Fuel tank with stiffening device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11808406-B2
Application number	US-202016886697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2020
Priority date	May 31, 2019
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a fuel tank including a tank wall which has at least two wall sections opposite one another and a stiffening device situated between the two opposite wall sections, and a method for manufacturing such a fuel tank. According to the present disclosure, it is provided that the stiffening device includes at least one connecting strut, each end of which has a profile section, which engages with one complementary profile section each on the two opposite wall sections of the container wall in a tension-resistant manner in such a way that the connecting strut absorbs compressive forces acting on the container wall.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel tank including a container wall having at least two opposite wall sections and a stiffening device situated between the two opposite wall sections, characterized in that the stiffening device has at least one connecting strut, each end of which has a strut profile section, which engages with a complementary wall profile section in each on the two opposite wall sections of the container wall in a tension-resistant manner in such a way that the connecting strut absorbs compressive forces acting on the container wall, wherein each strut profile section at the ends of the stiffening device face in a lateral direction such that strut profile sections are connected to the complementary wall profile sections of the container wall by laterally displacing stiffening device in the lateral direction, wherein the at least one connecting strut includes a flat body having a wall thickness of 2 mm to 20 mm extending between the end strut profile sections, which is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs extending transversely to its flat side to beyond the strut profile sections.

2. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein the end strut profile sections of the at least one connecting strut include a detachable securing element which overlaps the strut profile section, which prevents the removal of the strut profile sections from the complementary wall profile sections of the opposite wall sections of the container wall.

3. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein the complementary wall profile sections of the two opposite wall sections of the tank wall have an undercut area.

4. The fuel tank according to claim 3 , wherein the undercut area is created during a shaping of the opposite wall sections by a shaping element from the outside of the tank.

5. The fuel tank according to claim 4 , wherein the insert has a flat plate section and an insert profile section which is essentially mushroom-shaped in cross section and extends normally to the plate section.

6. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein the tank wall consists of a thermoplastic material and that the shaping element is an insert for a blow mold for manufacturing the container, which is overblown by the respective wall section when the container is blow molded.

7. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein the end strut profile sections of the at least one connecting strut include a detachable securing element, which prevents the removal of the strut profile sections from the complementary wall profile sections of the opposite wall sections of the container wall, and wherein the securing element is designed as a securing bracket, which overlaps, and is configured to be snapped onto, the side sections of the strut profile section.

8. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein the tank includes an opening in the area of one of the opposite wall sections, and wherein the complementary wall profile sections are situated near the opening and an opening outline projected onto the opposite wall section.

9. The fuel tank according to claim 8 , wherein a distance between the complementary wall profile sections and the opening is less than 100 mm.

10. The fuel tank according to claim 8 , wherein a plurality of connecting struts are situated at equal or unequal angular distances from one another around the opening.

11. A fuel tank including a container wall having at least two opposite wall sections and a stiffening device situated between the two opposite wall sections, characterized in that the stiffening device has at least one connecting strut, each end of which has a strut profile section, which engages with a complementary wall profile section in each on the two opposite wall sections of the container wall in a tension-resistant manner in such a way that the connecting strut absorbs compressive forces acting on the container wall, wherein each strut profile section at the ends of the stiffening device face in a lateral direction such that strut profile sections are connected to the complementary wall profile sections of the container wall by laterally displacing stiffening device in the lateral direction, and wherein the end strut profile sections of the at least one connecting strut include a detachable securing element designed as a securing bracket which overlaps the side sections of the strut profile section, which prevents the removal of the strut profile sections from the complementary wall profile sections of the opposite wall sections of the container wall.

12. The fuel tank according to claim 11 , wherein the complementary wall profile sections of the two opposite wall sections of the tank wall have an undercut area.

13. The fuel tank according to claim 12 , wherein the under-cut section is created during a shaping of the opposite wall sections by a shaping element from the outside of the tank.

14. The fuel tank according to claim 13 , wherein the tank wall consists of a thermoplastic material and that the shaping element is an insert for a blow mold for manufacturing the container, which is overblown by the respective wall section when the container is blow molded.

15. The fuel tank according to claim 14 , wherein the insert has a flat plate section and an insert profile section which is essentially mushroom-shaped in cross section and extends normally to the plate section.

16. The fuel tank according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one connecting strut includes a flat body extending between the end strut profile sections, which is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs extending transversely to its flat side to beyond the strut profile sections.

17. The fuel tank according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one connecting strut includes a flat body having a wall thickness of 2 mm to 20 mm extending between the end strut profile sections, which is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs extending transversely to its flat side to beyond the strut profile sections.

18. The fuel tank according to claim 11 , wherein the tank includes an opening in the area of one of the opposite wall sections, and wherein the complementary wall profile sections are situated near the opening and an opening outline projected onto the opposite wall section.

19. The fuel tank according to claim 18 , wherein a distance between the complementary wall profile sections and the opening is less than 100 mm.

20. The fuel tank according to claim 18 , wherein a plurality of connecting struts are situated at equal or unequal angular distances from one another around the opening.

Assignees

• Ti Automotive Tech Ct Gmbh

Inventors

• Boecker Albert J
• Schwager Dennis
• Michaelis Gerrit

Classifications

• B29C49/42 Primary

  Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations · CPC title

• B60K15/03177

  made of non-metallic material, e.g. plastics, or of a combination of non-metallic and metallic material (B60K15/03006 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F17C1/08 Primary

  Integral reinforcements, e.g. ribs · CPC title

• B60K2015/03493

  made of plastics · CPC title

• F17C1/16

  constructed of plastics materials {(shaping of plastics B29C)} · CPC title