Canister arrangement structure

Abstract

A canister arrangement structure according to the present invention comprises: a first canister; a second canister that is connected to the first canister through a relay pipe; and a fuel pipe that supplies fuel from a fuel tank to an internal combustion engine. The fuel pipe is arranged so as to be adjacent to each of the first canister and the second canister, and the fuel pipe has a portion where the position thereof in the front-rear direction overlaps with the first canister and the second canister.

Description

Canister arrangement structure

[0001] The present invention relates to a canister arrangement structure.

[0002] In vehicles such as automobiles, in order to prevent fuel vapor from being released into the atmosphere in a fuel tank, a canister is used to adsorb the vapor in the fuel tank and the adsorbed vapor is desorbed from the canister, thereby performing a purging process. Since the efficiency of the desorption action of the canister increases as the temperature of the canister increases, it is preferable that the canister be placed in a high-temperature atmosphere during purging.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an evaporated fuel treatment device including a main canister containing an adsorbent capable of adsorbing and desorbing evaporated fuel generated in a fuel tank, a secondary canister connected to the main canister and containing another adsorbent capable of adsorbing and desorbing evaporated fuel contained in exhaust gas discharged from the main canister, and a connecting pipe connecting the main canister and the secondary canister. The connecting pipe includes a first portion located near a muffler and a second portion, which is the other portion of the first portion and is located away from the exhaust pipe and is located lower than the first portion in the vehicle vertical direction. In this way, by positioning the first portion of the connecting pipe, where air stagnates, near the exhaust pipe or muffler constituting the engine's exhaust system, it is heated by the heat of the exhaust system. This increases the temperature of the air flowing into the main canister during desorption, improving the desorption performance of the main canister.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-032211

[0005] In the invention of Patent Document 1, a muffler is placed near the main canister and the sub-canister, and the heat from the muffler can cause the main canister and the sub-canister to become excessively heated, possibly causing the canisters to exceed their heat resistance temperature.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a canister arrangement structure that can appropriately heat the main canister and sub-canister to improve desorption performance.

[0007] The present invention has the following configuration: (1) A canister arrangement structure including: a first canister; a second canister connected to the first canister via a relay pipe; and a fuel pipe that supplies fuel from a fuel tank to an internal combustion engine, wherein the fuel pipe is arranged adjacent to each of the first canister and the second canister, and the fuel pipe has a portion that overlaps with the first canister and the second canister in the front-to-rear direction.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a canister arrangement structure that can appropriately heat the main canister and sub-canister to improve desorption performance.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a bottom view of the rear of the vehicle as seen from below. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of Fig. 1 with an undercover attached. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 1 as seen from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0010] (First embodiment)

[0011] The following describes the canister arrangement structure according to the embodiment with reference to the drawings. While this embodiment will be described with reference to a vehicle equipped only with an internal combustion engine, the present invention is also applicable to vehicles equipped with an electric motor in addition to an internal combustion engine, i.e., hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The arrows FR, UP, and RH shown in each drawing indicate the forward (forward / backward) direction, upward, and rightward directions of the vehicle, respectively. The opposite directions of the arrows FR, UP, and RH indicate the rearward (reverse) direction, downward, and leftward directions of the vehicle. Hereinafter, when the terms "front-rear," "left-right," and "up-down" are used in the description, they refer to the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the left-right direction of the vehicle (vehicle width direction), and the up-down direction of the vehicle, unless otherwise specified.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a bottom view of the rear of the vehicle as seen from below. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of Fig. 1 with an undercover attached. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 1 as seen from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0013] The efficiency of the desorption action in the canister increases as the canister temperature increases. For this reason, canisters are sometimes placed in the engine compartment, which is subject to a high-temperature atmosphere. However, in recent years, stricter regulations on evaporative gas emissions have made it necessary to increase the canister's capacity, or in cases where a large number of devices, such as a motor and an ECU, are placed in the engine compartment, it can be difficult to install a canister in the limited space within the engine compartment. In such cases, the canister is placed under the floor at the rear of the vehicle, where installation space is easily secured, and the structure of the rear of the vehicle is utilized to increase the canister temperature. In the canister placement structure of this embodiment, the structure of the rear of the vehicle is also utilized to increase the temperatures of the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30, which will be described later.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the vehicle 1 includes a floor panel 3 that constitutes an underbody, first to fourth side members 11, 12, 13, and 14 that are provided below the floor panel 3 and extend in the fore-and-aft direction, and a main canister 20, a sub-canister 30, an exhaust device 40, and a fuel tank 50 that are arranged below the floor panel 3.

[0015] Of the first to fourth side members 11-14, the two located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction (toward the center in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 ) are the first and third side members 11, 13, and these first and third side members 11, 13 extend substantially linearly in the front-to-rear direction. The first side member 11 is located to the right of the center in the vehicle width direction, and the third side member 13 is located to the left of the center in the vehicle width direction. Of the first to fourth side members 11-14, the two located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction (away from the center in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 ) are the second and fourth side members 12, 14, and these second and fourth side members 12, 14 are inclined outward in the vehicle width direction toward the rear. The second side member 12 is located to the right of the center in the vehicle width direction, and the fourth side member 14 is located to the left of the center in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 4 , the first and second side members 11, 12 have a hat-shaped cross section and are joined to the underside of the floor panel 3. Although not shown, the third and fourth side members 13 and 14 also have a hat-shaped cross section and are joined to the underside of the floor panel 3 .

[0016] The exhaust system 40 includes a first exhaust pipe 41 that connects to an exhaust port (not shown) of the engine located at the front of the vehicle and extends rearward; a first muffler 43 that connects to the rear end of the first exhaust pipe 41 and extends rearward; a second exhaust pipe 45 that connects to the rear end of the first muffler 43 and extends rearward; a second muffler 47 that connects to the rear end of the second exhaust pipe 45 and extends in the vehicle width direction; and a third exhaust pipe 49 that connects to the left end of the second muffler 47, extends in the vehicle width direction, and then extends rearward. Exhaust from the exhaust port passes through the first exhaust pipe 41, the first muffler 43, the second exhaust pipe 45, the second muffler 47, and the third exhaust pipe 49 and is directed to the outside. The first muffler 43 and the second muffler 47 are pipes that attenuate the noise of the exhaust gas that flows in. The volume of the second muffler 47 is configured to be larger than the volume of the first muffler 43, thereby enhancing the noise reduction effect of the first and second mufflers 43, 47.

[0017] 1 to 3, first exhaust pipe 41, first muffler 43, and second exhaust pipe 45 are disposed between first side member 11 and third side member 13 in the vehicle width direction, and overlap with first side member 11 and third side member 13 in the front-rear direction. Second exhaust pipe 45 is disposed further below fuel tank 50, which is disposed below floor panel 3, and extends below fuel tank 50 in the front-rear direction.

[0018] In this way, the exhaust device 40 is located near the fuel tank 50, and in particular the second exhaust pipe 45 is disposed in a position that overlaps with the fuel tank 50 when viewed from above and below, so when the engine starts, the heat from the exhaust device 40 raises the temperature of the fuel contained in the fuel tank 50. Accordingly, the temperature of the fuel pipe 61 that supplies fuel from the fuel tank 50 to the engine also rises.

[0019] Fuel tank 50 is located rearward of the rear ends of first to fourth side members 11 to 14, and extends in the vehicle width direction from near the rear of second side member 12 to near the rear of fourth side member 14. Fuel tank 50 is located between floor panel 3 and second exhaust pipe 45 of exhaust device 40 in the up-down direction.

[0020] 1, 2, and 4, a fuel pipe 61 that supplies fuel to an engine at the front of the vehicle is connected to the fuel tank 50. The fuel pipe 61 connected to the fuel tank 50 extends forward. The fuel pipe 61 is located above the sub-canister 30 and below the floor panel 3. The fuel pipe 61 extends in the front-to-rear direction directly above the sub-canister 30 and parallel to the sub-canister 30 so as to be adjacent to the sub-canister 30 in the vertical direction.

[0021] The fuel pipe 61 is disposed on the inner side (left side) of the main canister 20 in the vehicle width direction, and is adjacent to the main canister 20 in the vehicle width direction. The fuel pipe 61 has a portion that overlaps with the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30 in the front-rear direction. In other words, as shown in Figure 4, when cut along a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction, the fuel pipe 61 has a portion that is located on the same plane as the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30.

[0022] Both the main canister 20 as the first canister and the sub-canister 30 as the second canister are disposed between the first side member 11 and the second side member 12 in the vehicle width direction, and their longitudinal positions overlap with the rear portions of the first side member 11 and the second side member 12. The main canister 20 is located on the outer side (right side) in the vehicle width direction, which is closer to the second side member 12, and the sub-canister 30 is located on the inner side (center side) in the vehicle width direction, which is closer to the first side member 11.

[0023] The main canister 20 as the first canister has a generally box-like shape and houses an adsorbent inside the case that is capable of adsorbing and desorbing evaporated fuel generated in the fuel tank 50. The sub-canister 30 as the second canister has a generally cylindrical shape and houses an adsorbent inside the case that is capable of absorbing and desorbing evaporated fuel contained in the breakthrough gas discharged from the main canister 20. The adsorbent is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, activated carbon with a honeycomb structure.

[0024] 1 and 4, the dimensions of the main canister 20 in the front-rear direction, vehicle width direction, and up-down direction are all larger than those of the sub-canister 30. Therefore, the capacity of the adsorbent accommodated in the main canister 20 is larger than that of the sub-canister 30. As shown in particular in FIG. 4, the main canister 20 is set to have a relatively large dimension in the up-down direction, and as a result, the main canister 20 has portions that are at the same position (the same height) in the up-down direction as the first side member 11, the second side member 12, the sub-canister 30, the exhaust device 40, the fuel pipe 61, the purge pipe 65, and the atmosphere release pipe 69.

[0025] 1 and 3, the main canister 20 is connected to the fuel tank 50 via a vapor pipe 63. The vapor pipe 63 guides evaporated fuel gas from within the fuel tank 50 to the main canister 20. The vapor pipe 63 connects a central portion of the rear end of the main canister 20 in the vehicle width direction to an outer portion (right side portion) of the front end of the fuel tank 50 in the vehicle width direction.

[0026] The main canister 20 is connected to the engine via a purge pipe 65. The evaporated fuel desorbed from the adsorbent in the main canister 20 during purging is guided to the intake manifold (not shown) of the engine via the purge pipe 65. Note that during purging, the evaporated fuel desorbed from the adsorbent in the sub-canister 30 is also guided to the intake manifold via a relay pipe 67, the main canister 20, and the purge pipe 65, which will be described later.

[0027] The purge pipe 65 connects to the rear end of the main canister 20 at a vehicle widthwise inner portion (left side portion), extends rearward, then extends inward in the vehicle width direction, and then extends forward. In other words, the purge pipe 65 extends rearward from the main canister 20 and then makes a U-turn toward the front. As also shown in Figure 4, the purge pipe 65 extends in the front-rear direction between the first side member 11 and the fuel pipe 61 in the vehicle width direction. The purge pipe 65 is located directly above the sub-canister 30.

[0028] The sub-canister 30 is connected to the main canister 20 via a relay pipe 67. The relay pipe 67 connects the outer side (right side) of the rear end of the main canister 20 in the vehicle width direction to the rear end of the sub-canister 30. The relay pipe 67 is connected to the outer side (right side) of the rear end of the main canister 20 in the vehicle width direction rather than the inner side (left side) of the rear end of the main canister 20, which is closer to the sub-canister 30, thereby lengthening the relay pipe 67. In this way, lengthening the relay pipe 67 makes it possible to increase the distance from the main canister 20 to an atmosphere opening 69a (see FIG. 1 ), which will be described later. This makes it possible to suppress leakage of evaporated gas into the atmosphere and facilitates compliance with fuel evaporated gas regulations.

[0029] Fuel evaporative emissions regulations in various countries are becoming stricter every year, and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has implemented a fuel evaporative emissions control test called the Bleed Emission Test Procedure (BETP), which measures the bleed emissions value, which is the amount of gas that breaks through the canister, for the fuel tank and canister alone. As described above, lengthening the relay pipe 67 has the effect of reducing the bleed emissions value stipulated in the BETP.

[0030] The sub-canister 30 extends cylindrically forward from the rear end to which the relay pipe 67 is connected. As shown in Figure 4, the sub-canister 30 is adjacent to an atmosphere release pipe 69 (described later) on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. The sub-canister 30 is also adjacent to a lower part of the fuel pipe 61 and extends substantially parallel to the fuel pipe 61 in the front-to-rear direction. This allows the heat input from the fuel pipe 61 to the sub-canister 30 to be uniform.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, the sub-canister 30 has a vent solenoid valve 31 at its front end. The vent solenoid valve 31 is fixed to the sub-canister 30, for example with bolts. The sub-canister 30 is also fixed to the first side member 11, which is a highly rigid member, by a bracket 33. This prevents the operating sound of the vent solenoid valve 31 from resonating inside the vehicle cabin. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the bracket 33 also holds the atmosphere release pipe 69 in addition to the sub-canister 30.

[0032] The front end of the sub-canister 30 is connected to an atmosphere release pipe 69 via the vent solenoid valve 31. As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the atmosphere release pipe 69 connects the sub-canister 30 to the atmosphere. The base end (front end) of the atmosphere release pipe 69 is connected to the vent solenoid valve 31 and extends rearward from the base end. An atmosphere release port 69a that is open to the atmosphere is provided at the tip of the atmosphere release pipe 69. An air cleaner 69b is provided midway through the atmosphere release pipe 69 to prevent dust and other particles contained in the air introduced through the atmosphere release port 69a from entering the sub-canister 30.

[0033] As shown in Figure 5, the atmosphere release pipe 69 extends upward as it moves rearward from the vent solenoid valve 31 of the sub-canister 30, with the atmosphere release port 69a at its tip located higher than the sub-canister 30. Because fuel evaporation gas is heavier than air, it is less likely to reach the atmosphere release port 69a located higher than the sub-canister 30, which makes it possible to suppress leakage of the evaporation gas into the atmosphere. This reduces the bleed emissions value.

[0034] 5, the atmosphere vent 69a is disposed in the space S formed between the rear wheel house 5 and the splash shield 7. Therefore, the tip of the atmosphere vent pipe 69 is positioned relatively rearward of the vehicle, allowing the atmosphere vent pipe 69 to be elongated, suppressing leakage of evaporated gas into the atmosphere and reducing the bleed emission value. Furthermore, foreign matter such as mud and water kicked up by the rear wheels is less likely to enter the space S between the rear wheel house 5 and the splash shield 7, thereby suppressing foreign matter from reaching the atmosphere vent 69a. Note that, as in the illustrated example, it is preferable to position the atmosphere vent 69a facing upward, as this further suppresses the intrusion of foreign matter.

[0035] In this way, the atmosphere release pipe 69 is connected to the front end of the sub-canister 30 and extends toward the rear wheel house 5, so the atmosphere release pipe 69 can be made longer than when it is connected to the rear end of the sub-canister 30, etc., which makes it possible to suppress leakage of evaporated gas into the atmosphere and reduce the bleed emission value.

[0036] The temperature inside the fuel tank 50 rises due to factors such as fluctuations in air temperature and the heat from the exhaust system 40 when the engine is started, and this in turn raises the temperature of the fuel pipe 61 connected to the fuel tank 50. Using the heat from this fuel pipe 61 to warm the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30 is preferable because it improves the desorption efficiency of the adsorbent.

[0037] 4, in this embodiment, the fuel pipe 61 is disposed adjacent to each of the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30, and has portions that overlap in the front-to-rear direction with the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30. Therefore, the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30 are heated by the heat of the fuel pipe 61, improving desorption efficiency during purging.

[0038] Furthermore, the fuel pipe 61 and the main canister 20 (first canister) are adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction, and the fuel pipe 61 and the sub-canister 30 (second canister) are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. This allows the fuel pipe 61 to be efficiently arranged so as to be adjacent to both the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30.

[0039] Furthermore, the main canister 20 (first canister), sub-canister 30 (second canister), and fuel pipe 61 are disposed below the floor panel 3 of the vehicle 1, and the sub-canister 30 (second canister) is disposed adjacent to and below the fuel pipe 61. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, the fuel pipe 61 is disposed in a space surrounded by the lower part of the floor panel 3, the inner side of the main canister 20 in the vehicle width direction, and the upper part of the sub-canister 30. This makes it easy for heat from the fuel pipe 61 to remain in the space, allowing the main canister 20 and sub-canister 30 to be heated efficiently.

[0040] 1 , the first side member 11 is disposed inward in the vehicle width direction with respect to the fuel pipe 61 and the sub-canister 30 (second canister), on the opposite side of the vehicle from the main canister 20. Therefore, by disposing the fuel pipe 61 and the sub-canister 30 between the main canister 20 and the first side member 11 in the vehicle width direction, the heat of the fuel pipe 61 is retained between the main canister 20 and the first side member 11, making it possible to efficiently heat the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30. Note that the first side member 11 also has the effect of protecting the fuel pipe, the main canister 20, and the sub-canister 30 in the event of a side collision.

[0041] Furthermore, the second side member 12 is disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, opposite the first side member 11, of the main canister 20 (first canister) and the sub-canister 30 (second canister). Therefore, the fuel pipe 61, the main canister 20, and the sub-canister 30 are disposed between the first side member 11 and the second side member 12 in the vehicle width direction, so that heat is retained between the first side member 11 and the second side member 12, enabling the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30 to be efficiently heated. Note that the first side member 11 and the second side member 12 also have the effect of protecting the fuel pipe 61, the main canister 20, and the sub-canister 30 in the event of a side collision.

[0042] 2 and 4 , the vehicle 1 preferably has an undercover 9 arranged to cover the underside of the main canister 20, the sub-canister 30, and the fuel pipe 61. The undercover 9 has an inner end joined to the underside of the first side member 11 in the vehicle width direction, and an outer end joined to the underside of the floor panel 3 on a position outer than the second side member 12 in the vehicle width direction. In this way, the undercover 9 forms a closed space above it, and efficiently transfers heat from the fuel pipe 61 to the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30. The undercover 9 also has the effect of protecting the fuel pipe 61, the main canister 20, and the sub-canister 30.

[0043] 1, 3, and 4, the exhaust device 40 is disposed inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the first side member 11, on the opposite side to the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30. By adopting such an arrangement, the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30 are heated by the heat of the exhaust device 40, thereby increasing desorption efficiency, while the first side member 11 is interposed between the exhaust device 40 and the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30, thereby suppressing excessive heating of the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30 by the exhaust device 40.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4, the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30 have portions that are at the same position (same height) in the vertical direction as the exhaust device 40. This configuration makes it possible to uniformize the heat input from the exhaust device 40 to the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30. As in the example shown, it is preferable for the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30 to extend parallel to the exhaust device 40, as this further uniformizes the heat input from the exhaust device 40 to the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30. It is not necessary for both the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30 to have portions that are at the same position (same height) in the vertical direction as the exhaust device 40, but it is preferable for at least one of the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30 to have a portion that is at the same position (same height) in the vertical direction as the exhaust device 40.

[0045] Although the description of the embodiment has been completed above, the aspects of the present invention are not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications are applicable.

[0046] In the above-described embodiment, the main canister 20 serving as the first canister is disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and the sub-canister 30 serving as the second canister is disposed on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. However, the positional relationship between the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30 may be reversed. That is, the sub-canister 30 serving as the first canister may be disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and the main canister 20 serving as the second canister may be disposed on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. In this case, a configuration may be adopted in which the fuel pipe 61 and the sub-canister 30 (first canister) are adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction, and the fuel pipe 61 and the main canister 20 (second canister) are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. This allows the fuel pipe 61 to be efficiently disposed so as to be adjacent to both the main canister 20 and the sub-canister 30. Furthermore, the sub-canister 30 (first canister), main canister 20 (second canister), and fuel pipe 61 may be disposed below the floor panel 3 of the vehicle, and the main canister 20 (second canister) may be disposed adjacent to and below the fuel pipe 61. In this case, the fuel pipe 61 is disposed in a space surrounded by the lower part of the floor panel 3 and the upper part of the main canister 20, so that heat from the fuel pipe 61 tends to remain in the space, thereby efficiently warming the main canister 20 and sub-canister 30. Furthermore, in the vehicle width direction, the first side member 11 may be disposed on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, opposite the sub-canister 30 (first canister), with respect to the fuel pipe 61 and main canister 20 (second canister). According to this, by arranging the fuel pipe 61 and the main canister 20 between the sub-canister 30 and the first side member 11 in the vehicle width direction, the heat of the fuel pipe 61 is retained between the sub-canister 30 and the first side member 11, and the sub-canister 30 and the main canister 20 can be efficiently heated.

[0047] However, as in the above-described embodiment, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the main canister 20 is disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction and the sub-canister 30 is disposed on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, because the sub-canister 30 can be heated by the exhaust device 40 and the fuel pipe 61. Because the sub-canister 30 is located at a longer distance to the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine than the main canister 20, the desorption efficiency of the sub-canister 30 during purging is lower than that of the main canister 20. Therefore, it is preferable to dispose the sub-canister 30 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, closer to the exhaust device 40 than the main canister 20, as in the above-described embodiment, in order to increase the desorption efficiency of the sub-canister 30.

[0048] As described above, this specification discloses the following: (1) A canister arrangement structure including: a first canister; a second canister connected to the first canister via a relay pipe; and a fuel pipe that supplies fuel from a fuel tank to an internal combustion engine, wherein the fuel pipe is arranged adjacent to each of the first canister and the second canister, and the fuel pipe has a portion that overlaps with the first canister and the second canister in the front-to-rear direction. (2) The canister arrangement structure described in (1), wherein the fuel pipe and the first canister are adjacent in the vehicle width direction, and the fuel pipe and the second canister are adjacent in the up-down direction. (3) The canister arrangement structure described in (2), wherein the first canister, the second canister, and the fuel pipe are arranged below a floor panel of the vehicle, and the second canister is arranged adjacent to and below the fuel pipe. (4) The canister arrangement structure according to (2) or (3), further comprising a first side member arranged on the opposite side of the first canister with respect to the fuel pipe and the second canister in the vehicle width direction. (5) The canister arrangement structure according to (4), further comprising: the first canister connected to the fuel tank via a vapor pipe and connected to the internal combustion engine via a purge pipe; and the second canister connected to an atmosphere release pipe connected to the atmosphere. (6) The canister arrangement structure according to (4) or (5), further comprising: a second side member arranged on the opposite side of the first side member with respect to the first canister and the second canister in the vehicle width direction. (7) The canister arrangement structure according to any one of (1) to (6), further comprising: an undercover arranged to cover below the first canister, the second canister, and the fuel pipe. (8) The canister arrangement structure according to any one of (4) to (6), further comprising an exhaust device arranged on the opposite side of the first side member from the first canister and the second canister in the vehicle width direction. (9) The canister arrangement structure according to (8), wherein at least one of the first canister and the second canister has a portion that is in the same position as the exhaust device in the up-down direction.(10) The canister arrangement structure described in (5), wherein the second canister has a solenoid valve, the atmosphere release pipe is connected to the solenoid valve of the second canister, and the second canister is fixed to the first side member by a bracket. (11) The canister arrangement structure described in any one of (1) to (10), wherein the first canister is connected to the fuel tank via a vapor pipe and to the internal combustion engine via a purge pipe, the second canister is connected to an atmosphere release pipe connected to the atmosphere, the atmosphere release pipe has an atmosphere release port at its tip that is open to the atmosphere, and the atmosphere release port is located above the second canister and is located in a space formed between a rear wheel house and a splash shield of the vehicle. (12) The canister arrangement structure described in (11), wherein the atmosphere release pipe is connected to a front end of the second canister and extends rearward.

[0049] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle 3 floor panel 5 rear wheel house 7 splash shield 9 under cover 11 first side member 12 second side member 13 third side member 14 fourth side member 20 main canister 30 sub-canister 31 vent solenoid valve (solenoid valve) 33 bracket 40 exhaust system 41 first exhaust pipe 43 first muffler 45 second exhaust pipe 47 second muffler 49 third exhaust pipe 50 fuel tank 61 fuel pipe 63 vapor pipe 65 purge pipe 67 relay pipe 69 atmosphere release pipe 69a atmosphere release port 69b air cleaner

Claims

1. A canister arrangement structure comprising: a first canister; a second canister connected to the first canister via a relay pipe; and a fuel pipe that supplies fuel from a fuel tank to an internal combustion engine, wherein the fuel pipe is arranged adjacent to each of the first canister and the second canister, and the fuel pipe has a portion that overlaps with the first canister and the second canister in the front-to-rear direction.

2. A canister arrangement structure according to claim 1, wherein the fuel pipe and the first canister are adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction, and the fuel pipe and the second canister are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction.

3. A canister arrangement structure according to claim 2, wherein the first canister, the second canister, and the fuel pipe are arranged below a floor panel of the vehicle, and the second canister is arranged below and adjacent to the fuel pipe.

4. A canister arrangement structure according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a first side member arranged on the opposite side of the fuel pipe and the second canister from the first canister in the vehicle width direction.

5. A canister arrangement structure as described in claim 4, wherein the first canister is connected to the fuel tank via a vapor pipe and to the internal combustion engine via a purge pipe, and the second canister is connected to an atmosphere release pipe that is connected to the atmosphere.

6. A canister arrangement structure according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising a second side member arranged on the opposite side of the first side member with respect to the first canister and the second canister in the vehicle width direction.

7. A canister arrangement structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising an undercover arranged to cover below the first canister, the second canister, and the fuel pipe.

8. A canister arrangement structure according to any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising an exhaust device arranged on the opposite side of the first side member from the first canister and the second canister in the vehicle width direction.

9. The canister arrangement structure according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first canister and the second canister has a portion that is at the same position as the exhaust device in the vertical direction.

10. A canister arrangement structure according to claim 5, wherein the second canister has a solenoid valve, the atmosphere release pipe is connected to the solenoid valve of the second canister, and the second canister is fixed to the first side member by a bracket.

11. A canister arrangement structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first canister is connected to the fuel tank via a vapor line and to the internal combustion engine via a purge line, the second canister is connected to an atmosphere release pipe connected to the atmosphere, the atmosphere release pipe has an atmosphere release port at its tip that is open to the atmosphere, and the atmosphere release port is located above the second canister and is arranged in the space formed between the rear wheel house and splash shield of the vehicle.

12. A canister arrangement structure according to claim 11, wherein the atmosphere vent pipe is connected to a front end of the second canister and extends rearward.

Images