DE102011104014A1 - Container for a service medium of a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (30) for an operating medium of a motor vehicle, with at least two components (32, 34, 36) which form a closed cavity for receiving the operating medium, the first component (32) being a cast component and the second component ( 34, 36, 52) is designed as a sheet metal component. The use of at least one cast component creates a particularly stable and dimensionally stable container (30) which can nevertheless be manufactured inexpensively.

Description

The invention relates to a container for a service medium of a motor vehicle.

Such containers, for example in the form of oil containers or the like, are well known in the art. Usually, they are manufactured as sheet metal constructions of several, welded together sheet metal components. Such sheet-metal welded structures disadvantageously have a relatively low component accuracy. In particular, when welding the sheets together, there is a delay, which often has to be corrected with difficulty. It must be ensured in particular that connecting elements, by means of which the container is connected to other components of the motor vehicle, have the desired dimensional stability. These are, for example, flanges, line connections and the like. Due to the high reworking costs, such containers are therefore particularly expensive to produce.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to provide a container of the type mentioned, which can be made in a cost-effective manner very accurate.

This object is achieved by a container having the features of patent claim 1.

Such a container for a service medium of a motor vehicle comprises at least two components, which form a closed cavity for receiving the operating medium. It is provided that the first component is designed as a cast component and the second components as a sheet metal component.

By using at least one cast component for the container, the dimensional accuracy compared to a pure metal-welded construction is significantly improved. In contrast to sheet metal components, cast components have a markedly increased strength, so that even with the use of welded joints significantly lower distortions occur than with pure sheet metal constructions. The cast component thus gives the container the necessary stability and ensures the dimensional stability of the container. Elaborate rework, as they are necessary in known from the prior art sheet metal structures, so can be omitted, so that the production of such a container is particularly inexpensive. Even complex welding devices for joining the components can be dispensed with. A further advantage of the invention is that all subsections of the container to be further processed can be integrated into the cast component and are not distributed over a plurality of sheets, as in containers according to the prior art. Further processing steps can thus be carried out without re-clamping the container in a single machine, so that the production of the container is also procedurally particularly simple and therefore inexpensive.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the components are welded together. Due to the use of at least one cast component, this is essentially possible without warping, so that a particularly stable container is created by the welded joints. In addition, compared with other joining methods, welding is particularly easy to automate, so that the production of such a container can be carried out in a particularly cost-effective manner.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one holding element for connecting the container to a further motor vehicle component is formed on the first component. This may be, for example, a flange. By forming the retaining element on the cast component can be ensured that this is particularly stable, so that a particularly secure connection of the container to other components is possible.

Preferably, at least one receptacle for a fill level sensor for determining a fill level of the operating medium in the container is further formed on the first component. Due to the particularly good stability of the cast component against distortion during welding can thus be ensured that the recording is particularly dimensionally stable, so that only a particularly small sealing effort must be operated to seal a filling level sensor used in this recording against the container interior.

Conveniently, at least one connecting piece for connecting a supply line and / or discharge for the operating medium is further formed on the first component. Again, the good dimensional stability of the cast component ensures that the connections for the operating medium can be sealed particularly securely and in the installation position of the container in the motor vehicle have a defined orientation to adjacent components. This is especially due to the scarce available space and the resulting complex wiring in modern cars of particular importance.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the components are formed from an aluminum-based alloy. Such components have a particularly low weight and at the same time good weldability and are well corrosion-resistant compared to all common operating media.

Preferably, the container is designed as an oil container for a motor vehicle with dry sump lubrication. By separating the oil tank from the internal combustion engine in the dry sump lubrication a particularly complex wiring is necessary, which is particularly easy to implement by the good dimensional stability of the container.

The invention further relates to a motor vehicle with a container of the type described.

In the following the invention and its embodiments will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. Show it:

1 a perspective view of an oil container according to the prior art;

2 a perspective view of an embodiment of a container according to the invention in a side view from the wider side;

3 the container according to 2 in a perspective side view of the narrower side;

4 the container according to 2 in a perspective view from the bottom.

A whole with 10 designated oil tank for a motor vehicle with dry sump lubrication according to the prior art is as a sheet metal construction of a plurality of sheet metal shells 12 . 14 manufactured. To these welded together components 12 . 14 are other functional parts, such as flanges 16 and connecting pieces 18 , welded. With the connecting pieces 18 firmly connected lines 20 and derivatives 22 for that in the container 10 contained oil. At the tank 10 is still an oil separator 24 attached, via the connecting piece 26 oily air from a crankcase ventilation of an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle can be supplied. This in the oil separator 24 separated oil can go down into the container 10 flow away. A refill nozzle 28 also serves to replenish oil in the container 10 ,

By training the oil container 10 as a welded sheet metal construction occurs in the production of the oil tank 10 due to the heat input during welding in many places and / or in many directions to a delay. To ensure the necessary dimensional accuracy, the oil tank must 10 Therefore, be addressed consuming after welding, which is the cost of a motor vehicle with such an oil tank 10 clearly increased.

2 shows you as a whole 30 designated oil tank, which circumvents the above problem. To one opposite the oil tank 10 To ensure improved dimensional accuracy, the oil tank 30 a lower shell 32 on, which is designed as Aluminiumgussbauteil. Other sheet metal components 34 . 36 are with the cast component 32 welded.

In order to avoid the mentioned problems concerning the component tolerances, all components of the container are 30 , which must be particularly dimensionally stable, integral with the cast component 32 educated. This concerns flanges 38 , by means of which the oil tank 30 can be mounted in the car, as well as the connecting pieces 40 for supply lines 42 and derivatives 44 for that in the container 30 contained oil. Also a recording 46 for a level sensor 48 is in the lower part designed as a cast component 32 recorded with. The sheet metal components 34 . 36 only carry the oil separator 24 which corresponds to the oil separator of the prior art.

As can be seen from the figures, the lines 42 and 44 both at the bottom 50 of the oil container 30 connected. The derivative 42 leads to a siphon area 44 in a recessed bag 46 the lower shell 32 , so that even with shifting due to vehicle acceleration oil level at any time air free of bubbles from the lowest point of the oil reservoir 30 can be sucked off.

By the design of the lower part 32 As a cast component, stable and complex structures can be easily formed. Cast components have a significantly lower heat distortion during welding compared to sheet metal components, so that in the manufacture of the oil tank 30 no complicated subsequent straightening are necessary. In particular, aluminum-based alloys are suitable as material for both the cast component 32 as well as for the sheets 34 . 36 , An oil container 30 made of such materials is particularly light and yet easily weldable. Of course, other materials or material pairings are possible. For example, the use of magnesium alloys over particularly high lightweight requirements is possible. Also steel or the combination of steel with one of the mentioned materials or a plastic can be used.

Overall, this results in a cost-producible and at the same time particularly dimensionally stable oil reservoir 30 Particularly suitable for use in high-quality cars with dry sump lubrication.

Claims (8)

Container ( 30 ) for a service vehicle of a motor vehicle, with at least two components ( 32 . 34 . 36 ), which form a closed cavity for receiving the operating medium, wherein the first component ( 32 ) as a cast component and the second component ( 34 . 36 ) is formed as a sheet metal component. Container ( 309 according to claim 1, characterized in that the components ( 32 . 34 . 36 ) are welded together. Container ( 30 ) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that on the first component ( 32 ) at least one retaining element ( 38 ) for connecting the container ( 30 ) is formed with a further motor vehicle component. Container ( 30 ) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that on the first component ( 32 ) at least one recording ( 46 ) for a level sensor ( 48 ) for determining a level of the operating medium in the container ( 30 ) is trained. Container ( 30 ) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that on the first component ( 32 ) at least one connecting piece ( 40 ) for connecting a supply line ( 44 ) and / or derivative ( 42 ) is designed for the operating medium. Container ( 30 ) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the components ( 32 . 34 . 36 ) are formed of an aluminum-based alloy. Container ( 30 ) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the container ( 30 ) is designed as an oil tank for a motor vehicle with dry sump lubrication. Car with a container ( 30 ) according to one of claims 1 to 7, which is filled with a working medium.

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