Inner container and expansion tank

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of expansion tanks, in particular to an inner container and an expansion tank. The inner container comprises a main body part, the inside of the main body part is provided with an accommodating cavity, and one end of the accommodating cavity is provided with an accommodating opening. In the axial direction of the inner container and from the direction away from the accommodating opening to the direction close to the accommodating opening, the main body part comprises a closed section, a transition section and an arc-shaped section which are sequentially connected, and the transition section gradually expands from one end close to the closed section to one end close to the arc-shaped section. The accommodating opening is arranged in the arc-shaped section, and the arc-shaped section gradually contracts in the direction from the direction away from the accommodating opening to the direction close to the accommodating opening. The inner container and the expansion tank provided by the application solve the problem that the stress performance of the existing inner container structure of the expansion tank is insufficient, thereby reducing the service life of the inner container.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of expansion tank technology, and in particular to an inner liner and expansion tank. Background Technology

[0002] An expansion tank typically consists of a tank body and an inner liner, with the inner liner installed inside the tank body and gas filling the space between them. When the system injects a medium into the expansion tank, the inner liner expands accordingly as the medium enters, causing the gas between the inner liner and the tank body to be compressed, and the gas pressure gradually increases. When this gas pressure reaches equilibrium with the system pressure, the injection of medium automatically stops. However, if the system experiences a pressure drop due to medium loss, the gas pressure will exceed the system pressure. In this case, the gas expands, forcing the medium in the inner liner out and flowing into the system to achieve a new equilibrium.

[0003] In related technologies, when installing expansion tanks, the opening of the inner liner faces downwards. Since the inner liner is often a straight cylinder with a tapered rim design, during the injection of the medium, the water flow impacts the top of the inner liner and bounces directly downwards, thus continuously impacting the tapered rim area. Furthermore, the straight cylinder structure itself has insufficient bending stiffness, making it prone to instability and bending. It is also prone to shaking during water injection, which further worsens the stress situation in the tapered rim area, causing repeated bending, accelerating material fatigue aging, and forming cracks or deep creases, severely shortening the service life of the inner liner. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an inner liner and expansion tank to solve the problem of insufficient stress performance of the existing expansion tank inner liner structure, which leads to a reduced lifespan of the inner liner.

[0005] This application provides an inner liner for use in an expansion tank. The inner liner includes a main body with an internal cavity. One end of the cavity has an opening. Along the axial direction of the inner liner, from the direction away from the opening to the direction near the opening, the main body includes a closed section, a transition section, and an arc-shaped section connected in sequence. The transition section gradually expands from the end near the closed section to the end near the arc-shaped section. The opening is located on the arc-shaped section, and from the direction away from the opening to the direction near the opening, the arc-shaped section has a gradually contracting arc-shaped structure.

[0006] In one embodiment, the transition segment extends in a tapered shape from one end near the closed segment to one end near the arcuate segment.

[0007] In one embodiment, the angle formed between the sidewall of the transition section and the axis of the inner liner is A, and 5°≤A≤8°.

[0008] In one embodiment, the closed segment has a gradually expanding arc-shaped structure from the direction away from the receiving opening to the direction of approaching the receiving opening.

[0009] In one embodiment, the connection between the closed segment and the transition segment is smooth, and / or the connection between the transition segment and the arc segment is smooth.

[0010] In one embodiment, the inner liner further includes a neck located at the receiving opening and connected to the arcuate segment; wherein the neck extends in a columnar shape and the connection between the neck and the arcuate segment is smooth.

[0011] In one embodiment, the inner liner further includes a connecting portion that protrudes along the radial direction of the inner liner and connects to one end of the neck away from the arcuate segment.

[0012] In one embodiment, the connecting portion is provided with a rib, which protrudes from at least one side surface of the connecting portion along the axial direction of the inner liner.

[0013] This application also provides an expansion tank, which includes a tank body assembly, a flange assembly, and an inner liner as described in any of the above embodiments. The inner liner is partially installed inside the tank body assembly, and the inner liner includes a connecting portion disposed outside the tank body assembly. The flange assembly is disposed on the side of the connecting portion away from the tank body assembly and is connected to the tank body assembly, and the flange assembly cooperates with the tank body assembly to clamp the connecting portion.

[0014] In one embodiment, the tank assembly includes a main tank and a fixing plate, the connecting portion abuts against the main tank, the outer wall of the main tank is recessed to form an installation groove, the fixing plate is engaged in the installation groove and at least partially extends out of the installation groove; the expansion tank also includes fasteners, the fasteners pass through and connect the flange assembly and the fixing plate, so that the main tank and the flange assembly clamp the connecting portion.

[0015] Compared to existing technologies, the inner liner and expansion tank provided in this application feature a transition section that gradually expands from the end near the closed section to the end near the curved section. This allows water to flow along the wall of the transition section during filling, avoiding direct impact on the curved section. Furthermore, traditional straight-cylinder structures are prone to bending due to the weight at the top. In contrast, the gradually expanding transition section in this application centers the weight at the top, allowing pressure to be transmitted along the sides of the transition section, thus improving stress distribution and bending stiffness. This effectively enhances the stability of the inner liner structure, reducing the probability of bending and preventing deterioration of the stress condition in the curved section due to swaying at the transition section. Simultaneously, the lower dimension of the inner liner is larger than the upper dimension, creating a stable "smaller at the top, larger at the bottom" configuration that further improves bending resistance. Additionally, the spherical extension of the curved section ensures a large radius, allowing the center of gravity of the water to sink, generating an anti-overturning moment and reducing the probability of inner liner instability. This greatly reduces the probability of stress concentration caused by bending in the transition or curved sections of the inner liner, which is conducive to achieving uniform stress distribution. Therefore, it can effectively avoid material fatigue aging and the formation of creases, and extend the service life of the inner liner. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the inner liner of an embodiment provided in this application;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an expansion tank according to an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 3 An exploded view of an expansion tank according to an embodiment provided in this application;

[0020] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of an expansion tank according to an embodiment provided in this application;

[0021] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified view of point Q in the middle.

[0022] The symbols in the diagram represent the following meanings:

[0023] 100. Expansion tank; 10. Inner liner; 101. Receiving cavity; 102. Receiving opening; 11. Main body; 111. Sealing section; 112. Transition section; 113. Arc-shaped section; 12. Neck; 13. Connecting part; 131. Rib; 20. Tank assembly; 201. Mounting groove; 21. Main tank body; 22. Fixing plate; 30. Flange assembly; 40. Fastener. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0025] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application's specification are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0026] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0027] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature and the second feature are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0029] An expansion tank typically consists of a tank body and an inner liner, with the inner liner installed inside the tank body and gas filling the space between them. When the system injects a medium into the expansion tank, the inner liner expands accordingly as the medium enters, causing the gas between the inner liner and the tank body to be compressed, and the gas pressure gradually increases. When this gas pressure reaches equilibrium with the system pressure, the injection of medium automatically stops. However, if the system experiences a pressure drop due to medium loss, the gas pressure will exceed the system pressure. In this case, the gas expands, forcing the medium in the inner liner out and flowing into the system to achieve a new equilibrium.

[0030] In related technologies, when installing expansion tanks, the opening of the inner liner faces downwards. Since the inner liner is often a straight cylinder with a tapered rim design, during the injection of the medium, the water flow impacts the top of the inner liner and bounces directly downwards, thus continuously impacting the tapered rim area. Furthermore, the straight cylinder structure itself has insufficient bending stiffness, making it prone to instability and bending. It is also prone to shaking during water injection, which further worsens the stress situation in the tapered rim area, causing repeated bending, accelerating material fatigue aging, and forming cracks or deep creases, severely shortening the service life of the inner liner.

[0031] Please see Figures 1-5 To address the problem of insufficient load-bearing capacity in existing expansion tank liner structures, leading to reduced liner lifespan, this application provides an inner liner 10. This inner liner 10 is used in an expansion tank 100. The inner liner 10 includes a main body 11, with an internal cavity 101 and an opening 102 at one end. Along the axial direction of the inner liner 10, from the direction away from the opening 102 to the direction near the opening 102, the main body 11 includes a closed section 111, a transition section 112, and an arc-shaped section 113 connected in sequence. The transition section 112 gradually expands from the end near the closed section 111 to the end near the arc-shaped section 113. The opening 102 is located on the arc-shaped section 113, and the arc-shaped section 113 has a gradually contracting arc-shaped structure from the direction away from the opening 102 to the direction near the opening 102.

[0032] For ease of explanation, this application defines as follows: Figure 1 The upper and lower sections are shown to match the working state of the inner liner 10. That is, the closed section 111 is the top of the inner liner 10, and the arc-shaped section 113 is close to the bottom of the inner liner 10.

[0033] Understandably, this application designs a transition section 112 that gradually expands from one end near the closed section 111 to the end near the curved section 113. This allows water to flow along the wall of the transition section 112 during drainage, avoiding direct impact on the curved section 113. Furthermore, traditional straight-tube structures are prone to bending due to the weight at the top. In contrast, the gradually expanding transition section 112 in this application centers the weight at the top, allowing pressure to be transmitted along the sides of the transition section 112, thus improving the stress distribution and bending stiffness. This effectively enhances the stability of the inner liner 10 structure, reducing the probability of bending and preventing the deterioration of the stress distribution on the curved section 113 due to swaying at the transition section 112. Simultaneously, the lower dimension of the inner liner 10 is larger than the upper dimension, creating a stable "smaller at the top, larger at the bottom" configuration that further improves bending resistance. Furthermore, the spherical extension of the arc-shaped segment 113 ensures that it has a large radius, thereby allowing the center of gravity of the water to sink, forming an anti-overturning moment and reducing the probability of instability of the inner liner 10. This significantly reduces the probability of stress concentration caused by bending in the transition section 112 or the arc-shaped segment 113 of the inner liner 10, promoting uniform stress distribution and effectively preventing material fatigue aging and crease formation, thus extending the service life of the inner liner 10.

[0034] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the transition section 112 extends in a conical shape from one end near the closed section 111 to the other end near the arc section 113. Thus, the structure of the transition section 112 is simple and easy to process, and it can play a good guiding role in the drainage process. Furthermore, since the lower inner diameter of the transition section 112 is larger than the upper inner diameter, the flow velocity of the water at the lower part is reduced, which can reduce the impact on the arc section 113.

[0035] Furthermore, the angle formed between the sidewall of the transition section 112 and the axis of the inner liner 10 is A, and 5°≤A≤8°, to ensure the reliability of the transition section 112 in guiding the water flow. It is easy to understand that if A>8°, the inclination angle of the transition section 112 is too large, which is not conducive to guiding the water flow along the wall of the transition section 112. If A<5°, the inclination angle of the transition section 112 is too small, the guiding effect of the transition section 112 is insufficient, and there is a risk that the water flow will directly impact the arc-shaped section 113.

[0036] Optionally, the value of A can be 5°, 6°, 7° or 8°, etc., which will not be listed here.

[0037] Of course, in other embodiments, the cross section of the transition section 112 may also be a hyperbola or a parabola to achieve a gradual expansion trend from one end near the closed section 111 to one end near the arcuate section 113.

[0038] To further enhance the structural strength and deformation resistance of the inner liner 10, in one embodiment, the transition section 112 and the arc section 113 are connected smoothly, thus avoiding stress concentration and facilitating the smooth flow of water.

[0039] In one embodiment, the closed section 111 has an arc-shaped structure that gradually expands from the direction away from the receiving opening 102 to the direction closer to the receiving opening 102. The arc-shaped structure can achieve rapid flow guidance, quickly guiding the water flow to the transition section 112 so that it can slide down along the wall of the transition section 112 and avoid vertical impact.

[0040] Similarly, to further enhance the structural strength and deformation resistance of the inner liner 10, in one embodiment, the connection between the closed section 111 and the transition section 112 is smoothly transitioned, thus avoiding stress concentration and facilitating the smooth flow of water.

[0041] Specifically, in this embodiment, both the closed section 111 and the arc-shaped section 113 are locally arranged in a spherical shape. Since both the closed section 111 and the arc-shaped section 113 extend spherically, and the transition section 112 gradually expands from the end near the closed section 111 to the end near the arc-shaped section 113, it ensures that the closed section 111, the transition section 112, and the arc-shaped section 113 are subjected to uniform stress, further avoiding stress concentration. Simultaneously, the radius of the closed section 111 is smaller than the radius of the arc-shaped section 113, resulting in a stable "smaller at the top, larger at the bottom" configuration for the inner liner 10. This allows for natural expansion and stable support during water injection and drainage, further enhancing the structural reliability of the inner liner 10.

[0042] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the inner liner 10 also includes a neck 12, which is located at the receiving opening 102 and connects to the arc-shaped segment 113 to facilitate a transition between the inner liner 10 and the external structure. The neck 12 extends in a columnar shape, and the connection between the neck 12 and the arc-shaped segment 113 is smooth. This further avoids stress concentration, thereby improving the structural strength and bending resistance of the inner liner 10.

[0043] Please see Figures 2-5 This application also provides an expansion tank 100, which includes a tank assembly 20, a flange assembly 30, and an inner liner 10 of any of the above embodiments. The inner liner 10 is partially installed inside the tank assembly 20. The inner liner 10 includes a connecting portion 13 disposed outside the tank assembly 20. Along the radial direction of the inner liner 10, the connecting portion 13 protrudes and connects to the end of the neck 12 away from the arcuate segment 113. It is readily understood that the connecting portion 13 is used for connecting the inner liner 10 and the tank assembly 20.

[0044] Specifically, the flange assembly 30 is located on the side of the connecting portion 13 away from the tank assembly 20 and is connected to the tank assembly 20. The flange assembly 30 and the tank assembly 20 cooperate to clamp the connecting portion 13. That is, in this embodiment, the relative position of the inner liner 10 is achieved by clamping the connecting portion 13 with the flange assembly 30 and the tank assembly 20. Furthermore, since the inner liner 10 itself has a certain deformation capacity, after the flange assembly 30 and the tank assembly 20 are connected, they can compress the connecting portion 13, forming an interference fit. This allows the connecting portion 13 to form a sealing ring-like effect, eliminating the gap between the connecting portion 13 and the tank assembly 20, and ensuring that the gas filled in the internal cavity of the tank assembly 20 will not leak.

[0045] To further improve the reliability of the seal, in one embodiment, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the connecting part 13 is provided with a raised rib 131, which protrudes from at least one side surface of the connecting part 13 along the axial direction of the inner liner 10. In this way, after the flange assembly 30 and the tank assembly 20 are clamped together at the connecting part 13, the raised rib 131 can provide a further sealing effect.

[0046] Specifically, in this embodiment, two spaced-apart ribs 131 are provided on both surfaces of the connecting portion 13 along the axial direction of the inner liner 10 to ensure sealing performance. Here, the ribs 131 can extend in a ring shape or be partially raised, and are provided in areas prone to leakage, which can be reasonably set according to actual needs.

[0047] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the tank assembly 20 includes a main tank body 21 and a fixing plate 22. A connecting portion 13 abuts against the main tank body 21. The outer wall of the main tank body 21 has a recessed mounting groove 201. The fixing plate 22 is engaged in the mounting groove 201 and at least partially extends out of it. The expansion tank 100 also includes a fastener 40, which passes through and connects the flange assembly 30 and the fixing plate 22, thereby clamping the main tank body 21 and the flange assembly 30 together to the connecting portion 13. It is easy to understand that because the fixing plate 22 is engaged in the mounting groove 201, as the fastener 40 moves in the locking direction, the fixing plate 22 and the flange assembly 30 tend to move closer together, causing the fixing plate 22 to exert force on the groove wall of the mounting groove 201. The main tank body 21 can then cooperate with the flange assembly 30 to clamp the connecting portion 13. Furthermore, the fixing plate 22 not only facilitates connection with the flange assembly 30 but also helps increase the structural strength of the main tank body 21 and reduces the probability of deformation.

[0048] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0049] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An inner liner for use in an expansion tank, characterized in that, The inner liner includes a main body (11), and the main body (11) has an internal structure with a receiving cavity (101), and one end of the receiving cavity (101) is provided with a receiving opening (102). Along the axial direction of the inner liner, and from the direction away from the receiving opening (102) to the direction near the receiving opening (102), the main body (11) includes a closed section (111), a transition section (112) and an arc-shaped section (113) connected in sequence, and the transition section (112) gradually expands from one end near the closed section (111) to one end near the arc-shaped section (113); The receiving opening (102) is located on the arc segment (113), and the arc segment (113) has a gradually narrowing arc structure from the direction away from the receiving opening (102) to the direction close to the receiving opening (102).

2. The inner liner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transition section (112) extends in a tapered shape from one end near the closed section (111) to one end near the arc section (113).

3. The inner liner according to claim 2, characterized in that, The angle between the sidewall of the transition section (112) and the axis of the inner liner is A, and 5°≤A≤8°.

4. The inner liner according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The closed segment (111) has a gradually expanding arc-shaped structure from the direction away from the receiving opening (102) to the direction closer to the receiving opening (102).

5. The inner liner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connection between the closed segment (111) and the transition segment (112) is smooth, and / or the connection between the transition segment (112) and the arc segment (113) is smooth.

6. The inner liner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner liner also includes a neck (12), which is located at the receiving opening (102) and connected to the arc-shaped segment (113); The neck (12) extends in a columnar shape, and the connection between the neck (12) and the arc segment (113) is smoothly transitioned.

7. The inner liner according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inner liner also includes a connecting portion (13), which protrudes along the radial direction of the inner liner and is connected to one end of the neck (12) away from the arc segment (113).

8. The inner liner according to claim 7, characterized in that, The connecting part (13) is provided with a rib (131), and the rib (131) protrudes from at least one side surface of the connecting part (13) along the axial direction of the inner liner.

9. An expansion tank, characterized in that, It includes a tank assembly (20), a flange assembly (30), and an inner liner as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the inner liner is partially installed inside the tank assembly (20), and the inner liner includes a connecting portion (13) disposed outside the tank assembly (20). The flange assembly (30) is located on the side of the connecting part (13) away from the tank assembly (20) and is connected to the tank assembly (20), and the flange assembly (30) cooperates with the tank assembly (20) to clamp the connecting part (13).

10. The expansion tank according to claim 9, characterized in that, The tank assembly (20) includes a main tank (21) and a fixing plate (22). The connecting part (13) abuts against the main tank (21). The outer wall of the main tank (21) is recessed to form an installation groove (201). The fixing plate (22) is engaged in the installation groove (201) and extends at least partially out of the installation groove (201). The expansion tank also includes a fastener (40) that passes through and connects the flange assembly (30) and the fixing plate (22) to clamp the connection part (13) between the main tank body (21) and the flange assembly (30).

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