Aircraft Water Tank and Manufacturing Method Therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016264284-A1
Application number	US-201415031920-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2014
Priority date	Oct 25, 2013
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present technology provides a method for manufacturing an aircraft water tank provided with a hollow body and a fiber-reinforced resin layer covering the hollow body. A blow molding step is performed in which polyolefin resin, a thermoplastic resin exhibiting superior durability against disinfectants, is blow molded to obtain a hollow body. Next, a surface treatment step is performed in which a surface treatment is performed upon the entire surface of the hollow body, thereby improving the adhesiveness of the entire surface. Next, a filament winding step is performed in which reinforcing fibers impregnated with a thermosetting resin are wound around the surface of the hollow body and the outer surfaces of the flanges and heated in order to cure the thermosetting resin, thereby forming the fiber-reinforced resin layer on the surface of the hollow body and the outer surface of the flanges.

First claim

1 . A method for manufacturing an aircraft water tank provided with a hollow body and a fiber-reinforced resin layer covering the hollow body, the method comprising:
a blow molding step of blow molding a polyolefin resin to obtain the hollow body; a surface treatment step of surface-treating the entirety of a surface of the hollow body to improve adhesiveness across the entirety of the surface; and a filament winding step of winding reinforcing fibers impregnated with a thermosetting resin around the surface of the hollow body following the surface treatment step and heating the fibers to cure the thermosetting resin and form the fiber-reinforced resin layer on the surface of the hollow body.

2 . The method for manufacturing an aircraft water tank according to claim 1 , wherein
the surface treatment is any one of corona discharge treatment, plasma discharge treatment, or ITRO treatment.

3 . A method for manufacturing an aircraft water tank according to claim 1 , wherein
there is provided mouthpieces comprising cylindrical mouthpiece bodies and flat, ring-shaped flanges provided on outer circumferences of the mouthpiece bodies, the hollow body obtained via the blow molding is provided with a cylindrical body section and dome sections that are provided on both ends of the body section and comprise openings, an attachment step in which the mouthpiece bodies are positioned inside the openings, and inner faces of the flanges facing outer faces of the dome sections are bonded using an adhesive to parts of outer surfaces of the dome sections around the openings, thereby attaching the mouthpieces to the hollow bodies, is performed prior to the filament winding step, and, in the filament winding step, the reinforcing fibers impregnated with the thermosetting resin are placed upon the surface of the hollow body and wound around outer faces of the flanges on sides opposite the inner faces.

4 . An aircraft water tank comprising:
a hollow body; and a fiber-reinforced resin layer covering the hollow body; the hollow body being formed from a polyolefin resin; an adhesiveness-improving surface treatment being performed upon the entirety of a surface of the hollow body; and the fiber-reinforced resin layer being formed by winding reinforcing fibers impregnated with a thermosetting resin around the surface of the hollow body.

5 . The aircraft water tank according to claim 4 , wherein
the aircraft water tank is further provided with mouthpieces, the mouthpieces comprise cylindrical mouthpiece bodies and flat, ring-shaped flanges provided on outer circumferences of the mouthpiece bodies, the hollow body and the fiber-reinforced resin layer are provided with a cylindrical body section and dome sections comprising openings provided at both ends of the body section, with the mouthpiece bodies of the mouthpieces positioned inside the openings, inner faces of the flanges facing outer surfaces of the dome sections are bonded using an adhesive to parts of outer surfaces of the dome sections around the openings, and outer faces of the flanges on sides opposite the inner faces are bonded to and disposed on parts of the fiber-reinforced resin layer around the openings.

6 . A method for manufacturing an aircraft water tank according to claim 2 , wherein
there is provided mouthpieces comprising cylindrical mouthpiece bodies and flat, ring-shaped flanges provided on outer circumferences of the mouthpiece bodies, the hollow body obtained via the blow molding is provided with a cylindrical body section and dome sections that are provided on both ends of the body section and comprise openings, an attachment step in which the mouthpiece bodies are positioned inside the openings, and inner faces of the flanges facing outer faces of the dome sections are bonded using an adhesive to parts of outer surfaces of the dome sections around the openings, thereby attaching the mouthpieces to the hollow bodies, is performed prior to the filament winding step, and, in the filament winding step, the reinforcing fibers impregnated with the thermosetting resin are placed upon the surface of the hollow body and wound around outer faces of the flanges on sides opposite the inner faces.

Assignees

• Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd

Inventors

• Masuda Mitsutaka

Classifications

• B29C65/48

  using adhesives {, i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding} · CPC title

• B29L2031/712

  Containers; Packaging elements or accessories, Packages (closures therefor B29L2031/56; ink or toner cartridges B29L2031/7678; squeeze tubes B29L2023/20; suitcases B29L2031/7418) · CPC title

• B64D11/02

  Toilet fittings · CPC title

• B29L2031/3076

  Aircrafts (blades, propellers B29L2031/08) · CPC title

• B29K2023/12

  PP, i.e. polypropylene · CPC title