TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter described herein, in general, relates to a mounting assembly for a cylindrical object and in particular, relates to a mounting assembly for a cylindrical fuel tank in a three-wheeled vehicle.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, due to the escalation in costs of liquid fuels and rising environmental concerns, bi-fuel compatible vehicles have been developed. Bi-fuel vehicles are capable of operating on either liquid fuel or gaseous fuel in an exchangeable manner. These vehicles can be switched between liquid fuel operation to gaseous fuel operation, manually or automatically. Bi-fuel technology has been used in four wheelers for sometime now. However, more recently, considering the benefits associated with bi-fuel vehicles, automobile manufacturers have considered using the technology in three-wheelers also.

A three-wheeler, sometimes referred to as an auto or an auto-rickshaw in some parts of the world, is one of the chief modes of public transport in South-East Asian countries like India, Pakistan, Thailand, Sudan and in many African and Latin American countries. A typical three-wheeler is generally characterized by a tin or iron body resting on three wheels, which are typically arranged as one wheel in the front and two wheels in the rear of the three-wheeler, A typical three-wheeler further includes a small cabin or first compartment in a front side having a front seat for a driver and a cabin or second compartment at a rear side with a rear seat for passengers. The rear side of the three-wheeler is generally more broad and spacious than the front side. These type of vehicles are generally fitted with a two-stroke or a four-stroke engine and can be controlled by a handlebar.

In order to convert a conventional three-wheeler into a bi-fuel three-wheeler, a gaseous fuel cylinder, which is generally bulky and heavy, needs to be fitted onto the three-wheeler. The gaseous fuel cylinder can be approximately 10% in weight as compared to the weight of an unloaded three-wheeler. Therefore, it is desirable that the weight of the gaseous fuel cylinder is distributed substantially equally on all the three wheels. Generally, the gaseous fuel cylinder is mounted underneath the rear passenger scat within the passenger cabin. As a result, the gaseous fuel cylinder is located in close proximity to the engine and rear wheels of the three-wheeler. This layout leads to concentration of weight of the cylinder at the rear end of the three-wheeler, which is again not desirable.

In addition, the orientation of the gaseous fuel cylinder when mounted in the three-wheeler should be such that the gaseous fuel cylinder does not hamper access to valves and other components attached to the gaseous fuel cylinder, for example, a shut off valve and a refueling port. Further, the mounting assembly needs to be designed such that it not only adapts to secure gaseous fuel tanks of various dimensions, but also confirms to the norms for the Design for Service (DFS) and the Design for Assembly (DPA). Thus, there is a need for a mounting assembly that is easily accessible, occupies less space, can accommodate gaseous fuel tanks of different dimensions, provides better weight balancing with least number of fasteners used, and satisfies various design criteria.

SUMMARY

The subject matter described herein is directed towards a mounting assembly for a cylindrical object, for example, a cylindrical gaseous fuel tank, in a three-wheeled vehicle or three-wheeler.

According to one embodiment, the mounting assembly for holding the cylindrical object includes a first reinforcement fixed to the floor, preferably within a driver cabin of the three-wheeler, and to a partition frame of the three-wheeler. The first reinforcement is disposed transversely in the three-wheeler and defines a first side of the mounting assembly. A second reinforcement of the mounting assembly is also fixed to the floor within the driver cabin, and in close proximity and substantially parallel to the first reinforcement. The second reinforcement defines a second side of the mounting assembly.

A first supporting means, such as a pair of first mounting brackets, is attached to the first reinforcement for supporting the cylindrical object on the first side of the mounting assembly. A second supporting means, such as a pair of second mounting brackets, is attached to the second reinforcement for supporting the cylindrical object on the second side of the mounting assembly. The supporting means are attached to the reinforcements by any fastening method such as welding or using nuts and bolts.

Further, the mounting assembly includes a first restraining means, such as a pair of first straps, for restraining the cylindrical object on the first side of the mounting assembly. Also, a second restraining means, such as a pair of second straps, is provided for restraining the cylindrical object on the second side. The cylindrical object can be disposed along the breadth of the three-wheeler by placing the cylindrical object upon the first and the second supporting means and restraining the cylindrical object using the first and second restraining means.

In one more embodiment, a rail arrangement and a sliding bracket fixed to said rail arrangement can be used in place of the second reinforcement and the second supporting means, respectively.

The mounting assembly as described herein is adapted to accommodate cylinders of different dimensions. The total number of individual parts or components involved in setting up the mounting assembly is substantially reduced as compared to conventional mounting assemblies, thus reducing the assembling time. The mounting assembly is easy to dismantle for purposes including servicing or replacement of the cylinder and the components attached thereto.

In addition, the positioning of the mounting assembly beneath the driver seat envisages positioning of different parts of the assembly in a location such that the assembly and its parts are not predominantly visible. This makes the three-wheeler look neatly packaged, spacious, and well crafted.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present subject matter will be better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will be better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic side perspective view of an exemplary three-wheeler, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.

Fig. 2 shows a plan top view of the exemplary three-wheeler as shown in Fig.l.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of an exemplary mounting assembly for accommodating a gaseous fuel tank according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the exemplary mounting assembly according to another embodiment of the present subject matter.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION

The present subject matter is related to a mounting assembly for safe and secure accommodation of a cylindrical object, like a cylindrical gaseous fuel lank, and components attached thereto, such as a filler/shut-off valve and an emergency knob, within a three-wheeler. The three-wheeler includes two cabins or compartments, referred to as a driver cabin and a passenger cabin, a floor fitted on a chassis, a roof, and a partition frame separating the driver cabin from the passenger cabin. The mounting assembly as described herein is disposed inside the driver cabin, preferably underneath a driver seat, so as to optimally utilize the space available within the driver cabin.

According to one embodiment, the mounting assembly includes a first reinforcement and a second reinforcement. The first reinforcement is rigidly attached to the floor and the partition frame inside the driver cabin, underneath the driver seat. The second reinforcement is fixed substantially parallel and in close proximity to the first reinforcement, also within the driver cabin. The reinforcements are attached to the floor and the partition frame by any known means or fasteners.

A first and a second supporting means are attached to the first and the second reinforcements respectively by any known means or fasteners. Further, a first and second restraining means, also referred to as a first pair and a second pair of straps, are provided to restrain the cylindrical object from slipping from its secured position over the first and second supporting means.

An extreme end of each of the first and the second pair of straps is hinged to the corresponding supporting means or pair of brackets while the other extreme end of the first and the second pair of straps is free. In operation, the gas cylinder is disposed between the first and the second pair of mounting brackets along the breadth of the three-wheeler. The first and the second pair of straps are connected to each other by securing the free ends of the first pair of straps with the free ends of the second pair of straps by using a suitable fastening means.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic side perspective view of an exemplary three-wheeler 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

Embodiments disclosed herein are described in the context of a three-wheeler having a separate passenger cabin. However, the embodiments and the subject matter described herein can also be applied to other three-wheeled vehicles and more particularly, to vehicles that are powered by any gaseous fuel such as CNG or LPG.

As used herein, the terms "front", "rear", "left", "right", "up", and "down", correspond to the directions with reference to the position of a driver and the direction in which he is facing. As shown in Fig.l, the three-wheeler 100 is configured for accommodating a driver in a front potion 110 and one or more passengers in a rear portion 114 of the three-wheeler 100. The front portion 110, also called as driver cabin, has a driver seat 112 whereas the rear portion 114, also called as passenger cabin, has a passenger seat 116, the latter being capable of accommodating more people than the former. The three-wheeler 100 includes a chassis 102 supporting a handlebar 104 located towards a front end thereof. The handlebar 104 is configured for swilling about a steering axis. The chassis 102 rests on a front wheel 106 and a pair of rear wheels 108. The chassis 102 supports the whole body and parts of the three-wheeler including the floor and the driver and passenger seats 112 and 116.

A partition frame 118 separates the driver cabin 110 and the passenger cabin 114. The partition frame 118 also acts as a backrest for the driver sitting on the driver seat 112. Beneath the driver seat, a cylindrical object 120, for example a gaseous fuel tank or gas cylinder, is disposed over a mounting assembly 122. Such a positioning of the mounting assembly 122 not only helps in the optimum utilization of the space available within the driver cabin but also in approximately equal distribution of weight on all the three wheels of the three-wheeler 100.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the exemplary three-wheeler 100 as shown in Fig.l. The three-wheeler 100 includes an internal combustion (IC) engine 124 and an electrical system including a battery 126, which are mounted towards the rear portion 114 of the three-wheeler 100. The IC engine 124 and the electrical system 126 are located underneath or behind the passenger seat 116. On the other hand, the cylindrical object 120, also referred to as cylinder 120 hereinafter, is located towards the front portion 110 of the three-wheeler 100, i.e., inside the driver cabin. In one embodiment, the cylinder 120 is resiliently secured over the mounting assembly 122 underneath the driver seat 112. Preferably, a second liquid petrol tank (not shown in the figure) is provided within the three-wheeler 100, which may be used in case of gas fuel shortage. By positioning the IC engine 124 and the electrical system 126 towards the rear portion 114 and the bulky cylinder 120 towards the front portion 110, the three-wheeler 100 is better balanced by distributing the weight of the three-wheeler on all the three wheels (106, 108). As a result, the stability and the drivability of the three-wheeler 100 are enhanced.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the exemplary mounting assembly 122 for accommodating a cylindrical object, for example, cylinder 120, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. As shown, the mounting assembly 122 includes a first reinforcement 128, a second reinforcement 130, one or more first supporting means 132, one or more second supporting means 134, one or more first restraining means 136, and one or more second restraining means 138 to securely hold the cylinder 120. It will be understood that the number of supporting means or restraining means can be varied as per the requirement.

The first reinforcement 128 is shaped such that the reinforcement 128 can be rigidly fixed to the floor and the partition frame 118. In one embodiment, the first reinforcement 128 is a right-angled metal reinforcement with its two sides attached to the floor and the partition frame 118 respectively. In an implementation, the first reinforcement 128 is positioned inside the driver cabin 112 underneath the driver seat.

The second reinforcement 130 is rigidly attached at least to the floor. In an embodiment, the second reinforcement 130 is also disposed inside the driver cabin 110, substantially parallel and in close proximity to the first reinforcement 128. Both the first and the second reinforcements 128 and 130 are located in a transverse direction of the three-wheeler 100, i.e., along the breadth of the three-wheeler 100. For the ease of explanation, the first reinforcement 128 can be referred to as a first side whereas the second reinforcement 130 can be referred to as a second side of the mounting assembly 122, hereinafter.

The first supporting means 132 is attached to the first reinforcement by any suitable attachment means, such as using nuts and bolts. In one embodiment, the first supporting means 132 includes a pair of first mounting brackets 132, positioned in such a way so as to carry the weight of a cylindrical object on the first side. In a similar embodiment, the second supporting means 134 includes a pair of second mounting brackets 134, supporting the cylindrical object on the second side. In one implementation of the aforesaid embodiment(s), the first and the second pair of mounting brackets 132 and 134 are shaped and disposed such that they snugly fit to an outer surface of the cylindrical object 120. In another implementation, the first and the second pair of mounting brackets 132 and 134 may be disposed at extreme ends of the first and the second reinforcements 128 and 130.

Further, the first and second restraining means 136 and 138 are provided to secure the cylindrical object 120 and restrain it from slipping over the first and the second supporting means 132 and 134. In one implementation, the first and the second restraining means 136 and 138 include a first pair of straps 136 and a second pair of straps 138, respectively. The straps 136 and 138 are used to secure the cylindrical object on the first side and the second side, respectively. The straps 136 and 138 have enough strength to securely and resiliently hold the cylindrical object 120. In one implementation, either or both pairs of straps 136 and 138 are retractable straps as known in the art.

One end of each of the first and the second pair of straps 136 and 138, hereinafter referred to as a first end, is fixedly hinged to the corresponding mounting brackets 132 and 134, for example by hinge joints 144. In other implementations, any other known way of securing the straps, for example hooking, can also be used. Further, the other ends of the first and the second pair of straps 136 and 138, hereinafter referred to as a second end, are provided with studs 140 and clamps 142. In one embodiment, the studs 140 and the clamps 142 are integrated to the second ends of the first and the second pair of straps 136 and 138 by welding.

The cylinder 120 can be mounted between the first and the second reinforcements 128 and 130 and can be supported upon the first and the second supporting means 132 and 134 such that the orientation of the cylindrical object or cylinder 120 is transverse to the main axis of the three-wheeler 100, i.e., along its breadth. The first and the second pair of straps 136 and 138 can be then stretched around the outer surface of the cylinder 120. Subsequently, the first and the second pair of straps 136 and 138 can be connected by engaging the integrated studs 140 of the first pair of straps 136 with the clamps 142 of the second pair of straps 138 using any known technique, for example, nuts and bolls.

The mounting assembly 122 as described in the aforesaid embodiment is compatible to suit a cylinder having a specific diameter and size such as the cylinder 120.

To accommodate a cylindrical object of a different size and/or diameter than the cylinder 120, a different position of the second reinforcement 130 with respect to the first reinforcement 128 can be selected and fixed. In a different embodiment, the mounting assembly 122 can be extended to accommodate cylindrical objects of various diameters and sizes in a more handy manner which will be described in figure 4.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the exemplary mounting assembly 122 according to another embodiment of the present subject matter. As shown, the mounting assembly 122 of the present embodiment is similar to what has been shown in Fig. 3. However, the mounting assembly 122 as described in the present embodiment includes a rail arrangement 150 as the second reinforcement 130 and a sliding bracket 152 as the second supporting means 134. The sliding bracket 152 is moveably attached to the rail arrangement 150. The rail arrangement 150 has two rails placed substantially apart and parallel to each other and along the length of the three-wheeler 100, perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder 120. The sliding bracket 152 is secured to the rail arrangement 150 by a fastener 154, for example, nuts and bolts, such that it can be freely guided on the rail arrangement 150 when not fastened. This provides an option to vary the space between the first supporting means 132 and the sliding bracket 152 so as to accommodate cylindrical objects of different diameters and sizes.

In one implementation, the sliding bracket 152 may be a single entity having two ends fixed to two parallel rails of the rail arrangement 150.

further, the pair of straps, such as straps 136 and 138, used to restrain the cylinder 120 from slipping over the mounting assembly 122 may be retractable straps. Based on the need, both or any one of the straps 136 and 138 can be retractable in nature.

Retractable straps are flexible in nature, easy in implementation and use, and secure objects between them more resiliently.

In this way, the aforesaid layout of the mounting assembly 122 facilitates a safe and resiliently secured positioning of cylindrical objects of various diameters and sizes by employing lesser number of components and fasteners. As all parts of the mounting assembly are easily accessible and are safely enclosed inside the driver cabin 110, a hassle free performance of the gaseous fuel supply system is ensured. Consequently, the life of the gaseous fuel supply system gets prolonged.

In addition, the mounting assembly 122 is compact, uses minimal number of components and fasteners, provides better weight balancing to the three-wheeler 100, and satisfies various design criteria without compromising on the aesthetics of the three-wheeler.

The embodiments described above can have many variations, each of which would be clear to a person skilled in the art having the benefit of the present subject matter. It must be noted here that the aforementioned specifications vis-a-vis the shape of the mounting assembly 122, the shape of both the reinforcements 128 and 130, the shape of the mounting brackets 132 and 134 or the sliding bracket 152, the shape of the first and second pair of straps 136 and 138, and the means for attaching different parts of the mounting assembly 122, which herein includes studs and clamps 140 and 142, are not limited to those suggested herein and can be easily altered to suit varying functional and technical requirements.

While certain features of the claimed subject matter have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the claimed subject matter.

I/We claim:

1. A mounting assembly (122) for a cylindrical object (120) in a three-wheeler (100), said mounting assembly(122) comprising:

a. a first reinforcement (128) attached to a floor, wherein said first reinforcement (128) is disposed transversely of said three-wheeler (100) and defines a first side;

b. a second reinforcement (130) fixed to said floor, wherein said second reinforcement (130) is disposed in proximity to and substantially parallel to said first reinforcement (128) and defines a second side;

c. one or more first restraining means (136) configured to restrain said cylindrical object (120) from said first side;

d. one or more second restraining means (138) configured to restrain said cylindrical object (120) from said second side;

characterized in that

said first and second reinforcements (128, 130) are positioned inside a driver cabin (112) of said three-wheeler (100); and

said first reinforcement (128) is attached to said floor and a partition frame (118) of said three-wheeler (100) and wherein said first reinforcement (128) is positioned underneath a driver seat (112) inside said driver cabin (110).

2. The mounting assembly (122) as claimed in claim 1, said assembly comprising:

one or more first supporting means (132) attached to said first reinforcement (128) for supporting said cylindrical object (120) on said first side; and

one or more second supporting means (134) attached to said second reinforcement (130) for supporting said cylindrical object (120) on said second side.

3. The mounting assembly (122) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second reinforcement (130) is a rail arrangement (150) and said second supporting means (134) is a sliding bracket (152) moveably attached to said rail arrangement (150).

4. The mounting assembly (122) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first restraining means (136) and said second restraining means (138) includes a pair of first straps and a pair of second straps respectively.

5. The mounting assembly (122) as claimed in claims 2 or 3, wherein one end of each of said first restraining means (136) is hinged to said first supporting means (132) and a second end of each of said first restraining means (136) has a stud (140) attached thereto.

6. The mounting assembly (122) as claimed claims 2 or 3, wherein one end of each of said second restraining means (138) is hinged to said second supporting means (134) and a second end of each of said second restraining means (138) has a clamp (142) attached thereto.

7. The mounting assembly (122) as claimed in claims 2 or 3, wherein said cylindrical object (120) is disposed transversely of said three-wheeler (100) upon said first and second supporting means (132, 134), and wherein said first and second restraining means (136, 138) are clamped to each other such that a stud (140) of each of said first restraining means (136) is resiliently secured to a clamp (142) of each of said second restraining means (138), thereby restraining said cylindrical object (120) between said first and second sides.

8. The mounting assembly (122) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first reinforcement (128) is a right-angled metal reinforcement, and wherein said partition frame (118) separates said driver cabin (110) from a passenger cabin (114) in said three-wheeler (100).

9. The mounting assembly (122) as claimed in any of the preceding claims 1 to 8, wherein said cylindrical object (120) is a cylindrical gas fuel tank.

10. A three-wheeler comprising a mounting assembly (122) for a cylindrical object (120) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.