JPH10236366A - Tank cap mounting structure for fuel tank - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a fuel tank capable of simplifying a shape of a fuel tank without providing a drain pipe or the like in the cover member, the recess having a recess fitted therein without projecting a tank cap. Provide tank cap mounting structure. SOLUTION: A fuel supply port 33 opened above a fuel tank 30.
The cover member 40 covers the surrounding upper surface of the fuel tank 30. The cover member 40 has a recess 41 formed in the bottom wall 41a having an opening facing the fuel filler port 33, and has gaps 47 and 48 between itself and the upper surface of the fuel tank 30. A tank cap 50 partially fixed and supported on the upper surface of the fuel tank 30 and removably fixed to the refueling port 33 via a packing material 59 is fitted in the recess 41 of the cover member 40. Tank cap mounting structure for the tank.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure for mounting a tank cap in a vehicle fuel tank.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A tank cap of a vehicle fuel tank is
Since it has a lock mechanism and a breathing mechanism and is thick, in order to prevent the tank cap from protruding from the fuel tank, a recess is formed in the upper surface of the fuel tank, the tank cap is accommodated, and the upper surface of the tank cap is The upper surface is made substantially flush with the upper surface.

For example, in an example described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-110629, a concave portion is provided on the upper portion of the fuel tank, a fuel supply port is provided on the bottom surface of the concave portion, and an annular cap base is provided on an edge of the concave portion. The cap has the surface thereof flush with the surface of the fuel tank so as to be able to open and close the filler port of the fuel tank.

[0004]

The opening of the recess provided in the upper part of the fuel tank is closed by the cap base and the cap. However, since the cap is opened at the time of refueling, water or fuel in the refueling leaks and enters. May accumulate in the recess.

Therefore, a drain pipe is connected to the bottom of the recess to drain the liquid. Since the recess is provided at the upper center of the fuel tank, the lower portion is the inside of the fuel tank. Therefore, the drain pipe is formed to penetrate the inside of the fuel tank, and the shape of the fuel tank becomes complicated. In addition, a breathing passage is required, and it is necessary to provide the breathing passage by using the drain pipe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a concave portion in a cover member to be fitted without projecting a tank cap, and the concave portion does not require a drain pipe or the like. Another object of the present invention is to provide a fuel tank tank cap mounting structure that can simplify the shape of the fuel tank.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a cover member covers an upper surface around a fuel filler opening opened above a fuel tank, and the cover member is provided with the fuel filler. A concave portion having an opening facing the bottom wall is formed, is partially fixed to and supported by the upper surface of the fuel tank with a gap between the upper surface of the fuel tank, and a packing material is provided at the filler port through a packing material. The tank cap is detachably fixed to the fuel tank and is fitted to the recess of the cover member.

The cover member has a recess formed in the bottom wall having an opening facing the filler port, and a tank cap removably fixed to the filler port via a packing material is fitted in the recess to form the tank cap. Since the upper surface can be made substantially flush with the upper surface of the cover member, the appearance of the tank cap does not deteriorate due to the protrusion of the tank cap.

The cover member is partially fixed and supported on the upper surface of the fuel tank with a gap between the cover member and the upper surface of the fuel tank. The fuel gas passes through the opening of the bottom wall to the upper surface of the fuel tank, and is discharged to the outside through a gap between the fuel cell and the cover member. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a drain pipe penetrating through the inside of the fuel tank, and since no recess is formed in the fuel tank, the shape of the fuel tank is simplified, the manufacture is easy, and the cost is low.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the tank cap mounting structure for a fuel tank according to the first aspect, a breathing passage is formed in the tank cap to communicate a recess of the cover member with the inside of the fuel tank. Is what it is. Since the concave portion of the cover member communicates with the outside world through the gap, the breathing passage of the tank cap communicates with the concave portion, thereby communicating the inside of the fuel tank with the outside world without using a special breathing pipe. be able to.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the tank cap mounting structure for a fuel tank according to the first or second aspect, the fuel filler port has a cylindrical shape projecting upward from an upper surface of the fuel tank. The oil filler port is inserted into the opening of the bottom wall of the concave portion of the cover member with an appropriate gap.

Water or the like that has entered the concave portion of the cover member can escape to the upper surface of the fuel tank from between the inner peripheral edge of the opening of the bottom wall of the concave portion and the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder of the fuel filler. It is discharged outside through the gap between them.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the fuel tank tank cap mounting structure according to any one of the first to third aspects, between the opening edge of the concave portion of the cover member and the outer peripheral edge of the tank cap. Is provided with a sealing member. It is possible to prevent rainwater or the like from entering the concave portion of the cover member.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows an overall side view of a motorcycle 1 equipped with a fuel tank according to the present embodiment.

In the body frame of the motorcycle 1, one main frame 3 extends rearward from the head pipe 2 and bends downward to be connected to a pivot plate 7, so that a space between the head pipe 2 and the main frame 3 is provided. Gusset 4 for reinforcement
A pair of left and right down pipes 5 extend downward and bend rearward to be connected to the sub pipe 8, and the sub pipe 8 is fixed to the pivot plate 7 in the middle and extends obliquely upward, and extends rearward from the bent portion of the main frame 3. A pair of left and right seat rails 9 are supported from below.

A front wheel 12 is supported at the lower end of a front fork 11 rotatably supported by the front head pipe 2 of the vehicle body frame as described above, and a handle 13 is mounted on an upper top bridge 12 integrated with the front fork 11. Installed.

A front end of a swing arm 15 is pivotally supported by a pivot bolt 16 on a pivot plate 7 connected to a bent rear end of the main frame 3, and a rear wheel 17 is provided on a rear end of the swing arm 15 that can swing up and down. A rear cushion 18 is interposed between the shaft and the upper body frame.

A down pipe 5 is provided below the main frame 3.
A parallel four-cylinder DOHC internal combustion engine 20 that is substantially upright is suspended, and a fuel tank 30 is disposed above and supported by the main frame 3.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the fuel tank 30 has a concave portion 31 formed so that the center of the bottom plate is cut out in the front-rear direction, and the left and right tank portions 30l, 30r are provided on the left and right sides from the central tank portion 30c. The left and right tank portions 30l, 30r are supported across the main frame 3 so that the concave portion 31 of the bottom wall fits into the main frame 3 from above.

A fuel outlet 32 is provided on the bottom plate of the left tank portion 30l of the fuel tank 30 thus supported, and the center tank portion is provided.
30c has an oil supply port 33 in the upper plate. Refueling port 33 is cylindrical wall 33
a, the upper part of the fuel tank 30 is largely fitted into the fuel tank 30, and the upper part slightly protruding from the upper surface of the fuel tank 30 is bent inward at the bent portion 33b to form a flat inner cylindrical wall 33c. The lower opening edge 33d of the inner cylindrical wall 33c is located slightly lower than the upper surface of the fuel tank 30.

On the upper surface of the fuel tank 30, a long plate-shaped mounting bracket 35 is provided in the left and right direction in front of the filler port 33, and circular holes 35a, 35a are formed at both ends of the mounting bracket 35. Nuts 36, 36 are welded to the lower surface. A plate-shaped mounting bracket 37, which is slightly curved to the left and right and is developed, is fixed to the rear of the filler port 33, and circular holes 37a, 37a are formed at both ends thereof, and nuts 38, 38 are provided on the lower surface thereof. Welded.

The fuel supply port is provided on the upper surface of the fuel tank 30 as described above.
A cover member 40 is put around the periphery of the cover 33. Cover member 40
Is a plate member curved in the front-rear direction along the upper surface of the fuel tank 30 as shown in FIGS.
a, the front upper wall 40b swells upward, and the inclined wall 40 has an opening 40c 'at the rear end.
c, the rear upper wall 40d is formed substantially horizontally.

A large circular concave portion 41 is formed in the center of the rear upper wall 40d so as to bulge downward, and a large circular opening 42 is formed in the bottom wall 41a of the concave portion 41. The inner diameter of the circular opening 42 is sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical wall 33a of the fuel supply port 33 of the fuel tank 30.

A pair of cylindrical recesses 43, 43 are formed at predetermined left and right positions of the front upper wall 40b, and circular holes 43a, 43a are formed in the bottom walls of the cylindrical recesses 43, 43. On the other hand, the rear upper wall 40d
A pair of cylindrical concave portions 44, 44 are formed at symmetrical positions along the rear end edge of the concave portion 41 in FIG. 1, and circular holes 44a, 44a are formed in the bottom walls of the cylindrical concave portions 44, 44.

The above-described cover member 40 is connected to a fuel tank.
When it is put on the upper surface of the fuel tank 30 at a predetermined position, a fuel supply port 33 slightly protruding from the upper surface of the fuel tank 30 is fitted into the circular opening 42 of the concave portion 41, and the front cylindrical concave portions 43, 43 are attached to the mounting bracket on the fuel tank 30 side.
The rear cylindrical concave portions 44 are mounted on both ends of the mounting bracket 37 and supported.

Therefore, the bolts 45, 45 are provided in the cylindrical recesses 43, 43.
Is inserted through the circular holes 37a, 37a and screwed into the nuts 38, 38. Similarly, bolts 46, 46 are inserted into the cylindrical concave portions 44, 44, and penetrated through the circular holes 35a, 35a and screwed into the nuts 36, 36. At least, the cover member 40 is fixed to the fuel tank 30.

When the cover member 40 is supported by the fuel tank 30 via the front and rear mounting brackets 35 and 37 in this manner, other portions of the cover member 40 do not contact the fuel tank 30 and Peripheral portion 40a and bottom wall 41 of concave portion 41
“a” forms gaps 47 and 48 with the upper surface of the fuel tank 30.

The tank cap 50 fitted in the recess 41 of the cover member 40 and closing the fuel supply port 33 of the fuel tank 30 has a lock mechanism and a breathing mechanism.
Or the shape and structure as shown in FIG.

The cap body 51 includes an inner cylindrical portion 51a at the center for accommodating the lock mechanism, an outer cylindrical portion 51b surrounding the inner cylindrical portion 51b constituting an annular breathing chamber 52, and a flange portion 51c whose upper end is horizontally enlarged and extended. A disc-shaped upper body 56 is fixed to the upper surface of the flange portion 51c via a seal member 55. The outer peripheral edge 55a of the seal member 55 projects outward along the lower surface of the outer peripheral edge of the upper body 56.

An annular cap guide 57 is slidably fitted in the axial direction on the outer periphery of the outer cylindrical portion 51b of the cap body 51, and is urged downward by a spring 58.
An annular cap packing 59 is fixed to the lower surface of the upper end flange portion 57a of the cap guide 57,
59 has a telescopic part 59a extending outward, and its edge is fixed to the outer peripheral part of the flange part 51c of the cap body 51.

An inner cylinder 61 is rotatably fitted to the inner cylindrical portion 51a of the cap body 51, and a lower end of the inner cylinder 61 is engaged with sliders 62, 62 which can move left and right to form a lock mechanism. When the thinner cylinder 61 is rotated by the rotation of a key inserted into the inner cylinder 61 from above, the sliders 62, 62 appear and disappear right and left.

The center of the upper body 56 is open and the upper end of the inner cylinder 61 is rotatably fitted. A lever 63 provided on the surface of the upper body 56 so as to be able to undulate closes the upper surface of the inner cylinder 61. It has become. When the lever 63 is depressed, the upper surface of the upper body 56 forms a flat surface.

The breathing chamber 52 in the outer cylindrical portion 51b of the cap body 51 forms a gas-liquid separation chamber at the front, and a primary valve 65 is fitted at the lower part thereof to partition it from the outside (inside the fuel tank). The fuel separated in the gas-liquid separation chamber can pass only to the outside.

At the rear of the breathing chamber 52, a secondary valve 66 having a valve chamber formed therein and having a small hole is fitted therein so as to be movable up and down.
A breathing hole 53 communicating with the outside (inside of the fuel tank) from the valve chamber below is formed in the outer cylindrical portion 51b. The cap guide 57 is fitted on the outer periphery of the outer cylindrical portion 51b.
The area near the opening is notched.

The breathing chamber 52 has a cap body partly.
The communication path extends obliquely rearward through the flange portion 51c of the flange 51, and the flange portion 51c is shown in the rear view of the tank cap 50 shown in FIG.
A breathing opening 54 is formed on the lower surface near the outer edge of the opening.

When the above-described tank cap 50 is fitted into the concave portion 41 of the cover member 40, the inner cylindrical portion 51 of the cap body 51 is fitted.
a, the lower half portion of the outer cylindrical portion 51b and the lower half portion of the cap guide 57 are fitted into the fuel supply port 33 of the fuel tank 30, and an annular cap packing 59 fixed to the lower surface of the flange 57a of the cap guide 57 has a cylindrical lubrication. A seal member 55 that abuts against the annular upper bent portion 33b of the opening 33 to close the oil supply opening 33 and protrudes outward along the lower surface of the outer peripheral edge of the upper body 56.
Is sandwiched between the opening edges of the concave portion 41 to seal the concave portion 41.

When a key is inserted into the inner cylinder 61 and turned, the slider 6 at the lower end of the cap body 52 is moved.
2 and 62 project to the left and right outer sides, and the inclined surface 62 at the tip of the slider 62 along the lower end opening edge 33d of the inner cylindrical wall 33c of the fuel filler port 33.
a slides from below.

The cap guide 57 has a cap packing 59.
Is supported by the upper end bent portion 33b of the refueling port 33,
A cap body 51 supported by the cap guide 57 via a spring 58 has a slider 62 having a tip inclined surface 62.
a is slid into contact with the lower end opening edge 33d of the inner cylindrical wall 33c of the fuel filler port 33 to protrude, thereby compressing and lowering the spring 58, so that the cap packing 59 is pressed against the upper bent part 33b of the fuel filler port 33 and pressurized. 30 is securely closed and the lock is completed.

When the tank cap 50 is thus attached, the upper surface of the upper body 56, which is the upper surface of the tank cap 50, is substantially flush with the upper surface of the substantially horizontal rear upper wall 40d of the cover member 40. Does not protrude and impair the appearance.

The tank cap 50 in the recess 41 of the cover member 40
The upper portion of the annular space 49 is closed by a seal member 55, but since the cover member 40 itself forms gaps 47 and 48 between itself and the upper surface of the fuel tank 30, the annular space 49 communicates with the outside. ing. Breathing opening 54 of the tank cap 50
Is open at the top of this annular space 49.

Therefore, the inside of the fuel tank 30 is
Breathing hole 53 of tank cap 50, valve chamber, small hole of secondary valve 66, breathing chamber 52, communication passage,
The breathing passage 54 is communicated with the breathing opening 54 and communicates with the outside through the gaps 47 and 48 to secure a breathing passage.

The annular space 49 of the concave portion 41 of the cover member 40
The upper part is closed by a seal member 55 to prevent a large amount of rainwater or car wash water from entering. However, if the tank cap 50 is removed at the time of refueling, the concave portion 41 is opened, so that water may enter the concave portion 41 or fuel during refueling may leak.

However, the water or the fuel that has entered the concave portion 41 flows from the circular opening 42 (between the inner peripheral edge of the circular opening 42 and the cylindrical wall 33 a of the fuel supply port 33) of the bottom wall 41 a of the concave portion 41 to the upper surface of the fuel tank 30. And is discharged outside through the gap 48 and the gap 47 below the bottom wall 41a.

As described above, in the mounting structure of the present tank cap 50, there is no need to provide a drain pipe penetrating the inside of the fuel tank, and it is not necessary to provide a recess for the tank cap in the fuel tank. The shape is simplified, making it easier and less costly.

As described above, since the breathing passage is secured without using the special breathing pipe, there is no need to process the fuel tank for breathing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall side view of a motorcycle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a fuel tank.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the same section.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a cover member.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the same.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a tank cap.

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the same.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line IX-IX of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state where a cover member and a tank cap are attached to a fuel tank.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the main part.

12 is a sectional view taken along the line XII-XII in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Motorcycle, 2 ... Head pipe, 3 ... Main frame, 4 ... Gusset, 5 ... Down pipe, 7 ... Pivot plate, 8 ... Sub pipe, 9 ... Seat rail, 11 ... Front fork, 12 ... Front wheel, 13 ... Handle , 15 ... swing arm, 16 ... pivot bolt, 17 ... rear wheel, 18 ... rear cushion, 20 ... internal combustion engine, 21 ... spark plug, 22 ... intake pipe,
23 ... vaporizer, 24 ... connecting pipe, 25 ... air cleaner, 26 ... exhaust pipe, 27 ... muffler, 28 ... seat, 30 ... fuel tank, 31 ...
Recess, 32… Fuel outlet, 33… Fill opening, 35… Mounting bracket, 36… Nut, 37… Mounting bracket, 38… Nut, 40
... Cover member, 41 ... Concave part, 42 ... Circular opening, 43,44 ... Cylinder concave part, 45,46 ... Bolt, 47,48 ... Gap, 49 ... Circular space, 50
... tank cap, 50 ... tank cap, 51 ... cap body, 52 ... breathing chamber, 53 ... breathing hole, 54
... Breathing opening, 55 ... Seal member, 56 ... Upper body, 57 ... Cap guide, 58 ... Spring, 59 ... Cap packing, 61 ... Inner cylinder, 62 ... Slider, 63 ... Lever, 65 ... Primary valve, 66 ... Secondary valve .

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A cover member covers an upper surface around a fuel filler port opened above a fuel tank, wherein the cover member has a recess formed in a bottom wall having an opening facing the fuel filler port. A tank cap which is partially fixed to and supported on the upper surface of the fuel tank with a gap therebetween, and which is detachably fixed to the fuel filler via a packing material, is fitted in the recess of the cover member. A tank cap mounting structure for a fuel tank. 2. The tank cap mounting structure for a fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein a breathing passage communicating the recess of the cover member and the inside of the fuel tank is formed in the tank cap. 3. The fuel filler port has a cylindrical shape protruding upward from an upper surface of a fuel tank, and the fuel filler port is fitted with an appropriate gap in an opening of a bottom wall of a concave portion of the cover member. The tank cap mounting structure for a fuel tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: 4. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein a seal member is interposed between an opening edge of the concave portion of the cover member and an outer peripheral edge of the tank cap. Tank cap mounting structure.