Fuel tank of thermoplastic polymer for a motor vehicle and method for the production of a fuel tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10086687-B2
Application number	US-201214007078-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2012
Priority date	Mar 24, 2011
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a fuel tank of thermoplastic polymer for a motor vehicle, having at least one reinforcing element inside the fuel tank, the reinforcing element inside the fuel tank extending between opposing tank walls ( 15 ), parts of the reinforcing element passing through the tank wall and parts of the reinforcing element engaging behind the tank wall from outside, the fuel tank being distinguished according to the invention in that the reinforcing element ( 8 ) is provided with at least one multipart fastening head ( 11 ), which comprises a first closing means engaging through the tank wall ( 15 ) from inside and a second closing means engaging through the tank wall ( 15 ) from outside, which closing means are of mutually complementary construction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel tank, comprising:
the fuel tank being a motor vehicle fuel tank and formed of thermoplastic polymer; and
at least one tie rod inside the fuel tank, configured to support the fuel tank against outward deformation in response to a pressure increase within the fuel tank, the tie rod inside the fuel tank extending between two opposing tank walls, the tie rod passing through a first tank wall of the opposing tank walls and engaging behind the first tank wall from outside,
wherein the tie rod includes at least one bracing part and at least one closing member, wherein the bracing part has a first closing means moveable into and engaging through a feed-through opening in the first tank wall from inside, the feed-through opening configured to receive the first closing means within the feed-through opening, and the closing member includes a second closing means moveable into and engaging through the feed-through opening in the first tank wall from outside, the feed-through opening configured to receive the second closing means within the feed-through opening, wherein the first closing means and the second closing means are fastened together and occupy the feed-through opening in the first tank wall,
wherein the tie rod has at least one collar positioned on an inner side of the first tank wall, wherein the collar is formed as one-piece with the bracing part and has a diameter larger than a diameter of the feed-through opening in the first tank wall,
wherein the at least one bracing part and the at least one closing member are separately formed components of the tie rod which are fastened to one another.

2. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second closing means clamp the first tank wall between them.

3. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second closing means are screwed together.

4. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second closing means are latched together.

5. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein the closing member is welded to an outer portion of the first tank wall.

6. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein the bracing part is welded to an inner portion of the first tank wall.

7. The fuel tank according to claim 6 , wherein the collar of the bracing part is welded to the inner portion of the first tank wall in a region of the feed-through opening in the first tank wall.

8. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein the first closing means comprises a sleeve-type extension, engaging through the feed-through opening in the first tank wall, into which extension the closing member engaging through the feed-through in the first tank wall from outside behind the first tank wall is inserted as the second closing means.

9. The fuel tank according to claim 8 , wherein the sleeve-type extension is provided with a threaded bush, with which the closing member engages with a pin of complementary construction.

10. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein the tie rod is formed as a multi-component element of at least two different thermoplastic polymers, at least one component of which is a thermoplastic polymer which is compatible with the first tank wall with regard to weldability.

11. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein the tie rod has a form of a multipart wall-to-wall bracing element and comprises at least two bracing parts.

12. The fuel tank according to claim 11 , wherein the bracing parts are joined together by at least one of a screw, bayonet, plug-in, snap and latching connection.

13. The fuel tank according to claim 1 , wherein the tie rod passing through a second tank wall of the opposing tank walls and engages behind the second tank wall from outside.

14. Method for the production of a fuel tank according to claim 1 , comprising the following method steps:
extruding web-shaped preforms from thermoplastic polymer,
moulding the preforms in a multipart mould to yield shells,
introducing at least parts of at least one reinforcing element into the shells before or during joining together of the shells to yield a closed tank, parts of the reinforcing element passing through the wall of at least one shell and being welded thereto, and
finishing the reinforcing element with at least one closing means engaging through the wall from outside during or after joining together of the shells.

15. Method according to claim 14 , characterized in that, on introduction of a reinforcing element into the wall of a shell, the wall is perforated while still hot and plastic by part of the reinforcing element, the reinforcing element being welded to the wall at the same time.

16. Method according to claim 14 , characterized in that a bracing part of a multipart reinforcing element is introduced in each case into a shell of a tank assembled from two shells and in that the bracing parts are brought into active connection with one another on joining together of the shells.

17. Method according to claim 14 , characterized in that perforation of the wall of the shells takes place with the assistance of at least one cutting head which is removable from the reinforcing element or expendable.

18. Method according to claim 14 , characterized in that moulding of the preforms proceeds in an extrusion blow mould using differential pressure and exploiting the extrusion heat.

Assignees

• Eulitz Dirk
• Karsch Ulrich
• Kautex Textron Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Eulitz Dirk
• Karsch Ulrich

Classifications

• B29K2023/04

  Polymers of ethylene · CPC title

• B29C65/561

  using screw-threads being integral at least to one of the parts to be joined · CPC title

• B29C66/83221

  cooperating reciprocating tools, each tool reciprocating along one axis · CPC title

• B29C66/7234

  comprising a barrier layer · CPC title

• B29C66/723

  being multi-layered (B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence) · CPC title