TWO-PIECE FUEL FILLER TUBE ASSEMBLY BRACKET

Abstract

A fuel fill tube assembly for an associated vehicle comprises a tubular fill conduit, a receiver attached to the fill conduit, and a bracket mountable to a surface of the associated vehicle, the bracket is configured to be received by the receiver to thereby support the fill conduit relative to the associated vehicle.

Claims

1. A fuel fill tube assembly for an associated vehicle comprising: a tubular fill conduit; a receiver attached to the fill conduit; a bracket mountable to a surface of the associated vehicle, the bracket configured to be received by the receiver to thereby support the fill conduit relative to the associated vehicle.

2. The fuel fill tube assembly of claim 1, wherein the receiver includes first and second mounting flanges and a center portion extending between the first and second mounting flanges, at least a portion of the center portion and the fill conduit defining a slot, and wherein the bracket includes a coupling flange configured to be received in the slot.

3. The fuel fill tube assembly of claim 2, wherein the center portion includes at least one recess or protrusion and wherein the coupling flange includes at least one protrusion or recess adapted to cooperate with the at least one recess or protrusion of the center portion to restrict withdrawal of the coupling flange from the slot.

4. The fuel fill tube assembly of claim 3, wherein the bracket is brazed to the fill conduit along at least one of the mounting flanges.

5. The fuel fill tube assembly of claim 2, wherein the slot is arcuate, and wherein the coupling flange has a profile corresponding to the slot.

6. The fuel fill tube assembly of claim 2, wherein the slot opens along a longitudinal direction of the fill conduit, whereby the bracket can be translated relative to the receiver along the longitudinal direction of the conduit to insert the coupling flange into the slot.

7. The fuel fill tube assembly of claim 2, wherein the center portion includes at least one recess and wherein the coupling flange includes at least one protrusion adapted to cooperate with the at least one recess of the center portion to restrict withdrawal of the coupling flange from the slot, and wherein the center portion further includes at least one shaped portion adjacent the recess, the shaped portion adapted to guide the at least one protrusion towards the recess during assembly.

8. The fuel fill tube assembly of claim 7, wherein the shaped portion is tapered from a first width to a second width, the first width being greater than the second width and closer to the recess.

9. A bracket assembly for an associated fuel fill tube assembly comprising a receiver attachable to a fill conduit of the associated fuel fill tube assembly, and a bracket mountable to a surface of an associated vehicle, the bracket configured to be received by the receiver to thereby support the fill conduit of the associated fuel fill tube assembly relative to the associated vehicle.

10. The bracket assembly of claim 9, wherein the receiver includes first and second mounting flanges and a center portion extending between the first and second mounting flanges, at least a portion of the center portion and the fill conduit of the associated fuel fill tube assembly defining a slot, and wherein the bracket includes a coupling flange configured to be received in the slot.

11. The bracket assembly of claim 10, wherein the center portion includes at least one recess or protrusion and wherein the coupling flange includes at least one protrusion or recess adapted to cooperate with the at least one recess or protrusion of the center portion to restrict withdrawal of the coupling flange from the slot.

12. The bracket assembly of claim 10, wherein the center portion includes at least one recess and wherein the coupling flange includes at least one protrusion adapted to cooperate with the at least one recess of the center portion to restrict withdrawal of the coupling flange from the slot, and wherein the center portion further includes at least one shaped portion adjacent the recess, the shaped portion adapted to guide the at least one protrusion towards the recess during assembly.

13. The bracket assembly of claim 12, wherein the shaped portion is tapered from a first width to a second width, the first width being greater than the second width and closer to the recess.

14. A method of mounting a fuel fill tube assembly to a vehicle comprising: securing a receiver to a tubular fuel fill conduit, at least a portion of the receiver forming a slot with the fuel fill conduit; inserting a coupling flange of a bracket into the slot formed by the receiver and the fuel fill conduit; and mounting the bracket to a component of the vehicle; wherein the bracket is coupled to the receiver by an interference fit.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising brazing the receiver to the fuel fill conduit.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising aligning a protrusion of the coupling flange in a recess of the receiver, said protrusion and recess cooperating to restrict withdrawal of the coupling flange from the slot.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the bracket is translated along a longitudinal axis of the fuel fill conduit to align the protrusion with the recess.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the bracket is mounted to the component of the vehicle prior to inserting the coupling flange into the slot.

19. A fuel fill tube assembly for an associated vehicle comprising: a tubular fill conduit; a receiver having first and second mounting flanges brazed to the tubular fill conduit and a center portion extending between the first and second mounting flanges in spaced relation to the tubular fill conduit defining an arcuate slot; and a bracket mountable to a surface of the associated vehicle, the bracket having a curved coupling flange configured to be received in the arcuate slot to thereby support the fill conduit relative to the associated vehicle; wherein the center portion of the receiver includes at least one recess and wherein the coupling flange includes at least one protrusion adapted to cooperate with the at least one recess of the center portion to restrict withdrawal of the coupling flange from the slot, the mounting flange further including at least one shaped portion adjacent the recess, the shaped portion adapted to guide the at least one protrusion towards the recess during assembly, the shaped portion being tapered from a first width to a second width, the first width being greater than the second width and closer to the recess; and wherein the slot opens along a longitudinal direction of the fill conduit; whereby the bracket can be translated relative to the receiver along the longitudinal direction of the conduit to insert the mounting flange into the slot.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary fuel filler tube assembly in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary two-piece bracket assembly in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a first perspective exploded view of the two-piece bracket assembly of FIG. 2;

[0018] FIG. 4 is a second perspective exploded view of the two-piece bracket assembly of FIG. 2;

[0019] FIG. 5 a perspective view of another exemplary fuel filler tube assembly in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another exemplary two-piece bracket assembly in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 7 is a first perspective exploded view of the two-piece bracket assembly of FIG. 6; and

[0022] FIG. 8 is a second perspective exploded view of the two-piece bracket assembly of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In FIGS. 1-4, an exemplary fuel filler tube assembly in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated and identified generally by reference numeral 10. As seen in FIG. 1, the fuel filler tube assembly 10 generally includes a fuel filler neck 14 (e.g., a tubular fuel fill conduit) having a mouth 18 for receiving a fuel dispensing nozzle (not shown) in conventional fashion. The fuel filler neck 14 is coupled to a tube 22 which in turn is coupled to a fuel tank fitting 26. The fuel tank fitting 26 is configured to be coupled to an associated fuel tank (not shown) for delivering fuel dispensed by a dispensing nozzle into the fuel filler neck 14 to the fuel tank. The fuel filler tube assembly 10 further includes a vent line or recirculation line 30, depending on the application (e.g., diesel or gas) for venting or recirculating vapors from the associated fuel tank.

[0024] With additional reference to FIG. 2, and in accordance with the present disclosure, a two-piece bracket assembly 34 is provided for supporting the fuel filler neck 14. The two-piece bracket assembly 34 generally includes a receiver component 38 brazed onto (or otherwise secured) an outer surface of the fuel filler neck 14 and a bracket component 42 coupled with the receiver component 38.

[0025] The receiver component 38 generally comprises a metal strip having first and second mounting flanges 44/46. The mounting flanges 44/46 have a curved bottom surface for closely mating against the curved outside diameter of the fuel filler neck 14. The curved surfaces of the flanges 44/46 are configured to be brazed onto the fuel filler neck 14, but other types of connection methods can be employed. Between the mounting flanges 44/46 is a center portion 48 that is spaced apart from the fuel filler neck 14 to form a slot 50 between the fuel filler neck 14 and the receiver component 38.

[0026] Slot 50 is adapted to receive a coupling flange 52 of the bracket component 42. It should be appreciated that the dimensions of the slot 50 and/or coupling flange 52 can be sized to provide an interference fit therebetween to reduce or eliminate rattling between the components. In the illustrated embodiment, and as best shown in FIG. 4, the receiver component 38 includes a pair of protrusions 54 (e.g., dimples) that extend towards the outer surface of the fuel filler neck 14 from the center portion 48. The protrusions 54 are configured to be received in corresponding openings 58 in the coupling flange 52 of the bracket component 42 when the same is coupled with the receiver component 38.

[0027] As will be appreciated, the receiver component 38 and/or the bracket component 42 (e.g., the protrusions 54) can have sufficient resiliency to allow the coupling flange to slide into slot 52 until the protrusions 54 are positioned in openings 58, thereby restricting withdrawal of the coupling flange 52 from the receiver component 38. Other types of coupling arrangements are also contemplated by the present disclosure.

[0028] The bracket component 42 can be mounted to any suitable surface of a vehicle, such as a body panel or frame component via mounting holes 60. It should be understood that the bracket component 42 can be mounted to a corresponding component of a vehicle before or after coupling with the receiver components 38. In some installations, the bracket component 42 can be partially or fully secured to the vehicle, and then coupled with the receiver component 38. To this end, the bracket component 42 could be formed and installed to the vehicle in a separate process, and then the fuel filler tube assembly 10 can be coupled to the preinstalled bracket component 42 in a tool-less process by insertion of the coupling flange 52 into the slot 50 to engage the protrusions 54 with the openings 58. This allows flexibility of installation of the fuel filler tube assembly 10 during a vehicle manufacturing process. The orientation of the slot 50 is such that it opens along a longitudinal axis of the fuel filler neck 14. As such, coupling of the bracket component 42 and receiver 38 is effected by translating one or both components along such longitudinal axis to thereby insert the coupling flange 52 into the slot 52.

[0029] Turning to FIGS. 5-8, another exemplary fuel filler tube assembly in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated and identified generally by reference numeral 10. The fuel filler tube assembly 10 is similar in many respects to the fuel filler tube assembly 10 with similar components being denoted with primed numbers.

[0030] Accordingly, and with initial reference to FIG. 5, the fuel filler tube assembly 10 generally includes a fuel filler neck 14 (e.g., tubular fuel fill conduit) having a mouth 18 for receiving a fuel dispensing nozzle (not shown) in conventional fashion. The fuel filler neck 14 is coupled to a tube 22 which in turn is coupled to a fuel tank fitting 26. The fuel tank fitting 26 is configured to be coupled to an associated fuel tank (not shown) for delivering fuel dispensed by a dispensing nozzle into the fuel filler neck 14 to the fuel tank. The fuel filler tube assembly 10 further includes a vent line 30 for venting the associated fuel tank.

[0031] In accordance with the present disclosure, a two-piece bracket assembly 34 is provided for supporting the fuel filler neck 14. The two-piece bracket assembly 34 generally includes a receiver component 38 brazed onto the fuel filler neck 14 and a bracket component 42 coupled with the receiver component 38. The receiver component 38 generally comprises a metal strip having first and second mounting flanges 44/46. The mounting flanges 44/46 have a curved bottom surface for closely mating against the curved outside diameter of the fuel filler neck 14. The curved surfaces of the flanges 44/46 are configured to be brazed onto the fuel filler neck 14, but other types of connection methods can be employed. Between the mounting flanges 44/46 is a center portion 48 that is spaced apart from the fuel filler neck 14 to form a slot 50 between the fuel filler neck 14 and the receiver component 38.

[0032] Slot 50 is adapted to receive a coupling flange 52 of the bracket component 42. It should be appreciated that the dimensions of the slot 50 and/or coupling flange 52 can be sized to provide an interference fit therebetween to reduce or eliminate rattling between the components. In the embodiment of FIGS. 5-8, and in contrast to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, the coupling flange 52 has a pair of protrusions 54 (e.g., dimples) configured to be received in corresponding openings 58 in the coupling flange 52 of the bracket component 42 when the same is coupled with the receiver component 38.

[0033] In addition, the receiver component has shaped portions 62 adjacent the openings 58 that receive the protrusions 54 as the coupling flange 52 is urged into place in the slot 50. The shaped portions 62 initially receive the protrusions 54 helping to align and guide the protrusions 54 to the openings 58 as the coupling flange 52 is inserted into the slot 50. The shaped portions 62 can also reduce the effort required to snap the coupling flange 52 into place by providing a ramped surface upon which the protrusions 54 increasingly impinge until snapping into the openings 58. To this end, the shaped regions 62 provide a small amount of additional clearance for the protrusions 54 between the center portion 48 and the fuel filler neck 14. The shaped regions 62 may be tapered such that they have a wider dimension near an edge of the center portion 48 and a more narrow dimension near or adjacent to the openings 54. The tapered shape aids in guiding the protrusions 54 into the corresponding openings 58, and provides a ramped surface against which the protrusions 54 impinge as the bracket component 42 is seated in the receiver component 38.

[0034] The two-piece bracket assemblies 34 and 34 in accordance with the present disclosure provide mounting solutions that meet or exceed industry requirements for breakaway performance. For example, testing has shown that the receiver component can withstand over 3000 N of force before separating from the fuel filler neck. In general, one or both braze joints (e.g., between the mounting flanges 44/46 and the fuel filler neck 14) fails when sufficient force is applied, with the receiver component separating cleanly from the fuel filler neck with no damage (e.g., no parent metal fractures) to the filler neck. In the test, the pull off force well exceeded the industry requirements.

[0035] It should also be appreciated that the two-piece configuration of the present disclosure allows the bracket component to be easily exchanged/modified as market demands dictate. That is, simply changing out the bracket component with another bracket component of a different shape/size allows a fuel fill tube assembly to be mounted in a variety of locations and/or vehicles.

[0036] Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to reducing or eliminated crevice corrosion that has been a problem in some prior art approaches. By brazing the mounting flanges to the outside diameter of the fuel filler neck such that the entire surface of each flange is joined eliminates crevice volume that may exist in some prior art designs. In addition, coating the fuel fill tube assemblies of the present disclosure with paint or other anti-corrosion coatings can be performed more effectively since the receiver is a relatively small component as compared to the overall bracket assembly. That is, prior art solutions such as single piece welded or brazed brackets often have crevices and or other surfaces that are difficult to coat and are susceptible to corrosion whereas the bracket assembly in accordance with the present disclosure eliminates crevices and/or difficult to coat surfaces.

[0037] The exemplary embodiment has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the exemplary embodiment be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.