Vehicle Liquid Tank Shells With Integrated Flow Passages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid tanks for vehicle systems are complex in design and manufacturing, with separate components and flow passages requiring additional connections and components, leading to increased complexity and space usage.
Innovation Solution
A liquid tank design featuring tank housing shells that can form integrated flow passages and valve housings, allowing for simplified design and manufacturing, centralization of components, and flexible configuration of flow passages, with valves integrated directly into the tank housing shells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate components and flow passages are used in the liquid tank design, then the tank can be manufactured with standard components, but the design and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates flow passages directly into the tank housing shells, merging what were previously separate components (tank housing and flow passages) into a unified structure. This eliminates the need for separate flow passage components and their associated connections, thereby reducing design and manufacturing complexity while maintaining ease of manufacture through integrated molding or fabrication processes
2Ease of operation
If separate components and additional connections are used, then the system can be assembled with modular components, but the component count and space usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating flow passages into the tank housing shells, the patent reduces the total number of components that need to be assembled. The flow passages are no longer separate modular components requiring connection fittings, but are instead built-in features of the tank housing itself, thereby reducing component count while maintaining assembly simplicity
3Device complexity
If traditional flow passage integration is used, then the flow passages are included in the tank housing, but the flow passage configuration is limited by manufacturing constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The integration of flow passages into the tank housing shells provides a versatile platform for configuring flow passages in various arrangements. The integrated design allows flow passages to be optimally positioned and shaped within the tank housing structure, enabling flexible configuration options that are constrained in traditional separate-component designs
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid tank for a liquid system of a vehicle, comprising a tank housing for storage of a liquid of the liquid system, wherein the tank housing is designed as multiple shells and has at least two tank housing shells that are joined to one another, and at least one flow passage of the liquid system, which flow passage is integrated in the tank housing. At least one of the at least one flow passages integrated in the tank housing is formed by two joined tank housing shells of the at least two tank housing shells.