US 12,350,876 B2
Fuel tank with stiffening device
Albert J. Boecker, Ettlingen (DE); Dennis Schwager, Karlsruhe (DE); and Gerrit Michaelis, Durmersheim (DE)
Assigned to TI AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH, Rastatt (DE)
Filed by TI Automotive Technology Center GmbH, Rastatt (DE)
Filed on Jun. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/207,937.
Application 18/207,937 is a continuation of application No. 16/886,697, filed on May 28, 2020, granted, now 11,808,406.
Claims priority of application No. 19177664 (EP), filed on May 31, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0313945 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B60K 15/03 (2006.01); B29C 49/42 (2006.01); F17C 1/08 (2006.01); F17C 1/16 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 49/42 (2013.01) [F17C 1/08 (2013.01); F17C 1/16 (2013.01); F17C 2203/012 (2013.01); F17C 2203/013 (2013.01); F17C 2203/066 (2013.01); F17C 2205/0196 (2013.01); F17C 2209/2127 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel tank comprising:
a container wall having at least two opposite wall sections; and
a stiffening device situated between the two opposite wall sections, wherein the stiffening device has at least one connecting strut, each end of which has a strut profile section, which engages with a complementary wall profile section formed unitarily from the container wall in each on the two opposite wall sections of the container wall in a tension-resistant manner in such a way that the connecting strut absorbs compressive forces acting on the container wall;
wherein the complementary wall profile sections of the two opposite wall sections of the tank wall have an under-cut section, and wherein the strut profile sections are U-shaped with inwardly projecting feet at the ends of the U-shape, the strut profile sections extending around an exterior of the wall profile section such that the feet project into the under-cut section of the wall profile section when the strut is connected to the container wall;
wherein each strut profile section at the ends of the stiffening device face in a lateral direction such that strut profile sections are connected to the complementary wall profile sections of the container wall by laterally displacing the stiffening device in the lateral direction such that the strut profile sections mate with the complementary wall profile sections.