A method for manufacturing a hollow body, typically a tank, from a plastic material. The method includes molding a preform into shells in a molding tool; joining an insert to an inner surface of a shell of said shells, the insert defining a sub volume within the hollow body to be made; joining together the shells to form the hollow body by closing the molding tool and applying a main pressure to a main volume enclosed by the shells. It is proposed to apply a sub pressure to the sub volume while applying the main pressure to the main volume, such that a pressure difference between the main volume and the sub volume is bigger than 0.20 bar (P1P2>0.20 bar) and smaller than 3.00 bar (P1P2<3.00 bar).

A resin panel of which contact surfaces of a rear wall to be in contact with another member are made unlikely to deform while reducing the weight of the resin panel. The panel includes a rear wall having a plurality of contact surfaces to be in contact with another member, and a front wall opposing the rear wall with an interval therebetween, the resin panel including a plurality of ribs obtained by indenting parts of the rear wall toward the front wall and welding the parts to an inner surface of the front wall, wherein a wall thickness of the front wall is generally equal to or smaller than a wall thickness of the rear wall.

A method for manufacturing a fuel tank or filling pipe including a wall made of thermoplastics material and a fibrous reinforcement over at least part of the surface thereof, the method including: heating the fibrous reinforcement to bring the fibrous reinforcement into an at least partially molten state; introducing the heated fibrous reinforcement, and the wall in at least partially molten state, into a mold; and welding the fibrous reinforcement to the wall using pressure of a gas which inflates the wall and presses the heated fibrous reinforcement firmly against the wall in the molten state.

Provided is a method for welding an accessory part made of a thermoplastic resin to a parson which is being molded into a tank body. The method includes steps of: forming the accessory part to include an annular portion having an annular shape and a plurality of projections each projecting from the annual portion in a radially inward direction; and pressing the annular portion and the projections into the parson to be welded to the parson. Also provided is a welding structure of a tank body made of a resin and an accessory part made of a thermoplastic resin and welded to a wall surface of the tank body. The accessory part includes: an annular portion having an annular shape; and a plurality of projections each projecting from the annular portion in a radially inward direction. The annular portion and the plurality of projections are welded to the wall surface.

The present invention discloses an operating fluid container (10) made of thermoplastic material for a motor vehicle and a method for equipping an operating fluid container with a stiffening element (20). The operating fluid container (10) here has the following features: the operating fluid container (10) has a container opening (12) which is arranged in a container upper shell (11) and is edged by a surround (13); the operating fluid container (10) comprises a tubular stiffening element (20) arranged in the operating fluid container (10); on the end, the stiffening element (20) has a circumferential connecting edge (21) in contact with the container upper shell (11); in a plan view onto the container upper shell (11), the container opening (12) is surrounded by the connecting edge (21); the stiffening element (20) is integrally connected to a container lower shell (14) and by means of the connecting edge (21) to the container upper shell (11); and the stiffening element (20) counteracts deformation caused by the internal pressure of the operating fluid container (10).

A hollow container producing device for producing a hollow container using a pair of parison sheets is provided. The hollow container producing device includes a pair of molds; an intermediate frame to be clamped to the pair of molds; and a transport unit that carries the intermediate frame and a pair of parison sheets to a position between the pair of molds, with the pair of parison sheets being respectively held on opposite sides of the intermediate frame.

A sole structure for an article of footwear comprises a midsole including a polymeric bladder element enclosing a fluid-filled interior cavity, a first outsole component secured to a bottom surface and to a side surface of the polymeric bladder element, and a second outsole component. The first outsole component includes a first base, and a wall integral with the first base. The second outsole component includes a second base secured to the first base, and a wall integral with the second base and secured to the outer surface of the wall of the first outsole component. A method of manufacturing the article of footwear includes thermoforming the bladder element and the first outsole component, and securing the second outsole component to the first outsole component.

The present invention relates to molded foam having no hollow space caused in a plate-shaped portion. The molded foam comprises a tube body and a plate-shaped portion joined to the outer side of the tube body. The expansion ratio of the molded foam is lower than two, and a value of a thickness B/a thickness A as a relationship between the thickness A of the tube body at the periphery of a point joined to the plate-shaped portion and the thickness B of the plate-shaped portion is less than 2.82.

A resin panel includes a first structure and a second structure stacked on each other. The structures includes reference surfaces that serve as the front surface and the back surface of the resin panel respectively. Each of the structures includes a plurality of protrusions protruding inwardly from the reference surface. The protrusions of the structure face the protrusions of the other structure each other. Jutting portions of linear shape are formed between adjacent protrusions of each of the structures. The structures are joined such that apical portions of the protrusions of each structure abut one another.

A tool for inflating a chamber (50) in an article composed at least partially of polymer layers, such as thermoplastic layers. The tool can allow for forming an aperture in a polymer layer (350), inflating a chamber (50) or volume (130) in fluid communication with the aperture, and then welding or sealing the chamber (50) so that the inflation fluid is substantially retained in the chamber (50) and/or does not escape via the aperture. In various aspects, the formation of the aperture, inflation of the chamber (50), and sealing of the chamber (50) or aperture can be performed by a single tool and/or based on a single registration of the thermoplastic article with a tool. In some aspects, formation of the aperture is enabled in part by using a punch (100, 201, 205) with a cupped surface (341) that allows the top layer of a thermoplastic article to be breached without forming a hole in at least one lower layer (350).