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US 9,604,400 B2Granted
Fuel tank opening
AssigneeTI Group Automotive Systems, L.L.C.
InventorCarl-Hugo M. Mellander
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for blow molding a fuel tank with multiple concentric needles to form an opening in the fuel tank, and/or for calibrating the opening in the fuel tank as it cools.
Claims21
An apparatus to calibrate an opening of a warm fuel tank, comprising:
- a gripping device to hold at least a portion of the warm fuel plastic tank that at least partly defines the opening, wherein the gripping device includes a collet including a mounting ring and a plurality of leaves pivotally coupled to the mounting ring;
- and
- an expanding device advanceable into an aperture of the opening of the warm fuel tank and expandable into contact with the warm fuel tank;
- wherein at least one parameter of the opening is controlled as the warm fuel tank cools, wherein the at least one parameter comprises at least one of size, location, position, shape, orientation, roundness, concentricity, or surface finish.
1 more element
An apparatus to calibrate an opening of a warm fuel tank, comprising:
- a gripping device to hold at least a portion of the warm fuel plastic tank that at least partly defines the opening, the gripping device including at least three gripping members that are radially moveable between a radially expanded positon and a radially compressed position, wherein the gripping device holds the at least a portion of the warm fuel plastic tank when in the radially compressed position;
- and
- an expanding device advanceable into an aperture of the opening of the warm fuel tank and expandable into contact with the warm fuel tank;
- wherein at least one parameter of the opening is controlled as the warm fuel tank cools, wherein the at least one parameter comprises at least one of size, location, position, shape, orientation, roundness, concentricity, or surface finish.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.