DE102011104014B4 - Container for an operating medium of a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

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) is designed as a sheet metal component, characterized in that the components (32, 34, 36) are welded to one another.

Description

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

Such containers, for example in the form of oil containers or the like, are generally known from the prior art. Usually they are made as sheet metal constructions from several sheet metal components welded together. Such welded sheet metal structures disadvantageously have a relatively low component accuracy. In particular, when the sheets are welded together, distortions occur which often have to be corrected in a complex manner. In particular, it must be ensured that connecting elements by means of which the container is connected to other components of the motor vehicle have the desired dimensional accuracy. These are, for example, flanges, line connections and the like. Due to the high reworking effort, such containers are therefore particularly expensive to manufacture.

The DE 39 39 567 A1 relates to an oil pan for an internal combustion engine, with a flat bottom part and a deep pan section as an oil sump and a suction pipe of an oil pump that plunges into the deep pan section. It is proposed that the deep tub section is designed as a removable oil pot.

The DE 40 28 547 A1 relates to an oil pan for an internal combustion engine, the oil pan having a flat bottom portion and a sump. The flat bottom portion includes an inclined surface that gradually descends toward the sump and toward the downstream side of an oil flow caused by the rotation of the crankshaft.

The DE 42 42 513 C2 relates to an oil pan for an internal combustion engine, in particular a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine with a flat bottom part and a deep pan section as an oil sump and a suction pipe of an oil pump opening into the deep pan section, the deep pan section being designed as a removable unit.

The U.S. 5,937,817 A describes a method for operating a flame starting unit for an internal combustion engine, in particular a diesel engine with a flame glow plug, which is located in an air intake duct of the internal combustion engine and is supplied with fuel via a fuel line. The fuel supply of the flame glow plug is dosed as a function of the respective operating phase of the internal combustion engine by a valve for controlling the amount of fuel in the fuel line for supplying the flame glow plug, this valve being designed in particular as a clocked solenoid valve that is controlled via clock signals that set a frequency and / or length, which is varied depending on which of several operating phases of the internal combustion engine takes place.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a container of the type mentioned at the beginning, which can be manufactured with particularly precise dimensions in a cost-effective manner.

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

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

By using at least one cast component for the container, the dimensional accuracy is significantly improved compared to a pure sheet metal welded construction. In contrast to sheet metal components, cast components have a significantly increased strength, so that even when welded connections are used, significantly less distortion occurs than with pure sheet metal constructions. The cast component thus gives the container the necessary stability and ensures the dimensional accuracy of the container.

Complex reworking, as is necessary with sheet metal constructions known from the prior art, can therefore be dispensed with, so that the production of such a container is particularly cost-effective. Complex welding devices for joining the components can also be dispensed with. A further advantage of the invention is that all of the partial areas of the container to be processed further can be integrated into the cast component and are not distributed over a large number of metal sheets, as is the case with containers according to the prior art. Further processing steps can thus be carried out in a single machine without reclamping the container, so that the manufacture of the container is particularly simple in terms of process technology and is therefore inexpensive.

According to the invention, the components are welded together. Due to the use of at least one cast component, this is possible here essentially without distortion, so that a particularly stable container is created through the welded connections. Compared to other joining methods, welding is also particularly easy automate, so that the production of such a container can be carried out particularly inexpensively.

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 can be a flange, for example. The formation of the holding element on the cast component can ensure that it is particularly stable, so that a particularly secure connection of the container to other components is possible.

At least one receptacle for a fill level sensor for determining a fill level of the operating medium in the container is preferably also formed on the first component. Due to the particularly good stability of the cast component against distortion during welding, it can thus be ensured that the receptacle is particularly dimensionally accurate, so that only a particularly low sealing effort has to be carried out in order to seal a fill level sensor inserted into this receptacle from the interior of the container.

Expediently, at least one connection piece for connecting a supply line and / or discharge line for the operating medium is also formed on the first component. Here, too, the good dimensional accuracy of the cast component ensures that the connections for the operating medium can be sealed particularly reliably and have a defined orientation to adjacent components when the container is installed in the motor vehicle. This is of particular importance in modern motor vehicles because of the limited space available and the resulting complex cable routing.

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

The container is preferably designed as an oil container for a motor vehicle with dry sump lubrication. Due to the separation of the oil container from the internal combustion engine in the case of dry sump lubrication, a particularly complex line routing is necessary, which is particularly easy to implement due to the good dimensional accuracy of the container.

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

• 1 eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Ölbehälters nach dem Stand der Technik;
• 2 eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Ausführungsbeispiels eines erfindungsgemäßen Behälters in einer Seitenansicht von der breiteren Seite;
• 3 den Behälter gemäß 2 in einer perspektivischen Seitenansicht von der schmaleren Seite;
• 4 den Behälter gemäß 2 in einer perspektivischen Ansicht von der Unterseite.

The invention and its embodiments are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Show it:

• 1 a perspective view of a prior art oil container;
• 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 from the narrower side;
• 4th the container according to 2 in a perspective view from the bottom.

An oil container, designated as a whole by 10, for a motor vehicle with dry sump lubrication according to the prior art is a sheet metal construction made up of a plurality of sheet metal shells 12 , 14th manufactured. To these components welded together 12 , 14th are further functional parts, such as flanges 16 and connecting piece 18th , welded on. With the connecting pieces 18th lines are firmly connected 20th and derivatives 22nd for that in the container 10 contained oil. On the container 10 is still an oil separator 24 attached, the one above the connecting piece 26th Oil-containing air can be supplied from a crankcase ventilation of an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle. That in the oil separator 24 separated oil can go down into the container 10 flow away. A refill neck 28 also serves to refill oil in the container 10 .

Through the design of the oil container 10 it comes as a welded sheet metal construction in the manufacture of the oil container 10 due to the heat input during welding in many places and / or in many directions to a distortion. To ensure the necessary dimensional accuracy, the oil tank must 10 Therefore, after welding, they are expensive to straighten, which increases the manufacturing costs of a motor vehicle with such an oil container 10 clearly increased.

2 shows an oil tank, designated as a whole by 30, which avoids the problems mentioned. To one opposite the oil tank 10 To ensure improved dimensional accuracy, the oil tank 30th a lower shell 32 which is designed as a cast aluminum component. Further sheet metal components 34 , 36 are with the cast component 32 welded.

In order to avoid the problems mentioned with regard to the component tolerances, all components of the container are 30th , which must be particularly dimensionally stable, in one piece with the cast component 32 educated. This applies to flanges 38 , by means of which the oil tank 30th can be attached in the vehicle, as well as the connecting pieces 40 for supply lines 42 and derivatives 44 for that in the container 30th 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 state-of-the-art oil separator.

As can be seen from the figures, the lines are 42 and 44 both at the bottom 50 of the oil container 30th connected. The derivation 44 opens into a recessed pocket via a siphon area 46 the lower shell 32 so that even if the oil level changes due to vehicle acceleration, oil is always free of air bubbles from the lowest point of the oil tank 30th can be extracted.

Through the design of the lower part 32 as a cast component, stable and at the same time complex structures can be easily formed. Compared to sheet metal components, cast components have a significantly lower heat distortion during welding, so that during the production of the oil container 30th no costly subsequent straightening work is necessary. In particular, aluminum-based alloys are suitable as material for the cast component 32 as well as for the sheets 34 , 36 . An oil container 30th made of such materials is particularly light and yet easy to weld. Of course, other materials or material pairings are also possible. For example, the use of magnesium alloys is possible with particularly high lightweight construction requirements. Steel or a combination of steel with one of the materials mentioned or a plastic can also be used.

Overall, this results in an oil container that can be produced inexpensively and at the same time is particularly dimensionally stable 30th which is particularly suitable for use in high-quality vehicles with dry sump lubrication.

Claims (7)

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) is designed as a sheet metal component, characterized in that the components (32, 34, 36) are welded together. Container (30) after Claim 1 , characterized in that at least one holding element (38) for connecting the container (30) to a further motor vehicle component is formed on the first component (32). Container (30) according to one of the Claims 1 or 2 , characterized in that at least one receptacle (46) for a fill level sensor (48) for determining a fill level of the operating medium in the container (30) is formed on the first component (32). Container (30) according to one of the Claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that at least one connection piece (40) for connecting a supply line (42) and / or discharge line (44) for the operating medium is formed on the first component (32). Container (30) according to one of the Claims 1 to 4th , characterized in that the components (32, 34, 36) are formed from an aluminum-based alloy. Container (30) according to one of the Claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that the container (30) is designed as an oil container for a motor vehicle with dry sump lubrication. Motor vehicle with a container (30) according to one of the Claims 1 to 6th which is filled with an operating medium.

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