Method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank liner and manufacturing apparatus for a high-pressure tank liner

Abstract

To provide a manufacturing method for high-pressure tank liners that can achieve a good welding quality between liner halves without providing a burr removal process in advance before a welding process between the liner halves.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing high-pressure tank liners, has: an arrangement process of arranging a pair of liner halves facing each other; a parallelism adjustment process of adjusting the parallelism between end faces of the liner halves; and a welding process of welding the end faces of the liner halves together to integrate the liner halves, wherein the parallelism adjustment process is performed by inserting a parallelism adjustment jig into a gap between the end faces of the liner halves to avoid burrs formed on the end faces of the liner halves.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank liner and an apparatus for manufacturing a high-pressure tank liner.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a so-called high-pressure tank for filling high-pressure gas, a structure in which a fiber-reinforced resin layer is formed outside a cylindrical liner (high-pressure tank liner) made of synthetic resin is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). This liner is formed by welding together cylindrical liner halves made of a thermoplastic resin obtained by an injection molding method. Further, in a conventional method for manufacturing a liner (for example, see Patent Document 1), prior to the welding step of the liner halves, the parallelism between the end faces of the facing liner halves is set within a preset range. Specifically, support jigs as pressing members are temporarily installed on the respective backs of the facing liner halves, and then each of the liner halves is pressed with a predetermined load by the support jigs. The support jigs are positioned with respect to the liner halves so that the end faces of the contacting liner halves ensure a predetermined parallelism by the reaction forces received from each of the contacting liner halves. That is, the support jigs are in close contact with the liner halves.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] International Publication No. 2019 / 131737

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the liner halves used in the conventional manufacturing of liners (for example, see Patent Document 1), burrs generated during injection molding bite into the welding surfaces of the liner halves, deteriorating the welding quality. In addition, when ensuring the parallelism between the liner halves, the burrs on the liner halves are sandwiched between the liner halves, inhibiting the parallelism between the end faces of the liner halves. Therefore, the support jig may not be positioned relative to the liner halves so as to ensure the preset parallelism between the end faces of the liner halves. Therefore, it is conceivable to remove the burrs in advance by manual work of an operator or a processing robot before the welding process between the liner halves. However, the burr removal process before the welding process not only complicates the manufacturing process of the liner but also may damage the welding surface and conversely reduce the welding quality.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank liner and a manufacturing apparatus for a high-pressure tank liner that can achieve good welding quality between liner halves without providing a burr removal process in advance before the welding process between the liner halves.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank liner of the present invention that solves the above problems includes an arranging step of arranging a pair of liner halves facing each other, a parallelism adjusting step of adjusting the parallelism between the end faces of the liner halves, and a welding step of welding the end faces of the liner halves to integrate the liner halves. The parallelism adjusting step is characterized in that it is performed by sandwiching a parallelism adjusting jig between the end faces of the liner halves so as to avoid the burrs formed on the end faces of the liner halves.

[0007] In addition, the manufacturing apparatus for a high-pressure tank liner of the present invention that solves the above problems includes a parallelism adjusting jig that sandwiches the end faces of a pair of liner halves arranged facing each other with a predetermined load so as to avoid the burrs formed on the end faces of the liner halves and adjusts the parallelism between the end faces of the liner halves, a heating means for heating so as to melt the end faces of the liner halves, and a pair of support jigs for supporting each of the liner halves so that the melted end faces of the liner halves are welded to each other.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank liner and a manufacturing apparatus for a high-pressure tank liner that can achieve good welding quality between liner halves without providing a burr removal process in advance before the welding process between the liner halves.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 5C

Figure 5D

Figure 5E

Figure 5F

Figure 5G

Figure 6

Figure 7A

Figure 7B

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Next, embodiments (embodiments) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with appropriate reference to the drawings. First, a high-pressure tank using the high-pressure tank liner obtained by the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0011] ≪High-Pressure Tank≫ FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a high-pressure tank 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The high-pressure tank 1 of the present embodiment is assumed to be mounted on, for example, a fuel cell vehicle and store hydrogen gas for supplying to a fuel cell system. However, the high-pressure tank 1 is not limited thereto and may be used for other high-pressure gases.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the high-pressure tank 1 includes a high-pressure tank liner 2 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "liner 2") to be described in detail later, a base 3 connected to the liner 2, and a fiber-reinforced resin layer 4 that covers the outside of these from the liner 2 to the base 3.

[0013] The base 3 is assumed to be formed of a metallic material such as an aluminum alloy. The base 3 has a cylindrical base body 18 having supply / discharge holes 21 on the inside, and a flange portion 19 formed on one axial end side of the base body 18. The supply / discharge holes 21 communicate with the inside of the high-pressure tank 1 on the one end side where the flange portion 19 is formed. And a pipe (not shown) communicating with the fuel cell system or the like is to be connected to the other end side of the supply / discharge holes 21.

[0014] On the inner peripheral surface of the supply / discharge holes 21 on one end side of the base body 18, a screw portion 21a that meshes with a screw portion 17a formed on the cylindrical portion 17 of the liner 2 described later is formed. And an O-ring (not shown) is to be mounted between the tip end portion of the cylindrical portion 17 of the liner 2 and the inner peripheral surface of the supply / discharge holes 21.

[0015] Also, a cylindrical collar 22 made of a metallic material is disposed inside the supply / discharge holes 21. This collar 22 extends from one end side supported by the inner peripheral surface of the supply / discharge holes 21 toward the liner 2 side and is fitted inside the cylindrical portion 17 of the liner 2.

[0016] The fiber-reinforced resin layer 4 in the present embodiment is assumed to be obtained by winding a prepreg in which reinforcing fibers are impregnated with a matrix resin in advance around the outer peripheral surfaces of the liner 2 and the base 3 and then curing this matrix resin.

[0017] As the reinforcing fibers in the present embodiment, a belt-shaped roving (not shown) formed by further bundling a plurality of strands each composed of a plurality of carbon fiber filaments is assumed. However, the reinforcing fibers are not limited to this, and for example, aramid fibers, boron fibers, alumina fibers, silicon carbide fibers, etc. can also be used.

[0018] As the matrix resin in the present embodiment, for example, a cured product of a thermosetting resin such as an epoxy resin, a phenol resin, an unsaturated polyester resin, or a polyimide resin is assumed. Note that the method for forming the fiber reinforced resin layer 4 is not limited to the one using the prepreg described above. Therefore, the fiber reinforced resin layer 4 may be, for example, a product obtained by impregnating a matrix resin into reinforcing fibers without resin impregnation wound around the liner 2 and curing the same.

[0019] ≪High-pressure tank liner≫ Next, the liner 2 (see FIG. 1) obtained by the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment will be described. The liner 2 is a hollow body made of a thermoplastic resin. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include, but are not limited to, polyamide resin, polyethylene resin, and the like. The liner 2 of the present embodiment includes a body portion 5 formed of a cylindrical body, and mirror portions 6 integrally formed at both ends of the body portion 5.

[0020] The body portion 5 includes a general portion 8 formed with a predetermined outer diameter and occupying most of the axial direction (Ax) of the body portion 5, and a diameter-expanded portion 9 formed at the central portion in the axial direction (Ax) of the body portion 5 and having a larger diameter than the general portion 8. As will be described in detail later, the diameter-expanded portion 9 is formed by subjecting a joint portion 36 (see FIG. 5F) where the ends of a pair of liner halves 31 (see FIG. 2) are joined by welding to a cutting process.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the mirror portion 6 is a flat bowl-shaped body that converges so as to gradually reduce in diameter as it moves away from the body portion 5 side in the axial direction (Ax). The central portion in the radial direction of the mirror portion 6 has a recessed portion 16 that is recessed so as to correspond to the shape of the flange portion 19 of the base 3. Further, at the central portion of the recessed portion 16, the cylindrical portion 17 is formed so as to protrude toward the supply / discharge hole 21 of the base 3. The screw portion 17a that meshes with the screw portion 21a of the supply / discharge hole 21 described above is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 17.

[0022] ≪Manufacturing apparatus for high-pressure tank liner≫ Next, the manufacturing apparatus for the liner 2 (see FIG. 1) will be described. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus A of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the manufacturing apparatus A. In the following description, the vertical direction is based on the vertical direction of FIG. 2 that coincides with the vertical direction of the manufacturing apparatus A.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the manufacturing apparatus A of the present embodiment is configured to weld and integrate a pair of liner halves 31. First, the liner half 31 will be described. The liner half 31 has substantially the same shape as the liner 2 shown in FIG. 1 divided into two at the central portion in the direction of the axis Ax, except that it has a flange portion 32 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) described later. The liner halves 31 are welded together on the side of the opening 33 (see FIG. 2) to become integral.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the manufacturing apparatus A mainly includes a frame 41 disposed on a ground surface or the like, an upper support portion 42a that supports the upper liner half 31 among the pair of liner halves 31 at the upper part of the frame 41 via a support jig 46, a lower support portion 42b that connects and supports the lower liner half 31 to a lifting mechanism 43 via a support jig 46, a lifting mechanism 43 that raises and lowers the lower support portion 42b, a parallelism adjustment jig 47 that sets the parallelism between the end faces of the pair of liner halves 31 within a predetermined range, a heating means 40 that partially heats and melts the liner half 31, and a transport mechanism 45 of the heating means 40.

[0025] A support jig 46 for supporting the liner half 31 with the opening 33 facing downward is attached to the lower end of the upper support portion 42a. A support jig 46 for supporting the liner half 31 with the opening 33 facing upward is attached to the upper end of the lower support portion 42b. Each of the pair of upper and lower support jigs 46 is arranged to lock the flange portion 32 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) of the liner half 31 and to contact the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 5 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) of the liner half 31 as described below. Thereby, the support jig 46 supports the liner half 31 on each of the upper support portion 42a and the lower support portion 42b.

[0026] FIG. 3A is a partially enlarged perspective view of the support jig 46 as viewed from the IIIa direction. FIG. 3B is a partially enlarged perspective view of the support jig 46 that constitutes the manufacturing apparatus A as viewed from the IIIb direction. As shown in FIG. 3A, on the opening 33 side of the upper liner half 31 (see FIG. 2) of the pair of upper and lower liner halves 31, a flange portion 32 and a protruding end portion 34 having a melting allowance 35, which will be described in detail later, are formed.

[0027] The flange portion 32 is an annular body coaxial with the body portion 5 integrally formed with the body portion 5 so as to protrude radially outward from the body portion 5 of the liner half 31. A circumferential groove 32a is formed in the flange portion 32. This circumferential groove 32a extends along the circumferential direction of the flange portion 32 so as to open upward. And the bottom surface 32a1 of the circumferential groove 32a is formed as a flat surface and is parallel to the end surface 34a of the protruding end portion 34 also formed as a flat surface.

[0028] On the other hand, among the pair of upper and lower support jigs 46, the upper support jig 46 has an inner claw portion 46a for locking the flange portion 32 and an outer claw portion 46b, as shown in FIG. 3A. The inner claw portion 46a is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 5 of the liner half 31 and fits into the circumferential groove 32a of the flange portion 32. And the tip surface 46a1 of the inner claw portion 46a is formed as a flat surface and is parallel to the bottom surface 32a1 of the circumferential groove 32a.

[0029] The outer claw portion 46b is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the inner claw portion 46a and is disposed so as to be in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 32. Specifically, the outer claw portion 46b sandwiches the radially outer portion of the flange portion 32 in the circumferential groove 32a between the inner claw portion 46a fitted into the circumferential groove 32a.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3B, the lower liner half 31 and the support jig 46 are arranged to have an up-and-down symmetric structure with respect to the upper liner half 31 and the support jig 46 shown in FIG. 3A. That is, as shown in FIG. 3B, on the opening 33 side of the lower liner half 31, similar to the upper liner half 31 (FIG. 3A), a flange portion 32 having a circumferential groove 32a and a protruding end portion 34 having a melting margin 35 are formed.

[0031] Also, with respect to the lower support jig 46 as well, similar to the upper support jig 46 shown in FIG. 3A, it has an inner claw portion 46a that fits into the circumferential groove 32a of the flange portion 32, and an outer claw portion 46b that sandwiches the wall portion of the flange portion 32 outside the radial direction of the circumferential groove 32a between the inner claw portion 46a. And the tip surface 46a1 of the inner claw portion 46a, the bottom surface 32a1 of the circumferential groove 32a, and the end surface 34a of the protruding end portion 34 are formed as flat surfaces and are parallel to each other.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the protruding end portion 34 is an annular body coaxial with the body portion 5 integrally formed on the end surface on the opening 33 side of the liner half 31. The outer diameter of the protruding end portion 34 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the body portion 5 in the liner half 31 and smaller than the outer diameter of the flange portion 32. Also, the inner diameter of the protruding end portion 34 is set to be the same as the inner diameter of the liner half 31. And the thickness of the protruding end portion 34 in the axial direction Ax of the liner half 31 is thicker than the melting margin 35 at the time of welding the liner halves 31 described later.

[0033] Next, the parallelism adjustment jig 47 (see FIG. 2) that constitutes the manufacturing apparatus A (see FIG. 2) will be described. The parallelism adjustment jig 47 is a jig used in the parallelism adjustment step (see FIG. 5B) of the end surfaces 34a of the liner half 31 (protruding end portion 34) shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, which is performed prior to the heating step (see FIG. 5D) of the liner half 31 that constitutes the "method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank liner" described later. The parallelism adjustment jig 47 in this embodiment is assumed to be formed of synthetic resin, elastomer, or metal.

[0034] This parallelism adjustment jig 47 (see FIG. 2) is sandwiched between the half liners 31 (see FIG. 2) in this parallelism adjustment process (see FIG. 5B). FIG. 4A is an overall perspective view of the parallelism adjustment jig 47. As shown in FIG. 4A, the parallelism adjustment jig 47 is formed of an annular body having end faces 47a extending in the circumferential direction in the vertical direction respectively. Each of the upper and lower end faces 47a is formed of a flat surface and is parallel to each other. Although not shown, the cross section of the parallelism adjustment jig 47 is rectangular.

[0035] Of these upper and lower end faces 47a, the upper end face 47a is arranged to contact the end face 34a of the protruding end portion 34 shown in FIG. 3A in the parallelism adjustment process (see FIG. 5B) described later. Also, the lower end face 47a is arranged to contact the end face 34a of the protruding end portion 34 shown in FIG. 3B in the parallelism adjustment process (see FIG. 5B) described later. That is, the inner diameter and outer diameter of the parallelism adjustment jig 47 shown in FIG. 4A are set in association with the inner diameter and outer diameter of the end face 34a of the protruding end portion 34 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. Specifically, the inner diameter of the parallelism adjustment jig 47 is larger than the inner diameter of the protruding end portion 34 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B), and the outer diameter of the parallelism adjustment jig 47 is larger than the outer diameter of the protruding end portion 34. However, the inner diameter and outer diameter of the parallelism adjustment jig 47 are set so as to avoid the burr 48 (see FIG. 5B) extending between the end faces 34a of the opposing protruding end portions 34, as described later. Note that the parallelism adjustment jig 47 in this embodiment is assumed to be conveyed by a predetermined conveying device during the implementation of the parallelism adjustment process, but it may be conveyed to a predetermined position by an operator.

[0036] Next, the heating means 40 (see FIG. 2) constituting the manufacturing apparatus A (see FIG. 2) will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the manufacturing apparatus A includes a heating means 40a for heating the liner half body 31 disposed on the upper side and a heating means 40b for heating the liner half body 31 disposed on the lower side. When it is not necessary to distinguish between the heating means 40a and the heating means 40b, they are simply referred to as "heating means 40". The heating means 40 includes a heating source 44a and a base member 44b that supports the heating source 44a. In the heating step of the liner half body 31 (see FIG. 5D) that constitutes the "method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank liner" described later, the heating means 40 in the present embodiment heats the end face 34a of the protruding end portion 34 and melts the melting margin 35 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) of the protruding end portion 34.

[0037] FIG. 4B is an overall perspective view of the heating means 40. As shown in FIG. 4B, the heating means 40 in the present embodiment includes a base member 44b made of a plate body having a rectangular planar shape and a heating source 44a embedded in a ring shape in the base member 44b. Incidentally, the heating source 44a in the present embodiment is assumed to use Joule heat by an electric heating wire or the like, radiant heat by far-infrared rays, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0038] Then, the heating source 44a of the heating means 40a shown in FIG. 2 is arranged so as to face the end face 34a of the protruding end portion 34 shown in FIG. 3A in the heating step of the liner half body 31 (see FIG. 5D). Also, the heating source 44a of the heating means 40b shown in FIG. 2 is arranged so as to face the end face 34a of the protruding end portion 34 shown in FIG. 3B in the heating step of the liner half body 31 (see FIG. 5D). That is, the inner diameter and outer diameter of the heating source 44a in each of the heating means 40a and the heating means 40b shown in FIG. 2 are set in association with the inner diameter and outer diameter of the end face 34a of the protruding end portion 34 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. Then, the heating means 40 is conveyed by the conveying mechanism 45 so as to be disposed between the liner halves 31 in the heating process of the liner half 31, and is conveyed so as to retract from between the liner halves 31 in the processes described below other than the heating process.

[0039] ≪Manufacturing Method of High-Pressure Tank Liner≫ Next, the manufacturing method of the present embodiment will be described while explaining the operation of the manufacturing apparatus A (see FIG. 2) of the present embodiment. In this manufacturing method, there are an arrangement process of a pair of liner halves 31 (see FIG. 2), a parallelism adjustment process of the end faces 34a (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) of the protruding end portions 34 in the liner half 31, a heating process of the end faces 34a (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) of the protruding end portions 34 in the liner half 31, a welding process of the liner halves 31 (see FIG. 2) to each other, and a cutting process of performing cutting on the joint portion of the liner halves 31 (see FIG. 2) integrated in the welding process.

[0040] FIG. 5A is an explanatory view of the parallelism adjustment process of the liner halves 31 to each other. FIG. 5B is a partially enlarged view of the Vb portion of FIG. 5A. FIG. 5C is an explanatory view of the heating process of the protruding end portion 34 in the liner half 31. FIG. 5D is a partially enlarged view of the Vd portion of FIG. 5C. FIG. 5E is an explanatory view of the welding process of the liner halves 31 to each other. FIG. 5F is a partially enlarged view of the Vf portion of FIG. 5E. However, in FIG. 5F, the support jig 46 in FIG. 5E is omitted for the convenience of drawing. FIG. 5G is an explanatory view of the cutting process of performing cutting on the joint portion 36 of the liner halves 31 integrated in the welding process.

[0041] <Arrangement Process of Liner Half> In the arrangement process of the liner half 31 (see FIG. 2), as described above, a pair of liner halves 31 are prepared. The liner half 31 in this embodiment is assumed to be obtained by an injection molding method. Although not shown in the drawings, the mold for molding the liner half 31 has, for example, a fixed mold that mimics the outer shape of half of the mirror portion 6 (see FIG. 1) and the body portion 5 (see FIG. 1) of the liner half 31, a movable mold that mimics the inner shape thereof, and a cavity surrounded by a stripper plate mold that mimics the flange portion 32 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B).

[0042] The liner half 31 is obtained by injecting the above-mentioned thermoplastic resin in a molten state into such a mold and then cooling it. Then, a burr 48 (see FIG. 5B) described later is inevitably formed at a portion corresponding to the boundary between the movable mold and the stripper plate mold on the liner half 31 taken out of the mold by mold opening. Further, as will be described in detail later, this burr 48 is formed so as to extend between the end faces 34a (see FIG. 5B) of the protruding end portions 34 (see FIG. 5B) in the liner half 31 due to the positional relationship between the liner half 31 obtained in the mold and the boundary between the movable mold and the stripper plate mold. And in this arrangement step, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the liner half 31 is temporarily assembled to the support jig 46. At this time, a clearance CL is formed between the bottom surface 32a1 of the circumferential groove 32a in the flange portion 32 and the tip end surface 46a1 of the inner claw portion 46a in the support jig 46.

[0043] <Parallelism adjustment step of liner halves> Next, in the parallelism adjustment step, the parallelism adjustment jig 47 shown in FIG. 2 is placed on the lower liner half 31. Then, the lower liner half 31 temporarily assembled to the support jig 46 of the lower support portion 42b is lifted up by the elevating mechanism 43 with the parallelism adjustment jig 47 placed thereon. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 5A, the parallelism adjustment jig 47 is sandwiched between the upper liner half 31 and the lower liner half 31.

[0044] Then, as shown in FIG. 5B, due to the driving force of the lifting mechanism 43 (see FIG. 2), the upper and lower liner halves 31 are subjected to the reaction force of the load applied to the parallelism adjustment jig 47, and the clearance CL (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) between the bottom surface 32a1 of the circumferential groove 32a in the flange portion 32 and the tip surface 46a1 of the inner claw portion 46a in the support jig 46 is eliminated. That is, the tip surface 46a1 of the inner claw portion 46a and the bottom surface 32a1 of the circumferential groove 32a are in close contact.

[0045] On the other hand, there is a burr 48 between the liner halves 31. Specifically, this burr 48 is formed at the boundary between the movable die that forms the inner peripheral surface 31a of the liner half 31 described above and the stripper plate die that forms the flange portion 32. As a result, since the burr 48 extends along this boundary, as shown in FIG. 5B, it is formed so as to extend from the corner portion 49 formed by the inner peripheral surface 31a of the liner half 31 and the end surface 34a of the protruding end portion 34 between the liner halves 31. And this burr 48 will extend in an irregular ribbon shape along the circumferential direction of the opening 33 in the liner half 31.

[0046] In contrast, the parallelism adjustment jig 47 in the present embodiment is disposed between the liner halves 31 so as to avoid the burr 48 in a direction away from the opening 33 of the liner half 31. Specifically, the parallelism adjustment jig 47 is disposed between the inner claw portions 46a in the upper support jig 46 and the inner claw portions 46a in the lower support jig 46 so as to be arranged in parallel with them in the vertical direction. Through the parallelism adjustment process as described above, the parallelism adjustment jig 47 is disposed between the liner halves 31 while avoiding the burr 48, and the parallelism between the liner halves 31 and the support jig 46 is set within a preset range.

[0047] <Heating Process of Liner Half> Next, the heating process of the protruding end portion 34 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) in the liner half 31 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5C, heating means 40 is disposed between the liner halves 31. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the heating means 40 is slid by the transport mechanism 45 and disposed above the lower liner half 31. At this time, although not shown, a predetermined interval D (see FIG. 5D) described later is provided between the heat source 44a of the lower heating means 40b and the lower liner half 31. Next, with the heating means 40 and the lower liner half 31 maintaining the predetermined interval D (see FIG. 5D), the pair of heating means 40a and 40b are lifted upward by the lifting mechanism 43.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 5D, by this lifting, the end face 34a of the protruding end portion 34 of the upper liner half 31 faces the heat source 44a of the upper heating means 40a with a predetermined interval D therebetween. As described above, the heating means of the lower heating means 40b faces the end face 34a of the protruding end portion 34 of the lower liner half 31 with a predetermined interval D therebetween.

[0049] Also, in this heating step, the melting allowance 35 of the protruding end portion 34 is heated and melted by the heating means 40. And in this heating step, the burr 48 is melted by the heating means 40, and the melt of the burr 48 is integrated with and absorbed by the melting allowance 35 melted by the surface tension. The burr 48 between the liner halves 31 disappears.

[0050] <Welding process of liner halves> Next, the welding process of the liner halves 31 will be described. In this welding process, although not shown, the heating means 40 (FIG. 5C) is moved by the transport mechanism 45 (see FIG. 2) so as to retract from between the liner halves 31. Specifically, it moves to the initial position shown in FIG. 2. Then, by the lifting mechanism 43 (see FIG. 2), the lower liner half 31 is lifted further upward from the height shown in FIG. 5C. As shown in FIG. 5E, the end of the upper liner half 31 and the end of the lower liner half 31 are welded.

[0051] Specifically, in this welding process, as shown in FIG. 5F, the liner halves 31 are pressed against each other with a predetermined load by a support jig (not shown in the drawing), and the melt 35a of the melting allowance 35 (see FIG. 5D) is caused to flow in a direction intersecting the pressing direction (axial direction of the axis Ax) of the liner halves 31. As a result, the melts 35a of the liner halves 31 are fused to each other at the welding surface 36a indicated by the phantom line (two-dot chain line). Then, as the melt 35a is cooled, the liner halves 31 are integrally connected at the welding surface 36a. In such a welding process, when integrating the liner halves 31 at the welding surface 36a, the liner halves 31 can be vibrated by a predetermined vibration device to promote the welding of the liner halves 31.

[0052] <Cutting process> Next, in the cutting process of the integrated liner halves 31, as shown in FIG. 5G, the flange portion 32 (indicated by the phantom line (two-dot chain line)) at the joint portion 36 is removed by cutting, leaving its root portion 32c. Then, at the remaining root portion 32c, the diameter-expanded portion 9 in the liner 2 is formed. Thus, a series of manufacturing processes of the liner 2 (see FIG. 1) according to the present embodiment are completed.

[0053] ≪Function and effect≫ Next, the function and effect of the manufacturing method of the liner 2 according to the present embodiment and the manufacturing apparatus A for implementing this manufacturing method will be described. In the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus A of the liner 2 according to the present embodiment, before welding the liner halves 31 (projecting end portions 34) to each other, the parallelism of the end surfaces 34a of the liner halves 31 (projecting end portions 34) is adjusted. Further, for this adjustment of the parallelism, as shown in FIG. 5B, a parallelism adjustment jig 47 is sandwiched between the end surfaces 34a of the liner halves 31 (projecting end portions 34) so as to avoid the burrs 48 formed on the end surfaces 34a of the liner halves 31 (projecting end portions 34).

[0054] FIG. 6 referred to here is an explanatory view of the parallelism adjustment process in the manufacturing method according to the comparative example. As shown in FIG. 6, unlike the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, a parallelism adjustment jig 47 (see FIG. 5B) is not disposed between end faces 34a of the liner halves 31 (projecting end portions 34). That is, in the parallelism adjustment step of the manufacturing method according to this comparative example, when the lower liner half 31 is lifted in the direction of the white arrow by the elevating mechanism 43 (see FIG. 2), burrs 48 are pinched between the end faces 34a of the liner half 31 (projecting end portion 34). Therefore, in the manufacturing method according to the comparative example, the parallelism between the end faces 34a of the liner half 31 (projecting end portion 34) is inhibited by the burrs 48. That is, the clearance CL between the bottom surface 32a1 of the circumferential groove 32a in the flange portion 32 and the tip end surface 46a1 of the inner claw portion 46a in the support jig 46 may not be uniformly eliminated in the circumferential direction and the radial direction of the circumferential groove 32a.

[0055] On the other hand, according to the manufacturing method and the manufacturing apparatus A according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B, the parallelism adjustment jig 47 is sandwiched between the end faces 34a of the upper and lower liner halves 31 (projecting end portions 34) in a state where the burrs 48 are avoided, and the parallelism can be ensured without being interfered by the burrs 48. Further, according to the manufacturing method and the manufacturing apparatus A according to the present embodiment, unlike the conventional case, since the burrs 48 are not pinched between the end faces 34a of the liner half 31 (projecting end portion 34), it is possible to prevent the end faces 34a of the liner half 31 (projecting end portion 34) from being damaged by the burrs 48. At this time, since the parallelism adjustment jig 47 is disposed so as to avoid the burrs 48, the burrs 48 are naturally not pinched between the end faces 34a.

[0056] Further, in the manufacturing method and the manufacturing apparatus A in the present embodiment, where burrs 48 are formed on the inner circumferential side of the end face 34a of the liner half 31 (projecting end portion 34), the parallelism adjustment jig 47 is disposed on the radially outer side of the liner half 31 than the corner portion 49. According to such a manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus A, in the process of adjusting the parallelism between the end faces 34a of the liner halves 31 (the protruding end portions 34), it is possible to more reliably prevent the interference of the burrs 48. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the displacement of the parallelism adjustment jig 47 with respect to the liner half 31 in the parallelism adjustment process.

[0057] Moreover, in the manufacturing method of the present embodiment, the burrs 48 melt and disappear together with the end faces of the liner halves 31 in the melting process. According to the present invention, in the welding process of the end faces 34a of the liner halves 31 (the protruding end portions 34), the interference of the burrs 48 is completely eliminated.

[0058] Moreover, in the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus A of the present embodiment, the pair of support jigs 46 and the parallelism adjustment jig 47 are arranged so as to be aligned in one direction (the vertical direction in the present embodiment). According to such a manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus A, in the parallelism adjustment process, the reaction force from the parallelism adjustment jig 47 to the support jig 46 via the liner half 31 (the protruding end portion 34) is transmitted more efficiently. The clearance CL between the bottom surface 32a1 of the circumferential groove 32a in the flange portion 32 and the tip surface 46a1 of the inner claw portion 46a in the support jig 46 is eliminated more efficiently. The parallelism between the end faces 34a of the liner half 31 (the protruding end portion 34) is more reliably within a predetermined range set in advance.

[0059] Moreover, in the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus A of the present embodiment, it is assumed that the parallelism adjustment jig 47 is formed of synthetic resin, elastomer, or metal. The parallelism adjustment jig 47 made of synthetic resin or elastomer can prevent excessive stress from occurring in the liner half 31 in the parallelism adjustment process. Moreover, the parallelism adjustment jig 47 made of metal improves durability and the positioning accuracy with respect to the end face 34a of the liner half 31 (the protruding end portion 34).

[0060] As described above, although the present embodiment has been described, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be implemented in various forms. FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of a manufacturing apparatus A according to a first modification of the present invention. FIG. 7A is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 5B showing the manufacturing apparatus A of the above embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7A, the parallelism adjustment jig 47 of the manufacturing apparatus A according to the first modification has a positioning engagement portion 47b that relatively positions the liner half body 31 by fitting into the step portion between the flange portion 32 and the protruding end portion 34. According to such a manufacturing apparatus A according to the first modification, it is possible to more effectively prevent the deviation of the parallelism adjustment jig 47 with respect to the liner half body 31 in the parallelism adjustment process.

[0061] FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of a manufacturing apparatus A according to a second modification of the present invention. FIG. 7B is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 5B showing the manufacturing apparatus A of the above embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5B, the manufacturing apparatus A of the above embodiment takes into account the position of the burr 48 formed on the end face 34a of the liner half body 31 (protruding end portion 34), and the parallelism adjustment jig 47 is arranged closer to the outer peripheral side of the protruding end portion 34. On the other hand, considering the case where the die splitting position of the stripper plate type with respect to the movable type is changed, as shown in FIG. 7B, it is also conceivable that the burr 48 is formed on the outer peripheral side of the protruding end portion 34.

[0062] That is, in the manufacturing apparatus A according to the second modification, as shown in FIG. 7B, the parallelism adjustment jig 47 is arranged closer to the inner peripheral side of the protruding end portion 34 so as to avoid the burr 48. In FIG. 7B, reference numeral 47b is a positioning engagement portion that fits into the corner portion on the inner peripheral side of the protruding end portion 34 and relatively positions the liner half body 31.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0063] 1 High-pressure tank 2 High-pressure tank liner 4 Fiber-reinforced resin layer 5 Body portion 8 General portion of the body portion 9 Expanded diameter part of the body 31 Liner half body 31a Inner peripheral surface of the liner half body 32 Flange part of the liner half body 33 Opening of the liner half body 34 Projecting end part of the liner half body 34a End face of the liner half body (projecting end part) 36 Joint part between flange parts 40 Heating means 40a Heating means 40b Heating means 43 Lifting mechanism 45 Conveying mechanism of the heating means 46 Support jig 47 Parallelism adjustment jig 47b Positioning engagement part 48 Burr 49 Corner formed by the inner peripheral surface of the liner half body and the end face of the liner half body (projecting end part) A Manufacturing apparatus for a high-pressure tank liner Ax Axis of the high-pressure tank liner

Claims

1. An arranging step of arranging a pair of liner halves facing each other; A parallelism adjusting step of adjusting the parallelism between the end faces of the liner halves; A welding step of welding the end faces of the liner halves to integrate the liner halves; A method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank liner, comprising: The parallelism adjusting step is performed by sandwiching a parallelism adjusting jig between the end faces of the liner halves so as to avoid burrs formed on the end faces of the liner halves. A method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank liner, characterized in that.

2. The liner half is formed of a cylindrical body, The burr is formed so as to extend between the end faces of the liner halves with the corner formed by the inner peripheral surface of the liner half and the end face of the liner half as the base end, The parallelism adjusting jig is arranged on the radially outer side of the liner half with respect to the corner portion. The method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank liner according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The welding step includes a melting step of heating and melting the end faces of the liner halves, and a supporting step of supporting each of the liner halves so that the melted end faces of the liner halves are welded to each other; Comprising The burr melts and disappears together with the end face of the liner half in the melting step. The method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank liner according to claim 1, characterized in that.

4. A parallelism adjusting jig that sandwiches the burrs formed on the end faces of the liner halves with a predetermined load between the end faces of a pair of liner halves arranged facing each other to adjust the parallelism between the end faces of the liner halves; Heating means for heating the end faces of the liner halves so as to melt them; A pair of support jigs for supporting each of the liner halves so that the melted end faces of the liner halves are welded to each other; A manufacturing apparatus for a high-pressure tank liner, characterized by comprising.

5. When the parallelism adjusting jig is sandwiched with a predetermined load between the end faces of the liner halves supported by the pair of support jigs, The parallelism adjusting jig is arranged so as to be aligned in one direction with the pair of support jigs. The manufacturing apparatus for a high-pressure tank liner according to claim 4, characterized in that.

6. The parallelism adjusting jig has a positioning engagement portion with respect to the liner half when adjusting the parallelism between the end faces of the liner halves. The manufacturing apparatus for a high-pressure tank liner according to claim 4, characterized in that.

7. The manufacturing apparatus for a high-pressure tank liner according to claim 4, wherein the parallelism adjustment jig is formed of a synthetic resin, an elastomer, or a metal.

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