Method for manufacturing a fuel tank and fuel tank

Abstract

The invention relates to a fuel tank comprising a tank body with an outer shell of a fibre-reinforced thermoplastic material comprising fibres embedded in a thermoplastic matrix, wherein an inner side of the outer shell is laminated with a multi-layered film of plastic, the outer shell being thicker than the multi-layer film of plastic and the multi-layer film of plastic comprising at least one barrier layer for hydrocarbons, wherein the fibres comprise at least one of glass fibres, carbon fibres and aramid fibres, wherein the fibre-reinforced material comprises at least one of woven or laid fibres embedded in the thermoplastic matrix

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A fuel tank comprising:
 a tank body with an outer shell of a fibre-reinforced material comprising fibres embedded in a thermoplastic matrix, wherein an inner side of the outer shell is laminated with a multi-layered film of plastic, the outer shell being thicker than the multi-layered film of plastic and the multi-layered film of plastic comprising at least one barrier layer for hydrocarbons,   wherein the fibres comprise at least one of glass fibres, carbon fibres and aramid fibres,   wherein the fibre-reinforced material comprises at least one of woven or laid fibres embedded in the thermoplastic matrix.   
     
     
         13 . The fuel tank according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the multi-layered film of plastic has a maximum thickness of 1.25 mm.   
     
     
         14 . The fuel tank according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the multi-layered film of plastic comprises at least five layers with EVOH as the barrier layer.   
     
     
         15 . The fuel tank according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the ratio of the thickness of the outer shell to the multi-layered thickness of the film of plastic is between 2 and 1.2.   
     
     
         16 . The fuel tank according to  claim 14 , wherein:
 the barrier layer is sandwiched between two adhesion promoter layers, and the barrier layer and the two adhesion promoter layers are sandwiched between two covering layers.   
     
     
         17 . The fuel tank according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 each layer of the two adhesion promoter layers has a maximum thickness of 200 micrometers.   
     
     
         18 . The fuel tank according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the barrier layer has a thickness in a range of 50 to 250 micrometers.   
     
     
         19 . The fuel tank according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the outer shell comprises an upper shell and a lower shell,   wherein each of the upper shell and the lower shell have an inner side, respectively,   wherein the inner side of the upper shell and the inner side of the lower shell each provide a portion of the inner side of the outer shell; and   wherein the inner side of the upper shell is laminated with the multi-layered film of plastic which provides a laminated upper shell; and   wherein the inner side of the lower shell is laminated with the multi-layered film of plastic which provides a laminated lower shell.   
     
     
         20 . The fuel tank according to  claim 19 , wherein:
 the laminated upper shell and the laminated lower shell are only laminated on the inner side, respectively, with the multi-layered film.   
     
     
         21 . The fuel tank according to  claim 19 , wherein:
 the laminated upper shell and the laminated lower shell each have a peripheral flange.   
     
     
         22 . The fuel tank according to  claim 21 , wherein:
 the peripheral flange of the laminated upper shell and the peripheral flange of the laminated lower shell are bonded to each other.   
     
     
         23 . The fuel tank according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 the peripheral flange of the laminated upper shell and the peripheral flange of the laminated lower shell are bonded to each other such that the upper shell and the lower shell are bonded directly to each other.   
     
     
         24 . The fuel tank according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 the peripheral flange of the laminated upper shell excludes the multi-layered film of plastic and the peripheral flange of the laminated lower shell excludes the multi-layered film of plastic such that a bond of the peripheral flange of the laminated upper shell and the peripheral flange of the laminated lower shell excludes the multi-layered film of plastic of the laminated upper shell and the multi-layered film of plastic of the laminated lower shell.   
     
     
         25 . The fuel tank according to  claim 21 , wherein:
 the peripheral flange of the laminated upper shell or the laminated lower shell is folded over the peripheral flange of the other of the laminated upper shell and the laminated lower shell.   
     
     
         26 . The fuel tank according to  claim 21 , wherein:
 the peripheral flanges of the laminated upper shell and the laminated lower shell form a peripheral edge-folded seam.   
     
     
         27 . The fuel tank according to  claim 21 , wherein:
 an end face of the peripheral flange of the laminated upper shell and an end face of the peripheral flange of the laminated lower shell are disposed within a peripheral profile.   
     
     
         28 . The fuel tank according to  claim 27 , wherein:
 the peripheral profile has a C-shaped profile or a U-shaped profile.   
     
     
         29 . The fuel tank according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 at least one insert disposed within the fuel tank, wherein the at least one insert comprises at least one of a valve, a venting line, a surge tank and a feel unit.   
     
     
         30 . The fuel tank according to  claim 29 , wherein:
 the at least one insert is disposed on an insert carrier which welded or clamped to the outer shell of the tank.   
     
     
         31 . The fuel tank according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the outer shell is provided by a thermoformed sheet.   
     
     
         32 . The fuel tank according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the outer shell is provided by an organometallic sheet.   
     
     
         33 . The fuel tank according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the thermoplastic matrix comprises high density polyethylene.