Fuel tank structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902260-B2
Application number	US-201314759482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2013
Priority date	Jan 15, 2013
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A fuel tank structure is obtained that can prevent or suppress excessive stress concentrating at fixed portions of a separator and an inner wall of a fuel tank main body. A separator for reducing flow noise of fuel is disposed at an interior of a fuel tank that accommodates fuel. Projecting portions that serve as fixed portions that are fixed at two or more places to an inner wall of the fuel tank, are provided at the separator. Deformation portions that allow deformation of the separator are formed between the projecting portions at the separator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel tank structure comprising: a fuel tank main body that accommodates fuel;
a separator that is disposed at an interior of the fuel tank main body, and that is for reducing flow noise of the fuel;
fixed portions that are provided at the separator, and that are fixed at two or more places to an inner wall of the fuel tank main body; and
deformation portions that are formed between the fixed portions at the separator, and that allow deformation of the separator, wherein
the separator is formed by locally bending a plate-shaped member, and has an outer side vertical wall portion that is disposed substantially along the vertical direction at a tank transverse direction outer side, a top surface plane that extends in a lateral direction toward a tank transverse direction inner side from an upper end portion of the outer side vertical wall portion, and an inner side vertical wall portion that extends toward a lower side from a tank transverse direction inner side end portion of the top surface plane such that the separator has a space enclosed by the outer side vertical wall portion, the top surface plane, and the inner side vertical wall portion,
projecting portions, that serve as said fixed portions for fixing the separator to an inner wall of a top surface portion of the fuel tank, are formed at the top surface plane of the separator,
the inner wall of the top surface portion of the fuel tank faces the top surface plane of the separator,
the projecting portions, formed at the top surface plane of the separator, extend toward the inner wall of the top surface portion of the fuel tank so as to vertically fix to the top surface plane of the separator,
said deformation portions that allow deformation of the separator itself are formed between the projecting portions that are adjacent to one another at the top surface plane of the separator, and
the deformation portions are formed so as to extend over said outer side wall vertical portion, top surface plane and inner side vertical wall portion of the separator.

2. The fuel tank structure of claim 1 , wherein the fixed portions are structured so as to be fixed to the inner wall of the fuel tank main body by fusing of resin.

3. The fuel tank structure of claim 1 , wherein the deformation portions are formed at a wall portion of the separator, in directions that intersect lines that connect the fixed portions that are adjacent to one another.

4. The fuel tank structure of claim 1 , wherein the deformation portions are made to be shapes that project-out in concave forms or convex forms from a wall surface that serves as a general portion of the separator.

5. The fuel tank structure of claim 4 , wherein the deformation portions are structured by one or more concave portions and convex portions that are adjacently disposed.

6. The fuel tank structure of claim 1 , wherein a plate thickness of the deformation portions is varied locally, or the deformation portions are made to be shapes in which an opening portion is provided locally.

7. The fuel tank structure of claim 1 , wherein the deformation portions are formed from a rubber material.

8. The fuel tank structure of claim 1 , wherein at a position where the deformation portions are provided, an opening is formed in a corner portion of the outer side vertical wall portion and the top surface plane of the separator, and in a corner portion of the top surface plane and the inner side vertical wall portion.

9. The fuel tank structure of claim 1 , wherein the separator is formed in a substantially annular shape as seen in plan view, and the separator is structured such that lengths of the outer side vertical wall portion, the top surface plane, and the inner side vertical wall portion respectively differ depending on the positioning of the substantially annular shaped separator.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Furusawa Takashi

Classifications

• B60K2015/0777

  in-tank reservoirs or baffles integrally manufactured with the fuel Tank · CPC title

• B60K2015/0344

  comprising baffles · CPC title

• B60K2015/0346

  by welding · CPC title

• B60K15/03177

  made of non-metallic material, e.g. plastics, or of a combination of non-metallic and metallic material (B60K15/03006 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K15/077 Primary

  with means modifying or controlling distribution or motion of fuel, e.g. to prevent noise, surge, splash or fuel starvation · CPC title