Patent Grant
10947624
This application is a U.S. National Stage entry of PCT Application No: PCT/JP2016/070892 filed Jul. 14, 2016, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-225979, filed Nov. 18, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a fuel distribution pipe which distributes and supplies fuel to a plurality of fuel injection devices.
In a direct injection engine or the like, high-pressure fuel compressed by a high-pressure pump is distributed and supplied to a plurality of fuel injection devices using a fuel distribution supply device. In the fuel distribution supply device, a fuel pipe which is connected to the high-pressure pump is separably connected to a fuel distribution pipe which distributes and supplies fuel to the plurality of fuel injection devices. Then, a front end portion of the fuel pipe at the side of the fuel distribution pipe is provided with a connection head portion and a front end portion of the fuel distribution pipe at the side of the fuel pipe is provided with a sealing surface which comes into press-contact with the connection head portion.
Generally, the fuel distribution pipes are formed of stainless steel such as SUS, but carbon steel (iron) can be considered as a material in order to reduce cost and improve strength. However, when carbon steel is used as a material, there is a need to cover the surface with a plating as a corrosion resistance measure. Specifically, an electroless nickel plating is formed on the surface of the fuel distribution pipe and a zinc plating or zinc nickel plating is formed thereon. The electroless nickel plating is a plating for securing corrosion resistance of an inner surface against fuel such as alcohol fuel and degraded fuel and is formed on the entire surface of the fuel distribution pipe. The zinc plating or zinc nickel plating is a plating mainly used to secure corrosion resistance against salt damage from the external environment and is formed on the outer peripheral surface, both end surfaces, and the sealing surface of the fuel distribution pipe.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-003455
Meanwhile, in the fuel distribution supply device, the fuel pipe is separated from the fuel distribution pipe in some cases at the time of inspecting a vehicle. In such a case, the fuel pipe is connected to the fuel distribution pipe again after the inspection, but at that time, there is a possibility that the plating formed on the sealing surface of the fuel distribution pipe may crack and peel off. If peeled plating pieces enter the fuel injection device or the engine so that contaminations occur, there is a possibility that engine malfunction may occur.
In this regard, Patent Literature 1 describes a high-pressure fuel supply device that does not form a plating on the sealing surface. However, in the high-pressure fuel supply device described in Patent Literature 1, since no plating is formed on the sealing surface, corrosion resistance of the sealing surface against alcohol fuel and degraded fuel cannot be secured.
Here, an object of an aspect of the present invention is to provide a fuel distribution pipe capable of suppressing contamination due to a plating piece while securing corrosion resistance of a sealing surface.
A fuel distribution pipe according to an aspect of the present invention is a fuel distribution pipe connected to a fuel pipe and distributes and supplies fuel to a plurality of fuel injection devices, including: a tubular base material forming a body of the fuel distribution pipe; and a plating layer formed on a surface of the base material, wherein the base material includes a sealing surface formed on an inner peripheral surface thereof and comes into press-contact with the fuel pipe, and wherein a thickness of the plating layer on the sealing surface is thinner than that of the plating layer on an outer peripheral surface of the fuel distribution pipe.
In the fuel distribution pipe according to an aspect of the present invention, since the plating layer is formed on the surface of the base material, corrosion resistance of the fuel distribution pipe can be secured. Further, since the thickness of the plating layer on the sealing surface is thinner than the thickness of the plating layer on the outer peripheral surface, it is possible to suppress the cracking of the plating layer due to the reconnection of the fuel pipe. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress contamination caused by the plating piece.
In the fuel distribution pipe, the plating layer may be composed a plurality of layers and the number of layers of the plating layer on the sealing surface may be smaller than the number of layers of the plating layer on the outer peripheral surface. In the fuel distribution pipe, since the thickness of the plating layer on the sealing surface is thinner than the thickness of the plating layer on the outer peripheral surface, it is possible to suppress contamination caused by the plating piece.
In the fuel distribution pipe, the plating layer may be composed a plurality of layers and a thickness of a specific layer which is any one layer of the plating layers on the sealing surface may be thinner than that of the specific layer on the outer peripheral surface. In the fuel distribution pipe, since the thickness of the plating layer on the sealing surface is thinner than the thickness of the plating layer on the outer peripheral surface, it is possible to suppress contamination caused by the plating piece.
In this case, a thickness of the specific layer on the sealing surface may be larger than 0% and equal to or smaller than 80% of the thickness of the specific layer on the outer peripheral surface. In the fuel distribution pipe, since the thickness of the specific layer on the sealing surface is set to be larger than 0% and equal to or smaller than 80% of the thickness of the specific layer on the outer peripheral surface, it is possible to further suppress contamination caused by the plating piece.
In the fuel distribution pipe, the sealing surface may be formed in a tapered shape increasing in diameter toward an end surface. In the fuel distribution pipe, since the sealing surface is formed in a tapered shape, the adhesion with respect to the connection head portion of the fuel pipe is improved. In this case, a part inside a position where the connection head portion to be in a press-contact state also contacts the fuel even on the sealing surface. However, since the plating layer is formed on the sealing surface, the corrosion resistance at that portion can be secured.
In the fuel distribution pipe, the base material may be carbon steel. In the fuel distribution pipe, since the base material is carbon steel, it is possible to reduce cost compared to a case in which the base material is stainless steel.
In the fuel distribution pipe, the plating layer may be at least one of a nickel plating, a zinc plating, and a zinc alloy plating. In the fuel distribution pipe, since the plating layer is at least one of a nickel plating, a zinc plating, and a zinc alloy plating, corrosion resistance can be sufficiently secured. For example, in the case of the electroless nickel plating, it is possible to secure corrosion resistance against fuel such as alcohol fuel and degraded fuel in the fuel contact portion. Then, in the case of the zinc plating or zinc alloy plating, it is possible to secure corrosion resistance against salt damage from the external environment.
Meanwhile, the present inventors further carefully studied about the peeling of the plating of the sealing surface and found that the number and size of the plating pieces peeled from the sealing surface was small when the Vickers hardness of the base material was set to be equal to or higher than a predetermined hardness. From such knowledge, in the fuel distribution pipe, the Vickers hardness [Hv] of the sealing surface of the base material may be 230 or more. In the fuel distribution pipe, since the Vickers hardness of the sealing surface of the base material is 230 or more, deformation of the sealing surface in the fastening state is suppressed. Accordingly, the cracking of the plating layer on the sealing surface is suppressed and the number and size of the plating pieces peeled from the sealing surface can be made small.
The fuel distribution pipe may further include a connection portion provided with the sealing surface and connected to the fuel pipe; a pipe portion fixed to the fuel distribution pipe; and a plurality of cup portions fixed to the pipe portion and respectively attached to the plurality of fuel injection devices. In the fuel distribution pipe, since the connection portion and the plurality of cup portions are fixed to the pipe portion, the fuel sent from the fuel pipe can be appropriately distributed and supplied to the plurality of fuel injection devices.
According to an aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress contamination caused by a plating piece while securing the corrosion resistance of a sealing surface.
Hereinafter, a fuel distribution pipe according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding components will be denoted by the same reference numerals and a repetitive description thereof will be omitted.
The fuel distribution supply device 1 includes a fuel distribution pipe 3 which distributes and supplies high-pressure fuel to the plurality of fuel injection devices 2 and a fuel pipe 4 which supplies high-pressure fuel compressed by the high-pressure pump to the fuel distribution pipe 3.
The fuel distribution pipe 3 includes a pipe portion 31 and a plurality of cup portions 32.
The pipe portion 31 stores fuel pressure-fed from the high-pressure pump in order to supply the fuel to the plurality of fuel injection devices 2. The pipe portion 31 is formed in a circular pipe shape which linearly extends along a cylinder row direction (a crank shaft direction) of the engine. An inner peripheral surface of the pipe portion 31 forms a fuel passage. In addition, the pipe shape of the pipe portion 31 does not need to be the circular pipe shape extending linearly and may be various shapes.
A lid portion 33 which blocks one end portion of the pipe portion 31 is fixed to one end portion of the pipe portion 31 and a connection portion 34 which is connected to the fuel pipe 4 is fixed to the other end portion of the pipe portion 31. The lid portion 33 and the connection portion 34 may be fixed to the pipe portion 31 by, for example, brazing. One end portion of the pipe portion 31 indicates an end portion opposite to the fuel pipe 4 among both end portions of the pipe portion 31. The other end portion of the pipe portion 31 indicates an end portion on the side of the fuel pipe 4 among both end portions of the pipe portion 31. In addition, a fuel pressure sensor or the like may be connected to one end portion of the pipe portion 31 instead of the lid portion 33.
The flange portion 341 is located at the center portion of the connection portion 34 in the pipe axis direction and is formed in a flange shape to increase in diameter outward in the radial direction. The fixing portion 342 is located at the side of one end surface 34b of the connection portion 34 with respect to the flange portion 341 and is fixed to the pipe portion 31. One end surface 34b indicates an end surface opposite to the fuel pipe 4 among both end surfaces of the connection portion 34 in the pipe axis direction. The screw portion 343 is located at the side of the other end surface 34c of the connection portion 34 with respect to the flange portion 341 and is connected to the fuel pipe 4. The other end surface 34c indicates an end surface at the side of the fuel pipe 4 among both end surfaces of the connection portion 34 in the pipe axis direction. An outer peripheral surface of the screw portion 343 is provided with a male screw to be connected to the fuel pipe 4. An inner peripheral surface of the screw portion 343 is provided with a sealing surface 344 with which the fuel pipe 4 comes into press-contact. The sealing surface 344 is also called a seat surface.
The sealing surface 344 is formed in a tapered shape (funnel shape) that increases in diameter toward the other end surface 34c and a cross section passing through the pipe axis of the connection portion 34 has a linear shape. An inclination angle of the sealing surface 344 with respect to the pipe axis of the connection portion 34 can be set to, for example, 60°.
The cup portion 32 is attached to each of the plurality of fuel injection devices 2 and supplies the fuel stored in the pipe portion 31 to each fuel injection device 2. The cup portion 32 is fixed to the pipe portion 31 and holds the fuel injection device 2 so that a gap with respect to the fuel injection device 2 is air-tight. The cup portion 32 can be fixed to the pipe portion 31 by, for example, brazing.
The pipe portion 41 is provided between the high-pressure pump and the fuel distribution pipe 3 and sends the high-pressure fuel compressed by the high-pressure pump to the fuel distribution pipe 3. An inner peripheral surface of the pipe portion 41 forms a fuel passage.
The connection head portion 42 is connected to the fuel distribution pipe 3. The connection head portion 42 is formed in a circular pipe shape. An inner peripheral surface of the connection head portion 42 forms a fuel passage. The connection head portion 42 is fixed to the pipe portion 41. The connection head portion 42 can be fixed to the pipe portion 41 by, for example, inserting the connection head portion 42 into the pipe portion 41 and brazing the inner peripheral surface of the connection head portion 42 and the outer peripheral surface of the pipe portion 41.
A front end portion of the connection head portion 42 is provided with a press-contact portion 47 which comes into press-contact with the sealing surface 344. An outer peripheral surface of the press-contact portion 47 is formed in a spherical surface shape having a center point on the pipe axis of the connection head portion 42.
The connection nut 43 connects and fixes the connection head portion 42 of the fuel pipe 4 to the connection portion 34 of the fuel distribution pipe 3. The connection nut 43 is formed in a nut shape and a hole into which the connection head portion 42 is inserted is formed at the inside of the connection nut 43 in the radial direction. The connection nut 43 includes a hooking portion 431 and a screw portion 432.
The hooking portion 431 is located at an end portion at the side of one end surface 43a of the connection nut 43. One end surface 43a of the connection nut 43 indicates an end surface opposite to the fuel distribution pipe 3 among both end surfaces of the connection nut 43. Then, the hooking portion 431 hooks the connection head portion 42 inserted from the other end surface 43b of the connection nut 43 into the connection nut 43 from the side of one end surface 43a. The other end surface 43b of the connection nut 43 indicates an end surface at the side of the fuel distribution pipe 3 among both end surfaces of the connection nut 43.
The screw portion 432 is located at an end portion at the side of the other end surface 43b of the connection nut 43. An inner peripheral surface of the screw portion 432 is provided with a female screw to be threaded into the screw portion 343 of the connection portion 34.
Then, when the screw portion 432 of the connection nut 43 is fastened to the screw portion 343 of the connection portion 34, the hooking portion 431 pulls the connection head portion 42 toward the connection portion 34. Accordingly, the press-contact portion 47 of the connection head portion 42 comes into press-contact with the sealing surface 344 and the fuel distribution pipe 3 and the fuel pipe 4 are connected and fixed to each other.
Next, the fuel distribution pipe 3 will be described in more detail with reference to
The base material 3A forms the pipe portion 31, the plurality of cup portions 32, the lid portion 33, and the connection portion 34 described above. The material of the base material 3A is not particularly limited, but can be carbon steel, stainless steel, or the like. Among these materials, carbon steel is preferable from the viewpoint of cost and strength.
The Vickers hardness [Hv] of the sealing surface 344 of the base material 3A is desirably 230 or more and more desirably 250 or more. Further, it is desirable that the Vickers hardness [Hv] of the sealing surface 344 of the base material 3A be equal to or larger than the Vickers hardness [Hv] of the connection head portion 42 of the fuel pipe 4 which is in press-contact with the sealing surface 344. Meanwhile, the Vickers hardness [Hv] of the sealing surface 344 of the base material 3A is desirably 500 or less and more desirably 400 or less from the viewpoint of a sealing property. In addition, when the base material 3A is formed of one material, the Vickers hardness of a surface other than the sealing surface 344 is the same or substantially the same as that of the sealing surface 344.
When a material such as carbon steel having low corrosion resistance is used for the base material 3A, the plating layer 3B coats the entire surface of the base material 3A in order to secure the corrosion resistance of the product. Then, the thickness of the plating layer 3B on the sealing surface 344 is thinner than the thickness of the plating layer 3B on the outer peripheral surface 3a of the fuel distribution pipe 3. That is, the sealing surface 344 is provided with the plating layer 3B, but the plating layer 3B on the sealing surface 344 is thinner than that of the outer peripheral surface 3a. The outer peripheral surface 3a of the fuel distribution pipe 3 corresponds to the outer peripheral surfaces of the pipe portion 31 and the connection portion 34 exposed to the outside and subjected to salt damage from the external environment (see
Specifically, the plating layer 3B includes a first plating layer 3B1 and a second plating layer 3B2.
The first plating layer 3B1 is a plating mainly used to secure corrosion resistance against fuel such as alcohol fuel and degraded fuel. As the first plating layer 3B1, for example, an electroless nickel plating, an electrical nickel plating, or the like is used. The first plating layer 3B1 is formed on the base material 3A. The thickness t1 of the first plating layer 3B1 is, for example, 3 μm or more and 10 μm or less from the viewpoint of corrosion resistance against the fuel.
The second plating layer 3B2 is a plating which is mainly used to secure corrosion resistance against salt damage from the external environment. As the second plating layer 3B2, for example, a zinc plating, a zinc nickel plating, or the like is used. The second plating layer 3B2 is formed on the first plating layer 3B1. The thickness t2 of the second plating layer 3B2 is, for example, 5 pin or more and 15 μm or less from the viewpoint of corrosion resistance against salt damage from the external environment.
Then, the first plating layer 3B1 is formed on the entire surface of the base material 3A. Meanwhile, the second plating layer 3B2 is formed on the outer peripheral surface 3a of the base material 3A, but is not formed on the inner peripheral surface 3b, the other end surface 34c, and the sealing surface 344 of the base material 3A. The inner peripheral surface 3b is a surface which forms a fuel passage.
For this reason, in the outer peripheral surface 3a, the plating layer 3B has a two-layer structure in which the first plating layer 3B 1 and the second plating layer 3B2 are stacked in this order. Meanwhile, in the inner peripheral surface 3b, the other end surface 34c, and the sealing surface 344, the plating layer 3B has a single layer structure only including the first plating layer 3B1. Accordingly, the thickness T2 of the plating layer 3B on the sealing surface 344 is thinner than the thickness T2 of the plating layer 3B on the outer peripheral surface 3a. Specifically, the thickness T1 of the plating layer 3B on the outer peripheral surface 3a is, for example, 8 μm or more and 25 μm or less. Meanwhile, the thickness T2 of the plating layer 3B on the sealing surface 344 is, for example, 3 μm or more and 10 μm or less.
Here, an example of a method of forming the plating layer 3B will be described with reference to
When forming the plating layer 3B on the base material 3A, an electroless nickel plating is first formed on the entire surface of the base material 3A. Accordingly, the first plating layer 3B1 is formed on the entire surface of the base material 3A. The electroless nickel plating can be formed by the known method.
Next, as shown in
In this way, in the fuel distribution pipe 3 according to the embodiment, since the plating layer 3B is formed on the surface of the base material 3A, corrosion resistance of the fuel distribution pipe 3 can be secured. Further, since the thickness of the plating layer 3B on the sealing surface 344 is thinner than the thickness of the plating layer 3B on the outer peripheral surface 3a, it is possible to suppress the cracking of the plating layer 3B due to the reconnection of the fuel pipe 4. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress contamination caused by the plating piece.
Since the number of layers of the plating layer 3B is different in the sealing surface 344 and the outer peripheral surface 3a, the thickness of the plating layer 3B on the sealing surface 344 can be easily made thinner than the thickness of the plating layer 3B on the outer peripheral surface 3a. Accordingly, since the thickness of the plating layer 3B on the sealing surface 344 is thinner than the thickness of the plating layer 3B on the outer peripheral surface 3a, it is possible to suppress contamination caused by the plating piece.
Since the sealing surface 344 is formed in a tapered shape, the adhesion with respect to the connection head portion 42 of the fuel pipe 4 is improved. In this case, a portion inside a position in which the connection head portion 42 is in a press-contact state contacts the fuel even in the sealing surface 344. However, since the plating layer 3B is formed on the sealing surface 344, corrosion resistance at the portion can be secured.
When the base material 3A is carbon steel, cost can be reduced compared to a case in which the base material 3A is stainless steel.
When the first plating layer 3B1 is an electroless nickel plating, it is possible to secure corrosion resistance against fuel such as alcohol fuel and degraded fuel in a portion provided with the first plating layer 3B1. Further, when the second plating layer 3B2 is a zinc plating or zinc alloy plating, it is possible to secure corrosion resistance against salt damage from the external environment in a portion provided with the second plating layer 3B2.
When the Vickers hardness [Hv] of the sealing surface 344 of the base material 3A is 230 or more, deformation of the sealing surface 344 during the fastening is suppressed. Accordingly, the cracking of the plating layer 3B on the sealing surface 344 is suppressed and the number and size of the peeled plating pieces from the sealing surface 344 can be made small.
Since the connection portion 34 and the plurality of cup portions 32 are bonded to the pipe portion 31, the fuel sent from the fuel pipe 4 can be appropriately distributed and supplied to the plurality of fuel injection devices 2.
While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.
For example, when the plating layer is composed a plurality of layers similarly to the fuel distribution pipe 13 shown in
For this reason, in any one of the outer peripheral surface 3a and the sealing surface 344, the plating layer 3B has a two-layer structure in which the first plating layer 3B1 and the second plating layer 3B2 are stacked in this order. However, since the thickness of the second plating layer 3B2 on the sealing surface 344 is thinned, the thickness T2 of the plating layer 3B on the sealing surface 344 is thinner than the thickness T2 of the plating layer 3B on the outer peripheral surface 3a. Specifically, the thickness T1 of the plating layer 3B on the outer peripheral surface 3a is, for example, 8 μm or more and 25 μm or less. Meanwhile, the thickness T2 of the plating layer 3B on the sealing surface 344 is, for example, 4 μm or more and 22 μm or less.
Here, an example of a method of forming the plating layer 3B shown in
When forming the plating layer 3B on the base material 3A, an electroless nickel plating is first formed on the entire surface of the base material 3A similarly to the above-described embodiment. Accordingly, the first plating layer 3B1 is formed on the entire surface of the base material 3A.
Next, as shown in
In this way, in the fuel distribution pipe 13, since the thickness of the second plating layer 3B2 is different in the sealing surface 344 and the outer peripheral surface 3a, the thickness of the plating layer 3B on the sealing surface 344 can be easily made thinner than the thickness of the plating layer 3B on the outer peripheral surface 3a. Accordingly, since the thickness of the plating layer 3B on the sealing surface 344 is thinner than the thickness of the plating layer 3B on the outer peripheral surface 3a, it is possible to suppress contamination caused by the plating piece.
In this case, since the thickness of the second plating layer 3B2 on the sealing surface 344 is set to be larger than 0% and equal to or smaller than 80% of the thickness of the second plating layer 3B2 on the outer peripheral surface 3a, it is possible to further suppress contamination caused by the plating piece.
Further, in
In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which the plating layer 3B is composed two or more layers, but the plating layer 3B may be composed one layer or three or more layers.
Next, Examples of the present invention will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to Examples below.
First, a pipe portion, a plurality of cup portions, and a connecting portion as a base material were temporarily welded and these were set in a furnace to be brazed. Next, an electroless nickel plating was formed on the entire surface of the base material. Next, a zinc nickel plating was formed on the base material while an auxiliary cathode was disposed in the vicinity of a sealing surface of the connection portion (see
A fuel distribution pipe of Example 2 was obtained by the same method as that of Example 1 except that a zinc nickel plating formed on a sealing surface was adjusted to have a layer thickness of 50% of a zinc nickel plating formed on an outer peripheral surface (see
A fuel distribution pipe of Example 3 was obtained by the same method as that of Example 1 except that a zinc nickel plating formed on a sealing surface was adjusted to have a layer thickness of 30% of a zinc nickel plating formed on an outer peripheral surface (see
First, a pipe portion, a plurality of cup portions, and a connecting portion as a base material were temporarily welded and these were set in a furnace to be brazed. Next, an electroless nickel plating was formed on the entire surface of the base material. Next, a sealing surface of the connection portion was covered by a lid, a zinc nickel plating was formed on the base material in this state, and the lid was separated from the base material (see
First, a pipe portion, a plurality of cup portions, and a connecting portion as a base material were temporarily welded and these were brazed in a furnace. Next, an electroless nickel plating was formed on the entire surface of the base material. Next, a zinc nickel plating was formed on the entire surface of the base material. Accordingly, a fuel distribution pipe of Comparative Example in which the zinc nickel plating formed on the sealing surface and the zinc nickel plating formed on the outer peripheral surface had the same number of layers was prepared (see
(Evaluation)
For each of the fuel distribution pipes of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example, the number and weight of plating pieces to be peeled off from the sealing surface were measured after one mating component was attached and detached. Specifically, a connection nut was fastened to the fuel distribution pipe and the connection head portion was brought into press-contact with the sealing surface. Next, the connection nut was separated so that the connection head portion was separated from the sealing surface. Then, for the fuel distribution pipes of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example, foreign substances (plating pieces) existing therein were collected and the average number and weight of collected foreign substances were measured. The average number of collected foreign substances is shown in
As shown in
First, three base materials of a fuel distribution pipe formed of S35C (mechanical construction carbon steel) were prepared. Then, the Vickers hardness of the sealing surface of each base material was measured. The measurement position was set to eight positions a to h shown in
Next, an electroless nickel plating was formed on the entire surface of each base material. Next, a zinc nickel plating was formed on the entire surface of each base material. Accordingly, three fuel distribution pipes of Reference Example 1 in which the zinc nickel plating formed on the sealing surface and the zinc nickel plating formed on the outer peripheral surface had the same layer thickness were prepared (see
First, three base materials of a fuel distribution pipe formed of SCM435 (chrome molybdenum steel) were prepared. Then, the Vickers hardness of the sealing surface for each base material was measured. The measurement position was set to eight positions a to h shown in
Next, an electroless nickel plating was formed on the entire surface of each base material. Next, a zinc nickel plating was formed on the entire surface of each base material. Accordingly, three fuel distribution pipes of Reference Example 2 in which the zinc nickel plating formed on the sealing surface and the zinc nickel plating formed on the outer peripheral surface have the same layer thickness were prepared (see
(Evaluation)
For the fuel distribution pipes of Reference Examples 1 and 2, the number and maximum size of the plating pieces peeled from the sealing surface were measured. Specifically, a connection nut was fastened to the fuel distribution pipe and the connection head portion was brought into press-contact with the sealing surface. Next, the connection nut was separated so that the connection head portion was separated from the sealing surface. Then, for the fuel distribution pipes of Reference Examples 1 and 2, foreign substances (plating pieces) existing therein were collected and the total number and maximum size of collected foreign substances were measured. Table 3 shows the total number of foreign substances collected from the fuel distribution pipe of Reference Example 1 and Table 4 shows the total number of foreign substances collected from the fuel distribution pipe of Reference Example 2. Further, Table 5 shows the maximum size of foreign substances collected from the fuel distribution pipes of Reference Examples 1 and 2.
As shown in Tables 1 and 2 and
1: fuel distribution supply device, 2: fuel injection device, 3: fuel distribution pipe, 3A: base material, 3B: plating layer, 3B1: first plating layer, 3B2: second plating layer, 3a: outer peripheral surface, 3b: inner peripheral surface, 4: fuel pipe, 5: lid, 6: auxiliary cathode, 13: fuel distribution pipe, 31: pipe portion, 32: cup portion, 33: lid portion, 34: connection portion, 34b: one end surface, 34c: other end surface, 41: pipe portion, 42: connection head portion, 43: connection nut, 43a: one end surface, 43b: other end surface, 47: press-contact portion, 341: flange portion, 342: fixing portion, 343: screw portion, 344: sealing surface, 431: hooking portion, 432: screw portion.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2015-225979 | Nov 2015 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2016/070892 | 7/14/2016 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2017/085962 | 5/26/2017 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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| 6291083 | Wada | Sep 2001 | B1 |
| 20010010216 | Usui | Aug 2001 | A1 |
| 20020005223 | Campagna | Jan 2002 | A1 |
| 20030188715 | Endo | Oct 2003 | A1 |
| 20050031894 | Klos | Feb 2005 | A1 |
| 20050236060 | Matsubara | Oct 2005 | A1 |
| 20110048380 | Isogai | Mar 2011 | A1 |
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| 20160230725 | Katsumata | Aug 2016 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 102095031 | Jun 2011 | CN |
| 104428447 | Mar 2015 | CN |
| 1350946 | Oct 2003 | EP |
| 2360075 | Sep 2001 | GB |
| 2001-020826 | Jan 2001 | JP |
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| 2003-021018 | Jan 2003 | JP |
| 2004-003455 | Jan 2004 | JP |
| 2006-194233 | Jul 2006 | JP |
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| 2012-026357 | Feb 2012 | JP |
| 2012-102386 | May 2012 | JP |
| 2015-121107 | Jul 2015 | JP |
| Entry |
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| International Preliminary Report on Patentability for PCT App PCT/JP2016/070892 dated May 31, 2018, 9 pgs. |
| International Search Report for related PCT Application No. PCT/JP2016/070892, dated Sep. 20, 2016; 3 pages. |
| Office Action for related CN App No. 201680066690.8 dated Sep. 29, 2019, 7 pgs. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200063702 A1 | Feb 2020 | US |
