Motor Vehicle Comprising a Hard Shell for Protecting a Fuel-Carrying Connecting Element

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

1. to 12. (canceled)

13. 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 hard shell has a higher rigidity than the inner layer.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, 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.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the inner layer lies against an outer wall of the pressure vessel at one end of the pressure vessel.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, 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.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the deformation element connects the pressure vessel to the vehicle bodyshell element in a load-bearing manner.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the vehicle bodyshell element is a longitudinal member or a crossmember of the vehicle bodyshell.

19. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, 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.

20. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, 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.

21. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, 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.

22. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, 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.

23. The motor vehicle according to claim 22, 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.

24. The motor vehicle according to claim 23, wherein the holder encloses the common distributor tube.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pressure vessel according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0028] Referring to FIG. 1, a pressure vessel 200 is attached to the vehicle bodyshell element 100 in a load-bearing manner. In this instance, the vehicle bodyshell element 100 is a longitudinal member, in particular an external door sill. The vehicle bodyshell element 100 comprises a vehicle outer skin 110. The pressure vessel 200 comprises a fuel-carrying connection element 210. In this instance, the connection element 210 is a vessel valve. The holder 30 comprises a hard layer or hard shell 300. The hard shell 300 is molded on the surface of the pressure vessel 200 and of the vessel valve 210. In other words, the contour of the hard shell 300 corresponds to the outer contour of the end of the pressure vessel 200. The outer contour is formed by the end of the pressure vessel 200 and the connection element 210. A soft layer or inner layer 310 is located between the hard shell 300 and the surface of the pressure vessel 200 and of the connection element 210.

[0029] The hard shell 300 in turn is encompassed or embedded in an energy-absorbing holder or energy-absorbing deformation element 320, which extends as far as the vehicle bodyshell element. The hard shell 300 has a rigid form such that a force, for example of at least 25 kN or at least 5 kN or at least 1 kN, impinging on the hard shell at certain points or over a small surface area (e.g. less than 50 cm.sup.2 or less than 25 cm.sup.2 or less than 16 cm.sup.2 or less than 9 cm.sup.2 or less than 4 cm.sup.2 or less than 1 cm.sup.2) is distributed over a large surface area without the hard shell 300 being destroyed in the process. The hard shell 300 is preferably produced from one of the following materials: metals, metal alloys (e.g. steel), and/or fiber composite materials (e.g. carbon-fiber-reinforced and/or aramid-fiber-reinforced and/or glass-fiber-reinforced fiber composite materials).

[0030] The inner layer 310 ensures mediation between the surfaces of the pressure vessel 200 or connection element 210 and the hard shell 300. In this way, force peaks are avoided even in the event of surfaces which are not molded on perfectly. The inner layer 310 in particular has a flexible configuration such that the inner layer 310 can adapt to the outer contour of the end of the pressure vessel 200 in the installation position, in particular even to outer contours that deviate on account of mounting tolerances or designs using identical parts. Furthermore, the inner layer 310 may have a flexible design such that the inner layer 310 reversibly compensates proper operational vessel expansions (in particular also those resulting from the internal pressure). The inner layer 310 is preferably produced from a plastic, in particular from a polymer, elastomer and/or foamed plastic. For fall protection purposes, the inner layer 310 may also be configured such that the holder 30, in particular the hard shell 300 and inner layer 310, at least partially take up the impulse resulting from the fall of the pressure vessel.

[0031] The energy-absorbing deformation element 320 (also referred to as energy-absorbing holder) may be configured in the manner of a crash element and comprise honeycomb sheets or fiber composite structures, for example. In this respect, it is in particular also possible to use structures with auxetic behavior (negative Poisson number). These have the advantage that, in the event of local penetration of an impactor, they are compressed below the penetration point and therefore counteract penetration with particularly great resistance and thus ensure a distribution of the force over a larger surface area. In order to facilitate the mounting and the service of the pressure vessel and the lines, it is possible to provide that the deformation element 320 and/or the holder 30 is constructed from multiple parts or segments. In this respect, each part may be a component unit, which comprises parts of the holder 30 and of the deformation element 320 and connects them in one piece. Given a corresponding configuration, the parts can thus be laid around the pressure vessel 200, around the connection element 210 and any fuel-carrying lines. Advantageously, the available volume can therefore be utilized as completely as possible. Form-fitting connections are preferably provided between the parts, for example toothings or pins, with the result that the parts can be easily plugged together in the manner of a three-dimensional puzzle. A suitable configuration therefore makes it possible to correspondingly suitably transmit the forces.