IP Library Granted Patent US 12692987
Granted Patent B2
US 12692987 · App. 18/682,483 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Pressure vessel assembly and motor vehicle

Inventors: Daniel Baer (Garching, DE); Timo Gutmann (Bad Kohlgrub, DE)
Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
F17C13/084B60K15/07B60K2015/0634F17C2205/0192F17C2270/0168
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12692987
App. No.
18/682,483
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pressure vessel assembly in which flat portions of longitudinal ends of the pressure vessels are held in parallel to securing rails, such that limited mobility of the longitudinal ends is made possible. A motor vehicle may comprise a pressure vessel assembly of this kind.

Claims (29)

1 . A pressure vessel assembly for an underfloor space of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of pressure vessels,

one or more fastening rails,

a plurality of bearing shells, the bearing shells being fastened to the one or more fastening rails,

and

a plurality of centering elements,

wherein one longitudinal end of one, some, or all pressure vessels has at least one flat planar portion and is held by a centering element in a bearing shell, the flat planar portion having an angle of 5° with respect to the fastening rail to which the bearing shell is fastened,

wherein the centering element enables a limited relative movement of the longitudinal end of the pressure vessel relative to the fastening rail at least parallel to the fastening rail, and one, some, or all centering elements being configured from an elastic material, and,

wherein a further flat planar portion which is parallel to the flat planar portion is configured at one, some, or each longitudinal end in an opposed manner with respect to the flat planar portion.

2 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure vessels are connected in parallel, and a common distributor pipe is provided, to which the plurality of pressure vessels are connected directly, without a shut-off valve being provided in each case between the distributor pipe and the individual pressure vessels.

3 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein one, some, or all bearing shells are divided into a first part and a second part.

4 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 3 , wherein a dividing line between a first part and a second part is parallel to the flat planar portion.

5 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein one, some, or all centering elements enable a limited relative movement of the longitudinal end of the pressure vessel relative to the fastening rail transversely with respect to the fastening rail.

6 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure vessels are installed transversely with respect to a longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle.

7 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein some or all centering elements have one or more predetermined break points in order to enable the relative movement.

8 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein one, some, or all centering elements hold the flat planar portion parallel to the fastening rail.

9 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein one, some, or all bearing shells are fastened via one, two or more screwed bolts to one, two, or more fastening rails.

10 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein an upper first fastening rail is arranged above first longitudinal ends of the pressure vessels, and a lower first fastening rail is arranged below the first longitudinal ends of the pressure vessels, the bearing shells for holding the first longitudinal ends being fastened both to the upper first fastening rail and to the lower first fastening rail.

11 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein bearing shells and centering elements for first longitudinal ends of the pressure vessels form locating bearings.

12 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein an upper second fastening rail is arranged above second longitudinal ends of the pressure vessels, and a lower second fastening rail is arranged below the second longitudinal ends of the pressure vessels, the bearing shells for holding the second longitudinal ends being fastened both to the upper second fastening rail and to the lower second fastening rail.

13 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein bearing shells and centering elements for second longitudinal ends of the pressure vessels form floating bearings.

14 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 12 , wherein one, some, or all second longitudinal ends are configured with axial play relative to the centering element.

15 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the axial play is configured by virtue of the fact that the flat planar portion or the flat planar portions is/are of axially longer configuration than the surrounding centering element.

16 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal axes of a plurality of pressure vessels are oriented parallel to one another.

17 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 16 , wherein immediately adjacent pressure vessels are at a smallest spacing from one another of between 2 mm and 4 mm.

18 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the flat planar portion is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pressure vessel.

19 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein one, some, or all centering elements are configured to clamp at least one flat planar portion.

20 . The pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein one or more beads at predetermined break points in a case of loading in a longitudinal extent are configured transversely with respect to the longitudinal extent of the fastening rail in one, some, or all fastening rails.

21 . A motor vehicle, comprising a pressure vessel assembly according to claim 1 .