vehicle

Abstract

The objective is to protect the inlet section 21 more effectively while suppressing an increase in the number of parts. [Solution] A portion of the inlet section 21 (the rear end portion 23 of the inlet hose 22) is bent so as to face the wheel (front wheel 5) of the vehicle 2, and is disposed on the vehicle body (lower frame 7) via a bracket section 30. The bracket section 30 is integrally provided with a guard section 37 that protects a portion of the inlet section 21, and the guard section 37 is positioned between the step section 10 and the inlet section 21 so as to face the wheel (front wheel 5).

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle in which an inlet portion for sending a replenishing substance for the vehicle to a storage portion is disposed inside the vehicle width direction of a step portion serving as a tread in a state of being exposed to the outside.

Background Art

[0002] Related technology is described in Patent Document 1. The truck described in this Patent Document 1 has a cab and a loading platform, and a fuel injection portion structure for injecting fuel (an example of a replenishing substance for a vehicle) is provided at the rear side portion of the loading platform. This fuel injection portion structure (corresponding to the inlet portion) has a rubber hose and a fuel inlet pipe communicating with a fuel tank, and a bracket. A rubber hose and a fuel inlet pipe extending in the vehicle width direction are fixed to the lower side of the rear portion of the loading platform via the bracket. In this state, the rubber hose and the fuel inlet pipe are exposed to the outside at a position near the rear wheel. Therefore, in the above-described technology, by further providing a resin protector, the lower sides of the rubber hose and the fuel inlet pipe exposed to the outside are protected.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the automotive field, however, there is a demand for more appropriate protection of the inlet area depending on the vehicle configuration. For example, in the technology described above, a separately provided protector protects the lower part of the fuel inlet pipe, etc., from objects kicked up from the rear wheels. However, when the steps for getting on and off are located on the outside of the inlet area in the vehicle width direction, occupants are more likely to come into contact with the inlet area from the vehicle width direction when getting on or off. In this case, even if the technology described above is used to address this, an additional protector is required to protect from the vehicle width direction, further increasing the number of parts. The present invention was devised in view of the above points, and the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to protect the inlet area more appropriately while suppressing an increase in the number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] As a means to solve the above problems, in the vehicle of the first invention, an inlet section for supplying vehicle replenishment to a storage section is exposed to the outside and is disposed on the inside in the vehicle width direction of the step section which serves as a step. A part of the inlet section is bent so as to face the vehicle's wheels and is disposed on the vehicle body via a bracket section. In this type of configuration, it is desirable to be able to protect the inlet section more appropriately while suppressing an increase in the number of parts. Therefore, a guard section that protects a part of the inlet section is integrally provided on the bracket section, and the guard section is positioned so as to face the wheels and is located between the step section and the inlet section. In the present invention, by integrally providing the guard section that protects the inlet section on the bracket section, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed. Furthermore, by positioning the guard section so as to face the wheels, the wheel side of the inlet section can be protected, and by providing the guard section between the inlet section and the step section, the step side of the inlet section can be protected.

[0006] In the vehicle of the second invention, the guard portion is provided with an inclined surface that guides an object attempting to move toward the inlet portion toward at least one of the vehicle width direction and the underside of the vehicle. In the present invention, an object that comes into contact with the guard portion can be guided in a desired direction by the action of the inclined surface.

[0007] In the vehicle of the third invention, the inclined surface extends in a direction intersecting the step portion that constitutes the step of the step section, as is the case with the vehicle of the second invention. In the present invention, an object that comes into contact with the guard portion can be guided in a direction intersecting the step portion by the action of the inclined surface.

[0008] In the vehicle of the fourth invention, the guard portion covers the inlet portion from the front and rear directions of the vehicle, as is the case with any of the vehicles of the first to third inventions. In this invention, the guard portion protects the inlet portion from both the front and rear of the vehicle, making it less likely for an object approaching from the wheel side to directly hit the inlet portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the first invention of the present invention, the inlet portion can be protected more appropriately while suppressing an increase in the number of parts. Furthermore, according to the second invention, the inlet portion can be protected more appropriately. Furthermore, according to the third invention, the inlet portion can be protected even more appropriately. And according to the fourth invention, the inlet portion can be protected even more appropriately. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view of the vehicle. [Figure 2] This is a schematic underside view of the vehicle. [Figure 3] This is a schematic side view of the vehicle showing the step area and the inlet area. [Figure 4] This is a schematic perspective view of the inlet section and bracket. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along the VV line. [Figure 6]This is a roughly enlarged perspective view of the vehicle as seen from the front wheel side. [Figure 7] This is a schematic perspective view of the vehicle showing the step and inlet areas for passenger boarding and alighting. [Figure 8] This is a schematic plan view of a vehicle seen from above, showing the location of the guardrail. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. In each figure, the main components of this embodiment are partially shown with solid lines, and other vehicle components may be simplified or omitted from the illustration. In each figure, arrows are shown indicating the front-rear direction, left-right direction (vehicle width direction), and up-down direction (vehicle height direction), based on the state in which the inlet is installed on the vehicle. In each figure, the inside and outside in the vehicle width direction are determined based on the location of the inlet, with the inside in the vehicle width direction being the right side and the outside in the vehicle width direction being the left side.

[0012] [Vehicle Overview] First, let's describe the vehicle 2 shown in Figure 1. This vehicle 2 is a pickup truck or similar vehicle, and is equipped with a cabin 3 at the front and a cargo bed 4 at the rear. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the cabin 3 of vehicle 2 is equipped with a pair of front wheels 5, 5x on the left and right sides, and the cargo bed 4 of vehicle 2 is equipped with a pair of rear wheels 6, 6x on the left and right sides. Vehicle 2 is also equipped with a step 10 for getting on and off, located between the left front wheel 5 and rear wheel 6, that is, at the front end of the side of the cargo bed 4. This step 10 is formed in a roughly U-shape in side view, consisting of a front support 11 and a rear support 12 extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and a stepping stool 13 spanning between the lower ends of the front and rear support stools. The stepping stool 13 is a pipe-shaped part that constitutes the step of the step, and is positioned to extend in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle at the front end of the side of the cargo bed 4.

[0013] Referring to Figure 2, a pair of left and right lower frames 7, 7x are provided on the underside of the vehicle 2 so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Multiple cross members 8, 8x are connected and fixed to this pair of left and right lower frames 7, 7x (in Figure 2, for convenience, one cross member is given a corresponding reference numeral, and the others are given an x ​​corresponding reference numeral). The lower frames 7, 7x and the cross members 8, 8x are then mounted on the cabin 3 and the cargo bed 4 so as to constitute the lower frame of the vehicle body. Referring to Figure 3, multiple support columns (for example, a front support column 9a at the front end and a rear support column 9b at the rear end) are fixed to each of the left and right lower frames 7 so as to extend upwards on the vehicle. The cargo bed 4 is then supported by the front support column 9a, the rear support column 9b, etc.

[0014] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the vehicle 2 described above has a storage compartment 20 for storing vehicle supplies (e.g., fuel or urea) located on the underside of its cabin 3. An inlet section 21 for supplying the supplies to the storage compartment 20 is provided extending toward the cargo bed 4. A portion of the inlet section 21 (such as the rear end 23 of the inlet hose 22, which will be described later) is positioned so as to be exposed to the outside at the front end of the left side of the cargo bed 4. In this state, a portion of the inlet section 21 is located on the inside (right side) in the vehicle width direction of the step section 10, and is positioned above and behind the front wheel 5.

[0015] In this type of vehicle 2, as shown in Figure 2, it is desirable to protect a portion of the inlet section 21 that is exposed to the outside from the front wheel 5 side and the step section 10 side, but an increase in the number of parts should be avoided as much as possible. Therefore, in this embodiment, the configuration described later (guard section 37 of the bracket section 30) is used to protect the inlet section 21 in the appropriate place while minimizing the increase in the number of parts. The configuration of the vehicle 2 will be described in detail below, in the order of inlet section 21, bracket section 30, and guard section 37.

[0016] [Inlet section] First, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the above-described inlet portion 21 has an inlet hose 22 connected to the housing portion 20 and an inlet pipe 24 connected to the rear end portion 23 of the inlet hose 22. The inlet hose 22 is a resin tubular member through which a replenishing substance is passed, and is routed from the housing portion 20 on the cabin 3 side toward the loading platform 4. The inlet pipe 24 is a metal cylindrical member through which a replenishing substance is passed, and an injection port 25 is provided at its tip end portion so as to be openable and closable.

[0017] Then, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the rear end portion 23 of the inlet hose 22 is bent outward (left side) in the vehicle width direction and toward the rear side of the vehicle, and is routed so as to gradually approach the rear pillar 12 of the step portion 10 while crossing the lower frame 7. In this state, by fixing the tip end portion of the inlet pipe 24 to the lower frame 7 via a bracket portion 30 described later, the rear end portion 23 of the inlet hose 22 is disposed at a position inside the step portion 10 in the vehicle width direction. The rear end portion 23 of the inlet hose 22 extends toward the step portion 10 through a gap X1 between the front pillar portion 9a and the rear pillar portion 9b erected on the lower frame 7. Therefore, the rear end portion 23 of the inlet hose 22 is disposed so as to face the ground contact surface 50 of the front wheel 5 through a gap X2 between the step portion 10 and the lower frame 7 (or the front pillar portion 9a).

[0018] [Bracket portion] Next, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the bracket portion 30 is a metal member and can be fixed to the lower frame 7 by means such as fastening or welding. This bracket portion 30 is generally formed in a plate shape that is long in the vehicle front-rear direction, and is bent gradually outward in the vehicle width direction as it goes toward the rear side of the vehicle. And at the upper part of the bracket portion 30, a flange portion 31 bent substantially at a right angle outward in the vehicle width direction is formed. Also, at the lower front side of the bracket portion 30, a pair of front and rear lower fixing portions 32, 33 are provided. And the bracket portion 30 is attached to the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the step portion 10 by fixing the pair of front and rear lower fixing portions 32, 33 to the lower frame 7. Also, at the upper rear side of the bracket portion 30, a fixing arm portion 34 for fixing the inlet pipe 24 is provided. This fixing arm portion 34 gradually inclines upward in the vehicle as it goes outward in the vehicle width direction, and its tip portion 35 is bent substantially at a right angle upward in the vehicle. And the tip portion side of the inlet pipe 24 is fixed to the tip portion 35 bent upward in the vehicle.

[0019] [Guard portion] And in the bracket portion 30 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a guard portion 37 for protecting a part of the inlet portion 21, that is, the rear end portion 23 of the inlet hose 22, is integrally provided. This guard portion 37 is formed in a wall shape continuous with the flange portion 31 of the bracket portion 30, and is raised upward in the vehicle on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the flange portion 31. And by forming the guard portion 37 along the flange portion 31, the front surface 38 of the guard portion 37 becomes an inclined surface that gradually inclines outward in the vehicle width direction as it goes toward the rear side of the vehicle. Further, referring to the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 5, the front surface 38 of the guard portion 37 becomes an inclined surface that gradually inclines outward in the vehicle width direction as it goes upward in the vehicle.

[0020] [Arrangement position of guard portion] Referring to Figures 3 and 5, the guard portion 37, together with the bracket portion 30, is positioned in the gap X3 between the step portion 10 and the inlet hose 22 in the vehicle width direction. The upper end of the guard portion 37 is positioned higher than the inlet hose 22, and the lower end of the guard portion 37 is positioned higher than the step portion 13 of the step portion 10. The guard portion 37 is positioned to gradually approach the rear support 12 of the step portion 10 while tilting outward in the vehicle width direction and towards the rear of the vehicle, intersecting the step portion 13 of the step portion 10 (see the plan view in Figure 8). As a result, the guard portion 37 is positioned to cover the rear end 23 of the inlet hose 22, which is bent outward in the vehicle width direction and towards the rear of the vehicle, from the front of the vehicle. Also referring to Figures 3 and 6, the guard portion 37 has a receiving surface portion 39 formed on its upper right side to receive objects. In the guard portion 37, the receiving surface portion 39 is positioned such that it faces the contact surface 50 of the front wheel 5 through the gap X2 between the front end of the step portion 10 and the lower frame 7 (or front support portion 9a).

[0021] Here, the guard portion 37 shown in Figure 5 has a predetermined thickness dimension T1, for example, the same thickness dimension as the other parts of the bracket portion 30, so that adequate rigidity is ensured. This allows the guard portion 37 to support the occupant with minimal deformation even when the occupant's load is applied to the guard portion 37 from above or elsewhere. Furthermore, it is possible to provide perforated or notched weight-reducing portions 40 at appropriate positions on the guard portion 37 (parts other than the receiving surface portion 39) and the flange portion 31. For example, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, perforated weight-reducing portions 40 penetrating in the thickness direction are provided at appropriate positions on the bracket portion 30 and the guard portion 37 (in each figure, for convenience, some weight-reducing portions are given a common reference numeral, and the reference numerals for other weight-reducing portions are omitted). This reduces the total weight of the bracket portion 30, making it possible to ensure the desired handling when attaching it to the vehicle body.

[0022] [Function of the guard area] In the vehicle 2 shown in Figures 2 and 3, it is desirable to protect the inlet portion 21 from both the front wheel 5 side and the step portion 10 side. Therefore, a guard portion 37 that protects a part of the inlet portion 21 is integrally provided on the bracket portion 30. Referring to Figures 3 and 6, the guard portion 37 is positioned so as to face the front wheel 5 and is located between the step portion 10 and the inlet portion 21. With the above configuration, since the guard portion 37 is integrally provided on the bracket portion 30, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of parts. Furthermore, by providing the guard portion 37 in the appropriate place, the appropriate part of the inlet portion 21 can be protected more reliably (see Figures 6, 7, etc.). The function of the guard portion 37 will be explained in more detail below.

[0023] First, in the bracket portion 30 shown in Figure 6, the guard portion 37 covers the rear end 23 of the inlet hose 22 from the front of the vehicle. The receiving surface portion 39 provided on the guard portion 37 is positioned to face the contact surface 50 of the front wheel 5 through the gap X2 between the step portion 10 and the lower frame 7. As a result, even if an object (such as a flying stone) that is kicked up from the contact surface 50 of the front wheel 5 enters through the gap X2, this object will first be hit by the receiving surface portion 39 of the guard portion 37. Therefore, it becomes more difficult for objects coming from the front wheel 5 side to directly hit the rear end 23 of the inlet hose 22, and the front wheel 5 side of the inlet portion 21 can be protected more effectively. In this case, as shown in Figure 5, the receiving surface 39 (front surface 38) of the guard portion 37 is made into an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the vehicle, so that an object that hits the receiving surface 39 (an object that is trying to move toward the inlet portion) can be guided toward the road surface (in Figure 5, the movement trajectory of the object is shown by the arrow labeled A1). Furthermore, referring to Figure 8, in the guard portion 37, the front surface including the receiving surface 39 is made into an inclined surface that slopes diagonally outward in the vehicle width direction, so that an object that hits the receiving surface 39 can be guided outward in the vehicle width direction (in Figure 8, the movement trajectory of the object is shown by the arrow labeled A2). With the above configuration, the guard portion 37 (inclined surface) can guide an object that is trying to move toward the inlet portion 21 in the desired direction, and it is possible to prevent the object from hitting unintended parts of the vehicle 2 or the inlet portion 21 as much as possible.

[0024] Furthermore, the guard portion 37 shown in Figures 7 and 8 is positioned to intersect with the step portion 10, that is, to extend diagonally outward in the vehicle width direction and towards the rear of the vehicle, gradually approaching the rear support column 12 of the step portion 10. As a result, when an occupant's foot 100 is about to be placed on the step portion 13 of the step portion 10, the foot 100 will first come into contact with the guard portion 37. This makes it less likely for the toe of the foot 100 coming from the step portion 10 side to interfere with the rear end 23 of the inlet hose 22, thereby providing more appropriate protection for the step portion 10 side of the inlet portion 21. Moreover, referring to Figure 8, the front surface 38 of the guard portion 37 gradually extends diagonally inward in the vehicle width direction as it moves away from the rear support column 12 towards the front. As a result, the distance L1 between the step portion 10 and the guard portion 37 in the vehicle width direction gradually increases as it moves towards the front of the vehicle. Therefore, when an occupant disembarks from the cargo bed 4, the foot 100 (an object moving towards the inlet) that is placed against the front surface 38 of the guard portion 37 is guided inward in the vehicle width direction and towards the front of the vehicle (in Figure 8, the trajectory of the foot's movement is shown by the arrow labeled A3). As a result, even if the occupant does not visually check the step portion 10 when disembarking, their foot 100 can be guided to the appropriate spot on the step portion 13 of the step portion 10, that is, to the center of the step portion 13 where the distance L1 between the step portion 10 and the guard portion 37 is large.

[0025] As explained above, in the vehicle 2 of this embodiment, the guard portion 37 that protects the inlet portion 21 is integrally provided with the bracket portion 30, thereby suppressing an increase in the number of parts. Furthermore, by positioning the guard portion 37 so as to face the front wheel 5, the front wheel 5 side of the inlet portion 21 can be protected, and by providing the guard portion 37 between the inlet portion 21 and the step portion 10, the step portion 10 side of the inlet portion 21 can be protected. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the inlet portion 21 can be protected more appropriately while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

[0026] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an object that comes into contact with the guard portion 37 can be guided in a desired direction by the action of the inclined surface. Also in this embodiment, an object that comes into contact with the guard portion 37 can be guided in a direction that intersects with the step portion 10 by the action of the inclined surface. And in this embodiment, the guard portion 37 protects the inlet portion 21 from the front and rear of the vehicle, making it difficult for an object coming from the front wheel 5 side to directly hit the inlet portion 21.

[0027] The vehicle of this embodiment is not limited to the embodiment described above, and can take various other forms. In this embodiment, the configuration of the step section and the inlet section (bracket section) is illustrated, but this is not intended to limit the configuration of each of these sections. For example, the step section is not limited to a substantially U-shape, but can take various shapes such as a ladder shape. The step section and the inlet section can be provided at appropriate positions on the vehicle, for example, they can be provided on the rear side of the vehicle behind the rear wheels. Furthermore, if the inlet section is far from the front wheels and close to the rear wheels, it may be configured to be protected from the rear by a guard section. Note that the inlet section can be considered not only as the rear end of the inlet hose, but also as an appropriate part of the inlet hose or an appropriate part of the inlet pipe.

[0028] Furthermore, the configuration of the guard portion can be modified as appropriate. For example, the front surface of the guard portion shown in Figures 4 and 5 may be formed as an inclined surface that extends diagonally outward in the vehicle width direction and toward the rear of the vehicle, while standing almost vertically. Multiple or single receiving surfaces of the guard portion can be provided at appropriate positions on the guard portion. The guard portion only needs to be positioned to face the contact surface of the front wheel, and does not necessarily need to extend diagonally in the vehicle width direction. The direction of extension can be appropriately selected considering its relationship with the step portion. For example, the guard portion may extend in the vehicle's front-rear direction to face the wheel, while its front surface is inclined toward the underside of the vehicle, as shown in Figure 5. In addition to extending linearly in the vehicle width direction, the guard portion may also be curved or bent at appropriate positions. Furthermore, the entire guard portion may be made of an inclined surface, or only the receiving surface may be made of an inclined surface. The configuration of this embodiment can be widely applied to vehicles with steps and is not necessarily limited to pickup trucks. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 2 vehicles 3 Cabins 4. Cargo bed 5.5x front wheel 6,6x rear wheel 7.7x Lower frame (vehicle body of the present invention) 8.8x Crossprivate 9a Front support section 9b Rear strut 10 Step Section 11 Front post 12 Rear post 13 Step stool section 20 Storage Units 21 Inlet section 22 Inlet Hose 23 (The rear end of the inlet hose) (part of the inlet portion of the present invention) 24 Inlet Pipe 25 Inlet 30 Bracket section 31 Flange section 32,33 Lower fixation site 34 Fixed arm section 35 (Tip of the fixed arm section) 37 Guard Area 38 Front surface (of the guard portion) (inclined surface of the present invention) 39 Receiving surface part 40 Weight reduction section 50 Ground plane

Claims

1. In a vehicle in which an inlet section for supplying vehicle-related materials to a storage compartment is located on the inside of a step section that serves as a footrest, in the vehicle width direction, with the inlet section exposed to the outside, A portion of the inlet section is bent so as to face the vehicle's wheels and is mounted to the vehicle body via a bracket section. A vehicle in which a guard portion is integrally provided on the bracket portion to protect a part of the inlet portion, and the guard portion is positioned between the step portion and the inlet portion so as to face the wheel.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guard portion is provided with an inclined surface that guides an object attempting to move toward the inlet portion toward at least one of the vehicle width direction and the underside of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the inclined surface extends in a direction intersecting with respect to the step portion that constitutes the step of the step portion.

4. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the guard portion covers the inlet portion from the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

Images