Motor vehicle having an opening for pressure relief

Abstract

A motor vehicle has at least one pressure vessel for storing storage medium, preferably fuel, at least one pressure relief device for pressure relief of the at least one pressure vessel, and at least one opening through which storage medium flows out during a pressure relief.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising: at least one pressure vessel for storing storage medium; at least one pressure relief device for pressure relief of the at least one pressure vessel; and at least one opening that is fluidically connected to the pressure relief device and defines a flow path of the pressure relief, wherein the at least one opening is set back from a body outer skin that obstructs the flow path.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one closure which is formed substantially flush with directly adjoining regions of the body outer skin, wherein the closure is arranged in the flow path via which the storage medium flows out into the vehicle surroundings during the pressure relief, and the motor vehicle is designed, at the start of the pressure relief, to remove the closure at least partially from the flow path.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising: at least one projectile, wherein the projectile is designed to close the at least one opening, and the projectile is designed, for pressure relief, to penetrate through the closure and/or the body outer skin.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the at least one closure is a cover which is fittable to the body outer skin.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the at least one closure is a flap which is fitted to the body outer skin in a hinged manner.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the flap has a restoring device which, before the pressure relief, holds the flap in a position which substantially completely closes an outlet opening of the body outer skin.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the flap is transferrable into an open position by outflowing storage medium at least during a pressure relief.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the closure is formed by a rupture disk.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the closure is formed by the body outer skin.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the closure is formed by a predetermined breaking point of the body outer skin.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, wherein at least one of: the predetermined breaking point is formed by material cutouts in the body outer skin; and the predetermined breaking point is formed by a perforation.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the closure closes the opening in a dust-tight manner such that no dirt enters a pressure relief line of the pressure relief device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the technology disclosed here,

(2) FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the technology disclosed here,

(3) FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a latching connection,

(4) FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of the technology disclosed here of a closure cap/cover arrangement.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment with an unlocking mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(6) FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the technology disclosed here. The closure 30 is here formed as a cover. The cover 30 here closes the outlet opening A. The outlet opening A is here provided on the underfloor cladding 12. The body outer skin 10 to which the underfloor cladding 12 is fastened has been omitted here for simplification. The pressure relief device of the motor vehicle has also been omitted. The pressure relief line 20 is fluidically connected to the pressure relief device. This pressure relief line 20 can also be referred to as a pressure relief line. If pressure relief of the pressure vessel occurs, the storage medium, as a rule fuel, flows through the pressure relief line 20. The pressure relief line 20 opens here directly adjacent to the cover 30 in the opening O. The outflowing storage medium exerts a compressive force on the cover. This compressive force has the effect that the latching connections 31, here formed as latching hooks, yield and the cover 30 is pressed out of the underfloor cladding 12. During the pressure relief, the closure 30 thus completely frees the outlet opening A here. The storage medium can thus flow substantially unimpeded out of the pressure relief line 20 into the surroundings of the motor vehicle and does not emerge in a substantially closed space of the motor vehicle. In the assumed disturbance case that the closure 30 is not pressed out by the storage medium, the storage medium, by virtue of the opening O arranged set back with respect to the body outer skin, storage medium could here nevertheless flow out through the gap between the closure 30 and the opening O into the vehicle body (for example underfloor structure) and escape through further outlets. For example, the underfloor cladding could be completely or partially torn from its anchoring.

(7) FIG. 2 shows a further embodiment of the technology disclosed here. Only the differences over the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be explained below. In FIG. 2, the closure is formed as a flap 32. The flap two 30 is connected at one end to the underfloor cladding 12. Here, a spring means 33 is provided at this end. At the other end of the flap 32, the latching nose 31 is provided here. The latching nose 31 builds up a counterforce to the spring force 33. During normal driving operation (that is to say before a pressure relief), the latching nose 31 holds the flap 32 in the closed state. If the pressure relief now occurs, the outflowing storage medium produces a compressive force on the inner side of the flap 32. This compressive force causes unlatching of the latching hook 31. The spring 33 then transfers the flap from the closing position, in which it is substantially flush with the outer surface of the underfloor cladding 12, into an open position. In this open position, the flap 32 does not close the outlet opening A. The storage medium can thus escape substantially without pressure loss from the mouth of the pressure relief line 20 into the external surroundings of the motor vehicle.

(8) FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a latching connection 31. The latching connection here comprises a latching hook or latching bolt which engages in an undercut 14 of the body structure 10. This latching connection 31 can for example fasten the underfloor cladding 12 to the body structure 10. It is also conceivable that the cover 30 or the flap 32 is mounted by means of such a latching connection 31.

(9) FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the technology disclosed here. Only the differences over the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 will be explained below. FIG. 4 shows a cover 36 in which a closure cap is integrated here. The closure cap is designed to close the mouth of the pressure relief line 20. Furthermore, the closure cap is designed to shield the space between the mouth of the pressure relief line and the outlet opening A with respect to adjacent spaces. This has the advantage that no dirt which could possibly prevent the opening of the outlet opening A during the pressure relief can accumulate between the mouth of the pressure relief line 20 and the outlet opening A. However, such a closure cap/cover arrangement 36 does not have to be provided.

(10) FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the technology disclosed here. Only the differences over the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 will be explained in more detail below. Instead of a latching hook 31, the embodiment illustrated here has an unlocking mechanism 38. The unlocking mechanism 38 can be a slide 38, for example. According to the technology disclosed here, the unlocking mechanism 38 is particularly preferably actuated by the outflowing storage medium (not shown). The precise activation of the slide 38 is familiar to a person skilled in the art of pneumatics. During normal driving operation, that is to say before a pressure relief, the unlocking mechanism 38 here locks the flap 32. The flap 32 is thus held securely in its position. At the start of the pressure relief, the storage medium here produces a translational movement perpendicular to the outflow direction 22 of the storage medium. The slide 38 is here drawn back to the left from a cutout. The counterforce to the spring force of the torsion spring 33 is thus absent. The flap 32 is thus opened.

(11) The teaching illustrated in the figures can also be combined. For example, the closure flap shown in FIG. 4 can also be applied to a flap 32. Likewise, the latching connection 31 of FIG. 3 can also be provided in the other embodiment. Furthermore, the unlocking mechanism of FIG. 5 can also be applied for example to all other embodiments.

(12) For reasons of legibility, the expression “at least one” has been partially omitted for simplification. Where a feature of the technology disclosed here has been described in the singular or indefinitely (for example the/a pressure vessel, the/a pressure relief device, the/a closure, the/a cover, the/a flap, the/a opening, the/a restoring means, the/a rupture disk, the/a predetermined breaking point, the/a material saving, the/a latching connection, the/a pressure relief line, etc.), the plural thereof is also intended to be disclosed at the same time (for example the at least one pressure vessel, the at least one pressure relief device, the at least one closure, the at least one cover, the at least one flap, the at least one opening, the at least one restoring means, the at least one rupture disk, the at least one predetermined breaking point, the at least one material saving, the at least one latching connection, the at least one pressure relief line, etc.).

(13) The foregoing description of the present invention serves only for illustrative purposes and not for the purpose of limiting the invention. Various changes and modifications are possible within the context of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention and equivalents thereof.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(14) 10 body structure or underfloor structure 12 underfloor cladding 20 pressure relief line 22 outflow direction 30 cover 1 latching hook 32 flap 33 torsion spring (restoring device) 36 closure cap/cover arrangement 38 unlocking mechanism O opening A outlet opening