Abstract:
A fuel tank apparatus is particularly suited for use on vehicles and marine vessels. A fuel tank can be used to supply fuel to an engine, compressor or the like such as when the tank is used to operate an engine or air compressor. The apparatus includes a tank body having a plurality of tank outer walls surrounding an interior that enables fuel to be contained. The tank body has upper and lower end portions. Flow lines are provided for adding fuel to the tank interior and for discharging fuel that is to be consumed by an engine, compressor or other device. The lower end portion of the tank body provides a sump that is specially configured to trap the undesirable contents of fuel such as trash, water, debris, settleable solids and the like. The interior includes a baffle structure that is space inwardly of the tank body providing a vent flow passage that extends from a position just above the sump to a position next to the upper end portion of the body. In this fashion, the sump traps settleable material while the vent flow passage allows air to bubble upwardly and not discharge through the fuel discharge flow line.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/629,181, filed 18 Nov. 2004, incorporated herein by reference, is hereby claimed.  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not applicable  
       REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX” 
       [0003]     Not applicable 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0005]     The present invention relates to fuel tanks. More particularly, the present invention relates to fuel tanks used on military vehicles, land vehicles, marine vessels and other moving vehicles or devices which have attitude changes, wherein an improved tank arrangement enhances the separation of solid matter and air from contained fuel.  
         [0006]     2. General Background of the Invention  
         [0007]     The following fuel tank related U.S. Patents are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos.: 1,518,686; 2,339,303; 2,896,657; 3,804,291; 3,924,773; 4,107,052; 4,799,504; 5,287,717.  
         [0008]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,052 discloses a fuel tank with a separator system having a slanted bottom and a sump at the bottom for separation of oil and water.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,773 discloses a fuel tank with multiple vents.  
         [0010]     U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,339,303 and 1,518,686 disclose fuel tanks with a sump at the bottom of the tank with a drain plug.  
         [0011]     U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,804,291 and 4,799,504 disclose fuel tanks with drain plugs for separation of water and other pollutants.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     The present invention relates to a fuel tank apparatus for use on military vehicles, land vehicles, marine vessels and vehicles and other devices which have attitude changes.  
         [0013]     The tank of the present invention has a tank body with a plurality of tank outer walls that surround an interior for containing fuel. The tank body has upper and lower end portions and can be comprised of a plurality of side walls and end walls.  
         [0014]     A tank filler flow line can be provided for filling the fuel tank. A discharge flow line enables fuel to be transmitted from the tank interior to a selected location such as an engine, compressor or other device that consumes fuel. The lower end portion of the tank body provides a sump that is specially configured to trap water and debris.  
         [0015]     The interior can contain baffle structure, e.g. a plurality of interior walls that define with the exterior walls one or more vent flow passages that extend from a position next to the sump to a position next to the upper end portion of the tank body. During use, this passage area allows air bubbles to vent to the upper end portion of the fuel tank at a position spaced away from the fuel discharge flow line.  
         [0016]     A sump area is placed at the bottom of the tank body. Air is vented from the contained fuel via vents or vent pipes. The sump includes a sloped trash collector at the sump lower end portion.  
         [0017]     Any trash or water in the fuel sinks to the bottom, entering the sump area. These portions then slide into the sloped trash collector, and can be removed via a drain plug or plugs. Wash out plugs allow pressure washing of the inside of the trash collector.  
         [0018]     As a marine vessel lists to port and then to starboard, the tank also lists back and forth. Fuel is thus mixed in the tank. Any contained trash and water likewise mix with the fuel. Vents allow the air to move upwardly so that the air does not get compressed and mixed back into the fuel. Similar motion is generated by a truck that travels a not so smooth road.  
         [0019]     The sloped interior walls of the tank allow the bottom of the fuel supply pipe always to be in fuel (as long as too much water does not accumulate in the sump area), as when the tank is tilted. Water and trash are trapped and contained below the sloped interior wall. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]     For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:  
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention taken along lines  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is an end view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention taken along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 5  is an end, sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;  
         [0026]      FIG. 6  is a fragmentary view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;  
         [0027]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;  
         [0028]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view taken along lines  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0029]      FIG. 9  is a sectional view taken along lines  9 - 9  of  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0030]      FIG. 10  is a sectional elevation view of another alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;  
         [0031]      FIG. 10A  is a fragmentary view of the alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing  FIG. 10 ;  
         [0032]      FIG. 11  is a sectional view taken along lines  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10 ; and  
         [0033]      FIG. 12  is an end view taken along lines  12 - 12  of  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0034]     The present invention provides a fuel tank  10  that can be used with a vehicle (e.g. truck, automobile, marine vessel) or part of a vehicle or marine vessel. For example, fuel tank  10  can be used on the deck of a work boat to power a compressor for use by divers or on the bed of a work truck. As used herein, the term vehicle means any mobile device that imparts motion during use to fuel tank  10  such as but not limited to marine vessel, truck, trailer, automobile, tank, armored car, personnel carrier, or other device that imparts the same or similar motion to a vessel on open seas or a truck riding on a road.  
         [0035]     Fuel tank  10  can also be used to provide fuel to a vessel&#39;s engine. Fuel tank  10  includes a tank body  11  that can be comprised of a pair of opposed side walls  12 ,  13  each of which can be vertically oriented. Tank body  11  can also include end walls  14 ,  15  that can be vertically oriented. A cover or top wall panel  16  is provided. The tank body thus provides an upper end portion  17  and a lower end portion  18 . The lower end portion  18  provides a sump  21  that is fitted to the bottom of inclined side walls  19 ,  20  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The tank body  11  can be of welded steel construction for example, with each of the walls  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  19 ,  20  being steel or other weldable metallic walls that are connected together in a configuration shown in the drawings using welding. Fuel lines  51 ,  53  can be provided. The flow line  51  can be used to add fuel to tank  11  interior  49  or to vent tank  11 , as indicated by arrow  52 . Flow line  53  can be used to supply fuel to a machine or to vent tank  11  when being filled via flow line  51 , as indicated by arrow  54  in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0036]     Sump  21  can be comprised of a pair or opposed wall sections  22 ,  23  that are preferably vertically oriented and a pair of wall sections  24 ,  25  that are preferably inclined. In the side view of  FIG. 2 , the sump  21  is inclined, providing an inclined trough  43  tracking a reference line  44 . This reference line  44  can form an angle of between about 0 and 45, preferably between about 10-20 degrees with horizontal. As shown in  FIG. 2, 3  and  6 , the sump has a drain opening  26  that can be closed with plug  27 . A gap  28  is defined by the lower end portions of the inclined side walls  19 ,  20  as shown in  FIG. 3 . Because the sump  21  is inclined, water, particulate matter, debris or other material that is an undesirable content of fuel is collected in sump  21  and can be discharged via drain opening  26  as indicated by arrow  29  in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0037]     Tank body  11  provides an interior  49 . A baffle structure  30  is supported within interior  49  in a position that spaces the baffle structure inwardly of side walls  12 ,  13  and end walls  14 ,  15  as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  3 ,  4  and  5 . The baffle structure  30  can be comprised of side walls  31 ,  32 , end walls  33 ,  34 , and a lower funnel  35 . The funnel  35  can be constructed of welded inclined plates  36 ,  37 ,  38 ,  39  as shown in  FIGS. 1-5 . A funnel opening  40  is provided at the lowest portion of funnel  35  as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . An debris, particulate matter, undesirable liquids such as water falls via gravity to funnel  35  and passes through funnel opening  40  into sump  20 . This undesirable debris is then trapped in a large peripheral channel  50  that is in between baffle structure  30  and tank body  11 . The baffle structure  30  is supported in this spaced apart relation with tank body  11  using for example, a plurality of vertical beams  45 ,  46 ,  47 ,  48 .  
         [0038]     Any debris, particulate matter, water or the like that trapped in sump  21  can be drained via opening  26  or flushed out using a selected cleaning fluid that is added to opening  41  when plug  42  is removed. A desired cleaning fluid could thus be directed from opening  41  to opening  26  so that any debris, particulate matter, water or undesirable liquid that is contained in sump  21  is discharged as indicated by arrow  29  from sump  21  via opening  26 . The debris, particulate matter, undesirable liquid is designated generally by the numeral  56  in  FIGS. 4, 5  and  6 . In  FIGS. 4 and 5 , as the tank  10  is tilted an angle of α (alpha) ( FIG. 4 ) or β (beta) ( FIG. 5 ). The air that collects in passageway  50  is channeled upwardly as indicated by arrows  84  in  FIGS. 4 and 5 .  
         [0039]     An alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 7-9 , designated generally by the numeral  57 . Fuel tank  57  provides a tank body  58  having side walls  59 ,  60 , end walls  61 ,  62  and cover  63 . The tank body  58  has an upper end portion  64  and a lower end portion  65 . Lower end portion  65  provides two sloped or inclined walls  66 ,  67  that define a sump  79  as shown best in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . The interior of tank body  58  is provided with baffle structure  68  that can be attached to a lower most funnel  69  as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . Funnel  69  has a funnel opening  70  that communicates with sump  79  as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . Baffle structure  68  can be comprised of a plurality of vertical walls as shown, and being welded or otherwise connected to inclined plates or walls that comprise funnel  69 . For example, the entire tank body  58  can be made of welded steel or welded aluminum construction. Baffle structure  68  is supported within tank body  58  using vertical beams  71 ,  72 ,  73 ,  74  as an example. The tank body  58  provides two lower most openings  75 ,  77 . The opening  75  can function as a drain outlet. The opening  77  can function as a clean out or opening for injecting cleaning fluids. For cleaning the tank sump  79 , both openings  75 ,  77  are opened by removing closure plugs  76 ,  78 .  
         [0040]     The sump  79  is defined by slope wall  66 ,  67  that define an inclined trough  80  a tracking reference line  81  as shown in  FIG. 8 . In this fashion, solid matter that is contained within the fuel inside tank body  58  travels downwardly until it reaches funnel  69 . Any solid matter such as debris, dirt, metal parts, etc. travels downwardly along to engage funnel  69  and then flows downwardly through opening  70  to reach sump  79 . Because trough  80  is inclined, debris from a dirt, solid matter, or the like that falls through funnel opening  70  reaches trough  79  and sloped walls  66 ,  67 . Because the inclined trough  80  is sloped is indicated by reference line  81  in  FIG. 8 , solid material, debris, during and the like travels in inclined trough  80  until it reaches a position next to outlet  75 .  
         [0041]     Any air that is in trained in the fuel that is contained within tank body  58  either travels upwardly if it is contained within the confines of baffles structure  80  and then exits air vent  83 , or if it passes through opening  70 , it travels upwardly in peripheral channel  82  until it reaches vent  83 . In either case, in trained air is separated from the desirable fuel so that it can not be compressed by the pitching and heating of the marine vessel that is holding the tank body  58 .  
         [0042]     As with the preferred embodiment, flow lines  51 ,  53  are provided for the intake and discharge of fuel for hollow tank body  58 . Arrows  52  and  54  in  FIG. 7  demonstrate the direction of flow for fuel that is transmitted to or from the tank body  58 .  
         [0043]      FIGS. 10, 10A  and  11 - 12  show another alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by the numeral  85 . Fuel tank  85  provides a tank body  86  having side walls  87 ,  88  and end walls  89 ,  90 . The tank body  86  has a cover  91 , upper end portion  92 , lower end portion  93 . The lower end portion  93  provides a sump  96  defined by inclined side walls  94  and inclined end walls  95 . The sump  96  also provides vertical wall sections  97 ,  98  and inclined wall sections  99 ,  100  as shown in  FIGS. 10-11 . A pair of drain openings  101 ,  102  are provided at opposite ends of sump  96  as shown in  FIGS. 10, 11  and  12 . Each drain opening  101 ,  102  can be provided with a closure plug. The opening  101  has plug  103 . The opening  102  has plug  104 .  
         [0044]     Fuel tank  85  of the present invention is designed to collect and entrap debris that might be contained in a fuel product that is inside of the tank body  86 . A baffle structure  106  is positioned above a gap  105  that is in between the inclined side walls  94  and in between the inclined end walls  95  as shown in  FIGS. 10-12 . The baffle structure  106  that is positioned above the gap  105  helps channel any debris or other solid matter within the fuel contained in tank  85  and transmitted via opening  103  to the sump  96 , the debris passing through the gap  105  as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 .  
         [0045]     The baffle structure can include vertical side wall sections  107 ,  108  and vertical end wall sections  118 ,  119 . The walls  107 ,  108 ,  118 ,  119  support inclined plates  109 ,  110  that surround discharge opening  113 . The baffle structure  106  is supported with a plurality of supports  111 ,  112  that can be rectangular plates that are welded to the baffle structure  106  and to the tank body  86  at walls  87 ,  88  as shown in  FIGS. 10-12 .  
         [0046]     Openings  14  can be provided at the seam that connects inclined walls  94 ,  95  to walls  87 ,  88 ,  89 ,  90 . The plurality of openings  105 ,  113 ,  114  enable air to flow upwardly in tank body  86 , eventually escaping via vent  116 . Solid matter, debris, foreign matter, water or the like falls downwardly in tank body  86 , passing through either opening  113  or  105  until it reaches sump  96 .  
         [0047]     A fuel flow line  117  can be provided for adding fuel to or removing fuel from tank  85  during operation.  
         [0048]     All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise.  
         [0049]     The following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention.  
                                         PARTS LIST            Parts Number   Description               10   fuel tank       11   tank body       12   side wall       13   side wall       14   end wall       15   end wall       16   cover       17   upper end portion       18   lower end portion       19   inclined side wall       20   inclined side wall       21   sump       22   vertical wall section       23   vertical wall section       24   inclined wall section       25   inclined wall section       26   drain opening       27   plug       28   gap       29   arrow       30   baffle structure       31   side wall       32   side wall       33   end wall       34   end wall       35   funnel       36   inclined plate       37   inclined plate       38   inclined plate       39   inclined plate       40   funnel opening       41   opening       42   plug       43   inclined trough       44   reference line       45   vertical beam       46   vertical beam       47   vertical beam       48   vertical beam       49   interior       50   peripheral channel       51   flow line       52   arrow       53   flow line       54   arrow       55   lower end       56   undesirable material       57   fuel tank       58   hollow tank body       59   side wall       60   side wall       61   end wall       62   end wall       63   cover       64   upper end portion       65   lower end portion       66   sloped wall       67   sloped wall       68   baffle structure       69   funnel       70   funnel opening       71   vertical beam       72   vertical beam       73   vertical beam       74   vertical beam       75   drain outlet       76   plug       77   opening       78   plug       79   sump       80   inclined trough       81   reference line       82   peripheral channel       83   air vent       84   arrow       85   fuel tank       86   tank body       87   side wall       88   side wall       89   end wall       90   end wall       91   cover       92   upper end portion       93   lower end portion       94   inclined side wall       95   inclined end wall       96   sump       97   vertical wall section       98   vertical wall section       99   inclined wall section       100    inclined wall section       101    drain opening       102    drain opening       103    plug       104    plug       105    gap       106    baffle structure       107    vertical wall section       108    vertical wall section       109    inclined wall section       110    inclined wall section       111    baffle support       112    baffle support       113    opening       114    opening       115    opening       116    vent       117    flow line       118    end wall section       119    end wall section       angle α   5-60, preferably around 30-45 degrees       angle β   5-60, preferably around 30-45 degrees       angle γ   5-60, preferably around 30-45 degrees       angle Δ   5-60, preferably around 30-45 degrees                  
 
         [0050]     The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.