PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE FOR FUEL PIPE

• US 20170306909A1
• Filed: 03/24/2017
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shun, Sato, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 10,294,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/01 Arrangement of fuel conduits chassis frame forming fluid conduit means B62D21/17
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 2200/185 means for improving crash safety
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 2200/855 using clamp elements or fastening means, e.g. bolts or screws
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10085 having a connecting piece, e.g. a flange, between the engine and the air intake being foreseen with a throttle valve, fuel injector, mixture ducts or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10216 Fuel injectors; Fuel pipes or rails; Fuel pumps or pressure regulators
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/104 Intake manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 55/02 Conduits between injection pumps and injectors , e.g. conduits between pump and common-rail or conduits between common-rail and injectors
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 55/025 Common rails
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 61/14 Arrangements of injectors with respect to engines; Mounting of injectors
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 69/465 of fuel rails

Abstract

Provided is a protective structure (64) for a fuel pipe (45) extending along the intake side of an engine main body (9) under an intake manifold (20). A protective member (61) is placed in front of the fuel pipe. The protective member includes a pair of legs (64, 65) secured to the intake side of the engine main body, a main body (63) extending from the legs upward in an arcuate manner along a front side of the fuel pipe and bent rearward in an upper part thereof, and an abutting projection (63G) extending from an upper end of the main body and projecting upward and rearward. A fastening member (26, 27) is passed through a flange of the intake manifold, and includes an engagement feature (36) positioned behind a free end of the abutting projection. The protective member minimizes the loading transmitted to the fuel pipe at the time of a vehicle crash.

Claims

1. A protective structure for a fuel pipe, comprising:

an engine main body having a plurality of intake ports opening out on an intake side thereof facing forward;

an intake manifold attached to the intake side via a fastening member, and extending upward in an arcuate manner;

a fuel pipe extending along the intake side under the intake manifold and connected to a plurality of injectors fitted into the engine main body; and

a protective member having at least one leg secured to the intake side, a main body extending from the at least one leg upward in an arcuate manner with a convex side facing forward along a front side of the fuel pipe and bent rearward in an upper part thereof, and an abutting projection extending from an upper end of the main body and projecting upward and rearward;

wherein the fastening member includes an engagement feature positioned behind a free end of the abutting projection.

2. The protective structure for a fuel pipe according to claim 1, wherein the main body of the protective member does not overlap with the fastening member as seen from an axial direction of the fastening member.

3. The protective structure for a fuel pipe according to claim 1, wherein the engagement feature includes a recess defined by an upper slanted surface and a lower slanted surface, the two slanted surfaces opposing the free end of the abutting projection in such a manner that the free end of the abutting projection slides over the upper slanted surface, and is restrained by the lower slanted surface when the protective member is deformed under an impact of a crash.

4. The protective structure for a fuel pipe according to claim 3, wherein the recess comprises an annular groove having a V-shaped cross section.

5. The protective structure for a fuel pipe according to claim 1, wherein the engagement feature of the fastening member and the free end of the abutting projection are laterally aligned with each other.

6. The protective structure for a fuel pipe according to claim 1, wherein a sensor for detecting an object ahead of a vehicle is positioned in front of the protective member.

7. The protective structure for a fuel pipe according to claim 1, wherein the engagement feature and the free end of the abutting projection are configured to abut each other in a complementary manner when the protective member is deformed under an impact of a crash.

8. The protective structure for a fuel pipe according to claim 1, wherein the fastening member includes a stud bolt projecting from the intake side of the engine main body and a nut threaded onto the stud bolt, the engagement feature being formed in the nut.

9. The protective structure for a fuel pipe according to claim 8, wherein the nut includes a cylindrical member centrally formed with a threaded bore and defining an abutting surface configured to abut the intake side of the engine main body in an axial end thereof, and a tool engagement feature provided in an opposite axial end of the cylindrical member remote from the abutting surface.

10. The protective structure for a fuel pipe according to claim 9, wherein the abutting surface of the nut comprises an annular surface having a same configuration as a contact surface of another nut used for fastening a remaining part of the intake manifold, and the tool engagement feature is same as that of the other nut.

11. The protective structure for a fuel pipe according to claim 1, wherein the protective member is at least partly covered by polymer material.

12. The protective structure for a fuel pipe according to claim 1, wherein the protective member is provided with a depending piece depending from an edge of the main body thereof, and having a free end positioned in a spaced apart relationship to the intake side of the engine main body.

13. The protective structure for a fuel pipe according to claim 1, wherein the main body of the protective member is provided with a part bent from a remaining part of the main body so as to extend at a greater distance from the intake side than the remaining part of the main body.