GB2298908A - Fuel tank tubular fittings - Google Patents
Fuel tank tubular fittings Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2298908A GB2298908A GB9505235A GB9505235A GB2298908A GB 2298908 A GB2298908 A GB 2298908A GB 9505235 A GB9505235 A GB 9505235A GB 9505235 A GB9505235 A GB 9505235A GB 2298908 A GB2298908 A GB 2298908A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- tubular fitting
- tank
- fitting according
- tubular
- seal
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L41/00—Branching pipes; Joining pipes to walls
- F16L41/08—Joining pipes to walls or pipes, the joined pipe axis being perpendicular to the plane of the wall or to the axis of another pipe
- F16L41/14—Joining pipes to walls or pipes, the joined pipe axis being perpendicular to the plane of the wall or to the axis of another pipe by screwing an intermediate part against the inside or outside of the wall
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60K15/00—Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks
- B60K15/03—Fuel tanks
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60K15/00—Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks
- B60K15/03—Fuel tanks
- B60K2015/03328—Arrangements or special measures related to fuel tanks or fuel handling
- B60K2015/03453—Arrangements or special measures related to fuel tanks or fuel handling for fixing or mounting parts of the fuel tank together
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Sustainable Development (AREA)
- Sustainable Energy (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Transportation (AREA)
- Cooling, Air Intake And Gas Exhaust, And Fuel Tank Arrangements In Propulsion Units (AREA)
Abstract
A tubular fitting 1 passes through an aperture in the wall of a steel fuel tank 2 to provide a passage through the wall. The tubular fitting has a first tubular portion 5 with a locating feature that prevents the first portion from rotating with respect to the tank, and a peripheral seal 10 to seat against the inner surface 3 of the tank. A second portion 6 with a flange 7 fixes to the first portion 5 by means of matching threads 12 with a self-locking nylon patch 13, and acts against the outer surface 4 of the tank thereby compressing the seal 10 to form a seal between the tubular fitting 1 and the fuel tank 2. The fuel tank has a corrosion resistant surface finish which is unaffected by fitting the tubular fitting to the tank.
Description
Fuel Tank Tubular Fittings
The present invention relates to fuel tank tubular fittings which are fitted to and pass through the wall of a fuel tank.
Tanks containing liquid hydrocarbons need to have apertures which. house fittings such as pipes, sensors or air vents.
In the case of fuel tanks from which fuel is drawn, provision must be made for top up of fuel, a fuel flow line and sometimes a return fuel line from the engine. An air vent must also be fitted to allow escape of gasses when filling the tank.
The fuel tank in most motor vehicles must endure a harsh environment, being located for safety away from protected passenger compartments. It is usual for a fuel tank to be exposed to external moisture, dirt and road salt. As a result, corrosion resistance is essential if the tank is to remain safe over its service life.
One way in which tanks have been made corrosion resistant is to form them from plastics materials. However, steel construction retains other advantages, such as manufacturing cost, and the ability to withstand an impact and buckle or deform without breaking open.
Modern corrosion proofing techniques such as protective surface coatings are very effective at protecting steel. One treatment is DORLFORMTM, an aluminium rich paint which is applied to the outside of the tank. This paint is applied to the outer surface of the tank before the fittings are attached by brazing. However, it is difficult to braze to aluminium paint, which must therefore first be cleaned off and then reapplied after brazing. As a result, the production process for fitting a fuel tank tubular fitting to a steel fuel tank is more time consuming and inconvenient than the equivalent process for a plastic fuel tank.
It is an object of the present invention to remove the need for brazing when fitting a fuel tank tubular fitting to an aperture in the wall of a steel fuel tank.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a tubular fitting for passing through an aperture in the wall of a tank to provide a passage through the wall, the tubular fitting comprising a first tubular portion with a locating feature that prevents the first portion from rotating with respect to the tank and has a peripheral seal to seat against one surface of the tank, and a second portion which fixes to the first portion and acts against the other surface of the tank thereby compressing the seal to form a seal between the tubular fitting and the tank.
The locating feature stops the first portion from rotating with respect to the tank and so prevents damage to the tank surface coating during assembly and fixing. of the tubular fitting to the tank, and also prevents rotational damage to, or misalignment of the peripheral seal. Because the seal does not rotate, it may also more readily be formed to be non-circular.
In a preferred embodiment, the first portion passes through an aperture in the tank wall and the locating feature is in the form of a recess which matches a corresponding feature in the periphery of the aperture. However, the locating feature may have a form with a non-circular cross section which locates with a corresponding non-circular shape of aperture.
The first portion may also be provided with a flange which contains the peripheral seal, the seal being seated in d matching recess in the first portion. The seal may be formed from a synthetic or natural rubber material.
The first and second portions may also conveniently be provided with matching screw threads for assembly and fixing to the tank. To avoid the need for a locking washer or overly tight fixing, which could damage the surface finish and corrosion resistance of the tank, it is preferable if at least one of the threads has a plastics patch or section with a self-locking effect to prevent the portions from working loose. The plastics patch is preferably a nylon material.
Alternatively, the first and second portions may be provided with a twist cam locking mechanism.
In order to increase the surface area in contact between the second portion and the tank surface, and so minimise pressure and any resultant potential for damage to the surface coating, the second portion may be provided with a flange for acting against the surface of the tank.
To aid fitting of a portion through the aperture, and also minimise any potential abrasion during fitting, the edges of the tubular fitting may be chamfered.
The first portion or the second portion may be formed from corrosion resistant materials, such as an aluminium alloy or a plastics material.
A tubular fitting such as described above may be used in a wide range of applications where it is necessary to fit pipes, sensors or a vent into a tank, while preserving the corrosion resistant surface finish.
Depending on the type of application, and the manner in which the tubular fitting is fitted to the tank, the first portion may fix either to the inner or the outer surface of the tank, and similarly the second portion either to the outer or inner surface.
In the preferred orientation, the first portion fixes to the inner surface and with the peripheral seal forms a seal inside the tank, thus preventing the liquid hydrocarbon from reaching the aperture, and also removing the seal further from the external environment or other potential external damage.
Preferred embodiments of the fuel tank tubular fitting according to the invention will now te described by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fuel tank with a
tubular fitting;
Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of a fuel tank
tubular fitting according to a first embodiment of the
invention, shown fixed through an aperture in a fuel
tank;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the fuel tank aperture in
Figure 2 with the tubular fitting removed;
Figure 4 is a top view of a first portion of the
tubular fitting in Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a side view of a second portion of the
tubular fitting in Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a top view of the second portion in Figure
5; and
Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of a fuel tank
tubular fitting according to a second embodiment of the
invention, shown fixed through an aperture in a fuel
tank.
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a fuel tank 2 with a tubular fitting 1 assembled and fitted to provide a passage through the fuel tank wall.
Figure 2 shows a tubular fitting 1 for a fuel tank sensor fixed through an aperture in a fuel tank 2 which has an inner surface 3 and an outer surface 4. The tubular fitting has a first portion 5, which passes through the aperture in the tank to fix on the inner surface 3, and a second portion 6 with a flange 7 which fixes to the outer surface 4. The first and second portions are screwed together with matching threads 12. A portion of the threads 13 on the second portion is fitted with a nylon patch to secure the threads from working loose.
The first portion has a flange 8 with a recess 9 in which is seated a rubber sealing ring 10 which contacts the inner surface 3 to form a liquid and gas tight seal between the tubular fitting 1 and fuel tank 2.
The aperture 20 in the fuel tank is shown in Figure 3. It is circular apart from a tab 21, which locates in a matching feature in the first portion of the tubular fitting to prevent it from rotating with respect to the tank.
Figure 4 is a top view of the first portion 1, showing a slot 31 to receive the tab 21.
Figures 5 and 6 show respectively the side and top views of the second portion 6, which is here a hexagonal threaded nut with a flange 7.
The tubular fitting 1 is assembled to the tank 2 by first seating the sealing ring 10 in the recess 9 of the first portion 5, and then inserting the first portion through the tank aperture 20 so that the tab 21 is located in the matching feature of the first portion. The second portion 6 is then screwed onto the first portion until the two portions grip the tank securely between them.
Figure 7 shows a fuel tank vent tubular fitting 61 according to a second embodiment of the invention. The first portion 65 and second portion 66 screw together and fit to the inner and outer surfaces 3,4 of the fuel tank 2, in the same manner as described for the first embodiment.
The first portion does not protrude significantly into the fuel tank, and has a chamfered corner 62. A tank vent 63 is fitted into the tubular fitting 61.
Claims (17)
1. A tubular fitting for passing through an aperture in the wall of a tank to provide a passage through the wall, the tubular fitting comprising a first tubular portion with a locating feature that prevents the first portion from rotating with respect to the tank and has a peripheral seal to seat against one surface of the tank, and a second portion which fixes to the first portion and acts against the other surface of the tank thereby compressing the seal to form a seal between the tubular fitting and the tank.
2. A tubular fitting according to Claim 1, wherein the first portion passes through an aperture in the tank wall.
3. A tubular fitting according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the locating feature is in the form of a recess which matches a corresponding feature in the periphery of the aperture.
4. A tubular fitting according to any preceding Claim, wherein the first portion is provided with a flange which contains the peripheral seal.
5. A tubular fitting according to any preceding Claim, wherein the seal is seated in a matching recess in the first portion.
6. A tubular fitting according to any preceding Claim, wherein the first and second portions are provided with a matching screw threads, at least one of which has a plastics patch to prevent the portions from working loose.
7. A tubular fitting according to Claim 6, wherein the plastics patch is formed from nylon.
8. A tubular fitting according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the first and second portions are provided with a twist cam locking mechanism.
9. A tubular fitting according to any preceding Claim, wherein the second portion is provided with a flange for acting against the surface of the tank.
10. A tubular fitting according to any preceding Claim, wherein the edges of the tubular fitting are chamfered.
11. A tubular fitting according to any preceding Claim wherein either the first portion or the second portion is formed of aluminium of an alloy thereof.
12. A tubular fitting according to any one of Claims 1 to 10, wherein either the first portion or the second portion is formed of a plastics material.
13. A tubular fitting according to any preceding Claim, wherein the tubular fitting is for a tank sensing element.
14. A tubular fitting according to any one of Claims 1 to 12, wherein the tubular fitting is for a tank vent.
15. A tubular fitting according to any one of Claims 1 to 12, wherein the tubular fitting is for a tank filler pipe.
16. A tubular fitting according to any preceding Claim, wherein the first portion fixes to the inner surface of the tank, and the second portion fixes to the outer surface of the tank.
17. A tubular fitting substantially as described with reference to and as shown in the drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9505235A GB2298908A (en) | 1995-03-15 | 1995-03-15 | Fuel tank tubular fittings |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9505235A GB2298908A (en) | 1995-03-15 | 1995-03-15 | Fuel tank tubular fittings |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB9505235D0 GB9505235D0 (en) | 1995-05-03 |
| GB2298908A true GB2298908A (en) | 1996-09-18 |
Family
ID=10771257
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9505235A Withdrawn GB2298908A (en) | 1995-03-15 | 1995-03-15 | Fuel tank tubular fittings |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2298908A (en) |
Cited By (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2375577A (en) * | 2001-04-12 | 2002-11-20 | Wardtec Ltd | Boss for fitting to a central heating tank. |
| EP1731822A1 (en) * | 2005-06-09 | 2006-12-13 | The Boeing Company | Fittings with redundant seals for aircraft fuel lines, fuel tanks, and other systems |
| WO2007138588A2 (en) * | 2006-05-30 | 2007-12-06 | Netafim Ltd. | Pipe insert |
| US7458543B2 (en) | 2005-06-10 | 2008-12-02 | The Boeing Company | Aerial refueling system |
| DE102009006072B4 (en) * | 2008-01-24 | 2010-05-12 | Magna Steyr Fuel Systems Gesmbh | Fuel tank with connection piece |
| US7887010B2 (en) | 2005-06-20 | 2011-02-15 | The Boeing Company | Controllable refueling drogues and associated systems and methods |
| US7922122B2 (en) | 2005-06-09 | 2011-04-12 | The Boeing Company | Systems and methods for distributing loads from fluid conduits, including aircraft fuel conduits |
| US7946038B2 (en) | 2005-06-09 | 2011-05-24 | The Boeing Company | Adjustable fittings for attaching support members to fluid conduits, including aircraft fuel conduits, and associated systems and methods |
| CN104930283A (en) * | 2013-12-27 | 2015-09-23 | 空中客车军事公司 | Threaded connection for double-walled pipes |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB236053A (en) * | 1924-07-21 | 1925-07-02 | Albert Bertram Coleman | Improvements relating to pipe joints or connections for tanks, cylinders and the like |
| GB374873A (en) * | 1931-03-11 | 1932-06-13 | Richard Howard Halbeard | Improvements in or relating to cisterns or other tanks |
| US4128107A (en) * | 1977-03-01 | 1978-12-05 | Blumhardt Mfg., Inc. | Surface irrigation gate |
-
1995
- 1995-03-15 GB GB9505235A patent/GB2298908A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB236053A (en) * | 1924-07-21 | 1925-07-02 | Albert Bertram Coleman | Improvements relating to pipe joints or connections for tanks, cylinders and the like |
| GB374873A (en) * | 1931-03-11 | 1932-06-13 | Richard Howard Halbeard | Improvements in or relating to cisterns or other tanks |
| US4128107A (en) * | 1977-03-01 | 1978-12-05 | Blumhardt Mfg., Inc. | Surface irrigation gate |
Cited By (15)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2375577B (en) * | 2001-04-12 | 2005-02-16 | Wardtec Ltd | Boss |
| GB2375577A (en) * | 2001-04-12 | 2002-11-20 | Wardtec Ltd | Boss for fitting to a central heating tank. |
| EP1731822A1 (en) * | 2005-06-09 | 2006-12-13 | The Boeing Company | Fittings with redundant seals for aircraft fuel lines, fuel tanks, and other systems |
| US8356842B2 (en) | 2005-06-09 | 2013-01-22 | Carns James A | Fittings with redundant seals for aircraft fuel lines, fuel tanks, and other systems |
| US7946038B2 (en) | 2005-06-09 | 2011-05-24 | The Boeing Company | Adjustable fittings for attaching support members to fluid conduits, including aircraft fuel conduits, and associated systems and methods |
| US7922122B2 (en) | 2005-06-09 | 2011-04-12 | The Boeing Company | Systems and methods for distributing loads from fluid conduits, including aircraft fuel conduits |
| US7458543B2 (en) | 2005-06-10 | 2008-12-02 | The Boeing Company | Aerial refueling system |
| US7665479B2 (en) | 2005-06-10 | 2010-02-23 | The Boeing Company | Aerial refueling system |
| US7887010B2 (en) | 2005-06-20 | 2011-02-15 | The Boeing Company | Controllable refueling drogues and associated systems and methods |
| WO2007138588A2 (en) * | 2006-05-30 | 2007-12-06 | Netafim Ltd. | Pipe insert |
| US7644735B2 (en) | 2006-05-30 | 2010-01-12 | Netafim, Ltd. | Pipe insert |
| WO2007138588A3 (en) * | 2006-05-30 | 2008-04-03 | Netafim Ltd | Pipe insert |
| DE102009006072B4 (en) * | 2008-01-24 | 2010-05-12 | Magna Steyr Fuel Systems Gesmbh | Fuel tank with connection piece |
| CN104930283A (en) * | 2013-12-27 | 2015-09-23 | 空中客车军事公司 | Threaded connection for double-walled pipes |
| CN104930283B (en) * | 2013-12-27 | 2018-05-11 | 空中客车军事公司 | Screw connection for double-wall pipe |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB9505235D0 (en) | 1995-05-03 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |