MOTOR VEHICLE WITH COMPRESSED-GAS TANK

• US 20090236163A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH (Benteler International AG)
• Original Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH (Benteler International AG)
• Inventors: Handing, Christian, Wille, Andreas, Wibbeke, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/241,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20090236163A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/69.500
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/03006 Gas tanks B60K15/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/07 of gas tanks

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes a compressed-gas tank which is disposed in a wheel well of a spare wheel. The compressed-gas tank has a circular-cylindrical configuration defined by an axis of rotation and includes tie elements in parallel relationship to the axis of rotation.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising a compressed-gas tank disposed in a wheel well of a spare wheel, said compressed-gas tank having a circular-cylindrical configuration, which defines an axis of rotation, and including tie elements in parallel relationship to the axis of rotation.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the compressed-gas tank is a compressed natural gas (CNG) tank.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the compressed-gas tank has a bursting pressure of greater than 300 bar.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the compressed-gas tank has a bursting pressure of greater than 600 bar.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the tie elements are arranged in the form of a ring.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 5, wherein the ring defines a center which coincides with the axis of rotation of the compressed-gas tank.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the tie elements are arranged evenly in circumferential spaced-apart relationship.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 5, wherein the ring of tie elements involves 3 to 12 tie elements.

9. The motor vehicle of claim 5, wherein the ring of tie elements involves 6 tie elements.

10. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the tie elements are arranged in the form of a plurality of rings disposed in concentric relationship.

11. The motor vehicle of claim 10, wherein the tie elements of adjacent two rings are arranged in circumferential offset relationship.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein one of the tie elements is arranged in an area of the axis of rotation.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the tie elements is configured to form a charging or purging channel.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the compressed-gas tank has rounded edge zones in a transition between its cylinder wall surface and its opposite end surfaces.

15. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the tie elements have a tubular configuration.

16. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the compressed-gas tank has a cylinder wall surface, said tie elements being spaced from the axis of rotation at a distance which corresponds to a distance of the tie elements to the cylinder wall surface of the compressed-gas tank.

17. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein each of the tie elements is a solid tie rod.