Device for reinforcing vehicle fuel tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11518236-B2
Application number	US-202017078963-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2020
Priority date	Nov 7, 2019
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

A device for reinforcing vehicle fuel tank improves a structure of a rigid reinforcement pillar mounted in an enclosed fuel tank by maintaining stiffness of the reinforcement pillar in a state in which the fuel tank is under positive pressure and an engine negative pressure acts thereon as well as inducing breakage of the reinforcement pillar when a large impact applies, such as in the event of vehicle collision, thereby preventing a fused portion between upper and lower plates of the fuel tank from rupturing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for reinforcing vehicle fuel tank, comprising:
a reinforcement pillar including:
an upper portion forming an upper opening,
a lower portion forming a lower opening,
upper fastening legs provided above the upper opening, and
lower fastening legs provided beneath the lower opening;

an upper fusion structure having an upper coupling protrusion on an outer peripheral surface thereof, wherein an upper surface of the upper fusion structure is fused to an inner surface of an upper plate of a fuel tank in a state in which a lower portion of the upper fusion structure is inserted into the upper opening and the upper coupling protrusion is latched and fastened to the upper fastening legs;
a lower fusion structure having a lower coupling protrusion on an outer peripheral surface thereof, wherein a lower surface of the lower fusion structure is fused to an inner surface of a lower plate of the fuel tank in a state in which an upper portion of the lower fusion structure is inserted into the lower opening and the lower coupling protrusion is latched and fastened to the lower fastening legs; and
at least one breakable part formed in the reinforcement pillar to induce breakage of the reinforcement pillar when an impact is applied to the reinforcement pillar and the impact is equal to or greater than a threshold impact value,
wherein the reinforcement pillar further includes at least one of:
upper leg supports formed on an outer peripheral surface of the upper opening to support the upper fastening legs, or
lower leg supports formed on an outer peripheral surface of the lower opening to support the lower fastening legs.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement pillar further includes: both of the upper leg supports and the lower leg supports to support the upper and lower fastening legs, respectively.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein:
upper breaking ribs are formed integrally with the upper fastening legs and the upper leg supports and disposed between the upper fastening legs and the upper leg supports, and
the upper breaking ribs are broken by a tensile force applied through the upper coupling protrusion when the tensile force is equal to or greater than a threshold tensile force value.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein:
the upper fastening legs are inclined diagonally above the upper opening,
upper portions of the upper fastening legs are connected to the upper leg supports through the upper breaking ribs,
lower portions of the upper fastening legs are positioned at a predetermined distance above an upper end of the upper opening, and
the upper coupling protrusion is inserted and positioned between the lower portions of the upper fastening legs and the upper end of the upper opening.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one breakable part is provided between the upper leg supports and the lower leg supports, and the at least one breakable part is broken by a compressive force exerted from a vehicle collision and the compressive force is equal to or more than a threshold compressive value.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one breakable part is a groove formed at a portion where the reinforcement pillar is reduced in radial thickness.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the groove is recessed on either an inner or outer surface of the reinforcement pillar.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the groove is recessed on both inner and outer surfaces of the reinforcement pillar.

9. The device of claim 2 , wherein lower breaking ribs are formed integrally with the lower fastening legs and the lower leg supports and disposed between the lower fastening legs and the lower leg supports, and the lower breaking ribs are broken by a tensile force applied through the lower coupling protrusion when the tensile force is equal to or greater than a threshold tensile force value.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein:
the lower fastening legs are inclined diagonally beneath the lower opening,
lower portions of the lower fastening legs are connected to the lower leg supports through the lower breaking ribs,
upper portions of the lower fastening legs are positioned at a predetermined distance beneath a lower end of the lower opening, and
the lower coupling protrusion is inserted and positioned between the upper portions of the lower fastening legs and the lower end of the lower opening.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the upper fusion structure is provided, at an upper end thereof, with an upper fusion plate having plurality of fusion protrusions for fusion with the upper plate of the fuel tank, and
the lower fusion structure is provided, at a lower end thereof, with a lower fusion plate having a plurality of fusion protrusions for fusion with the lower plate of the fuel tank.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the upper coupling protrusion extends in a circumferential direction of the upper opening, and the lower coupling protrusion extends in a circumferential direction of the lower opening.

13. A device for reinforcing vehicle fuel tank, comprising:
a reinforcement pillar including:
an upper portion forming an upper opening,
a lower portion forming a lower opening,
upper fastening legs provided above the upper opening, and
lower fastening legs provided beneath the lower opening;

an upper fusion structure having an upper coupling protrusion on an outer peripheral surface thereof, wherein an upper surface of the upper fusion structure is fused to an inner surface of an upper plate of a fuel tank in a state in which a lower portion of the upper fusion structure is inserted into the upper opening and the upper coupling protrusion is latched and fastened to the upper fastening legs;
a lower fusion structure having a lower coupling protrusion on an outer peripheral surface thereof, wherein a lower surface of the lower fusion structure is fused to an inner surface of a lower plate of the fuel tank in a state in which an upper portion of the lower fusion structure is inserted into the lower opening and the lower coupling protrusion is latched and fastened to the lower fastening legs; and

at least one breakable part formed in the reinforcement pillar to induce breakage of the reinforcement pillar when an impact is applied to the reinforcement pillar and the impact is equal to or greater than a threshold impact value,
wherein:
the upper fastening legs disposed above the upper opening are integrally formed on a lower surface of an upper support rib having a ring shape, and
the lower fastening legs disposed beneath the lower opening are integrally formed on an upper surface of a lower support rib having a ring shape.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the upper and lower support ribs extend in an elliptical shape.

15. The device of claim 13 , wherein the reinforcement pillar further includes at least one of:
upper leg supports formed on an outer peripheral surface of the upper opening to support the upper fastening legs, or
lower leg supports formed on an outer peripheral surface of the lower opening to support the lower fastening legs.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the reinforcement pillar includes both of the upper leg supports formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper opening to support the upper fastening legs and the lower leg supports formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lower opening to support the lower fastening legs.

17. The device of claim 15 , wherein:
upper breaking ribs are formed integrally with the upper fastening legs and the upper leg support

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Ryu Bu Yeol

Classifications

• B60K2015/0675

  allowing deflection movements of the tank in case of a crash · CPC title

• B60K15/03 Primary

  Fuel tanks · CPC title

• B60K2015/03453

  for fixing or mounting parts of the fuel tank together · CPC title

• B60K15/073

  Tank construction specially adapted to the vehicle (B60K15/077 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K15/067 Primary

  Mounting of tanks · CPC title