Plastic container with mounting part

Abstract

A method for producing a plastic container, and a plastic container. The method includes heating a container wall of the plastic container at least in a fastening region thereof, and then producing a form-fit connection between the container wall and at least one insert having a fastening surface with a plurality of retaining geometries which protrude from the fastening surface. The form-fit connection is produced by pressing the fastening surface of the insert part against the heated fastening region of the container wall such that the retaining geometries penetrate into the container wall without penetrating through the container wall, free ends of the retaining geometries come to lie inside the container wall, and the plastic of the container wall is arranged between the retaining geometries.

Claims

1. A method for producing a plastic container having a container wall and at least one insert part having a fastening surface with a plurality of retaining geometries which protrude from the fastening surface, the method comprising: heating the container wall at least in a fastening region thereof; and producing a form-fit connection between the retaining geometries of the insert part and the plastic of the container wall by pressing the fastening surface of the insert part against the heated fastening region of the container wall such that the retaining geometries penetrate into the container wall without penetrating through the container wall, free ends of the retaining geometries come to lie inside the container wall, and the plastic of the container wall is arranged between the retaining geometries.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the retaining geometries form undercuts and/or comprise form-fitting elements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each retaining geometry in the retaining geometries respectively comprises a head and a foot which has a cross-section that is less than a cross-section of the head.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the retaining geometries are formed such that the heads thereof are respectively connected to the fastening surface via the feet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the retaining geometries are in the form of oblique ribs, arcs, elbows, hooks, or rectangles.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the retaining geometries extend linearly, in a direction which is normal to an oblique, arcuate, angled, hook-shaped, or other undercut cross-section.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the retaining geometries are arranged next to one another in parallel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein: the container wall comprises a barrier layer in the fastening region, and the fastening surface of the insert part is pressed against the heated fastening region of the container wall such that the retaining geometries come to lie in front of the barrier layer so as to not penetrate through the barrier layer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the fastening surface is pressed against the heated fastening region such that the fastening surface comes to lie against the fastening region.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the fastening surface of the insert part is formed over an entire surface area thereof.

11. A plastic container, the plastic container comprising: a container wall; and at least one insert part being fastened to the container wall, the at least one insert part having a fastening surface with a plurality of retaining geometries which protrude therefrom, the retaining geometries penetrating into the container wall without penetrating through the container wall such that free ends thereof lie inside the container wall, the plastic of the container wall lies between the retaining geometries, and a form-fit exists between the retaining geometries and the plastic of the container wall.

12. The plastic container of claim 11, wherein the retaining geometries form undercuts and/or form-fitting elements.

13. The plastic container of claim 11, wherein the retaining geometries are in the form of oblique ribs, arcs, elbows, hooks, or rectangles.

14. The plastic container of claim 11, wherein each retaining geometry in the retaining geometries respectively comprises a head and a foot which has a cross-section that is less than a cross-section of the head.

15. The plastic container of claim 14, wherein the heads of the retaining geometries are respectively connected to the fastening surface via the feet of the retaining geometries.

16. The plastic container of claim 11, wherein the retaining geometries extend linearly in a direction which is normal to an oblique, arcuate, angled, hook-shaped, or other undercut cross-section.

17. The plastic container of claim 16, wherein the retaining geometries are arranged next to one another in parallel.

18. The plastic container of claim 11, wherein: the container wall comprises a barrier layer in the fastening region, and the fastening surface of the insert part is pressed against the heated fastening region of the container wall such that the retaining geometries come to lie in front of the barrier layer so as to not penetrate through the barrier layer.

19. The plastic container of claim 11, wherein the fastening surface is pressed against the fastening region such that the fastening surface of the insert part comes to lie against the fastening region.

20. The plastic container of claim 11, wherein the fastening surface is formed over an entire surface area thereof.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0034] One or more embodiments will be illustrated by way of example in the drawings and explained in the description hereinbelow.

[0035] FIG. 1 illustrates a three-dimensional view of the fastening surface of an insert part of a plastic container, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates a sectional view of the region of the connection between the insert part and the container wall of a plastic container, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

DESCRIPTION

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates the fastening surface 3 of an insert part 2 of a plastic container in accordance with one or more embodiments. The cross-section of the fastening surface 3 of the insert part 2 has undercut retaining geometries or structures 4 which extend linearly along the fastening surface 3 in a plurality of mutually parallel paths. The fastening surface 3 is formed to be pressed into a heated container wall 1 of a plastic container, the retaining geometries or structures 4 catching in the plastic of the container wall 1.

[0038] As illustrated in FIG. 2, an insert part 2 is fastened in the container wall 1 of a plastic container, for example a fuel tank. The insert part 2 has a fastening surface 3 with a plurality of retaining geometries or structures 4 which are undercut, i.e., mushroom-shaped, in cross-section. Therefore, heads 5 of the retaining geometries or structures 4 are respectively connected to the fastening surface 3 via feet 6 of the retaining geometries or structures 4, which feet have a smaller cross-section than the heads 5 of the retaining geometries or structures 4. The fastening surface 3 of the insert part 2 is fastened to a fastening region of the container wall 1 such that the heads 5 of the retaining geometries or structures 4 have penetrated into the container wall 1 and lie inside the container wall 1 without penetrating through the container wall. The plastic of the container wall 1 lays behind the heads 5, acting as an undercut, between the feet 6 of the retaining geometries or structures 4, and therefore, a form-fit exists between the retaining geometries or structures 4 of the insert part 2 and the plastic of the container wall 1.

[0039] The retaining geometries or structures 4 extend linearly, in a direction normal to the undercut, i.e., mushroom-shaped, cross-section, a plurality of linear retaining geometries or structures 4 being arranged next to one another in parallel. The container wall 1 has a barrier layer 7 in the fastening region and the heads 5 of the retaining geometries or structures 4 lie in front of the barrier layer 7, and therefore, the retaining geometries or structures 4 do not penetrate through the barrier layer 7. The fastening surface 3 of the insert part 2 lies against the fastening region of the container wall 1. The fastening surface 3 of the insert part 2 is formed over the entire surface area, that is to say does not have any openings.

[0040] The insert parts 2 to be fastened to or in the plastic container are pressed into the soft material of the container wall 1. In this respect, these insert parts 2 may have been process-dependently preheated, partially preheated, or thermally preconditioned to room temperature.

[0041] The container wall 1 must be soft enough here that the region of the component 2 to be joined that is intended for the connection can be pressed in far enough that the material displaced by the pressing-in flows into the intended regions of the connecting geometry or retaining geometry 4. This may be performed by way of being applied directly during the process or by way of local heating of the container wall 1. Various geometries, which are configured with a displacement geometry and a material inflow geometry, may be used for this purpose.

[0042] A non-detachable, permanent connection can be provided by the retaining geometry 4 being pressed and the plastic flowing back into a widening cross-section, that is to say head 5, of the retaining geometry 4.

[0043] The form-fitting connection is preferably configured such that no damage to the barrier layer 7 of the tank wall 1 occurs during the pressing-in operation. This is ensured by a suitable design of the undercut geometry and/or retaining geometry 4.

[0044] The terms “coupled,” “attached,” or “connected” may be used herein to refer to any type of relationship, direct or indirect, between the components in question, and may apply to electrical, mechanical, fluid, optical, electromagnetic, electromechanical or other connections. In addition, the terms “first,” “second,” etc. are used herein only to facilitate discussion, and carry no particular temporal or chronological significance unless otherwise indicated.

[0045] Those skilled in the art will appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad techniques of the embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while the embodiments have been described in connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the embodiments should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification, and following claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0046] 1 Container wall

[0047] 2 Insert part

[0048] 3 Fastening surface

[0049] 4 Retaining geometry

[0050] 5 Head

[0051] 6 Foot

[0052] 7 Barrier layer