Patent US5476080A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5476080A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Crash-resistant motor-vehicle fuel-line tubing
Assignee: Technoflow Tube Systems GmbH
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Filing: 1994-08-26
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Granted: 1995-12-19
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Expires: 2014-08-26
Abstract
Abstract A fuel-line tube formed wholly of plastic has ends provided with fittings connecting it to the engine and tank and capable of resisting disconnection from the tube and tank when stressed at less than a predetermined pullout force. This tube has an outside diameter of less than 15 mm and is formed with a corrugated crash-resistant section of a predetermined length which is a maximum of 50% of a precorrugated length and capable of elongation in response to a crash with a tensile force smaller than the pullout force.
Inventors
- 👤 Erwin Brunnhofer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 17:24
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02M; F02M37/00; F02M37/0011; F02M37/0017; B; B60; B60K; B60K15/00; B60K15/01; F16; F16L; F16L11/00; F16L11/04; F16L11/11; F16L11/118
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
In a motor-vehicle having a fuel tank, an engine, and a fuel-line tube connected between the tank and the engine, the improvements wherein: the tube is formed wholly of plastic; the tube has ends provided with fittings connecting it to the engine and tank and capable of resisting disconnection from the tube and tank when stressed at less than a predetermined pullout force; the tube has an outside diameter of less than 15 mm; and the tube has a corrugated crash-resistant section of a predetermined length which is a maximum of 50% of a precorrugated length and capable of elongation in response to a crash with a tensile force smaller than the pullout force.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
114 words
In a motor-vehicle having a fuel tank, an engine, and a fuel-line tube connected between the tank and the engine, the improvements wherein: the tube is formed wholly of plastic; the tube has ends provided with fittings connecting it to the engine and tank and capable of resisting disconnection from the tube and tank when stressed at less than a predetermined pullout force; the tube has an outside diameter of less than 15 mm; and the tube has a corrugated crash-resistant section of a predetermined length which is a maximum of 50% of a precorrugated length and capable of elongation in response to a crash with a tensile force smaller than the pullout force.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the plastic is such that when filled with a fuel containing 15% methanol the fuel will diffuse into the tube at most 2 g per day and meter at 60° C. and 4 bar in a dynamic diffusion test of an 8 mm inside diameter 1 mm wall thickness tube.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the corrugated section is such that the integrated diffusion through the section of the tube is at most 30% more than the diffusion through a noncorrugated section of the tube.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the tube has a breaking resistance of between about 500N to 1500N and the fittings comply with DIN 73,377, the corrugated section further being capable of being stretched to 100% to 250% of its original length without breaking.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the tube has a plurality of the corrugated sections and straight sections between the corrugated sections, the corrugated sections forming bends.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
66 words
The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the plastic is PA6, PA66, PA46, PA69, PA610, PA612, PA6-3T, PA11, PA12 as described in part 1 of DIN 16,733, the PP group of DIN 16,774, the PET and PBT group described in DIN 16,779, the polyester elastomer TEEE group described in ASTM D1972, and the fluoropolymer group containing PVDF, ETFE, FEP, PFE, ECTFE, PTFE, or compatible mixtures thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the tube is unitarily formed of a single layer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
104 words
The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the tube includes: an inner layer of a predetermined hardness and thickness and a coextruded outer layer of a hardness equal to at most 80% of the hardness of the inner layer and a thickness equal to at most 50% the thickness of the inner layer, the outer layer being a plastic from the group including PA6, PA66, PA46, PA69, PA610, PA612, PA11, and PA12 described in part 1 of DIN 1673, from the group including PP described in DIN 16,744, from the flouropolymer group including PVDF, ETFE, FEP, PFA, ECTFE, and PTFE or compatible mixtures thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the tube has a wall thickness of between 0.5 mm and 4 mm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The improvement defined in claim 9 wherein the wall thickness is about 1 mm.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
66 words
The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the tube has: a hardness between Shore D30 and Shore D85 according to DIN 53,505, a tensile strength in the region of 10N/mm 2 to 60N/mm 2 according to DIN 53,455, a elongation to break of 100% to 600% according to DIN 53,455, and an impact resistance at -40° C. allowing 10 tests without breaking according to DIN 73,378.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-12-18 | 1999-06-19 | 1999-12-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-12-18 | 2003-06-19 | 2003-12-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-12-18 | 2007-06-19 | 2007-12-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |