JP2007146946A - High pressure tank - Google Patents

Abstract

A high-pressure tank that can fill a gap between a mounting groove and a backup ring and is easy to manufacture.
By being pressed from the high pressure side via an O-ring 100, a first backup ring 90 and a second backup ring 92 slide in different directions by the overlapped tapered surfaces. That is, the first backup ring 90 slides toward the base 20 side, while the second backup ring 92 slides toward the valve 32 side. As a result, the gap 82 between each backup ring and the ring mounting groove 80 existing in the state (A) is filled with each backup ring in the state (B). Further, since the ring mounting groove 80 may be processed into a relatively simple rectangular cross section, the processing is easy.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a high pressure tank, and more particularly to a high pressure tank seal structure.

  Conventionally, a high-pressure tank for filling a vehicle fuel gas or the like is known. Since the high-pressure tank is filled with high-pressure fuel gas, for example, a sealing structure that seals the fuel gas or the like while withstanding high pressure is provided at the joint between the valve and the base. In addition, regarding a seal structure, not only what is provided in a high pressure tank but the various techniques are proposed conventionally.

  For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique in which a backup ring having a tapered portion corresponding to a tapered groove bottom portion is provided in a mounting groove having a tapered groove bottom portion. Thereby, the backup ring pressed from the high pressure side through the seal ring slides along the tapered surface, and the gap between the backup ring and the mounting groove is filled.

Japanese Patent No. 3543617

  As described above, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which the tapered portion of the backup ring is made to correspond to the tapered groove bottom portion in the mounting groove. However, the technique of Patent Document 1 relates to a sealing device used for a piping portion of an injector of an internal combustion engine, and not to a sealing structure of a high-pressure tank. Even if it can be applied to the seal structure of the high-pressure tank, providing the tapered groove bottom in the mounting groove makes it difficult to process the mounting groove.

  The present invention has been made in such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure tank that can fill the gap between the mounting groove and the backup ring and is easy to manufacture.

  In order to achieve the above object, a high-pressure tank according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a high-pressure tank in which a seal ring and first and second backup rings each having a tapered surface are provided in a mounting groove. The first and second backup rings are arranged on the lower pressure side than the seal ring with the taper surfaces of the first and second backup rings being overlapped, and are pressed from the high pressure side via the seal ring. The second backup ring is slid in different directions by the tapered surface.

  In the above configuration, the first and second backup rings provided in the mounting groove slide in different directions. For example, by sliding each backup ring toward the wall surface of the mounting groove, it becomes possible to fill a gap between each backup ring and the mounting groove. Moreover, in the said structure, since it is not necessary to provide a taper in the wall surface of an attachment groove, the process of an attachment groove is easy.

  In a preferred aspect, each of the first and second backup rings includes a tapered surface on the entire circumference. In a desirable mode, the seal ring and the first and second backup rings are provided in an annular mounting groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the valve inserted into the opening of the tank body, and the outer peripheral surface of the valve is opened. When the first and second backup rings are slid in different directions in the inserted state, gaps between the backup rings and the mounting grooves are filled.

  In order to achieve the above object, a seal structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a seal structure in which a seal ring and first and second backup rings each having a tapered surface are provided in a mounting groove. The first and second backup rings are arranged on the lower pressure side than the seal ring with the taper surfaces of the first and second backup rings overlapped with each other, and are pressed from the high pressure side via the seal ring. The first and second backup rings are slid in different directions by the tapered surface.

  The present invention provides a high-pressure tank that can fill the gap between the mounting groove and the backup ring and is easy to manufacture.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the overall configuration of a high-pressure tank 10 according to the present invention. First, the overall configuration of the high-pressure tank 10 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  The high-pressure tank 10 of the present embodiment is for filling and storing fuel gas such as hydrogen or natural gas in the inside (inside the tank), and includes a container-shaped tank body 12. The peripheral wall of the tank body 12 includes an outer peripheral wall 16 on the outside and an inner peripheral wall 18 on the inner side. The inner peripheral wall 18 is a resin liner, for example, and is formed of nylon resin or the like. The inner peripheral wall 18 is divided into two parts at the top and bottom of FIG. 1 at a connecting portion 70 indicated by a broken line in FIG.

  In FIG. 1, the lower side of the high-pressure tank 10 is not shown, and the lower inner peripheral wall 18 (not shown) is configured in the same manner as the upper side, and the upper and lower inner peripheral walls 18 are connected to each other by a heating device such as a laser. Welded at 70. Then, carbon fibers impregnated with resin (for example, epoxy resin) are coated on the outside of the inner peripheral wall 18 which is welded and integrated, and is coated by filament winding, and dried, whereby the inner peripheral wall 18 and the outer peripheral wall 16 are covered. A tank body 12 having a two-layer structure is formed. In addition, the inner peripheral wall 18 may be previously formed integrally with the upper and lower sides. Further, a protective pad 50 made of urethane that protects the corner portion of the tank body 12 may be attached.

  The tank body 12 has a base 20 made of a substantially cylindrical shape made of metal. The base 20 is made of, for example, stainless steel or aluminum. The base 20 is fitted into the outer peripheral wall 16 and the inner peripheral wall 18, and the base 20 protrudes along the inner peripheral wall 18 toward the inside of the tank.

  A substantially cylindrical opening is provided in the base 20, and this functions as an opening of the tank body 12. A substantially cylindrical valve 32 is attached to the opening of the base 20. A male screw is formed at an intermediate portion in the axial direction of the valve 32, and the male screw of the valve 32 is fastened (screwed) to a female screw provided in the opening of the base 20. The opening is closed.

  An O-ring 60 is inserted into the contact surface between the valve 32 and the base 20. The O-ring 60 is a member having elasticity such as rubber, and is disposed so as to surround the substantially cylindrical valve 32. And the nozzle | cap | die 20 and the valve | bulb 32 contact through this O-ring 60, and the sealing performance is ensured. An O-ring 60 is also provided on the contact surface between the base 20 and the inner peripheral wall 18, and a sealing property between the base 20 and the inner peripheral wall 18 is ensured.

  As for the high-pressure tank 10 of this embodiment, the opening part protrudes inside the tank. At the inner protruding portion, the base 20 protrudes toward the inside of the tank so as to surround the substantially cylindrical valve 32. An annular ring mounting groove 80 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the valve 32 on the connection surface between the valve 32 and the base 20 at the inner protruding portion.

  FIG. 2 is a view for explaining the configuration in the ring mounting groove 80, and FIGS. 2A and 2B are both enlarged views of the right cross section of the ring mounting groove 80 shown in FIG. 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the ring mounting groove 80 is formed in a rectangular cross section, and an O-ring 100, a first backup ring 90, and a second backup ring 92 are provided therein. The O-ring 100 is a seal ring surrounding the substantially cylindrical valve 32, and is formed of a member having elasticity such as rubber.

  The first backup ring 90 and the second backup ring 92 are ring-shaped members that surround the substantially cylindrical valve 32, respectively. The first backup ring 90 and the second backup ring 92 are preferably formed of, for example, a resin material. However, it may be formed of metal or the like. Each of the first backup ring 90 and the second backup ring 92 has a tapered surface formed on the entire circumference, and is stored in the ring mounting groove 80 with the taper surfaces overlapped with each other. In the cross section of the first backup ring 90 and the second backup ring 92 in FIG. 2, the cross-sectional portion indicated by the inclined straight line corresponds to the tapered surface.

  The lower side of FIG. 2A is the inside of the tank. The tank is filled with fuel gas such as hydrogen or natural gas. Since the fuel gas is filled in the tank at a high pressure, the high-pressure fuel gas (high-pressure gas) enters the slight gap between the valve 32 and the base 20 and enters the ring mounting groove 80. An O-ring 100 is provided to seal the high-pressure gas that enters a slight gap between the valve 32 and the base 20. That is, the O-ring 100 seals the gap between the valve 32 and the base 20 to prevent the fuel gas from flowing out of the tank from the gap.

  In the present embodiment, the first backup ring 90 and the second backup ring 92 are disposed in the ring attachment groove 80 on the lower pressure side than the O-ring 100, that is, on the upper side in FIG. When high pressure gas enters the ring mounting groove 80 from the inside (high pressure side) of the tank in the state of FIG. 2 (A), the O-ring 100 is pressed upward. The first backup ring 90 and the second backup ring 92 are pressed upward through the O-ring 100.

  FIG. 2B shows a state where the O-ring 100, the first backup ring 90, and the second backup ring 92 are pressed upward. By being pressed from the high pressure side via the O-ring 100, the first backup ring 90 and the second backup ring 92 slide in different directions by the overlapped tapered surfaces. That is, they slide in opposite directions belonging to a plane substantially perpendicular to the pressing direction by the O-ring 100. In the present embodiment, the first backup ring 90 slides toward the base 20 side, while the second backup ring 92 slides toward the valve 32 side.

  As described above, each backup ring slides in the direction close to the member to be sealed (the cap 20 and the valve 32) (the direction in which the gap is eliminated). As a result, the backup ring exists in the state of FIG. A gap 82 between each backup ring and the ring mounting groove 80 is filled with each backup ring in the state of FIG. That is, the first backup ring 90 fills the gap 82 on the base 20 side, and the second backup ring 92 fills the gap 82 on the valve 32 side.

  Thus, since the gap 82 is filled by each backup ring, even when the O-ring 100 is pressed and crushed upward by the high pressure gas, the O-ring 100 can be prevented from entering the gap 82. Therefore, the sealing function by the O-ring 100 is sufficiently exhibited, and it is also possible to prevent the O-ring 100 from entering the gap 82 and damaging a part of the O-ring 100.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the O-ring 100 can be prevented from entering the gap 82. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the taper surfaces of the two backup rings are used, it is not necessary to form a taper surface in the ring mounting groove 80. That is, the ring mounting groove 80 can be processed easily because it has only to be processed into a relatively simple rectangular cross section.

  2 shows only the right cross-section of the ring mounting groove 80 shown in FIG. 1, the ring mounting groove 80 is formed in an annular shape so as to surround the outer periphery of the cylindrical valve 32. . The first backup ring 90, the second backup ring 92, and the O-ring 100 are each formed in an annular shape so as to surround the outer periphery of the cylindrical valve 32, and the first backup ring 90 and the second backup ring Each of 92 is formed with a tapered surface over the entire circumference. Therefore, when the O-ring 100 is pressed toward the upper side in FIG. 2, the first backup ring 90 slides to the base 20 side (that is, radially outward) over the entire circumference to fill the gap 82. Further, the second backup ring 92 slides to the valve 32 side (that is, radially inward) over the entire circumference to fill the gap 82.

  FIGS. 3 and 4 are views showing modifications of the backup ring according to the present invention, and FIGS. 3 and 4 correspond to enlarged views of a right cross-section of the ring mounting groove 80 shown in FIG. 1, respectively.

  The modification shown in FIG. 3 is an example in which the inclination directions of the tapered surfaces of the first backup ring 90 and the second backup ring 92 shown in FIG. 2 are reversed. 3, when the first backup ring 90 and the second backup ring 92 are pressed upward by the O-ring 100, the first backup ring 90 slides toward the valve 32 side. On the other hand, the second backup ring 92 slides toward the base 20. That is, the first backup ring 90 fills the gap on the valve 32 side, and the second backup ring 92 fills the gap on the base 20 side.

  The modification shown in FIG. 4 is an example in which a third backup ring 94 is provided in addition to the first backup ring 90 and the second backup ring 92. In the modification shown in FIG. 4, when the first backup ring 90, the second backup ring 92, and the third backup ring 94 are pressed upward by the O-ring 100, the first backup ring 90 is moved to the base 20. The second backup ring 92 slides toward the valve 32 side, and the third backup ring 94 slides toward the base 20 side. That is, the first backup ring 90 and the third backup ring 94 fill the gap on the base 20 side, and the second backup ring 92 fills the gap on the valve 32 side. In this way, it is possible to fill the gap using three backup rings, and further backup rings may be added as necessary.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described, embodiment mentioned above is only a mere illustration in all the points, and does not limit the scope of the present invention.

  For example, FIGS. 2 to 4 show an embodiment in which a backup ring is provided on the upper side of the O-ring 100, but a backup ring may be provided on the lower side of the O-ring 100. For example, in FIG. 2, the first backup ring 90 and the second backup ring 92 may be provided on the lower side in addition to the upper side of the O-ring 100. Thereby, even when the upper side of the O-ring 100 becomes a high pressure and the O-ring 100 is pressed toward the lower side, the O-ring 100 is left in the gap by the first backup ring 90 and the second backup ring 92 provided on the lower side. It can be prevented from entering.

  Further, the backup ring according to the present invention is not limited to the use provided between the valve and the base. For example, the backup ring according to the present invention may be used in a seal portion such as around the gas flow path provided in the valve. Furthermore, the backup ring according to the present invention is not limited to a high-pressure tank, and can be applied to any seal as long as a pressure difference is generated between the downstream and upstream of the seal by sealing a fluid or the like.

It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the whole high-pressure tank structure concerning this invention. It is an expanded sectional view of a ring attachment groove. It is a figure which shows the modification of the backup ring which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the modification of the backup ring which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  10 high pressure tank, 80 ring mounting groove, 82 gap, 90 first backup ring, 92 second backup ring, 100 O ring.

Claims (4)

A seal ring;
First and second backup rings each having a tapered surface;
Is a high-pressure tank provided in the mounting groove,
The first and second backup rings are arranged on the lower pressure side than the seal ring by overlapping the taper surfaces of each other,
By being pressed from the high pressure side through the seal ring, the first and second backup rings slide in different directions by the tapered surface,
A high-pressure tank characterized by that. The high-pressure tank according to claim 1,
The first and second backup rings each have a tapered surface on the entire circumference,
A high-pressure tank characterized by that. The high-pressure tank according to claim 2,
The seal ring and the first and second backup rings are provided in an annular mounting groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the valve inserted into the opening of the tank body,
With the outer peripheral surface of the valve inserted into the opening, the first and second backup rings slide in different directions, thereby filling the gap between each backup ring and the mounting groove.
A high-pressure tank characterized by that. A seal ring;
First and second backup rings each having a tapered surface;
In the mounting groove,
The first and second backup rings are arranged on the lower pressure side than the seal ring by overlapping the taper surfaces of each other,
By being pressed from the high pressure side through the seal ring, the first and second backup rings slide in different directions by the tapered surface,
A seal structure characterized by that.

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