# US 11,027,459 B2 · Fuel tank producing apparatus

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- Number: US 11,027,459 B2
- Document ID: US11027459B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/911,631
- Filed: 2018-03-05
- Published: 2018-10-04
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-31
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha; Koyo Thermo Systems Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Ken Hatta; Yasuhiro Sasaki
- Inventors: Ken Hatta; Yasuhiro Sasaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027459B2

## CPC

- B29C 35/045: {using gas or flames}
- B29C 35/002: {Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations}
- B29C 2035/046: {dried air}
- B29K 2101/10: Thermosetting resins
- B29K 2307/04: Carbon
- B29L 2031/7172: {Fuel tanks, jerry cans}
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES

## Abstract

Provided is a fuel tank producing apparatus capable of uniformly heating a tank container in a short period of time. The fuel tank producing apparatus includes a heat curing furnace for heating the tank container and a hot air generator for generating hot air. The heat curing furnace is internally provided with a nozzle for blowing the hot air onto the surface of the tank container, and externally provided with a rotating portion for rotating the tank container about the central axis thereof. The nozzle is located at a position displaced to the left relative to the vertical direction to the central axis of the tank container as viewed from the direction of the central axis of the tank container. The rotating portion is configured to rotate the tank container in the reverse direction of a direction in which the hot air is blown from the nozzle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel tank producing apparatus comprising:
a rotating portion adapted to rotate a tank container about a central axis of the tank container;
a heated gas intake chamber that receives heated gas from a hot gas generator, the heated gas being capable of curing a thermosetting resin that forms the tank container; and
a nozzle coupled to the heated gas intake chamber and adapted to blow the heated gas received from the heated gas intake chamber onto a surface of the tank container to cure the thermosetting resin while the tank container is being rotated, wherein
the rotating portion is configured to rotate the tank container in a reverse direction of a direction of blowing the heated gas from the nozzle so that a portion of the surface onto which the heated gas is blown by the nozzle moves toward the nozzle as the tank container is rotated in the reverse direction,
the nozzle is located at a position displaced away from a plane that extends through the central axis of the tank container as viewed from a direction of the central axis of the tank container, and
the nozzle blows the heated gas in a blowing direction that (i) is parallel to the plane and (ii) does not intersect the central axis of the tank container.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel tank producing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle extends along the direction of the central axis of the tank container, and an injection port of the nozzle is seamlessly formed along the direction of the central axis of the tank container.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fuel tank producing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a heating portion adapted to heat a mouthpiece portion provided at an end of the tank container in the direction of the central axis of the tank container.

### Claim 4

A fuel tank producing apparatus comprising:
a rotating portion adapted to rotate a tank container about a central axis of the tank container;
a heated gas intake chamber that receives heated gas from a hot gas generator, the heated gas being capable of curing a thermosetting resin that forms the tank container; and
a nozzle coupled to the heated gas intake chamber and adapted to blow the heated gas received from the heated gas intake chamber onto a surface of the tank container to cure the thermosetting resin while the tank container is being rotated, wherein
the nozzle blows the heated gas along a central blowing axis that does not intersect the central axis of the tank container while the tank container is being rotated, and
the rotating portion is configured to rotate the tank container in a reverse direction of a direction of blowing the heated gas from the nozzle so that a portion of the surface onto which the heated gas is blown by the nozzle moves toward the nozzle as the tank container is rotated in the reverse direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The fuel tank producing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the nozzle extends along the direction of the central axis of the tank container, and an injection port of the nozzle is seamlessly formed along the direction of the central axis of the tank container.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The fuel tank producing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a heating portion adapted to heat a mouthpiece portion provided at an end of the tank container in the direction of the central axis of the tank container.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The fuel tank producing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle is positioned to blow the heated gas to a portion of a surface of the tank container that is approximately midway between the central axis of the tank container and an outer periphery of the tank container.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The fuel tank producing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the nozzle is positioned to blow the heated gas to a portion of a surface of the tank container that is approximately midway between the central axis of the tank container and an outer periphery of the tank container.