Vehicle fuel tank system for improved crashworthiness

摘要

A fuel tank system which has a revised mounting system and a revised location for the fuel system and fuel tanks to improve crashworthiness of the vehicle by reducing the occurrence of tank failure, fuel spillage, fire and/or explosion during and after a collision or similar event, while still providing a sufficient range for the vehicle. The fuel tanks are protected from damage from the side, bottom and between the tanks. The fuel tank mounting system also allows the energy associated with an event to be managed, such as by allowing the fuel tanks to be pushed or moved downwardly and/or laterally by the energy of the impact of a collision or similar event to a position in which the fuel tank is either out of the path of the impact or protected by the chassis or frame of the vehicle.

主权项

1. A fuel tank system for a vehicle, the fuel tank system comprising:
at least one fuel tank provided proximate frame rail members of the vehicle, the at least one fuel tank having atop wall positioned proximate a drive shaft of the vehicle, sloped walls of the at least one fuel tank extend from the top wall, a first portion of the at least one fuel tank extending between an extension of a vertical axis of each of the frame rail members and a second portion of the at least one fuel tank extending beyond the vertical axis of each of the frame rail members; a support structure having mounting members which are mounted to the frame rail members, the support structure provides impact protection to the at least one fuel tank; and the mounting members having middle sections which extend outward, away from respective frame rails members to which the mounting members are attached whereby as a lateral force is applied during an impact to the mounting members, the middle sections cooperate with sloped walls of the at least one fuel tank causing the lateral force to be partially translated to a downward force and a lateral force, causing the at least one fuel tank to be moved in a direction which is both lateral to the direction of a longitudinal axis of the frame rail members and perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the frame rail members, allowing the at least one fuel tank to be moved downwardly and laterally by the energy of the impact to a position in which the fuel tanks are out of the path of the impact or protected by the chassis of the vehicle.