Fuel Tank Carrier-Strut Engagement for Tilt-Free Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
In existing fuel tank manufacturing methods, gaps between the carrier part and struts can lead to tilting of struts during transportation, resulting in degraded junction strength and potential joint failures.
Innovation Solution
The fuel tank design incorporates a carrier part with engaging parts that include biasing parts, such as leaf springs, which generate forces to keep struts aligned, and a temporary engagement structure to allow for post-molding contraction adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If gaps are left between the carrier part and struts for assembly ease, then ease of manufacture is improved, but the struts may tilt during transportation leading to degraded junction strength
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing part is pre-installed on the carrier part before assembly with the strut. This preliminary action ensures that when the strut is engaged with the carrier part, the biasing part automatically enters the space between the contact surfaces and generates biasing forces, preventing tilt during transportation and improving junction strength while maintaining ease of assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The biasing part acts as an intermediary element between the carrier part and the strut. It mediates the connection by generating biasing forces that push the contact surfaces apart, ensuring the strut remains aligned and preventing tilt during handling and transportation, thus resolving the contradiction between assembly ease and junction strength
2Strength
If the struts are rigidly fixed to the carrier part, then junction strength is improved, but post-molding contraction causes misalignment with the fuel tank
Solution Approach 1:
The engaging part is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing relative displacement between the strut and carrier part through the release of temporary engagement. This dynamic design enables the strut to follow post-molding contraction of the fuel tank while maintaining proper alignment, resolving the contradiction between junction strength and molding precision
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement state changes from temporarily engaged to released, allowing the position parameter of the strut to adjust according to post-molding contraction. This parameter change enables the system to maintain both strong junction and accurate alignment after molding
3Manufacturing precision
If temporary engagement structure is added to allow relative displacement, then molding accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The temporary engagement structure is pre-designed into the engaging part, with the lock rib and engaging groove formed as integral features. This preliminary design simplifies the overall structure while enabling the necessary temporary engagement function, reducing the impact of added complexity on the device
Solution Approach 2:
The temporary engagement structure is merged with the existing engaging part design, combining the lock rib, engaging groove, and biasing part into a unified structure. This merging approach achieves the temporary engagement function without significantly increasing device complexity, while improving molding accuracy
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances molding accuracy by preventing strut tilting and allowing for controlled sliding to accommodate post-molding contraction, thereby improving the reliability and integrity of the fuel tank.
Implementation Method 1
the engaging parts of the carrier part each includes a biasing part that, when the strut is engaged with the engaging part, enters a space between the upper contact surface and the lower contact surface and generates biasing forces
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel tank including a built-in component is provided. The built-in component includes: a carrier part being a rigid body including a plurality of engaging parts, and a plurality of struts each including an engageable part to be engaged with one of the engaging parts. The engageable part of the strut includes an upper contact surface and a lower contact surface, which are formed spaced apart from each other in a height direction. The engaging parts of the carrier part each includes a biasing part that, when the strut is engaged with the engaging part, enters a space between the upper contact surface and the lower contact surface and generates biasing forces in directions to move the upper contact surface and the lower contact surface away from each other.