Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.

Sumitomo Riko Company Limited

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Atsuo Miyajima

Kazushige Sakazaki

Minoru Kawasaki

Hiroaki Ito

Tomohide Ito

Tomoyuki Fukuyasu

Hiroyuki Ichikawa

Akira Takayanagi

Tsutomu Kodama

Kazuki Hatanaka

Makoto Shimojo

Kazutaka Katayama

Motoshige Hibino

Shinji Iio

Kazuhiro Kato

Shinobu Kanbe

Takahiro Nishiyama

Yoshikazu Kaneyasu

Ryo Hirai

Koji Hioki

Kazuhito Kasahara

Yoshimitsu Ishida

Masayuki Sasagawa

Kentaro Sugita

Nao Sato

Tsubasa Suzuki

Naomasa Kaneko

Takayuki Maeda

Keiji Matsuno

Yuichi Wada

Toshikazu Ono

Fumiya Mizuno

A resin filler tube includes: a tubular body; a flange having a diameter greater than an outer diameter of the tubular body, a thickness greater than a thickness of the tubular body, and a predetermined width in an axial direction, and having a first axial end face forming a weld surface to be welded to an outer circumferential edge of an opening hole of a fuel tank; and a base-end-side reverse tapered portion which connects between an end of the tubular body on the fuel tank side and an end of an outer circumferential surface of the flange on a side opposite to the fuel tank side, and which is reversely tapered so as to increase a diameter toward the flange. The base-end-side reverse tapered portion has an inner diameter that is not less than an inner diameter of the tubular body over an entire range in the axial direction.

Resin filler tube and manufacturing method for the same

A manufacturing process for filler tube includes: a workpiece arrangement step of arranging a workpiece onto an outer peripheral mold not only to axially lock a to-be-locked portion with respect to a locking portion but also so as to make the outer peripheral mold, which is set at a predetermined temperature, support a cylinder-shaped body of the workpiece on the outer peripheral face; and a flare-molding step of flare molding a flange by inserting an inner peripheral mold, which is set at a higher temperature than the predetermined temperature of the outer peripheral mold, into a to-be-molded portion on the inner peripheral side, and by relatively moving the outer peripheral mold and the inner peripheral mold in the axial direction to make a counter-welding-face forming portion and a welding-face forming portion clamp the to-be-molded portion between them in the axial direction.

Manufacturing process for filler tube

The resinous filler port includes: a filler-port body including a nozzle insertion port through which a filler nozzle is insertable, a fuel supply port supplying a fuel supplied from the filler nozzle to a fuel tank by way of a filler tube, and a vapor inlet port letting flow in vapors arising from the fuel and passing through a breather tube from a side of the fuel tank; a joint formed to penetrate through from one of opposite ends thereof to another one of the opposite ends, fitted undetachably into and around the vapor inlet port at the one of the opposite ends, and connected with the breather tube at the other one of the opposite ends; and a flow control valve accommodated inside the joint, and controlling a flow volume of the vapors flowing into the filler-port body from the breather tube.

Resinous filler port

A filler tube, which is capable of satisfying required functions suitably in compliance with the bellows and non-bellows cylindrical base while securing weld strength and fuel-permeation resistance property in the weld face, is provided. A filler tube includes a non-bellows cylindrical base with a total thickness of from 2 to 4 mm, a bellows with a total thickness of from 0.5 to 3 mm, and a flange having a total thickness of from 3.5 to 5 mm, and including an end face to be welded to a fuel tank. The non-bellows cylindrical base, the bellows, and the flange include inner layers formed so as to have a thickness accounting for from 40 to 60% of the total thicknesses, and formed of high-density polyethylene (or HDPE) serving as the major constituent, intermediate layers exhibiting fuel-permeation resistance property, and outer layers protecting the intermediate layers.

Filler tube and manufacturing process for the same

A weld joint has a weld portion for being welded and bonded to a rim portion around an opening of a resin fuel tank. The weld portion is made of a resin alloy material that is obtained by alloying EVOH or PA with a modified HDPE. A highly-weldable layer is provided in an extremity portion of the weld portion throughout an entire circumference of the weld portion. The highly-weldable layer is made of HDPE and/or a modified HDPE having good weldability to the resin fuel tank. An extremity end surface of the highly-weldable layer serves as a weld surface for welding the weld portion to the resin fuel tank.

Weld joint for fuel tank

Retainer assembly has a pair of retainers that are disposed on diametrically opposite sides of a passage way of an annular engaging projection of a pipe, and release arms that are provided on the retainers, respectively. Each of the retainers has a fixing end portion integrally connected to and supported by a pipe retainer portion, and a free end including an engaging portion for snap-engaging with the annular engaging projection. Each of the release arms has a cross-sectional shape for allowing a pressure on the release arm in a longitudinal direction, when being pressed radially inwardly from outside.

Quick connector

A rubber composition for an automotive non-water liquid delivery hose, which has good adhesion, comprises (A) chloroprene rubber, and (B) ethylene-propylene-diene terpoylymer containing 3% to 11% by weight of ethylidene norbornene and having a Mooney viscosity (MLat 100&#xb0; C.) in the range of 20 to 150, wherein the mixture ratio by weight of the component (A) and the component (B) is set in the range of (A)/(B)=97/3 to 75/25.

Rubber composition for automotive non-water liquid delivery hose and automotive non-water liquid delivery hose using the same

A piping member is mounted in a mounting hole of one panel by a first holder and in a mounting hole of the other panel by a second holder, respectively. Each of the first and the second holders has a through-hole for receiving the piping member therethrough, and a fit-in projecting portion that is fitted in the mounting hole so as to be positioned. Each of the first and the second holders also has a resilient lug and a collar portion for cooperatively clamping the panel with its inner and outer surfaces therebetween. The first holder holds the piping member relatively movably axially with respect to the first holder therethrough, while the second holder securely fixes the piping member axially with respect to the second holder therethrough.

Through-panel fixing device for piping member

A quick connector includes: a cylindrical connector housing having a tube connecting portion and a pipe retainer portion that has a retainer; and an annular seal member fitted on an inner circumferential surface of the connector housing. The retainer is integrally formed with the pipe retainer portion and having an engagement portion projecting toward the interior of the pipe retainer portion, and a disengagement operating portion adapted to move the engagement portion radially outwardly. The connector housing is formed by engaging with each other end side in an axial direction of a tube side member having the tube connecting portion, and one end side in the axial direction of a pipe side member having the pipe retainer portion. The annular seal member is axially positioned in an annular recess formed in the connector housing when the tube side member and the pipe side member are engaged with each other.

A connector housing of a valve-equipped connector is integrally formed from a tube connection section at a first axial side; a pipe insertion section at a second axial side; and a valve housing section between the tube connection section and the pipe insertion section. The valve housing section is formed with an adequately large inner diameter. A main valve body and a compression coil spring for biasing the main valve body to the first axial side so that it abuts the inner surface of the housing are stored in the valve housing section. A cylindrical bushing is fitted to the first axial side of the pipe insertion section of the connector housing, and a valve cap for receiving a second axial end of the compression coil spring is formed integrally at the first axial end of the cylindrical bushing.

Connector equipped with a valve

An cylindrical convex portion of which opposite ends are open is integrally formed onto a fuel tank made of HDPE therewith so as to inwardly extend in the fuel tank to provide an opening thereon. A press-fit portion of a filler hose connecting pipe made of PA as a tubular member is press-fitted in the cylindrical convex portion to connecting the tubular member to the fuel tank. At least one continuous annular projection is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the press-fit portion of the tubular member so as to bite into the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical convex portion to provide continuous circumferential contact. A face of the annular projection in direction axially of one end of tubular member is formed so as to extend outwardly and inclinedly with respect to the axial direction of the tubular member form one end toward the other end thereof.

Structure for connecting tubular member to fuel tank

A metal-composite hose having a wall including an innermost metal layer and a resin layer surrounding it, in which the metal layer has at each end portion of the hose an inner surface covered with a resin layer, an elastic rubber layer, or both. A process for manufacturing a metal-composite hose includes: forming a metal layer; covering the metal layer with an elastic rubber layer, if required; and after masking a specific portion of the metal layer, forming a thermoplastic resin layer thereon by powder or spray coating. The hose is preferably a corrugated one. It has high fluid impermeability, flexibility and strength, as well as high metal-rust resistance and sealing property at both ends.

Metal-composite hose and a process for manufacturing the same

A tube connecting structure is formed with first and second cylindrical sections. The first cylindrical section includes: a joining cylinder with engagement holes disposed at a first end; a ring-shaped flange projecting radially inward from a second end; an inner cylinder extending co-axially toward the first end; and an inner cylindrical member separated axially from the inner cylinder. An O-ring is disposed co-axially between the inner cylinder and inner cylindrical member. Large and small diameter sections of the joining member align with a large-diameter section and small-diameter cylindrical section of the first tube, respectively, and are fitted into the space between the joining cylinder and the inner cylinder and inner cylindrical member. A second tube supported within the second cylindrical section is prevented from slipping out. The O-ring provides a fluid-tight seal between the first and second tubes.

Tube connecting structure

A straight opposing member insertion section located at the end of a hose tube and has a ring-shaped groove for inserting a sealing ring. The opposing member insertion section has a ring-shaped tongue piece and/or a ring-shaped ring supporting section. Tongue-piece has a sloped surface and an overhang positioned over the ring-shaped groove. Ring supporting section is an indentation on the ring-shaped groove that protrudes away from the end of the hose tube. A sealing ring is tightly inserted into the ring-shaped groove. A ring-shaped engagement projection on the end of the tube-shaped opposing member is pushed into the opposing member insertion section until the engagement projection abuts the sealing ring. Sealing ring and the section of the tube wall with the ring-shaped groove can be constructed to handle seal deterioration. The resulting fuel hose connection structure has superior fuel sealing properties, fuel impermeability and can be contructed simplely and inexpensively.

Fuel hose, fuel hose connection method, and fuel hose connection structure

A tank joint part has a welding member welded to the outer surface of a fuel tank and a main body formed of a material of low fuel permeability and welded or otherwise joined to the welding member. The welding member is formed of modified polyethylene, which is easily weldable or otherwise joinable to the outer surface of the fuel tank and the main body, and in which very fine particles of a layered mineral are easily dispersible. The mineral is dispersed in layers oriented substantially at right angles to the direction of any possible permeation from the tank joint part. The tank joint part ensures a low fuel permeability and a high bonding strength.

Growing community of inventors

Inuyama, Japan

Atsuo Miyajima