IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,359,775
Granted Patent B2
US 12,359,775 · App. 17/784,923 · Granted Jul 15, 2025

Motor vehicle comprising a hard shell for protecting a fuel-carrying connecting element

Inventors: Hans-Ulrich Stahl (Munich, DE); Christoph Warkotsch (Munich, DE)
Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
F17C13/084F17C2201/0138F17C2203/0604F17C2203/0612
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,359,775
App. No.
17/784,923
Granted
Jul 15, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A motor vehicle includes at least one pressure vessel for storing fuel, and at least one holder for holding the pressure vessel. When installed, the holder encloses one end of the pressure vessel. The holder has a hard shell and an inner layer, wherein at least regions of the inner layer, when installed, are arranged between the hard shell and the connecting element. The hard shell has a higher rigidity than the inner layer.

Claims (36)

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

at least one pressure vessel for storing fuel; and

at least one holder for holding the pressure vessel, wherein

the holder encloses one end of the pressure vessel in an installation position,

the holder comprises a hard shell and an inner layer,

the inner layer is arranged at least in certain regions between the hard shell and a fuel-carrying connection element in the installation position, and

the inner layer has a flexible configuration that is reversibly adaptable to a contour of the fuel-carrying connection element.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the fuel-carrying connection element is provided on an outlet of the pressure vessel, and

the holder encloses the connection element in the installation position in order to protect the fuel-carrying connection element.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the inner layer lies against an outer wall of the pressure vessel at one end of the pressure vessel.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an energy-absorbing deformation element arranged between the holder and a vehicle bodyshell element in a direction of a pressure vessel longitudinal axis when in the installation position.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein

the deformation element connects the pressure vessel to the vehicle bodyshell element in a load-bearing manner.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the vehicle bodyshell element is a longitudinal member or a crossmember of the vehicle bodyshell.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the holder has a multi-part form to provide better accessibility of the pressure vessel mounted in the motor vehicle; and/or

the deformation element has a multi-part form to provide better accessibility of the pressure vessel mounted in the motor vehicle.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein

parts of the holder and of the deformation element that are provided on the same side in the installation position form a one-piece structural element.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the inner layer has a flexible design such that the inner layer reversibly compensates changes in length caused by the operation of the at least one pressure vessel.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the motor vehicle comprises multiple pressure vessels, and

the holder is configured to enclose: i) ends, ii) multiple connection elements or a distributor tube, of the multiple pressure vessels.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein

a common distributor tube forms the connection element,

the multiple pressure vessels are connected directly to the common distributor tube without a respective shut-off valve being provided between the common distributor tube and individual ones of the multiple pressure vessels.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the holder encloses the common distributor tube.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the inner layer encloses the fuel-carrying connection element in the installation position.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein at an axial end the pressure vessel the inner layer directly contacts the fuel-carrying connection element.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the inner layer has a greater thickness than a thickness of the hard shell.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the inner layer has a given flexibility that reversibly compensates operational vessel expansions resulting from an internal pressure of the at least one pressure vessel.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 1, 2022
From: STAHL, HANS-ULRICH; WARKOTSCH, CHRISTOPH
To: BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 060961/0733 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2019 134 120.5 · Dec 12, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230008726A1 · Jan 12, 2023
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