CNG-Fueled Vehicle with Fuel Tanks Packaged Between Cab and Bed

• US 20100078244A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Pursifull, Ross Dykstra
• Granted Patent: US 8,534,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/69.500
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/07 of gas tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03019 Filling of gas tanks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A vehicle, a system, and a method are disclosed for providing the vehicle configured to operate on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) with CNG storage tanks. An example vehicle may include a cab including an engine compartment. An engine may be configured to operate on a gaseous fuel and may be located in the engine compartment. The vehicle may include a bed, and a mid-box positioned between the cab and the bed. The mid-box may include at least one storage tank configured to store the fuel in a compressed, or a compressed liquid state. The vehicle may include a fueling system configured to supply fuel from the at least one storage tank to the engine.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a cab including an engine compartment;

an engine configured to operate on a gaseous fuel located in the engine compartment;

a bed;

a mid-box positioned between the cab and the bed, the mid-box including at least one storage tank configured to store the fuel in a compressed, state; and

a fueling system configured to supply fuel from the at least one storage tank to the engine.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the mid-box has a side opening door, the fueling system further having a gaseous fuel receiving unit located inside the mid-box, where the gaseous fuel receiving unit is configured to be accessed when the side opening door is opened.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the gaseous fuel receiving unit includes a CNG fill port.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the mid-box has a mid-box side body panel positioned between and bordered by a cab side body panel and a bed side body panel, the mid-box side body panel forming a door providing access to a gaseous fuel receiving unit, the gaseous fuel receiving unit coupled to the storage tank to supply fuel received by the gaseous fuel receiving unit to the at least one storage tank.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 wherein the mid-box side body panel is colored to match the cab side body panel and the bed side body panel, and where the mid-box side body panel is shaped to form a substantially continuous panel with the cab side body panel and bed side body panel.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the at least one storage tank includes at least a cylindrically-shaped section, the at least one storage tank transversely mounted in the mid-box.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 further comprising a pair of rails, the mid-box and the bed mounted on the rails, the rails including an indentation at a location of the mid-box to accommodate the cylindrically-shaped tank section.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the mid-box includes an open bottom.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the gaseous fuel is natural gas, and the tank is configured to store compressed natural gas.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the mid-box includes a front wall, a back wall, bottom surface, a top surface, and two side walls, one of the side walls configured with a first door providing access to a refueling inlet, and the other side wall configured with a second door, where the back wall of the mid-box is positioned adjacent a front wall of the bed, and the front wall of the mid-box is positioned adjacent a rear wall of the cab, wherein the vehicle is a pick-up truck.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the engine is a bi-fuelled engine configured to operate on the gaseous fuel and a liquid fuel, the vehicle further comprising a liquid fuel tank, the bed including a liquid fuel receiving unit, the liquid fuel receiving unit coupled to the liquid fuel tank.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the liquid fuel receiving unit is positioned in a bed side body panel.

13. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the mid-box is coupled to the bed.

14. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the mid-box is coupled to the cab.

15. A method of manufacturing a vehicle having an engine configured to operate on a gaseous fuel comprising:

attaching a cab to a frame;

attaching a bed to the frame;

leaving a space between the cab and the bed;

positioning a mid-box in the space;

positioning at least one storage tank configured to store the gaseous fuel in a compressed state in the mid-box.

16. The method of manufacturing a vehicle of claim 15, further comprising providing at least one a door on the mid-box on at least one side of the vehicle to provide access to the at least one storage tank.

17. The method of manufacturing a vehicle of claim 15, further comprising supporting the at least one storage tank with at least one of a mid-box front wall, a mid-box back wall, a mid-box bottom surface, and a mid-box top surface.

18. A system for assembling pickup trucks comprising:

an inventory of pickup truck parts including;

a cab sub-inventory including a first cab having a first cab length and a second cab having a second cab length;

a bed sub-inventory including a first bed having a first bed length and a second bed having a second bed length;

a frame sub-inventory including a first frame having a first frame length, and a second frame having a second frame length;

wherein the inventory is configured to assemble one or both of a first pickup model to include the first frame the first cab and the first bed, and a second pickup model to include the second frame the second cab and the second bed;

the inventory further configured to assemble a third pickup model to include the first frame the first cab and the second bed; and

a mid-box positioned between the first cab and the second bed, the mid-box including at least one storage tank configured to store a gaseous fuel in a compressed state.

19. The system for assembling pickup trucks of claim 18, further comprising an engine configured to operate on the gaseous fuel.

20. The system for assembling pickup trucks of claim 18, wherein the inventory is further configured to assemble a fourth pickup model to include one of the first frame and the second frame the second cab and the first bed;

and

the mid-box positioned between the second cab and the first bed, the mid-box including the at least one storage tank configured to store a gaseous fuel in a compressed state.

21. The system for assembling a pickup truck of claim 18, wherein the first frame includes a first and second rail having a lower portion and a higher portion connected by a spanning element the lower portion configured to support the cab, the higher portion configured to support the second bed, and wherein the least one storage tank is disposed adjacent the spanning element such that at least portion of the tank is lower than the second bed.

22. The system for assembling a pickup truck of claim 21, further comprising an opening in the mid-box, the at least one storage tanks protruding through the opening into a cavity adjacent to, or between one or more of the first frame, the first cab, and the second bed.

23. A vehicle, comprising:

a cab including an engine compartment;

an engine configured to operate on a gaseous fuel located in the engine compartment;

a bed, where the bed is positioned a distance away from the cab, and where at least one storage tank configured to store the fuel in a compressed state is positioned between the bed and the cab within the distance; and

a fueling system configured to supply fuel from the at least one storage tank to the engine.

24. The vehicle of claim 23 further comprising a mid-box positioned within the distance, the mid-box at least partially enclosing the at least one storage tank.