EP1878891B1 - Vertically divided expansion tank for cooling fluid - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an expansion tank for coolant according to the preamble of claim 1.

Expansion tanks for coolant are widely used in motor vehicles, especially passenger cars.

Such surge tank are usually formed from two halves produced by plastic injection molding, which are connected to each other, for. B. by welding. In this case, a horizontal weld is used in most cases in reservoirs for cooling liquid. Since the surge tank represents a pressure vessel, the total volume must be divided depending on the container shape for reasons of rigidity in several small chambers. These chambers also serve to calm and air separation of the cooling liquid / air mixture, which flows from the sampling points via the inlet connection in the expansion tank. The degassed liquid - cooling water - then flows back into a pump via an outlet connection and thus to the system.

In order to direct the cooling liquid through the individual chambers, the chambers are connected to each other both above, because of pressure equalization, as well as below, so that the cooling liquid / air mixture can pass from one chamber to another. These Breakthroughs must be very laborious with slides in individual relatively small tool parts, which form the chambers are represented.

From the prior art, expansion tanks for cooling liquid have become known, which are divided vertically.

Such a vertically divided reservoir for cooling liquid of the type mentioned is from the DE-AS 24 37 502 known. The container is made up of three parts, with the dividing wall being the central part to which the outer container halves connect. The three container parts are connected to each other in the area of outer flanges of these three parts. The partition is provided at the top and bottom with the openings. In this container thus two chambers are formed. The inlet nozzle opens into one of the chambers, the outlet nozzle opens into the other of the chambers, ie it starts from this other chamber.

In this surge tank, the dividing wall is arranged in the dividing plane, wherein the dividing wall separates the one chamber from the other chamber. Such a design of the expansion tank is structurally complex because, to form two chambers, the expansion tank is to be formed by three separate components, namely the two container halves and the partition, which are also to be connected to each other.

A vertically divided reservoir for cooling fluid is further from the DE 35 33 094 A1 known. This surge tank has a refilling chamber for receiving the cooling liquid, an expansion chamber separated by a partition wall thereof, and a communication line connecting an upper portion of the refilling chamber to a lower portion of the expansion chamber. The surge tank is composed of two shells with a vertical, passing through the connecting line dividing joint. Due to this vertical division of the entire container in two shells, it is possible to produce these two parts by means of a plastic injection molding and join together by means of appropriate connection methods. In this surge tank, the refilling chamber is normally filled to a certain level with coolant. With strong heating and thus volume expansion of the cooling liquid this runs from the refilling chamber via the line in the expansion chamber and is withdrawn with subsequent cooling of the cooling liquid back into the refilling chamber.

Another vertically divided reservoir for coolant is in the DE 80 15 573 U1 described. This container also has an expansion chamber, a refilling chamber and a partition wall.

Further expansion tanks for coolant are off EP 1 505 273 A and from the later published WO 2006/081 920 A known.

The object of the invention is to develop a compensating tank for coolant of the type mentioned so that it is simple and inexpensive to produce, with optimum efficiency regarding the reassurance and air separation of the cooling liquid / air mixture.

The object is achieved in that the container is divided so that the dividing plane of the container divides the respective chamber and in the region of the dividing plane, the openings are arranged.

By this measure, the production cost for the expansion tank can be substantially reduced, because the breakthroughs can now be in the division. The breakthroughs can thus be represented in the plastic injection molding process without slide.

It is envisaged that the outlet nozzle opens through an opening in the bottom of the container in the outlet nozzle associated chamber. Of the Entry port opens adjacent the ceiling of the container through an opening in the side wall of the container into the inlet port associated chamber. Finally, it is considered expedient if the container is provided with a filler neck, which opens through an opening in the ceiling of the container in one of the chambers.

It is proposed to provide more than two chambers. By this division of the total volume of the expansion tank into a plurality of small chambers, the expansion tank in its capacity as a pressure vessel receives a high rigidity. In addition, several chambers equal to a "degassing" to flow through the air separation, so that the effectiveness is increased.

The said plurality of chambers are formed in that the container has a further, substantially horizontally arranged partition wall, said partition being provided, in the dividing plane of the container, with apertures connecting superimposed chambers.

A particularly good efficiency when venting the cooling liquid is obtained when the cooling liquid / air mixture is not passed on the shortest route, but in a roundabout way through the expansion tank from the inlet nozzle to the outlet nozzle. This is done by the passage from one chamber to the other chamber, which can be accomplished by a clever arrangement of the apertures with respect to the division plane this deflection.

For example, it is provided that at least one breakthrough is formed by a recess in a container part, in particular a container half. Only this container part thus has the breakthrough, thus in the wall of this container part is laid while the container part adjacent this container part limits only one side of the opening.

It is also conceivable to make the surge tank so that at least one breakthrough is formed by recesses in the respective container part, in particular recesses in the respective container half. In this case, each container part has a part of the respective breakthrough. When joining the two container parts results in the total cross section of the opening.

Furthermore, it is conceivable to design the expansion tank such that at least one opening is formed by a recess in a container part and a projection in the container part adjoining this container part. This means that the opening is laid very far in the one container part and the projection of the other container part, which partially projects into the recess of the former container part, forms the boundary edge of the opening. This latter embodiment is to be seen in the aspect that the respective opening is arranged in the region of the dividing plane of the container.

Finally, it is conceivable to design the container such that an opening is formed by a recess in a container part and a tab connected to the other container part which partially covers the recess. In this case, the container part provided with the tab does not have any part of this container part forming projection. The said design is to be seen in particular as a function of the welding method and the representable tolerances used when connecting the container halves. In this aspect, it may be advantageous to represent the offset, so not directly in the tool division breakthroughs do not have a return in a container part and a projection in the other container part, but by forming the breakthrough on a return and this partially covering wide tab, which does not lunge in the return, but otherwise covering this either up or down. In principle, this of course also applies to vertical openings of the container. This design is to be seen against the background that cooling water tanks, especially if they are made of polymide, are usually vibration-welded. For this purpose, it is necessary to keep the container parts to be welded freely in one direction against each other to allow the rubbing together of the contact surfaces and thus the heating of the materials. Breakthroughs that are formed with recesses and projections and thus have to be in the direction of the vibration axis for functional reasons, act here inconvenient or have a sufficiently large gap between recess and projection in the direction of vibration, but this is undesirable in terms of location and size of the breakthrough cross-section , The formation of the openings by means of covered tabs avoids this. The abovementioned measures make it possible to arrange openings laterally offset from one another, in particular to arrange them laterally offset relative to one another in vertical alignment, or to arrange the respective opening laterally offset from the inlet connection or outlet connection.

Preferably, the surge tank in the region of the dividing plane of the two container halves on an outer welding edge for connecting the two container halves, which is very stiff and stable. This welding edge can be used to accommodate means for securing the surge tank. The vertical welding edge thus serves as a holder, in which the expansion tank can be inserted into a receptacle, for example from above. With horizontal attachment of the expansion tank, this can also be done by trained at the welding edge recordings.

Fig. 1

eine räumliche Ansicht einer ersten Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Ausgleichsbehälters für Kühlflüssigkeit, veranschaulicht in seiner Einbaulage ohne Vorderwand,

Fig. 2

eine räumliche Ansicht der einen Behälterhälfte des in Fig. 1 gezeigten Behälters,

Fig. 3

eine räumliche Ansicht der anderen Behälterhälfte des in Fig. 1 gezeigten Behälters,

Fig. 4

für eine zweite Ausführungsform einer geringfügig gegenüber der Ausführungsform nach den Fig. 1 bis 3 modifizierten Ausgleichsbehälter die eine Behälterhälfte in einer räumlichen Ansicht, entsprechend der Darstellung der Fig. 2,

Fig. 5

für diese zweite Ausführungsform des Behälters eine räumliche Ansicht der anderen Behälterhälfte, entsprechend der Darstellung in Fig. 3,

Fig. 6

eine räumliche Ansicht einer dritten Ausführungsform des Ausgleichsbehälters,

Fig. 7

eine räumliche Ansicht der einen Behälterhälfte des in Figur 6 gezeigten Behälters,

Fig. 8

eine räumliche Ansicht der anderen Behälterhälfte des in Figur 6 gezeigten Behälters,

Fig. 9

einen Querschnitt durch eine vierte, nicht beanspruchte Ausführungsform eines Ausgleichsbehälters und

Fig. 10

einen Längsschnitt durch den Ausgleichsbehälter gemäß Fig. 9.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and the description below. Embodiments of the invention will be described, without being limited thereto, with reference to the drawings. Showing:

Fig. 1

a spatial view of a first embodiment of the compensating tank according to the invention for cooling liquid, illustrated in its installed position without front wall,

Fig. 2

a spatial view of a container half of in Fig. 1 shown container,

Fig. 3

a spatial view of the other container half of in Fig. 1 shown container,

Fig. 4

for a second embodiment of a slightly compared to the embodiment of the Fig. 1 to 3 modified reservoir which a container half in a spatial view, as shown in the Fig. 2 .

Fig. 5

for this second embodiment of the container a spatial view of the other container half, as shown in FIG Fig. 3 .

Fig. 6

a spatial view of a third embodiment of the surge tank,

Fig. 7

a spatial view of a container half of in FIG. 6 shown container,

Fig. 8

a spatial view of the other container half of in FIG. 6 shown container,

Fig. 9

a cross-section through a fourth, not claimed embodiment of a surge tank and

Fig. 10

a longitudinal section through the expansion tank according to Fig. 9 ,

The first embodiment according to the in the Fig. 1 to 3 shown compensating tank 1 for cooling liquid is vertically divided and has the two container halves 2 and 3. It illustrates breakthroughs in the division of the container and a graduated breakthrough.

The respective container half 2 or 3 is essentially formed as a cuboid hollow body, with respect to the orientation of the container 1, bottom 4, ceiling 5 and disposed between the bottom 4 and 5 ceiling side walls 6, 7. The container half 2 is provided with a front wall 8, the container half 3 is provided with a rear wall 9. Inside the compensating container 1 formed from the two container halves 2 and 3, four chambers 10, 11, 12, 13 are formed, which, due to the vertical division of the compensating container 1 in the two container halves 2 and 3, respective chamber halves 10 a, 11 a, 12 a , 13a of the container half 2 and chamber halves 10b, 11b, 12b, 13b of the container half 3 form. The subdivision of the surge tank 1 into the chambers 10 to 13 via a vertical partition wall 14 and a horizontal partition wall 15, wherein the vertical partition wall 14 through the partition half 14a of the container half 2 and the partition wall 14b of the container half 3 and the horizontal partition wall 15 through the partition half 15a of the container half 2 and the horizontal partition wall half 15b of the container half 3 is formed.

In the mating mounting position of the container halves 2 and 3, in which they are welded together, the circumferential flanges 16 and 17 contact the container halves 2 and 3 and the end edges 18 of the partition halves 14a, 14b and 15a, 15b.

The container half 3 is provided with a filling supports 19 for cooling liquid, an inlet connection 20 for bubble-enriched cooling liquid and an outlet connection 21 for bubble-free cooling liquid. The outlet nozzle 21 opens through an opening 22 in the bottom 4 of the container half 3 in the chamber half 12b. The inlet nozzle 20 opens, adjacent to the ceiling 5 of the container half 3 by an unillustrated breakthrough in the side wall 7 of the container half 3 in the chamber half 11b. The filler neck 19 opens through an opening 23 in the ceiling 5 of the container half 3 in the chamber half 10b.

Each container half 2 or 3 is produced by plastic injection molding. Here, based on the respective container half 2 or 3, whose vertical partition wall 14a or 14b in the transition to the bottom 4 and the ceiling 5 has a recess 24. In welded together condition of the container halves 2 and 3, these recesses 24 form an unillustrated upper opening for blasenangereicherte coolant and pressure equalization of the chambers and a lower opening 25 for bubble-free coolant.

Corresponding to the recesses 24 and the horizontal partition wall halves 15a and 15b in the region of the transition of the chamber halves 11a and 12a and 11b and 12b provided with recesses 26 so that in this area in interconnected container halves 2 and 3, an opening 27 is formed, which the chambers 11 and 12 in the region of the parting line between the two container halves 2 and 3 interconnects.

Finally, the horizontal partition half 15b is provided in the area between the chamber halves 10a and 13a with a protrusion 28 beyond the dividing plane of the container halves 2 and 3 and the other container half 3 in the region of the horizontal partition wall 15b in the transition from the chamber halves 10b and 13b with a recess 29 provided. The length of the projection 28 is shorter than the depth of the recess 29, so that in an interconnected state of the two container halves 2 and 3 between the bottom of the recess 29 and the free front edge of the projection 28, a further opening 30 is formed between the Chambers 11 and 12.

Due to this arrangement of the lower opening 25 in the vertical partition wall 14 and the upper opening in the vertical partition 14 and the two openings 27 and 30 in the horizontal partition wall 15, the bubble-enriched cooling liquid flows through all four chambers 10 to 13, both with horizontal as well as with a vertical component, and this because of the lateral offset of openings to each other or to the inlet nozzle 20 and the outlet nozzle 21 with a component perpendicular to the parting plane of the two container halves 2 and 3.

The embodiment according to the 4 and 5 is compared to the embodiment of the Fig. 1 to 3 modified only in that instead of the projection 28 and the recess 29 between the chambers 10 and 13 each container half 2 and 3 a recess 26 in the sense of the embodiment of the Fig. 1 to 3 and thus having a breakthrough formed by these two recesses 26, which in its shape the opening 27 according to the embodiment of the Fig. 1 to 3 equivalent. All breakthroughs are thus in the division of the container.

The embodiment according to the FIGS. 6 to 8 is opposite to those after the FIGS. 1 to 3 modified in that, based on the opening 30 and thus the projection 28 which projects into the recess 29, a connected to the container half 5 tab 34 as far as the return 29 covers, as in the embodiment of the FIGS. 1 to 3 happens by means of the projection 28. In the embodiment of the FIGS. 6 to 8 the container half 2 in the region of the opening 30 no protrusion 28, but it is in this area the tab 34, which is formed as a plate-shaped, rectangular body, connected to the partition half 15a and projects beyond this in the region of the end edge 18 addition.

The FIGS. 9 and 10 show one over the embodiments according to the Fig. 1 to 5 simplified, not claimed embodiment. There, only the vertical partition 14 is provided, but not the horizontal partition 15. Accordingly, there are only the recesses 24 in the upper and lower portions of the respective container half 2 and 3 are provided, which form the two openings 26. In this embodiment, therefore, only the two chambers 31 and 32 are formed. Incidentally, with the embodiment after the Fig. 1 to 3 or 4 and 5 or 6 to 8 matching components in the FIGS. 9 and 10 concerning this fourth embodiment with the same reference numerals. In addition are in the FIGS. 9 and 10 the level and the tool division of the container referred to.

Claims (10)

1. Equalizing tank (1) for cooling liquid, with an upper inlet connection piece (20) for bubble-enriched cooling liquid and with a lower outlet connection piece (21) for bubble-free cooling liquid, and with at least one essentially vertically arranged tank partition (14) for forming chambers (10, 11, 12, 13; 31, 32) in the tank (1), the partition (14) having at least one upper perforation (25) for bubble-enriched cooling liquid or as pressure equalization and at least one lower perforation (25) for bubble-free cooling liquid, and the inlet connection piece (20) issuing into one (11; 32) of the chambers and the outlet connection piece (21) into another (12; 31) of the chambers, the tank (1) being divided vertically, the tank (1) being divided in such a way that the parting plane (33) of the tank (1) divides the respective chamber (10 to 13; 31, 32) and the perforations (25, 27, 30; 25, 25) are arranged in the region of the parting plane (33),
   characterized in that
   the outlet connection piece (21) issues through a perforation (22) in the bottom (4) of the tank (1) into the chamber (12; 31) assigned to the outlet connection piece (21), the inlet connection piece (20) issuing, adjacently to the top (5) of the tank (1), through a perforation in the side wall of the tank (1) into the chamber (11; 32) assigned to the inlet connection piece (20) and arranged directly below the top (5), and the subdivision of the tank (1) into the chambers (10, 11, 12, 13) taking place via the partition (14) and an essentially horizontally arranged partition (15).
2. Tank according to Claim 1, characterized in that a filling connection piece (19) issues through a perforation (23) in the top (5) of the tank (1) into one of the chambers (10).
3. Tank according to either one of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the further, essentially horizontally arranged partition (15) is provided in the region of the parting plane (33) of the tank (1) with perforations (27, 30) connecting chambers (10, 13; 11, 12) lying one above the other.
4. Tank according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is formed by two tank halves (2, 3).
5. Tank according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one perforation is formed by a setback (26) in a tank part (2), in particular a tank half.
6. Tank according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one perforation (25, 27) is formed by setbacks (24, 24; 26, 26) in the respective tank part (2, 3), in particular setbacks in the respective tank half.
7. Tank according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one perforation (30) is formed by a setback (29) in a tank part (3) and by a projection (28) in the tank part (2) contiguous to this tank part (3).
8. Tank according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one perforation (30) is formed by a setback (29) in one tank part (3) and by a tab (34) which is connected to the other tank part (2) and which partially covers the setback (29).
9. Tank according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that perforations (22, 27, 30, 23) arranged one above the other are arranged, offset laterally with respect to one another, in vertical alignment.
10. Tank according to one of Claims 4 to 9, characterized in that it has, in the region of the parting plane (33) of the two tank halves (2, 3), an outer welded margin (16, 17) for connecting the two tank halves (2, 3), the welded margin (16, 17) serving for the reception of means for fastening the tank (1).

Images