Abstract: A fuel filler pipe offering high anticorrosion performance and high fabrication accuracy is provided. Specifically, a tubular fuel filler pipe body 2 made of a plated steel sheet has a fuel filler port 2a at one end thereof, and is connected at the other end thereof to a fuel tank 10. A short cylindrical retainer 3 made of stainless steel is mounted into the fuel filler port 2a, and includes first and second tube members 5 and 6 each having both open ends. An inner circumferential surface of a portion of the first tube member 5 near an opening thereof at one end thereof includes an internal thread 5a threadedly connected to an external thread C1 of a fuel cap C. The second tube member 6 is inserted through an opening of the first tube member 5 at the other end thereof into the first tube member 5, and is joined to the first tube member 5 before the internal thread 5a by resistance spot welding Sw.

Abstract: Consumed energy is minimized to reduce running cost. Final formed products of uniform quality are successively obtained. High productivity is provided. A primary forming step of obtaining a primary formed product by plastically working a heated steel sheet with a primary forming die set for a predetermined time period, a secondary forming step of machining the primary formed product with the secondary forming die set for a predetermined time period to obtain a secondary formed product, and a hardening step of allowing a cooling die set placed in a hydraulic press controlled by a servomotor to hold the secondary formed product under pressure for a longer time period than the time period of each of the primary and secondary forming steps to obtain a hardened final formed product are successively performed in sequence. The hardening step is performed independently without coordinating with the primary and secondary forming steps.

Abstract: Fuel vapor is prevented from leaking to the outside during refueling, and even when an air space is formed in an upper portion of a fuel filler pipe, a diagnosis of leakage of fuel vapor can be performed with good accuracy. During refueling, fuel vapor is guided from a fuel tank 1 to a canister 3, and is absorbed by the canister 3. A change in the internal pressure of a fuel vapor path including the fuel tank 1, a fuel vapor pipe 4, and the canister 3 is detected by a pressure sensor 8, thereby performing a diagnosis of leakage of fuel vapor. An upper space 16 in the fuel tank 1 and an upper space 17 in a fuel filler pipe 2 communicate with each other through an airflow resistance pipe 12, and in order to restrict flow of fuel vapor from the fuel tank 1 through the airflow resistance pipe 12 into the fuel filler pipe 2 during refueling, the airflow resistance pipe 12 includes an orifice 13.

Abstract: An electrode inspection apparatus for spot welding is provided for precisely measuring diameters of a tip of an electrode without reducing availability ratio in a production line, and is particularly useful when inspecting a weld gun having electrodes with a narrow distance therebetween. A CCD camera 91 for imaging the tip of the electrode held to the weld gun is disposed in an inspection apparatus body 6. The inspection apparatus body 6 includes a measuring reference unit 7 in which a fixing hole 72a for fixing the tip of the electrode is formed, and a mirror 8 obliquely arranged with respect to the electrode so as to be distant from the fixing hole 72a at a position opposite to the electrode with respect to the measuring reference unit 7. The CCD camera 91 is disposed in a side of the mirror 8 with a distance therebetween for imaging the tip of the electrode from a direct front thereof reflected on the mirror 8 by reflection.