Pressure vessel for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9873323-B2
Application number	US-201615071615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2016
Priority date	Mar 17, 2015
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A pressure vessel is provided for a motor vehicle. The pressure vessel has a fastening apparatus. The fastening apparatus is designed to connect the pressure vessel to a body of the motor vehicle. The fastening apparatus has at least one connecting pin, which is displaceable relative to the body or relative to the pressure vessel, and at least one fixing mechanism. The fixing mechanism is designed to at least temporarily fixedly clamp the connecting pin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure vessel for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a fastening apparatus configured to connect the pressure vessel to a body of the motor vehicle, the fastening apparatus having:
at least one connecting pin which is axially displaceable along a longitudinal axis of the at least one connecting pin relative to the body or relative to the pressure vessel, and
at least one fixing mechanism which is configured to at least temporarily fixedly clamp the connecting pin.

2. The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting pin is guided in the fixing mechanism.

3. The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein:
the fixing mechanism is configured to fixedly clamp the connecting pin when the motor vehicle is subject to a dynamics demand above a first threshold value, and/or
the fixing mechanism is configured to not fixedly clamp the connecting pin when the motor vehicle is subject to a dynamics demand below the first threshold value.

4. The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing mechanism is configured to not fixedly clamp the connecting pin when the pressure vessel is being refilled.

5. The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing mechanism includes an actuator.

6. The pressure vessel according to claim 5 , wherein the actuator is a piezo element.

7. The pressure vessel according to claim 6 , wherein the fixing mechanism is configured such that the fixing mechanism prevents displacement of the connecting pin if no electrical energy is applied to the piezo element.

8. The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing mechanism is an electromechanical actuator.

9. The pressure vessel according to claim 8 , wherein the electromechanical actuator is driven by a piezo element.

10. The pressure vessel according to claim 9 , wherein the electromechanical actuator is an inchworm motor.

11. The pressure vessel according to claim 8 , wherein the electromechanical actuator is an inchworm motor.

12. A motor vehicle, comprising:
a body of the motor vehicle;
a pressure vessel, the pressure vessel comprising a fastening apparatus configured to connect the pressure vessel to the body of the motor vehicle, wherein the fastening apparatus has a connecting pin displaceable relative to the body or relative to the pressure vessel and has a fixing mechanism configured to at least temporarily fixedly clamp the connecting pin; and
a controller configured to control a release of the connecting pin if an operating parameter of the fixing mechanism is above a defined operating parameter threshold value.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to control a release of the connecting pin if a collision of the motor vehicle is identified.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the connecting pin is guided in the fixing mechanism.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein:
the fixing mechanism is configured to fixedly clamp the connecting pin when the motor vehicle is subject to a dynamics demand above a first threshold value, and/or
the fixing mechanism is configured to not fixedly clamp the connecting pin when the motor vehicle is subject to a dynamics demand below the first threshold value.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the fixing mechanism is configured to not fixedly clamp the connecting pin when the pressure vessel is being refilled.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the fixing mechanism includes an actuator.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 17 , wherein the fixing mechanism is configured such that the fixing mechanism prevents displacement of the connecting pin if no electrical energy is applied to the actuator.

19. The motor vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the fixing mechanism is an electromechanical actuator.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag
• Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiegesellschaft

Inventors

• Stahl Hans-Ulrich

Classifications

• B60K15/07 Primary

  of gas tanks · CPC title

• B60Y2306/01

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