Plastic Fuel Tank Support Structure Without Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plastic fuel tanks face challenges in manufacturing efficiency and cost due to the complexity of welding supporting elements, which are sensitive to movement during the process, and lack sufficient mechanical stiffness.
Innovation Solution
A plastic fuel tank design with integrated receiving structures for supporting elements, allowing stable attachment without welding the outer surfaces, and featuring a stepped cavity to secure the flange, simplifying manufacturing and enhancing mechanical stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If supporting elements are welded to the fuel tank body, then mechanical stiffness is improved, but manufacturing complexity and time increase due to sensitivity to movements during welding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the welding process (thermal/mechanical joining) with a mechanical insertion system. The flange of the supporting element is inserted into a receiving structure with a stepped cavity, eliminating the need for welding operations. This substitution resolves the contradiction by maintaining mechanical stiffness through secure mechanical attachment while avoiding the complexity and sensitivity issues of welding processes.
2Strength
If supporting elements are welded to the fuel tank body, then mechanical stiffness is improved, but manufacturing time increases due to sensitive welding process
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical insertion system replaces the time-consuming welding process. The flange simply inserts into the receiving structure without requiring controlled welding operations, significantly reducing manufacturing time while maintaining the mechanical stiffness provided by the supporting elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving structure is pre-formed with a stepped cavity during fuel tank manufacturing. This preliminary preparation allows for quick subsequent insertion of the supporting element flange, eliminating the need for time-consuming welding operations and improving manufacturing velocity.
3Strength
If supporting elements are welded to the fuel tank body, then mechanical stiffness is improved, but manufacturing costs increase due to challenging process
Solution Approach 1:
Replacing welding with mechanical insertion simplifies the manufacturing process, reducing equipment requirements, operator training needs, and quality control complexity. This substitution lowers manufacturing costs while maintaining the mechanical stiffness provided by the supporting elements.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a plastic fuel tank (10) for a vehicle, the plastic fuel tank (10) comprising: - a bottom part (14) and a top part (12); - at least one side wall (16) extending between the bottom part (14) to the top part (12); - at least one supporting element (18), wherein the at least one supporting element (18) has an elongated shape and comprises a longitudinal axis, comprises a first end side and a second end side in its axial ends, comprises a flange (24) at the first end side or the second end side, wherein the flange (24) comprises a flange width, and is arranged between the bottom part (14) and the top part (12); - wherein the top part (12) or the bottom part (14) comprises an integrated receiving structure for receiving the flange (24) of the supporting element (18), wherein the receiving structure is formed by the top part (12) or the bottom part (14), and forms a stepped cavity comprising a first cavity (28) and a second cavity.