Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.

Natsushi Miura

Masayuki Nakagawa

Hiroyuki Hagano

Zenichi Yasuda

Tomokazu Hori

Tomohide Aoki

Hiroyuki Sato

Joji Kasugai

Kenichiro Kaneko

Kenta Kuwayama

Hisatsugu Goto

Masahiro Ando

Hideyuki Tsuzuki

Norimichi Kubota

A fuel cutoff valve comprises a casing having a primary valve chamber and a secondary valve chamber, a primary valve mechanism housed in the primary valve chamber, and a secondary valve mechanism housed in the secondary valve chamber. The casing has a first communication path that connects the inside of the fuel tank and the primary valve chamber, and a second communication path that connects the primary valve chamber and the secondary valve chamber, due to the differential pressure between the tank internal pressure and the primary valve chamber, by the fuel in the fuel tank flowing into the primary valve chamber through the first communication path, a connection conduit is closed by the primary valve mechanism. When the fuel level inside the fuel tank reaches a second fuel level, the second communication path is closed by the rising of the secondary valve mechanism.

Fuel cutoff valve

A fuel tank valve device equipped with a casing, and a valve mechanism. The valve mechanism has a first valve unit having a first valve connecting hole, and a second valve unit that opens and closes the first valve connecting hole. The first valve unit completely closes the valve flow path by moving by the force in the valve closing direction when the pressure of the second communication path exceeds a preset first pressure value. In a state when the first valve unit is closing the valve flow path, when the pressure of the second communication path exceeds a preset second pressure value that is greater than the first pressure value, the second valve unit receives the pressure from the first valve connecting hole and moves to open the first valve connecting hole, communicating with the valve flow path.

Fuel tank valve device and fuel tank ventilation device

The fuel tank unit includes a fuel cutoff valve fastened to a support body. The support body and the casing of the fuel cutoff valve are made of first and second resin materials having different rates of fuel swelling. The fuel cutoff valve is fastened to the support body via a fastening mechanism. The fastening mechanism entails engaging a first support engaging portion and a second support engaging portion of the support body in first and second fastening engaging portions composed of hooks formed on the casing of the fuel cutoff valve, at first and second hook engagement levels that represent the bite of the hooks. The engaging portions are designed such that prior to fuel swelling of the support body and the base cover first hook engagement exceeds second hook engagement, whereas subsequent to fuel swelling second hook engagement exceeds first hook engagement.

Fuel tank unit

A fuel shutoff valve includes a valve chamber, a casing, a float, and a shock absorber. The casing includes a body, a cylinder, and a seal. The float is accommodated in the valve chamber. The shock absorber includes a seat attaching to and detaching from the seal of the casing. The shock absorber includes a first arm, a second arm, a contact, and a locker. The first arm protrudes outward from the seat of the shock absorber diametrically, and exhibits elasticity. The second arm exhibits elasticity. The contact is disposed at the leading end of the second arm, and comes in contact with the float. The locker is disposed at a diametrically-outer-side leading end of the first arm, and locks to the body of the casing when the shock absorber is positioned at the lowermost level in the valve chamber.

Fuel shutoff valve

The manufacturing method of the invention manufactures a fuel filler pipe (branching pipe), where a breather pipe is branched off from a filler pipe main body. The manufacturing method extrudes a first extruded tubular member and a second extruded tubular member, conveys molds arranged on both sides of the first extruded tubular member and the second extruded tubular member, and forms the first extruded tubular member and the second extruded tubular member corresponding to molding surfaces of the molds, so as to mold the filler pipe main body and the breather pipe. The manufacturing method then thermally welds part of the second extruded tubular member with an outer wall of the first extruded tubular member and closes an opening end of the breather pipe to form a welding joint portion. A connection hole for connecting the conduit of the filler pipe main body with the conduit of the breather pipe is formed in the welding joint portion with a tool inserted through an opening of the filler pipe main body. This manufacturing method has excellent productivity and desirably reduces the manufacturing cost.

Method of manufacturing branching pipe

A filler device or pipe comprising: a filler neck including a pouring inlet, a neck connection portion, and a connection pipe which includes a bellows part and which is connected to the neck connection portion. Fuel is injected through the pouring inlet and fed into the fuel tank through a filling passage of the filler device. The filler device further includes an inner tube including a tube body formed of a flexible elastomer material, which is inserted into the connection pipe. The tube body and the connection pipe having cooperating engaging members for holding the tube body within the connection pipe. The tube body covers an inner wall of the bellows part.

Filler pipe

A fuel valve comprises a first valve chamber and a second valve chamber within a casing, where a first valve mechanism and a second valve mechanism are housed in the respective valve chambers. A first float of the first valve mechanism rises when the fuel level reaches a first liquid level, to close a first connection conduit. The second valve mechanism rises to close a second connection conduit when a second liquid level, which is higher than the first liquid level is reached. A valve conduit, which acts as a restriction path, is provided between the first valve chamber and the second valve chamber. The valve conduit is formed with a conduit area that is less than that of the first connection conduit, so as to increase the pressure within the fuel tank when the first connection conduit is closed.

Fuel cut off valve

A fuel cut-off valveof the invention is attached to an upper portion of a fuel tank and connects and disconnects inside with and from outside of the fuel tank according to the fuel level in the fuel tank. In the fuel cut-off valveof the invention, a valve casingforms a first valve chestand a second valve chestconnected to the fuel tank and has an inter-valve chest flow passageconnecting the first valve chestto the second valve chestand a canister connection portconnecting the second valve chestto a canister placed outside the fuel tank. A first floatand a second floatare respectively located in the first valve chestand in the second valve chest. When the fuel level in the fuel tank rises to reach a preset first level FL, the first floatmoves up to close an openingand thereby close the inter-valve chest flow passage. When the fuel level in the fuel tank further rises to reach a preset second level FLthat is higher than the preset first level FL, the second floatmoves up to close an upstream end openingof the canister connection portand cut off the flow of fuel vapor to the canister. This arrangement of the invention effectively ensures the sufficient performances and the enhanced reliabilities of the leakage protection function and the backflow prevention function of the fuel cut-off valve.

Fuel cut-off valve

A fuel supply apparatus includes an inlet box, and a filler neck. The inlet box is dented in a vehicle panel, and has a bottom wall, a neck-penetrating opening pierced through the bottom wall, a box-side axial engagement portion and a box-side radial engagement portion. The filler neck is disposed to penetrate through the neck-penetrating opening into the inlet box, and has an outer peripheral surface provided with a flange. The flange has a flange-side axial engagement portion engaging with the box-side axial engagement portion to regulate axial movements of the filler neck, and a flange-side radial engagement portion engaging with the box-side radial engagement portion to regulate radial movements of the filler neck. The fuel supply apparatus can be assembled with ease, and can be manufactured at reduced cost.

Fuel supply apparatus

A resinous tube has opposite ends into one of which a mating member is fitted and with which the mating member is connected, and includes a sealing ring, a fastening cap, and a clamp. The sealing ring is disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the opposite end, and contacts elastically with an outer peripheral surface of the mating member. The fastening cap is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the opposite end on an outer end side thereof with respect to the sealing ring, and contacts elastically with the outer peripheral surface of the mating member. The clamp is disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the opposite end, which is provided with the fastening cap on the inner peripheral surface, and tightens the fastening cap. The resinous tube exhibits good sealing and fastening abilities, requires less component parts, and can be connected with any mating members.

Resinous tube

A check valve attached to an inner wall of a main body of a fuel tank ensures a sufficient seal of the main body from outside, without increasing the required number of parts. The check valve communicates with a fuel conduit of a fuel inlet pipe and functions to prevent liquid fuel and fuel vapor in the main body from flowing through the fuel inlet pipe and being released to the outside. The check valve is opened by a flow of fuel in the fuel inlet pipe and allows the flow of fuel to be introduced into the main body. The check valve includes a casing with a fuel outlet, a valve disc, and a fixation plate. The valve disc is movable between an open position and a closed position to open and close the fuel outlet of the casing. The fixation plate has one end inserted in an end of the casing and the other end welded to the main body. This arrangement enables the main body to be securely sealed from the outside.

Check valve and fuel tank with check valve attached thereto

An inlet filler pipe comprises a pipe main body having a fuel passage for fueling fuel through an inlet into a fuel tank, and a flange formed on the pipe main body, for attachment to an outer wheel housing. A reinforcing element comprising a plurality of first ribs and second ribs arranged so as to surround the pipe main body is formed on the flange. The portion along the outer periphery of the pipe main body between first ribs and second ribs serves as a fragile portion, ensuring breaks at a load over a predetermined level.

Fuel feeding apparatus

A check valve 30 set in a fuel tank 10 that dispenses incoming cooler fuel over a wide area that also reduces development of the fuel vapor in a gas tank body 12 when filling the tank. The check valve 30 is attached to one end of an inlet pipe 22 for introducing a supply of fuel into the tank body 12, and includes a housing 32 with a plurality of outlets 38, a valve member 40, and a spring 50. The plurality of outlets 38 are arranged at substantially equal intervals along a circumferential direction of the housing 32. The check valve 30 is generally set in its normally closed position by the pressing force of the spring 50 in order to prevent the fuel vapor in the tank body 12 from being discharged to the atmosphere even without a cap. The flow of fuel presses open the check valve 30 and is discharged out of the plurality of outlets 38 toward a wide area in the tank body 12, so as to cool down the fuel stored in the tank body 12, thereby reducing development of the fuel vapor.

Growing community of inventors

Aichi-ken, Japan

Natsushi Miura