Process for the production of a fuel tank and fuel tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9856077-B2
Application number	US-201213651744-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2012
Priority date	Sep 4, 2006
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

The invention concerns a process for the production of a container, in particular a fuel tank of thermoplastic material, by extrusion blow molding, wherein during shaping of the container within a multi-part tool the container is provided with at least one connecting element passing through the wall thereof, wherein with at least a part of the connecting element as a lost shaping male die the wall of the container is displaced from one side into a tool placed on the oppositely side of the container wall and removed.
The invention further concerns a fuel tank with at least one connecting element which is connected to the tank wall at least in region-wise manner by intimate joining of the materials involved.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel tank comprising:
a tank wall formed of thermoplastic material;
at least one connecting element which is connected to the tank wall to connect to lines which pass out of or into the tank;
wherein the connecting element passes at one side through the tank wall and extends outwardly from the tank wall away from an interior of the fuel tank;
wherein an outer sidewall of the connecting element passing through the tank wall and extending outwardly from the tank wall away from the interior of the fuel tank is at least partially covered by an outwardly displaced tank wall portion in one piece with the tank wall extending outwardly from the tank wall away from the interior of the fuel tank;
wherein the outwardly displaced tank wall portion is in a form of a peg, the peg having an outer surface contour of a mold cavity which corresponds to the outer surface contour of the outwardly displaced tank wall portion; and
wherein the connecting element is configured to pierce the tank wall.

2. The fuel tank as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the connecting element is provided with at least one of a spindle, cannula, cutting edge or needle tip.

3. The fuel tank as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
on its side remote from the tank wall the connecting element is equipped with a line portion.

4. The fuel tank as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the outwardly displaced tank wall portion forms an annular projection.

5. A fuel tank comprising:
a tank wall formed of thermoplastic material;
at least one connecting element connected to the tank wall;
wherein the connecting element passes at one side through the tank wall and extends outwardly from the tank wall away from an interior of the fuel tank;
wherein an outer sidewall of the connecting element passing through the tank wall and extending outwardly from the tank wall away from the interior of the fuel tank is at least partially covered by an outwardly displaced tank wall portion in one piece with the tank wall extending outwardly from the tank wall away from the interior of the fuel tank; and
wherein the outwardly displaced tank wall portion has an outer surface contour of a mold cavity which corresponds to the outer surface contour of the outwardly displaced tank wall portion.

6. The fuel tank as set forth in claim 5 wherein:
the connecting element comprises a spindle.

7. The fuel tank as set forth in claim 5 wherein:
the connecting element comprises a needle tip.

8. The fuel tank as set forth in claim 5 wherein:
the connecting element comprises a cutting edge.

9. The fuel tank as set forth in claim 5 wherein:
the connecting element comprises a cannula.

10. The fuel tank as set forth in claim 5 wherein:
the connecting element is configured to pierce the tank wall.

11. The fuel tank as set forth in claim 5 wherein:
the outwardly displaced tank wall portion has an outer shape of a fitment.

12. The fuel tank as set forth in claim 5 wherein:
the outwardly displaced tank wall portion forms at least one annular projection.

13. The fuel tank as set forth in claim 5 wherein:
the outwardly displaced tank wall portion is joined to the connecting element by a positive locking connection.

14. The fuel tank as set forth in claim 5 wherein:
the outwardly displaced tank wall portion is in a form of a peg.

15. The fuel tank as set forth in claim 5 wherein:
the peg is cylindrical.

16. The fuel tank as set forth in claim 5 wherein:
the outwardly displaced tank wall portion forms an annular ring in cross-section.

Assignees

• Kautex Textron Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Borchert Matthias
• Wolter Gerd
• Lorenz Harald
• Eulitz Dirk
• Kramer Timo

Classifications

• B29C2049/2047

  Tubular inserts, e.g. tubes · CPC title

• B29C2049/2017

  outside the article · CPC title

• B29C49/54

  for undercut articles · CPC title

• B29C49/4802

  with means for locally compressing part(s) of the parison in the main blowing cavity · CPC title

• B60K2015/03453

  for fixing or mounting parts of the fuel tank together · CPC title