Fuel fill opening structure for fuel tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11065954-B2
Application number	US-201816626614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2018
Priority date	Jul 6, 2017
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

A fuel fill opening structure for a fuel tank includes a fuel filler pipe, a fuel fill opening, and a flow guide. The flow guide includes a main guide wall which partitions a fuel introduction region inside the fuel filler pipe into an upper space communicating with a tank main body side and a lower space communicating with the fuel fill opening side, and a partition wall provided to be continuous with the main guide wall and configured to close a space between an upper surface side of the main guide wall and an inner surface of the fuel filler pipe. The main guide wall includes a bent inclined part that is bent and inclined downward from a middle portion in running from the fuel fill opening side toward the tank main body side. The bent inclined part has a shape in which a width thereof becomes smaller when viewed from above as it inclines downward.

First claim

What is claim is:

1. A fuel fill opening structure for a fuel tank comprising:
a fuel filler pipe which extends from a tank main body of a fuel tank;
a fuel fill opening which is provided at an extension end of the fuel filler pipe and into which a nozzle part of a fuel filling gun is able to be inserted; and
a flow guide provided in a fuel introduction region in a vicinity of the fuel fill opening inside the fuel filler pipe and configured to guide a flow of fuel supplied from the fuel filling gun, wherein the flow guide is formed in substantially a U shape, and wherein the flow guide includes:
a main guide wall which partitions the fuel introduction region inside the fuel filler pipe into an upper space communicating with the tank main body side and a lower space communicating with the fuel fill opening side; and
a partition wall provided to be continuous with the main guide wall and configured to close a space between an upper surface side of the main guide wall and an inner surface of the fuel filler pipe, the main guide wall includes a bent inclined part that is bent and inclined downward from a middle portion in running from the fuel fill opening side toward the tank main body side, and the bent inclined part has a shape in which a width thereof becomes smaller when viewed from above as it inclines downward and forms a flow port for the fuel.

2. The fuel fill opening structure for a fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein a communication part expanding the flow port is further provided in the bent inclined part.

3. The fuel fill opening structure for a fuel tank according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the main guide wall is formed in a shape that causes a flow of fuel supplied from the fuel filling gun to swirl along the inner surface of the fuel filler pipe.

4. The fuel fill opening structure for a fuel tank according to claim 3 , wherein the fuel filler pipe includes:
an inlet side extended part which extends to be inclined obliquely downward from the fuel fill opening, and
a pipe bent part which is bent downward from the inlet side extended part toward the tank main body side, and wherein the main guide wall is configured so that an intersection point between a virtual line passing through an extension end of the bent inclined part and following a flow direction of fuel at the extension end, and the inner surface of the fuel filler pipe is positioned on the fuel fill opening side with respect to the pipe bent part.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd
• Yachiyo Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Koga Yuki
• Nakaya Kazunari
• Komada Masaki

Classifications

• B60K15/04 Primary

  Tank inlets (B60K15/077 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K2015/0461

  comprising a filler pipe shutter, e.g. trap, door or flap for fuel inlet · CPC title

• B60K2015/0458

  Details of the tank inlet · CPC title

• B60K15/03504

  adapted to avoid loss of fuel or fuel vapour, e.g. with vapour recovery systems · CPC title

• F02M37/00

  Apparatus or systems for feeding liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus; Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines · CPC title