Fuel tank

• US 8,579,062 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2011
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Niewoehner, Jens, Kiessling, Alexander, Speck, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dolak, James M
• Application Number:
  US13/029,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20110240389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 180/69.4, 280/834, 220/562, 220/62.22, 220/62.19, 220/62.15, 428/441, 428/457, 428/461, 428/516
• US Class Current: 180/69.4
• 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

Abstract

A fuel tank of a motor vehicle is mounted on a body structure of the motor vehicle via fastening elements. The fuel tank has a glass fiber reinforced shaped plastic part (12) as heat shield that at least partially covers a surface of the fuel tank and is mounted with the fuel tank on the body structure of the motor vehicle via the fastening elements.

Claims

1. A fuel tank of a motor vehicle, the fuel tank having a specified three dimensional shape, a glass fiber reinforced shaped plastic heat shielding part conforming to at least part of the three dimensional shape of the fuel tank so that the heat shielding part nests with and at least partially covers a surface of the fuel tank facing a heat source on the motor vehicle, the heat shielding part having a metallic coating on a surface of the heat shielding part facing away from the fuel tank and, fastening elements holding the heat shielding part nested together with the fuel tank and mounted on a body structure of the motor vehicle.

2. The fuel tank of claim 1, wherein the glass fiber reinforced shaped plastic part has first and second layers made from plastic and a third layer made from glass fiber reinforced plastic located between the first and second layers, the first layer or the second layer carrying the metallic coating.

3. The fuel tank of claim 2, wherein the plastic is a thermoplastic and the metallic coating is aluminum.

4. The fuel tank of claim 2, wherein the glass fiber reinforced shaped plastic has glass fibers distributed uniformly therein and embedded in a nondirectional manner.

5. A motor vehicle comprising:

a heat generating component;

a body structure component in proximity to the heat generating component;

a fuel tank in proximity to the heat generating component and the body structure component, the fuel tank having a specified contour;

a heat shield shaped to conform substantially to at least a portion of the fuel tank facing the heat generating component and nested over the portion of the fuel tank facing the heat generating component, the heat shield including a glass fiber reinforced shaped plastic part between the heat generating component and the fuel tank and a metal layer on a surface of the heat shield facing the heat generating component; and

at least one fastening strap holding the heat shield in nested relationship to the fuel tank and mounting both the fuel tank and the heat shield on the body structure component.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 5, wherein the glass fiber reinforced shaped plastic has opposite surfaces and the heat shield includes layers of thermoplastic on the opposite surfaces of the glass fiber reinforced shaped plastic.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 6, wherein the metal layer is an aluminum foil adhesively bonded to one of the layers of thermoplastic.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 5, wherein the heat generating component is a drive assembly of the motor vehicle.