Fuel tank having molded reinforcements and method of making same
First Claim
1. A method of making a container assembly having reinforced corners, said method comprising the steps of:
- disposing a reinforcement into a mold, the mold having an inner surface defining an outer surface of a container, wherein the reinforcement includes a peripheral edge;
forming a container body by disposing a molten parison of a fluid thermoplastic material into the mold and simultaneously molding the thermoplastic material over the inner surface of the mold and over the peripheral edge of the reinforcement, thereby forming the container body and molding the reinforcement to the container body;
providing the reinforcement with an indexing pin disposed on its outer surface, and providing the mold with an indexing assembly for receiving the indexing pin disposed on the reinforcement, whereby the reinforcement is retained in position during said forming step.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A container assembly includes a container body formed of a thermoplastic material having an inner surface, an outer surface, and at least one corner having a reinforcement molded to the outer surface of the corner. The reinforcement has a peripheral edge, which is partially embedded in the outer surface of the container body. A method of making a container assembly comprises the step of molding a container body over a portion of a reinforcement. A reinforcement having a peripheral edge is disposed in a mold. A fluid thermoplastic material is disposed into the mold. The thermoplastic material is then molded over the inner surface of the mold and the peripheral edge of the reinforcement thereby forming the container body. The thermoplastic material contacts the peripheral edge and melts or softens the edge. A peripheral edge is then brought into engagement with the container body to provide a secure seal between the reinforcement and the container body.
20 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of making a container assembly having reinforced corners, said method comprising the steps of:
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disposing a reinforcement into a mold, the mold having an inner surface defining an outer surface of a container, wherein the reinforcement includes a peripheral edge;
forming a container body by disposing a molten parison of a fluid thermoplastic material into the mold and simultaneously molding the thermoplastic material over the inner surface of the mold and over the peripheral edge of the reinforcement, thereby forming the container body and molding the reinforcement to the container body;
providing the reinforcement with an indexing pin disposed on its outer surface, and providing the mold with an indexing assembly for receiving the indexing pin disposed on the reinforcement, whereby the reinforcement is retained in position during said forming step. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification