APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FORMING HYDROGEN TANK AND ASSEMBLING METHOD THEREOF

Abstract

An embodiment change core module of an injection mold for a hydrogen tank liner that is injection molded is provided. The change core module includes upper and lower change cores configured to hold a sealless nozzle inside the injection mold, wherein the injection mold comprises upper and lower molds, and wherein the sealless nozzle has a first temperature, and an induction heating device configured to inductively heat the sealless nozzle to a second temperature.

Claims

1. A change core module of an injection mold for a hydrogen tank liner that is injection molded, the change core module comprising: upper and lower change cores configured to hold a sealless nozzle inside an injection mold, wherein the injection mold comprises upper and lower molds, and wherein the sealless nozzle has a first temperature; and an induction heating device configured to inductively heat the sealless nozzle to a second temperature.

2. The change core module of claim 1, wherein a distance between the induction heating device and the sealless nozzle is 10 to 15 mm.

3. The change core module of claim 1, wherein the second temperature is 160 C. or higher.

4. The change core module of claim 3, wherein, in a state in which the sealless nozzle is the second temperature as measured by an induction heating inlet line configured to apply electricity to the induction heating device, a liner is configured to be molded from resin injected through a space between the upper and lower molds and a space between the upper and lower change cores.

5. The change core module of claim 1, wherein the induction heating device comprises a coil arranged in parallel.

6. The change core module of claim 5, wherein the coil of the induction heating device is arranged such that there is no variation in vector in a current flow.

7. The change core module of claim 1, wherein the induction heating device comprises a coil arranged into two or more parallel channels.

8. The change core module of claim 7, wherein the two or more parallel channels define a zigzag curve.

9. A change core module coupling apparatus of an injection mold for a hydrogen tank liner that is injection molded with a sealless nozzle positioned in the injection mold by upper and lower change cores, wherein the injection mold comprises upper and lower molds, the change core module coupling apparatus comprising: a horizontal movement pin configured to be built into the lower change core and horizontally moved by an ejector pin on a bottom plate; and a vertical movement pin configured to be built into the lower change core, vertically moved by the horizontal movement pin, and inserted into a coupling hole of the upper change core.

10. The change core module coupling apparatus of claim 9, wherein a driving slope of the horizontal movement pin and a driven slope of the vertical movement pin correspond to each other to slide.

11. The change core module coupling apparatus of claim 9, wherein the vertical movement pin is elastically supported by a compression spring.

12. The change core module coupling apparatus of claim 9, wherein the vertical movement pin is radially embedded in the lower change core and moves in a radial direction of the lower change core.

13. The change core module coupling apparatus of claim 9, wherein a slot hole is disposed at a top of the vertical movement pin.

14. The change core module coupling apparatus of claim 13, wherein the upper change core has a built-in slit bar penetrating the coupling hole in a radial direction.

15. The change core module coupling apparatus of claim 14, wherein, in a state in which the slot hole of the vertical movement pin is inserted into the coupling hole, the built-in slit bar penetrates the slot hole to fix the vertical movement pin.

16. A method of forming a hydrogen tank liner, the method comprising: positioning a sealless nozzle in an injection mold comprising upper and lower molds using a change core module, the change core module comprising upper and lower change cores holding the sealless nozzle inside the injection mold; and inductively heating the sealless nozzle from a first temperature to a second temperature using an induction heating device of the change core module.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a distance between the induction heating device and the sealless nozzle is 10 to 15 mm.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second temperature is 160 C. or higher.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, after inductively heating the sealless nozzle to the second temperature, injecting a resin through a space between the upper and lower molds and a space between the upper and lower change cores to begin molding a liner injection molded product.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the induction heating device comprises a coil arranged in parallel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views for illustrating a nozzle portion of a hydrogen tank.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for illustrating a sealless nozzle portion of a hydrogen tank.

[0041] FIGS. 4A-4C are schematic views for illustrating the process of inserting a sealless nozzle into an injection mold for a hydrogen tank.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view for illustrating the structure of upper and lower change cores into which a sealless nozzle of an injection mold for a hydrogen tank has been inserted.

[0043] FIGS. 6 and 7 are views for illustrating a change core module of an injection mold for a hydrogen tank according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0044] FIGS. 8 to 14 are views for illustrating experimental examples of an induction heating unit of the change core module of the injection mold for a hydrogen tank according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIGS. 15 and 16 are views for illustrating the induction heating unit of the change core module of the injection mold for a hydrogen tank according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0046] FIGS. 17 to 21 are views for illustrating a change core module coupling apparatus of the injection mold for a hydrogen tank according to the present disclosure.

[0047] It may be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of embodiments of the present disclosure. The specific design features of embodiments of the present disclosure as included herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particularly intended application and use environment.

[0048] In the figures, the same reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of embodiments of the present disclosure throughout the several figures of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0049] Because various changes can be made to embodiments of the present disclosure and a range of embodiments can be made for the present disclosure, specific embodiments will be illustrated and described in the drawings. Color versions of the figures can be found in the publication of the Korean priority document. However, this is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the specific embodiments, and it should be understood that the present disclosure includes all changes, equivalents, and substitutes within the technology and the scope of the present disclosure.

[0050] The terms module and unit used in the present disclosure are merely used to distinguish the names of components, and they should not be interpreted as assuming that the components have been physically or chemically separated or can be so separated.

[0051] Terms containing ordinal numbers such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The above-mentioned terms can be used only as names to distinguish one component from another component, and the order therebetween can be determined by the context in the descriptions thereof, not by such names.

[0052] The expression and/or is used to include all possible combinations of multiple items being addressed. For example, by A and/or B, all three possible combinations are meant: A, B, and A and B.

[0053] When a component is said to be coupled or connected to another component, it means that the component may be directly coupled or connected to the other component or there may be other components therebetween.

[0054] The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Expressions in the singular form include the meaning of the plural form unless they clearly mean otherwise in the context. In the present disclosure, expressions such as comprise or have are intended to indicate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described herein, and they should not be understood as precluding the possibility of the presence or the addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have meanings commonly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with the meanings they have in the context of the relevant technology, and they should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in the present disclosure.

[0056] In addition, a unit, a control unit, a control device, or a controller is only a term widely used to name devices for controlling a certain function and do not mean a generic function unit. For example, devices with these names may include a communication device that communicates with other controllers or sensors to control a certain function, a computer-readable recording medium that stores an operating system, logic instructions, input/output information, etc., and one or more processors that perform operations of determination, calculation, making decisions, etc. required to control the function.

[0057] Meanwhile, the processor may include a semiconductor integrated circuit and/or electronic devices that carry out operations of at least one of comparison, determination, calculation, and making decisions to perform a programmed function. For example, the processor may be any one or a combination of a computer, a microprocessor, a CPU, an ASIC, and an electronic circuit such as circuitry and logic circuits.

[0058] Examples of a computer-readable recording medium (or simply called a memory) may include all types of storage devices for storing data that can be read by a computer system. For example, they may include at least one of a memory such as a flash memory, a hard disk, a micro memory, and a card memory, e.g., a secure digital card (SD card) or an eXtream digital card (XD card), and a memory such as a random access memory (RAM), a static ram (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), a magnetic RAM (MRAM), a magnetic disk, and an optical disk.

[0059] Such a recording medium may be electrically connected to the processor, and the processor may load and write data from the recording medium. The recording medium and the processor may be integrated or physically separate.

[0060] Hereafter, with reference to the attached drawings, each component in a desirable embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

Change Core Module

[0061] As shown in FIG. 6, upper and lower templates 42 and 43 of an injection mold for a hydrogen tank according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be vertically coupled to each other, and upper and lower change cores 50 and 60 may be built between the upper and lower templates.

[0062] In addition, an upper mounting plate 40 may be formed on the upper part of the upper template 42, and an ejector pin 46 supported by a bottom plate 45 may be formed in a space created by a space block 44 between the lower template 43 and a lower mounting plate 41.

[0063] In particular, an insert sealless nozzle 100 may be inserted between the upper and lower change cores 50 and 60, and an induction heating unit 70 may be built in the lower change core 60.

[0064] In addition, a change core module 80 may include the upper and lower change cores 50 and 60, the sealless nozzles 100 in various designs, which is inserted between the upper and lower change cores 50 and 60, and the induction heating unit 70 built in the lower change core 60.

[0065] The change core module 80 may be prepared for each insert sealless nozzle 100 and formed to be simply and easily replaced in the injection mold.

Induction Heating Unit

[0066] The induction heating unit 70 may be built into the lower change core 60 as shown in FIG. 7 and may heat the insert sealless nozzle 100 to a temperature of approximately 160 C. or higher by inductively heating the lower change core 60.

[0067] Here, the induction heating unit 70 may perform induction heating to uniformly heat the entire surface of the insert sealless nozzle 100, so the method of arranging a coil may be most important.

[0068] In particular, a distance d between the induction heating unit 70 and the insert sealless nozzle 100 may be desirably 10 to 15 mm.

[0069] The induction heating unit 70 built into the lower change core 60 may exhibit significant differences in variation, tendency, etc. in heating for the insert sealless nozzle 100 depending on how a coil is arranged.

[0070] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be designed to derive a desirable structure in which a coil of the induction heating unit 70 is arranged from experiments thereon.

Experimental Example 1

[0071] In Experimental Example 1, a coil 71 may be arranged in series as shown in FIG. 8, forming a distance of approximately 50 mm between coil channels.

[0072] The analysis of the heating tendency in such a structure where the coil 71 is arranged shows that, in area A in FIG. 8, a magnetic field may have been strengthened because there was a large difference between the current direction of the output unit and the current direction of the internal coil.

[0073] In FIG. 8, area B, which is an unheated area, may not have been heated at all as the magnetic field was canceled out due to the variation in the vector in the current direction (0/180), and area C may have been heated because there was no variation in the vector in the current direction.

Experimental Example 2

[0074] In Experimental Example 2, the coil 71 may be arranged in series as shown in FIG. 9, forming a distance of approximately 35 mm between coil channels.

[0075] The analysis of the heating tendency in such a structure where the coil 71 is arranged shows that, in area A in FIG. 9, a magnetic field may have been strengthened because there was a large difference between the current direction of the output unit and the current direction of the internal coil.

[0076] In FIG. 9, area B, which is an unheated area, may not have been heated at all as the magnetic field was canceled out due to the variation in the vector in the current direction (0/180) and, in particular, may be wider than area B in Experimental Example 1, and area C may have been heated because there was no variation in the vector in the current direction.

Experimental Example 3

[0077] In Experimental Example 3, the coil 71 may be arranged in series as shown in FIG. 10, forming a distance of approximately 25 mm between coil channels.

[0078] The analysis of the heating tendency in such a structure where the coil 71 is arranged shows that, in area A in FIG. 10, a magnetic field may have been strengthened because there was a large difference between the current direction of the output unit and the current direction of the internal coil.

[0079] In FIG. 10, area B, which is an unheated area, may not have been heated at all as the magnetic field was canceled out due to the variation in the vector in the current direction (0/180) and, in particular, may be wider than area B in Experimental Example 1, and area C may have been heated because there was no variation in the vector in the current direction.

Results of an Experiment with a Coil Arranged in Series

[0080] The analysis of the heating tendency in the structure where the coil 71 is arranged in series as in Experimental Examples 1 to 3 shows that, in area A, the variation in the direction of the current applied to the coil channels adjacent to each other may be approximately 180 and induction heating on a plane surface may not occur, as shown in FIG. 11.

[0081] In addition, in area B, which is an unheated area, as the distance between the coil channels adjacent to each other becomes shorter, the unheated area may increase.

Experimental Example 4

[0082] In Experimental Example 4, as shown in FIG. 12, the coils 71 may be arranged in parallel, and two parallel channels may be arranged side by side on a straight line.

[0083] The analysis of the heating tendency in such a structure where the coils 71 are arranged in parallel shows that, in area A in FIG. 12, which is a heated area, there may have been no variation in the vector in the current direction, and area B, which is a heated area, may have been heated as the shape of the coil was curved and the density of a magnetic field increased.

[0084] Area C, which is an unheated area, may not have been heated as the magnetic field was canceled out due to the variation in the vector in the current direction (0/180).

Experimental Example 5

[0085] In Experimental Example 5, as shown in FIG. 13, the coils 71 may be arranged in parallel, and two parallel channels may form a zigzag curve.

[0086] The analysis of the heating tendency in such a structure where the coils 71 are arranged in parallel shows that, in area A in FIG. 13, which is a heated area, there may have been no variation in vector because a single current flowed, and in area B, which is a heated area, there may have been no variation in vector because a single current flowed.

[0087] In area C in FIG. 13, which is a heated area, because there was no variation (0/0) in the vector in the current direction, a magnetic field may have been strengthened.

[0088] Areas A, B, and C have been all heated to a uniform temperature without variation in heating, so it can be deemed that the coils 71 have been desirably arranged.

Experimental Example 6

[0089] In Experimental Example 6, as shown in FIG. 14, the coils 71 may be arranged in parallel, and a coil channel may be formed in the center.

[0090] The analysis of the heating tendency in such a structure where the coils 71 are arranged in parallel shows that, in area A in FIG. 14, which is a heated area, there may have been no variation in the vector in the current direction and a magnetic field may have been strengthened and that, in area B, because there was no variation (0/0) in the vector in the current direction, the magnetic field may have been strengthened.

[0091] In area C in FIG. 14, which is a heated area, the magnetic field may have been reinforced due to the variation in the vector in the current direction (0/90), and in area D, which is a locally heated area, there may coexist the reinforcement of the magnetic field due to the variation in the vector in the current direction (0/0) and the cancellation thereof due to the variation in the vector in the current direction (0/180).

Results of an Experiment with a Coil Arranged in Parallel

[0092] In Experimental Example 4, as shown in FIG. 12, there may be variation in heating because there may coexist the heated areas and the unheated area, and, in Experimental Example 6, as shown in FIG. 14, there may also be variation in heating because there may coexist the heated areas and the locally heated area.

[0093] In particular, in Experimental Example 5, as shown in FIG. 13, all the areas may have been heated, and the heating areas may have been heated to a uniform temperature without variation.

[0094] In conclusion, Experimental Example 5 can be deemed to suggest a desirable example of how the coils 71 should be arranged for the induction heating unit 70.

Induction Heating Process

[0095] As shown in FIG. 15, when power is applied to an induction heating inlet line 90 with the upper and lower templates 42 and 43 closed, induction heating of the coil 71 may begin as power is supplied to the induction heating unit 70, and it may be possible to measure the temperature of the insert sealless nozzle 100, which is being heated, through the induction heating inlet line 90 connected to a temperature sensor (not shown).

[0096] In addition, when the insert sealless nozzle 100 is heated to a temperature of approximately 160 C. by inductive heating of the induction heating unit 70, as shown in FIG. 16, while the temperature of the induction heating unit 70 inductively heated is maintained, resin may be injected through the space between the upper and lower templates 42 and 43 and the space between the upper and lower change cores 50 and 60 to form a liner injection molded product 110 for a hydrogen tank.

Change Core Module Coupling Apparatus

[0097] As shown in FIG. 6, the change core module 80 may include the upper and lower change cores 50 and 60 and the insert sealless nozzle 100, which have been connected to each other; insert sealless nozzles in various designs may be inserted into the change core module 80; and it may be possible to replace the change core module 80 with the upper and lower templates 42 and 43 closed.

[0098] Here, as shown in FIG. 17, the distance between the upper and lower change cores 50 and 60 may be 3t to 4t, which is the thickness of the liner injection molded product 110 for a hydrogen tank.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 17, in a change core module coupling apparatus, when four horizontal movement pins 61 are moved forward in a horizontal direction by four ejector pins 46 of the bottom plate 45, four vertical movement pins 63 may be moved in the radial direction of the lower change core 60 and inserted into coupling holes 51 of the upper change core 50.

[0100] Here, the change core module coupling apparatus may be designed to couple the upper change core 50 with the lower change core 60 by inserting the four vertical movement pins 63 into the coupling holes 51 of the upper change core 50 while the four horizontal movement pins 61 are moved forward in a horizontal direction.

[0101] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 18, the change core module coupling apparatus may enable a driving slope 62 to slide along a driven slope 64 when the horizontal movement pin 61 is moved forward by driving the ejector pin 46, so as to push up the vertical movement pin 63.

[0102] Here, in the change core module coupling apparatus, the four vertical movement pins 63 may be provided in the radial direction in the lower change core 60 and may be designed to move in the radial direction.

[0103] In particular, the four vertical movement pins 63 may move vertically and elastically while being supported by a compression spring 66 and may be designed to compress the compression spring 66 when moving vertically by the horizontal movement pin 61.

[0104] Here, when the vertical movement pin 63 moves vertically and elastically and protrudes out of the outer surface of the lower change core 60 to be inserted into the coupling hole 51 of the upper change core 50, a slit bar 55 may penetrate a slot hole 65 of the vertical movement pin 63.

[0105] In other words, when the vertical movement pin 63 moves vertically and elastically and the slot hole 65 is inserted into the coupling hole 51 of the upper change core 50, a magnetic force of a first driving unit 52 built into the upper change core 50 may act on the slit bar 55 through the slot hole 65 and pull the slit bar to allow it to penetrate the slot hole 65.

[0106] Here, the first driving unit 52 may be an electromagnet unit and may be designed to drive the slit bar 55 by generating an attractive force for pulling the slit bar 55 or a repulsive force for pushing it.

[0107] As such, when the slit bar 55 passes through the slot hole 65 and supports the vertical movement pin 63, even with the horizontal movement pin 61 removed, the vertical movement pin 63 may continue to be inserted into the coupling hole 51 of the upper change core 50 despite the compressive elastic force of the compression spring 66.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 19, in the change core module coupling apparatus, when the slit bar 55 is moved backward and comes out of the slot hole 65, the vertical movement pin 63 may move vertically by the compressive elastic force of the compression spring 66.

[0109] Here, the driven slope 64 of the vertical movement pin 63 may press the driving slope 62 downward, so that the driving slope 62 may cause the horizontal movement pin 61 to move backward while sliding along the driven slope 64.

[0110] In addition, as shown in FIG. 20, in the change core module coupling apparatus, the slit bar 55 may be driven along the slot hole 65 by a second driving unit 53.

[0111] Here, a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder may be applied to the second driving unit 53, and the rod of the hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder may be connected to the slit bar 55 for the slit bar to move back and forth.

[0112] Meanwhile, as for the process of replacing a change core module, as shown in FIG. 21, as the vertical movement pin 63 may be moved vertically by the horizontal movement pin 61, the slit bar 55 of the first and second driving units 52 and 53 may penetrate the slot hole 65 to continue to be inserted into the coupling hole 51 of the upper change core 50, so that the upper and lower change cores 50 and 60 of the change core module 80 may be coupled to each other.

[0113] The upper and lower change cores 50 and 60 of the change core module 80 to be substituted may have been coupled to each other by the vertical movement pin 63 as described above, and, after a change core module mounted on an injection mold may be simply detached from the injection mold using a lifting unit, another change core module may be easily inserted into the injection mold using the lifting unit.

[0114] Here, as shown in FIG. 19, when the slit bar 55 of the change core module 80 inserted into the injection mold is moved backward and separated from the slot hole 65, as the vertical movement pin 63 comes out of the coupling hole 51 of the upper change core 50, the upper and lower change cores 50 and 60 may be separated. In this state, the injection mold may be opened to begin molding work.

[0115] As such, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, it may be possible to replace the change core module 80 without stopping injection work or disassembling an injection mold, thereby improving work efficiency and productivity for injection molding.

[0116] The desirable embodiments of the present disclosure have been examined, and it is obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure can be embodied in other specific forms in addition to the embodiments described above within its technology or scope. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are to be deemed illustrative and not restrictive, and the present disclosure is not limited to the description but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0117] The foregoing descriptions of the specific exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above-described teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described to explain certain principles of embodiments of the present disclosure and their practical application, to enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the present disclosure be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.