Fuel container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9783044-B2
Application number	US-201414771052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2014
Priority date	Feb 27, 2013
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a fuel container ( 1 ) of thermoplastic plastics material having an upper base ( 2 ) and a lower base ( 3 ) which are supported against each other by means of at least one column-like support element ( 4 ), wherein the support element ( 4 ) is connected in a positive-locking manner and/or materially engaging manner to a wall ( 6 ) of the upper base on the one hand and to a wall ( 6 ) of the lower base on the other hand in such a manner that it can absorb tensile forces and/or pressure forces, wherein the support element ( 4 ) is constructed in several pieces and the support element is divided longitudinally and comprises at least two segments ( 8 ) which complement each other in cross-section and which form a common support face at the end side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermoplastic fuel container comprising:
an upper base and a lower base,
at least one column support element,
wherein the upper base and the lower base are supported between each other by the at least one column support element,
wherein the at least one column support element is connected in a positive-locking manner and/or materially engaging manner to a wall of the upper base and to a wall of the lower base, and configured to absorb tensile forces from pressure inside the container,
wherein the at least one column support element is constructed in several pieces,
wherein the several pieces of the at least one column support element comprise at least two segments which divide the at least one column support element longitudinally and form a common support face at an end side,
wherein the at least two segments are movable relative to each other at least in a longitudinal direction, and
wherein a first segment of the at least two segments has at least one locking element, in a form of an integrally formed-on pin, a journal or a catch hook, which engages in an installation position of a correspondingly formed locking opening of a complementary segment of the at least two segments.

2. The fuel container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two segments complement each other in cross-section.

3. The fuel container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two segments are each constructed integrally.

4. The fuel container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two segments each have a rib profile in cross-section.

5. The fuel container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one segment of the at least two segments includes at least one baffle plate element.

6. The fuel container as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the at least one baffle plate element is formed integrally with the at least one segment.

7. The fuel container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two segments each include at least one baffle plate element.

8. The fuel container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one column support element includes at least two baffle plate elements.

9. The fuel container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the locking element has play in the locking opening in the longitudinal direction of the at least one column support element.

10. The fuel container as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the locking element engages through at least one aperture of a baffle plate element which is arranged between the at least two segments.

11. The fuel container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two segments are each constructed as a solid profile having a rib structure.

12. The fuel container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two segments are each welded at the end side to the upper base or the lower base.

13. The fuel container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two segments extend between at least one inward indentation of the upper base and the lower base and/or the lower base and the upper base or between two opposing inward indentations of the upper base and the lower base.

14. The fuel container as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the wall of the upper base and/or the lower base is curved in a region of the inward indentation with a radius.

Assignees

• Kautex Textron Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Gebert Klaus
• Quant Frank

Classifications

• B60K15/03177 Primary

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

• B60K2015/03467

  by clip or snap fit fittings · CPC title

• B60K2015/0775

  for reducing movement or slash noise of fuel · CPC title

• B60Y2306/01

  Reducing damages in case of crash, e.g. by improving battery protection · CPC title

• B60K2015/0344

  comprising baffles · CPC title