US 11,742,500 B2
Structural gaseous material storage tank
Joseph Dean Rainville, Fort Worth, TX (US); and William Ben Johns, Little Elm, TX (US)
Assigned to Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed by Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed on Apr. 1, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/372,341.
Prior Publication US 2020/0313209 A1, Oct. 1, 2020
Int. Cl. H01M 8/04 (2016.01); F17C 1/14 (2006.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); H01M 8/04082 (2016.01); H01M 8/04089 (2016.01); B64U 50/19 (2023.01)
CPC H01M 8/04201 (2013.01) [B64C 39/024 (2013.01); F17C 1/14 (2013.01); H01M 8/04089 (2013.01); B64U 50/19 (2023.01); F17C 2201/0104 (2013.01); F17C 2205/0103 (2013.01); F17C 2205/0157 (2013.01); F17C 2205/0323 (2013.01); F17C 2221/012 (2013.01); F17C 2223/0123 (2013.01); F17C 2223/035 (2013.01); F17C 2223/036 (2013.01); H01M 2250/20 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tank, comprising:
a body defining a chamber therein, the chamber being configured to store a gas at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and the body comprising a tubular wall joined between a first transverse wall and a second transverse wall;
a first mounting element extending axially from the first transverse wall of the body; and
a second mounting element extending from the second transverse wall of the body;
wherein the first mounting element and the second mounting element are configured for coupling to a first component of a vehicle and a second component of the vehicle, respectively, and the body is configured to carry a structural load between the first component and the second component when the first mounting element and the second mounting element are coupled thereto;
wherein the first component carries a propulsion device and wherein the second component comprises at least one of a wing and a landing element;
wherein the tank further comprises a stem comprising an orifice, the stem being configured for delivering the gas to the propulsion device through the orifice; and
wherein the first mounting element axially overlaps the stem and wherein the first mounting element comprises radially outer extents less than the radially outer extents of the tubular wall.