Takeuchi Mfg. has been granted a patent for a fuel tank design for working vehicles. The tank includes a weir portion that keeps a predetermined amount of fuel in place when the vehicle is inclined. The tank also features a unique peripheral wall design and a fixing band insertion hole for external access. GlobalData’s report on Takeuchi Mfg. gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Takeuchi Mfg., hybrid work machines was a key innovation area identified from patents. Takeuchi Mfg.'s grant share as of September 2023 was 26%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Patent granted for a fuel tank with a weir portion
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11773565B1) describes a fuel tank design for working vehicles. The fuel tank is mounted on the vehicle body and has an upper surface, bottom surface, and peripheral wall. The tank includes a weir portion at the bottom surface that helps keep the fuel in a predetermined position when the vehicle body is inclined.
The peripheral wall of the fuel tank consists of a first wall and a second wall perpendicular to and continuous with one end of the first wall. The weir portion includes a first weir formed by the first wall, a second weir formed by the second wall, a relatively long third weir parallel to the first weir, a relatively short fourth weir arranged between the first and third weirs, and a fifth weir connecting the third and fourth weirs.
Additionally, there is a fixing band insertion hole located between the second wall and the fore-end portion of the fourth weir. This hole penetrates through the upper and bottom surface of the fuel tank, allowing communication with the exterior of the tank but not the interior.
In another aspect of the invention, the third, fourth, and fifth weirs are formed in a continuous shape resembling the letter J or a left-right reversal of the letter J when viewed from above.
The bottom surface of the fuel tank includes a fuel suction portion within the area surrounded by the third, fourth, and fifth weirs. It also has a drain portion in the outer region. A flow path is provided between the fixing band insertion hole and the fore-end portion of the fourth weir, allowing fuel to flow towards the drain portion when the vehicle body becomes uninclined, ensuring efficient fuel management.
Overall, this patented fuel tank design offers improved fuel retention and management for working vehicles. The weir portion and the specific arrangement of weirs help keep the fuel in place during vehicle inclination, while the flow path ensures proper fuel drainage when the vehicle body returns to a level position. This innovation can potentially enhance the performance and stability of working vehicles that rely on fuel reserves.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
