Fuel tank structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9834089-B2
Application number	US-201615071922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2016
Priority date	Jun 12, 2015
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A fuel tank structure includes: a fuel tank that is installed in an automobile and that accommodates fuel; a bag-shaped member that is fixed to a ceiling portion of an interior of the fuel tank, and whose state of contact with a liquid surface of fuel accommodated in the fuel tank is maintained due to the bag-shaped member inflating or deflating in accordance with a height of the liquid surface; a temperature sensor that senses a temperature of the fuel or evaporated fuel that is within the fuel tank; and a cooling wind introducing section that introduces cooling wind into an interior of the bag-shaped member in a case in which the temperature of the fuel or the evaporated fuel detected by the temperature sensor becomes higher than a predetermined temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel tank structure comprising:
a fuel tank that is installed in an automobile and that accommodates fuel;
a bag-shaped member that is fixed to a ceiling portion of an interior of the fuel tank, a state of contact of the bag-shaped member with a liquid surface of fuel accommodated in the fuel tank being maintained due to the bag-shaped member inflating or deflating in accordance with a height of the liquid surface;
a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the fuel or evaporated fuel that is within the fuel tank; and
a cooling wind introducing section that introduces cooled air into an interior of the bag-shaped member in a case in which the temperature of the fuel or the evaporated fuel detected by the temperature sensor is higher than a predetermined temperature, wherein
the cooling wind introducing section includes an introducing pipe that introduces the cooled air into the bag-shaped member, and a cooling device that cools the cooled air that flows through the introducing pipe.

2. The fuel tank structure of claim 1 , wherein the cooling wind introducing section further includes:
a lead-out pipe connected to the bag-shaped member, the lead-out pipe circulating the cooled air by leading the cooled air, that has been introduced into the bag-shaped member from the introducing pipe, out of the bag-shaped member and back to the introducing pipe.

3. The fuel tank structure of claim 1 , further comprising a deflation limiting member, that limits the bag-shaped member from deflating to less than a predetermined size, provided at the fuel tank.

4. The fuel tank structure of claim 1 , wherein:
the cooling device cools the cooled air in the case in which the temperature of the fuel or the evaporated fuel detected by the temperature sensor is higher than the predetermined temperature, and
the cooling device does not cool the cooled air in a case in which the temperature of the fuel or the evaporated fuel detected by the temperature sensor is not higher than the predetermined temperature.

5. A fuel tank structure comprising:
a fuel tank that is installed in an automobile and that accommodates fuel;
a bag-shaped member that is fixed to a ceiling portion of an interior of the fuel tank, a state of contact of the bag-shaped member with a liquid surface of fuel accommodated in the fuel tank being maintained due to the bag-shaped member inflating or deflating in accordance with a height of the liquid surface;
a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the fuel or evaporated fuel that is within the fuel tank; and
a cooling wind introducing section that introduces cooling air into an interior of the bag-shaped member in a case in which the temperature of the fuel or the evaporated fuel detected by the temperature sensor is higher than a predetermined temperature, wherein
the cooling wind introducing section does not introduce the cooling air into the interior of the bag-shaped member in a case in which the temperature of the fuel or the evaporated fuel detected by the temperature sensor is not higher than the predetermined temperature.

6. The fuel tank structure of claim 5 , wherein the cooling wind introducing section further includes:
an introducing pipe that introduces the cooling air into the bag-shaped member, and
a cooling device that cools the cooling air that flows through the introducing pipe.

7. The fuel tank structure of claim 6 , wherein the cooling wind introducing section further includes:
a lead-out pipe connected to the bag-shaped member, the lead-out pipe circulating the cooling air by leading the cooling air, that has been introduced into the bag-shaped member from the introducing pipe, out of the bag-shaped member and back to the introducing pipe.

8. The fuel tank structure of claim 5 , further comprising a deflation limiting member, that limits the bag-shaped member from deflating to less than a predetermined size, provided at the fuel tank.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Aso Shuichi

Classifications

• B60K2015/0321

  characterised by special sensors, the mounting thereof · CPC title

• G01N25/00

  Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means (G01N3/00 - G01N23/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60K15/03 Primary

  Fuel tanks · CPC title

• B60K2015/03217

  Fuel level sensors · CPC title

• B60K2015/03414

  associated with the fuel tank for cooling heated fuel · CPC title