Injection molded connector, plumbing unit, and energy storage station cooling system

Abstract

The injection head, the pipeline unit and the energy storage station cooling system are provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, comprising: a first connecting part made of a first plastic material; and a second connecting part made of a second plastic material, which is fused with the first connecting part. By directly fusing the first connecting part made of the first plastic material with the second connecting part made of the second plastic material, the peeling problem caused by the expansion difference of the materials is effectively solved, the leakage and air leakage hazards are avoided, and the service life is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of injection molding joint technology, and more particularly to injection molding connectors, pipe units, and energy storage station cooling systems. Background Technology

[0002] In fields such as fluid transport, electronic packaging, and mechanical assembly, connectors are key components for connecting parts, and their performance directly determines the reliability and durability of the system. To meet functional requirements under different operating conditions, such as the need for temperature resistance in some areas and flexibility in others, connectors often require differentiated material designs. However, existing connection technologies always face the dual challenges of material compatibility and connection reliability.

[0003] In related technologies, plastic pipe fittings often use a structure where metal inserts and plastic are injection molded together. While this can enhance strength with the help of metal, the significant difference in thermal expansion coefficients between metal and plastic means that their expansion and contraction are not synchronized under temperature shock conditions, easily leading to interface peeling and sealing failure. Even with all-plastic connections, existing technologies mostly rely on mechanical snaps, threads, or adhesives: mechanical structures require additional protrusions / grooves, increasing molding complexity, and are prone to loosening under long-term vibration; adhesives, on the other hand, suffer from insufficient aging resistance, long curing cycles, and environmental risks, making them unsuitable for complex environments. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide injection-molded connectors, piping units, and energy storage station cooling systems to solve the problems in the related technologies.

[0005] The first aspect of this disclosure provides an injection-molded connector, comprising:

[0006] The first connecting part is made of a first plastic material;

[0007] A second connecting part, made of a second plastic material, is injection molded integrally with the first connecting part.

[0008] In the first aspect of the embodiment, the second connecting part corresponds to the connecting pipe, and the hardness of the second plastic material is lower than that of the first plastic material.

[0009] In the embodiments of the first aspect, the first plastic material includes at least one of the following: nylon material, polyphenylene ether material; and / or,

[0010] The second plastic material includes at least one of the following: olefin materials and fluoroplastic materials.

[0011] In a first aspect embodiment, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion share a single injection mold; wherein the injection molding of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion includes two-color injection molding.

[0012] In a first aspect embodiment, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion form a contact portion with a concave-convex fit at the injection molding connection.

[0013] In the first aspect of the embodiment, the first connecting part and the second connecting part are sealed together and fused together.

[0014] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a pipe unit, comprising:

[0015] At least one injection-molded connector as described in any one of the embodiments of the first aspect above;

[0016] Pipeline that is fixedly connected to the injection molding connector.

[0017] In a second embodiment, the injection-molded connector is socket-welded and / or arc-face-welded to the connection port of the pipeline.

[0018] In a second embodiment, the material hardness of the end of the injection-molded connector that connects to the pipeline is lower than that of the other end of the injection-molded connector.

[0019] A third aspect of this disclosure provides a cooling system for an energy storage station, which includes the piping unit described in any of the embodiments of the second aspect above.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this disclosure are: by directly heat-fusing the first connecting part made of the first plastic material and the second connecting part made of the second plastic material into one piece, the problem of peeling at the joint caused by the difference in material expansion is effectively solved, the risk of liquid leakage and gas leakage is avoided and the service life is extended. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 An exploded view of an injection-molded connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an injection-molded connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this disclosure from the information disclosed herein. This disclosure can also be implemented or its modules applied through other different specific embodiments. Various details in this disclosure can also be modified or changed according to different viewpoints and application modules without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0024] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains can readily implement it. This disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0025] In this disclosure, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic represented in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics represented may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or a group of embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples represented in this disclosure, as well as the features of those different embodiments or examples.

[0026] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for illustrative 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 representation of this disclosure, "a set" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0027] For the purpose of clarity, devices unrelated to the description are omitted, and the same or similar components throughout the specification are given the same reference numerals.

[0028] Throughout this specification, when it is said that a device is "connected" to another device, this includes not only "direct connection" but also "indirect connection" by placing other components in between. Furthermore, when it is said that a device "comprises" a certain constituent element, unless otherwise stated otherwise, this does not exclude other constituent elements, but rather implies that other constituent elements may be included.

[0029] While the terms first, second, etc., are used in some examples herein to refer to various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, first interface and second interface, etc., are used. Furthermore, as used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to also include the plural forms unless the context indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, elements, modules, items, kinds, and / or groups, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence, or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, modules, items, kinds, and / or groups. The terms “or” and “and / or” as used herein are interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination thereof. Thus, “A, B, or C” or “A, B, and / or C” means “any one of: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C.” Exceptions to this definition will only occur if the combination of elements, functions, steps, or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0030] The technical terms used herein are for reference only to specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. The singular form used herein includes the plural form unless the statement explicitly indicates otherwise. The word "comprising" as used in this specification means to specify a particular characteristic, region, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, and does not exclude the presence or addition of other characteristics, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components.

[0031] Although not explicitly defined, all terms, including technical and scientific terms used herein, shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be further interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the relevant technical literature and the message of the present disclosure, and shall not be over-interpreted as having an ideal or overly formulaic meaning unless otherwise defined.

[0032] Injection-molded connectors can be used as connecting components for cooling system pipelines in energy storage stations, connecting pipelines that transport coolant (such as deionized water and antifreeze) in the cooling system.

[0033] In related technologies, pipe fittings still mostly employ traditional metal inserts + plastic injection molding structures. The sealing performance relies on the irregular shapes of the metal insert surface, such as protrusions and spiral patterns, and the encapsulation effect formed by the injection molding of the plastic material. However, energy storage cooling systems experience frequent high and low temperature cycles, and the thermal expansion coefficients of metals (such as steel and copper) and plastics differ significantly. Under temperature shocks, their expansion and contraction are severely asynchronous, causing the initial injection-molded interface to quickly accumulate stress and generate micro-gaps. Furthermore, prolonged immersion in coolant can accelerate the corrosion of the metal insert, further compromising the interface seal and ultimately leading to the delamination of the interface between the metal insert and the plastic layer, resulting in coolant leakage. This not only affects the cooling system's heat dissipation efficiency but may also pose safety risks such as short circuits and equipment damage due to coolant seepage into the energy storage device.

[0034] To address the aforementioned issues, one embodiment of this disclosure provides an injection-molded connector, wherein the first connecting part 100 and the second connecting part 200 are made of fusible plastic materials and are directly heat-fused together, maintaining excellent sealing performance even when subjected to long-term immersion in coolant and temperature fluctuations; on the other hand, the difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion between the two plastics is much smaller than that between metal and plastic, greatly improving the synchronization of expansion and contraction under temperature shock and avoiding interface peeling.

[0035] For details, please refer to Figure 1 In one embodiment, the injection molding connector includes a first connecting portion 100 and a second connecting portion 200. Figure 1 This embodiment is only for illustrating the separated state of the first connecting part 100 and the second connecting part 200 to explain their structural composition. In actual use, the second connecting part 200 is first injection molded into a pre-made mold for the injection-molded connector, and then the mold is rotated 180 degrees before the first connecting part 100 is injection molded. Please refer to the overall assembly diagram. Figure 2 .

[0036] The first connecting part 100, made of a first plastic material, and the second connecting part 200, made of a second plastic material, are injection molded into one piece.

[0037] Specifically, in the actual manufacturing process, a multi-cavity or multi-step injection molding process is used to integrate two different materials. First, a second plastic material (such as polyethylene PE) is injected into a pre-designed injection mold to form the second connecting part 200. Then, the semi-finished product in the mold, along with the mold core, is rotated 180 degrees (or the workstation is switched via a turntable or rotary table mechanism) and sent to the next injection unit. Within the same mold, the first plastic material (such as polyamide PA) is precisely injection molded over the already formed second connecting part 200, thereby forming the first connecting part 100. This process ensures that the two components are directly fused together within the mold, with material interpenetration occurring at the interface, and a strong integrated structure formed after cooling and solidification. Preferably, to ensure that the coolant does not leak, the first connecting part 100 and the second connecting part 200 are sealed together thermally fused into one.

[0038] Optionally, the first plastic material can be nylon or polyphenylene oxide.

[0039] The nylon material is preferably an aliphatic nylon such as PA6, PA66, PA12, PA11, PA612, or PA610, or a high-performance aromatic nylon such as PPA (polyphthalamide). Nylon materials have good toughness, wear resistance, and self-lubricating properties.

[0040] Polyphenylene oxide materials: including polyphenylene oxide (PPO) or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), which have higher heat resistance, flame retardancy and low water absorption, and are suitable for long-term use in high temperature or humid environments.

[0041] To further improve the overall performance of the above materials, the first plastic material can also be a modified material obtained by adding reinforcing fillers. The reinforcing fillers include at least one of the following materials:

[0042] Glass fiber (GF) significantly improves tensile strength, flexural modulus, and creep resistance;

[0043] Carbon fiber (CF) enhances strength while reducing density and improving thermal conductivity and antistatic properties.

[0044] Mineral fillers (MD) (such as talc, calcium carbonate, etc.) improve dimensional stability, reduce shrinkage, and lower costs.

[0045] For example, the first connecting part 100 of the connector is prepared by injection molding using modified materials of "PA66+GF" or "PPO+MD+GF".

[0046] The second plastic material can be an olefin material or a fluoroplastic material.

[0047] The olefin materials mentioned include, but are not limited to, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). These materials are low in cost, easy to process, and have good chemical stability.

[0048] The fluoroplastic materials include, but are not limited to, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE).

[0049] Similarly, the performance of the second plastic material can also be improved by adding reinforcing fillers:

[0050] Adding GF or CF to PP or PE can improve rigidity and indentation resistance, and prevent deformation during long-term use.

[0051] Adding GF or mineral powder to PTFE can improve its wear resistance.

[0052] Preferably, the first plastic material includes PA, and the second plastic material includes PE.

[0053] Specifically, PA has high strength, high modulus, and excellent heat resistance (heat distortion temperature can reach above 180°C). PE, on the other hand, has flexibility, impact resistance, and chemical corrosion resistance.

[0054] Optionally, the second connecting part 200 corresponds to the connecting pipe 300, and the hardness of the second plastic material is lower than that of the first plastic material.

[0055] Specifically, in some embodiments, the first connecting part 100 and the second connecting part 200 are made of different materials. The reason why not both are made of PE is that although PE has excellent welding performance and flexibility, it has low hardness, insufficient rigidity, and relatively poor heat resistance and dimensional stability. Under long-term pressure or high temperature environments, it is prone to creep, deformation, or even leakage, making it unsuitable as the overall structural material for injection molded connectors. If both connectors are made of PA (polyamide), although the overall strength and temperature resistance can be improved, there are practical manufacturing limitations: current PA injection molding processes are difficult to stably produce large-sized PA connectors; at the same time, the cost of PA raw materials is significantly higher than that of PE, and using them as a whole would greatly increase manufacturing costs. Therefore, the split design of this application is adopted, combining different materials to manufacture the injection molded connectors.

[0056] Furthermore, since the second connecting part 200 needs to be directly connected to the pipe 300, a PE material with low hardness and good flexibility is selected to facilitate heat fusion butt welding or socket connection with the pipe 300. The first connecting part 100 is made of PA material to provide sufficient structural strength, rigidity and heat resistance, and to provide support.

[0057] Optionally, the first connecting part and the second connecting part share a single injection mold; wherein the injection molding of the first connecting part and the second connecting part includes two-color injection molding.

[0058] Specifically, the mold is a special multi-station or multi-cavity injection mold, usually equipped with a rotary table, slider or turntable mechanism, which can inject two different plastic materials sequentially in the same molding cycle.

[0059] Specifically, the injection molding process of the first connecting part 100 and the second connecting part 200 adopts two-color injection molding technology. First, a second plastic material (such as polyethylene PE) is injected into the first station of the mold to form the second connecting part 200. Then, by rotating the mold 180 degrees or moving the mold core to the second station, the formed second connecting part 200 is precisely positioned into the next injection cavity. Next, a first plastic material (such as polyamide PA) is injected into the same mold, so that its melt covers or aligns with the designated area of ​​the second connecting part 200 to form the first connecting part 100. In the high-temperature molten state, the two materials partially dissolve and penetrate at the interface, and after cooling and solidification, a strong bond is formed, rather than being connected solely by mechanical snap-fit ​​or subsequent welding.

[0060] In addition, Figure 1 In this embodiment, the first connecting portion 100 and the second connecting portion 200 form a contact-enhancing portion 400 with a concave-convex fit at the injection molding connection.

[0061] The contact part 400 is an interlocking structure formed by the mold cavity in a two-color injection molding or sequential injection molding process. For example, the connecting end of the second connecting part 200 is provided with an annular protrusion, a sawtooth boss or a multi-level stepped protrusion, while the mold cavity area corresponding to the first connecting part 100 is provided with a matching groove, countersunk hole or snap-fit ​​structure. When the first plastic material (such as PA) is injected, the melt covers and fills these recessed areas, and after cooling, an integrated connecting surface is formed.

[0062] Compared to traditional planar butt joints, the concave-convex structure significantly increases the effective bonding area between the two materials, resulting in a higher degree of fusion between PA and PE at the interface, thereby enhancing the overall connection strength and peel resistance.

[0063] In another embodiment of this disclosure, a pipe unit is provided, comprising:

[0064] At least one injection-molded connector as described in any of the above embodiments;

[0065] Pipeline 300 is fixedly connected to the injection molding connector.

[0066] Specifically, one end of the injection-molded connector is fixedly connected to the pipeline 300, and the other end is used to interface with other pipe fittings, valves, or equipment. As mentioned above, the injection-molded connector is pre-thermo-molded into one piece and then fixedly connected to the corresponding position on the pipeline 300.

[0067] Optionally, the injection-molded connector is socket-welded and / or arc-face-welded to the connection port of the pipeline 300.

[0068] Specifically, socket welding refers to inserting the end of the pipe 300 into the injection-molded connector, then heating it to melt the inner wall of the socket and the outer wall of the pipe simultaneously, achieving interface fusion under pressure, and forming an integrated connection after cooling.

[0069] Arc welding refers to the hot-melt connection of the injection-molded connector end to the outer wall of the pipe 300 by means of curved surface fitting.

[0070] In practical applications, socket welding can be used alone, or it can be combined with arc welding to achieve double reinforcement. The specific choice depends on the actual application scenario.

[0071] Optionally, the material hardness of the end of the injection-molded connector that is connected to the pipeline 300 is lower than that of the other end of the injection-molded connector.

[0072] Specifically, the first connecting part 100 of the injection molded connector is usually made of high-hardness polyamide PA to provide sufficient structural rigidity for connection with valves, equipment interfaces or other rigid components; while the second connecting part 200 connected to the pipeline 300 is made of plastic material with lower hardness and better flexibility, such as polyethylene PE, which is more convenient for hot-melt connection with the pipeline 300, such as socket welding or butt welding.

[0073] In another embodiment of this disclosure, a cooling system for an energy storage station is provided, which includes the piping unit described in any of the above embodiments.

[0074] Specifically, the injection-molded connector of the pipeline unit can withstand temperature fluctuations (commonly -30℃ to 60℃) and equipment vibration during the transport of coolant in the energy storage cooling system for a long time, seals against leakage, avoids safety risks such as electrical short circuits and equipment corrosion, and the dual-material design can flexibly adapt to the characteristics of coolant and outdoor high and low temperature environments, with strong weather resistance and corrosion resistance.

[0075] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this disclosure should still be covered by the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An injection-molded connector, characterized in that, include: The first connecting part is made of a first plastic material; A second connecting part, made of a second plastic material, is injection molded integrally with the first connecting part.

2. The injection-molded connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second connecting part corresponds to the connecting pipe, and the hardness of the second plastic material is lower than that of the first plastic material.

3. The injection-molded connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first plastic material includes at least one of the following: nylon material, polyphenylene ether material; and / or, The second plastic material includes at least one of the following: olefin materials and fluoroplastic materials.

4. The injection-molded connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first connecting part and the second connecting part share a single injection mold; wherein the injection molding of the first connecting part and the second connecting part includes two-color injection molding.

5. The injection-molded connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first connecting part and the second connecting part form a concave-convex contact part at the injection molding connection.

6. The injection-molded connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first connecting part and the second connecting part are sealed together and fused together.

7. A pipe unit, characterized in that, include: At least one injection-molded connector as described in any one of claims 1-6; Pipeline that is fixedly connected to the injection molding connector.

8. The piping unit according to claim 7, characterized in that, The injection-molded connector is welded to the connection port of the pipeline by socket welding and / or arc welding.

9. The piping unit according to claim 7, characterized in that, The material hardness of the end of the injection-molded connector that connects to the pipeline is lower than that of the other end of the injection-molded connector.

10. A cooling system for an energy storage station, characterized in that, Includes the piping unit as described in any one of claims 7-9.

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