Vehicle fuel tank

摘要

The inside wall of a fuel tank, and a sub-component are provided with locking means in the form of complementary formations that allow the sub-component to be coupled to the inside surface of the fuel tank wall. Interlocking of the complementary formations is achieved by moving the sub-component towards the wall providing angular movement to the sub-component relative to the fuel tank.

主权项

1. A fuel tank having a wall with an inside surface defining the interior of the tank and a fuel tank sub-component adapted to be coupled to said inside surface of the wall at a location in which the wall is free of openings that pass through the wall and without compromising the integrity of the wall;
the fuel tank comprising a plurality of spaced apart locking recesses formed in the wall of the fuel tank and a plurality of angled ramps, the ramps extending between a distal end spaced from an adjacent one of the locking recesses and a proximal end terminating at the adjacent one of the locking recesses, wherein each of the ramps slopes inwardly towards the interior of the fuel tank from the distal end to the proximal end; the fuel tank further comprising a plurality of undercut portions formed in the wall of the fuel tank, wherein the undercut portions are spaced between the locking recesses; the subcomponent comprising a central male locating element defining a central axis, a plurality of spaced apart locking elements connected to the locating element by attachment regions projecting radially from the locating element, and a plurality of retention wings extending radially from the locating element and spaced between adjacent locking elements; wherein the locking elements engage and slide along the angled ramps and are matingly received by the locking recesses and the retention wings are lockingly engaged with the undercut portions in response to rotation of the sub-component with respect to the wall of the fuel tank in a first direction to thereby interlock the sub-component to the fuel tank.