Method for attaching an accessory to the wall of a vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016158992-A1
Application number	US-201414906828-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 10, 2014
Priority date	Jul 22, 2013
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for attaching a portion of an accessory to a wall of a vessel made of plastic, including shaping a parison by blowing. The accessory portion includes an attachment base including an open cavity including an opening leading to outside of the accessory portion, the open cavity including a female engagement shape shaped such that a male engagement shape complementary to the female engagement shape cannot, once engaged in the female engagement shape, be separated therefrom except by deformation or destruction of at least one of the engagement shapes. The method includes shaping a portion of the parison that is in a molten state, by molding same inside the cavity by a pressure difference established on either side of the portion of the parison, until the portion of the parison has a male engagement shape complementary to the female engagement shape formed by the open cavity.

First claim

1 - 8 . (canceled)

9 : A method for attaching part of an accessory to a wall of a plastic tank, comprising:
shaping a parison by blow-molding, wherein the accessory part includes an attachment base and the attachment base includes an open cavity including a mouth opening to outside of the accessory part, the open cavity constituting a female engagement shape shaped so that a male engagement shape, that complements the female engagement shape, cannot, once engaged in the female engagement shape, become detached therefrom other than by deforming or destroying at least one of the male or female engagement shapes; shaping a part of the parison that is in a molten state, by molding inside the cavity, under effect of a pressure difference established solely by contact of the part of the parison with a fluid across the part of the parison until the part of the parison adopts a male engagement shape that complements the female engagement shape constituted by the open cavity.

10 : The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising bringing the mouth of the cavity of the attachment base into contact with a part of the parison that is in the molten state, before the part of the parison is shaped by molding.

11 : The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising cooling the part of the parison so that the part of the parison constitutes a male engagement shape that complements the female engagement shape constituted by the cavity and so that the two complementing shapes cannot become detached other than by deforming or destroying at least one of them.

12 : The method as claimed in claim 9 , performed on a reservoir blow-molding mold and comprising:
seizure of the accessory part by a core of the mold; positioning of a parison between the core and a molding cavity of the mold; movement of the core and of the molding cavity closer together or until the mouth of the cavity of the accessory part is in contact with the parison which is itself pressed firmly against the molding cavity; establishing a pressure difference across the part of the parison situated in line with the cavity until part of the parison is shaped like the inside of the cavity; at least local cooling of the part of the parison thus shaped until the parison can ensure mechanical integrity of the accessory part; movement of the core away from the molding cavity; removal of the core.

13 : A method for producing a plastic tank, comprising the method as claimed in claim 9 , supplemented with finalizing the molding of the parison until a tank is obtained.

14 : The method as claimed in claim 12 , as applied to manufacture of a tank comprising at least one accessory configured to be fixed to two opposite walls of the tank, the accessory comprising a first cavity and a second cavity one at each of its opposite ends, the method comprising:
seizure of the accessory by a core of the mold; positioning of a split parison or an at least two-part parison with one part on each side of the core, respectively between the core and a first molding cavity and between the core and a second molding cavity; moving the core and the first molding cavity closer together, or until the mouth of the first cavity of the accessory is in contact with the parison, which is itself pressed firmly against the first molding cavity; establishing of a pressure difference across the part of the parison that is situated in line with the mouth of the first cavity until the part of the parison is shaped like the inside of the first cavity; at least local cooling of the part of the parison thus shaped or maintaining the pressure difference so that the parison can ensure mechanical integrity of the accessory; release of the accessory by the core; moving of the core away from the first molding cavity; removal of the core; moving of the first and second molding cavity closer together, or until the mouth of the second cavity of the accessory is in contact with the parison, which is itself pressed firmly against the second molding cavity; establishing a pressure difference across the part of the parison that is situated in line with the mouth of the second cavity, until the part of the parison is shaped like the inside of the second cavity; a finalizing of the molding of the parison until a tank is obtained.

15 : The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the accessory is chosen from: a reinforcing pillar, a valve, a gauge, an anti-slosh device, a slosh noise baffles, a support for one of these elements.

16 : A plastic tank obtained by shaping, by blow-molding, a parison, comprising:
an accessory part comprising an attachment base comprising an open cavity constituting a female engagement shape shaped so that a male engagement shape, that complements the female engagement shape, cannot, once engaged in the female engagement shape, become detached therefrom other than by deforming or destroying at least one of the male or female engagement shapes, an exterior wall of the tank comprises a part shaped inside the cavity, into a male engagement shape that complements the female engagement shape constituted by the open cavity.

Assignees

• Plastic Omnium Advanced Innovation & Res

Inventors

• Criel Bjorn
• Boucaux Eric

Classifications

• B29C49/04

  Extrusion blow-moulding · CPC title

• B29C49/18

  using several blowing steps (B29C49/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C49/20 Primary

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

• B60K15/03177

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

• B29L2031/7172

  Fuel tanks, jerry cans · CPC title