The present invention relates to an anti-fatigue flange for a fuel tank assembly, and a process of manufacturing the same, for use in commercial vehicles, and more particularly, to an anti-fatigue flange for a fuel tank assembly that allows multiple components to be connected to a flange wherein the flange includes contours that reduce stress points within the flange so as to reduce fatigue failures of the flange.
The present invention is particularly intended for use on commercial vehicles, which may include multiple components secured to or in a fuel tank. Prior art fuel tanks may include multiple components secured to a flat flange wherein the flat flange includes an area within the plane of the flange that is susceptible to a diaphragm effect and fatigue failure of the flange. Accordingly, there is a need to reduce fatigue failure of prior art flanges which include multiple components secured thereto.
The present invention provides a multi-boss flange, and a process of manufacturing the same, that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, the present invention provides a multi-boss flange that includes raised regions and contours which are strategically shaped and arranged to reduce stress within the flange and thereby reduce fatigue failures of the flange of the present invention. One embodiment of the present invention provides a flange that includes: contours around a raised region wherein the contours angle across the direction of highest stress within the flange; contours around a raised region that are positioned so as to shorten blank sections between components secured on the flange; and raised edges positioned around component connection regions. The contours may include alternating concave and convex sections to reduce stress within the flange.
The invention discloses a multi-boss flange that allows multiple components to be secured to the flange, while reducing stress points and fatigue failures of the flange. In particular, the present invention provides a multi-boss flange that includes raised regions and contours which are strategically shaped and arranged to reduce stress within the flange and thereby reduce fatigue failures of the flange during the harsh environmental conditions of highway driving. One embodiment of the present invention provides a flange that includes: contours around a raised region wherein the contours angle across the direction of highest stress within the flange; contours around a raised region that are positioned so as to shorten blank sections between components secured on the flange; and raised edges positioned around component connection regions. The contours may include alternating concave and convex sections to reduce stress within the flange. The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
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Body 12 may further define a vertical axis 39 (
Positioned along contour lines 20 are section lines 40 that are positioned generally perpendicular to contour lines 20 and that mark a change in contour or curvature, i.e., an inflection line or transition line, of contour lines 20 with respect to component apertures 22 positioned on raised region 16. In particular, section lines 40 mark the transition of contour lines 20, i.e., the set of contour lines 34, 36 and 38, from a concave curvature to a convex curvature, and vice verse, with respect to component apertures 22 positioned on raised region 16. Section lines 40 may include individual section lines, also referred to as lines of inflection, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60. Section lines 42 and 44 define a concave section 43 there between, such that contour lines 34, 36 and 38 between section lines 42 and 44 are positioned concave toward fuel draw aperture 24, meaning that contour lines 34, 36 and 38 each define a curve that generally follows a curvature of the perimeter of fuel draw aperture 24. In other words, contour lines 34, 36 and 38 each define a curve similar to the interior shape of a bowl in section 43 with respect to fuel draw aperture 24. Section lines 44 and 46 define a convex section 45 there between, such that contour lines 34, 36 and 38 between section lines 44 and 46 are positioned convex away from fuel draw aperture 24. In other words, contour lines 34, 36 and 38 each define a curve similar to the exterior shape of a bowl in section 45 with respect to fuel draw aperture 24. Section lines 46 and 48 define a concave section 47 there between, such that contour lines 34, 36 and 38 between section lines 46 and 48 are concave inwardly toward fuel auxiliary aperture 28. Section lines 48 and 50 define a convex section 49 there between, such that contour lines 34, 36 and 38 between section lines 48 and 50 are convex outwardly away from fuel auxiliary aperture 28. Similarly, sections 51, 55, and 59 are each concave sections that are concave inwardly toward the closest component aperture 22 to the corresponding section. Sections 53, 57, and 61 are each convex sections that are convex outwardly away from the closest component aperture 22 to the corresponding section.
The concave or convex shape or contour of sections between sections lines, such as section 43 between sections lines 42 and 44, and section 45 between section lines 44 and 46, may be defined as the curvature or contour of the slope of sloped region 18 measured in a plane parallel to raised region 16 and including horizontal axis 41, so that flange 10 may be described as including alternating concave and convex contoured regions positioned in a plane parallel to body 12 of flange 10, and perpendicular to axis 39.
Accordingly, this alternating pattern of convex and concave sections between adjacent section lines 40 continues around raised region 16 with each section between adjacent section lines alternating between being positioned concave toward raised region 16 and being positioned convex toward raised region 16. Simultaneously, sloped region 18 includes a convex region 37 uphill of contour line 36 and a concave region 35 downhill of contour line 36, as sloped region 18 extends around raised region 16. This arrangement of concave and convex contours parallel to the plane of raised region 16, and concave and convex contours perpendicular to the plane of raised region 16, provides for reduced stress and reduced fatigue failures of flange 10 when in use. The description of the stress reduction provided by these alternating concave and convex sections in planes parallel to and perpendicular to body 12 of flange 10 will now be described.
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Applicants have provided the present design so as to reduce the diaphragm effect at stress line 68 so that the flange 10 of the present invention has a reduced tendency to fold along stress line 68. First, Applicants design provides a plurality of component apertures 22 on a raised region 16 so that sloped region 18 provides a bi-level flange that reduces the tendency of flange 10 to fold at line 68. Second, Applicants design provides sloped region 18 with a lower concave region 35 and an upper convex region 37 that further reduces the tendency of flange 10 to fold at line 68. In other words, Applicants design provides alternating concave and convex regions in a plane perpendicular to base region 14 to reduce the tendency of flange 10 to fold at line 68. Third, Applicants design provides alternating concave and convex regions in a plane parallel to base region 14, such as sections 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59 and 61, to reduce the tendency of flange 10 to fold at line 68. In particular, convex sections 45, 53, 57, and 61 each define a tangent line 45a, 53a, 57a and 61a, that each intersect line 68 that that each extend between adjacent component aperture 22, such that stress induced along line 68 will be transferred in part to each of tangent lines 45a, 53a, 57a and 61a, thereby diffusing and reducing the stress experienced by flange 10 at line 68. In particular, tangent line 45a extends between fuel draw aperture 24 and fuel auxiliary aperture 28 and intersects stress line 68. Tangent line 53a extends between fuel return aperture 26 and fuel auxiliary aperture 28 and intersects stress line 68. Tangent line 57a extends between fuel return aperture 26 and level sender aperture 30 and intersects stress line 68. Tangent line 61a extends between fuel draw aperture 24 and level sender aperture 3 and intersects stress line 68. Applicants believe that these tangent lines that intersect stress line 68 reduce the stress and resultant fatigue failures of the flange 10 of the present invention by approximately five percent, compared with prior art flanges that do not includes such stress reducing tangent lines therein.
The present invention provides a flange having a base region, a raised region and a sloped region positioned there between. The sloped region defines convex and concave contours, such as the curvatures of contour lines 34, 36 and 38 that are positioned in a plane that is parallel to the top plane of raised region 16 and horizontal axis 41, and perpendicular to a plane that includes vertical axis 39. The sloped region also defines convex and concave contours, such as the curvatures of regions of slope 35 and 37 that are positioned in a plane that is perpendicular to the top plane of raised region 16 and horizontal axis 41, and parallel to a plane that includes vertical axis 39.
As may be understood from the above description and drawings, the present invention has many advantages over prior art fuel tank flanges. In the above description numerous details have been set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be obvious, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced using other equivalent designs.
This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/626,889, filed on Nov. 21, 2017, in the name of inventor Evan Waymire, and entitled Draw and Return Tube Assembly.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 29626889 | Nov 2017 | US |
Child | 16417143 | US |