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US 9,321,347 B2Granted
Compliance structure for a distensible fuel tank
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsDaniel Frank Cragel, Russell Randall Pearce, Patrick Sullivan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A distensible fuel tank included in a vehicle is provided. The distensible fuel tank includes a housing and a compliance structure coupled to the housing, the compliance structure including a base element coupled to a side of a structural element.
Claims20
A distensible fuel tank included in a vehicle, comprising:
- a housing having an inner surface;
- and
- a plurality of compliance structures coupled to and fully enclosed by the housing, each compliance structure including one or more structural elements each having a first side coupled to a base element and a second side coupled to the inner surface of the housing, wherein the base elements of the plurality of compliance structures include one or more curved base elements and one or more substantially planar base elements, the base elements coupled to the inner surface of the housing.
A distensible fuel tank included in a vehicle, comprising:
- a housing including an inner surface;
- and
- a compliance structure coupled to and enclosed by the housing, the compliance structure including a convex base element coupled to a first side of a structural element, a second side of the structural element coupled to the inner surface, and the base element further coupled to the inner surface.
A distensible fuel tank in a vehicle, comprising:
- a housing including an inner surface;
- and
- a compliance structure assembly coupled to and enclosed by the housing, the compliance structure assembly including a plurality of separate but parallel planar base elements and a plurality of curved base elements, each base element coupled to a first side of a plurality of at least two respective planar structural elements, a second side of each base element coupled to the inner surface of the housing, and a second side of each of the plurality of structural elements coupled to the inner surface of the housing, a thickness of each base element not equal to a thickness of each structural element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.