JPH0451060Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] This invention is a fuel tank that is installed astride a propeller shaft that moves in the radial direction when a vehicle receives an impact such as a rear-end collision. Pertaining to structures that protect against damage.

[Conventional technology]

An example of a conventional vehicle equipped with a fuel tank is the one described in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-25231. That is, in this conventional technology, a propeller shaft extending in the longitudinal direction is arranged on the underside of the vehicle body, and the fuel is supplied across the propeller shaft to the left and right areas of the joint through the upper side of the joint between the rear end and the final reduction gear. It has a structure with a tank.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, with such conventional technology, when a large impact is input from the front and rear directions, such as when a vehicle is rear-ended, the propeller shaft is The input may act in the shortening direction, bending the propeller shaft upward at the joint. In particular, when the final reduction gear moves forward as the rear wheels and suspension members move during a rear-end collision, the joint between the final reduction gear and the propeller shaft moves upward and bends between the two. There is.

Then, there was a problem in that the relatively sharp outer surfaces of the joint and the flanges on the front and rear thereof could come into contact with the upper fuel tank and damage it.

The present invention has been developed in view of the problems of the prior art, and has the purpose of preventing damage to the fuel tank due to contact with the propeller shaft or its joints.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides a shield between the propeller shaft and the fuel tank, and a portion of the shield that faces the fuel tank that hits the fuel tank when the propeller shaft moves in the radial direction. The convex portion is formed with a smooth surface.
The shield shall be attached and supported at an appropriate location such as the hanging of the final reduction gear, a member attached to the front side of the fuel tank, or the underside of the fuel tank.

[Effect]

When the propeller shaft bends at the joint due to a rear-end collision, the shield moves and the smooth convex part of the shield hits the fuel tank, causing the propeller shaft, final reduction gear, and their joints to not hit the fuel tank. do not have. It is the convex part of the shield that hits the fuel tank, and since this convex part has a smooth surface, it will not damage the fuel tank. It is sufficient to form a depression.

〔Example〕

1 to 4 are diagrams showing embodiments of the present invention.
Here, reference numeral 1 denotes a suspension member 1 fixed to a vehicle body, and a bifurcated suspension arm 2 is supported under the suspension member 1 via a rubber bush (not shown) so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. A wheel (not shown) is attached to the free end of the suspension arm 2 via an axle housing (also not shown). Reference numeral 3 designates a stabilizer that is bridged between the suspension arm 2 and the suspension arm on the opposite side. Reference numeral 4 denotes a housing in which a final reduction gear and a differential gear are built in. The rear end of this housing 4 is elastically attached to the suspension member 1 via a bracket 5 fixed to the suspension member 1 and a rubber bush 6. Supported.

The pinion shaft of the final reduction gear in the housing 4 projects from the front end of the housing 4 in a known manner, and is connected to the propeller shaft 7 via a universal joint.
connected to. Reference numeral 8 designates a transverse member that supports the housing 4, and its both ends are elastically supported to the vehicle body via a rubber bushing 9 and a bracket 10. Reference numeral 11, shown schematically, is a radius slot, and its front end is attached to the vehicle body via a rubber bush 12 and a bracket (not shown),
This rear end is attached to the suspension arm 2 via a rubber bush 13 and a bracket (not shown). Suspension member 1, suspension arm 2, lateral member 8, radius slot 11
are also extended and arranged symmetrically on the right side of the vehicle body via the propeller shaft 7.

A fuel tank 14 is fixed to the lower surface of the vehicle body and is arranged in an area surrounded by the suspension member 1, the transverse member 8, and the left and right radius slots 11 so as to be protected from external forces by these members. The fuel tank 14 is located in an area extending over the upper side of the propeller shaft 7 and extending to the left and right sides of the propeller shaft 7 within the area.
It is installed across the propeller shaft 7, and the propeller shaft 7 and the fuel tank 14 are separated by a predetermined distance.

A shield 15 is arranged between the propeller shaft 7 and the fuel tank 14. The shield 15 has a front end fixed to the transverse member 8 and a rear end fixed to the housing 4.
Fixed. In this embodiment, the shield 15 surrounds the rear end of the propeller shaft 7, the front end of the housing 4, the input shaft (pinion shaft) of the final reducer, and the outer periphery of the universal joint of the propeller shaft 7. Consists of a member with a nearly square cross section,
A convex portion 15a with a smooth surface is formed on the upper surface facing the fuel tank 14. Here, the meaning of the surface being smooth is that even if the protrusion 15a hits the fuel tank 14 when the propeller shaft 7 moves upward in a normal vehicle accident, the fuel tank 14 will not deform or will not deform. The shape is such that even if the convex part 15a hits the fuel tank 14, the deformation will be so slight that it will not cause fuel leakage, and the fuel tank 14 will be severely damaged and the fuel will be damaged. This means that it does not have a sharp shape that could cause leakage.

Numeral 16 is a bolt for fixing the shield 15 to the housing 4, and a convex portion 15a projects upward from the head of the bolt 16, so that the head of the bolt 16 does not hit the fuel tank 14.

In this embodiment, the convex portion 15a is formed only on the upper surface of the shield 15, but this is because the propeller shaft 7 will most likely move upward during a collision.
This is because it rarely moves left or right. Therefore, it is of course possible to form convex portions 15a on the left and right sides of the shielding body 15.

Therefore, when the suspension member 1 moves relatively forward due to a rear-end collision of the vehicle, or when the propeller shaft 7 moves relatively backward through the engine and transmission due to a frontal collision, etc. When the housing 4 moves relatively forward, the propeller shaft 7 and the input shaft of the final reduction gear bend upward, and the universal joint moves upward, the universal joint hits the shield 15. Push this up. As a result, the protrusion 15 of the shield 15 is attached to the fuel tank 14.
However, since the convex portion 15a has a smooth surface as described above, the impact force is not concentrated on a part of the fuel tank 14. Therefore, the fuel tank 14 will not be damaged, and even if the hit is strong, the fuel tank 14 will only be smoothly depressed. Therefore, there is no risk of fuel leaking from the fuel tank 14.

In addition, when the reaction force of the engine driving force is transmitted to the housing 4 by the differential device in the housing 4, since the shield 15 exists between the housing 4 and the lateral member 8, the final reduction gear This also has the effect of increasing the bending rigidity between the input shaft and the propeller shaft 7.

Although the shield 15 in this embodiment surrounds the propeller shaft 7, etc., it goes without saying that the lower side of the propeller shaft 7, etc. may be left open. Further, the smooth surface of the convex portion 15a may have a shape in which the periphery is smoothly curved and the center thereof is flat.

5 to 7, the surface of the portion of the transverse member 8 on the side of the fuel tank 14 is made smooth, and when the transverse member 8 and the fuel tank 14 come into contact, damage to the fuel tank 14 is prevented by the shield. 15 convex portions 15a
It is intended to prevent such problems. Moreover, the rigidity of the transverse member 8 is not reduced. That is, in FIG.
a is formed as an integral extension, and the surface of the portion facing the fuel tank 14 side is made smooth. FIG. 6 shows an example in which the hanging portion 8a is constructed as a separate member from the lateral member 8, and its upper part is overlapped and welded to the lower part of the lateral member 8, and FIG. 7 shows the lower end of the lateral member 8. This is an example in which the upper ends of the hanging parts 8a are butted against each other and welded. By providing the hanging portion 8a as described above, in addition to preventing the fuel leakage, there is also a function of protecting the fuel tank 14 from stones and the like.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, in the present invention, when the propeller shaft bends at the joint due to a rear-end collision, the shield moves upward, etc., and the smooth convex part of the shield hits the fuel tank, causing the propeller shaft to bend. , final reducer, these joints do not touch the fuel tank. It is the convex part of the shield that hits the fuel tank, and since this convex part has a smooth surface, it will not damage the fuel tank.
Even if it hits the fuel tank with force, it will only form a smooth convexity on the fuel tank, which has the effect of preventing fuel leakage.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the - line in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the - line in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 1. , FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing an example of a fuel tank protection structure in a lateral member, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are sectional views showing other examples of FIG. 5, respectively. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Suspension member, 2... Suspension arm, 4... Housing, 7... Propeller shaft, 8... Lateral member, 14... Fuel tank, 15... Shield, 15a... Convex part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a vehicle that is equipped with a fuel tank that straddles the propeller shaft in an area extending over the upper side of the propeller shaft to the left and right sides of the propeller shaft, a shield is interposed between the propeller shaft and the fuel tank, and this shield A protective structure for a fuel tank, characterized in that a convex portion with a smooth surface is formed in a portion facing the fuel tank that contacts the fuel tank when the propeller shaft moves in the radial direction.