DE102020108718A1 - Equipment container and equipment supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the invention, the technology disclosed here relates to an operating fluid container 10 for a motor vehicle with an interior 12, one or more interior walls 30 and an ultrasonic fill level measuring device 20, with lower boundary lines 35 of the interior walls 30 being aligned obliquely to a floor 15 of the interior 12. This avoids disturbances in the level determination. According to the invention, the technology disclosed here also relates to an operating medium supply system with such an operating medium container 10.

Description

The technology disclosed here relates to an operating medium container for a motor vehicle and an operating medium supply system. Equipment containers are often used to store equipment in a motor vehicle or other mobile unit. An operating medium can be, for example, liquid fuel, but also other liquid operating medium such as water or additives for reducing exhaust gas emissions. Operating medium containers can be equipped with inner walls which are arranged above a floor in the interior of the operating medium container and can dampen sloshing movements in the operating medium container. Furthermore, operating medium containers can be provided with filling level measuring devices which can use ultrasound to sense a filling level in the operating medium container. However, it was recognized that inner walls can interfere with the function of ultrasonic level measuring devices.

It is a preferred object of the technology disclosed here to reduce or eliminate at least one disadvantage of a previously known solution or to propose an alternative solution. In particular, it is a preferred object of the technology disclosed here to improve the functionality of an ultrasonic fill level measuring device in cooperation with inner walls. Further preferred objects can result from the advantageous effects of the technology disclosed here. The objects are achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. The dependent claims represent preferred configurations.

The technology disclosed here relates to an operating fluid container for a motor vehicle, comprising (i) an interior space which is delimited on the underside by a floor, (ii) one or more inner walls which are arranged above the floor in the interior space, and (iii) an ultrasonic Level measuring device which is arranged on the floor or in the floor and emits ultrasonic waves transversely to the floor, with one or more lower boundary lines of the one or more inner walls being appropriately aligned obliquely to the floor. The inclined alignment of the inner walls to the floor ensures that the ultrasonic waves emitted transversely to the floor are reflected by the inner walls in such a way that the reflected ultrasonic waves do not reach the ultrasonic level measuring device, but rather hit the floor of the interior space next to the ultrasonic level measuring device. There they are no longer received by the ultrasonic level measuring device and thus no longer interfere with the measurement of the level in the interior.

In its interior, the operating medium container forms, in particular, a storage volume for storing the operating medium. The operating medium container thus essentially forms a fluid-tight outer shell of the storage volume and delimits the storage volume from the installation space. In the case of plastic containers, for example, one speaks of a bubble. In the case of steel containers, the operating medium container can be formed from two metal shells, for example. The operating medium container can advantageously have a saddle shape, with a main chamber and a secondary chamber, which are connected to one another via a connecting area. A preferred operating medium is fuel. It is also conceivable that the technology disclosed here is used to store other liquids (for example water or an aqueous solution) in a motor vehicle. Even if an operating medium tank and the like are mentioned here, the terms “fuel tank” and the like are also intended to be disclosed.

The inner walls can in particular serve to prevent excessive sloshing movements of an operating medium. These are particularly relevant when there is a high level of equipment. It is therefore typically sufficient to arrange the inner walls at a distance above the floor in the interior space so that they do not touch the floor. In other words, the inner walls only take up part of a vertical direction of the operating medium container. At low fill levels, the equipment typically does not come into contact with the inner walls. At high fill levels, however, it has been shown that reflections of ultrasonic waves can occur with lower boundary lines of the inner walls, which are aligned parallel to the floor, which are reflected directly to the ultrasonic fill level measuring device and thus simulate a fill level at the height of the boundary line, although the fill level is actually higher. This is precisely what is avoided by the technology disclosed here.

An inner wall can, for example, be located in the operating medium container without crossing or touching another inner wall.

One or more inner walls can extend, for example, from a side wall of the operating medium container to an opposite side wall of the operating medium container. An inner wall designed in this way can in particular touch and / or be fastened to these walls. The side walls can in particular protrude vertically or upwards from the floor.

One or more inner walls can extend from their lower boundary line to a ceiling or some other upper boundary of the operating medium container. An inner wall designed in this way can touch the ceiling or the upper boundary and / or be attached to it.

One or more inner walls can be flat or planar. However, they can also be designed with ribs, for example for stiffening. In particular, they can be designed in such a way that they do not delimit an enclosed volume in the operating medium container. In this way, an inner wall can be separated from a surge pot, for example.

A lower boundary line is in particular a lower edge of an inner wall or its lower boundary. A lower edge can be designed to be flat with the rest of the inner wall, but it can, for example, also be designed with a greater extent perpendicular to a plane of the inner wall, whereby a bead can be formed, for example. In particular, all lower boundary lines can be aligned obliquely to the ground.

An oblique alignment is understood in particular to mean that the lower boundary lines are not parallel to the ground. For example, you can make an angle of more than 5 °, more than 10 °, more than 20 °, more than 30 ° or more than 45 ° to the floor. The floor is typically flat or at least partially flat, such a flat floor being oriented horizontally in a normal position of a motor vehicle on a flat surface. This serves as a reference for the alignment of the lower boundary lines. The same also applies to negative angles, with the above-mentioned angles here being the lower limit for the corresponding absolute values of negative angles. At the same time, intervals for angles or their absolute values can be formed from the angles mentioned above, whereby the values mentioned can be combined as desired.

The transverse alignment of the ultrasonic waves relates in particular to the portion of the ultrasonic waves that is directed directly upwards.

The ultrasonic fill level measuring device determines a fill level in particular on the basis of a transit time between an emitted ultrasonic wave and a received ultrasonic wave. The ultrasonic waves are emitted into the interior in particular.

The ultrasonic fill level measuring device preferably has an ultrasonic emitter and an ultrasonic receiver integrated in one unit. This enables a particularly compact design of such a level measuring device. Alternatively, however, a separate design of the ultrasonic emitter and ultrasonic receiver is also possible in principle. The ultrasonic emitter and ultrasonic receiver are preferably arranged directly next to one another or at least only at a small distance from one another compared to the dimensions of the operating medium container.

The floor can in particular be designed entirely or partially as a flat surface. As already mentioned, this flat surface can serve as a reference for the inclined alignment of the lower boundary lines. In a typical position in which a motor vehicle is standing on a horizontal surface, the flat surface is typically oriented horizontally.

One or more interior walls can be spaced above the floor. Then they don't touch the ground. However, they can also be designed so that they touch the ground at one or more points. The sloping design of the lower boundary line implies that the inner wall is otherwise arranged at a distance above the floor.

Possible designs of inner walls and their lower boundary lines are described below. These designs can be applied, for example, to an inner wall which is located in the interior space. They can also apply to one section or several sections of the inner wall or the lower boundary line, wherein another section can be designed differently or several other sections can be designed differently. There can also be several inner walls in the interior, whereby an embodiment described below can apply to all inner walls or also selectively to an inner wall or a part of the inner walls, or only to a section or several sections of an inner wall or a part of the inner walls or . of the respective lower limit lines may apply. Other sections or other inner walls can in turn be designed differently, for example as described below. In other words, the embodiments described below can be combined with one another as desired in the case of an inner wall or a plurality of inner walls and their respective sections.

According to one embodiment, in the case of at least one inner wall, the lower boundary line runs completely in a straight line at an angle to the floor. As mentioned, this can relate to the entire inner wall or to just a section of this inner wall. A straight execution is in particular easy to manufacture. A completely straight course means in particular that the angle does not change relative to the ground.

According to one embodiment, in the case of at least one inner wall, the lower boundary line is aligned along a first section at a first angle obliquely to the floor and along a second section at a second angle obliquely to the floor. The first angle is preferably different from the second angle. For example, this can be implemented in such a way that the second angle corresponds to the first angle multiplied by −1, that is to say that the second angle is negative, for example, whereas the first angle is positive. As mentioned, this can relate to an entire inner wall or to a section or to two sections of an inner wall. Negative and positive angles can in particular be specified along one direction, positive angles mean an increase in the distance between the lower boundary line and the floor and negative angles mean a reduction in the distance between the lower boundary line and the floor. It is also possible to use more than two orientations with respective individual angles.

According to one embodiment, the lower boundary line is roof-shaped in at least one inner wall. As mentioned, this can relate to a section of the inner wall or to the entire inner wall.

The roof-shaped design can be achieved, for example, with the embodiment already described in that two different angles are used, the second angle corresponding to the first angle multiplied by -1. However, it is also possible to use different absolute values for the angles.

According to one embodiment, the lower boundary line is jagged on at least one inner wall. As a result, a lower boundary line is reached, which continuously assumes different angles to the floor and thus also ensures that ultrasonic waves are not reflected back to the ultrasonic level measuring device. As mentioned, this can relate to a section of the inner wall or to the entire inner wall. A serrated design can be formed, for example, by continuously alternating angles with the same absolute value but different signs.

According to one embodiment, the lower boundary line is designed to be curved in at least one inner wall. As mentioned, this can relate to a section of the inner wall or to the entire inner wall. A curved design can in particular be understood to mean that an angle of the lower boundary line changes continuously relative to the floor as a function of location, so that for example each point of the lower boundary line assumes a different angle to the floor. The angles can be specified, for example, by a mathematical function such as a polynomial or a trigonometric function.

According to one embodiment, at least those boundary lines which are arranged within an ultrasonic cone of the ultrasonic fill level measuring device are aligned obliquely to the floor. As a result, the effect of the technology disclosed here of not reflecting the ultrasonic waves back to the ultrasonic fill level measuring device is advantageously achieved. Outside of an ultrasonic cone, lower boundary lines can also be used, for example, which run parallel to the floor, since they are no longer hit by the ultrasonic cone and therefore no disruptive reflections are to be expected. An ultrasound cone can in particular be defined as an area in which the intensity of an ultrasound signal exceeds a predetermined threshold value. The ultrasonic cone expediently relates to ultrasonic waves emitted by the ultrasonic fill level measuring device.

In principle, it is also possible to have at least small sections of the lower boundary lines also run parallel to the floor within the ultrasonic cone, provided that these do not impair the measurement, for example because the reflected ultrasonic waves are too weak for this.

In particular, the lower boundary lines can be aligned obliquely to the floor in such a way that ultrasonic waves reflected at the lower boundary lines occur next to the ultrasonic fill level measuring device on the floor. This can relate in particular to reflected ultrasonic waves, insofar as their intensity exceeds a threshold value when they hit the ground.

In particular, one or more angles of one or more lower boundary lines to the ground can be more than 5 °, more than 10 °, more than 20 °, more than 30 ° or more than 45 °.

The technology disclosed here also relates to a resource supply system that has at least one resource container as disclosed herein. With regard to the operating medium container, all of the designs and variants described herein can be used. The equipment supply system can be used, for example, to store equipment such as fuel, water or additives to reduce pollutants, which can be fed to an engine or an exhaust gas purification system, for example.

In other words, it is advantageous not to represent a surface of stiffening ribs, baffles or inner walls facing an ultrasound sensor or an ultrasound fill level measuring device in a flat manner, but rather by one or more positive or negative angles or curves. For example, a sawtooth profile with two angles that are the same but differ in sign can be used. Baffles or strength ribs or inner walls that are arranged above a level sensor in the sound cone are preferably not designed to be flat or smooth, but for example with a sawtooth profile, a bevel or a triangle.

• 1: einen Betriebsmittelbehälter gemäß dem Stand der Technik,
• 2 bis 5: Betriebsmittelbehälter gemäß jeweiligen Ausführungsbeispielen.

The technology disclosed here will now be described on the basis of exemplary embodiments. Show:

• 1 : a state-of-the-art equipment container,
• 2 until 5 : Operating fluid container according to the respective exemplary embodiments.

1 shows purely schematically an operating fluid container 10 according to the state of the art. The resource container 10 has an interior 12th which equipment can be stored in. The interior 12th is underneath by a floor 15th of the resource container 10 limited. In the interior 12th equipment is stored which has a filling level of 17.

On the floor 15th is an ultrasonic level measuring device 20th arranged. This is shown here purely schematically, with an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver typically being present in such an ultrasonic fill level measuring device, so that the fill level 17 can be inferred from a transit time between the emission and reception of ultrasonic waves. For this purpose, the ultrasonic level measuring device emits 20th an ultrasound cone 25th across the ground 15th in the interior 12th . The transverse alignment relates in particular to the portion of the ultrasonic waves that is directed directly upwards. In a normal function, the ultrasonic level measuring device 20th emitted ultrasonic waves at the transition between operating medium and air, that is at the level of the level 17, reflected, whereby the level can be determined.

In the interior 12th there is an inner wall 30th , with this in 1 is shown in a side view from one end face. It thus extends across the plane of the paper from 1 . The inner wall 30th serves in particular to stiffen the operating fluid container 10 and the prevention of sloshing movements of the equipment. The inner wall 30th has a lower limit line 35 which in the present case are parallel to the ground 15th is. This leads to the lower limit line 35 When it is hit by the ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic waves are also reflected, so that it becomes the drawn returning ultrasonic waves 27 comes. As shown, these hit the ultrasonic level measuring device 20th and are typically indistinguishable for these from ultrasonic waves which are reflected by the transition between operating medium and air at the filling level 17. This interferes with the measurement of the fill level and can lead to a too low fill level 17 being detected.

2 shows a resource container 10 according to an embodiment. With regard to the components not explained separately, refer to the description of 1 referenced. This also applies to the following figures.

The inner wall 30th is in 2 can be seen from its flat side. The view is thus compared to 1 turned by 90 degrees. The inner wall 30th extends from a side wall 16 to an opposite side wall 17 of the operating medium container 10 . As in 2 can be seen, has the inner wall 30th the execution of 2 a lower boundary line 35 on which are straight and at a uniform angle oblique to the ground 15th runs. It is driven by the ultrasonic waves of the ultrasonic cone 25th hit the reflected ultrasonic waves 27 however, due to the inclined course of the lower limit line 35 reflected so that they are next to the ultrasonic level measuring device 20th on the floor 15th come up and do not interfere with the measurement. Rather, ultrasonic waves run 28 from the transition between operating medium and air at the level 17 to the ultrasonic level measuring device 20th back and can be used for a proper determination of the fill level 17.

The inner wall 30th extends from its lower boundary 35 up to a ceiling 16 , which is an upper limit of the resource container 10 represents.

3 shows a resource container 10 according to a further embodiment. There is a roof-shaped design of the lower boundary line 35 the inner wall 30th shown. This runs in a left section at a first angle α1 to the ground 15th which is positive so that the lower limit line 35 initially increased their distance from the left edge. The lower boundary line runs from the middle 35 with a second angle α2 to the ground 15th , which is negative and corresponds to the first angle in terms of magnitude α1 is equivalent to. The distance to the ground 15th decreases again if you move further to the right in 3 considered. Such a design also ensures that there is no parallel lower boundary line at any point 35 to the ground 15th is present, so that the ultrasonic waves are only reflected in such a way that they do not interfere with the measurement.

4th shows a resource container 10 according to a further embodiment. The lower limit line 35 is designed to be jagged, that is to say in particular that there are a large number of jagged points on which the lower boundary line 35 increases and then decreases again. The angles for this can in particular be the same in terms of amount, but with different signs. In this way, too, a reflection of ultrasonic waves is achieved, which is caused by the lower boundary line 35 the inner wall 30th reflected ultrasonic waves impinge in such a way that they do not interfere with the measurement.

5 shows a resource container 10 according to a further embodiment. Here is the lower limit line 35 the inner wall 30th curved. It can also be referred to as an arched design. The angle of the lower boundary 35 relative to the ground 15th changes continuously according to a predetermined function, which can be, for example, a polynomial or a trigonometric function or can be based on it. Parallel alignments from the lower limit line 35 and soil 15th are also avoided or at least limited to a very narrow section so that the measurement of the fill level is not disturbed.

Overall, it can be achieved by the described embodiments that inner walls can be used in an operating medium container, which serve to prevent sloshing movements and / or stabilize and nevertheless do not interfere with the determination of the fill level by means of ultrasound. For this purpose, it can be avoided in particular that a lower boundary line of the inner wall runs parallel to the floor.

For reasons of legibility, the expression “at least one” has been partially omitted for the sake of simplicity. If a feature of the technology disclosed here is described in the singular or indefinitely (e.g. the / an operating fluid container, the / an inner wall, etc.), the plurality of these should also be disclosed at the same time (e.g. the at least one operating fluid container, the at least one inner wall Etc.).

The preceding description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention. Various changes and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention and its equivalents.

List of reference symbols

10

Operating medium container

12th

inner space

13th

side wall

14th

side wall

15th

floor

16

ceiling

20th

Ultrasonic level measuring device

25th

Ultrasonic cone

27

Ultrasonic waves

28

Ultrasonic waves

30th

Inner wall

35

lower limit line

α1

first angle

α2

second angle

Claims (14)

Operating medium container (10) for a motor vehicle, comprising - An interior (12) which is delimited on the underside by a floor (15), - One or more inner walls (30) which are arranged above the floor (15) in the interior (12), and - An ultrasonic level measuring device (20) which is arranged on the floor (15) or in the floor (15) and emits ultrasonic waves transversely to the floor (15), and wherein one or more lower boundary lines (35) of the one or more inner walls ( 30) are aligned at an angle to the floor (15). Operating fluid container (10) according to Claim 1 wherein one or more inner walls (30) extend from a side wall (13) of the operating medium container (10) to an opposite side wall (14) of the operating medium container (10). Operating fluid container (10) according to Claim 1 or 2 , one or more inner walls (30) extending from their lower boundary line (35) to a ceiling (16) or an upper boundary of the operating medium container (10). Operating material container (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the ultrasonic filling level measuring device (20) has an ultrasonic emitter and an ultrasonic receiver integrated in one unit. Equipment container (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the base (15) is designed entirely or partially as a flat surface. Operating material container (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, in the case of at least one inner wall (30), the lower boundary line (35) runs completely in a straight line at an angle to the floor (15). Equipment container (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in at least one inner wall (30) the lower boundary line (35) is aligned along a first section at a first angle (α1) obliquely to the floor (15) and along a second section with a second angle (α2) is oriented obliquely to the floor (15), the first angle (α1) being different from the second angle (α2). Operating material container (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lower boundary line (35) is roof-shaped in the case of at least one inner wall (30). Operating material container (10) according to one of the preceding claims, the lower boundary line (35) of at least one inner wall (30) being jagged. Operating medium container (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lower boundary line (35) is curved in at least one inner wall (30). Operating medium container (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least those boundary lines (35) are aligned obliquely to the floor (15) which are arranged within an ultrasonic cone (27) of the ultrasonic level measuring device (20). Equipment container (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lower boundary lines (35) are aligned obliquely to the floor (15) that ultrasonic waves (27) reflected on the lower boundary lines (35) next to the ultrasonic level measuring device (20) on the Floor (15). Operating material container (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more angles of one or more lower boundary lines (35) to the floor (15) are more than 5 °, more than 10 °, more than 20 °, more than 30 ° or more than 45 °. Operating medium supply system which has at least one operating medium container (10) according to one of the preceding claims.

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