GB2030941A

GB2030941A - A fuel filler arrangement for an automobile

Info

Publication number: GB2030941A
Application number: GB7930922A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
Priority date: 1978-09-06
Filing date: 1979-09-06
Publication date: 1980-04-16
Also published as: GB2030941B; FR2435367B1; DE2934766A1; JPS5537739U; FR2435367A1

Abstract

A fuel filler arrangement for an automobile comprises a base plate (2) secured to the inside of an outer body panel (1) of the automobile to form a space (S), a fuel filler lid (4) for closing the space, a fuel supply hose (3) having a fuel supply end (7) secured to the base plate and communicating with a fuel tank of the automobile, a pot (5) for receiving overflowed fuel located outside and under the fuel supply end of the fuel supply hose and a drain hose (6) having one end connected to the pot and the other end extending out of the automobile, thereby preventing the overflowed fuel from flowing down the surface of the outer body panel of the automobile. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A fuel filler arrangement for an automobile The present invention relates to a fuel filler arrangement provided in an outer body plate of an autombile for supplying fuel to the fuel tank thereof.

In a conventional fuel filler arrangement , an outer body panel is provided on its inside with a base plate to form a space adapted to be closed by a fuel filler lid and to the base plate is connected the supply end of a fuel supply hose whose other end communicates with the fuel tank.

Into the supply end of the fuel supply hose is inserted a fuel supply nozzle for supplying fuel into the fuel tank.

With this arrangement, the fuel often overflows and flows down the surface of the outer body panel, so that a coating of the panel tends to be discoloured or peeled by the frequent fuel supply into the tank. Particularly, light oil for use in Diesel engines is likely to contaminate coated surfaces of vehicle bodies.

It is therefore a general object of the invention to provide a fuel filler arrangement for an automobile which eliminates the disadvantage of the prior art above described.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a fuel filler arrangement which prevents an overflowing fuel from flowing down the surface of an outer body panel of an automobile.

It is further object of the invention to provide a fuel filler arrangement having a pot for receiving an overflowing fuel.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, preferred embodiments will be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is an explanatory perspective view of a rear end of an automobile to which is applied the fuel filler arrangement according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a fuel filler arrangement of the prior art; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the fuel filler arrangement according to the invention; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 taken along the line A-A in Fig.

1; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the fuel filler arrangement according to the invention taken along the line A-AinFig. 1;and Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 illustrating the fuel filler arrangement with the fuel filler lid opened.

Fig. 1 illustrates the rear end of an automobile body to which is applied a fuel filler arrangement F according to the invention which is provided in an outer body panel 1 constituting a rear body of the automobile.

Referring to Fig. 2 illustrating a fuel filler arrangement of the prior art, an outer body panel 1 is provided on its inside with a base plate 2 to form a space S which is closed by a fuel filler lid.4.

,To the base plate 2 is connected a supply end 7 of a fuel supply hose 3 whose other end communicates with a fuel tank (not shown). The supply end 7 of the fuel supply hose 3 opens in an upwardly oblique direction to facilitate insertion of a fuel supply nozzle into the supply end 7 of the hose for supplying the fuel. A cap (not shown in Fig. 2) is provided to close the supply end 7 hermetically.

With such a fuel filler arrangement in the prior art, the fuel which overflows the supply end 7 during supplying the fuel into the tank flows down on the surface of the outer body panel 1, so that a coating on the surface is often discoloured or peeled off.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 illustrating a first embodiment of the invention, outside and under a supply end 7 of a fuel supply hose 3 is provided a pot 5 secured to a base plate 2 and made of a synthetic resin or the like. The pot 5 has a bottom 8 integrally formed with a connecting pipe 10 extending through a bottom of the base plate 2.

To an outer end of the connecting pipe 10 is connected a drain hose 6 whose lower end 9 extends through a rear side inner panel 12 connected with the outer body panel 1 and a floor panel 11 and opens into a wheel housing or space H out of the automobile. In this embodiment, the drain hose 6 is fixed to the rear side inner panel 12 by means of a grommet 13.

With this arrangement according to the invention, after opening the lid 4 and removing a cap (not shown) hermetically closing the fuel supply end 7, the fuel is supplied into a fuel tank through a fuel supply nozzle inserted into the fuel supply end 7 of the fuel supply hoze 3. When the fuel overflows the supply end 7, the overflowed fuel is collected in the pot 5, from which the collected fuel is exhausted through the drain hose 6 and via a wheel housing H out of the vehicle.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention which is an alternative solution when the space S is too narrow to arrange a pot 5 of sufficient size. The pot 5 is integrally formed in its bottom with a connecting pipe 10 and is formed on the outer portion with a bellows 1 4 which is extensible and retractable. When the lid 4 is closed, the bellows 14 is urged inwardly by the lid so as to be housed in the space S as shown in Fig. 5, while when the lid 4 is opened, the bellows is released to freely extend as shown in Fig. 6.

According to the second embodiment, therefore, the outer portion 1 4 of the pot 5 is contracted in the narrow space S when the lid 4 closes the space as shown in Fig. 5, and the outerportion 14 extends to form a wide pot 5 having sufficient capacity for receiving overflowed fuel when the lid 4 is opened as shown in Fig. 6.

With the fuel filler arrangement constructed as above described according to the invention, the fuel overflowing the fuel supply end 7 of the fuel supply hose is at once collected in the pot 5 from which the fuel is exhausted downwardly through a drain hose 6 out of the vehicle body. Different from the fuel filler arrangement of the prior art shown in Fig. 2, the arrangement according to the invention prevents the overflowed fuel from flowing down the surface of the outer body panel 1 to avoid any discoloration and peeling of the paint of the outer body panel.

With a pot 4 extensible and retractable in response to opening and closing of the lid 4 as in the second embodiment of the invention as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, even if the space S is narrow, the fuel filler arrangement according to the invention can be applied to a vehicle having such a narrow space.

In the above embodiments, the pot S is formed separately from the fuel supply hose 3 and the drain hose 6. However, the pot 5 may be integrally formed or moulded with the fuel supply hose 3 or drain hose 6 and further these three parts may be integrally formed or moulded as a unitary body.

The lower end 9 of the drain hose 6 may open out of the vehicle at a location where the drained fuel never splashes the surface of the outer body panel 1 according to the position of the fuel supply port F.

Claims

1. In a fuel filler arrangement for an automobile includirg a base plate secured to an outer body panel t form a space, a fuel supply hose communicating with a fuel tank and having a fuel supply end secured to said base plate, and a fuel filler lid for closing said space, the improvement comprising a pot provided outside and under said fuel supply end of said fuel supply hose, and a drain hose having one end connected to said pot and the other end extending out of the automobile.

2. A fuel filler arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pot has a bottom integrally formed with a connecting pipe extending through said base plate, and to an outer end of said connecting pipe is connected said drain hose.

3. A fuel filler arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pot is made expansible and retractable in response to opening and closing of said fuel filler lid.

4. A fuel filler arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pot is formed on its outer portion with a bellows which is retractable into said space in the base plate by urging it by said fuel filler lid when closing and is extensible by releasing it from the urging of the lid when opening.

5. A fuel filler arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pot is integrally formed with said fuel supply hose.

6. A fuel filler arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pot is integrally formed with said drain hose.

7. A fuel filler arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pot, said fuel supply hose and said drain hose are integrally formed as a unitary body.

8. A fuel filler arrangement substantially as described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figs. 3 and 4, or Figs. 5 and 6, of the accompanying drawings.