Fuel tank boost and bolt secure
AssigneesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsRonald Scott Friend, Robert Aaron Allex, Brian McElroy, David L. Brock, Christopher L. Rexroat
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods of lifting and installing a fuel tank on a vehicle are provided. In particular, a lifting apparatus may (1) receive fasteners and fuel tank bands prior to lifting, the fasteners secured/extended through fastener openings of the fuel tank bands; (2) lift, in a first lifting stage, the received fuel tank bands to a ground-facing surface of a fuel tank (the fuel tank may be resting on a pedestal or a similar support structure) such that the fuel tank bands cradle the fuel tank; and (3) lift, in a second lifting stage, the received fuel tank bands and the cradled fuel tank to the underside of a vehicle for installation.
Claims6
An apparatus for lifting a fuel tank to an underside of a vehicle, comprising:
- a vertically oriented first actuator mechanically connected to a horizontally oriented first lifting base, an actuating portion of the first actuator positioned below a ground-facing surface of the first lifting base;
- the first lifting base mechanically connected to the first actuator such that the actuating portion of the first actuator is positioned below the ground-facing surface of the first lifting base;
- a vertically oriented second actuator mechanically connected to the first lifting base and a horizontally oriented second lifting base, an actuating portion of the second actuator positioned between a vehicle-facing surface of the first lifting base and a ground-facing surface of the second lifting base;
- the second lifting base mechanically connected to the second actuator such that the actuating portion of the second actuator is positioned above the vehicle-facing surface of the first lifting base and below the ground-facing surface of the second lifting base;
- and
- a vertically oriented first fastening gun mounted on the second lifting base, the first fastening gun having a vehicle-facing end configured to receive a head of a vertically oriented first fastener;
- wherein the first fastening gun is configured to receive a horizontally oriented fuel tank band, the fuel tank band configured to cradle the fuel tank from below a ground-facing surface of the fuel tank, wherein:
- the fuel tank band comprises a first fastener opening located at a first distal end of the fuel tank band, and
- when the fuel tank band is received by the first fastening gun, the first fastener is secured through the first fastener opening of the fuel tank band.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.