Bladder and accumulator using the same

• US 5,606,996 A
• Filed: 04/18/1996
• Issued: 03/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nobuyuki Sugimura
• Original Assignee: Nobuyuki Sugimura
• Inventors: Sugimura, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hook, James F.
• Application Number:
  US08/634,687
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• Field of Search: 138/30, 138/26, 138/31, 220/721
• US Class Current: 138/30
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/053 the gas in the reservoir being separated from the fluid in the pipe

Abstract

A mounting flange is formed at the opening of the bladder formed into the shape of a bag from elastic material such as rubber; and a thin wall section is formed to prevent stress concentration near the base of the mounting flange.

Claims

1. A bladder for an accumulator, said bladder being adapted for mounting to an accumulator body and comprising:

an elastic bag portion substantially defined by a wall having a first thickness, said bag portion having an opening at an end;

an integral stress concentration preventing wall section about said bag portion adjacent said opening, said wall section being substantially cylindrical about an axis and having an axial length with a substantially uniform second thickness less than said first thickness; and

a mounting flange around the opening and integrally connected to the wall section by a base portion having a third thickness greater than said second thickness;

wherein expansion of said bladder first expands said stress concentration preventing wall section in a circumferential direction into close contact with an inner surface of said accumulator body.

2. The bladder of claim 1, wherein said mounting flange is thicker than said third thickness and said third thickness is greater than said first thickness.

3. The bladder of claim 1, wherein the bag portion surrounds an interior with an inner side of the wall facing said interior, and said stress concentration preventing wall section is formed by depressing the other side of the bag portion wall adjacent said opening.

4. The bladder of claim 1, wherein the bag portion surrounds an interior with an inner side of the wall facing said interior, and said stress concentration preventing wall section is formed by depressing the inner side of the bag portion adjacent said opening.

5. The bladder of claim 1, wherein the bag portion surrounds an interior with an inner side of the wall facing said interior, and said stress concentration preventing wall section is formed by depressing both the inner side and other side of the bag portion adjacent said opening.

6. The bladder of claim 1, wherein said bladder has an inner periphery side with longitudinal ridges spaced at a predetermined interval and having a greater thickness than said first thickness.

7. The bladder of claim 1, wherein the stress concentration preventing wall section is connected to said base portion by a first connecting wall section tapered from said third thickness at said base portion to said second thickness at said stress concentration preventing wall section.

8. The bladder of claim 7, wherein the stress concentration preventing wall section is connected to said bag portion by a second connecting wall section tapered from said first thickness at said bag portion to said second thickness at said stress concentration preventing wall section.

9. The bladder of claim 1, wherein the area of the stress concentration preventing wall section accounts for less than 10% of the total bladder area.

10. A bladder for an accumulator, said bladder being adapted for mounting to an accumulator body and comprising:

an elastic bag portion substantially defined by a wall having a thickness A, said bag portion having an opening at an end;

an integral stress concentration preventing wall section about said bag portion adjacent said opening, said wall section being substantially cylindrical about an axis and having an axial length with a substantially uniform thickness B; and

a mounting flange around the opening and integrally connected to the wall section by a base portion having a thickness C;

wherein B<

0.65 A; and

wherein expansion of said bladder first expands said stress concentration preventing wall section in a circumferential direction into close contact with an inner surface of said accumulator body.

11. The bladder of claim 10, wherein C>

A.

12. The bladder of claim 10, wherein the integral stress concentration preventing wall section is connected to the base portion by a first connecting wall section tapered from thickness C at the base portion to a thickness B at the stress concentration preventing wall section.

13. The bladder of claim 10, wherein the bag portion surrounds an interior with an inner side of the wall facing said interior, and said stress concentration preventing wall section is formed by depressing the other side of the bag portion wall adjacent said opening.

14. The bladder of claim 10, wherein the bag portion surrounds an interior with an inner side of the wall facing said interior, and said stress concentration preventing wall section is formed by depressing the inner side of the bag portion adjacent said opening.

15. The bladder of claim 10, wherein the bag portion surrounds an interior with an inner side of the wall facing said interior, and said stress concentration preventing wall section is formed by depressing both the inner side and other side of the bag portion adjacent said opening.

16. The bladder of claim 10, wherein said bladder has an inner periphery side with longitudinal ridges spaced at a predetermined interval and having a greater thickness than said first thickness.

17. The bladder of claim 10, wherein the area of the stress concentration preventing wall section accounts for less than 10% of the total bladder area.

18. The bladder of claim 12, wherein the stress concentration preventing wall section is connected to said bag portion by a second connecting wall section tapered from said thickness A at said bag portion to said thickness B at said stress concentration preventing wall section.