Mechanical fuse to seal pipes upon unintended rupture
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorAndrea Leigh Lubawy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a mechanical fuse to seal pipes upon unintended rupture. When a pressure difference between a first pressure and a second pressure in a pipe is below a pressure threshold, a first spring retains a flap in a first position allowing gaseous fuel to flow from a first portion to a second portion and when the pressure difference between the first pressure and the second pressure is not below the pressure threshold the flap moves to a second position preventing the gaseous fuel from flowing from the first portion to the second portion.
Claims20
A mechanical fuse to prevent a flow of a fluid comprising:
- a pipe having an inner surface and defining a cavity therein for carrying the fluid from a first portion of the pipe to a second portion of the pipe;
- a hinge positioned in the cavity of the pipe and coupled to the inner surface of the pipe;
- a flap positioned in the cavity of the pipe and coupled to the hinge, the flap having an open position for allowing the flow of the fluid from the first portion of the pipe to the second portion of the pipe and a closed position for preventing the flow of the fluid from the first portion of the pipe to the second portion of the pipe;
- and
- a spring positioned between the flap and the inner surface of the pipe, with the spring coupled directly to the inner surface of the pipe and coupled to the flap, the spring configured to allow the flap to move from the open position to the closed position when a pressure difference between a pressure in the first portion of the pipe and a pressure in the second portion of the pipe is above a pressure threshold.
A mechanical fuse to prevent a flow of a fluid in an automobile comprising:
- a pipe having an inner surface and defining a cavity therein for carrying the fluid from a first portion of the pipe to a second portion of the pipe;
- a plurality of hinges, each one of the plurality of hinges located in the cavity of the pipe and connected to the inner surface of the pipe;
- a plurality of flaps, each one of the plurality of flaps located in the cavity of the pipe and connected to one of the plurality of hinges, each one of the plurality of flaps having a first position for allowing a flow of the fluid from the first portion of the pipe to the second portion of the pipe and a second position for preventing the flow of the fluid from the first portion of the pipe to the second portion of the pipe;
- and
- a plurality of springs, each one of the plurality of springs positioned between one of the plurality of flaps and the inner surface of the pipe, with each one of the plurality of springs connected directly to the inner surface of the pipe and connected to the one of the plurality of flaps, each one of the plurality of springs configured to hold one of the plurality of flaps in the first position when a pressure difference between a pressure in the first portion of the pipe and a pressure in the second portion of the pipe is below a pressure threshold.
A method for preventing an unexpected leakage of a gaseous fuel in an automobile comprising the steps of:
- providing a pipe having an inner surface, the pipe for carrying a gaseous fuel from a first location in the pipe to a second location in the pipe;
- providing a flap held in an open configuration about a hinge within the pipe by a spring positioned between the flap and the inner surface of the pipe, the open configuration of the flap configured to allow a flow of the gaseous fuel from the first location in the pipe to the second location in the pipe;
- and
- moving the flap to a closed configuration within the pipe when a pressure difference between a pressure of the first location in the pipe and a pressure of the second location in the pipe is above a predetermined threshold, the closed configuration adapted to prevent the flow of the gaseous fuel from the first location in the pipe to the second location in the pipe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.