Container of thermoplastic material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10076955-B2
Application number	US-201715483166-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2017
Priority date	Oct 2, 2012
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a container ( 1 ) of thermoplastic material with at least one support ( 4 ), which is arranged in the interior of the container, extends between opposing container walls ( 2 ) and is anchored at each end to the container walls with a positive engagement and/or a material bond, the support ( 4 ) comprising at least one supporting strut ( 5 ) and the supporting strut ( 5 ) substantially absorbing a supporting load on the container walls ( 2 ) induced by negative pressure in the container, and a tensile force that is induced by positive pressure being absorbed by at least one tension-resistant bracing element in the form of a tension-resistant band ( 8 ) which extends between the container walls ( 2 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A container comprising:
the container formed of thermoplastic material,
at least one support arranged in an interior of the container extending between two opposing walls of the container,
wherein the at least one support has opposite ends, and is anchored at each end of the opposite ends to one of the two opposing walls of the container with at least one of a positive engagement and a material bond,
wherein the at least one support includes at least one supporting strut,
wherein the supporting strut substantially absorbs only a supporting load on the container walls induced by negative pressure in the container, and a tensile force on the container walls induced by positive pressure in the container is absorbed by at least one tension-resistant bracing element which extends between the container walls,
wherein the supporting strut has opposite ends and is provided at each end of the opposite ends with a base which is connected to the container wall,
wherein the supporting strut is engaged compliantly in a longitudinal direction in at least one of the bases.

2. The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the supporting strut is formed as a supporting rod or supporting tube.

3. The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one support is anchored at each of the opposite ends to one of the two opposing walls of the container, respectively, without extending through either of the opposing walls of the container.

4. The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the bases are connected to one another by the at least one tension-resistant bracing element.

5. The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bases are prestressed against the supporting strut by the at least one tension-resistant bracing element.

6. The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one tension-resistant bracing element comprises at least one band of fiber-reinforced plastic or of glass fiber, aramid fiber or carbon fiber.

7. The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one tension-resistant bracing element is formed as a continuous band.

8. The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one tension-resistant bracing element comprises a plurality of tension-resistant bands, respectively connecting oppositely arranged bases to one another.

9. The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the supporting strut extends between a closure cover of the container and a foot element, which is attached on the container wall opposite the closure cover, and in that the closure cover and the foot element are connected to one another by at least one tension-resistant bracing element.

10. The container as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the foot element is formed as at least one of a surge tank and a feed module.

11. The container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tension-resistant bracing element is prestressed.

12. A support for a container of thermoplastic material which in the installed position extends between two opposing walls of the container and is anchorable at opposite ends to the walls of the container with at least one of a positive engagement and a material bond, the support comprising at least one supporting strut, the supporting strut having a longitudinal axis and extending between two bases and the bases being braced against the supporting strut by at least one tension-resistant bracing element, and wherein the supporting strut is engaged compliantly in a longitudinal direction in at least one of the bases, and wherein the at least one tension-resistant bracing element extends along the longitudinal axis of the supporting strut.

13. The support as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the at least one supporting strut further comprises a plurality of supporting struts and each of the supporting struts of the plurality of supporting struts extend between a plurality of bases such that the plurality of supporting struts respectively enclose between them an angle of less than 90°.

14. The support as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the at least one supporting strut further comprises at least two supporting struts and an angle between the at least two supporting struts is variable.

15. A container comprising:
the container formed of thermoplastic material,
at least one support arranged in an interior of the container extending between two opposing walls of the container,
wherein the at least one support includes at least one compression-resistant supporting strut, and at least one tension-resistant bracing element,
wherein the compression-resistant supporting strut has a longitudinal axis and opposite ends, wherein at each end of the opposite ends of the compression-resistant supporting strut is a base which is connected to one of the two opposing walls of the container with at least one of a positive engagement and a material bond, wherein the compression-resistant supporting strut is movable along the longitudinal axis in at least one of the bases,
wherein the compression-resistant supporting strut is configured to absorb compressive force from the container walls induced by a negative pressure in the container, and
wherein the tension-resistant bracing element extends along the longitudinal axis of the supporting strut, and is configured to absorb tensile force from the container walls induced by a positive pressure in the container.

16. The container as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the compression-resistant supporting strut is configured not to absorb the tensile force from the container walls induced by the positive pressure in the container.

17. The container as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the tension-resistant bracing element is configured not to absorb the compressive force from the container walls induced by the negative pressure in the container.

18. The container as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the support has a tensile strength and a compressive strength, and wherein the tensile strength is greater than the compressive strength.

Assignees

• Kautex Textron Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Heidemeyer Timm
• Karsch Ulrich
• Lenz Stefan
• Quant Frank
• Wagner Thomas

Classifications

• B29C2049/2013

  for connecting opposite walls, e.g. baffles in a fuel tank · CPC title

• B29C49/20

  of articles having inserts or reinforcements {; Handling of inserts or reinforcements} · CPC title

• B29K2023/065

  HDPE, i.e. high density polyethylene · CPC title

• B65D11/22 Primary

  Reinforcing for strengthening parts of members · CPC title

• B60K15/03177 Primary

  made of non-metallic material, e.g. plastics, or of a combination of non-metallic and metallic material (B60K15/03006 takes precedence) · CPC title