Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Attorney Ref.: 1098P010CA01
VEHICLE TANK
TECHNICAL FIELD
One or more embodiments of this disclosure relate to a motor vehicle tank
comprising
a fuel tank and an additive container, for example, for urea.
BACKGROUND
It is known that modern motor vehicles can, in addition to a fuel tank for
storing fuel,
also carry at least one additive container, for example, for storing urea. An
additive
container of this type can be attached, for example, welded directly to the
outside of
the fuel tank. Motor vehicle tanks of this type are used, for example, in
lorries, in
particular, as diesel tanks.
SUMMARY
One or more embodiments of this disclosure is to provide a motor vehicle tank
which
requires a small amount of structural space and enables a medium to be stored
safely
in the additive container.
In accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure, a motor vehicle
tank
comprises a fuel tank having tank walls with at least one first opening, a
protected
region arranged inside the fuel tank that is accessible via the at least one
opening,
and at least one partition wall which separates the protected region from a
remaining
fuel tank region that is inside the fuel tank and not accessible via the
opening; and an
additive container arranged in the protected region of the fuel tank, the
additive
container having container walls defining a container for urea.
In accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the fuel tank
includes
a protected space or region, which is separated from the surrounding fuel tank
region(s) of the fuel tank in which the fuel is situated. The additive
container, which for
its part is a complete container with container walls, is arranged inside the
protected
region. Thus, the additive container is arranged inside the volume of the fuel
container
in a space-saving fashion, and can be fastened in the fuel container. The
contents of
the additive container are doubly protected, both by the partition wall with
respect to
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Attorney Ref.: 1098P010CA01
the tank region and also by the container walls of the additive container, in
order better
to prevent leaks from the additive container and/or, in the event of a leak,
to ensure
that the medium of the additive container comes into less contact, or no
contact at all,
with the fuel inside of the surrounding fuel tank region(s) of the fuel tank.
The partition wall is preferably a wall having no opening such that the
partition wall
separates the protected region from the fuel tank region(s) in a liquid-tight
fashion.
Alternatively, the partition wall can comprise a baffle such that movements of
the
medium of the fuel tank, in particular, diesel, towards the additive container
are slowed
down.
The protected region is preferably separated from the tank region by a sleeve-
like
partition wall, in particular, by a tube member or a profile member. A simple
tube
member, or alternatively, for example, a round, polygonal, or rectangular
profile
member, is pushed through the opening in order to form the dry space.
Alternatively,
the dry space can also be formed by a plurality of partition walls, for
example, by four
or five flat partition walls which together collectively form a cuboid dry
space with a
base or throughout the fuel tank.
The tank walls of the fuel tank preferably have a second opening on a side
opposite
the first opening. The partition wall, in particular, the sleeve-like
partition wall,
preferably extends from the first opening as far as the second opening over
the entire
diameter of the fuel tank.
The additive container is preferably arranged on a base of the fuel tank
and/or is
fastened to a base of the fuel tank. The diameter of the first opening, and
preferably
the diameter of the second opening, corresponds approximately to the diameter
of the
additive container. In that way, the additive container is readily accessible
for
maintenance purposes. The diameter of the first opening can make at least two
container openings and/or fittings of the additive container accessible. The
diameter
of the first opening can be at least 50 percent of the diameter of the
additive container
such that the top or upper side of the additive container exposed by the first
opening
is readily accessible. The diameter of the first opening can correspond at
least to the
diameter of the additive container such that the additive container can be
inserted into
the fuel tank and/or can be removed from the fuel tank via the first opening.
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Attorney Ref.: 1098P010CA01
A mounting device is provided for fastening the partition wall, in particular,
the sleeve-
like partition wall. The mounting device is preferably arranged at the first
opening and
preferably also at the second opening. The mounting device can be formed
circumferentially around the opening in order to hold a sleeve-like partition
wall with a
round cross-section.
A filling and/or extraction opening of the additive container can be
accessible via the
first opening of the partition wall of the fuel tank. The first opening of the
fuel tank and
preferably also the filling and/or extraction opening of the additive
container can be
arranged, in an installed position, at the top of the fuel tank or the
additive container.
In accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the additive
container
preferably has a cylindrical shape or cross-section. The fuel tank preferably
has a
cuboid shape or cross-section, a cylindrical shape or cross-section, or a D
shape or
cross-section, to form a shell with plane faces.
The first opening of the tank wall of the fuel tank is preferably formed in a
shell of the
fuel tank, particularly on a planar face of the shell of the fuel tank. Should
the fuel tank
generally have a circular shape or cross-section or a cylindrical shape or
cross-
section, a planar face can be formed, for example, in a region of the first
opening or
the first opening can also be formed on the curved face of the shell.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
One or more embodiments of this disclosure will be illustrated by way of
example in
the drawings and explained in the description hereinbelow.
Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a motor vehicle tank, in accordance
with one or
more embodiments.
Fig. 2 illustrates a top view of the motor vehicle tank of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 illustrates a front sectional view of the motor vehicle tank of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a motor vehicle tank, in accordance
with one or
more embodiments.
Fig. 5 illustrates a top view of the motor vehicle tank of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 illustrates a perspective view of an end section of the motor vehicle
tank of Fig.
4 that surrounds the protected region.
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Attorney Ref.: 1098P010CA01
Fig. 7 illustrates a sectional view of an end of the motor vehicle tank
according to
section A-A of Fig. 5.
Fig. 8 illustrates a front, sectional view according to section B-B of Fig. 7.
Fig. 9 illustrates a sectional view in section according to Fig. 7 of a motor
vehicle tank,
in accordance with one or more embodiments.
Fig. 10 illustrates a sectional view in section corresponding to Fig. 8 of the
motor
vehicle tank of Fig. 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, a motor vehicle tank is provided in accordance
with an
embodiment. The motor vehicle tank comprises a fuel tank 1 and an additive
container
2 for a liquid medium such as, for example urea, is arranged in the fuel tank
1. The
fuel tank 1 has tank walls 4 which form a container of the fuel tank 1. The
additive
container 2 includes container walls 3 which form a container of the additive
container
2 that contains the liquid medium. The fuel tank 1 essentially has a cuboid
shape or
cross-section, while the additive container 2 essentially has a cylindrical
shape or
cross-section.
The tank walls 4 of the fuel tank 1 have a first opening 5 on the top or upper
side of
the shell of the fuel tank 1, and a second opening 7 opposite the first
opening 5 on an
underside or bottom of the fuel tank 1. The first opening 5 and the second
opening 7
are formed essentially opposite each other on planar faces of the shell of the
fuel tank
1.
A protected region inside the fuel tank 1, which is accessible via the opening
5, is
separated by a sleeve-like or tubular partition wall 6 from a remaining tank
region
inside the fuel tank 1. The protected region extends from the first opening 5
as far as
the second opening 7, i.e., over the entire diameter of the fuel tank 1. The
protected
region has approximately the same shape or cross-section and the same diameter
as
the first opening 5 and the second opening 7. The additive container 2 is
arranged in
the protected region.
The partition wall 6, i.e., the tubular member, is a wall with no opening such
that the
partition wall 6 separates the protected region from the surrounding tank
region(s) in
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Attorney Ref.: 1098P010CA01
a liquid-tight fashion.
One or more mounting devices 9, arranged at the first opening and the second
opening 7, is operable to fasten the partition wall 6 in the fuel tank 1. The
mounting
devices 9 extend circumferentially around the first opening 5 and the second
opening
7.
A filling and/or extraction opening of the additive container 2 can be
accessible via the
first opening 5 of the tank wall 4 of the fuel tank 1.
As illustrated in Figs. 4 to 10, a motor vehicle tank is provided in
accordance with
another embodiment.
The embodiment of Figs. 4 to 10 differs from the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3
especially
in that a flat wall is used as the partition wall 6. The partition wall 6
separates off a
region of the fuel tank 1 which is situated at the front as a protected
region. The
partition wall 6 can here be a complete wall which separates in a liquid-tight
fashion,
as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, or the partition wall 6 can be constructed as
a baffle with
passage openings for the fuel in the fuel tank 1, as illustrated in Figs. 9
and 10.
A filling and extraction opening of the additive container 2 is accessible via
the first
opening 5 of the tank wall 4 of the fuel tank 1. At least two openings and/or
fittings, for
example, for ventilating the additive container 2, are preferably accessible
via the first
opening 5.
In all embodiments, the additive container 2 essentially forms a cylindrical
tank with
its own container walls 3. The additive container 2 is situated on the base 8
of the fuel
tank 1 and/or is fastened on the base 8 of the fuel tank 1.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-04-18
Attorney Ref.: 1098P010CA01
LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS
1 fuel tank
2 additive container
3 container walls
4 tank walls
5 first opening
6 partition wall
7 second opening
8 base
9 mounting device
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-04-18
