Work machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11187147-B2
Application number	US-201817271302-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2018
Priority date	Sep 6, 2018
Publication date	Nov 30, 2021
Grant date	Nov 30, 2021

Abstract

A pressure variation in a fuel tank can be prevented, and leakage of liquid fuel can be prevented even if the fuel tank is inclined in a predetermined direction, without operation for opening and closing a breather passage. An engine generator includes: a first breather passage having an opening at a position above a liquid fuel in a tank bulge section when the engine generator is inclined to the right (corresponding to a first direction); and a second breather passage having an opening at a position above the liquid fuel in the tank bulge section when the engine generator is inclined in the left direction (a second direction).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A work machine, comprising a fuel tank for storing liquid fuel,
wherein the fuel tank has a tank shape and includes: a fuel supply port; and a tank bulge section that bulges to a position higher than the fuel supply port, the tank bulge section being formed, at an intermediate position in a front-rear direction of the fuel tank, so as to have a cross section in which a front-rear length decreases to the upper side,
wherein the fuel tank comprises a breather passage through which an inside and an outside of the tank bulge section communicate with each other, and
wherein the breather passage comprises:
a first breather passage having an opening at a position above the liquid fuel in the tank bulge section when the work machine is inclined in a first direction, the first direction being one of left and right directions, the position of the first breather passage opening being intermediate in the front-rear direction of the fuel tank, the first breather passage being routed so as to include a position above the liquid fuel when the work machine is inclined in a second direction, the second direction being the other of the left and right directions; and
a second breather passage having an opening at a position above the liquid fuel in the tank bulge section when the work machine is inclined in the second direction, he position of the second breather passage opening being intermediate in the front-rear direction of the fuel tank, the second breather passage being routed so as to include a position above the liquid fuel when the work machine is inclined in the first direction.

2. The work machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein a V-shaped cross section of the tank bulge section extends over a width direction of the fuel tank.

3. The work machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first breather passage extends from the opening of the first breather passage along the first direction and then extends downward along a side wall of the fuel tank, and
wherein the second breather passage extends from the opening of the second breather passage along the second direction, then turns back to extend along the first direction, and then extends downward along the side wall of the fuel tank.

4. The work machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first and second breather passages have a downward slope toward the opening of the first breather passage and the opening of the second breather passage, respectively.

5. The work machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first and second breather passages are arranged in the fuel tank, exit from a predetermined position in the fuel tank, and subsequently are connected to a canister or an air cleaner case.

6. The work machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein a portion of the first breather passage except for the opening of the first breather passage and a portion of the second breather passage except for the opening of the second breather passage are arranged outside the fuel tank, and the first and second breather passages are connected to a canister or an air cleaner case.

7. The work machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fuel tank has a wave protection member arranged around the opening of the first breather passage and the opening of the second breather passage in the fuel tank to enable preventing a wave of the liquid fuel from getting into the opening of the first breather passage and the opening of the second breather passage.

8. The work machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the work machine is a portable type generator that uses the liquid fuel in the fuel tank to generate electricity, and a left-right length of the work machine is shorter than a front-rear length of the work machine.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kojima Hiroaki
• Kai Masashi
• Yamamoto Jun
• Ito Mitsuhiro

Classifications

• F02B63/044

  the engine-generator unit being placed on a frame or in an housing · CPC title

• F02M37/0082

  Devices inside the fuel tank other than fuel pumps or filters (electrical pumps submerged in fuel tanks F02M37/10, jet pumps F02M37/025) · CPC title

• F02B63/048 Primary

  Portable engine-generator combinations · CPC title

• F02B2063/045

  Frames for generator-engine sets · CPC title