Vehicle Tank Support Structure for Balanced Chassis Loading

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Solution Overview

Problem

Heavy tank assemblies in vehicles impart significant stresses to the chassis, leading to reduced useful life and increased failure risk, unbalanced loads affecting drivability, and excessive weight and space reduction.

Innovation Solution

A support system comprising a stabilizing road and support structure that balances loads and torques between tank assemblies, connecting them to the chassis via brackets, which movably connect to the chassis, reducing direct stress on side members.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If tank assemblies are carried cantilevered by the side members, then the tank assembly can be positioned laterally outside the side member, but huge stresses are imparted to the chassis leading to reduced useful life and increased failure risk

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelateral positioning of tank assemblyVSAvoidchassis durability

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

A support structure comprising stabilizing roads and support structures is introduced as an intermediary element between the tank assemblies and the chassis. The stabilizing roads extend between terminal portions of the tank assemblies and are connected to the chassis through support structures with brackets, distributing the load across multiple attachment points rather than concentrating stress at single cantilevered connection points.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Quantity of substance

If the quantity of fluid in the tank varies, then the load on the chassis changes, but this creates unbalances affecting vehicle drivability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefluid quantity in tankVSAvoidvehicle balance and drivability

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The support system segments the load-bearing function into multiple independent components: stabilizing roads connecting terminal portions of tank assemblies, support structures with brackets providing multiple attachment points to the chassis, and distributed load paths. This segmentation allows the system to accommodate varying fluid quantities while maintaining balance through multiple support points.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Strength

If the thickness of the chassis or number of cross-members is increased to reduce stresses, then chassis strength is improved, but vehicle weight, costs and fuel consumption increase and useful space is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechassis strengthVSAvoidvehicle weight

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of increasing chassis thickness (one-dimensional solution), the invention introduces a three-dimensional support structure with stabilizing roads extending between terminal portions of tank assemblies and connecting to the chassis through support structures. This distributes stresses across multiple spatial dimensions and attachment points, achieving strength improvement without increasing chassis mass.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP4674662A1Improved load support system for a vehicle

Publication Date: 2026.01.07 ON-HIGHWAY BRASIL LTDA

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AI summary

Support system (6) for supporting at least a pair of tank assemblies (3) of a vehicle (1), the support system (6) comprising at least one stabilizing road (7) and a supporting structure (8), the said stabilizing road (7) being configured to connect together fixedly the tank assemblies (3), the support structure (8) being configured to connect in a movable manner the stabilizing road (7) to the chassis (2).