Patent Application
20160123532
The present invention relates to a pressure container to reserve gas or liquid.
There is known a pressure container capable of reserving a high pressure gas or liquid therein. In recent years, a pressure container of a composite structure is proposed, which container is made by covering a thin container (plastic liner) of synthetic resin with a fiber reinforced layer into which resin is impregnated, and then by curing the resin, in order to lighten the pressure container.
For example, a pressure container disclosed in the patent literature 1 is composed of a plastic liner provided with a projected neck portion, a mouthpiece member disposed on the inside of the plastic liner, and a fiber reinforced plastic layer (FRP layer) covering the plastic liner and the mouthpiece member. A seal member of an O-ring intervenes between the plastic liner and the mouthpiece member. The seal member intervenes between an outer peripheral surface of a flange of the mouthpiece member and an inner peripheral surface of the plastic liner.
Patent literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-265138
Because the plastic liner and the mouthpiece member are different from each other in their materials, it is not easy to keep high seal ability. There is also a problem that the cost to manufacture the pressure container and the material cost increase in a case where the sealing mechanism is constituted to a complex one to improve the seal ability.
Furthermore, in a case where the seal member deteriorates, because maintenance and replacement of the seal member cannot be done for the pressure container having the conventional constitution, there is a problem that the pressure container needs to be replaced with a new one.
The present invention is created to solve such problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a pressure container having high maintainability for a seal member and a simple construction.
In order to solve the problems, the present invention provides a pressure container, including: a hollow plastic liner provided with a projected cylindrical neck portion, and to reserve gas or liquid; a mouthpiece member disposed outside the neck portion in a radial direction; a reinforced layer covering outsides of the plastic liner and the mouthpiece member; an attachment member capable of being inserted between the neck portion and the mouthpiece member, and attachable to and detachable from the mouthpiece member; and a first seal member intervened between an outer peripheral surface of the neck portion and an inner peripheral surface of the attachment member.
According to the constitution, since the first seal member is intervened between the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion and the inner peripheral surface of the attachment member, maintenance, replacement or the like of the first seal member can be done when the attachment member is detached from the mouthpiece member. Thereby, maintainability for the first seal member can be improved. And outward force in the radial direction acts upon the neck portion when inner pressure acts upon the plastic liner, so that self-sealing function operates and the sealing can be firmly performed. Furthermore, communication passage of the pressure container to communicate with the outside is one route between the neck portion and the attachment member. So sealing mechanism can be put together to this communication passage. Thereby, the sealing mechanism can be simplified.
It is preferable that the attachment member has a divided structure including a first member to be fastened to the mouthpiece member, and a second member to be inserted between the neck portion and the mouthpiece member, the first seal member is intervened between the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion and an inner peripheral surface of the second member, the second seal member is intervened between the first member and the second member, and that the second member is held by the mouthpiece member and the first member. That is, it is also possible that the attachment member is composed of separated elements.
Axial force and circumferential force act upon the first seal member because of friction between the neck portion and the attachment member when the attachment member is fastened to the mouthpiece member, so that there is a fear that the first seal member is not located at a predetermined position. However, since according to this invention, the first member and the second member are separately formed, the first seal member can be disposed between the neck portion and the second member without rotating the second member. Namely, since circumferential force does not act upon the first seal member when the second member is inserted, the first seal member can be firmly located at a predetermined position.
Furthermore, it is preferable that a reinforcing member is disposed on the neck portion.
Rigidity of the neck portion is lowered and the neck portion becomes easy to weaken, because of aging change. However, according to such constitution, the rigidity of the neck portion can be enhanced. Thereby, the seal ability can be kept over a long period of time.
The pressure container according to the present invention has high maintainability for a seal member and a simple construction.
An embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in
As shown in
In this embodiment, the plastic liner 2 is composed of a housing portion 2a, a neck portion 2b, and a shoulder portion 2c. The housing portion 2a has a cylindrical shape, and reserves liquid or gas. The neck portion 2b projects toward the outside in a pour-discharge direction along a central axis C. The shoulder portion 2c connects the housing portion 2a and the neck portion 2b. The housing portion 2a, the neck portion 2b, and the shoulder portion 2c are formed integrally in this embodiment, but the liner may be formed by welding a plurality of pieces. Furthermore, the shape of the housing portion 2a is not specifically limited, for example, may be spherical.
As shown in
The shoulder portion 2c is a portion where the mouthpiece member 3 is disposed. The shoulder portion 2c is provided with a recessed part 11 and a projecting part 12. The recessed part 11 is a hollow formed around the neck portion 2b. The projecting part 12 is a part projected from the bottom surface of the recessed part 11, and functions as a stopper to avoid the rotation of the mouthpiece member 3. A plurality of projecting parts 12 are formed intermittently around the neck portion 2b.
As shown in
An outer peripheral surface 23a of the outer flange 23 is flush with an outer surface of the shoulder portion 2c. A front end surface 24a of the inner flange 24 is in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 2b in a surface-contact state.
The standing portion 22 has a cylindrical shape, and stands on the flange portion 21 roughly orthogonally. A base end side inner peripheral surface 22a formed on the base end side of the standing portion 22 is smooth. On the other hand, a female thread is formed on a front end side inner surface 22b formed on the front end side of the standing portion 22.
The reinforced layer 4 is a layer of FRP (fiber reinforced plastic), which is formed to cover outer peripheral surfaces of the plastic liner 2 and the mouthpiece member 3. Material of the reinforced layer 4 is not limited to the fiber reinforced plastic, and may be formed of other materials (or material) capable of enhancing the strength of the plastic liner 2.
As shown in
The attachment member 5 is composed of a main body portion 31, a fixing portion 32, and a front end portion 33. Material of the attachment member 5 is not specifically limited, and is a metal (metals) in this embodiment.
The fixing portion 32 is continuous with the main body portion 31, and has a cylindrical shape. A male thread, which is screwed to the female thread on the front end side inner surface 22b, is formed on an outer peripheral surface 32a of the fixing portion 32.
The front end portion 33 is a portion formed on the front end side of the attachment member 5. The front end portion 33 is composed of a base part 41 continuous with the fixing portion 32, and a leg part 42 formed on the front end side. The base part 41 has a cylindrical shape. A communication hole X is formed at centers of the main body portion 31, the fixing portion 32 and the base part 41.
The leg part 42 is continuous with the base part 41, and has a cylindrical shape. An inner peripheral surface 42b of the leg part 42 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 2b in a surface-contact state. That is, an inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 42b is substantially the same as an outer diameter of the neck portion 2b.
An outer peripheral surface 41a of the base part 41 is flush with an outer peripheral surface 42a of the leg part 42. It is preferable that the outer peripheral surfaces 41a and 42a are in contact with the base end side inner peripheral surface 22a in a surface-contact state. However, they may be disposed in a state having a minute gap against the base end side inner peripheral surface 22a.
An attachment seat 42c to dispose a first seal member 6 therein is formed to be a recessed part on the inner peripheral surface 42b. The attachment seat 42c has a rectangular shape in a cross section thereof, and is formed along the whole circumference of the inner peripheral surface 42b. A front end surface 42d of the leg part 42 is in contact with a surface 24b of the inner flange 24 in a surface-contact state.
The first seal member 6 is a member to seal a gap between the neck portion 2b and the leg part 42. The first seal member 6 is an o-ring in this embodiment. The first seal member 6 is in contact with both of the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 2b and the inner peripheral surface 42b (attachment seat 42c). In this embodiment, a backup ring BR is adjacent to the first seal member 6. The backup ring BR may be disposed in a case of being needed.
Next, a method of manufacturing the pressure container 1 of this embodiment will be explained. In this method of manufacturing the pressure container, a forming process, a reinforcement layer forming process, and an attachment process are carried out. First, in the forming process, the plastic liner 2 and the mouthpiece member 3 are formed integrally. In this embodiment, the plastic liner 2 and the mouthpiece member 3 are formed integrally by rotational molding or injection molding.
In the reinforcement layer forming process, the reinforced layer 4 is formed on both outer peripheries of the plastic liner 2 and the mouthpiece member 3, for example, by filament winding method.
In the attachment process, the attachment member 5 is attached to the mouthpiece member 3. First, the first seal member 6 and the backup ring BR are disposed in the attachment seat 42c of the attachment member 5. And then, the fixing portion 32 of the attachment member 5 is fastened to the front end side inner surface 22b of the mouthpiece member 3 until the front end surface 42d of the leg part 42 comes into contact with the surface 24b of the mouthpiece member 3. Thereby, the leg part 42 of the mouthpiece member 3 is inserted between the neck portion 2b and the mouthpiece member 3. Through the above processes, the pressure container 1 is formed.
According to the pressure container 1 explained in the foregoing, the first seal member 6 is intervened between the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 2b and the inner peripheral surface 42b of the leg part 42. So an inspection or an exchange of the first seal member 6 can be done when the attachment member 5 is detached from the mouthpiece member 3. Thereby, maintainability for the first seal member 6 can be improved. And outward force in the radial direction acts upon the neck portion 2b when inner pressure acts upon the plastic liner 2. Therefore, self-sealing function operates, so that the sealing can be firmly performed.
Furthermore, communication passage of the pressure container 1 to communicate with the outside is one route between the neck portion 2b and the leg part 42 of the attachment member 5. So the sealing mechanism can be put together to this communication passage. Thereby, the sealing mechanism can be simplified.
And furthermore, on the base side of the neck portion 2b, the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 2b and the front end surface 24a of the inner flange 24 are in contact with each other. So the neck portion 2b can be reinforced. Furthermore, chamfering process has been done at the front end outer peripheral part (corner part) of the neck portion 2b. So the leg part 42 can be easily inserted between the neck portion 2b and the mouthpiece member 3 when the attachment member 5 is attached to the mouthpiece member 3.
Next, a first modified example of the first embodiment will be explained. As shown in
The reinforcing member 50 is a member to reinforce the neck portion 2b. The reinforcing member 50 is made of metal in this embodiment, but has only to be made of material having hardness higher than the neck portion 2b. The reinforcing member 50 is composed of a base body 51 and a flange 52. The base body 51 has a cylindrical shape. An outer peripheral surface of the base body 51 is contact with the inner peripheral surface of the neck portion 2b in a surface-contact state.
The flange 52 extends outward in the radial direction from a front end (end on the outside in the pour-discharge direction) of the base body 51. The flange 52 is contact with the front end surface of the neck portion 2b in a surface-contact state. A length from the outer peripheral surface of the base body 51 to the front end of the flange 52 is shorter than the thickness of the neck portion 2b.
Next, a method of manufacturing the pressure container of the first modified example will be explained. In the method of manufacturing the pressure container of the first modified example, a forming process, a fitting process, a reinforcement layer forming process, and an attachment process are carried out.
The forming process is the same as that of the first embodiment. The fitting process is a process that the reinforcing member 50 is fitted to the neck portion 2b. In the fitting process, the flange 52 and the front end surface of the neck portion 2b come into contact with each other while the base body 51 of the reinforcing member 50 is inserted into the inner peripheral surface of the neck portion 2b. The reinforcement layer forming process and the attachment process are the same as those in the first embodiment.
The first modified example mentioned above can also serve the same effect as the first embodiment. Furthermore, the neck portion 2b can be reinforced by attaching the reinforcing member 50 to the neck portion 2b. A contacting surface of the neck portion 2b, which surface is in contact with the first seal member 6, becomes easy to weaken because of aging change by the effect of the reaction force of the first seal member 6. However, the rigidity thereof can be improved over a long period of time by disposing the reinforcing member 50. Thus the seal ability for the pressure container 1A can keep over a long period of time.
Next, a second modified example of the first embodiment will be explained. As shown in
As shown in
The mouthpiece member 3B is a metal member to be disposed outside the neck member 2b in the radial direction. The mouthpiece member 3B has the standing portion 22 and a flange portion 21B. The flange portion 21B is provided with the outer flange 23 extending outside in the radial direction from the standing portion 22.
The attachment member 5B is composed of the main body portion 31, the fixing portion 32, and the front end portion 33 (base part 41, leg part 42). The attachment member 5B is the same as the attachment member 5 of the first embodiment except that the front end surface 42d of the leg part 42 is in contact with the bottom surface of the recessed part 11 of the shoulder portion 2c.
The pressure container 1B of the second modified example mentioned above can also serve an effect that is roughly the same as the first embodiment. And since the base side of the neck portion 2b comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface 42b of the leg part 42 in a surface-contact state, the neck portion 2b can be reinforced.
Next, a pressure container according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained. As shown in
The attachment member 5C is a member configured to be attachable to and detachable from the mouthpiece member 3. A front end side of the attachment member 5C is inserted between the neck portion 2b and the mouthpiece member 3, and a base end side thereof is fixed (fastened) to the mouthpiece member 3. The attachment member 5C may be, for example, another member like a joint member or a valve.
The attachment member 5C is composed of a first member 5Ca and a second member 5Cb. Materials of the first member 5Ca and the second member 5Cb are not specifically limited, and in this embodiment, they are made of metal. The first member 5Ca is a member which is fastened to the mouthpiece member 3, and a portion of which member is exposed outside the pressure container 1C. The first member 5Ca is composed of a main body portion 61 and a fixing portion 62.
The main body portion 61 is a portion to be gripped when the attachment member 5C is fastened to the mouthpiece member 3. The main body portion 61 has a larger diameter than that of the fixing portion 62. The fixing portion 62 is continuous with the main body portion 61 and has a columnar shape. A male thread to be screwed to the female thread of the front end side inner surface 22b is formed on an outer peripheral surface 62a of the fixing portion 62. The communication hole X is formed at the centers of the fixing portion 62 and the main body portion 61.
The second member 5Cb is inserted between the neck portion 2b and the mouthpiece member 3, and is held between the first member 5Ca and the inner flange 24 because of axial force due to fastening of the first member 5Ca. The second member 5Cb is composed of a cylindrical portion 71 having a cylindrical shape, a first attachment seat 72 formed on the cylindrical portion 71, and a second attachment seat 73 formed on the cylindrical portion 71.
A height length of the cylindrical portion 71 is roughly equal to a height length of the base end side inner peripheral surface 22a of the standing portion 22. The cylindrical portion 71 is composed of a thick part 71a and a thin part 71b. The thin part 71b is a part to be inserted between the neck portion 2b and the mouthpiece member 3. The thickness of the thin part 71b is roughly equal to a distance from the neck portion 2b to the standing portion 22. That is, an outer peripheral surface 71c of the thin part 71b is in contact with the base end side inner peripheral surface 22a in a surface-contact state. Furthermore, an inner peripheral surface 71d of the thin part 71b is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 2b in a surface-contact state. And furthermore, it is preferable that the outer peripheral surface 71c is in contact with the base end side inner peripheral surface 22a in a surface-contact state, but may be disposed with a minute gap against the base end side inner peripheral surface 22a.
Abase end surface 71e of the thick part 71a is in contact with an end surface 62b of the fixing portion 62 in a surface-contact state. Furthermore, a front end surface 71f of the thin part 71b is in contact with the surface 24b of the inner flange 24 in a surface-contact state.
The first attachment seat 72 is a seat to dispose the first seal member 7 therein, and is formed to be a recessed part on the inner peripheral surface 71d of the thin part 71b. The first attachment seat 72 is formed along the whole circumference of the inner peripheral surface 71d. The second attachment seat 73 is a seat to dispose the second seal member 8 therein, and is formed to be a recessed part on the base end surface 71e of the thick part 71a. The second attachment seat 73 is formed along the whole circumference of the thick part 71a. Sealing between the first member 5Ca and the second member 5Cb can be performed by intervening the second seal member 8 between them. Note that, the second attachment seat 73 may be formed at a corner defined by the base end surface 71e and an inner peripheral surface of the thick part 71a by cutting off the corner.
Furthermore, the reinforcing member 50 is attached to the neck portion 2b. Since the reinforcing member 50 is the same as that of the first modified example (refer to
In the method of manufacturing the pressure container 1C of this embodiment, a forming process, a fitting process, a reinforcement layer forming process, and an attachment process are carried out. The forming process, the fitting process, and the reinforcement layer forming process are the same as those of the first embodiment or of the first modified example of the first embodiment. In the attachment process, first, the second member 5Cb is inserted between the neck portion 2b and the mouthpiece member 3 in the state that the first seal member 7 is disposed in the first attachment seat 72. After the second seal member 8 is disposed in the second attachment seat 73, the first member 5Ca is fastened to the mouthpiece member 3. The first member 5Ca is fastened to the mouthpiece member 3 until the end surface 62b of the fixing portion 62 comes into contact with the base end surface 71e of the thick part 71a. By the above-mentioned processes, the pressure container 1C is manufactured.
According to the above-explained pressure container 1C, since the first seal member 7 is intervened between the neck portion 2b and the second member 5Cb (cylindrical portion 71) of the attachment member 5C, and the second seal member 8 is intervened between the first member 5Ca and the second member 5Cb, maintenance, replacement, or the like of the first seal member 7 and the second seal member 8 can be done when the attachment member 5C is detached from the mouthpiece member 3. Thereby, maintainability for the first seal member 7 and the second seal member 8 can be improved. Furthermore, since outward force in the radial direction acts upon the neck portion 2b when inner pressure acts upon the plastic liner 2, self-sealing function operates, so that the sealing can be firmly performed.
When the attachment member 5 (refer to
Furthermore, on the base end side of the neck portion 2b, the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 2b and the front end surface 24a of the inner flange 24 are in contact with each other. Therefore, the neck portion 2b can be reinforced. And furthermore, since the front end outer peripheral part of the neck portion 2b is chamfered, the second member 5Cb can be easily inserted to the neck portion 2b.
Next, a first modified example of the second embodiment will be explained. As shown in
The attachment member 5D is composed of a first member 5Da and a second member 5Db. The second member 5Db is roughly the same as the second member 5Cb (refer to
The pressure container 1D according to the first modified example can serve roughly the same effect as the second embodiment (refer to
In the above, embodiments and modified examples of the present invention have been explained. But design change can be adequately done without departing from the purpose of the present invention. For example, in the embodiments and the modified examples mentioned above, the attachment seat or the attachment seats to dispose a seal member therein are provided on the attachment member side. However, the attachment seat or the attachment seats may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 2b by means of forming a cut-off part or a step part on the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion. Even such a constitution can get seal ability. And maintenance for the seal member can be done when the attachment member is detached from the mouthpiece member 3. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mouthpiece member 3 and the attachment member 5 are fastened by means of thread, but the attachment member 5 may be fixed to the mouthpiece member 3 by means of another constitution.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-013056 | Jan 2014 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2014/082508 | 12/9/2014 | WO | 00 |
