U.S. patent application number 17/112609 was filed with the patent office on 2021-03-25 for method of making an inline housing for a part enclosed in a tube.
The applicant listed for this patent is FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Invention is credited to Robert Joseph MOHAN, Chikynda MOORE, Robert Howard SAUNDERS, JR..
Application Number | 20210088166 17/112609 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005253629 |
Filed Date | 2021-03-25 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20210088166 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MOORE; Chikynda ; et
al. |
March 25, 2021 |
METHOD OF MAKING AN INLINE HOUSING FOR A PART ENCLOSED IN A
TUBE
Abstract
A method is disclosed for making a duct assembly including an
internal component part such as a silencer is disclosed. The duct
assembly may be made in a blow-molding operation in which first and
second duct parts are formed from a single parison as a combined
part that is then split apart to receive a component part in a
housing and subsequently closed by a closure part. Alternatively,
the first and second housing parts may be separately formed and a
component part may be inserted into a housing defined by one or
both of the first and second duct parts. The first and second duct
parts may be joined and sealed by injection molding a ring over
telescopically assembled ends of the first and second parts.
Inventors: |
MOORE; Chikynda;
(Belleville, MI) ; SAUNDERS, JR.; Robert Howard;
(Oak Park, MI) ; MOHAN; Robert Joseph; (Canton,
MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
Dearborn |
MI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005253629 |
Appl. No.: |
17/112609 |
Filed: |
December 4, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
15658787 |
Jul 25, 2017 |
10876667 |
|
|
17112609 |
|
|
|
|
62373002 |
Aug 10, 2016 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16L 47/02 20130101;
F16L 55/0336 20130101; B29L 2023/004 20130101; F16L 55/00 20130101;
B29K 2709/08 20130101; B29C 49/4278 20130101; B29C 66/1142
20130101; B29C 66/5344 20130101; B29C 65/18 20130101; B29C 65/70
20130101; B29C 45/14467 20130101; B29K 2101/12 20130101; B29K
2105/253 20130101; B29D 23/003 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F16L 47/02 20060101
F16L047/02; B29D 23/00 20060101 B29D023/00; B29C 45/14 20060101
B29C045/14; B29C 49/42 20060101 B29C049/42; B29C 65/18 20060101
B29C065/18; B29C 65/70 20060101 B29C065/70; B29C 65/00 20060101
B29C065/00; F16L 55/033 20060101 F16L055/033 |
Claims
1. A duct assembly comprising: a first duct including a first
length of tubing and a housing integrally formed with the first
length of tubing; a second duct including a second length of tubing
and a closure member integrally formed with the second length of
tubing; a component part disposed in the housing; and a joint
connecting the housing to the closure member to seal the component
part inside the housing.
2. The duct assembly of claim 1 wherein the joint further
comprises: a first telescopic portion of the housing; a second
telescopic portion of the closure member telescopically assembled
onto the first telescopic portion; and a continuous ring molded
over the first telescopic portion and the second telescopic portion
for joining and sealing the joint the housing and the closure
member.
3. The duct assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first
and second lengths of tubing are made of a thermoplastic polymer
that is molded to a non-cylindrical shape.
4. The duct assembly of claim 1 wherein the component part is a
silencer formed of an energy absorbing material.
5. The duct assembly of claim 4 wherein the energy absorbing
material is fiberglass retained in a cylindrical retainer defining
a plurality of circumferentially and axially spaced openings.
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No.
15/658,787 filed Jul. 25, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S.
provisional application Ser. No. 62/373,002 filed Aug. 10, 2016,
the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety
by reference herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This disclosure relates to a method of making a tubular
component for a vehicle that includes an integrally formed housing
for a part assembled inside the tubular component.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Vehicles utilize a wide variety of tubular members for inlet
air, exhaust, hydraulic fluid, oil and fuel. In some tubes used on
vehicles, fluid passing through the tube flows through a component
part such as a filter, silencer, sensor, or the like.
[0004] Fluid flowing through such components may restrict the flow
of the fluid through the tube. In many instances, a separate
housing part must be provided to house a component part. The
separate housing part may include an inlet connector from one tube
and an outlet connector to a downstream tube. One example of such a
housing is a clam-shell housing with fittings assembled to the
housing for inlet and outlet tube connections. Providing a separate
housing results in the need to provide a relatively large number of
parts that are assembled in numerous assembly steps. The number of
parts and assembly steps required to manufacture the separate
housing for a component part may result in quality control problems
and increases the cost of a vehicle.
[0005] There is a need for a simple, effective and reliable method
of providing a tube with an internal component without restricting
fluid flow through the tubular member while reducing the number of
parts, number of assembly steps, weight, and cost of the tubular
assembly.
[0006] This disclosure is directed to solving the above problems
and other problems as summarized below.
SUMMARY
[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method is
disclosed for making a duct assembly including an integrally formed
housing and an integrally formed closure member that enclose a
component part in the housing in a sealed relationship. In a first
step, a single parison is placed in a die to form a first duct part
including the housing and a second duct part including the closure
member. The closure member is severed from the housing to separate
the first and second duct parts. A component part is assembled into
the housing and the closure member is assembled to the housing. A
sealed connection is formed between the closure member and the
housing when they are joined together.
[0008] According to other aspects of this disclosure, the step of
sealing the connection may further comprise heating a first flange
of the closure member and a second flange of the housing on
opposite sides of a heated plate and compressing the first flange
and the second flange together after the heating step.
Alternatively, the step of sealing a connection may further
comprise placing the closure member and the housing into an
injection molding die with the closure member being telescopically
received over the housing and molding a ring over a portion of the
housing and a portion of the closure member.
[0009] The step of severing the closure member from the housing may
be performed with a heated knife.
[0010] The housing may have a greater cross-section in the radial
direction than the other portions of the duct part.
[0011] The component part may be a silencer formed of an energy
absorbing material. The energy absorbing material may be fiberglass
retained in a cylindrical retainer that defines a plurality of
circumferentially and axially spaced openings.
[0012] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method of
making a duct may comprise blow-molding a first parison in a first
die to form a first duct part including a housing and blow-molding
a second parison in a second die to form a second duct part
including a closure member. A component part is assembled into the
housing and the closure member is assembled to the housing to
enclose the component part. A ring-shaped connector forms a seal
between the closure member and the housing.
[0013] The housing may further include a first radially extending
surface and a second radially extending surface. The ring may
include a third radially extending surface molded against the first
radially extending surface and a fourth radially extending surface
molded against the second radially extending surface. The radially
extending surfaces cooperate to prevent separation of the housing
and the closure member. The ring locks the closure member and the
housing together and forms a seal at the connection between the
closure member and the housing.
[0014] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a duct
assembly is provided that includes first and second ducts that
define a sealed housing for a component part. The first duct
includes a first length of tubing and an integrally formed housing.
The second duct includes a second length of tubing and an
integrally formed closure member. The component part is disposed in
the housing and is connected by a joint between the housing to the
closure member to seal the component part inside the housing.
[0015] According to other aspects of this disclosure as it relates
to the duct assembly, the joint may further comprise a first
telescopic portion of the housing and a second telescopic portion
of the closure member that is telescopically assembled onto the
first telescopic portion. A continuous ring may be molded over the
first telescopic portion and the second telescopic portion to join
and seal the joint between the housing and the closure member.
[0016] At least one of the first and second lengths of tubing may
be made of a thermoplastic polymer that is molded to a shape that
is curved along its length.
[0017] The above aspects of this disclosure and other aspects will
be described below with reference to the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one example of a duct
assembly made according to one aspect of this disclosure.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic partially cross-section view of a
blow-molding die for molding a first and second part of a tubular
assembly.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of two tubular parts
in position to be joined after being heated on a heated plate.
[0021] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the duct assembly
shown in FIG. 1.
[0022] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative
embodiment of a duct assembly.
[0023] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing a ring
molded over an inner tubular connector of a first duct part and an
outer tubular connector of a second duct part.
[0024] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of the process
used to manufacture a tubular assembly according to the embodiment
of FIGS. 5 and 6.
[0025] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of a
manufacturing process used to form either the duct assembly of
FIGS. 1-4 or FIGS. 5 and 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] The illustrated embodiments are disclosed with reference to
the drawings. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed
embodiments are intended to be merely examples that may be embodied
in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily
to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show
details of particular components. The specific structural and
functional details disclosed are not to be interpreted as limiting,
but as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art
how to practice the disclosed concepts.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 1, a duct assembly 10 is illustrated that
is formed by the assembly of a first duct part 12 to a second duct
part 14. A component part 16, such as a silencer, is assembled
within a housing 18. The housing 18 is integrally provided on a
first length of tubing 20. A closure member 22 is integrally
provided on a second length of tubing 24. The closure member 22 is
subsequently joined to the housing 18 as will be more specifically
described with reference to FIG. 3 below.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 2, a first duct part 12 and a second duct
part 14 are shown joined together as they are formed in one piece.
A first flange 26 is provided on the housing 18 and a second flange
28 is shown to be provided on the closure member 22. The first duct
part 12 and second duct part 14 are formed by a single parison 30
in a single blow-molding die 32. Forming the first and second duct
parts 12 and 14 in a single blow-molding 32 with a single parison
30 provides the advantage of eliminating the need to provide two
separate blow-molding dies to manufacture a duct assembly 10 that
houses a component part 16.
[0029] After the first and second duct parts 12 and 14 are formed
as a unit, a knife 36, such as a heated knife, may be used to cut
the two parts apart in an operation that is performed after the
parts are removed from the blow-molding die 32. The knife 36 in
FIG. 2 is diagrammatically shown to illustrate the location where
the combined part is to be cut in a later operation.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 3, the first and second duct parts 12 and
14 are shown separated with the housing 18 being separated from the
closure member 22. A first flange 26 is provided on the housing 18
and a second flange 28 is provided on the closure member 22. The
first and second duct parts 12 and 14 may be heat-welded together
with a butt-weld between the first and second flanges 26 and 28. A
heated plate 38 may be used in a subsequent manufacturing step to
heat the first flange 26 and second flange 28. After the first and
second flanges 26 and 28 are heated by the heated plate 38, the
flanges 26 and 28 are pressed together to weld the first duct part
12 to the second duct part 14. Alternatively, the flanges 26 and 28
may be joined by an adhesive, a solvent, a mechanical device, or
the like.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 4, the duct assembly 10 is shown in an
exploded perspective view with the first duct part 12 separated
from the second duct part 14. The component part 16, in this case a
silencer, is shown to include an energy-absorbing sleeve 40 that
may be glass fiber formed into a cylindrical tubular shape. The
energy-absorbing sleeve 40 is assembled to a retainer 42 that
defines a plurality of openings 44. It should be understood that
the energy absorbing sleeve 40 may be encapsulated within a mesh
sleeve to contain any glass fiber in the silencer 16. The silencer
16 is assembled into the housing 18 before the first and second
flanges 26 and 28 are welded together by the heated plate 38 (shown
in FIG. 3).
[0032] The housing 18 has a larger radial cross-section that the
first length of tubing 20 to provide space for the component part
16 without restricting the flow of air through the duct assembly
10. In the illustrated embodiment, the duct assembly 10 is an inlet
air duct that supplies air to a turbocharger from the air inlet and
air cleaner of the air intake system of a vehicle (not shown). The
larger cross-section of the housing 18 reduces any flow restriction
for air flowing into the turbo-charger (not shown). In the
illustrated embodiment, the housing 18 is substantially larger than
the closure member 22, but it should be understood that the housing
and closure member could be substantially equal in length provided
that they may be securely joined together and sealed to prevent any
leakage of air from between the housing 18 and the closure member
22.
[0033] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, an alternative duct assembly 50
is illustrated in an exploded perspective view. A first duct part
52 and a second duct part 54 combined to provide the duct assembly
50 are shown separated from each other. The first and second duct
parts 12 and 14 are preferably formed of polypropylene, nylon or
another type of thermoset material. A component part 56, such as a
silencer, is also shown to be separated from the enclosure but in
position to be inserted into a first housing part 58. A second
housing part 60 is adapted to receive part of the component part
56. An inner tubular connector 62, or first telescopic portion, is
provided on the first housing part 58. An outer tubular connector
60, or second telescopic portion, is provided on the second housing
part 60.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 6, the first housing part 58 and second
housing part 60 are shown joined together with the inner tubular
connector 62 being received within the outer tubular connector 64.
A ring 68 is shown between the first duct part 52 and second duct
part 54. The ring 68 joins and seals the first housing part 58 to
the second housing part 60.
[0035] The first housing part 58 includes a rib 70 having a first
radially extending surface 72. A groove 74 is provided on the outer
tubular connector 64 and includes a second radially extending
surface 76. The ring 68 includes a lip 78 on its distal end that
has a third radially extending surface 80. The third radially
extending surface 80 is molded into engagement with the first
radially extending surface 72 of the rib 70. A rib 82 is molded on
the ring 68 and includes a fourth radially extending surface 84
that is molded against the second radially extending surface 76 of
the rib 82 to join and seal the connection between the inner
tubular connector 62 and the outer tubular connector 64.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 6, an additional second rib 86 may be
provided on the ring 68 and a second groove 80 may be provided on
the outer tubular connector 64 to provide an additional joining and
sealing area between the inner tubular connector 62 and outer
tubular connector 64. The inner and outer tubular connectors 62 and
64 are also referred to herein as first and second telescopic
portions.
[0037] The ring 68 is injection molded over the inner tubular
connector 62 and outer tubular connector 64. The first duct part 52
and second duct part 56 may be formed of a thermo-plastic material
such as polypropylene that is filled with talc to reduce the cost
and weight of the duct assembly. Alternatively, the first and
second duct part 52 and 54 may be formed of other thermoset
material such as nylon, or the like. The ring 68 may be formed from
thermo-plastic material. The first and second duct parts 12 and 14
are preferably formed of polypropylene, nylon or another type of
thermoset material.
[0038] Referring to FIGS. 5-7, the process for manufacturing the
duct assembly 50 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is described with reference
to a flowchart. According to the process, a first tube 52 is
blow-molded at 100 to include an expanded housing 58. A second tube
54 is blow-molded with a closure member, or second housing part 60
at 102. A silencer 56 is assembled into the housing 58 at 104 and
the first tube 52 including the silencer 56 is assembled to the
second tube 54 with the housing closure at 106. The first tube 52
is assembled to the second tube 54 with the housing closure 60
being assembled over the housing 58. A sealing ring 68 is injection
molded at 108 over the housing 58 and second housing part 60.
[0039] Referring to FIG. 8, a method of manufacturing the
embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 or FIGS. 5-6 is described with reference to
a flowchart. In the first step of the process, a combined first
tubular part 16 and second tubular part 18 are blow-molded from a
single parison 30 of thermo-plastic material at 110. Next, the
first tubular part and second tubular part are cut at 112 into two
separate tubes. A silencer 16 is then assembled at 114 into the
housing 18 of the first tubular part. The closure member 22 of the
second tubular part is assembled over the housing to enclose the
silencer at 116. To manufacture a duct assembly according to FIGS.
5 and 6, a seal ring 68 is injection molded over the closure and an
end of the housing at 118. Alternatively, to manufacture the duct
assembly according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, the
closure member 22 may be butt-welded at 120 to an end of the
housing 18 with a heated plate 38.
[0040] The embodiments described above are specific examples that
do not describe all possible forms of the disclosure. The features
of the illustrated embodiments may be combined to form further
embodiments of the disclosed concepts. The words used in the
specification are words of description rather than limitation. The
scope of the following claims is broader than the specifically
disclosed embodiments and also includes modifications of the
illustrated embodiments.
* * * * *