Vehicle structural assembly comprising a fuel tank and associated vehicle

Abstract

Vehicle structural assembly comprising a fuel tank and associated vehicle. The invention relates to a vehicle structural assembly (50) comprising a fuel tank (9) and means for attaching the tank (9) to a vehicle chassis (10), the tank (9) being made of polymer material and comprising a mounting lug (61, 62, 64), the mounting means comprising a mounting bracket (51, 52) comprising a first portion, a second portion connected at a right angle to the first portion, a third portion connected to the first portion by the second portion, the third portion being attached to the mounting lug by being located opposite the first portion with respect to the second portion, the mounting bracket (51, 52) comprising a stiffening arm connecting the first portion or the third portion to the second portion. (Figure 4)

Description

Title of the invention: Structural assembly of a vehicle comprising a fuel tank and associated vehicle

[0001] The present invention relates to the fields of mechanics and automobiles, and more specifically concerns a structural assembly comprising a fuel tank and means for attaching the tank to a vehicle chassis.

[0002] Fuel tanks of motor vehicles are often attached to the vehicle chassis using mounting brackets. It is particularly common to find tanks made of steel and mounting brackets of the same material, which secure the tank to the chassis.

[0003] The assembly must in particular take into account manufacturing variations of the tank, fixing parts and chassis elements, as well as assembly clearances between these different components.

[0004] Other constraints relating to shock resistance, cost, durability, vibration resistance and ease of mounting the tank on the chassis have been taken into account by the inventors.

[0005] Furthermore, environmental constraints require manufacturers to restructure the arrangement of components of motor vehicles, and in particular to take into account the implementation of new materials with less impact on the carbon footprint of the vehicle.

[0006] In this context, the inventors had to think about a fuel tank arranged horizontally under the floor of a vehicle and made of plastic material, for example polymer material, so as to lighten the vehicle to generate less carbon dioxide emissions than with a steel fuel tank.

[0007] Figure 1 illustrates a first mounting of a polymer tank 9 on a vehicle chassis 1, comprising wheels 8. A direction A of forward movement of the vehicle 1 is indicated by an arrow and corresponds to a longitudinal direction X of the vehicle 1, parallel to the ground 7 on which the vehicle travels. A vertical direction Z orthogonal to the ground 7 is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction X and to a transverse direction Y, the trihedron (X, Y, Z) in Figure 1 being orthonormal.

[0008] It should be noted that in this patent application, the vertical Z, longitudinal X and transverse Y directions are defined with respect to the vehicle in question. The terms "vertical", "transverse" or "longitudinal" therefore refer, unless otherwise stated, to these directions.

[0009] The tank 9 is fixed under a floor 2 of the vehicle 1, on one side to a wall extending vertically under the floor 2 and on the other side to a cross member 3 of the vehicle chassis, fixed to the floor 2. The attachment to the crossmember 3 is achieved via a U-shaped steel mounting bracket 4, welded at its tabs to the crossmember 3, also via a steel mounting tab 5 and a mounting lug 6 made of the same material as the tank 9. More specifically, the mounting tab 5 comprises:

[0010] - a first portion, arranged horizontally, screwed to part of the support 4 forming the base of the U,

[0011] - a second vertical portion connecting the first portion to a third portion, arranged horizontally, from the fixing bracket 5,

[0012] - the third portion, screwed to the fixing ear 6.

[0013] This mounting of the tank 9 under the chassis allows the tank 9 to be fixed to the cross member 3, being robust to the vertical and horizontal dispersions of the fixing bracket 5, to the positioning inaccuracies of the fixing lug 6 and also to the positioning inaccuracies of the tank 9 relative to the floor 2. In particular the intermediate presence of the U-shaped support 4, between the cross member 3 and the tank, allows adaptation to the position of the fixing lug 6 on the tank 9, defined by the supplier of the tank 9.

[0014] The inventors have, however, found that this assembly poses a problem in the event of a violent impact at the rear of the vehicle, as shown in [Fig. 2]. A force F exerted by an impact at the rear of the vehicle, parallel to the direction of travel A of the vehicle and directed from outside the vehicle towards it, generates a deformation of the polymer tank 9, which is less rigid than a steel tank. This causes the mounting lug 6 to rotate and deforms the mounting bracket 5, which is then liable to strike the tank 9, risking tearing it and causing a fire.

[0015] There is therefore a need for a fuel tank fixing, made at least partly of polymer material, to a vehicle chassis, which is shock-resistant, easy to install given manufacturing variations and assembly clearances of the elements involved, inexpensive, durable and which has good vibration resistance.

[0016] To provide at least part of this, the invention proposes a vehicle structural assembly comprising a fuel tank and means for attaching the tank to a vehicle chassis, the tank being at least partly made of polymer material and comprising at least one attachment lug around its circumference, the attachment means comprising at least one attachment bracket including a first portion intended to be positioned parallel to a vehicle floor, a second portion connected at a right angle to the first portion, a third portion intended to be positioned parallel to the floor and connected to the first portion by the second portion, the third portion being fixed to the fixing ear by being located opposite the first portion with respect to the second portion, the structural assembly being characterized in that the fixing lug includes at least one stiffening arm connecting the first portion or the third portion to the second portion.

[0017] The first, second, and third portions are substantially flat, that is, the first and third portions extend mainly parallel to each other, while the second portion extends mainly orthogonally to the first and third portions. These portions may nevertheless each have slightly curved edges, pins, or positioning tabs that differ locally from a predominantly flat part of the portion in question.

[0018] It is noteworthy that the second portion extends perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly to the direction of a violent impact suffered by the vehicle, but that it is only found across the impact after the first portion has been impacted, so that the lever arm only allows to generate a limited normal reaction.

[0019] The stiffening arm connects one of the parallel portions to the second portion perpendicular to the impact experienced by the vehicle. This stiffening arm is thus configured to transmit the forces to the second portion and increase the longitudinal component of the normal reaction exerted by the mounting bracket against the force developed by the impact experienced by the vehicle.

[0020] This reaction force, increased by the presence of the stiffening arm, is sufficient to prevent rotation of the mounting bracket and the mounting ear, which would otherwise damage the tank. The invention thus secures the dispersion-tolerant, durable, and inexpensive mounting system as envisioned by the inventors. Furthermore, the invention ensures good vibration resistance of the mounting means.

[0021] According to an optional feature of the invention, the stiffening arm connects the first or third portion to the second portion at an angle, with one edge of the stiffening arm being fixed to the first or third portion and a second edge of the stiffening arm being fixed to the second portion. The angled orientation of the stiffening arm makes it possible to accentuate the increase in the horizontal component of the normal reaction, so as to optimize the compensation of the force F due to an impact on the rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, the second edge of the stiffening arm extends over all or part of a dimension of the second portion, orthogonal to the direction of the impact, and this makes it possible to distribute the forces over the second portion and to increase the surface area from which a normal reaction to the force can be exerted to compensate for the impact force.

[0022] The stiffening arm connects one of the first and third portions to the second portion and has one end fixed to an end portion of the second portion, the end portion being located respectively in the extension of the other of the first and third portions.

[0023] According to an optional feature of the invention, the stiffening arm connects the first portion to the second portion, the first edge of the stiffening arm extending to a free end of the first portion and / or the second edge of the stiffening arm extending near the junction between the second and third portions. The position of the first edge allows the forces to be absorbed as soon as the impact tends to deform the first portion, particularly since the free end of the first portion is the end opposite the tank and therefore the end destined to be impacted first by the shock suffered by the vehicle. The position of the second edge of the stiffening arm tends to transmit the forces directly to the third portion, and this allows the third portion to be more effectively involved in generating a normal longitudinal reaction force, without bending it.

[0024] The thickness of the stiffening arm is, for example, identical to the thickness of the second portion. Thus, the stiffening arm can be manufactured from the same sheet metal as the mounting bracket, which reduces costs.

[0025] The first, second, and third portions extend, for example, in a transverse direction, and the mounting bracket comprises two stiffening arms, spaced apart in this transverse direction, orthogonal to the principal extension planes of each of the stiffening arms. In other words, in this embodiment, the mounting bracket is doubly reinforced by two stiffening arms that extend at a distance from each other, extending respectively primarily orthogonally to the portions of the mounting bracket. When the structural assembly according to the invention is fixed to the vehicle chassis, the stiffening arms then extend in a vertical and longitudinal plane.

[0026] The stiffening arms are, for example, connected by a crossbar, the crossbar and the stiffening arms forming a single component joined by welding, particularly on the second portion of the mounting bracket. This embodiment of the invention is inexpensive compared to an alternative embodiment in which the stiffening arms and the mounting bracket are made from a single piece of material. Indeed, by making the stiffening arms as a single component, this can be produced by bending, while the rest of the mounting bracket can be made by stamping. Thus, simple manufacturing processes are used, whereas choosing a single component made from a single piece of material requires a much more expensive manufacturing process. Furthermore, the crossbar provides a substantial welding surface for the component on the second portion of the mounting bracket. Each of the stiffening arms is also preferably welded at its ends to the second portion and to the first or third portion.

[0027] The structural assembly according to the invention further comprises, preferably, a U-shaped mounting bracket intended to be welded by its arms to a cross member of the chassis, the first portion comprising means for attachment to a part of the bracket forming the base of the U. It should be noted that the structural assembly according to the invention may not include a U-shaped bracket when the mounting tab can be directly attached to the cross member. However, this condition depends on the dimensions of the mounting tab and the positioning of the mounting lug, which are subject to assembly clearances.

[0028] In addition, the first portion of the mounting bracket is optionally extended by positioning brackets cooperating with the U-shaped mounting support. These positioning brackets facilitate the mounting of the mounting bracket, particularly when it is not oriented parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0029] The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising a structural assembly according to the invention, as well as the chassis crossmember, and in which the first portion is fixed to the U-shaped support at the level of the part of the support forming the base of the U.

[0030] The fastening means comprise, for example, a first fastening tab fixed on one side to a first fixing lug of the tank and on the other side to a first U-shaped support welded to the cross member, and a second fastening tab fixed on one side to a second fixing lug of the tank and on the other side to a second U-shaped support welded to the cross member, the tank being fixed, on the side opposite the cross member, by a third and a fourth fixing lug of the tank, to a wall of the chassis arranged orthogonally to the floor, the tank being arranged between this wall and the cross member.

[0031] The third and fourth mounting lugs are, for example, fixed to the wall by brackets. Such an arrangement protects the tank from an impact occurring at the front of the vehicle.

[0032] The vehicle according to the invention optionally includes a rigid belt attached on one side to the first or second mounting lug of the tank and on the other side to the third or fourth mounting lug of the tank, the first or second mounting lug respectively being clamped between the rigid belt and the first or second mounting bracket respectively. The rigid belt is, for example, positioned diagonally with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle. It is particularly useful for limiting the displacement of the mounting bracket following a force F exerted by a violent impact on the vehicle.

[0033] The vehicle according to the invention has advantages similar to those of the structural assembly according to the invention.

[0034] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description on the one hand, and from several illustrative and non-limiting examples of embodiments given by reference to the accompanying schematic drawings on the other hand, in which:

[0035] [Fig. 1], already discussed, represents a vehicle on which a fuel tank made of polymer material is mounted, using flexible and inexpensive fastening means but which do not sufficiently secure the fuel tank in the event of a rear-end collision.

[0036] [Fig.2], already discussed, represents the vehicle of [Fig.1] following a collision at the rear of the vehicle, and in particular the deteriorated condition of the fastening devices and the fuel tank,

[0037] [Fig.3] illustrates in perspective a structural assembly according to the invention, fixed to a vehicle chassis, seen from underneath a vehicle, the structural assembly comprising a fuel tank and means for fixing the tank to a cross member of the chassis, in one embodiment of the invention,

[0038] [Fig.4] illustrates in perspective and in isolation the structural assembly and the cross member of [Fig. 3], seen from underneath the vehicle,

[0039] [Fig.5] illustrates in perspective a first fixing bracket of the structural assembly of figures 3 and 4, as well as a U-shaped support cooperating with this first fixing bracket,

[0040] [Fig.6] is another perspective view of the first fixing lug of [Fig.5], without the U-shaped support,

[0041] [Fig.7] illustrates in perspective a variant embodiment of a fixing bracket of a structural assembly according to the invention, cooperating with a U-shaped support welded to a crossmember of a vehicle chassis,

[0042] [Fig.8] illustrates in perspective a second fixing lug of the structural assembly of figures 3 and 4, as well as a U-shaped support cooperating with this second fixing lug,

[0043] [Fig.9] is another perspective view of the second fixing lug of [Fig.8], without the U-shaped bracket, and

[0044] [Fig. 10] is a view from below the vehicle, of the structural assembly of figures 3 and 4, fixed to the vehicle chassis, and further comprising a rigid belt joining two fuel tank fixing lugs.

[0045] According to an embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 3 and 4, a vehicle 10 according to the invention comprises a structural assembly 50 according to the invention. The vertical Z, longitudinal X, and transverse Y directions are defined with respect to the vehicle 10 in the same manner as their definition with respect to the vehicle 1 in Figures 1 and 2.

[0046] The vehicle 10 has a floor 2, the face of which is shown in [Fig.3] facing the road on which the vehicle 10 travels. In other words, the floor is seen here from below to make visible in particular a fuel tank located under the floor.

[0047] A cross member 3 of a vehicle chassis 10 is fixed to the floor 2 facing the road. A wall 11 of the vehicle extends the floor 2 vertically towards the road, without reaching it.

[0048] The structural assembly 50, arranged facing the road, under the floor, includes a fuel tank 9 and means for attaching the tank 9 to the chassis of the vehicle 10.

[0049] The tank 9 has a plurality of mounting lugs around its circumference for use with the fastening means. Here, the tank has a first mounting lug 61, a second mounting lug 62, a third mounting lug 63, and a fourth mounting lug 64 (visible [Fig. 4]). These mounting lugs are located at mid-height of the tank 9 in the vertical direction Z perpendicular to the floor 2 of the vehicle 10.

[0050] In particular, the first and second fixing lugs 61, 62 are fixed to opposite ends of a first face of the tank 9 located opposite the cross member 3.

[0051] The means for attaching the tank 9 to the chassis of the vehicle 10 include, in particular, the first and second mounting brackets 51, 52, as well as first and second U-shaped pieces 41, 42 forming mounting supports connected to the crossmember so as to be interposed between the mounting brackets and this crossmember. Each mounting support 41, 42 has a central base and two arms extending from the base at each end to give the support its U-shape. The arms of a mounting support are connected to the crossmember, and the base of this support is connected to a mounting bracket, each mounting bracket and its corresponding mounting support allowing one of the mounting lugs 61, 62 attached to the tank to be connected to the crossmember.

[0052] The first fixing ear 61 is screwed to the first fixing lug 51 which is itself screwed to a first U-shaped support 41 whose arms are welded, at least at their ends, to the cross member 3. It is visible in figures 3 and 4 that the arms of the first U-shaped support 41 keep the base of this first support away from the cross member 3, so that a nut can be screwed between the cross member 3 and the base, onto a threaded screw rod inserted into screw holes located in the base and in the first fixing lug 51.

[0053] Similarly, the second mounting lug 62 is screwed to a second mounting tab 52, which is itself screwed to a second U-shaped support 42, the arms of which are welded, at least at their ends, to the cross member 3. The arms of the second The U-shaped support 42 also maintains the base of the U of the second support 42 at a distance from the cross member 3. As can be seen [Fig. 4], the second mounting bracket 52 connects the second lug 62 to the cross member 3 and to the second U-shaped support 42 at an angle; that is to say, viewed in a plane parallel to the floor 2, here a longitudinal-transverse plane, the second mounting bracket 52 does not connect orthogonally to the first face of the tank 9, located opposite the cross member 3. In other words, there is a transverse offset between, on the one hand, the connection between the mounting bracket and the lug, and on the other hand, the connection between said bracket and the U-shaped mounting support.

[0054] Of course, the fixings of the mounting lugs 61, 62 to the mounting brackets 51, 52 on the one hand, and of the mounting brackets 51, 52 to the U-shaped supports 41, 42 on the other hand, can use means other than screws. For example, these fixings can employ rivets or welds.

[0055] The third and fourth fixing lugs 63, 64 are fixed on either side of a second face of the tank 9 located opposite the first face with respect to the tank 9. These third and fourth fixing lugs 63, 64 are each screwed to steel brackets 53, welded to the wall 11.

[0056] The reservoir 9 is therefore fixed on one side to the wall 11 and on the other side to the cross member 3.

[0057] The fixing lugs 61, 62, 63 and 64 came from the material with the reservoir 9, which is, for example, made of a polymer material, such as high-density polyethylene. The tank 9 is optionally reinforced with carbon or glass fibers and is therefore possibly made of a composite material. The first and second mounting lugs 51, 52 are metallic, for example, made of steel with a thickness of, for example, 2.5 mm (millimeter). The first and second U-shaped supports 41, 42 are also metallic, for example, made of steel with a thickness of, for example, 1.6 mm.

[0058] In order to limit the displacement of the first and second mounting brackets 51, 52 during a rear-end impact on the vehicle 10, exerting a longitudinal force directed from the crossmember 3 towards the tank 9, the first and second mounting brackets 51, 52 each comprise a first portion 510, 520 formed by stamping, and a second portion 515, 525 formed by folding. The second portion 515, 525 forms a stiffening assembly for the mounting bracket, designed to reinforce the right-angled shape of the first portion, in particular by generating a normal reaction to the force exerted by the impact, which has a non-zero horizontal and longitudinal component that partially cancels out the force exerted by the impact.

[0059] Figures 5 and 6 show in more detail the embodiment of the first mounting bracket 51. The first part 510 of the first mounting bracket 51 comprises a first portion 511, a second portion 512 connected at a right angle to the first portion 511, and a third portion 513 connected at a right angle to the second portion 512, being located opposite the first portion 511 in relation to the second portion 512. These portions are all substantially flat, the first and third portions 511, 513 being arranged parallel to the floor 2 of the vehicle 10 when the first fixing tab 51 is screwed to the first U-shaped support 41 and to the first fixing lug 61.

[0060] The first portion 511 has a screw hole for receiving a screw that also passes through a screw hole located in the base 411 (visible in particular [Fig. 7]) of the first U-shaped support 41. Indeed, the first portion is intended to cap this base 411 of the first U-shaped support 41. The edges of the first, second, and third portions 511, 512, and 513 are slightly curved towards the cross member 3. The third portion 513 also has a screw hole for receiving a screw that also passes through a screw hole located in the first fixing lug 61.

[0061] The two arms 410, 412 of the first U-shaped support 41, extending from the base 411 towards the cross member 3, are substantially flat and each comprises an end portion intended to be welded to the cross member 3, and a connecting portion located between the end portion and the base 411, allowing the base 411 to be raised relative to the cross member 3 for the passage of a tool. One of these connecting portions, located on the arm 412 intended to be welded on the side of the cross member 3 facing the reservoir 9, is oblique (also visible in [Fig. 7]) in a vertical and longitudinal plane.

[0062] Referring back to Figures 5 and 6, the second portion 515 of the first mounting bracket 51 forms a stiffening assembly comprising two stiffening arms 516, 518, and a crossbar 517 connecting the two stiffening arms 516, 518. Since the second portion 515 is formed by folding a piece of sheet metal, each of the stiffening arms 516, 518, as well as the crossbar 517, are substantially flat. In particular, each stiffening arm 516, 518 extends obliquely between the first portion 511 and the second portion 512 of the first portion 510 of the first mounting bracket 51, extending in a principal plane parallel to a vertical and longitudinal plane. The crossbar 517 is welded by one of its principal faces to the second portion 512.

[0063] A first end edge 501 of each stiffening arm 516, 518 is welded to the first portion 511. As illustrated, this first end edge 501 extends substantially in the vicinity of a free end of the first portion 511, that is, the end opposite the junction of the first portion 511 and the second portion 512. The stiffening arm is thus directly operational for participating in the normal reaction against the forces of an impact sustained by the vehicle, and the angled orientation between the stiffening arm and the first support allows for the direct generation of a longitudinal component. It is noteworthy that in this context, the first portion 511 is caught in a pincer between the stiffening arm and the first U-shaped support 41. Thus each stiffening arm makes it possible to create a firmer support for the fixing bracket against the cross member 3, the fixing bracket thus being able to better resist a longitudinal force exerted by an impact at the rear of the vehicle 10.

[0064] A second end edge 502 of each stiffening arm 516, 518 is welded to the second portion 512, and more particularly here at the junction with the second portion 512 and the third portion 513, in the extension of the third portion 513.

[0065] An alternative embodiment of the invention is now described in relation to [Fig. 7], in which the first fixing lug 51 is replaced by a fixing lug 51b. The other elements are identical to those of the main embodiment of the invention and are referenced in the same way.

[0066] The mounting bracket 51b comprises, similarly to the first mounting bracket 51, a first portion 511b, a second portion 512b connected at a right angle to the first portion 511b, and a third portion 513b connected at a right angle to the second portion 512b, being located opposite the first portion 511b with respect to the second portion 512b. These portions are all substantially flat, the first portion 511b having a screw hole enabling it to be fixed to the first U-shaped support 41, and the third portion 513b having a screw hole enabling it to be fixed to the first mounting lug 61.

[0067] Unlike the first fixing bracket 51, the fixing bracket 51b has two stiffening arms 516b and 518b formed from the same material as the rest of the fixing bracket 51b. Each stiffening arm 516b and 518b forms a triangular surface in a vertical and longitudinal plane, one side of which corresponds to an edge of the second portion 512b and another side extends from the second portion 512b, along at least part of an edge of the first portion 511b.

[0068] In this embodiment, the fixing bracket 51b is made for example by a first folding operation where the stiffening arms extending the second portion, respectively the first portion, are folded perpendicularly to this second portion or this first portion, then a second welding operation of the free edges of the stiffening arms 516b, 518b on an edge of the first portion 511b, respectively of the second portion 512b.

[0069] On a vehicle, each mounting bracket can be made according to one or the other of the embodiments, for example depending on the forces it is intended to withstand during a violent impact.

[0070] Returning to the main embodiment of the invention, the embodiment of the second fixing lug 52 is shown in detail in Figures 8 and 9. This second fixing lug 52 is made in a similar way to the first fixing lug 51.

[0071] In particular, the first part 520 of the second fixing lug 52 comprises a first portion 521, a second portion 522 connected at a right angle to the first portion 521, and a third portion 523 connected at a right angle to the second portion 522, being located opposite the first portion 521 with respect to the second portion 522. These portions are all substantially flat, the first and third portions 521, 523 being arranged parallel to the floor 2 of the vehicle 10 when the second fixing lug 52 is screwed to the second U-shaped support 42 and to the second fixing lug 62.

[0072] The first and third portions 521, 523 of the second fixing lug 52 have screw passage holes for their fixing respectively to the second U-shaped support 42 and to the second fixing lug 62.

[0073] The first portion 521 of the second fixing lug 52 covers the second U-shaped support 42 thanks in particular to positioning lugs 524 extending at right angles from the first portion 521 and coming to rest against the edges of the base of the second U-shaped support 42. The second fixing lug 52 being fixed at an angle on the second U-shaped support 42, these positioning lugs 524 allow an operator to more easily hold the second fixing lug 52 on the second U-shaped support 42 when screwing one onto the other, than if these positioning lugs 524 did not exist.

[0074] The two arms 420, 422 of the second U-shaped support 42, which extend from the base of the second U-shaped support 42 towards the cross member 3, are identical to the arms 410, 412 respectively of the first U-shaped support 41, and are fixed to the cross member 3 in the same way.

[0075] The second part 525 of the second fixing bracket 52 is substantially identical in shape to the second part 515 of the first fixing bracket 51. In particular, it comprises two stiffening arms 526, 528, and a crossbar 527 connecting the two stiffening arms 526, 528. The crossbar 527 is welded by one of its main faces to the second portion 522.

[0076] A first end of each stiffening arm 526, 528 is welded to an end portion of the second portion 522, located in the extension of the third portion 523, while a second end of each stiffening arm 526, 528 is welded to the first portion 521. Due to the angled positioning of the second fixing lug 52 on the second U-shaped support 42, these second ends of the stiffening arms 526, 528 bear very little directly on the base of the second U-shaped support 42.

[0077] As mentioned, the second parts 515, 525 of the first and second fixing brackets 51, 52 make it possible to sufficiently reinforce the fixing means of the tank 9 to secure it when the vehicle 10 is subjected to a rear impact.

[0078] In order to further secure the tank 9, by further blocking movement of the first and second fixing lugs 61, 62 towards the front of the vehicle, one or more rigid straps optionally connect the first or second fixing lug 61, 62 to the third or fourth fixing lug 63, 64.

[0079] Fig. 10 illustrates such a rigid belt 60, connecting obliquely, with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the second attachment lug 62 to the third attachment lug 63. The rigid belt 60 is, for example, a flat steel bar conforming to the shape of the tank from the second attachment lug 62 to the third attachment lug 63, being substantially straight when viewed from a plane parallel to the floor 2 of the vehicle 10.

[0080] The rigid belt 60 is screwed at each of its ends to one of the second or third fixing lugs 62, 63. The second fixing lug 62 is thus clamped between the rigid belt 60 and the second fixing lug 52, which allows both the rigid belt 60 and the second fixing lug 52 to help limit the movement of the second fixing lug 62, due to a rear impact on the vehicle 10.

[0081] Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples just described, and many modifications can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the features of different embodiments of the invention can be combined to carry out the invention, provided that these embodiments are not incompatible with each other.

Claims

Demands

1. A vehicle structural assembly (50) comprising a fuel tank (9) and means for attaching the tank (9) to a vehicle chassis (10), the tank (9) being at least partly made of polymer material and comprising at least one attachment lug (61, 62, 63, 64) on its periphery, the attachment means comprising at least one attachment tab (51, 52, 51b) comprising a first portion (511, 521, 511b) intended to be arranged parallel to a floor (2) of the vehicle (10), a second portion (512, 522, 512b) connected at a right angle to the first portion (511, 521, 511b), a third portion (513, 523, 513b) intended to be arranged parallel to the floor (2) and connected to the first portion (511, 521, 511b) by the second portion (512, 522, 512b), the third portion (513, 523, 513b) being fixed to the fixation ear (61, 62) by being located opposite the first portion (511, 521, 511b) in relation to the second portion (512, 522,512b), the structural assembly (50) being characterized in that the fixing bracket (51, 52) comprises at least one stiffening arm (516, 518, 526, 528, 516b, 518b) connecting the first portion (511, 521, 511b) or the third portion (513, 523, 513b) to the second portion (512, 522, 512b).

2. Structural assembly (50) according to claim 1, wherein the stiffening arm (516, 518, 526, 528, 516b, 518b) diagonally connects the first portion (511, 521, 511b) or the third portion (513, 523, 513b) to the second portion (512, 522, 512b), a first edge (501) of the stiffening arm being fixed to the first portion (511, 521, 511b) or the third portion (513, 523, 513b) and a second edge (502) of the stiffening arm being fixed to the second portion (512, 522, 512b).

3. Structural assembly (50) according to claim 2, wherein the stiffening arm (516, 518, 526, 528, 516b, 518b) connects one of the first and third portions (511, 521, 511b, 513, 523, 513b) to the second portion (512, 522, 512b) and has an end fixed to an end portion of the second portion (512, 522, 512b), the end portion being situated respectively in the extension of the other of the first and third portions.

4. Structural assembly (50) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the thickness of the stiffening arm (516, 518, 526, 528, 516b, 518b) is identical to the thickness of the second portion (512, 522, 512b).

5. Structural assembly (50) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first (511, 521, 511b), the second portion (512, 522, 512b) and the third portion (513, 523, 513b) extending in a transverse direction (Y), the fixing bracket (51, 52, 51b) comprises two stiffening arms (516, 518, 526, 528, 516b, 518b), spaced apart from each other in this transverse direction (Y), orthogonal to principal extension planes of each of the stiffening arms (516, 518, 526, 528, 516b, 518b).

6. Structural assembly (50) according to claim 5, wherein the stiffening arms (516, 518, 526, 528) are connected by a crossbar (517, 527), the crossbar (517, 527) and the stiffening arms (516, 518, 526, 528) forming an added part (515, 525) by welding, in particular on the second portion (512, 522) of the fixing lug (51, 52).

7. Structural assembly (50) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a U-shaped mounting bracket (41, 42) intended to be welded by its arms (410, 412, 420, 422) to a cross member (3) of the chassis, the first portion (511, 521, 511b) comprising means for attachment to a part (411) of the support forming the base of the TT

8. U. Vehicle (10) comprising a structural assembly (50) according to claim 7, as well as the cross member (3) of the chassis, and in which the first portion (511, 521, 511b) is fixed to the U-shaped support (41, 42) at the level of the part (411) of the support forming the base of the U.

9. Vehicle (10) according to claim 8, wherein the fastening means comprise a first fastening lug (51) fixed on one side to a first lug (61) for fixing the tank (9) and on the other side to a first U-shaped support (41) welded to the cross member (3), and a second fastening lug (52) fixed on one side to a second lug for fixing the tank (9) and on the other side to a second U-shaped support (42) welded to the cross member (3), the tank (9) being fixed, on the side opposite the cross member (3), by a third (63) and a fourth (64) lug for fixing the tank (9), to a wall (11) of the chassis arranged orthogonally to the floor (2), the tank (9) being arranged between this wall (11) and the cross member (3).

10. Vehicle (10) according to claim 9, comprising a rigid belt (60) fixed on one side to the first or second fixing lug (61, 62) of the tank (9) and on the other side to the third (63) or fourth fixing lug (64) of the tank (9), the first fixing lug (61) or respectively the second fixing lug (62) being clamped between the rigid belt (60) and respectively the first fixing tab (51) or the second fixing tab (52).

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