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US 11,192,289 B2Granted
Reinforced fuel tank and method for reinforced fuel tank construction
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsBrian Aitken, Mark Bunge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for manufacturing a fuel tank is described herein. The method includes subsequent to molding of a housing of a fuel tank, positioning a strut inside the housing. The method additionally includes snap-fitting a flexible projection of the strut with a corresponding flange section in a first wall of the housing, the flange section surrounding an opening in the first wall of the housing and the flexible projection including a surface overlapping an interior surface of the flange section subsequent to the snap-fitting.
Claims15
A method, comprising:
- subsequent to molding of a housing of a fuel tank, positioning a strut inside the housing;
- snap-fitting a flexible projection of the strut with a corresponding flange section in a first wall of the housing, where the first wall of the housing is a top wall of the fuel tank, the flange section recessed into the first wall of the housing and surrounding an opening in the first wall of the housing and the flexible projection includes a surface directly contacting an interior surface of the flange section subsequent to the snapfitting;
- welding an end of the strut spaced away from the flexible projection to a second wall of the housing, the second wall opposing the first wall;
- and
- welding a cap onto an exterior surface of the first wall, the cap covering an end of the strut adjacent to the flexible projection and is substantially flush with the exterior surface of the first wall,
- where the end of the strut spaced away from the flexible projection and the second wall of the housing are heated to a temperature above a threshold temperature prior to positioning the strut inside the housing.
3 more elements
A fuel tank in a fuel delivery system, comprising:
- a housing including a first wall opposing a second wall, the first wall being a top wall of the housing, the second wall being a bottom wall of the housing, and the first wall including a flange section surrounding an opening;
- a strut extending between the first wall and the second wall, the strut including a flexible projection extending from a shaft of the strut, a first end, a second end, and a fitting channel positioned between the flexible projection and the first end, with a portion of the flange section extending into the fitting channel, the portion of the flange section directly contacting the flexible projection, the flange section recessed into the first wall;
- a cap extending across the first end of the strut and welded to an exterior surface of the first wall, the cap substantially flush with the exterior surface of the first wall;
- and
- a weld connecting the second end to the second wall, where the second end and the second wall are heated to a temperature above a threshold temperature prior to positioning the strut inside the housing.
2 more elements
A method for manufacturing a fuel tank in a fuel delivery system, comprising:
- molding a plastic housing of the fuel tank;
- inserting a strut through an opening in a first wall of the plastic housing, the first wall being a top wall the plastic housing;
- snap-fitting a flexible projection of the strut with a corresponding flange section in the first wall to mate a fitting channel in the strut with a portion of the flange section, the flange section recessed into the first wall of the housing surrounding the opening in the first wall and directly contacting the flexible projection;
- welding a cap onto an outer surface of the first wall, the cap covering a first end of the strut and is substantially flush with the outer surface of the first wall;
- and
- welding a second end of the strut to a second wall of the housing, the second wall being a bottom wall of the plastic housing, where the second end of the strut and the second wall are heated to a temperature above a threshold temperature prior to inserting the strut in the first wall of the plastic housing.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.