# US 11,078,873 B2 · Fuel tank

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- Number: US 11,078,873 B2
- Document ID: US11078873B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/149,496
- Filed: 2018-10-02
- Published: 2019-05-02
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2017-10-26
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Shinsuke Amano; Yuuki Nagase
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078873B2

## CPC

- F02M 37/0094: {Saddle tanks; Tanks having partition walls}
- B60K 15/03: Fuel tanks
- 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)}
- F02M 37/0011: {Constructional details; Manufacturing or assembly of elements of fuel systems; Materials therefor}
- F02M 37/007: {characterised by its use in vehicles, in stationary plants or in small engines, e.g. hand held tools}
- F02M 37/02: Feeding by means of suction apparatus, e.g. by air flow through carburettors (by driven pumps F02M37/04)
- F02M 37/08: electrically driven
- F02M 37/22: Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines, e.g. arrangements in the feeding system
- B60K 2015/03125: {Suction lines for dual tanks}
- B60K 2015/03138: {Pumping means between the compartments}
- B60K 2015/03144: {Fluid connections between the tanks}
- B60K 2015/03243: {characterised by special pumps, the mounting thereof}
- B60K 2015/0344: {comprising baffles}
- B60K 2015/03493: {made of plastics}
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES

## Abstract

Provided is a fuel tank made of resin, including: a fuel tank body that is enclosed by a bottom wall, side walls, and an upper wall, the fuel tank body including a first storage portion, a second storage portion, and a coupling portion, the coupling portion communicating an upper portion of the first storage portion and an upper portion of the second storage portion; a pump module disposed in the first storage portion; an open portion formed in the first storage portion; a strut provided in the first storage portion; a separator provided on the strut; a suction portion disposed in the second storage portion; a fuel transfer line that communicates the suction portion to the pump module; a holding portion and a provisional holding portion provided at the separator, the provisional holding portion being configured to removably hold the extra-length portion of the fuel transfer line.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel tank made of resin, the fuel tank comprising:
a fuel tank body that is enclosed by a bottom wall, side walls, and an upper wall, and that is configured to store fuel, the fuel tank body including a first storage portion, a second storage portion, and a coupling portion, the coupling portion communicating an upper portion of the first storage portion and an upper portion of the second storage portion;
a pump module that is disposed in the first storage portion and that is configured to supply fuel to outside of the fuel tank body;
an open portion that is formed in a first upper wall portion of the first storage portion and through which the pump module is insertable;
a strut that is provided in the first storage portion and that extends from at least one of the upper wall or the bottom wall toward the other;
a separator that is disposed in the first storage portion and is provided on the strut, the separator is equipped with a first plate portion formed on an opposite side of a coupling portion side of the strut and a second plate portion formed on the coupling portion side of the strut;
a suction portion that is disposed the second storage portion and that is configured to suck in fuel stored in the second storage portion;
a fuel transfer line that is flexible, that communicates the suction portion to the pump module, and that has an extra-length portion that is longer than a requisite length for installation from the suction portion to the pump module;
a holding portion that is provided at an upper side of the second plate portion of the separator and that is configured to hold the fuel transfer line; and
a provisional holding portion that is provided at an upper side of the first plate portion of the separator and that is configured to removably hold the extra-length portion of the fuel transfer line,
wherein the provisional holding portion is a cutout that forms a substantially J-shape as seen from a vehicle rear side, the provisional holding portion having an introduction passage extending from the upper side of the first plate portion of the separator in a vehicle downward direction to an inside of the first plate portion of the separator and a catch passage extending in a vehicle upward direction heading outward in a vehicle width direction while curving from an inner end portion of the introduction passage, an end of the catch passage being below the upper side of the first plate portion of the separator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the strut is connected to the upper wall and the bottom wall.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the strut is connected to an attachment portion that is formed at the first upper wall portion and that projects in the vehicle downward direction, and the provisional holding portion is positioned further in the vehicle upward direction than the upper end of the strut.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The fuel tank according to claim 3,
wherein the provisional holding portion is positioned on a vehicle width direction outer side of the attachment portion formed at the first upper wall portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein:
at the bottom wall, a first attachment portion that projects in the vehicle upward direction is formed;
at the upper wall, a second attachment portion that projects in the vehicle downward direction is formed in a position corresponding to the first attachment portion and
the strut is disposed between the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein:
the first plate portion is formed in an inverted T-shape whose vehicle width direction central portion projects in the vehicle upward direction as seen from a vehicle front and rear direction; and
the second plate portion is formed in a L-shape that extends obliquely in the vehicle upward direction from a vehicle width direction inner end portion as seen from the vehicle front and rear direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The fuel tank according to claim 1,
wherein the holding portion includes a recessed portion that is configured to hold the fuel transfer line by elastically deforming.