FR3043599A1 - SAFETY TONGUE AND ANTI-DROPS FOR CONDUCTING DEPOLLUTION FLUID - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates mainly to a filling interface (10) comprising: - a primary pipe (11) able to be closed by a first plug (12), - a secondary pipe (13) able to be closed by a second plug ( 19), - each of said primary (11) and secondary (13) conduits being in relation with a separate reservoir, characterized in that it further comprises - a tongue (8) movable between a folded position in which said tongue (8) ) at least partially covers said second plug (19), and an unfolded position in which said tongue (8) forms a drop recovery zone during a filling phase via said secondary pipe (13).

Description

SAFETY TONGUE AND ANTI-DROPS FOR DRIVING

DEPOLLUTION FLUID

The present invention relates to a safety tab and anti-drops for cleaning liquid pipe. The invention finds a particularly advantageous, but not exclusive application in the field of motor vehicles.

[0002] Motor vehicles are equipped with a fuel tank in which the fuel supplying the engine is contained. The vehicles may also include ancillary tanks and, in the case of certain current diesel vehicles and all future diesel vehicles, a tank containing a pollution control liquid such as urea. Urea is used as a reducing agent in combination with a catalyst to reduce nitrogen oxides via the selective catalytic reduction process.

On current vehicles, the urea tanks have an opening opening into the trunk of the vehicle to allow the filling of the urea tank by the user of the vehicle. However, the position of this opening makes filling long and tedious. Therefore, the filling of the urea tank is not performed by the users, but by the garage owners when depositing the vehicle for a revision for example.

[0004] However, the nitrogen oxide emission standards becoming more severe, the urea consumption for each vehicle will be greater and the filling of the urea tank more frequent, making it even more tedious filling the tank urea from the trunk of the vehicle.

Some car manufacturers then decided to move the opening of the urea tank so that it opens next to the fuel tank line in the corresponding module. This repositioning of the urea reservoir line makes it possible, in addition to the easy filling of the user, to indirectly remind the user that the urea reservoir is to be filled by him.

The simultaneous presence of two filling openings within the same module, however, carries a risk of error on the part of the user who is likely to fill one of the tanks with an inappropriate product. Inadequate filling requires the intervention of a specialist to repair the error, which requires time and represents a significant cost.

To avoid confusion between the tanks, there are safety devices capable of selectively blocking one of the pipes, as described in DE102011006633.

The invention aims to improve such a device by providing a filling interface comprising: - a primary pipe adapted to be closed by a first plug, - a secondary pipe adapted to be closed by a second plug, - each of the pipes primary and secondary being related to a separate reservoir, characterized in that it further comprises - a tongue movable between a folded position in which the tongue covers at least partly the second plug, and an unfolded position in which the tongue forms a drop recovery zone during a filling phase via the secondary pipe.

Thus, the invention has a dual function safe and anti-dripping. Indeed, the invention avoids the user confuses the fuel line and the pollution control liquid pipe by positioning the tab when it is folded so as to cover the cap of liquid pollution control. In addition, when the tongue forms the drop recovery zone, the invention avoids the deterioration of the vehicle body by the deposition of depollution liquid on the paint.

In one embodiment, the passage of the tongue from one position to the other is effected by pivoting about an axis.

In one embodiment, the passage of the tongue of the folded position to the unfolded position is effected by stressing the tongue.

In one embodiment, the interface comprises a housing provided with an overmoulding made of flexible plastic.

In one embodiment, the tongue is an extension of the overmolding of the housing.

In one embodiment, the tongue is an insert relative to the overmolding.

In one embodiment, the interface comprises an evacuation channel located in an extension of the tongue.

In one embodiment, the tongue forms an angle relative to the horizontal when the tongue is in the unfolded position. This facilitates the flow of the drops recovered by the tongue.

According to one embodiment, the tongue has lateral guide edges for guiding the drops falling on the tongue.

In one embodiment, the primary pipe is a fuel line and the secondary pipe is a liquid line of pollution control.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows and the examination of the figures that accompany it. These figures are given for illustrative but not limiting of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filling interface comprising a gas line, a liquid pollution control line and a safe tab and anti-drops according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view illustrating the folded position of the safe tab and anti-drops according to the present invention partially covering the pollution control liquid line; Figure 3 is a sectional view illustrating the unfolded position of the safe tab and anti-drops according to the present invention forming a drop recovery zone; Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating an alternative embodiment of a safety tab and anti-drops according to the present invention reported with respect to a housing delimiting the doorway of the interface; Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating a secure tab and anti-drip according to the present invention provided with lateral flanges guiding liquid drops recovered during a filling.

Identical elements, similar, or the like retain the same reference from one figure to another.

FIG. 1 represents a filling interface 10 located on a wing of a motor vehicle and comprising a primary pipe 11 and a secondary pipe 13 each comprising an opening opening into an embrasure 9. The interface 10 further comprises a pivotally hinged hatch 14 movable between an open position allowing access to the pipes 11,13 and a closed position for securing the interface 10 when the vehicle is in rolling phase.

Typically, the primary pipe 11 is a pipe in connection with a fuel tank and the secondary pipe 13 is a pipe in connection with an additional tank, for example a tank of pollution control liquid, such as urea. In order to facilitate the understanding of the description, the primary pipe 11 and the secondary pipe 13 will hereinafter be referred to respectively as the fuel pipe 11 and the pollution control pipe 13.

To seal the fuel lines 11 and pollution 13 and prevent the evaporation of the liquids they contain, the openings of the pipes 11,13 are closed respectively by a first cap 12 and a second cap 19 removable . The opening and closing of these caps 12,19 may if necessary require the use of a key.

The interface 10 is equipped with a housing 15 provided with a flexible plastic overmoulding 20 forming at least one bottom of the interface 10. This bottom is provided with holes to allow the installation of the fuel lines 11. and depollution 13 inside the volume defined by the embrasure 9.

A tongue 8 is movable between a folded position in which the tongue 8 covers the second plug 19 (see Figures 2 and 4), and an unfolded position in which the tongue 8 forms a drop recovery zone along a length X during a filling phase via the decontamination line 13 (see Figure 3).

In the folded position, the tongue 8 may partially cover the plug 19 of the pollution control pipe 13 in a vertical direction as shown in Figure 2. Alternatively, the tongue 8 may completely cover the plug 19, as shown in FIG. 4. The depollution line 13 being at least partly hidden, the user will not be able to confuse the two lines 11, 13 when he wishes to refill the fuel tank. In other words, the user is bothered by the tongue 8 in the usual cases of filling the fuel tank, which dissuades him from using the pollution control line 13.

The passage of the tongue 8 of the folded position to the unfolded position is performed by pivoting about the Y axis substantially horizontal orientation. When the tongue 8 is in the unfolded position to form the drop recovery zone X, this prevents residual drops escaping from a filling pipe can fall on the paint of the bodywork and deteriorate.

The displacement of the tongue 8 from the folded position to the unfolded position is performed by stressing the tongue 8 according to a vertical force applied for example by a tube from a can and inserted inside the 13. For this purpose, the tongue 8 made of flexible plastic is an extension of overmolding 20, that is to say that the tongue 8 comes from material with overmoulding 20. Preferably, to allow a direction of preferential folding during the pivoting of the tongue 8 from one position to the other, the tongue 8 may have a thinner thickness along the axis Y extending under the plug 19.

Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4, the tongue 8 is an insert mounted rotatably relative to the housing 15 via a hinge 21.

Preferably, when the tongue 8 is in the unfolded position, the tongue 8 forms an angle A with respect to the horizontal to facilitate the flow of the drops recovered by the tongue 8.

In addition, as is clearly visible in Figure 5, the tongue 8 has lateral flanges 18 for guiding the drops falling on said tongue 8. For this purpose, the side edges 18 extend substantially perpendicular to the extension plane of the tongue 8 generally of square or rectangular shape. In addition, the direction of longitudinal extension of the flanges 18 is preferably parallel to the direction of flow of the drops on the tongue 8.

Preferably, a discharge channel 16 is in the extension of the tongue 8 and allows the discharge of the drops from the tongue 8 to an outer zone. This channel 16 may be connected to a recovery tank or directly to the depollution liquid tank.

In addition to its anti-drip function, the tongue 8 located next to the pollution control pipe 13 allows the user to clearly identify the pipe 13 so as to avoid confusion between the fuel lines 11 and depollution 13.

Advantageously, each of the two pipes 11,13 has a different signage. For example, the plug 19 of pollution control liquid may be blue and / or the inscription "UREE" is there or is in the vicinity thereof. Similarly for the fuel cap 12, the inscription "DIESEL" can be added.

Claims (10)

Filling interface (10) comprising: - a primary pipe (11) able to be closed by a first plug (12), - a secondary pipe (13) able to be closed by a second plug (19), - each said primary (11) and secondary (13) conduits being in relation to a separate reservoir, characterized in that it further comprises - a tongue (8) movable between a folded position in which said tongue (8) covers at least part said second plug (19), and an unfolded position in which said tongue (8) forms a drop recovery zone (X) during a filling phase via said secondary pipe (13). 2. Interface according to claim 1, characterized in that the passage of said tongue (8) from one position to the other is performed by pivoting about an axis (Y). 3. Interface according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the passage of said tongue (8) from the folded position to the unfolded position is performed by stressing said tongue (8). 4. Interface according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a housing (15) provided with an overmoulding (20) made of flexible plastic. 5. Interface according to claim 4, characterized in that said tongue (8) is an extension of said overmolding (20) of said housing (15). 6. Interface according to claim 4, characterized in that said tongue (8) is an insert relative to said overmoulding (20). 7. Interface according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises a discharge channel (16) located in an extension of said tongue (8). 8. Interface according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said tongue (8) forms an angle (A) relative to the horizontal when said tongue (8) is in the unfolded position. 9. Interface according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said tongue (8) has lateral flanges (18) for guiding said drops falling on said tongue (8). 10. Interface according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said primary pipe (11) is a fuel line and said secondary pipe (13) is a pollution control liquid line.