US 6,439,417 B1 · Fuel tank and vehicle equipped with the same

Abstract

A lower wall partially defining a fuel storing chamber of a fuel tank curves upward in accordance a decrease in an amount of fuel stored in the fuel storing chamber. The volume of a gaseous space in the fuel storing chamber is reduced, in comparison with a fuel tank in which a lower wall does not deform, by an amount corresponding to a reduction of the volume of the fuel storing chamber achieved by the curvature of the lower wall. An amount of fuel not discharged from the fuel storing chamber via a fuel passage but remaining near a peripheral end portion of the lower wall of the fuel storing chamber due to the upward curvature of the lower wall is discharged via a residual fuel discharging pipe, so that the residual fuel amount of the fuel storing chamber is minimized.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A fuel tank comprising:

a partition defining a fuel storing chamber, the partition being deformable in accordance with an amount of fuel stored in the fuel storing chamber, the partition including a lower wall which curves upward when the amount of fuel in the fuel storing chamber is decreased;
a fuel passage open to the fuel storing chamber through the lower wall for supplying fuel to and discharging fuel from the fuel storing chamber wherein, when the lower wall curves upward as the amount of fuel is decreased, a portion of the fuel in the fuel storing chamber is discharged from the fuel storing chamber via the fuel passage, while a remaining portion of the fuel in the fuel storing chamber is directed to a residual fuel discharging passage.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fuel tank and vehicle equipped with the same

Life of this patent

Fuel tank and vehicle equipped with the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12