CA2233726A1 - Container made of metal, and a method and means for its production - Google Patents
Container made of metal, and a method and means for its production Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2233726A1 CA2233726A1 CA002233726A CA2233726A CA2233726A1 CA 2233726 A1 CA2233726 A1 CA 2233726A1 CA 002233726 A CA002233726 A CA 002233726A CA 2233726 A CA2233726 A CA 2233726A CA 2233726 A1 CA2233726 A1 CA 2233726A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- container
- flange
- tank
- welded
- mould
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims description 20
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 title claims description 9
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 title claims description 8
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 17
- 239000002828 fuel tank Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 10
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 abstract description 10
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002991 molded plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000007493 shaping process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007704 transition Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013022 venting Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21D26/00—Shaping without cutting otherwise than using rigid devices or tools or yieldable or resilient pads, i.e. applying fluid pressure or magnetic forces
- B21D26/02—Shaping without cutting otherwise than using rigid devices or tools or yieldable or resilient pads, i.e. applying fluid pressure or magnetic forces by applying fluid pressure
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21D26/00—Shaping without cutting otherwise than using rigid devices or tools or yieldable or resilient pads, i.e. applying fluid pressure or magnetic forces
- B21D26/02—Shaping without cutting otherwise than using rigid devices or tools or yieldable or resilient pads, i.e. applying fluid pressure or magnetic forces by applying fluid pressure
- B21D26/053—Shaping without cutting otherwise than using rigid devices or tools or yieldable or resilient pads, i.e. applying fluid pressure or magnetic forces by applying fluid pressure characterised by the material of the blanks
- B21D26/059—Layered blanks
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21D51/00—Making hollow objects
- B21D51/16—Making hollow objects characterised by the use of the objects
- B21D51/18—Making hollow objects characterised by the use of the objects vessels, e.g. tubs, vats, tanks, sinks, or the like
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K33/00—Specially-profiled edge portions of workpieces for making soldering or welding connections; Filling the seams formed thereby
- B23K33/004—Filling of continuous seams
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60K15/00—Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks
- B60K15/03—Fuel tanks
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D7/00—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of metal
- B65D7/12—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of metal characterised by wall construction or by connections between walls
- B65D7/34—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of metal characterised by wall construction or by connections between walls with permanent connections between walls
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K2101/00—Articles made by soldering, welding or cutting
- B23K2101/04—Tubular or hollow articles
- B23K2101/12—Vessels
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60K15/00—Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks
- B60K15/03—Fuel tanks
- B60K2015/03032—Manufacturing of fuel tanks
- B60K2015/03039—Manufacturing of fuel tanks made of a combination of non metallic and metallic materials
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
- F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
- F17C2209/00—Vessel construction, in particular methods of manufacturing
- F17C2209/22—Assembling processes
- F17C2209/221—Welding
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Sustainable Development (AREA)
- Sustainable Energy (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Transportation (AREA)
- Cooling, Air Intake And Gas Exhaust, And Fuel Tank Arrangements In Propulsion Units (AREA)
- Butt Welding And Welding Of Specific Article (AREA)
Abstract
A container (1), in particular a fuel tank for a motor vehicle, is formed by welding together two deep-drawn components. The side walls (14,15) of the container which are adjacent to the welded flange (6) joining the components are then made to bulge outwards, preferably by hydroforming in a mould (20). The result is a container which makes more effective use than a conventional container or tank of the installation space which the flange (6) requires.
Description
CONTAINER ~L~DE OF METAL, ~JND A METHOD ~ D ME~NS
FOR ITS PRODUCTION
The invention relates to a container made of metal, i.n particular a fuel tank made of steel, which is assembled from component parts by forming a welding flange and by welding along this flange. The invention also relates to a method for the production of a container made of metal, in particular of a fuel tank made of steel, and also a mean for the production of the container.
It is known to make fuel tanks for vehicles out of deep-drawn components of metal, in particular steel, by welding these together to form the tank. Usually two deep-drawn tr-ay-shaped components, each with a flange along the rim of the tray, are placed with these flange6, which are contoured to match one another, in register and the common flange comprising the two component flanges is welded by roller .~'eam welding, usually by means of welding rollers and intermediate wire electrodes. Of course, other processes, eg. edgewise laser welding, may also be used for welding the flange. This method of production yields containers or tanks of good quality. To enable the welding to be carried out, the flange must be of a certain minimum width. The result is a finished tank which is surrounded by a peripheral flange which means that more space is needed for the installation of the tank in the vehicle than the actual useful volume of the tank would require. This is contrary to the vehicle industry's desire to minimize the overall dimensions of a tank of a given capacity.
The problem arises, therefore, as to how to provide a container made of metal, and in particular a steel fuel tank, which does not have the stated disadvantage and/or in which the presence of the flange does not have an obtrusive effect.
In the container of the kind stated above, this problem is solved by the characterising features of claim 1, and in the method of the kind stated above, by the :L0 characterising features of claim 4.
By deforming the container wall regions adjoining the flange so that they are displaceable outwards, the volume of the container can be increased. However, the amount of space required for the installation of the container, or its largest outer dimensions, as determined by the flange, can remain unchanged, so that the "dead space" hitherto caused by the flange upon installation can be utilized. This will allow a tank made of welded steel, while retaining its advantages for many installation situatio:ns, to achieve practically the same volume as a tank made of blow-moulded plastic material, or even to exceed it owing to the lower wall thickne6s of the steel sheet.
The tank wall is preferably displaced outwards by the forming so that it ends up in the region of the plane defined :by the front face of the flange; however, a displacement exceeding this amount is possible, and may be desirable in order to utilize particular installation spaces.
The invention also relates to a special means according to claim lO for the production of the container.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:
Fig. l shows a fuel tank according to the state of the art;
Fig. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a fuel tank inside a hydroforming mould; and Fig. 3 is a view in section through a part of the tank after forming.
Fig.l i.s a view of a fuel tank l for a vehicle.
The tank made of steel or other metal is assembled from two :15 components 2 and 3 respectively, each having been formed eg. by deep drawing. Each component 2,3 has a peripheral flange 4 and 5 respectively. These two flanges together form a flange 6 when the components 2,3 are placed one on top of the other to form the tank. The flanges 4,5 are permanently joined to form the common flange 6 by means of a welded seam 8. The we].ded seam is produced eg. by roller seam welding with welding rollers and intermediate wire electrodes. It can be seen that the flange 6 has the effect of significantly increasing the outer dimensions of the tank, which may make installation in motor vehicles difficult and/or result in a low volume capacity in relation to the space required for installation of the tank. The tank illustrated as an example has a flange 6 ' CA 02233726 1998-04-29 which does not lie in a single plane. This, however, is irrelevant, as the present invention can also be used for tanks whose flange 6 lies in one plane. The tank 1 will usually be provided with a plurality of openings 9 which are used in a known manner for filling and/or venting and for fitting a liquid level sender, a fuel pump, etc.
In accordance with the invention, at least one of the side walls of the tank adjoining the flange 6, or part of such a wall, is deformed so that the side wall or a part :L0 thereof bulges out towards the front edge or face 7 of the flange 6. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of part of the wall of a corresponding tank 1, and shows the flange 6 with its front edge 7 the surface of which lies in the plane A.
Reference number 11 denotes the interior of the tank. The side walls 14 and 15 of the tank 1 which adjoin the flange 6 now bulge outwards toward9 the front edge 7 of the flange 6, instead of having the contour usually found in the state of the art, which lies approximately along the dotted line B. The outward formation of the side walls may extend, as illustrated, as far as the plane A, and in its further course one or both side walls may follow this plane A as far as the transition from the side wall 14,15 to the top or bottom panel 12,13, respectively, of the tank (in Fig. 3 only the bottom panel 13 is partially shown). The side wall 14 or 15 may also be made to bulge beyond the plane A, as shown in Fig. 3 by the profiles 14' and 14" indicated by chain-dotted lines.
Fig. 2 illustrates schematically, in a sectional representation, a preferred method for the production of a container according to the invention. Here the container 1 - which is illustrated in more simplified form than in Fig.
1 - is shown in its basic form resulting when the flange 6 is welded. The same reference numbers as those used before denote the parts of the tank 1 which have already been described, in particular the upper side wall 14 and lower side wall 15 which ad~oin the peripheral flange 6 and which respectively merge into the top panel 12 and bottom panel :10 13. In Fig. 2 a single tank opening 1~ is shown.
The tank 1 is positioned in a horizontally divided two-part mould 20 with an upper part 21 and a lower part 22. In this illustration the internal walls of the mould parts are in contact with the top and bottom panels :L5 12 and 13, respectively, of the tank. The mould parts 21,22 also have parts 27,28 in contact with the flange 6.
These clamp the entire flange 6 when the mould parts are pressed together by a force acting in the direction of the arrows C, exerted by a device which is not shown, and which is merely suggested by the press plate 30.
Thus the tank is clamped in the mould 20 along its entire flange 6. Within the mould 20 cavities 23 and 26, bounded by the internal wall of the mould on the one hand and by the side walls 14 and 15, respectively, of the tank 1 on the other hand, are provided, normally around the entire perimeter of the tank. The tank wall is plastically deformed into these cavities until it reaches the corresponding internal wall 24 or 25 of the mould, thus causing the ~ide walls 14,15 to bulge outwards to the required shape. The plastic deformation of the tank walls is preferably effected by hydroforming. In this known process, a fluid is introduced into a component, usually a tubular component, and placed under sufficiently high pressure to induce plastic deformation in the component.
In this instance the hydroforming process, known in itself, is used to obtain the desired deformation of the tank.
In the example shown, the fluid can be introduced through the opening 19. When the fluid is put under high pressure, in a known manner which will not be described further here, the side walls 14,15 of the tank bulge outwards over the entire perimeter of the tank and are plastically deformed to assume the bulging shape determined by the internal walls 24,25. In this process the volume of the tank is increased, and stretching of the tank material takes place. The bottom and top pane]s 13 and 12, respectively, of the tank are deformed only in the region of the side walls. If desired, additional deformation of the bottom panel 13 and/or top panel 12 could of course be obtained by shaping the mould 20 accordingly.
As the flange 6 is clamped between the mould parts 21,22 during the forming operation, the stress imparted to the weld seam during the forming of the tank can be kept low.
To allow removal of the tank from the mould 20, the mould has at least one parting plane (not shown) essentially perpendicular to the clamping face. This allows the tank to be extracted from the mould after forming.
The bulges in the side walls 14,15 of the tank could also be made by means other than the hydroforming in a mould 20 which has been described. With a sufficiently large opening 19, or openings 9, a tool can be introduced into the tank and brought to bear on the tank side walls in order to deform them, eg. a tool which can be hydraulically or pneumatically expanded. Alternatively, if the tank shape is suitable, at least partial bulging out of the side walls can be obtained by exerting pressure on the bottom and/or top of the tank. In this case, it must be borne in mind that the height of the tank is reduced by such a procedure, so that as a rule there is no resulting increase in volume; there is, however, the advantage which is mainly sought after, ie. that the installation space taken up by the flange can be used more effectively. If the height reduction due to the bulging out of the side walls is reckoned with from the start, by initially making the tank over-high and subsequently making it flatter, the desired gain in volume in relation to the installation space available is also achieved.
Instead of the methods which have been described, where deformation of the side walls does not take place until after the flange 6 has been welded, it is also possible in principle to carry out the deformation in both parts 2,3 prior to assembly and welding. Roller seam welding in a known fashion then becomes impossible, as the flange 6 is no longer accessible to the welding rollers, but it might be possible to weld the flange with rollers set at an angle and prot:ruding into the depressions extending along the flange. Laser welding, in particular on the front edge of the flange 6, is however, possible as before.
FOR ITS PRODUCTION
The invention relates to a container made of metal, i.n particular a fuel tank made of steel, which is assembled from component parts by forming a welding flange and by welding along this flange. The invention also relates to a method for the production of a container made of metal, in particular of a fuel tank made of steel, and also a mean for the production of the container.
It is known to make fuel tanks for vehicles out of deep-drawn components of metal, in particular steel, by welding these together to form the tank. Usually two deep-drawn tr-ay-shaped components, each with a flange along the rim of the tray, are placed with these flange6, which are contoured to match one another, in register and the common flange comprising the two component flanges is welded by roller .~'eam welding, usually by means of welding rollers and intermediate wire electrodes. Of course, other processes, eg. edgewise laser welding, may also be used for welding the flange. This method of production yields containers or tanks of good quality. To enable the welding to be carried out, the flange must be of a certain minimum width. The result is a finished tank which is surrounded by a peripheral flange which means that more space is needed for the installation of the tank in the vehicle than the actual useful volume of the tank would require. This is contrary to the vehicle industry's desire to minimize the overall dimensions of a tank of a given capacity.
The problem arises, therefore, as to how to provide a container made of metal, and in particular a steel fuel tank, which does not have the stated disadvantage and/or in which the presence of the flange does not have an obtrusive effect.
In the container of the kind stated above, this problem is solved by the characterising features of claim 1, and in the method of the kind stated above, by the :L0 characterising features of claim 4.
By deforming the container wall regions adjoining the flange so that they are displaceable outwards, the volume of the container can be increased. However, the amount of space required for the installation of the container, or its largest outer dimensions, as determined by the flange, can remain unchanged, so that the "dead space" hitherto caused by the flange upon installation can be utilized. This will allow a tank made of welded steel, while retaining its advantages for many installation situatio:ns, to achieve practically the same volume as a tank made of blow-moulded plastic material, or even to exceed it owing to the lower wall thickne6s of the steel sheet.
The tank wall is preferably displaced outwards by the forming so that it ends up in the region of the plane defined :by the front face of the flange; however, a displacement exceeding this amount is possible, and may be desirable in order to utilize particular installation spaces.
The invention also relates to a special means according to claim lO for the production of the container.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:
Fig. l shows a fuel tank according to the state of the art;
Fig. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a fuel tank inside a hydroforming mould; and Fig. 3 is a view in section through a part of the tank after forming.
Fig.l i.s a view of a fuel tank l for a vehicle.
The tank made of steel or other metal is assembled from two :15 components 2 and 3 respectively, each having been formed eg. by deep drawing. Each component 2,3 has a peripheral flange 4 and 5 respectively. These two flanges together form a flange 6 when the components 2,3 are placed one on top of the other to form the tank. The flanges 4,5 are permanently joined to form the common flange 6 by means of a welded seam 8. The we].ded seam is produced eg. by roller seam welding with welding rollers and intermediate wire electrodes. It can be seen that the flange 6 has the effect of significantly increasing the outer dimensions of the tank, which may make installation in motor vehicles difficult and/or result in a low volume capacity in relation to the space required for installation of the tank. The tank illustrated as an example has a flange 6 ' CA 02233726 1998-04-29 which does not lie in a single plane. This, however, is irrelevant, as the present invention can also be used for tanks whose flange 6 lies in one plane. The tank 1 will usually be provided with a plurality of openings 9 which are used in a known manner for filling and/or venting and for fitting a liquid level sender, a fuel pump, etc.
In accordance with the invention, at least one of the side walls of the tank adjoining the flange 6, or part of such a wall, is deformed so that the side wall or a part :L0 thereof bulges out towards the front edge or face 7 of the flange 6. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of part of the wall of a corresponding tank 1, and shows the flange 6 with its front edge 7 the surface of which lies in the plane A.
Reference number 11 denotes the interior of the tank. The side walls 14 and 15 of the tank 1 which adjoin the flange 6 now bulge outwards toward9 the front edge 7 of the flange 6, instead of having the contour usually found in the state of the art, which lies approximately along the dotted line B. The outward formation of the side walls may extend, as illustrated, as far as the plane A, and in its further course one or both side walls may follow this plane A as far as the transition from the side wall 14,15 to the top or bottom panel 12,13, respectively, of the tank (in Fig. 3 only the bottom panel 13 is partially shown). The side wall 14 or 15 may also be made to bulge beyond the plane A, as shown in Fig. 3 by the profiles 14' and 14" indicated by chain-dotted lines.
Fig. 2 illustrates schematically, in a sectional representation, a preferred method for the production of a container according to the invention. Here the container 1 - which is illustrated in more simplified form than in Fig.
1 - is shown in its basic form resulting when the flange 6 is welded. The same reference numbers as those used before denote the parts of the tank 1 which have already been described, in particular the upper side wall 14 and lower side wall 15 which ad~oin the peripheral flange 6 and which respectively merge into the top panel 12 and bottom panel :10 13. In Fig. 2 a single tank opening 1~ is shown.
The tank 1 is positioned in a horizontally divided two-part mould 20 with an upper part 21 and a lower part 22. In this illustration the internal walls of the mould parts are in contact with the top and bottom panels :L5 12 and 13, respectively, of the tank. The mould parts 21,22 also have parts 27,28 in contact with the flange 6.
These clamp the entire flange 6 when the mould parts are pressed together by a force acting in the direction of the arrows C, exerted by a device which is not shown, and which is merely suggested by the press plate 30.
Thus the tank is clamped in the mould 20 along its entire flange 6. Within the mould 20 cavities 23 and 26, bounded by the internal wall of the mould on the one hand and by the side walls 14 and 15, respectively, of the tank 1 on the other hand, are provided, normally around the entire perimeter of the tank. The tank wall is plastically deformed into these cavities until it reaches the corresponding internal wall 24 or 25 of the mould, thus causing the ~ide walls 14,15 to bulge outwards to the required shape. The plastic deformation of the tank walls is preferably effected by hydroforming. In this known process, a fluid is introduced into a component, usually a tubular component, and placed under sufficiently high pressure to induce plastic deformation in the component.
In this instance the hydroforming process, known in itself, is used to obtain the desired deformation of the tank.
In the example shown, the fluid can be introduced through the opening 19. When the fluid is put under high pressure, in a known manner which will not be described further here, the side walls 14,15 of the tank bulge outwards over the entire perimeter of the tank and are plastically deformed to assume the bulging shape determined by the internal walls 24,25. In this process the volume of the tank is increased, and stretching of the tank material takes place. The bottom and top pane]s 13 and 12, respectively, of the tank are deformed only in the region of the side walls. If desired, additional deformation of the bottom panel 13 and/or top panel 12 could of course be obtained by shaping the mould 20 accordingly.
As the flange 6 is clamped between the mould parts 21,22 during the forming operation, the stress imparted to the weld seam during the forming of the tank can be kept low.
To allow removal of the tank from the mould 20, the mould has at least one parting plane (not shown) essentially perpendicular to the clamping face. This allows the tank to be extracted from the mould after forming.
The bulges in the side walls 14,15 of the tank could also be made by means other than the hydroforming in a mould 20 which has been described. With a sufficiently large opening 19, or openings 9, a tool can be introduced into the tank and brought to bear on the tank side walls in order to deform them, eg. a tool which can be hydraulically or pneumatically expanded. Alternatively, if the tank shape is suitable, at least partial bulging out of the side walls can be obtained by exerting pressure on the bottom and/or top of the tank. In this case, it must be borne in mind that the height of the tank is reduced by such a procedure, so that as a rule there is no resulting increase in volume; there is, however, the advantage which is mainly sought after, ie. that the installation space taken up by the flange can be used more effectively. If the height reduction due to the bulging out of the side walls is reckoned with from the start, by initially making the tank over-high and subsequently making it flatter, the desired gain in volume in relation to the installation space available is also achieved.
Instead of the methods which have been described, where deformation of the side walls does not take place until after the flange 6 has been welded, it is also possible in principle to carry out the deformation in both parts 2,3 prior to assembly and welding. Roller seam welding in a known fashion then becomes impossible, as the flange 6 is no longer accessible to the welding rollers, but it might be possible to weld the flange with rollers set at an angle and prot:ruding into the depressions extending along the flange. Laser welding, in particular on the front edge of the flange 6, is however, possible as before.
Claims (11)
1. Container (1) made of metal, in particular a fuel tank made of steel, which is formed as a container assembled from component parts (2,3), with a peripheral welded connecting flange (6), characterised in that the container has at least one wall part (14,15) which bulges outwards adjacent to the flange (6), towards the front edge (7) of the flange.
2. Container according to claim 1, characterised in that the bulging wall part (14,15) extends substantially as far as the plane (A) of the front edge of the flange.
3. Container according to claim 1, characterised in that the bulging wall part (14',14") extends beyond the plane (A) of the front edge of the flange.
4. Method for the production of a container (1) made of metal, in particular of a fuel tank made of steel, which is assembled from component parts (2,3) so as to form a welding flange and is welded together at said flange, characterised in that the container is subjected after welding to a forming process in which at least one wall region (14,15) adjoining the welded flange (6) is displaced outwards.
5. Method according to claim 4, characterised in that the forming process is performed by an operative fluid inside the container which is placed under sufficient pressure to induce plastic deformation of the container.
6. Method according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the welded flange (6) is clamped between clamping jaws (27,28) when the deformation occurs.
7. Method according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the deformation is produced in a mould (20) which surrounds the container (1) and has mould parts (21,22) which form the clamping jaws (27,28).
8. Method according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterised in that deformation occurs substantially as far as the plane (A) of the front edge (7) of the welded flange.
9. Method according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterised in that deformation extends beyond the plane (A) of the front edge (7) of the welded flange (6).
10. Means for the production of a container according to any one of the claims 1 to 9, characterised by a closable mould (20) which holds the welded container (1) and which, in the region of at least one wall (14,15) of the container, has at least one recess (23,26) in the shape of the wall formation to be produced, and a device for feeding a fluid into the container.
11. Means according to claim 10, characterised in that the mould has a clamping arrangement (27,28) by means of which a clamping force can be exerted on the welded flange (6) of the container.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CH116697 | 1997-05-20 | ||
| CH1166/97 | 1997-05-20 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2233726A1 true CA2233726A1 (en) | 1998-11-20 |
Family
ID=4204026
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002233726A Abandoned CA2233726A1 (en) | 1997-05-20 | 1998-04-29 | Container made of metal, and a method and means for its production |
Country Status (4)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0879726A3 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH10324164A (en) |
| KR (1) | KR19980087171A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2233726A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KR100642089B1 (en) * | 2005-05-14 | 2006-11-10 | 이병구 | Forming method of metal plate material by air pressure |
| US7744127B2 (en) | 2006-09-29 | 2010-06-29 | Gm Global Technology Operations, Inc. | Fuel tank mount |
| KR100897868B1 (en) * | 2007-05-29 | 2009-05-15 | 진승연 | Metal moldings and molding methods thereof |
Family Cites Families (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE19531035C2 (en) * | 1995-08-23 | 1998-10-15 | Alcan Gmbh | Process for the production of hollow bodies made of aluminum or aluminum alloys |
-
1998
- 1998-03-23 EP EP98105193A patent/EP0879726A3/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1998-04-29 CA CA002233726A patent/CA2233726A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 1998-05-18 JP JP10135349A patent/JPH10324164A/en active Pending
- 1998-05-19 KR KR1019980017921A patent/KR19980087171A/en not_active Withdrawn
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| EP0879726A3 (en) | 1999-10-27 |
| KR19980087171A (en) | 1998-12-05 |
| JPH10324164A (en) | 1998-12-08 |
| EP0879726A2 (en) | 1998-11-25 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| FZDE | Discontinued | ||
| FZDE | Discontinued |
Effective date: 20010430 |