FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY OF VEHICLE

• US 20130105234A1
• Filed: 07/19/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nishimura, Shin, Sunaga, Takashi, Shomura, Takaaki, Kinoshita, Keita
• Granted Patent: US 8,881,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/69.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/07 of gas tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 35/00 Fuel tanks specially adapted for motorcycles or engine-assisted cycles; Arrangements thereof fuel tanks forming part of cycle frames B62K11/00; tanks in general B60K ; closure caps for fuel tanks B60K15/0406
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 33/003 Controlling the feeding of liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus control of electrical fuel pumps F02D41/3082, controlling fuel flow to a common rail F02D41/3845; Failure or leakage prevention; Diagnosis or detection of failure; Arrangement of sensors in the fuel system; Electric wiring; Electrostatic discharge
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/007 characterised by its use in vehicles, in stationary plants or in small engines, e.g. hand held tools
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/103 Mounting pumps on fuel tanks
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/14 the pumps being combined with other apparatus

Abstract

A vehicle fuel tank assembly is provided with a fuel tank and a fuel pump unit. The fuel tank is mounted on a saddle-riding type vehicle. The fuel tank has a flat shape elongated in the front-to-rear direction. The fuel pump unit includes a main body, a support body extending from the upper part of the main body in the longitudinal direction of the fuel tank, and a fuel level gauge supported and extending on the support body. The fuel level gauge includes a fuel level gauge body, a float arm pivotally supported by the gauge body, and a float on the free end of the float arm. The float arm extends in the longitudinal direction of the fuel tank and takes a highest swing position in an intermediate level of the height of the fuel tank. The fuel tank assembly enables fuel level detection in a wide range.

Claims

1. A vehicle fuel tank assembly comprising:

a fuel tank (31) mounted on a saddle-riding type vehicle (1) in an inclined attitude in a front-to-rear direction of a vehicle and having a flat shape elongated in the front-to-rear direction; and

a fuel pump unit (35) installed in the fuel tank (31) by inserting the fuel pump unit into the fuel tank through a bottom wall (31h) of the fuel tank;

wherein the fuel pump unit (35) includes a main body (37), a support body (38) extending from an upper part of the main body (37) in a longitudinal direction of the elongated fuel tank (31), and a fuel level gauge (39) supported and extending on the support body (38);

wherein the fuel level gauge (39) includes a fuel level gauge body (40), a float arm (41) pivotally supported at its proximal end (41a) by the fuel level gauge body (40) for up and down swinging movement, and a float (42) supported on a free end (41b) of the float arm (41); and

wherein the float arm (41) extends in the longitudinal direction of the fuel tank (31) and is set to take a highest swing position in an intermediate height level of the fuel tank (31); and

wherein the support body (38) is formed with a cutout (38b3) in a lower edge thereof, and the cutout (38b3) has a first width (W1) in the direction in which the support body (38) extends, and a second width (W2) in a vertical direction perpendicular to the direction in which the support body (38) extends, the first width (W1) being greater than the second width (W2).

2. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 1, wherein the direction in which the support body (38) extends from the main body (37) of the fuel pump unit (35) is same as the direction in which the float arm (41) extends in the highest swing position.

3. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 1, wherein the fuel tank (31) is mounted on the saddle-riding type vehicle (1) in a forwardly declining attitude,

the fuel pump unit (35) is arranged in a front part of the fuel tank (31), and

the support body (38) and the float arm (41) in the highest swing position extend rearward.

4. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 1, wherein the fuel tank (71) is mounted on the saddle-riding type vehicle (1) in a rearwardly declining attitude,

the fuel pump unit (75) is arranged in a rear part of the fuel tank (71), and

the support body (78) and the float arm (81) in the highest swing position extend forward.

5. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 1, wherein the fuel tank (31) is formed of a tank upper half section (31a) and a tank lower half section (31b) which are mutually joined along mating surfaces (31e) thereof, and

the fuel level gauge (39) is set such that at an upper limit level of the fuel in the fuel tank (31), the float (42) is at a level higher than the mating surfaces (31e) of the fuel tank (31) and at a position adjacent to a top wall (31g) of the fuel tank (31), and at a lower limit level of the fuel in the fuel tank (31), the float (42) is at a level lower than the mating surfaces (31e) of the fuel tank (31) and at a position adjacent to a bottom wall (31h) of the fuel tank (31).

7. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 1, wherein the fuel tank (31) has side surfaces (31f) formed to decline or slope downward, the side surfaces (31f) being for positioning a vehicle seat (28) put thereon.

8. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 1, wherein the fuel pump (31) has thereon a fuel supply port (33) and a breather port (34) disposed in line with the fuel pump unit (35) with respect to the front-to-rear direction, and the breather port (34) is disposed rearward of, and at a higher level than the fuel supply port (33).

9. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 1, wherein the main body (37) has engaging groove-forming members (37b) defining engaging grooves (37d) and formed with cutouts (37c),

the support body (38) has engaging plates (38a2) formed with engagement claws (38d), and

the engaging plates (38a2) are fitted in the engaging grooves (37d) with the engagement claws (38d) in engagement with the cutouts (37c), to thereby immovably position the support body (38) so as to fixedly mount the support body (38) on the main body (37).

10. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support body (38) has a pair of the engaging plates (38a2) straddling the main body (37), and the main body (37) has on opposite sides thereof the engaging grooves (37d), the engaging plates (38a2) being in engagement with the engaging grooves (37d), respectively.

11. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 2, wherein the fuel tank (31) is mounted on the saddle-riding type vehicle (1) in a forwardly declining attitude,

the fuel pump unit (35) is arranged in a front part of the fuel tank (31), and

the support body (38) and the float arm (41) in the highest swing position extend rearward.

12. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 2, wherein the fuel tank (71) is mounted on the saddle-riding type vehicle (1) in a rearwardly declining attitude,

the fuel pump unit (75) is arranged in a rear part of the fuel tank (71), and

the support body (78) and the float arm (81) in the highest swing position extend forward.

13. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according claim 2, wherein the fuel tank (31) is formed of a tank upper half section (31a) and a tank lower half section (31b) which are mutually joined along mating surfaces (31e) thereof, and

the fuel level gauge (39) is set such that at an upper limit level of the fuel in the fuel tank (31), the float (42) is at a level higher than the mating surfaces (31e) of the fuel tank (31) and at a position adjacent to a top wall (31g) of the fuel tank (31), and at a lower limit level of the fuel in the fuel tank (31), the float (42) is at a level lower than the mating surfaces (31e) of the fuel tank (31) and at a position adjacent to a bottom wall (31h) of the fuel tank (31).

14. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according claim 3, wherein the fuel tank (31) is formed of a tank upper half section (31a) and a tank lower half section (31b) which are mutually joined along mating surfaces (31e) thereof, and

the fuel level gauge (39) is set such that at an upper limit level of the fuel in the fuel tank (31), the float (42) is at a level higher than the mating surfaces (31e) of the fuel tank (31) and at a position adjacent to a top wall (31g) of the fuel tank (31), and at a lower limit level of the fuel in the fuel tank (31), the float (42) is at a level lower than the mating surfaces (31e) of the fuel tank (31) and at a position adjacent to a bottom wall (31h) of the fuel tank (31).

15. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according claim 4, wherein the fuel tank (31) is formed of a tank upper half section (31a) and a tank lower half section (31b) which are mutually joined along mating surfaces (31e) thereof, and

the fuel level gauge (39) is set such that at an upper limit level of the fuel in the fuel tank (31), the float (42) is at a level higher than the mating surfaces (31e) of the fuel tank (31) and at a position adjacent to a top wall (31g) of the fuel tank (31), and at a lower limit level of the fuel in the fuel tank (31), the float (42) is at a level lower than the mating surfaces (31e) of the fuel tank (31) and at a position adjacent to a bottom wall (31h) of the fuel tank (31).

16. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 2, wherein the fuel tank (31) has side surfaces (31f) formed to decline or slope downward, the side surfaces (31f) being for positioning a vehicle seat (28) put thereon.

17. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 3, wherein the fuel tank (31) has side surfaces (31f) formed to decline or slope downward, the side surfaces (31f) being for positioning a vehicle seat (28) put thereon.

18. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 2, wherein the fuel pump (31) has thereon a fuel supply port (33) and a breather port (34) disposed in line with the fuel pump unit (35) with respect to the front-to-rear direction, and the breather port (34) is disposed rearward of, and at a higher level than the fuel supply port (33).

19. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 2, wherein the main body (37) has engaging groove-forming members (37b) defining engaging grooves (37d) and formed with cutouts (37c),

the support body (38) has engaging plates (38a2) formed with engagement claws (38d), and

the engaging plates (38a2) are fitted in the engaging grooves (37d) with the engagement claws (38d) in engagement with the cutouts (37c), to thereby immovably position the support body (38) so as to fixedly mount the support body (38) on the main body (37).

20. The vehicle fuel tank assembly according to claim 2, wherein the support body (38) has a pair of the engaging plates (38a2) straddling the main body (37), and the main body (37) has on opposite sides thereof the engaging grooves (37d), the engaging plates (38a2) being in engagement with the engaging grooves (37d), respectively.

6. (canceled)