FR2584491A1 - FLUID TANK WITH LEVEL INDICATOR. - Google Patents

Abstract

DEVICE FOR INDICATING THE FILLING LEVEL OF A FLUID TANK, IN PARTICULAR FOR A HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEM OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, INCLUDING A GUIDE TUBE PENETRATING IN THE FLUID TANK, ALONG WHICH A FLOAT IS MOBILE AVAILABLE, THIS FLOAT, INCLUDING A MAGNET BY MEANS OF WHICH AT LEAST ONE SEALED CONTACT, PROVIDED INSIDE THE GUIDE TUBE, IS ACTIVATED WHEN THE FLOAT REACHES A PREDETERMINED POSITION, THIS SEALED CONTACT BEING CONNECTED, THROUGH ELECTRIC WIRES COMING OUT OF THE 'INSIDE THE GUIDING TUBE, AT THE CONTACTS OF A PLUG-IN CONNECTOR AGENCY IN A COVER, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT THE SEALED CONTACT8 IS MOUNTED ON A MOBILE SUPPORT7 INSIDE THE GUIDING TUBE2, THIS SUPPORT BEING CONNECTED AT ITS END DIRECTED TOWARDS THE OPENING OF THE GUIDING TUBE2, TO A BARRETTE11 ARRANGED PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE GUIDING TUBE AND EXCEEDING THE SUPPORT TO THE EXTERIOR IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION OF THE latter, THIS BAR11 BEING GUIDED IN A SLOT13 AND CAPABLE OF BEING FIXED BETWEEN THE TWO SHOULDERS30 ADJACENT TO THE SLOT13 AND IN THAT THE INSIDE OF THE GUIDE TUBE2 AND A RADIALLY ENLARGED HOLLOW SPACE 17 ADJACENT TO IT CAN BE CLOSED BY MEANS OF THE COVER23 WITH THE CONTACTS OF THE PLUG-IN CONNECTOR.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for indicating the level of

  filling of a fluid reservoir, in particular for a hydraulic braking system of a motor vehicle, comprising a guide tube penetrating into the fluid reservoir, along which a float is movably arranged, this float

  a magnet by means of which at least one sealed contact

  placed inside the guide tube is actuated when the flow-

  tor reaches a predetermined position, this sealed contact being

  connected, by means of electric wires coming out of the interior

  guide tube, in contact with a plug connector

arranged in a cover.

  A device of this type is already known from German patent application 30 21 424. In this known device, the blade contact sealed in a glass tube is fixed inside the guide tube in an axial position by means of a filling mass. The fluid reservoir as well as the guide tube which can be closed by means of the cover are provided with connection elements of type a

  stick. At its end adjacent to the wall of the fluid reservoir

  ide, the guide tube includes a cylindrical widened part which houses the electric wires going to the connection terminals located

in the cover.

  A test apparatus for a float-controlled filling level measurement device known from German patent application 22 25 289 comprises a first tube which is hollow at

  the interior and around which a second tube is arranged concentrically-

  is lying. Between these two tubes is provided a mobile float provided with a magnet by means of which a sealed contact provided in the first tube is actuated when the float takes a specific position. At one of its ends, the second tube is connected to a cover screwed onto the fluid reservoir. The first tube is movable inside the second tube. The electrical wires leaving the first tube are held in position at the end of the first tube

  by means of a sealing element.

  A device responding to the fluid level to trigger

  a signal is also known; this device is fitted with a solid tube

  closed at the end and fixed, at the other, to a flange covered

  opening a tank opening. Inside the tube is a

  sealed contact which can be actuated using a hand magnet

  held by a float arranged outside the tube (German patent application 18 63 375). In a device for measuring the level of the fluid in a tank covered with a lid, known from the American patent

  4 107 494, a fluid level sensor is inserted in an opening

  ture of the lid and fixed at the opening. This fluid level sensor

  ide includes a guide tube for a float, this guide tube

  entering the reservoir and being closed at one end, the flow

  tor being provided with a magnet by means of which a contact disposed inside the guide tube is actuated when the float takes a specific position. The contact is fixed At its position a

  the inside of the guide tube by a synthetic filling mass

  tick. Between the cover and the part of the adjacent guide tube A

  this cover is mounted a diaphragm which is located in the space

  caught between the fluid level and the inside of the cover.

  Compared to mechanical switches, sealed contacts have much larger switching tolerances. In addition, due to the different specific weights of the

  variable magnets field resistors and floats, the con-

  sealed tact is not always operated at identical fluid levels in different tanks. Consequently, the sealed contacts must be adjusted relative to the magnet, by means of the axial displacement, so that they are always actuated at a level of

identical filling.

  For this reason he has already proposed a method which has not yet been published and by means of which the adjustment between the

  sealed contacts and magnets is made, during construction

  tion of a fluid reservoir, so that the actuation is

  produce at identical fluid levels in all tanks.

  Thanks to this method, the float is kept in a predefined position.

  terminated during the insertion of a support carrying one or more

  of sealed contacts inside the guide tube. The sup-

  ports fitted with sealed contacts and the electrical wires connected to them are offset from the float until a contact is actuated. The shift movement is then interrupted. Then the support provided with the contacts and the connection wires are fixed in their position. Due to the adjustment of the contact support in relation to the float, it is not possible to mount the sealed contact and the junction terminals in a common case. The

  contacts and junction terminals must be interconnected

  nected by means of electric wires and / or a cable. As a security

  In fact, the plug must be fixed to the case and the electrical wires and / or the cable must be located in a room inside the tank. In addition, the sealed contact must be protected against axial displacement inside the guide element. Furthermore,

  the guide tube must be covered. These measures avoid dete

  unintentional improvement or misalignment of the sealed contact (s). The object of the present invention is to provide a device of the type mentioned initially, in which precise adjustment of the

  sealed contacts in the axial direction of the guide tube, a housing

  electric wires and / or cables between the reed switches and the junction elements and a safe covering of the sealed contacts as well as electric wires is possible by

simple means.

  In accordance with the present invention, this object is achieved by

  that the sealed contact is mounted on a movable support inside the

  inside of the guide tube, this support being connected at its end directed towards the opening of the guide tube to a bar arranged parallel to the axis of the guide tube, protruding from the support on the outside in the radial direction of that -this, this bar being guided in a slot and capable of being fixed between the two shoulders adjacent to the slot, and in that the interior of the guide tube and a radially enlarged hollow space which is adjacent to it can be closed by means of the cover to form a unit with the contacts of the plug connector. In a device of this type, the interior of the guide tube is used at the same time to accommodate the electrical wires and / or cables. The cover fitted with the

  junction covers the inside of the guide tube and the housing space

  ment of the wires adjacent to it as well as the adjustment systems for the support of the sealed contact. Thus, the contact is protected against any subsequent shift. The electrical wire connection points on the sealed contact and on the elements

  external junction boxes are protected against dirt and

  erosion. The space adjacent to the open end of the guide tube is designed as a shallow hollow space in the axial direction

  of the guide tube. In this embodiment, the electric wires

  ques and / or the target can be easily and quickly introduced into said space to be accommodated when the cover which is fixed

  for example by means of snap-in elements, is placed on the re-

serl5 see fluid.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention

  tion, the bar is connected at one end to the support of the sealed contact by means of an intermediate element arranged obliquely

  relative to the longitudinal axis of the guide tube. In this way-

  re, electrical wires and / or cables can be introduced easily-

  in the space between the support of the sealed contact and

lid.

  Support for sealed contact and / or sealed contacts

  They are preferably designed in the form of two interlocking plates

  sées. This support can be carried out simply. It is easily mo-

  bile inside the guide tube. In addition, it is possible to fix a plurality of sealed contacts between the plates if

need is.

  In an improvement of the present invention it is

  provided that the cover has a recess in the longitudinal direction

  nal of the bar arranged in the slot. In this mode of realization-

  tion, the space above the guide tube can have a form

  me very shallow without interfering with the adjustment stroke of the support

  sealed contacts relatively large in the axial direction.

  It is advantageous to mount the cover on the tank

  so that it is fluid tight and dust tight.

  This object is achieved in a simple manner by welding. Thus the sealed contact and the connection points between the wires and this contact

  are particularly well protected.

  The other advantageous embodiments of the present

  invention are mentioned in the claims.

  The different objects and characteristics of the invention

  will now be detailed in the description which follows, made

  by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended figures which represent:

  - Figure 1, the longitudinal section of an information device

  indication of the filling level in a fluid reservoir; - Figure 2, a top view of the device according to Figure 1; - Figure 3, a section along the axes I-I of the device according to Figure 2;

  - Figure 4, a perspective view of a device

  taking a cover, a reed switch with a support and

  connection wires between the junction elements located in the

circle and sealed contact; and

  - Figure 5, a perspective view of the device conform-

me in figure 3.

  A fluid reservoir 1 intended for a hydraulic fluid,

  preferably a brake fluid, for example, is attached to a mat-

  braking system of a motor vehicle, this mat-

  tre-cylinder not being shown in the drawing. The fluid reservoir 1 is connected to a guide tube 2 which enters it,

  this guide tube being closed at its end directed inwardly

  of the tank. Along the guide tube 2 which preferably has a circular section, a float 3 which has, for example, the shape

  of a ring, is arranged to be movable. The float 3 sup-

  carries an annular magnet 4. A tubular support 6 which grows from the bottom 5 of the fluid reservoir 1 and partially surrounds the tube

  guide 2 concentrically is provided as a stop for the flow-

  tor 3. This mound determines the lower position of the float in the fluid reservoir 1 and prevents this float 3 from coming out of the tube.

guidance 2.

  Inside the guide tube 2, a support 7 to which a "Reed" contact or sealed contact 8 is fixed is disposed movably in the axial direction. The support 7 is provided with two interlocking plates 9, 10. The sealed contact 8 is fixed to the plate 10, its oblong glass body being located in the space formed between the plates 9 and 10. The support 7 is designed so as to slide inside the

guide tube 2.

  A bar 11 disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guide tube 2 is fixed on the support 7. The bar 11 which is connected to the upper end of the plate 9 of the support 7 by means of an intermediate element 12 inclines towards the longitudinal axis of the guide tube 2 is disposed outside the edges of the support 7 in the radial direction of this support. The bar 11, provided with faces

  regular lateral, enters an internal slit 13 of a shoulder-

  radial 14 of the guide tube 2. The shoulder 14 constitutes, with

  a stepped part 15 of the guide tube the upper stop of the flow

author 3.

  At its upper end, the guide tube 2 turns into

  a bottom 16 of a shallow hollow space 17, the side walls of which

  the 18 are connected to the walls 19, 20 and 21 of the fluid reservoir 1.

  The lateral walls 18 protrude a short length from the walls

  19, 20 of the fluid reservoir 1 and constitute with its upper edges

  laughing stops for a cover 23 comprising a flat base plate 24 from which rises the housing of a male and female connector 25. The housing of the male and female connector 25 has a recess 26 in which extends a contact pin 27 or one

  knife contact of a plug connector, one of their ex-

  Terminals being inserted in a gas-tight and / or fluid-tight manner

  ide in the case 25 of the connector. The end 28 of

  each of for example two contact pins 27, opposite the hollow

  ment 26, is connected to the end of an electric wire 29. The

  very ends of the electric wires 29 are connected to the contact

  sealed 8. The wires 29 can also be placed in a box.

  corn. Two shoulders 30 extending slightly the walls on the opposite faces of the slot 13 penetrate into the hollow space 17, these

  shoulders not being example no higher than the side walls

  18. The bar 11 extends into the chamber between the shoulders 30. Inside the case 25 of the plug connector 25 is provided, in the part located above the shoulders 30, a recess 31 into which penetrate the end of the bar

  11 and, if necessary, the shoulders 30 when the cover 23 closes

  me the hollow space 17. The fluid reservoir 1 comprises a section

  32 and a lower part 33 which are welded together

the other on their edges 34.

  The method of mounting the above mentioned device

  will be explained in more detail in the description which follows,

  the latter highlighting the main advantages of the present invention. First of all, the casing 25 of the male and female connector 25 comprising the miles and female connectors inserted is connected to the electrical wires 29 and to the support 7 so as to constitute a unit before the assembly of the fluid reservoir 1. The electrical wires 29 are , for example, welded to the connection ends of the contact plugs 27 and to the reed switch 8. Next, the support 7 is introduced into the hollow space 35 of the guide tube 2 so that the strip 11 is located in partly in the slot 13 and partly between the shoulders 30. In the slot 13 and between the shoulders 30, it is possible to move the bar 11 in the directions indicated by the arrow 36. If the cover 23 is removed and if

  the float 3 takes a reference position, the support 7 is adjusted

  tee in the hollow space 35 so that the sealed contact 8

  responds as soon as the desired filling level is reached. The barret-

  te 11 is then connected, in its position, to the shoulders 30. This

  The connection can be made, for example, by gluing, welding, screwing or crimping the shoulders 30 on the bar 11 in the

directions indicated by the arrows 37.

  When the support 7 is fixed in the correct axial position in the guide tube 2, the cover is placed on the edges 22. As soon as the cover 23 approaches the hollow space 17, the electrical wires 29 occupy the hollow spaces 17 and 35. Space

  hollow 17 and the hollow space 35 located above the support 7 consisting of

  thus kill chambers for housing the connection wires 29. The chamber provided for housing the connection wires 29 is sufficient. The

  cover 23 can therefore be placed on the edges 22 without dfte-

  improve the wires 29. As soon as the cover 23 is placed on the edges 22, the cover can be fixed by welding. A waterproof seal

  dust-tight and fluid-tight is thus provided between the cover

  key and the fluid reservoir 1. The connection points between the wires 29 and the sealed contact 8 as well as the contact plugs

  27 are protected once the cover 23 is fixed to the tank

  see fluid 1. The sealed contact 8 is protected against all

involuntary subsequent shift.

  It is possible, by means of the device described above, to 'house the sealed contact 8 as well as the wires 29 and the connection points of the wires 29 in a common lockable hollow space of

  waterproof way. Therefore, an involuntary shift or displacement

  the sealed contact 8, the wires 29 and their points of contact

connection become impossible.

Claims (9)

  1. Device for indicating the filling level of a   fluid reservoir, in particular for a hydraulic braking system   Motor vehicle system, comprising a guide tube penetrating into the fluid reservoir, along which a float is movably arranged, this float comprising a magnet by means of which   at least one sealed contact, placed inside the guide tube   dage, is activated when the float reaches a predeter position -   mined, this sealed contact being connected, via   electrical wires coming out of the inside of the guide tube, at the   tacts of a plug connector arranged in a cover, ca- -   characterized in that the sealed contact (8) is mounted on a support   port (7) movable inside the guide tube (2), this support being connected, at its end directed towards the opening of the guide tube (2), to a bar (11) arranged parallel to the axis of the guide tube and projecting from the support outside in the axial direction thereof, this bar (11) being guided in a slot (13) and capable of being fixed between the two shoulders (30) adjacent to the slot ( 13), and in that the interior of the guide tube (2) and a space   radially enlarged trough (17) adjacent to it can be closed   més by means of the cover (23) to form a unit with the   plug connector contacts.   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the bar (11) is connected to the support (7) of the contact   sealed (8) by means of an intermediate element (12) arranged obliquely   relative to the longitudinal axis of the guide tube (2).   3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, character-   laughed in that in that the support (7) of the sealed contact (8)   is in the form of two intersecting plates (9, 10).   4. Device according to any one of the claims   previous tions, characterized in that the cover (23) has   a recess (31) in the longitudinal direction of the bar (11) available placed in the slot (13).   5. Device according to any of the claims   tions above, characterized in that the hollow space (17) adjacent to the opening of the guide tube (2) is in the form of a parallelepiped   rectancle and is shallow in the axial direction of the guide tube.   6. Device according to any one of the claims.   previous operations, characterized in that the shoulders (30) penetrate trent in the hollow space (17).   7. Device according to any of the claims   tions above, characterized in that the cover (23) is provided with a base plate (24) which is fixed to the edges (22) of the side walls (18) of the hollow space (17) so as to be sealed to the dust and fluid tight.   8. Device according to any one of the claims   tions above, characterized in that the guide tube (2), the side walls (18) of the hollow space (17) and the shoulders (30) are integral with an upper part (32) of the fluid reservoir ( 1) comprising a lower part (33) which is fixed so   gas tight and fluid tight at the top.   9. Device according to any one of the claims   ns above, characterized in that the contact plugs (27) of the plug-in connector are mounted in a gas-tight and / or fluid-tight manner in the housing of the male connector and   female (25) which rises from a base plate (24) of the cover (23).