Resin Pressure Vessel Liner With Tapered Wall and Anti-Buckling Rib

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pressure vessel liners face issues with uneven molding accuracy and stress concentration due to non-uniform wall thickness, leading to reduced strength and potential buckling, especially when the gate for resin injection is off-center, causing differences in plate thickness and surface levels.

Innovation Solution

The pressure vessel liner is designed with a second liner member having a wall thickness that gradually decreases from the midsection to both ends, joined with first liner members, and features a reinforcing rib on the inner peripheral surface, ensuring uniform holding pressure and improved molding accuracy, while preventing stress concentration and buckling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the gate is positioned axially off the center of the cavity for injection molding, then the molding process can be simplified, but the molding accuracy at both ends in the axial direction deteriorates due to uneven holding pressure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemolding process simplicityVSAvoidmolding accuracy at both ends
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cavity is designed with asymmetric wall thickness distribution, being thinner at both ends in the axial direction and thicker at the midsection. This asymmetric geometry compensates for the off-center gate positioning, ensuring that holding pressure is evenly distributed during injection molding, thereby maintaining high molding accuracy at both ends while allowing gate simplification

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

2Ease of manufacture

If the wall thickness of the second liner member is non-uniform, then the molding process becomes easier, but stress concentration occurs at joint sections, reducing the strength of the pressure vessel liner

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemolding easeVSAvoidstrength of pressure vessel liner
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The liner member is designed with locally optimized wall thickness distribution, where the wall thickness varies along the axial direction to ensure uniform holding pressure during molding. This local quality adjustment prevents stress concentration at joint sections while maintaining ease of manufacture, thereby preserving the strength of the pressure vessel liner

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Volume of stationary object

If a second liner member in a bottomless cylindrical shape is interposed between the pair of first liner members to increase the pressure vessel size, then the pressure vessel capacity increases, but the risk of buckling increases when internal pressure is smaller than external pressure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure vessel capacityVSAvoidresistance to buckling
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The liner member is designed with a curved, cylindrical geometry that provides structural stability. The curved shape distributes external pressure more evenly, reducing the risk of buckling when internal pressure is smaller than external pressure, while still allowing the pressure vessel capacity to be increased by interposing the second liner member

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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

This design enhances the strength and durability of the pressure vessel liner by ensuring uniform wall thickness and incorporating a reinforcing rib, thereby reducing stress concentration and preventing buckling, while also simplifying the manufacturing process.

Implementation Method 1

a resin injected such that a wall thickness of a molded product gradually decreases from a center in the axial direction of a cavity in a molding die toward both ends in the axial direction of the cavity

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInjection molding:

Data Source

PatentEP4354012B1Pressure vessel liner and method for manufacturing pressure vessel liner
Publication Date: 2025.12.24 YACHIYO IND CO LTD
  • EP4354012B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4354012B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4354012B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A pressure vessel liner (1) is made of resin and has a pair of first liner members (10), in a bottomed cylindrical shape, joined with a second liner member (20) in a bottomless cylindrical shape, wherein the second liner member (20) has a wall thickness thereof gradually decreasing from a midsection in an axial direction thereof toward joint sections (A) at both ends in the axial direction. In addition, the second liner member (20) is formed with a reinforcing rib (21) at the midsection, circumferentially on an inner peripheral surface thereof.