In a fuel cell vehicle of the present invention, a floor panel is constructed to have a center tunnel formed to extend in a front-rear direction of the vehicle. A fluid distributor provided below the floor panel is at least partly located in the center tunnel and is operative to distribute a supply of a fluid in a vehicle width direction. At least one fuel cell stack is provided adjacent to the fluid distributor in the vehicle width direction below the floor panel and is operative to receive the distributive supply of the fluid from the fluid distributor. This fuel cell system has an efficient component layout from the total standpoint of the operability and the space efficiency.

Fuel cell vehicle

A variable valve device includes a camshaft which is rotatably provided in an internal combustion engine while having a cam, a rocker shaft which is arranged next to the camshaft, a valve which is driven by the cam, a cam follower rocker which is rotatably provided in the rocker shaft, and is rocked by following the cam, a valve drive rocker which is rotatably provided in the rocker shaft next to the cam follower rocker, and drives the valve, and a switching portion which be able to switch the valve drive rocker between a drive state and a non-drive state. Either a body of the cam follower rocker or a body of the valve drive rocker is made of an iron-based metal material, and the other body is made of a material different from the iron-based metal material, heat treatment being not required in the different material.

Variable valve device for internal combustion engine

A fuel tank structure for a vehicle using gaseous fuel, has a plurality of cylindrical tank main bodies communicating from one another. The plurality of cylindrical tank main bodies are disposed at a fuel tank mount portion in a state of being adjoined from one another.

Fuel tank structure

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the number of processes and the number of parts in loading high-pressure tanks on a vehicle, and to improve the reliability in connection of the high-pressure tanks and high-pressure piping, and the accuracy in a loading position of the high-pressure tanks. SOLUTION: This high-pressure tank assembly 30 is provided with two high- pressure hydrogen gas tanks 300, a common frame 310 for mounting the high- pressure hydrogen gas tanks 300 on a car body, an end frame 311, a connection frame 312, fixing bands 320, 330 for fixing the high-pressure hydrogen gas tanks to the frames 310, 311, and the high-pressure piping 32 communicating the high- pressure hydrogen gas tanks 300. The common frame 310 is mounted between two high-pressure hydrogen gas tanks 300 to be used in common in fixing the high-pressure hydrogen gas tanks 300. COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

High-pressure tank assembly for vehicle

A tank mounting technique of the invention effectively responds to a variation in size of a high-pressure tank T in its longitudinal direction and allows positioning of the high-pressure tank T around its longitudinal axis. A tank receiving recess 110 provided below a vehicle platform F has a pair of a front inclined surface 112F and a rear inclined surface 112R arranged to face each other across a concave groove 114. A side face of the high pressure tank T is brought into contact with both the inclined surfaces 112F and 112R. An end face of a tank positioning groove TVS formed on the high pressure tank T is brought into contact with a contact structure 121 of a tank edge bracket 120. This arrangement enables the high-pressure tank T to be positioned in a vehicle vertical direction and a vehicle front-back direction, as well as in the tank longitudinal direction (in a vehicle width direction). The tank positioning groove TVS is aligned with a notch 122 formed in the tank edge bracket 120 to specify a rotational position of the high-pressure tank T around its longitudinal axis.

Tank mounting mechanism and vehicle equipped with tank

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To protect from a flipped stone a gas container for an automobile using gas as fuel, and also to enhance draining performance. SOLUTION: Gas containers 13, 14 for fuel are mounted on a lower part of a floor panel 25, an underguard 32 is attached onto a lower part of the gas containers 13, 14. The underguard 32 protects the gas containers 13, 14 from a flipped stone. Draining performance is enhanced by a draining hole provided in the underguard 32.

Gas container protecting device for automobile

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily fit a pressure reducing valve of a fuel gas supply device to a dashboard panel by fitting the pressure reducing valve to a mounting bracket fixedly provided on the other side of the vehicle cross direction centerline of the dashboard panel, in order to avoid interference with a vehicle component disposed on one side of a vehicle cross direction centerline of the dashboard panel. SOLUTION: In a natural gas automobile 2, a pressure reducing valve 48 which is a regulator for reducing the pressure of high pressure gas fuel is connected to the other end side of a fuel supply pipe with one end side communicating with a cylinder master valve of a fuel gas cylinder. In the case of disposing the pressure reducing valve 48 in an engine room partitioned by a dashboard panel 60, a side panel 62, a side frame and a front cross member, the pressure reducing valve 48 is fitted to a mounting bracket 80 positioned on the other side of a vehicle cross direction centerline C of the dashboard panel 60 and fixed by a rivet, in order to avoid interference with a brake booster 68 or the like which is a vehicle component disposed on one side of the vehicle cross direction centerline C of the dashboard panel 60.

Pressure reducing valve fitting structure for natural gas automobile

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To dispense with reduction of volume of a gas cylinder or change of position of an exhaust system component for insuring a separation distance between the gas cylinder and the exhaust system component by providing a heat insulating member insulating heat from the exhaust system component on the gas vessel loaded under a rear floor panel in a natural gas automobile. SOLUTION: A plurality of gas cylinders 34, 36 are loaded in parallel under the rear floor panel of a natural gas automobile. In this case, both the gas vessels 34, 36 are fitted to a plurality of supporting members 66-70 through a plurality of fixing members. The fixing members are formed out of a pair of nonsymmetric upper/lower both side fixing parts 78U, 78L. Both gas cylinders 34, 36 are provided with heat insulating members insulating heat of an intermediate exhaust pipe 24 as an exhaust system component arranged on the rear part of a natural gas automobile. The heat insulating members are formed out of upper/lower both side heat insulating members 88-1, 88-2, 90. Hereby, heat of the intermediate exhaust pipe 24 is insulated by the upper-lower both side heat insulating members 88, 90, and hence the intermediate exhaust pipe 24 can be arranged close to both gas cylinders 34, 35.

Gas cylinder heat insulating structure for natural gas automobile

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel container mounting method for a vehicle and its jig, assuring uniformed parts and improved workability in the processes for manufacturing automobiles. SOLUTION: An implement 1 consists of a placement portion 3 having a width equivalent to a plurality of gas cylinders 2, a supporting portion 5 bent upwardly for supporting a fixing band 4 in order to connect the plurality of gas cylinders 2 in one unit, and a projecting pipe 11 for fitting a given projection portion 15 provided on a main valve 10 for the gas cylinders 2, whereby the rotation of the gas cylinders 2 themselves is prevented and the axial position is determined for the plurality of gas cylinders 2 combined by the fixing band 4. The implement 1 provides positioning for tightening the fixing band 4 to a stud bolt on the vehicle side, facilitates work for mounting the plurality of gas cylinders 2 on a vehicle body and work for piping because of the determined installation position and allows the stock of pipes in the same shape.

Fuel container mounting method for vehicle and its jig

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make an underguard for protecting a gas container compact, and to enhance workability for mounting and demounting the underguard, when the gas container is fixed onto an underpart of a vehicular floor. SOLUTION: A gas container supporting member 46 arranged vertically downwards in an underpart of a vehicular floor 44 is provided in a vehicle mounted with a gas container 22 for storing compressed gas fuel, a fixing member is provided to fix the gas container 22 in the unerpart of the floor 44 via the gas container supporting member 46, and an underguard 50 is attached to the fixing member to protect the gas container 22 after fixed. COPYRIGHT: (C)2000,JPO

Hiroki Inada

Papers

Gas container protecting device for automobile

Pressure reducing valve fitting structure for natural gas automobile

Gas cylinder heat insulating structure for natural gas automobile

Fuel container mounting method for vehicle and its jig

Gas container mounting structure