Method for forming connections from a reinforcing fiber or reinforcing fibers, and method for producing a pressure container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12122104-B2
Application number	US-202117927590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2021
Priority date	May 26, 2020
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

Abstract

A method is provided for forming connections from reinforcing fibers between faces of a wall for a pressure container. The reinforcing fibers are gripped by tufting needles and are pushed through the faces, and loops are formed through which support elements are introduced. A corresponding method produces a pressure container.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for forming connections from a reinforcing fiber, or reinforcing fibers, between walls of a wall assembly for a pressure container, the method comprising:
for forming a connection or a row of connections between a first wall and a second wall of the wall assembly, respectively repeating:
gripping each reinforcing fiber by a tufting needle at a gripping point of the reinforcing fiber from which a first portion and a second portion of the reinforcing fiber project;
penetrating the first wall with the tufting needle, then penetrating the second wall with the tufting needle such that the gripping point penetrates the first wall and the second wall, and the first portion and the second portion pass through the second wall and the first wall;
forming a loop between the gripping point and the second wall; and
incorporating a supporting element into the loop.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of tufting needles are moved simultaneously.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the reinforcing fiber, while the first and second walls are being penetrated by the tufting needle, is resupplied or unwound from a supply installation.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the loop is formed by retracting the tufting needle.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein
the tufting needle, when being retracted for forming the loop, is retracted only so far that the tufting needle only just penetrates the second wall.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
only one supporting element is incorporated into all loops of a row.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the supporting element has a curved deflection face for deflecting the reinforcing fiber or reinforcing fibers, and/or an acute tapered portion for moving the portions to the second wall.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the reinforcing fiber, upon incorporation of the supporting element, is tensioned by pulling on the second portion.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the second portion when forming the next connection represents the first portion or transitions to the first portion.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
a further supporting element, which bears on an outside of the first wall and deflects the reinforcing fiber or the reinforcing fibers, is incorporated between two connections of a reinforcing fiber.

11. The method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the further supporting element has a planar bearing face for bearing on the first wall, and/or a further curved deflection face for deflecting the reinforcing fibers.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
a core, which is subsequently removed, is in the wall assembly during performance of the method; or
a core, which in the finished pressure container remains in the wall assembly, is in the wall assembly during performance of the method.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the connections have mutual spacings of at most 5 mm.

14. A method for producing a pressure container, the method comprising:
providing a wall assembly;
forming connections between walls of the wall assembly according to the method of claim 1 ; and
attaching a matrix material which surrounds the wall assembly.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein
end regions of the reinforcing fiber or of the reinforcing fibers are fastened in the matrix material.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Horoschenkoff Alexander
• Huber Martin
• Hupfeld Alexander
• Ruf Michael

Classifications

• F17C2260/011

  Improving strength · CPC title

• F17C2223/036

  Very high pressure (>80 bar) · CPC title

• F17C2223/033

  Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas · CPC title

• F17C2223/0161

  cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG · CPC title

• F17C2223/0123

  gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC · CPC title