Method for producing a plastic container

Abstract

A method for producing a plastic container from a first plastic half-shell and a second plastic half-shell, with a first attachment permanently fastened to the first plastic half-shell.

Claims

1. A method for producing a fuel tank for a motor vehicle, the method comprising: permanently connecting one of a fuel pump, a feed module, or a sensor, to a first plastic half-shell via a strut formed such that one end thereof lies in a first contact region that is to contact the first plastic half-shell and a second end that is to lie in a second contact region that is to contact a second plastic half-shell, the strut having a plurality of predetermined breaking points spaced apart along the length of the strut and configured to permit retention of the one of the fuel pump, the feed module, or the sensor on the first plastic half-shell, and temporarily connecting the one of the fuel pump, the feed module, or the sensor, via the strut by clipping or adhesive bonding to the second plastic half-shell at the second contact region; and welding the first plastic half-shell to the second plastic half-shell, and the end of the strut to the first plastic half-shell in the first contact region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to permanently connecting one of the fuel pump, the feed module, or the sensor: moulding the first plastic half-shell and the second plastic half-shell by heating and thermoforming.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein welding the first plastic half-shell to the second plastic half-shell comprises thermoplastically welding the first plastic half-shell to the second plastic half-shell at peripheral edges thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the strut is thermoplastically welded to the first plastic half-shell.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the strut and the first plastic half-shell are composed of the same material.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the same material comprises high-density polyethylene.

7. A method for producing a fuel tank for a motor vehicle, the method comprising: moulding a first plastic half-shell composed of a plastic material and a second plastic half-shell composed of a plastic material; permanently connecting, by weld at a first contact region, an attachment that includes a fuel pump, a feed module, or a sensor to the first plastic half-shell via a strut such that the strut is to extend between the first plastic half-shell at the first contact region and the second plastic half-shell at a second contact region, the strut having a plurality of predetermined breaking points spaced apart along the length of the strut and configured such that the strut is to break at a respective one of the breaking points to permit retention of the attachment on the first plastic half-shell, and temporarily connecting, by clipping or adhesive bonding at the second contact region, the attachment to the second plastic half-shell; and permanently connecting the first plastic half-shell to the second plastic half-shell.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein moulding the first plastic half-shell and the second plastic half-shell comprises moulding the first plastic half-shell and the second plastic half-shell by heating and thermoforming.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein permanently connecting the first plastic half-shell to the second plastic half-shell comprises thermoplastically welding the first plastic half-shell to the second plastic half-shell at peripheral edges thereof.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the strut and the first plastic half-shell are composed of the same material.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the same material comprises high-density polyethylene.

12. A method for producing a fuel tank for a motor vehicle, the method comprising: permanently connecting one of a fuel pump, a feed module, or a sensor to the first plastic half-shell via a strut such that the strut is to extend between the first plastic half-shell at a first contact region and the second plastic half-shell at a second contact region, the strut having a plurality of predetermined breaking points spaced apart along the length of the strut and configured such that the strut is to break at a respective one of the breaking points to permit retention of the one of the fuel pump, the feed module, or the sensor on the first plastic half-shell, and temporarily connecting the strut to the second plastic half-shell at the second contact region; and permanently connecting the first plastic half-shell to the second plastic half-shell.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, prior to permanently connecting one of the fuel pump, the feed module, or the sensor: moulding the first plastic half-shell and the second plastic half-shell by heating and thermoforming.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein permanently connecting the first plastic half-shell to the second plastic half-shell comprises thermoplastically welding the first plastic half-shell to the second plastic half-shell at peripheral edges thereof.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the strut and the first plastic half-shell are composed of the same material.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the same material comprises high-density polyethylene.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the welding of the first plastic half-shell to the second plastic half-shell and the welding of the end of the strut to the first plastic half-shell in the first contact region are performed at a substantially same time.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein the first plastic half-shell and the second plastic half-shell are permanently connected to each other at a substantially same time the attachment is permanently connected, by weld, to the first plastic half-shell via the strut.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the first plastic half-shell and the second plastic half-shell are permanently connected to each other at a substantially same time the one of the fuel pump, the feed module, or the sensor is permanently connected to the first plastic half-shell via the strut.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the one of the fuel pump, the feed module, or the sensor is temporarily connected, via the strut, to the second plastic half-shell at the second contact region before the one of a fuel pump, a feed module, or a sensor is permanently connected, via the strut, to the first plastic half-shell at the first contact region.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments will be illustrated by way of example in the drawings and explained in the description below.

(2) FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrate a method for the production of a plastic container with an attachment.

(3) FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a plastic container produced in accordance with embodiments.

(4) FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate sectional representations of a strut of a plastic container produced in accordance with embodiments.

(5) FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate partial representations of contact regions A and B from FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION

(6) As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, a method for producing a plastic container with an attachment, as already known, are represented.

(7) As illustrated in FIG. 1, a sheet of plastic, which may be used as a first plastic half-shell 2, is heated by a heating element 8. This heating may be performed in two separate mould halves, one for an upper forming part and one for a lower forming part, only one of the two mould halves being represented in FIG. 1.

(8) As illustrated in FIG. 2, the heated first plastic half-shell 2 is given a desired form by the mould contour 10 of the mould 9, for example, by application of a vacuum.

(9) As illustrated in FIG. 3, the moulded plastic half-shell 2 is finally fitted with an attachment 4, for example, by screwing on or adhesive bonding.

(10) As illustrated in FIG. 4, then, an upper plastic half-shell 2 and a lower plastic half-shell 3 are pressed against one another and thus welded at their edges, which become weld seams. The mould half that is at the top, with the first plastic half-shell 2, is pressed in the direction of the arrow onto the lower mould half, with the second plastic half-shell 3.

(11) As illustrated in FIG. 5, a plastic container 1 produced in accordance with provided, which differs from a plastic container produced by the known method in that the attachment 4 has at least one strut 5, in the embodiment illustrated two struts 5. The strut(s) 5 may be pre-fixed on the second plastic half-shell 3 (in this representation at the top in the image), for example, by clipping in, welding in or the like. The strut(s) 5, however, also reach to the first plastic half-shell 2 (at the bottom in FIG. 5) and are thermoplastically welded there to the first plastic half-shell 2, in the contact region B, in the course of the welding of the two half-shells 2, 3. This makes it possible in the production of the container 1 to place in the second plastic half-shell 3 or the first plastic half-shell 2 an attachment that is intended to be fixed in the first plastic half-shell 2 or the second plastic half-shell 3.

(12) As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, provided is a strut 5 on a feed module as an attachment 4 of a plastic container 1 produced in accordance embodiments, and which corresponds to FIG. 5. The strut 5 has predetermined breaking points 7, for the protection of the plastic half-shells 2, 3 under loads. The contact region A, in which the strut 5 is at least temporarily fixed to the second plastic half-shell 3, is represented more specifically in FIG. 8. The contact region B, in which the strut 5 is welded to the first plastic half-shell 2, is represented more specifically in FIG. 9.

(13) In accordance with embodiments, the use of struts on attachments makes it possible to weld on in the second forming part (second plastic half-shell) attachments that have to be welded on in the first forming part (first plastic half-shell), and vice versa. In particular, attachments can be fitted onto the first forming part and onto the second forming part with only one gripper in the forming parts.

(14) In accordance with embodiments, the method for producing a plastic container from a first plastic half-shell and a second plastic half-shell, with a first attachment permanently fastened to the first plastic half-shell, is therefore efficient and inexpensive.

(15) The term coupled 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.

(16) Those skilled in the art will appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad techniques of the embodiments may 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 SIGNS

(17) 1 plastic container

(18) 2 first plastic half-shell

(19) 3 second plastic half-shell

(20) 4 attachment

(21) 5 strut

(22) 6 peripheral edges

(23) 7 predetermined breaking point

(24) 8 heating element

(25) 9 mould

(26) 10 mould contour

(27) A contact region

(28) B contact region