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US 9,694,672 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, comprising a housing and a compliance structure coupled to the housing, the compliance structure including a support element coupled to a first side of a structural element and a reinforcing element coupled to a second opposing side of the structural element.
Claims20
A distensible fuel tank included in a vehicle, comprising:
- a housing;
- and
- a compliance structure coupled to the housing, the compliance structure including a support element coupled to a first side of a structural element and a reinforcing element coupled to a second opposing side of the structural element, wherein
- the reinforcing element is coupled to the structural element via an attachment apparatus,
- the attachment apparatus includes a clip in face sharing contact with the opposing sides of the structural element,
- a long edge of the structural element is oriented perpendicularly to a long edge of the reinforcing element, and
- a width of the reinforcing element in a first direction is less than a width of the structural element in the first direction, wherein the first direction extends along the long edge of the structural element.
4 more elements
A distensible fuel tank included in a vehicle, comprising:
- a housing;
- a compliance structure coupled to the housing, the compliance structure including a first support element and a second support element coupled to a bottom surface of a structural element and a reinforcing element coupled to a top surface of the structural element, where the first and second support elements are arranged perpendicular to the structural element;
- and
- a rib coupled to the reinforcing element,
- wherein the structural element includes a first and a second portion, the first portion coupled to the reinforcing element and the second portion not coupled to the reinforcing element, where the first portion is a central portion of the top surface of the structural element, and where the second portion is a side portion of the top surface of the structural element,
- wherein a width of the reinforcing element in a first direction is less than a width of the structural element in the first direction, and
- wherein the first direction extends along a long edge of the structural element.
4 more elements
A distensible fuel tank included in a vehicle, comprising:
- a housing;
- a compliance structure coupled to the housing, the compliance structure including a first support element coupled to a bottom side of a first structural element and a second support element in face sharing contact with a bottom side of a second structural element, the first structural element spaced away from the second structural element and the compliance structure further including a reinforcing element coupled to a top surface of the first structural element, and not coupled to the second structural element;
- and
- a rib coupled to the reinforcing element,
- wherein a long edge of the reinforcing element is oriented perpendicularly to a long edge of the first structural element,
- wherein a width of the reinforcing element in a first direction is less than a width of the first structural element in the first direction, and
- wherein the first direction extends along the long edge of the first structural element.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.