Tank mounting mechanism and vehicle equipped with tank

• US 8,408,600 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kondo, Keiichi, Ito, Toshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Winner, Tony H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEAGLEY, DANIEL S
• Application Number:
  US12/531,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: 280/834, 224/538, 220/562, 220/581, 220/582, 206/305
• US Class Current: 280/834
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/07 of gas tanks
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/084 for small-sized storage vessels, e.g. compressed gas cylinders or bottles, disposable gas vessels, vessels adapted for automotive use
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0109 with exteriorly curved end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/035 with substantially horizontal main axis
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/056 Small (<1 m3)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/066 Plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0663 in form of fibers or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0103 Exterior arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0126 One vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/013 Two or more vessels
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0134 characterised by the presence of fluid connection between vessels
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0142 bundled in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0188 Hanging up devices
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0192 with external bearing means
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0338 Pressure regulators
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2209/228 by screws, bolts or rivets
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/012 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0123 gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/035 High pressure (>10 bar)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/036 Very high pressure (>80 bar)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/01 : Improving mechanical properties or manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/018 : Adapting dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0168 : by vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0178 : Cars
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0184 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 : Hydrogen storage

Abstract

A tank mounting technique of the invention effectively responds to a variation in size of a high-pressure tank T in its longitudinal direction and allows positioning of the high-pressure tank T around its longitudinal axis. A tank receiving recess 110 provided below a vehicle platform F has a pair of a front inclined surface 112F and a rear inclined surface 112R arranged to face each other across a concave groove 114. A side face of the high pressure tank T is brought into contact with both the inclined surfaces 112F and 112R. An end face of a tank positioning groove TVS formed on the high pressure tank T is brought into contact with a contact structure 121 of a tank edge bracket 120. This arrangement enables the high-pressure tank T to be positioned in a vehicle vertical direction and a vehicle front-back direction, as well as in the tank longitudinal direction (in a vehicle width direction). The tank positioning groove TVS is aligned with a notch 122 formed in the tank edge bracket 120 to specify a rotational position of the high-pressure tank T around its longitudinal axis.

Claims

1. A tank mounting mechanism configured to mount a long cylindrical tank on a vehicle, the tank mounting mechanism comprising:

a tank contact seat that is a recess provided on a vehicle body to receive a cylindrical side face of the tank transversely arranged;

a tank band structured to clamp the tank, which is received in the recess of the tank contact seat, against the recess;

a tank end face contact structure configured to come into contact with an end face of a tank edge member provided on at least one edge of the tank; and

a rotational positioning member provided on the tank end face contact structure to be aligned with a specific mark for tank rotational positioning formed on the end face of the tank edge member and thereby specifying a rotational position of the tank in contact with inclined surfaces facing each other of the tank contact seat,

wherein the rotational positioning member has a shaft that is movable back and forth from the tank end face contact structure on the side of the tank received in the recess, and allows an end of the shaft to fit in a groove as the specific mark formed on the end face of the tank edge member.

2. The tank mounting mechanism in accordance with claim 1, wherein the shaft is guided by a bush to move back and forth from the tank end face contact structure, has a tapered diameter element, and is pressed against the tank received in the tank contact seat under application of the pressing force of a jaw, and

the tank received in the tank contact seat is axially rotated in such a way that the tapered diameter element of the shaft is aligned with the groove as the specific mark to fit in the groove, thereby allowing the tapered diameter element to engage with an edge of the groove and specifying the rotational position of the tank.

3. The tank mounting mechanism in accordance with either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tank contact seat has a pair of inclined surfaces facing each other across the bottom of the recess, and allows the inclined surfaces facing each other to come in contact with the cylindrical side face of the tank at a different position on a periphery of the tank.

4. The tank mounting mechanism in accordance with any one of claims 1, wherein the tank end face contact structure is extended from the vehicle body to the tank in contact with the inclined surfaces facing each other of the tank contact seat.