IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,429,173
Granted Patent B2
US 12,429,173 · App. 18/245,314 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Tank device for storing a gaseous medium, comprising a valve device

Inventor: Udo Schaich (Stuttgart, DE)
Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
F17C13/04F16K31/42H01M8/04089H01M8/04201F17C2205/0323F17C2221/012F17C2270/0168F17C2270/0184H01M2250/20
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,429,173
App. No.
18/245,314
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A tank device for storing a gaseous medium includes a valve device and a tank. The valve device includes a valve housing with a pilot valve element. The pilot valve element interacts with a first seal seat and thus forms a pilot valve, wherein the pilot valve element can be moved by a solenoid coil. Furthermore, the valve housing includes a main valve element which interacts with a second seal seat and thus forms a main valve. The pilot valve element additionally has a transverse bore perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the tank device, said transverse bore opening into a transverse bore of the main valve element arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the tank device. A driver element is at least partly arranged in the transverse bore of the pilot valve element and in the transverse bore of the main valve element.

Claims (15)

1. A tank device ( 1 ) for storing a gaseous medium comprising a valve device ( 100 ) and a tank ( 200 ), wherein the valve device ( 100 ) comprises a valve housing ( 102 ), in which valve housing ( 102 ) a pilot valve element ( 24 ), which can be moved along a longitudinal axis ( 48 ) of the tank device ( 100 ), is arranged, which pilot valve element ( 24 ) interacts with a first seal seat ( 18 ) for opening and closing a first through-opening ( 20 ) and thus forms a pilot valve ( 240 ), wherein the valve device ( 100 ) comprises a solenoid coil ( 32 ) operable to move the pilot valve element ( 24 ) along the longitudinal axis ( 48 ), wherein a main valve element ( 12 ) is arranged in the valve housing ( 102 ), which main valve element ( 12 ) interacts with a second seal seat ( 6 ) for opening and closing a second through-opening ( 8 ) and thus forms a main valve ( 120 ), wherein the second seal seat ( 6 ) is configured as a conical protrusion ( 36 ) on the valve housing ( 102 ), wherein the pilot valve element ( 24 ) has a transverse bore ( 241 ) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ( 48 ) of the tank device ( 1 ), said transverse bore ( 241 ) of the pilot valve element ( 24 ) opening into a transverse bore ( 121 ) of the main valve element ( 12 ) arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis ( 48 ) of the tank device ( 1 ), wherein a driver element ( 66 ) is at least partly arranged in the transverse bore ( 241 ) of the pilot valve element ( 24 ) and in the transverse bore ( 121 ) of the main valve element, wherein the main valve element ( 12 ) is subjected to a force in a direction of a tank interior ( 201 ) by a spring ( 22 ), as a result of which the main valve element ( 12 ) is subjected to a force in a direction of the first seal seat ( 18 ) and counter to a direction of the second seal seat ( 6 ).

2. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the driver element ( 66 ) is pin-shaped.

3. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein a permanent magnet ( 17 ) is arranged at one end ( 42 ) of the pilot valve element ( 24 ), which permanent magnet ( 17 ) is arranged in the valve device ( 100 ) such that a positive pole element ( 170 ) of the permanent magnet ( 17 ) is arranged in a direction of a housing cover ( 28 ) of the valve device ( 100 ) and a negative pole element ( 171 ) of the permanent magnet ( 17 ) is arranged in a direction of the tank ( 200 ), wherein, when the solenoid coil ( 32 ) is energized, the permanent magnet ( 17 ) is arranged in a positive pole region ( 51 ) of a permanent magnetic field ( 52 ) generated by the solenoid coil ( 32 ).

4. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the valve device ( 100 ) can be opened in the direction of the tank ( 200 ) when the solenoid coil ( 32 ) is energized.

5. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein, between the valve housing ( 102 ) and an integrally formed portion ( 37 ) of the main valve element ( 12 ), which integrally formed portion ( 37 ) interacts with the second seal seat ( 6 ) for opening and closing the second through-opening ( 8 ), a throttle duct ( 38 ) is formed, which throttle duct ( 38 ) comprises a conical widening toward the second through-opening ( 8 ), as a result of which a throttling effect is formed.

6. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the second through-opening ( 8 ) in the valve housing ( 102 ) is formed at a level of the throttle duct ( 38 ) and opens into the throttle duct ( 38 ).

7. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein a chamber ( 35 ) is formed in the valve housing ( 102 ), which chamber ( 35 ) is connected to the throttle duct ( 38 ) by the second through-opening ( 8 ).

8. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the valve device ( 100 ) is arranged in a neck region ( 203 ) of the tank device ( 1 ) and is pressed against a tank floor ( 140 ) within the neck region ( 203 ).

9. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 8 , wherein a discharge opening ( 14 ) is formed in the tank floor ( 140 ), which discharge opening fluidically connects the tank interior ( 201 ) and the chamber ( 35 ) to one another.

10. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the pilot valve element ( 24 ) comprises a protrusion ( 43 ), on which protrusion ( 43 ) a spring ( 16 ) is supported and the pilot valve element ( 24 ) is subjected to a force in a direction of one end ( 42 ) of the pilot valve element ( 24 ).

11. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein an interior ( 45 ) is formed in the valve housing ( 102 ), which interior ( 45 ) is divided by the main valve element ( 12 ) into a first partial interior ( 450 ) and a second partial interior ( 451 ).

12. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 11 , wherein the first partial interior ( 450 ) is connected to a supply line ( 40 ) by a discharge channel ( 2 ) formed in the valve housing ( 102 ), which supply line ( 40 ) can be connected to a supply region of a consumer system.

13. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the gaseous medium is hydrogen.

14. A fuel cell system with a tank device ( 1 ) for storing hydrogen for operating a fuel cell according to claim 1 .

15. A fuel-cell-powered vehicle with a tank device ( 1 ) for storing hydrogen for operating a fuel cell according to claim 1 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2023
From: SCHAICH, UDO
To: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
Reel/Frame 062987/0170 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2020 211 865.5 · Sep 23, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230358366A1 · Nov 9, 2023
References Cited (36)
US 4540154A · Kolchinsky et al. · 1985 [cited by applicant]
US 5169117A · Huang · 1992 [cited by applicant]
US 5197710A · Wass et al. · 1993 [cited by applicant]
US 6830230B2 · Simoens · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 6962317B2 · Simoens · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 7080817B2 · Stern · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 8151819B2 · Suzuki et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 10161360B2 · Ninomiya et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 11619319B2 · Beier et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 11808552B1 · Italia · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20070090317A1 · Kamiya et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20090236551A1 · Nomichi et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20110068286A1 · Nomichi et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20120199775A1 · Watanabe · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20160208954A1 · Ito et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160305572A1 · Becker et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
DE 102012210943A1 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
DE 102018201055A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 0195206A1 · 1986 [cited by applicant]
EP 0668468B1 · 1999 [cited by applicant]
FR 2544834A1 · 1984 [cited by applicant]
JP 2002039429A · 2002 [cited by applicant]
JP 2009210120A · 2009 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010121728A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
JP 2012189107A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
JP 2014214804A · 2014 [cited by applicant]
JP 2023526126A · 2023 [cited by applicant]
JP 2023539904A · 2023 [cited by applicant]
JP 2023539911A · 2023 [cited by applicant]
KR 100766872B1 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
KR 20140079627A · 2014 [cited by applicant]
WO 2013031191A1 · 2013 [cited by applicant]
WO 2015129159A1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
JP2009210120_English_Machine_Translation (Year: 2009). [cited by examiner]
Translation of International Search Report for Application No. PCT/EP2021/073000 dated Dec. 1, 2021 (3 pages). [cited by applicant]
Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “Fuel Cells,” <https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/fuel-cells#:˜:text=A%20fule%20cell%20consists%20of,is%20fed%20to%20the%20cathode> web page visited Apr. 29, 2024 (4 pa… [cited by applicant]