Fuel tank with support pillar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11932104-B2
Application number	US-202017618265-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2020
Priority date	Jun 12, 2019
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A fuel tank ( 10 ) includes: a lower panel ( 12 ) made of steel and an upper panel ( 11 ) made of steel; and at least one pillar ( 100 ) made of steel which is disposed in an interior space (V) formed by the lower panel ( 12 ) and the upper panel ( 11 ) facing each other and of which a first end portion is fixed to the lower panel ( 12 ) and a second end portion is fixed to the upper panel ( 11 ) in a state where the second end portion is disposed in a hole formed in the upper panel ( 11 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel tank comprising:
a lower panel made of steel and an upper panel made of steel;
at least one pillar made of steel which is disposed in an interior space formed by the lower panel and the upper panel facing each other and of which a first end portion is fixed to the lower panel and a second end portion is fixed to the upper panel in a state where the second end portion is disposed in a hole formed in the upper panel;
a first nut which is made of steel and is fixed to an inner surface of the lower panel and to which the first end portion of the pillar is fitted;
a flange that is disposed on an inner surface of the upper panel and is fixed to the pillar, the flange having a tapered portion, which is inclined downward toward an outside in a radial direction of the flange; and
a second nut which is made of steel and is disposed on an outer surface of the upper panel and to which the second end portion of the pillar is fitted so that the upper panel is interposed between the flange and the second nut.

2. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tin-plated layer or a tin-zinc-plated layer that is provided on outer surfaces of the pillar, the first nut, and the second nut.

3. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , further comprising:
solder that seals a gap between the upper panel and the second nut.

4. The fuel tank according to claim 1 ,
wherein a columnar beam made of steel is attached to a pair of wall surfaces, which face each other, of at least one of the lower panel or the upper panel.

5. The fuel tank according to claim 4 ,
wherein a beam baffle plate is attached to the beam.

6. The fuel tank according to claim 1 ,
wherein a pillar baffle plate is attached to the pillar.

7. The fuel tank according to claim 2 , further comprising:
solder that seals a gap between the upper panel and the second nut.

Assignees

• Nippon Steel Corp

Inventors

• Mizuguchi Toshinori
• Fuda Masahiro
• Inoue Akiyoshi
• Nakano Junji
• Naito Yasuaki

Classifications

• B60K15/077 Primary

  with means modifying or controlling distribution or motion of fuel, e.g. to prevent noise, surge, splash or fuel starvation · CPC title

• B60K2015/0344

  comprising baffles · CPC title

• B60K2015/03453

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

• B60K2015/0777

  in-tank reservoirs or baffles integrally manufactured with the fuel Tank · CPC title

• B60K15/03 Primary

  Fuel tanks · CPC title