Manufacturing process for filler tube

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017246790-A1
Application number	US-201715596678-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 16, 2017
Priority date	Jul 7, 2015
Publication date	Aug 31, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A manufacturing process for filler tube includes: a workpiece arrangement step of arranging a workpiece onto an outer peripheral mold not only to axially lock a to-be-locked portion with respect to a locking portion but also so as to make the outer peripheral mold, which is set at a predetermined temperature, support a cylinder-shaped body of the workpiece on the outer peripheral face; and a flare-molding step of flare molding a flange by inserting an inner peripheral mold, which is set at a higher temperature than the predetermined temperature of the outer peripheral mold, into a to-be-molded portion on the inner peripheral side, and by relatively moving the outer peripheral mold and the inner peripheral mold in the axial direction to make a counter-welding-face forming portion and a welding-face forming portion clamp the to-be-molded portion between them in the axial direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A manufacturing process for filler tube to be weld to a fuel tank at an opening thereof, and made of thermoplastic resin,
the filler tube comprising: a cylinder-shaped body; a flange elongating outward radially from the cylinder-shaped body at an end thereof, and having an end face to be welded to the fuel tank; and a locking portion disposed in the cylinder-shaped body on an outer peripheral side thereof; a workpiece for the filler tube, the workpiece comprising: the cylinder-shaped body; a cylindrical to-be-molded portion serving as a site before flare molding the flange; and the locking portion; the manufacturing process using an outer peripheral mold, and an inner peripheral mold; the outer peripheral mold comprising: a counter-welding-face forming portion capable of supporting the cylinder-shaped body of the workpiece on an outer peripheral face thereof, and capable of forming a counter-welding face in the flange; and a to-be-locked portion locking with respect to the locking portion in an axial direction thereof; the inner peripheral mold comprising: a welding-face forming portion insertable into the to-be-locked portion of the workpiece at least, and capable of forming a welding face in the flange; the manufacturing process comprising: a workpiece arrangement step of arranging the workpiece onto the outer peripheral mold not only to axially lock the to-be-locked portion with respect to the locking portion but also so as to make the outer peripheral mold, which is set at a predetermined temperature, support the cylinder-shaped body of the workpiece on an outer peripheral face thereof; and a flare-molding step of following the workpiece arrangement step to flare mold the flange by inserting the inner peripheral mold, which is set at a higher temperature than the predetermined temperature of the outer peripheral mold, into the to-be-molded portion on an inner peripheral side thereof, and by relatively moving the outer peripheral mold and the inner peripheral mold in an axial direction thereof to make the counter-welding-face forming portion and the welding-face forming portion clamp the to-be-molded portion therebetween in the axial direction.

2 . The manufacturing process for the filler tube according to claim 1 further comprising:
a warming step of following the workpiece arrangement step to warm the to-be-molded portion at a predetermined location thereof at which the inner peripheral mold, which is set at higher temperature than the predetermined temperature of the outer peripheral mold, is inserted into the to-be-molded portion on an inner peripheral side thereof for a predetermined period of time, wherein:
the flare-molding step follows the warming step to flare mold the flange by relatively moving the outer peripheral mold and the inner peripheral mold in an axial direction thereof to make the counter-welding-face forming portion and the welding-face forming portion clamp the to-be-molded portion therebetween in the axial direction.

3 . The manufacturing process for the filler tube according to claim 2 , wherein the warming step includes a step of warming only a site separating off from the to-be-locked portion to a side of the end face.

4 . The manufacturing process for the filler tube according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined temperature of the outer peripheral mold is an ordinary temperature.

5 . The manufacturing process for the filler tube according to claim 1 , wherein the filler tube, and the workpiece have a multi-layered structure in which an innermost layer thereof is formed to have a thickest thickness therein, wherein:
the flare molding step includes a step of flare molding the flange while warming the innermost layer in the to-be-molded portion at least by the inner peripheral mold.

6 . The manufacturing process for the filler tube according to claim 1 further comprising an overall heating-treatment step of following the flare-molding step to carry out an overall heating treatment in such a state as the filler tube is kept being clamped between the outer peripheral mold and the inner peripheral mold.

7 . The manufacturing process for the filler tube according to claim 1 , wherein the inner peripheral mold is arranged up above with respect to the outer peripheral mold, and is capable of moving relatively in a gravity direction thereof with respect to the outer peripheral mold.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Riko Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fukuyasu Tomoyuki
• Shimojo Makoto
• Miyajima Atsuo
• Hatanaka Kazuki

Classifications

• B29L2023/22

  Tubes or pipes, i.e. rigid (bent tubes not for use as pipe couplings B29L2023/004) · CPC title

• B29K2023/06

  PE, i.e. polyethylene · CPC title

• B29C57/04

  using mechanical means {(B29C57/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60K15/01

  Arrangement of fuel conduits · CPC title

• B29L2031/7172

  Fuel tanks, jerry cans · CPC title