Resin fuel tank

• US 6,305,568 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Makoto, Suzuki, Takeshi, Shimizu, Yoshihiro, Ichitani, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): CASTELLANO, STEPHEN J
• Application Number:
  US09/689,655
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 220/562, 220/601, 220/661, 244/135.R, 180/314, 280/830
• US Class Current: 220/562
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/03177 made of non-metallic material, e.g. plastics, or of a combination of non-metallic and metallic material B60K15/03006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/035 characterised by venting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03046 made from more than one layer
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03447 for improving the sealing

Abstract

A component attaching hole 5 is opened in the tank main body 1 constructed by laminating an inner shell 3 and an outer shell 4 via a fuel permeation preventing layer 2, and the auxiliary component 6 is welded to the external surface of the tank main body 1 in such a manner as to cover the component attaching hole 5. The component attaching hole is formed so as to be tapered in such a manner that the component attaching hole gets wider toward the external surface of the tank main body 1, and a boss portion 9 is formed on the auxiliary component 6 which is tapered so as to fit in the component attaching hole 5, whereby a fuel permeation preventing layer 8 laminated on the internal surface of the auxiliary component 6 is made to extend over the external surface of the boss portion 9. When the tank main body 1 and the auxiliary component 6 are welded together, the fuel permeation preventing layer 8 on the external surface of the boss portion 9 is tightly joined to the fuel permeation preventing layer 2 exposed at the component attaching hole 5.

Claims

1. A resin fuel tank comprising:

a tank main body constructed by laminating a resin inner shell and a resin outer shell via a fuel permeation preventing layer, said tank main body being opened with a tapered component attaching hole formed such as to enlarge toward the external surface of said tank main body; and

a resin auxiliary component welded to an external surface of said tank main body in such a manner as to cover said component attaching hole, said auxiliary component comprising;

a tapered boss portion formed such as to fit in said component attaching hole; and

a fuel permeation preventing layer laminated such as to extend from an internal surface of said auxiliary component over an external surface of said boss portion,

whereby said fuel permeation preventing layer on the external surface of said boss portion is tightly joined to said fuel permeation preventing layer of said tank main body which is exposed at said component attaching hole.

2. The resin tank according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary component is a joint having a tube communicating with a canister.

3. The resin fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary component includes a flange portion at a proximal end thereof, and said flange portion is welded to said tank main body.

4. The resin fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein said inner shell, said outer shell and said auxiliary components are made of high-density polyethylene, and said fuel permeation presenting layer is made of ethylene vinyl alcohol.