Protective structure for fuel pipe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10294904-B2
Application number	US-201715468208-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2017
Priority date	Apr 20, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a protective structure (64) for a fuel pipe (45) extending along the intake side of an engine main body (9) under an intake manifold (20). A protective member (61) is placed in front of the fuel pipe. The protective member includes a pair of legs (64, 65) secured to the intake side of the engine main body, a main body (63) extending from the legs upward in an arcuate manner along a front side of the fuel pipe and bent rearward in an upper part thereof, and an abutting projection (63G) extending from an upper end of the main body and projecting upward and rearward. A fastening member (26, 27) is passed through a flange of the intake manifold, and includes an engagement feature (36) positioned behind a free end of the abutting projection. The protective member minimizes the loading transmitted to the fuel pipe at the time of a vehicle crash.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An internal combustion engine configured to be mounted to a vehicle body, comprising:
an engine main body having a plurality of intake ports opening out on an intake side thereof facing forward with respect to the vehicle body;
an intake manifold attached to the intake side via a fastening member, and extending upward with respect to the vehicle body;
a fuel pipe extending along the intake side under the intake manifold and connected to a plurality of injectors fitted into the intake side; and
a protective bracket having a bracket main body covering a front part of the fuel pipe, and a bracket leg extending rearward from a lower part of the bracket main body under the fuel pipe, the bracket leg being secured to the intake side;
wherein the fastening member includes a fastening member abutting portion projecting forward from the intake manifold, and the bracket main body is provided with a bracket abutting portion in an upper end thereof, the bracket abutting portion opposing the fastening member abutting portion from a front direction via a gap so as to abut the fastening member abutting portion when the bracket main body is pushed rearward in a frontal vehicle crash.

2. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket main body is positioned so as not to overlap with the fastening member as seen from an axial direction of the fastening member.

3. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening member abutting portion is provided with a guide surface opposing the bracket abutting portion from rear via a gap so as to abut the fastening member abutting portion when the bracket main body is pushed rearward in a frontal vehicle crash, and an engagement surface connected to a rear end of the guide surface, the guide surface and the engagement surface defining an engagement groove.

4. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket abutting portion and the bracket leg are positioned so as to align with each other with respect to a lateral direction.

5. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein a sensor for detecting an object ahead of a vehicle is positioned in front of the protective bracket.

6. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket abutting portion comprises a substantially semicircular recess configured to at least partly receive the fastening member abutting portion.

7. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening member comprises a stud bolt projecting from the intake side and passed through the intake manifold, and a nut threaded with the stud bolt so as to interpose the intake manifold jointly with the intake side and forming the fastening member abutting portion.

8. The internal combustion engine according to claim 7 , wherein the nut is provided with an annular engagement groove extending in a circumferential direction on an outer circumference thereof and serving as the fastening member abutting portion.

9. The internal combustion engine according to claim 8 , wherein the nut includes a tubular portion provided with a female thread hole on an inner circumference thereof and the engagement groove on an outer circumference thereof, a fastening seat provided on a side of the tubular portion facing the intake manifold and configured to abut the intake manifold, and a tool engagement portion provided on a side of the tubular portion facing away from the fastening seat, and
a contact area between the intake manifold and the fastening seat is equal to a contact area between the intake manifold and another nut fastening the intake manifold to the intake side, the tool engagement portion having a same outer profile as the other nut.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tanaka Shun
• Sato Naoki

Classifications

• F02M55/025

  Common rails · CPC title

• F02M35/10216

  Fuel injectors; Fuel pipes or rails; Fuel pumps or pressure regulators · CPC title

• F02M35/10085

  having a connecting piece, e.g. a flange, between the engine and the air intake being foreseen with a throttle valve, fuel injector, mixture ducts or the like · CPC title

• F02M35/104

  Intake manifolds · CPC title

• F02M69/465

  of fuel rails · CPC title