Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Yutaka Utsumi

Shinya Murabayashi

Kazuhiro Kobayashi

Takeaki Nakajima

Kiyofumi Shida

Hiroaki Watanabe

Kengo Kobayashi

Shoichi Hokazono

Takeshi Ohishi

Tamon Kimura

Provided is a fuel tank system wherein the liquid levels of fuel in two fuel storage portions can be equally maintained, and the fuel amount in each fuel tank can be estimated with a high degree of accuracy. The fuel tank system is provided with a fuel tank in which a main tank portion and a subsidiary tank portion are formed; a siphon tube which extends from the main tank portion to the subsidiary tank portion, to transfer fuel from one tank portion to the other tank portion; and an electronic control unit (ECU) for determining whether or not the fuel is transferred via the siphon tube (in the transfer state). The ECU determines that the fuel is in the transfer state when the change rate of a sender signal is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value (VF_th).

Fuel tank system

A fuel introducing member is connected to an opening end of a siphon pipe forming a fuel tank. The fuel introducing member has an opening for introducing fuel within the tank, and the opening is formed in the upper surface of a cover section. A lid body is pivotably mounted to the upper surface. When the opening is above the level of fuel, the lid body closes the opening by the weight of the lid body, and when the opening is below the level of the fuel, the lid body floats in the fuel to open the opening. The opening is located below the upper end of the inner diameter of the opening end of the siphon pipe.

Fuel tank

A fuel tank includes a first fuel chamber for receiving liquid fuel; a communication chamber communicated with the first fuel chamber and having a bottom higher than a bottom of the first fuel chamber; and a second fuel chamber communicated with the communication chamber, the second fuel chamber having a bottom lower than the bottom of the communication chamber. The fuel tank also includes a sleeve member having a lower end opening toward the bottom of the communication chamber, and configured so that fuel evaporative emissions are discharged while liquid fuel is supplied to the first fuel chamber. The first fuel chamber, the communication chamber, and the second fuel chamber are all molded integrally by resin blow molding. The communication chamber is provided with a protrusion which is convex when viewed from inside the communication chamber, and a depression which is concave when viewed from outside of the communication chamber.

Fuel tank device

In an inner structure of a filler neck of a fuel filler tube, a nozzle support section for supporting a nozzle of a fuel filling gun at a gas station includes a pipe member having an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the nozzle, and the nozzle is inserted in the pipe member when fueling. Fuel emitted from the nozzle is directed through the pipe member to an outlet end (distal end) of the nozzle support section, at which it starts flowing along an intermediate bent section of the filler tube. Thus, even when the fuel filling gun is not sufficiently inserted in the filler neck, i.e. inserted short of a standard inserted amount, the fuel is allowed to properly jet out in the bent section just as when the fuel filling gun is sufficiently inserted in the filler neck up to the standard inserted amount.

Growing community of inventors

Saitama, Japan

Yutaka Utsumi