Patent ID: 7968040

Claim:
A method for fabricating a fluid connector for fuel cell system comprising the following steps: (a) a thermoplastic parison ( 19 ) comprising two opposite walls is extruded, (b) the parison is placed in between bottom and upper mould halves ( 10 a , 10 b ), the upper mould half ( 10 b ) defining a first open cavity ( 11 b ) and a second open cavity ( 14 b ) and having an intermediate zone ( 16 b ), the bottom mould half ( 10 a ) defining a first open cavity ( 11 a ) and a second open cavity ( 14 a ) and having an intermediate zone ( 16 a ), the mould halves ( 10 a , 10 b ) when closed together define a first closed cavity comprised of said first open cavities ( 11 a , 11 b ) of the bottom and upper mould halves ( 10 a , 10 b ) and a second closed cavity comprised of said second open cavities ( 11 a , 11 b ) of the bottom and upper mould halves ( 10 a , 10 b ), the first and second closed cavities being spaced from one another, the mould halves ( 10 a , 10 b ) which when closed together draw the intermediate zones ( 16 a , 16 b ) of the bottom and upper mould halves ( 10 a , 10 b ) into close proximity to one another, (c) the mould halves ( 10 a , 10 b ) are closed together in order to join together, in between said intermediate zones ( 16 a , 16 b ) the two walls of the parison in a gastight manner, (d) a gas is blown inside the parison into each of said first and second closed cavities, to press the walls of the parison on the mould in each of said first and second closed cavities to form first and second fluid conduits ( 31 , 34 ) in said first and second closed cavities, respectively, and (e) the mould is opened, wherein, during step (b), an end piece is placed in an opening in one of the mould halves that opens into a respective open cavity, during step (d), the parison is attached to the end piece in a gastight manner, and the method further comprises a step (f) during which the parison is perforated to form a fluid communication between the end piece and the fluid conduit formed in the cavity adjacent to the end piece.