Filler neck storage structure

Abstract

In this filler neck accommodating structure: a tip end portion of a filler neck (30) forming a fuel supply port (12) is accommodated in a recessed portion (11) provided in a side surface of a vehicle body (1); an opening portion (15) of the recessed portion (11) is openably closed by means of a lid (2); an extended plate portion (21a) extending upward along a first upper surface portion (13a) of a lid outer (13) of the lid (2) is formed in a second upper surface portion (21) of a lid inner (20); a pair of first projecting portions (21b), and a second projecting portion (21c) formed between the same, are formed in the extended plate portion (21a); a first passage (L1) and a second passage (L2) are formed between the pair of first projecting portions (21b) and the second projecting portion (21c) formed therebetween; and a protector (14) attached to the pair of first projecting portions (21b) is in a state extending in a width direction of the vehicle and a front-rear direction of the vehicle so as to be positioned between an upper edge of the lid outer (13) and an uppermost part of a cap (32) covering the fuel supply port (12).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a filler neck storage structure in which the tip of a filler neck forming a fuel filler opening is stored in a recess provided in the side of a vehicle body such as an automobile, and the opening of the recess is opened and closed by a lid. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, a fuel filler port is provided on the side of a vehicle body such as an automobile. The fuel filler port of a vehicle is formed at the tip of a filler neck that is connected to a fuel tank provided on the vehicle body. The tip of the filler neck is stored in a recess that opens into the side of the vehicle body, and the opening of the recess is closed by a lid so as to be able to be opened and closed. Generally, the tip of the filler neck is stored in the recess at an upward inclination toward the outside in the vehicle width direction in order to make it easier to insert a fuel filler nozzle. In addition, a cap that closes the fuel filler port is attached to the tip of the filler neck.

[0003] In a filler neck storage structure in which the tip of the filler neck is stored in the recess like this, water can get into the recess between the top of the lid and the periphery of the recess during rainfall or when washing the car, and drip onto the cap. When this happens, water that drips to the inside of the uppermost part of the cap in the vehicle width direction runs down the cap inward in the vehicle width direction and adheres to the filler neck, causing the filler neck to rust.

[0004] In order to solve this problem, a lid has been proposed that has a lid outer provided on the outside in the vehicle width direction and a lid inner provided on the inside in the vehicle width direction, and a water receiving portion that extends upward toward the inside in the vehicle width direction at the upper end of the lid inner (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This water receiving portion of the lid inner can guide water that has entered the recess between the lid outer and the periphery of the recess to the outside of the recess. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-153011 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The water receiving portion of the lid inner described in Patent Document 1 guides water that has entered the recess between the lid outer and the lid inner, which are provided on the vehicle width direction outer side. If the water guided by the water receiving portion of the lid inner remains between the lid inner and the lid outer, the remaining water may cause rust on the lid outer. Furthermore, there is a problem that rust on the lid outer affects the appearance of the vehicle body exterior.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to suppress the occurrence of rust on the lid outer and the filler neck. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a filler neck storage structure comprising: a recess provided on the side of a vehicle body and having an opening that opens to the outside in the vehicle width direction; a filler neck stored in the recess and having a fuel filler opening at its tip; a cap attached to the tip of the filler neck so as to be able to open and close the fuel filler opening; and a lid that opens and closes the opening of the recess, wherein the lid has a lid outer located on the outside in the vehicle width direction and a lid inner located on the inside in the vehicle width direction, and is provided with a protector extending in the vehicle width direction and in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction so as to be located between the upper edge of the lid and the topmost point of the cap, and a passage is provided between the protector and the lid inner to drain water that drips onto the protector.

[0009] The lid inner has a pair of first protrusions that protrude inward in the vehicle width direction and are formed at intervals in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and the protector is attached to the pair of first protrusions, and a filler neck storage structure is adopted in which the passage is formed between the pair of first protrusions by the pair of first protrusions.

[0010] The lid inner has a second protruding portion that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction and is formed between a pair of the first protruding portions, the second protruding portion overlapping with the protector in the vehicle width direction, and the passage adopts a filler neck storage structure that is formed between the pair of first protruding portions and the pair of second protruding portions by the pair of first protruding portions and the second protruding portions.

[0011] A filler neck housing structure may be employed in which the second protrusion is located above the uppermost portion of the cap.

[0012] The second protrusion has a hem at its lower end which widens on both sides in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, and a filler neck storage structure is adopted in which both ends of the hem in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction are positioned outside the cap in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

[0013] The lid outer has a flange at its edge that rises toward the inside in the vehicle width direction, and the protector is attached to the lid inner and can adopt a filler neck storage structure that extends further inward in the vehicle width direction than the inner end of the flange at the upper edge of the lid outer. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to this invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of rust on the lid outer and the filler neck. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a lid of a filler neck storage structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention is opened; [Diagram 2]FIG. 4 is a front view of the lid of the filler neck storage structure of the above, seen from the inside. [Diagram 3] A cross-sectional view showing the filler neck storage structure taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the lid of the filler neck storage structure from the inside with the protector removed. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a state in which the lid of the filler neck storage structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention is open. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the filler neck storage structure taken along line BB in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] A filler neck storage structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a filler neck storage structure 10 is provided above a rear tire (not shown) on the side of a vehicle body 1 of a vehicle such as an automobile. In the following description, the up-down direction, the front-rear direction, and the vehicle width direction are based on the vehicle parked on flat ground. In the following description of the lid 2, the up-down direction, the front-rear direction, and the vehicle width direction refer to the directions when the recess 11 is closed by the lid 2.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the filler neck storage structure 10 comprises a recess 11 provided on the side of the vehicle body 1, a fuel filler opening 12 provided at the bottom of the recess 11, a lid 2 that closes the recess 11 in an openable and closable manner, and a protector 14 attached to the inside of the lid 2 in the vehicle width direction.

[0018] The recess 11 is formed by recessing the side surface of the vehicle body 1 inward in the vehicle width direction. Specifically, a flange bent inward in the vehicle width direction is provided on the inner edge 1a of an opening 15 formed on the side surface of the vehicle body 1, and a recess is formed in the flange of the inner edge 1a. Recess The outer edge 11a of 11 is fixed and formed.

[0019] The recess 11 has an upper wall portion 17, a support wall portion 18, and a bottom wall portion 19. The upper wall portion 17 extends at an inward and downward inclination in the vehicle width direction. The support wall portion 18 extends at an inward and outward inclination in the vehicle width direction from an inner end portion of the upper wall portion 17. The bottom wall portion 19 extends at a slight inward and downward inclination in the vehicle width direction from a lower end portion of the support wall portion 18.

[0020] A through hole 18a is formed in the center of the support wall portion 18 in the front-rear direction. The tip of a filler neck 30 that forms the fuel filler opening 12 passes through the through hole 18a. The filler neck 30 is connected to a fuel tank (not shown), and a cap 31 that closes the fuel filler opening 12 is attached to its tip. The tip of the filler neck 30 is supported by the support wall portion 18 at an incline that faces upward as it moves outward in the vehicle width direction. A seal member 32 seals the gap between the outer periphery of the tip of the filler neck 30 and the inner periphery of the through hole 18a of the support wall portion 18.

[0021] The lid 2 is rotatably attached to the front part of the recess 11 so as to open and close the opening 15. As shown in Fig. 3, the lid 2 is formed from a panel material such as sheet metal, and has an outer shape that follows the periphery of the opening 15. The lid 2 has a lid outer 13 located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction and forming the outer surface (outer surface in the vehicle width direction) of the lid 2, and a lid inner 20 located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction and forming the inner surface (inner surface in the vehicle width direction) of the lid 2.

[0022] The lid outer 13 is inclined outward in the vehicle width direction as the side surface of the lid outer 13 goes downward. In this embodiment, the side surface has a first upper surface portion 13a and a first lower surface portion 13b, the first upper surface portion 13a is inclined less with respect to the ground than the first lower surface portion 13b, and a first folding line 13d is formed between the first upper surface portion 13a and the first lower surface portion 13b. In addition, the lid outer 13 is formed with a flange 13c that is formed along the periphery of the first upper surface portion 13a and the first lower surface portion 13b and stands on the inside in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the flange 13c located at the upper edge portion of the first upper surface portion 13a extends in a downward inclined manner toward the inside in the vehicle width direction, and its tip is located on the inside in the vehicle width direction of the uppermost point T of the cap 31.

[0023] The lid inner 20 is joined to the inner surface of the lid outer 13 in the vehicle width direction, and its side surface is inclined along the lid outer 13. In this embodiment, the side surface has a second upper surface portion 21 and a second lower surface portion 22. The second upper surface portion 21 is arranged so as to be inclined outward in the vehicle width direction as it goes downward along the first upper surface portion 13a of the lid outer 13. As shown in FIG. 4, an extension plate portion 21a extending upward along the first upper surface portion 13a is formed near the center in the front-rear direction of the second upper surface portion 21. The extension plate portion 21a has a pair of first protruding portions 21b, 21b provided at an interval in the front-rear direction. The pair of first protruding portions 21b, 21b are formed to bulge inward in the vehicle width direction so as to move away from the first upper surface portion 13a of the lid outer 13. The pair of first protruding portions 21b, 21b each have a protruding surface facing inward and downward in the vehicle width direction, and the protruding surface is flat. The protruding surfaces of the pair of first protruding portions 21b are provided with mounting holes 21e for mounting the protector 14 thereto.

[0024] The second upper surface portion 21 is formed with a second protruding portion 21c extending from between the pair of first protruding portions 21b, 21b of the extending plate portion 21a to below the first protruding portions 21b, 21b. In this embodiment, the lower end of the second protruding portion 21c is located at the lower end of the second upper surface portion 21. The second protruding portion 21c is formed to bulge inward in the vehicle width direction so as to move away from the first upper surface portion 13a of the lid outer 13. The second protruding portion 21c has a protruding surface facing inward and downward in the vehicle width direction, and the protruding surface is flat. The protruding surface of the second protruding portion 21c and the protruding surfaces of the pair of first protruding portions 21b, 21b are located on the same plane. The second protruding portion 21c has a bottom portion 21d extending in both the front-rear direction at its lower portion. The bottom 21d is located below the pair of first protrusions 21b, 21b, and is formed to be wider toward the front and rear of the vehicle so that the width in the vehicle front-rear direction is larger than the upper part of the second protrusion 21c, i.e., the part of the second protrusion 21c above the bottom 21d. The lower end of the bottom 21d is inclined less toward the ground than the protruding surface.

[0025] 2, second protrusion 21c is positioned so as to overlap with a central portion in the front-rear direction of the tip of filler neck 30 when viewed from the top-bottom direction of the vehicle. Front and rear ends of hem 21d of second protrusion 21c are positioned outboard in the front-rear direction relative to the tip of filler neck 30. As shown in FIG. 3, a lower end of hem 21d is positioned outboard in the vehicle width direction relative to cap 31.

[0026] In the second upper surface portion 21, a first passage L1 is formed between the first protruding portion 21b and the second protruding portion 21c located on the front side, and a second passage L2 is formed between the first protruding portion 21b and the second protruding portion 21c located on the rear side. As shown in Fig. 4, the first passage L1 is formed between the rear end of the first protruding portion 21b on the front side and the front end of the second protruding portion 21c, and between the lower end of the first protruding portion 21b on the front side and the upper end of the skirt portion 21d. The second passage L2 is formed between the front end of the first protruding portion 21b on the rear side and the rear end of the second protruding portion 21c, and between the lower end of the first protruding portion 21b on the rear side and the upper end of the skirt portion 21d.

[0027] The second lower surface portion 22 is disposed so as to be inclined outward in the vehicle width direction as it extends downward along the first lower surface portion 13b of the lid outer 13.

[0028] 1, the protector 14 is formed from a plate member made of synthetic resin. The lower part of the protector 14 is attached to the attachment hole 21e of the first protruding portion 21b by a fastener 34 such as a synthetic resin clip or push rivet. The protector 14 is in surface contact with and covers the upper parts of the protruding surfaces of the two first protruding portions 21b and the upper parts of the protruding surfaces of the second protruding portion 21c.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, the protector 14 is disposed along the second upper surface portion 21 of the lid inner 20, inclined downward toward the outside in the vehicle width direction. The upper edge portion of the protector 14 is located inward in the vehicle width direction from the tip of the flange 13c of the upper edge portion of the lid outer 13, and inward in the vehicle width direction from the uppermost point T of the cap 31. The lower edge portion of the protector 14 is located outward in the vehicle width direction from the uppermost point T of the cap 31. Both ends of the protector 14 in the front-rear direction are located outward in the front-rear direction from the filler neck 30. The protector 14 is designed so that both ends of the protector 14 in the front-rear direction are located outward in the front-rear direction from the filler neck 30, even when the vehicle is tilted forward-rear at a generally assumed inclination angle with respect to the ground, for example. angle It is preferable to design the protector 14 so that, even if the vehicle tilts to the left or right, the upper end of the protector 14 is located inside the vehicle width direction relative to the uppermost point T of the filler neck 30, and the lower end of the protector 14 is located outside the vehicle width direction relative to the uppermost point T of the filler neck 30.

[0030] The filler neck storage structure 10 according to the first embodiment is configured as described above. As shown in FIG. 3, in the filler neck storage structure 10, the protector 14 is attached to the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the extension plate portion 21a of the lid inner 20. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the protector 14 is located above the uppermost point T of the cap 31. In the filler neck storage structure of this embodiment, the protector 14 is located between the upper edge of the flange 13c of the lid outer 13 and the uppermost point T of the cap 31. This positional relationship allows the protector 14 to receive water that has entered from between the upper inner edge 1a of the opening 15 and the upper edge of the lid 2, and prevents water from covering the inside in the vehicle width direction of the uppermost point T of the cap 31. In this embodiment, the protector 14 is also located between the flange of the upper inner edge 1a of the opening 15 and the uppermost point T of the cap 31. This prevents water that has flowed down along the side of the vehicle body 1 from being caught by the protector 14. water However, even if water falls along the flange of the upper inner edge 1a of the opening 15, it is possible to prevent the water from reaching the inside of the uppermost point T of the cap 31 in the vehicle width direction.

[0031] In addition, the protector 14 extends downward toward the outside in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the water received by the protector 14 moves downward on the protector 14 and is guided to the passages (the first passage L1 and the second passage L2) provided between the pair of first protrusions 21b (see the arrows in FIG. 2). Since the guided water passes through the passages, the water can be stably discharged from between the protector 14 and the lid inner 20.

[0032] 3, the lower end of the protector 14 is located outside the uppermost point T of the cap 31 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, water dripping from the lower end of the protector 14 hits the end face of the cap 31 (outside the uppermost point T in the vehicle width direction). Then, the water flows downward along the end face of the cap 31 toward the outside in the vehicle width direction, so that the filler neck 30 can be prevented from being covered with water.

[0033] The lid inner 20 of the filler neck storage structure 10 is formed with a pair of first protruding portions 21b that protrude inward in the vehicle width direction. The pair of first protruding portions 21b can reinforce the lid inner 20. Also, by attaching a protector 14 to the pair of first protruding portions 21b, the lid inner 20 can be reinforced by the protector 14. Furthermore, since a passage is formed by the pair of first protruding portions 21b for attaching the protector 14, there is no need to set a separate structure for forming the passage.

[0034] In addition, the second protruding portion 21c is provided between the pair of first protruding portions 21b. The second protruding portion 21c can reinforce the lid inner 20. In addition, the protector 14 is attached to the second protruding portion 21c. contact By so doing, the protector 14 can also be supported by the second protruding portion 21c.

[0035] In addition, since the second protrusion 21c is located at the top of the cap 31, water flowing through the passage flows in a manner that avoids the top of the cap 31 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, which makes it possible to better prevent water from reaching the inside of the top of the cap 31 in the vehicle width direction.

[0036] Furthermore, the hem 21d of the second protrusion 21c extends in the front-rear direction, and the front and rear ends of the hem 21d are located outboard of the tip of the filler neck 30 in the front-rear direction. Water guided into the first passage L1 and the second passage L2 without dripping from the lower end of the protector 14 drips from both ends of the hem 21d in the front-rear direction, preventing the cap 31 from being covered with water. In addition, the lower end of the hem 21d is located outboard of the cap 31 in the vehicle width direction. This further prevents the cap 31 from being covered with water dripping from the lower end of the hem 21d.

[0037] The protector 14 of the filler neck storage structure 10 is a plate member made of synthetic resin. Since the protector 14 of this shape is not bent, it is unlikely to break even when an external force is applied, and manufacturing costs can be reduced. Furthermore, even when the lid 2 is open, there is no risk of injury from the upper edge of the protector 14. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper edge of the protector 14 is located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction than the upper edge of the flange 13c of the lid outer 13, so that injury from the upper edge of the flange 13c of the lid outer 13 can be prevented, making it even safer.

[0038] A filler neck storage structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a protector 14 is attached to an upper wall portion 17 of a recess 11. In other configurations, elements that are considered to be the same as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0039] 5 and 6, in the filler neck storage structure according to the second embodiment, a support portion 11c that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction is formed on an upper portion of an upper wall portion 17 of the recess 11. The protector 14 is attached to the support portion 11c so as to be located above the filler neck 30.

[0040] This invention In the filler neck storage structure according to the second embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, when the lid 2 is closed, the lower part of the protector 14 is located near or in contact with the upper parts of the pair of first protrusions 21b and second protrusions 21c of the lid inner 20. Furthermore, the protector 14 is located between the flange 13c of the lid outer 13 and the filler neck 30. Therefore, in the second embodiment, as in the case of the first embodiment, water that has entered between the upper inner edge 1a of the opening 15 and the upper edge of the lid 2 can be received by the protector 14, and the inside of the tip of the filler neck 30 in the vehicle width direction can be prevented from being covered with water. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1. Vehicle body 1a Inner edge 2 Lid 10 Filler neck storage structure 11 Recess 11a Outer edge 11c Support part 12 Fuel filler 13 Lid Outer 13a First top part 13b First lower surface part 13c flange 14 Protector 15 Opening 17 Upper wall 18 Support wall section 19 Bottom wall 20 Lid Inner 21 Second top section 21a Extension plate part 21b First protrusion 21c Second protrusion 21d Hem 22 Second lower surface part 30 Filler Neck 31 Cap 34 Fixtures L1 First aisle L2 second aisle

Claims

1. A filler neck storage structure comprising: a recess provided on a side surface of a vehicle body and having an opening that opens outward in a vehicle width direction; a filler neck that is stored in the recess and has a fuel filler opening formed at a tip end thereof; a cap that is attached to the tip end of the filler neck so as to be able to open and close the fuel filler opening; and a lid that opens and closes the opening of the recess, The lid has a lid outer located on an outer side in a vehicle width direction and a lid inner located on an inner side in the vehicle width direction, a protector extending in a vehicle width direction and a vehicle front-rear direction so as to be located between an upper edge of the lid and a top portion of the cap, and a passage for discharging water dripping onto the protector is provided between the protector and the lid inner; The lid inner has a pair of first protruding portions that protrude inward in a vehicle width direction and are formed apart from each other in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, The protector is attached to the pair of first protrusions, A filler neck storage structure in which the passage is formed between the pair of first protrusions.

2. The lid inner has a second protruding portion protruding inward in a vehicle width direction and formed between a pair of the first protruding portions, The second protruding portion overlaps with the protector in the vehicle width direction, The filler neck storage structure according to claim 1 , wherein the passage is formed by the pair of first protrusions and between the pair of second protrusions.

3. 3. The filler neck storage structure according to claim 2, wherein the second protrusion is located above an uppermost portion of the cap.

4. The second protruding portion has a bottom portion at a lower end thereof, the bottom portion being widened on both sides in the vehicle front-rear direction, 4. The filler neck storage structure according to claim 3, wherein both ends of the bottom portion in the front-rear direction of the vehicle are positioned outside the cap in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

5. The lid outer has a flange at an edge portion thereof that stands on the inside in the vehicle width direction, 5. The filler neck storage structure according to claim 1, wherein the protector is attached to the lid inner and extends to a position inward in the vehicle width direction beyond an inner end of the flange at an upper edge of the lid outer.

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