Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A motor vehicle has a pressure vessel unit, the pressure vessels of which are arranged on both sides of a recess or depression in a passenger compartment floor.

Claims

1.-18. (canceled)

19. A motor vehicle, comprising: a vehicle body, in which a passenger compartment is configured which is delimited on a bottom side by a passenger compartment floor; a pressure vessel arrangement with a plurality of pressure vessels; a recess configured in the passenger compartment floor; pressure vessel longitudinal axes oriented parallel to a longitudinal direction of the recess, wherein at least one pressure vessel is arranged below the passenger compartment floor on a first side of the recess, and at least one pressure vessel is arranged below the passenger compartment floor on a second side of the recess, and the first side and the second side are opposite one another on both sides of the recess, the pressure vessels are connected to one another rigidly by way of at least one first connector and one second connector, and the recess penetrates into an intermediate space which is configured between the pressure vessels which are arranged on the first side of the recess and the pressure vessels which are arranged on the second side of the recess.

20. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the first connector is fastened to at least three pressure vessels, all the pressure vessels, or all the pressure vessels of a layer of pressure vessels, in order to connect them to one another rigidly.

21. The motor vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the second connector is fastened to at least three pressure vessels, all the pressure vessels, or all the pressure vessels of a layer of pressure vessels, in order to connect them to one another rigidly.

22. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the first connector and/or the second connector connect at least one pressure vessel on the first side of the recess to at least one pressure vessel on the second side of the recess to one another rigidly.

23. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the connectors run below and/or outside the recess and/or laterally next to the recess.

24. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the longitudinal axis of the recess runs transversely with respect to a motor vehicle longitudinal axis.

25. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the longitudinal axis of the recess runs longitudinally with respect to a motor vehicle longitudinal axis.

26. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the connectors run along the motor vehicle longitudinal axis or transversely with respect to the motor vehicle longitudinal axis.

27. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the first connector and/or the second connector connect longitudinal ends of the pressure vessels.

28. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the first connector is arranged to the left of the pressure vessels and the second connector is arranged to the right of the pressure vessels, in relation to a forward traveling direction of the motor vehicle.

29. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the connectors are configured as rails.

30. The motor vehicle according to claim 29, wherein the pressure vessels are displaceable along the rails before the configuration of a rigid connection.

31. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the connectors cover center points of end sides of the pressure vessels.

32. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the pressure vessel arrangement has a pressure line which connects the pressure vessels fluidically to a common connector.

33. The motor vehicle according to claim 32, wherein the pressure line is connected separately to more than two pressure vessels or to all the pressure vessels.

34. The motor vehicle according to claim 32, wherein the pressure line runs in one of the connectors.

35. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, further comprising: a front seating row and a rear seating row arranged in the passenger compartment, wherein the recess is situated between the front seating row and the rear seating row.

36. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the pressure vessels configure a tubular storage system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a pressure vessel arrangement according to the prior art in a plan view.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows the pressure vessel arrangement from FIG. 1 in a side view.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a pressure vessel arrangement in a plan view.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows the pressure vessel arrangement from FIG. 3 in a side view.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows a motor vehicle.

[0051] FIG. 6 shows an alternative pressure vessel arrangement in a plan view.

[0052] FIG. 7 shows the pressure vessel arrangement from FIG. 6 in a side view.

[0053] FIG. 8 shows an alternative motor vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] FIG. 1 shows a pressure vessel arrangement 10 according to the prior art. Here, a plurality of (in the present case, seven) pressure vessels 12 are arranged parallel to one another, these pressure vessels adjoining one another directly.

[0055] A first connector 14 in the form of a rail is arranged on the left-hand side. A second connector 16 in the form of a rail is arranged on the right-hand side. The connectors 14, 16 connect the pressure vessels 12 to one another rigidly and therefore ensure that the pressure vessels 12 of the pressure vessel arrangement 10 form a stable unit.

[0056] In the present case, a pressure line is arranged in the first connector 14. This pressure line connects the pressure vessels 12 to a common connector 18. As a result, the pressure vessels 12 can be filled jointly with gas, and the gas can be removed correspondingly. In order to simplify the drawing, the common connector 18 is illustrated here outside the connector as an exception.

[0057] FIG. 2 shows the pressure vessel arrangement 10 from FIG. 1 in a side view.

[0058] As becomes clear from FIGS. 1 and 2, the pressure vessel arrangement 10 which is shown is a mat-shaped pressure vessel arrangement which does not leave any space for other components between the pressure vessels 12.

[0059] FIG. 3 shows a pressure vessel arrangement 11, as can be used in a motor vehicle in accordance with one exemplary embodiment. Here, not all the pressure vessels 12 adjoin one another directly, but rather an intermediate space 20 is left, part of the pressure vessels 12 lying in front of the intermediate space 20 and part of the pressure vessels 12 lying behind the intermediate space 20. The intermediate space 20 is delimited laterally by the connectors 14, 16 which connect pressure vessels 12, arranged in front of and behind the intermediate space 20, to one another rigidly. It is assumed in the present case that a typical forward traveling direction of a motor vehicle, in which the pressure vessel arrangement 11 is installed, extends upward in the plane of the paper of FIG. 3.

[0060] FIG. 4 shows the pressure vessel arrangement 11 in a side view in an indicated installed state. Here, the pressure vessel arrangement 11 is arranged below a passenger compartment floor 22 of an interior compartment of a motor vehicle. Here, part of the pressure vessels 12 are arranged in front of the intermediate space 20, and part of the pressure vessels 12 are arranged behind the intermediate space 20.

[0061] A recess 21 which reaches into the intermediate space 20 is configured in the passenger compartment floor 22. The recess 21 belongs to a passenger compartment which is arranged above it, with the result that it can be utilized from this passenger compartment.

[0062] In particular, the recess 21 can be used as a footwell for passengers or, for example, as storage space for cargo.

[0063] The pressure vessels 12 which are arranged in front of the intermediate space 20 are therefore arranged on a first side, and the pressure vessels 12 which are arranged behind the intermediate space 20 are therefore arranged on a second side of the recess 21. Pressure vessel longitudinal axes of the pressure vessels 12 are parallel to a longitudinal direction of the recess 21.

[0064] FIG. 5 purely schematically shows a motor vehicle 1. This motor vehicle 1 has a vehicle body 2. A passenger compartment 3 is configured in the vehicle body 2. A front seating row 4 and a rear seating row 5 are arranged in this passenger compartment 3.

[0065] A pressure vessel arrangement 11 in accordance with the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 is arranged below the passenger compartment 3. Here, the recess 21 is arranged between the seating rows 4 and 5 and serves as a footwell 23 for passengers of the rear seating row 5.

[0066] The traveling comfort can be increased considerably by way of an embodiment of this type, and an underfloor arrangement of pressure vessels 12 can nevertheless be used. At the same time, the stability of the pressure vessel arrangement 11 is ensured by way of the connectors 14, 16, and the common connector 18 makes a simple fluidic connection to other components possible.

[0067] FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of a pressure vessel arrangement 11, not only the intermediate space 20 but rather also an extent of the recess 21 being illustrated. Here, the recess 21 extends laterally beyond the connectors 14, 16. In the case of this embodiment, the connectors 14, 16 are arranged below the recess 21. This can also be seen in the associated side view of FIG. 7. As a result, the recess 21 can be extended laterally.

[0068] FIG. 8 schematically shows an alternative motor vehicle 1 in a plan view. There are two longitudinally installed seating rows 6, 7 here, passengers sitting opposite one another and pointing transversely with respect to the traveling direction. A footwell 23 which is configured in the form of a recess 21 as has already been described is arranged between the seating rows 6, 7. Here, pressure vessels 12 are arranged to the left and to the right of the footwell 23.

[0069] For reasons of readability, the expression “at least one” has been partially omitted for simplification purposes. If a feature of the technology disclosed herein is described in the singular or using an indefinite article (for example, the/a pressure vessel, the/a connector), its plural is also intended to be disclosed at the same time (for example, the at least one pressure vessel, the at least one connector).

[0070] The preceding description of the present invention serves only for illustrative purposes and not for the purpose of the restriction of the invention. Within the context of the invention, various amendments and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention and its equivalents.

[0071] It is to be noted that the pressure vessel arrangement disclosed herein can also be considered to be a self-contained aspect of the invention which is functionally independent of the motor vehicle. All of the variants which are disclosed herein can be used here.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

[0072] 1 Motor vehicle [0073] 2 Vehicle body [0074] 3 Passenger compartment [0075] 4 Seating row [0076] 5 Seating row [0077] 6 Seating row [0078] 7 Seating row [0079] 10 Pressure vessel arrangement [0080] 11 Pressure vessel arrangement [0081] 12 Pressure vessel [0082] 14 Connector [0083] 16 Connector [0084] 18 Common connector [0085] 20 Intermediate space [0086] 21 Recess [0087] 22 Passenger compartment floor [0088] 23 Footwell