion 17 of the mounting portion 15 formed on the top surface 11 of the fuel tank 1 (one side being the top surface recess 13), the flange portion 42 abuts against the base portion 16, and when the canister mounting member 40 is fixed to the threaded portion 17 with a nut 50, the lower surface 45 of the recess 41 of the canister mounting member 40 abuts against the top surface 11 of the fuel tank 1 and is fixed thereto.

[0027] Thereafter, the through hole 31 of the canister connection portion 32 of the canister 30 is inserted into the canister mounting portion 44, and the canister 30 is fixed to the canister mounting portion 44 with a nut 50, thereby attaching the canister 30 to the upper surface 46 of the recess 41 of the canister mounting member 40.

[0028] As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) In this embodiment, a canister mounting member 40 is attached to the upper surface 11 of the fuel tank 1, and the canister 30 is attached to the canister mounting member 40. Mounting portions 15 for mounting the canister mounting member 40 are formed at a distance from the upper surface 11 (one of which is an upper surface recess 13). The canister mounting member 40 has a flange portion 42 that engages with the mounting portion 15 and a recess 41 that connects to the flange portion 42. The lower surface 45 of the recess 41 abuts against the upper surface 11 of the fuel tank 1, and the canister 30 is attached to the upper surface 46 of the recess 41. Therefore, when the internal pressure of the plastic fuel tank 1 increases, the recess 41 of the canister mounting member 40 abutting against the upper surface 11 of the fuel tank 1 can suppress upward expansion and deformation of the upper surface 11 of the fuel tank 1. As a result, it is possible to prevent stress caused by the upward expansion of the fuel tank 1 from concentrating at the fastening portion between the canister mounting member 40 and the mounting portion 15 of the fuel tank 1, thereby preventing damage to the fastening portion and a decrease in the rigidity of the fuel tank 1.

[0029] (2) Furthermore, since the canister mounting member 40 is made of steel plate (metal), it has high rigidity. When the internal pressure of the plastic fuel tank 1 increases, the recess 41 of the canister mounting member 40 presses the upper surface 11 of the fuel tank 1 downward, thereby suppressing upward expansion and deformation of the upper surface 11 of the fuel tank 1.

[0030] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the object of the present invention.

[0031] For example, in the above embodiment, the upper surface 11 of the fuel tank 1 is formed with an upper surface recess 13 that is recessed downward and has an inclined portion 12, and the canister 30 is disposed in the upper surface recess 13, but the canister 30 may also be disposed on the same surface as the supply device mounting portion 14. In this case, upward expansion and deformation of the upper surface 11 of the fuel tank 1 to which the canister 30 is attached is suppressed, thereby preventing the canister 30 from colliding with the underside of the panel, and preventing malfunction or damage to the canister 30 that would result from the canister 30 colliding with the underside of the panel.

[0032] For example, in the above embodiment, the canister 30 is formed with a canister connection portion 32 having a through hole 31 for attachment to the canister attachment member 40, and the canister attachment member 40 is formed with a canister attachment portion 44 that engages with the canister connection portion 32 of the canister 30. However, the canister connection portion 32 of the canister 30 and the canister attachment portion 44 of the canister attachment member 40 may not be formed, and the canister 30 may be attached to the canister attachment member 40 with double-sided tape. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 fuel tank 11 Top part 12 Slope 13 Top recess 15 Mounting part 16 Base 17 Threaded part 20 Fuel supply device 30 canisters 31 Through hole 32 Canister connection 40 Canister mounting member 41 Recess 42 Tsuba 43 Through hole 44 Canister mounting part 45 Bottom side 46 Top side 50 nuts

Claims

1. A canister mounting structure in which a canister is disposed on an upper surface of a resin fuel tank fixed to a vehicle body, A canister mounting member is attached to the upper surface portion, the canister is attached to the canister mounting member, Mounting portions for mounting the canister mounting member are formed at a distance from each other on the upper surface portion, the canister mounting member includes a flange portion that engages with the mounting portion and a recess portion that is coupled to the flange portion; a lower surface of the recessed portion abutting against the upper surface of the fuel tank; The canister mounting structure is characterized in that the canister is mounted on an upper surface of the recess.

2. 2. The canister mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the canister mounting member is made of metal.

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