Fueling portion structure of fuel tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9393864-B2
Application number	US-201114345014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2011
Priority date	Nov 8, 2011
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A fueling portion structure of a fuel tank can reliably close a fueling port, and at which pulling-out of a fueling gun from the fueling port is easier. A center of a rotation shaft and a contact position when valve is closed, that a spring for the flapper valve contacts when a flapper valve is at a closed-valve position, are connected, and a reference segment when the valve is closed is assumed. The center of the rotation shaft and a contact position when the valve is open, at a time when the flapper valve is at open-valve position HP, are connected, and a reference segment when the valve is open is assumed. A spring shaft is provided further toward the contact position when valve is closed side than a bisector of an angle formed by the reference segment when valve is closed and the reference segment when valve is open.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fueling portion structure of a fuel tank, comprising:
a fueling port member having a fueling port into which a fueling gun for fueling a fuel tank is inserted;
an opening/closing valve that can open and close the fueling port;
a rotation shaft for mounting, to the fueling port member, the opening/closing valve rotatably between a closed-valve position, at which the opening/closing valve closes the fueling port, and an open-valve position, at which the opening/closing valve is pushed by the fueling gun and opens the fueling port; and
a spring member that is mounted to the fueling port member and slidably contacts the opening/closing valve and urges the opening/closing valve toward the closed-valve position, the spring member being mounted to the fueling port member at a position that is set further toward a side of a contact position when the opening/closing valve is closed than a bisector of an angle that is formed by a first reference segment that, when the opening/closing valve is closed, connects the rotation shaft and the contact position when the opening/closing valve is closed at which the spring member contacts the opening/closing valve at the closed-valve position, and a second reference segment that, when the opening/closing valve is open, connects the rotation shaft and a contact position when the opening/closing valve is open at which the spring member contacts the opening/closing valve at the open-valve position,
wherein:
the fueling port member comprises a spring shaft that is formed parallel to the rotation shaft and at a different position from the rotation shaft; and
the spring member is a torsion spring comprising:
a mounting portion that is wound around and mounted to the spring shaft; and
a sliding contact portion that extends from the mounting portion and slidably contacts the opening/closing valve.

2. The fueling portion structure of a fuel tank of claim 1 , further comprising a supporting member that is provided at the opening/closing valve and that contacts and slidably supports the sliding contact portion of the spring member.

3. A fueling portion structure of a fuel tank, comprising:
a fueling port member having a fueling port into which a fueling gun for fueling a fuel tank is inserted;
an opening/closing valve that can open and close the fueling port;
a rotation shaft for mounting, to the fueling port member, the opening/closing valve rotatably between a closed-valve position, at which the opening/closing valve closes the fueling port, and an open-valve position, at which the opening/closing valve is pushed by the fueling gun and opens the fueling port; and
a spring member that is mounted to the fueling port member, contacts the opening/closing valve and urges the opening/closing valve toward the closed-valve position, the posture of the spring member changing such that a valve-closing direction component of urging force, which the spring member applies to the opening/closing valve at the open-valve position, is smaller than a valve-closing direction component of urging force that the spring member applies to the opening/closing valve at the closed-valve position,
wherein the spring member comprises:
a first anchor portion that is anchored on the fueling port member;
a second anchor portion that is anchored on the opening/closing valve; and
a bent portion that is formed by being bent between the first anchor portion and the second anchor portion, and whose position and bending angle can change in order to effect the change in posture.

Assignees

• Yamamoto Satoshi
• Kataoka Chiaki
• Akagi Masaki
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamamoto Satoshi
• Kataoka Chiaki
• Akagi Masaki

Classifications

• B60K2015/0461

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

• B60K15/04 Primary

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