Safety apparatus for fuel tank

• US 5,531,290 A
• Filed: 08/09/1993
• Issued: 07/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujikura Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujikura Limited
• Inventors: Gotoh, Moritaka, Furuichi, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Application Number:
  US08/103,525
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 180/274, 180/282, 180/284, 180/271, 220/88.1, 220/562, 340/436, 340/440, 340/449, 340/665, 250/227.15, 250/227.16, 200/61.44, 200/61.45 R, 200/61.52
• US Class Current: 180/271
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/06 of highly inflammable material, e.g. light metals, petroleum products
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/07 in vehicles, e.g. in road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 37/40 with electric connection between sensor and actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/14 responsive to accident or emergency, e.g. deceleration, tilt of vehicle

Abstract

A safety apparatus for a fuel tank in a vehicle includes a fuel tank for storing fuel, a gelling agent tank for storing a gelling agent which can gelatinize the fuel, a supply system for supplying the gelling agent in the gelling agent tank to the fuel tank, a tank-emergency detecting system for detecting an emergency in the fuel tank, and a control system for outputting a drive signal to drive the supply system. The control system outputs the drive signal under the condition that the tank-emergency detecting system outputs an emergency detection signal indicating an emergency in the fuel tank.

Claims

1. A safety apparatus for a fuel tank in a vehicle comprising:

a fuel tank for storing fuel;

a gelling agent tank for storing a gelling agent which can gelatinize the fuel;

a supply system, connected between the gelling agent tank and the fuel tank, for supplying the gelling agent in the gelling agent tank to the fuel tank;

tank-emergency detecting means, coupled to the fuel tank, for detecting an emergency in the fuel tank and for outputting an emergency detection signal indicating said emergency;

a control means, coupled to the supply system and the tank emergency detecting system, for outputting a drive signal to drive the supply system;

wherein the control means outputs the drive signal under the condition that the tank-emergency detecting means outputs the emergency detection signal,

wherein the tank-emergency detecting means comprises;

an optical fiber provided on one of the fuel tank and a component that is attached to the fuel tank,

a light supply means, coupled to the optical fiber, for supplying a predetermined quantity of light to the optical fiber, and

a light quantity detecting means, coupled to the optical fiber, for detecting the quantity of the light which was transmitted from the light supply means through the optical fiber;

wherein the emergency detecting means compares change of the quantity of the light which is transmitted through the optical fiber when no large external force is applied to the fuel tank to change of the quantity of the light which is transmitted through the optical fiber when a large external force is present on the fuel tank and detects an emergency in the fuel tank on the basis of the results of the comparison; and

said safety apparatus further comprising

a plurality of emergency detection means, including

(1) a temperature-emergency detection means for detecting temperature in the fuel tank and outputting an emergency detection signal when the temperature in the fuel tank exceeds a predetermined threshold value of temperature; and

(2) an acceleration-emergency detection means for detecting acceleration and outputting an emergency detection signal when the acceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold value of acceleration; and

wherein the control means outputs the drive signal, under the condition that at least one of the plurality of emergency detection means outputs an emergency detection signal.

2. A safety apparatus for a fuel tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical fiber has good flexibility and the transmission of the quantity of light transmitted therethrough changes according to external pressure applied to the optical fiber.

3. Safety apparatus for a fuel tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is fixed onto the fuel tank by adhesion.

4. A safety apparatus for a fuel tank in a vehicle comprising:

a fuel tank for storing fuel;

a gelling agent tank for storing a gelling agent which can gelatinize the fuel;

a supply system, connected between the gelling agent tank and the fuel tank, for supplying the gelling agent in the gelling agent tank to the fuel tank;

tank-emergency detecting means, coupled to the fuel tank, for detecting an emergency in the fuel tank and for outputting an emergency detection signal indicating said emergency;

a control means, coupled to the supply system and the tank emergency detecting system, for outputting a drive signal to drive the supply system;

wherein the control means outputs the drive signal under the condition that the tank-emergency detecting means outputs the emergency detection signal,

wherein the tank-emergency detecting means comprises;

an optical fiber provided on one of the fuel tank and a component that is attached to the fuel tank,

a light supply means, coupled to the optical fiber, for supplying a predetermined quantity of light to the optical fiber, and

a light quantity detecting means, coupled to the optical fiber, for detecting the quantity of the light which was transmitted from the light supply means through the optical fiber;

wherein the emergency detecting means compares change of the quantity of the light which is transmitted through the optical fiber when no large external force is applied to the fuel tank to change of the quantity of the light which is transmitted through the optical fiber when a large external force is present on the fuel tank and detects an emergency in the fuel tank on the basis of the results of the comparison and

said safety apparatus further comprising a temperature-emergency detection means which detects the temperature in the fuel tank and outputs an emergency detection signal when the temperature in the fuel tank exceeds a predetermined threshold value of temperature;

an acceleration-emergency detection means which detects acceleration for a vehicle and which outputs an emergency detection signal when the acceleration of the vehicle exceeds a first predetermined threshold value of acceleration and outputs an emergency supplement signal when the acceleration of the vehicle exceeds a second predetermined threshold value of acceleration which is less than the first predetermined threshold value of acceleration;

a tilt-emergency detection means for detecting tilt angle of the vehicle and for outputting an emergency tendency signal when the tilt angle exceeds a predetermined threshold value of tilt angle; and

wherein the light quantity detecting means

(1) outputs an emergency detection signal when the ratio of the detected light quantity to the ordinary light quantity, which is one when the fuel tank receives substantially no large external forces, is less than a first predetermined threshold value of light quantity ratio, and

(2) outputs an emergency supplemental signal when the ratio of the detected light quantity to the ordinary light quantity is less than the second predetermined threshold value of light quantity ratio but is more than the first predetermined threshold value of light quantity ratio; and

wherein the control means

(1) outputs the drive signal under the condition that at least one of the tank-emergency detection means, the temperature-emergency detection means, and the acceleration-emergency detection means outputs an emergency detection signal and

(2) outputs the drive signal to the supply system, under the condition that at least one of the emergency supplement signal and the emergency tendency signal are outputted at the same time.

5. A safety apparatus for a fuel tank as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first predetermined threshold value of ratio of light quantity is about 0.2.

6. A safety apparatus for a fuel tank as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second predetermined threshold value of ratio of light quantity is about 0.9.

7. A safety apparatus for a fuel tank in a vehicle comprising:

a fuel tank for storing fuel;

a gelling agent tank for storing a gelling agent which can gelatinize the fuel;

a supply system, connected between the gelling agent tank and the fuel tank, for supplying the gelling agent in the gelling agent tank to the fuel tank;

tank-emergency detecting means, coupled to the fuel tank, for detecting an emergency in the fuel tank and for outputting an emergency detection signal indicating said emergency;

a control means, coupled to the supply system and the tank emergency detecting system, for outputting a drive signal to drive the supply system;

wherein the control means outputs the drive signal under the condition that the tank-emergency detecting means outputs the emergency detection signal,

wherein the tank-emergency detecting means comprises;

an optical fiber provided on one of the fuel tank and a component that is attached to the fuel tank,

a light supply means, coupled to the optical fiber, for supplying a predetermined quantity of light to the optical fiber, and

a light quantity detecting means, coupled to the optical fiber, for detecting the quantity of the light which was transmitted from the light supply means through the optical fiber;

wherein the emergency detecting means compares change of the quantity of the light which is transmitted through the optical fiber when no large external force is applied to the fuel tank to change of the quantity of the light which is transmitted through the optical fiber when a large external force is present on the fuel tank and detects an emergency in the fuel tank on the basis of the results of the comparison; and

wherein the supply system comprises;

a jetting means for jetting the gelling agent from the gelling agent tank into the fuel tank,

a power supply circuit for providing power to the jetting means, and

a switching means provided between the jetting means and the power supply circuit, for controlling the supply of driving power to the jetting means on the basis of the drive signal from the control means.

8. A safety apparatus for a fuel tank in a vehicle comprising:

a fuel tank for storing fuel;

a gelling agent tank for storing a gelling agent which can gelatinize the fuel;

a supply system, connected between the gelling agent tank and the fuel tank, for supplying the gelling agent in the gelling agent tank to the fuel tank;

tank-emergency detecting means, coupled to the fuel tank, for detecting an emergency in the fuel tank and for outputting an emergency detection signal indicating said emergency;

a control means, coupled to the supply system and the tank emergency detecting system, for outputting a drive signal to drive the supply system;

wherein the control means outputs the drive signal under the condition that the tank-emergency detecting means outputs the emergency detection signal,

wherein the tank-emergency detecting means comprises;

an optical fiber provided on one of the fuel tank and a component that is attached to the fuel tank,

a light supply means, coupled to the optical fiber, for supplying a predetermined quantity of light to the optical fiber, and

a light quantity detecting means, coupled to the optical fiber, for detecting the quantity of the light which was transmitted from the light supply means through the optical fiber;

wherein the emergency detecting means compares change of the quantity of the light which is transmitted through the optical fiber when no large external force is applied to the fuel tank to change of the quantity of the light which is transmitted through the optical fiber when a large external force is present on the fuel tank and detects an emergency in the fuel tank on the basis of the results of the comparison;

wherein the light quantity detecting means comprises;

a photoelectric conversion element connected to the output terminal of the optical fiber, which converts the light quantity transmitted through the optical fiber to an electric current;

an amplifier for converting the electric current to an electric voltage;

an analog-to-digital converter for changing the electric voltage to a digital signal; and

an operation part for operating an actual ratio of detected light quantity to the ordinary light quantity, for comparing the actual ratio with a previously stored threshold value of the ratio of detected light quantity to the ordinary light quantity, and for outputting the emergency detection signal to the control means through an output buffer when the actual ratio is less than the stored threshold value of the ratio.

9. A safety apparatus for a fuel tank in a vehicle comprising:

a fuel tank for storing fuel;

a gelling agent tank for storing a gelling agent which can gelatinize the fuel;

a supply system, connected between the gelling agent tank and the fuel tank, for supplying the gelling agent in the gelling agent tank to the fuel tank;

tank-emergency detecting means, coupled to the fuel tank, for detecting an emergency in the fuel tank and for outputting an emergency detection signal indicating said emergency;

a control means, coupled to the supply system and the tank emergency detecting system, for outputting a drive signal to drive the supply system;

wherein the control means outputs the drive signal under the condition that the tank-emergency detecting means outputs the emergency detection signal;

wherein the fuel tank has a wall surface, and

wherein the emergency detecting means comprises an electrically conductive line member provided on the wall surface of the fuel tank, and judgement means for outputting the emergency detection signal when the conductive line member is disconnected;

a temperature-emergency detection means for detecting temperature in the fuel tank and for outputting an emergency detection signal when the temperature in the fuel tank exceeds a predetermined threshold value of temperature;

an acceleration-emergency detection means for detecting acceleration of the vehicle and for outputting an emergency detection signal when the acceleration of the vehicle exceeds a first predetermined threshold value of acceleration, and for outputting an emergency supplement signal when the acceleration of the vehicle exceeds a second predetermined threshold value of acceleration that is less than the first predetermined threshold value of acceleration; and

a tilt-emergency detection means for detecting the tilt angle of the vehicle and for outputting an emergency tendency signal when the tilt angle exceeds a predetermined threshold value of tilt angle; and

wherein the control means

(1) outputs the drive signal, under the condition that at least one of the tank-emergency detection means, the temperature-emergency detection means, and the acceleration-emergency detection means outputs an emergency detection signal and

(2) outputs the drive signal to the supply system, under the condition that both the emergency supplement signal and the emergency tendency signal are outputted at the same time.

10. A safety apparatus for a fuel tank in a vehicle comprising:

a fuel tank for storing fuel;

a gelling agent tank for storing a gelling agent which can gelatinize the fuel;

a supply system, connected between the gelling agent tank and the fuel tank, for supplying the gelling agent in the gelling agent tank to the fuel tank;

tank-emergency detecting means, coupled to the fuel tank, for detecting an emergency in the fuel tank and for outputting an emergency detection signal indicating said emergency;

a control means, coupled to the supply system and the tank emergency detecting system, for outputting a drive signal to drive the supply system;

wherein the control means outputs the drive signal under the condition that the tank-emergency detecting means outputs the emergency detection signal

wherein the fuel tank has a wall surface, and the emergency detecting means comprises an electrically conductive line member provided on the wall surface of the fuel tank, and judgement means for outputting the emergency detection signal when the conductive line member is disconnected;

wherein the judgement means supplies a predetermined voltage to a first terminal of the electrically conductive line member, and judges whether or not the voltage of a second terminal of the conductive line member changes, and outputs the emergency detection signal when the voltage of the second terminal of the conductive line member changes.

11. A safety apparatus for a fuel tank as claimed in claim 10, wherein the judgement means comprises:

a voltage applying means for applying said predetermined voltage to the first terminal of the electrically conductive line member, and

a comparator for comparing the voltage of the second terminal of the conductive line member with a reference voltage and outputting the emergency detection signal on the basis of the compared results.