GAS CYLINDER HEAT INSULATING STRUCTURE FOR NATURAL GAS AUTOMOBILE

• Main Authors: INADA HIROKI, MATSUDA HIROTAKA, MAEDA TADAMASA
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.12.2000
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS INVEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OFTRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GASEXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS, IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

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.