Pressure vessel

Abstract

This pressure vessel is characterized by being provided with: an inner liner (2) having a cylindrical protruding section (12) that protrudes outward; an interface part (4) which is fitted to the protruding part (12) and into which a valve (insertion member) (5) is inserted; and a sealing member (17) sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface of the tip end side of the protruding section (12) and the inner peripheral surface of the interface section (4). A protruding portion (20) or a thick portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the protruding portion (12) at a position corresponding to the seal member (17).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a pressure vessel. Background Technology

[0002] A pressure vessel is known, comprising: an inner liner having a container portion for containing gas or liquid and a cylindrical protrusion extending outward from the container portion; a metal interface portion disposed on the outer periphery of the protrusion and having a circular plate-shaped surface contact portion for surface contact with the outer surface of the container portion; and a fiber-reinforced resin layer covering the outer surface of the container portion of the inner liner and the surface contact portion of the interface portion (Patent Document 1).

[0003] In such pressure vessels, sealing components are sometimes used to seal the liner and the interface. However, due to the internal pressure of the fluid (the pressure inside the vessel), the protrusion may sometimes deform in a direction away from the sealing component. In Patent Document 1, a collar-shaped component is installed on the inner circumferential surface of the protrusion to prevent the protrusion from deforming in a direction away from the sealing component.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-166535. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve However, because the collar-shaped component requires the installation of additional parts at the protrusion, the increased number of parts and assembly time leads to increased manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the collar-shaped component presents challenges in assemblability, making it difficult to install easily.

[0007] The present invention proposes a solution from the viewpoint that the objective is to provide a pressure vessel that can improve assemblability and sealing performance with a simple structure.

[0008] Solution to the problem The present invention is characterized by comprising: an inner liner having an outwardly protruding cylindrical protrusion; an interface portion that fits into the protrusion and allows an insertion component to be inserted; and a sealing component that is held by the outer peripheral surface of the front end side of the protrusion and the inner peripheral surface of the interface portion, wherein a protrusion or a thick-walled portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the protrusion at a position corresponding to the sealing component.

[0009] According to the present invention, since a protrusion or a thick-walled portion is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the protrusion at a position corresponding to the sealing member, the gap around the sealing member can be eliminated or the gap can be made extremely small. Furthermore, by providing the protrusion or thick-walled portion, the rigidity of the protrusion is also increased, and the sealing performance can be improved with a simple structure.

[0010] Furthermore, even when internal pressure is applied to the protrusion in the direction away from the sealing member, the convex or thick-walled portion abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the insert member. This prevents the protrusion from deforming in the direction away from the sealing member, thus improving sealing performance with a simple structure. Additionally, since there is no need for additional components such as collar-shaped parts as in the past, the number of parts and assembly time can be reduced, improving assemblability.

[0011] Invention Effects The pressure vessel according to the present invention can improve assemblability and sealing performance with a simple structure. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a side sectional view showing a pressure vessel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 This is an enlarged side sectional view showing the connection structure between the lining and the interface.

[0014] Figure 3 This is an enlarged side sectional view showing a modified example of the convex part. Detailed Implementation

[0015] Pressure vessels involved in the implementation methods

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in the description of the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements, and repeated descriptions are omitted where appropriate.

[0017] like Figure 1 As shown, the pressure vessel 1 according to this embodiment is used as a container for storing low-pressure gases such as LPG, high-pressure gases such as hydrogen, and other fluids. Figure 1 As shown, the pressure vessel 1 of this embodiment includes an inner liner 2, a fiber-reinforced resin layer 3, and an interface portion 4.

[0018] The inner liner 2 comprises: a hollow cylindrical body 11; and a cylindrical protrusion 12, which is continuously formed with the body 11 in a manner that protrudes outward from the body 11. In this embodiment, the inner liner 2 is a single-layer structure. The inner liner 2 is formed using resin materials such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyamide, polyketone, and polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) through injection molding, blow molding, or the like.

[0019] The fiber-reinforced resin layer 3 is formed of, for example, FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic) and serves to enhance the compressive strength of the liner 2. The fiber-reinforced resin layer 3 is formed on the outer surface of the liner 2 and the interface portion 4, for example, by a winding method in which the resin is cured after being wound around a bundle of resin-impregnated fibers.

[0020] The interface portion 4 has: a cylindrical interface portion 13, a protrusion 12 externally fitted into the inner liner 2; and an annular flange portion 14, which protrudes radially outward from the base end of the interface portion 13 on the inner liner 2 side. The interface portion 13 and the flange portion 14 are integrally formed and continuous with each other. The flange portion 14 is disposed in a recess 19 formed in the inner liner 2. The outer surface of the flange portion 14 is on the same plane as the outer surface of the inner liner 2. An insertion member is installed in the interface portion 4. In the example shown, a valve 5 for injecting or discharging high-pressure gas or liquid, which serves as the insertion member, is installed by inserting it into the interface portion 4.

[0021] like Figure 2 As shown, for example, an external thread S1 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 12, and an internal thread S2 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the interface portion 4. The protrusion 12 and the interface portion 4 are screwed together to form a fastening structure 31. Alternatively, the fastening structure 31 may be a structure other than this one.

[0022] The interface section 13 includes: a large-diameter section 15 having an inner diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the protrusion 12; and a small-diameter section 16 disposed on the front end side (the upper side of the drawing), which protrudes further towards the central axis О than the inner diameter of the protrusion 12. An annular sealing groove 18 is formed in the large-diameter section 15, which accommodates a sealing member 17 located between the inner liner 2 and the interface section 4. The sealing member 17, for example, is an О-ring, held between the outer peripheral surface of the front end side of the protrusion 12 and the inner peripheral surface of the interface section 4. A gasket may also be accommodated adjacent to the sealing member 17 within the sealing groove 18.

[0023] A protrusion 20 is integrally formed circumferentially on the inner circumferential surface 12a of the protrusion 12 of the liner 2 at a position corresponding to the sealing member 17 disposed on the outer circumferential surface side of the protrusion 12. The protrusion 20 is annular and protrudes continuously circumferentially in the direction of the central axis О. The cross-section of the protrusion 20 is rectangular. The protrusion 20 protrudes in the direction of the central axis О to a degree that does not obstruct the insertion of the valve 5. That is, the inner diameter of the protrusion 20 is the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the valve 5. The protrusion 20 can be formed, for example, by cutting off a portion of the gate portion into which resin flows during injection molding when the liner 2 is injection molded. That is, the protrusion 20 can be formed by cutting off excess resin at the end face 20a after the resin flows into the mold cavity from the central axis О side during injection molding.

[0024] According to the pressure vessel 1 of this embodiment described above, since a protrusion 20 is formed on the inner circumferential surface 12a of the protrusion 12 at a position corresponding to (opposite to) the sealing member 17, the gap around the sealing member 17 can be eliminated or the gap can be made extremely small. In addition, by providing the protrusion 20, the rigidity of the protrusion 12 is also improved, and the sealing performance can be improved with a simple structure.

[0025] Furthermore, even when internal pressure is applied to the protrusion 12 in the direction away from the sealing member 17 (in the direction of the central axis О), the protrusion 20 remains in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the valve 5. This prevents deformation of the protrusion 12 in the direction away from the sealing member 17, improving the sealing performance of the pressure vessel 1 with a simple structure. Additionally, since there is no need for additional components such as collar-shaped parts as in the past, the number of parts and assembly time are reduced, improving assemblability. Furthermore, since the protrusion 20 can be integrally formed with the liner 2, manufacturing is also easier. This reduces manufacturing costs.

[0026] (Modified Example) The following describes a variation of this embodiment. In this variation, the thick-walled portion 20A is provided instead of the protrusion 20, which differs from the embodiment described above. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the thick-walled portion 20A protrudes towards the central axis О relative to the inner circumferential surface 12a of the protrusion 12, forming a thick-walled shape with a rectangular cross-section throughout the circumference. The thick-walled portion 20A is formed from the front end of the protrusion 12 at a position corresponding to (opposite to) the sealing member 17, with a predetermined length (height). The inner diameter of the thick-walled portion 20A is the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the valve 5. The thick-walled portion 20A can be easily formed because it can be formed by pre-setting a molding die to make the corresponding portion of the protrusion 12 thick-walled.

[0027] According to this modified example, effects substantially equivalent to those of the above-described embodiment can also be obtained. Furthermore, due to the thick-walled portion 20A, rigidity is improved compared to the above-described embodiment, thus further enhancing sealing performance.

[0028] The embodiments of the invention have been described above, but appropriate design changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. In this embodiment, the protrusion 20 and the thick-walled portion 20A are annular and have a rectangular cross-section; however, they may protrude in the direction of the central axis О at the position corresponding to the sealing member 17. Other shapes may include a semi-circular cross-section. Furthermore, the protrusion 20 and the thick-walled portion 20A may be formed discontinuously along the circumference. For example, a portion of the protruding parts may be arranged at equal intervals on the inner circumferential surface of the protrusion 12.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 1 Pressure Vessel 2 Lining 3 Fiber-reinforced resin layers 4 Interface Section 5 valves 11 torsos 12 protrusions 13 Interface section cylindrical section 14 Flange portion 17 Sealing components 18 sealing grooves 20 convex parts 20A Thick-walled section

Claims

1. A pressure vessel, characterized in that, have: The inner lining has an outwardly protruding cylindrical section; An interface portion that engages with the protrusion and allows for the insertion of an insertion component; and The sealing component is held by the outer peripheral surface of the front end side of the protrusion and the inner peripheral surface of the interface portion. A protrusion or a thick-walled portion is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the protrusion at a position corresponding to the sealing component.

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