THERMAL INSULATING STRUCTURE OF FUEL TANK FOR MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20130264347A1
• Filed: 04/04/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: FTS Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: FTS Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: FUJITA, Shumei
• Application Number:
  US13/857,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20130264347A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/562
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 1/00 Layered products having a non-planar shape
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/0228 Aromatic vinyl resin, e.g. styrenic (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/025 Polyolefin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/0278 Polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/0285 Condensation resins of aldehydes, e.g. with phenols, ureas, melamines
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2270/00 Resin or rubber layer containing a blend of at least two different polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/304 Insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/56 Damping, energy absorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/00 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/065 of foam
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/02 characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions non-uniform thickness B32B3/263
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/266 characterised by an apertured layer, the apertures going through the whole thickness of the layer, e.g. expanded metal, perforated layer, slit layer regular cells B32B3/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/03177 made of non-metallic material, e.g. plastics, or of a combination of non-metallic and metallic material B60K15/03006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/067 Mounting of tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03065 with material filled between the walls
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03421 to protect the fuel tank against heat
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03486 characterised by the materials the tank or parts thereof are essentially made from
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0634 the fuel tank is arranged below the vehicle floor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1376 Foam or porous material containing

Abstract

A thermal insulating structure of a fuel tank for a motor vehicle, which is readily produced and attached without using any protector for a thermal insulating member. In the thermal insulating structure of the fuel tank mounted under a floor panel of the motor vehicle, at least an entire side surface and an entire bottom surface of the fuel tank are covered with a thermal insulating member that is formed previously. The thermal insulating member includes a foamed layer on an interior side thereof, and an outer layer made of a solid material. The thermal insulating member is attached to the floor panel along with the fuel tank by means of a tank attaching member.

Claims

1. A thermal insulating structure of a fuel tank for a motor vehicle, which is mounted under a floor panel of the motor vehicle, comprising:

a thermal insulating member previously formed for covering at least an entire side surface and an entire bottom surface of the fuel tank, said thermal insulating member including a foamed layer on an interior side thereof, and an outer layer made of a solid material, and being attached to the floor panel along with the fuel tank by means of a tank attaching member.

2. The thermal insulating structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the fuel tank is covered with another thermal insulating member having a foamed layer.

3. The thermal insulating structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the fuel tank contacts the floor panel, and an upper end of a side portion of said thermal insulating member contacts the floor panel.

4. The thermal insulating structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermal insulating member has holes for passing members attached to an outer surface of the fuel tank therethrough.

5. The thermal insulating structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said outer layer is composed of one of an olefin synthetic resin and a blending material of olefin synthetic resins, and has a thickness ranging from 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

6. The thermal insulating structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said foamed layer is composed of one of an olefin synthetic resin and a blending material of olefin synthetic resins, and has an expansion ratio ranging from 15 to 40.

7. The thermal insulating structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein a tank attaching member is a plurality of belt members adapted to hold a bottom portion of said thermal insulating member in a plurality of positions, and ends of each of said belt members are secured to the floor panel.