Plastic Storage Bag for LPG Fuel Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing LPG storage bags made of rubber are not suitable for mounting in fuel tanks due to material incompatibility and insufficient buffer volume, and they are prone to damage and high costs.
Innovation Solution
A deformable storage bag made of plastic with a one-way valve and a bottom-forming part, allowing it to be folded and passed through a 48-mm opening, adopting its normal position to provide a sufficient volume around the discharge and prevent damage, while being cost-effective and durable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a rubber storage bag is used, then the storage bag can be temporarily deformed for mounting, but the material is incompatible with LPG, causing erosion and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, durable rubber storage bags with a cheaper plastic storage bag that is designed to be replaced periodically. The plastic bag is sacrificial - it erodes from LPG exposure but provides sufficient service life before replacement. This resolves the contradiction by accepting limited durability in exchange for LPG compatibility and cost effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from rubber to plastic (specifically polyethylene or similar LPG-compatible plastic). This material substitution maintains the deformable characteristic needed for mounting through the 48-mm opening while providing resistance to LPG erosion, thus resolving the material compatibility issue.
2Length of moving object
If the storage bag diameter is reduced to fit through the opening, then the bag can be mounted, but the buffer volume is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The storage bag transitions from a compressed, deformable state during mounting to an expanded, stable state during operation. The bag is inserted through the 48-mm opening in a collapsed condition, then expands to provide sufficient buffer volume around the discharge. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between small mounting diameter and large operational volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage bag is nested within itself during mounting - collapsed and folded to fit through the small opening - then deployed to expand outward and provide the required buffer volume. This nesting approach allows the same component to satisfy both the mounting size constraint and the operational volume requirement.
3Volume of stationary object
If a rigid storage bag is used, then the buffer volume is sufficient, but the bag cannot be mounted through the opening
Solution Approach 1:
The storage bag exhibits dynamic mechanical properties - flexible and deformable during mounting operations to pass through the 48-mm opening, then maintains sufficient structural integrity and volume in its deployed state. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between rigidity for volume and flexibility for mounting.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If rubber material is used for the storage bag, then the bag is durable, but the cost is very high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent explicitly adopts a disposable approach, replacing expensive durable rubber bags with cheaper plastic bags intended for periodic replacement. The cost of the plastic bag plus its replacement interval is lower than the cost of rubber bags, resolving the economic contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the durability requirement from the storage bag material specification. Instead of requiring the bag material itself to be highly durable (like rubber), the system accepts periodic replacement of cheaper plastic bags. This extraction of the durability requirement allows use of lower-cost materials.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The plastic storage bag effectively accommodates liquid LPG, maintains dimensional stability, and reduces manufacturing costs, ensuring the fuel system operates without sputtering issues and preventing the filter from being blocked.
Implementation Method 1
The storage bag is made of a deformable memory material. The material is formed in an operative position, the material forming a storage bag in which a sufficient volume of fuel can be accommodated.
Implementation Method 2
the weld has a particularly decisive effect on the operative position. The weld functions as a component of the memory material. It supplies a bias in the bag for returning the storage bag from a deformed position to the operative position.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a multivalve with a storage bag (30) and to a storage bag (30). The storage bag (30) is configured for temporarily accommodating a liquid gas fuel around a discharge for a liquid gas fuel store (1) formed from a deformable memory material, wherein the storage bag (30) has a temporarily, size-reduced position, an outer diameter of the storage bag (30) then being less than 48 mm, and a second, operative position, the storage bag (30) having a sufficient volume. The invention also relates to a multivalve with a storage bag (30) and to a strorage bag (30) having a bottom (35) with sides (31, 32) rising from the bottom (35), a one-way valve (46, 47) being placed in or close to the bottom (35) and connected to an inlet (40) in the storage bag (30), the one-way valve (46, 47) being welded to he plastic of the storage bag (30).