Gas tank and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12338950-B2
Application number	US-202318316186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2023
Priority date	May 19, 2022
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A gas tank includes: a liner including a tubular body portion having a central axis and a dome portion being located at each of two ends of the body portion; and a reinforcing layer covering the outer periphery of the liner. The reinforcing layer includes at least one a first fiber layer. The first fiber layer includes, on an outer periphery of the body portion, a first reinforcing portion and a second reinforcing portion. The first reinforcing portion is a portion in which fibers are wound in a staggered weave pattern, and the second reinforcing portion is a portion in which the fibers are wound at a predetermined angle with respect to the central axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas tank comprising:
a liner including a tubular body portion having a central axis and a dome portion, the dome portion being located at two ends of the body portion in an axis direction parallel to the central axis; and
a reinforcing layer configured to cover an outer periphery of the liner,
wherein the reinforcing layer includes a first fiber layer provided on an outer periphery of the body portion, the first fiber layer including a first reinforcing portion and a second reinforcing portion, the first reinforcing portion being a portion in which fibers are wound in a staggered weave pattern, and the second reinforcing portion being a portion in which the fibers are wound at a predetermined angle with respect to the central axis,
the first fiber layer includes a plurality of the first reinforcing portions and a plurality of the second reinforcing portions,
a composition of an outermost layer of the reinforcing layer is a second fiber layer that includes the first reinforcing portion and that does not include the second reinforcing portion,
a composition of an innermost layer of the reinforcing layer is the second fiber layer, the innermost layer contacting the outer periphery of the liner, and
the first fiber layer is located between the outermost layer and the innermost layer in a stacking direction vertical to the central axis.

2. The gas tank according to claim 1 , wherein:
the reinforcing layer includes an upper first fiber layer and a lower first fiber layer stacking in the stacking direction; and
the first reinforcing portion in the upper first fiber layer includes an overlapping portion stacked on at least a part of the first reinforcing portion in the lower first fiber layer.

3. The gas tank according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first reinforcing portion is included in all of the fiber layers included in the reinforcing layer; and
the overlapping portion is included in all of the first fiber layers included in the reinforcing layer.

4. The gas tank according to claim 3 , wherein the first reinforcing portion in the upper first fiber layer is located at a position shifted in an axial direction of the liner from the first reinforcing portion in the lower first fiber layer.

5. The gas tank according to claim 4 , wherein the first reinforcing portion in the upper first fiber layer is stacked on a part of the first reinforcing portion other than the overlapping portion in the lower first fiber layer.

6. The gas tank according to claim 1 , wherein the first fiber layer includes the first reinforcing portion on an outer periphery of the dome portion.

7. The gas tank according to claim 1 , wherein:
the reinforcing layer includes a plurality of the first fiber layers stacking in the stacking direction; and
the first fiber layers are located between the outermost layer and the innermost layer in the stacking direction.

8. A method for manufacturing a gas tank, the method comprising
preparing a liner including a tubular body portion having a central axis and a dome portion, the dome portion being located at two ends of the body portion in an axis direction parallel to the central axis; and
forming a base body being the liner with a fiber layer provided on an outer periphery of the liner, by forming a first fiber layer provided on an outer periphery of the body portion, the first fiber layer including a first reinforcing portion and a second reinforcing portion, wherein
the first reinforcing portion is a portion in which fibers are wound in a staggered weave pattern,
the second reinforcing portion is a portion in which the fibers are wound at a predetermined angle with respect to the central axis,
the first fiber layer includes a plurality of the first reinforcing portions and a plurality of the second reinforcing portions,
a composition of an outermost layer of the reinforcing layer is a second fiber layer that includes the first reinforcing portion and that does not include the second reinforcing portion,
a composition of an innermost layer of the reinforcing layer is the second fiber layer, the innermost layer contacting the periphery of the liner, and
the first fiber layer is located between the outermost layer and the innermost layer in a stacking direction vertical to the central axis.

9. The method according to claim 8 , the method further comprising:
placing the base body in a mold and closing the mold; and
filling the closed mold with a resin material to impregnate the fiber layer of the base body with the resin material.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kato Kei
• Kai yuki

Classifications

• F17C2203/0604

  Liners · CPC title

• F17C2270/0168

  by vehicles · CPC title

• F17C2270/0184

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• F17C2203/066

  Plastics · CPC title

• F17C2201/0109

  with exteriorly curved end-piece · CPC title