FR3085632A1 - CONNECTION DEVICE BETWEEN TUBING HEADS OF TANKS AND MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH SUCH A DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for connecting between heads (1, 2) of tubing of motor vehicle tanks, comprising a first fixing element (11) on one of the heads (1) of tubing and a second fixing element (21 ) on the head (2) of at least one other tube, characterized in that the first fixing element and the second fixing element carry assembly members (12, 22) cooperating mutually and in a removable manner in order to hold the said elements heads juxtaposed in the same transverse plane.

Description

CONNECTION DEVICE BETWEEN TUBING HEADS OF TANKS AND MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH SUCH A DEVICE The invention relates to a device ensuring the connection between heads of fluid reservoir pipes and a vehicle fitted with such a device .

More particularly, the invention relates to a device ensuring the connection between the filling heads of the tanks, respectively, of diesel fuel and of the consumable fluid acting as a precursor of reducing agent in the so-called SCR technique (for “ Selective Catalytic Reduction) for processing the exhaust line of motor vehicles.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART The assembly of the fuel tank in a vehicle is carried out in several stages including a preliminary stage of assembly of various accessories including a filler neck or filler which is connected in the lower part to the tank and which is intended to lead, via a head, into a hatch located on the body. The tank can also be provided with other conduits such as a degassing conduit.

Each type of vehicle has a specific filling tube having a design adapted to the specific characteristics of the tank and to the constraints linked to its location in the vehicle.

Currently, to comply with the pollution control standards in force, vehicles are equipped with an additional reservoir of consumable fluid intended for the treatment of at least some of the polluting gas emissions present in the exhaust lines and, more particularly , NOx.

This so-called SCR treatment method (for “Selective Catalytic Reduction”) uses a fluid acting as a precursor of a reducing agent (most often urea in the aqueous phase) which, injected into the line d exhaust, turns into ammonia to reduce NOx to inert nitrogen.

Généralement is generally planned to locate the fuel and reducing fluid tanks in the vehicle so that their respective filling pipes open in the same area, at a single easily accessible hatch. In this configuration, an increased risk of breakage, or at least deformation, of the filling tube of the reducing fluid reservoir has been observed during the simultaneous assembly operation of the two reservoirs, due in particular to its lowest dimensions.

Document FR 3 034 052 describes a device intended to ensure the connection between a first tube and a second tube. This device comprises a first fixing element connected to the first tube and a second fixing element integral with the first fixing element and carrying a clamp intended to grip the second tube on at least half of its periphery.

However, this device is, on the one hand, bulky and, on the other hand, the clamp carried by the second fastening element does not adapt to all the diameters and profiles of pipes.

Therefore, the two fastening elements remaining integral, this device does not allow to assemble all types of tubing and, moreover, not removably.

PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION The aim of the present invention is to solve the technical problems raised by the prior art by proposing a device capable of being mounted on all profiles and geometries of heads and / or pipes and therefore of be ergonomically and compactly used for mounting tanks in different vehicle models.

This object is achieved, according to the invention, by means of a connecting device between the heads of tubing of motor vehicle tanks comprising a first fastening element on one of the tubing heads and a second fastening element on the head of at least one other tube, characterized in that the first fixing element and the second fixing element carry assembly members cooperating mutually and in a removable manner to keep said heads juxtaposed in the same transverse plane.

According to an advantageous characteristic, the fastening elements include clamps mounted around said tubing heads.

According to another characteristic, at least one of the fastening elements is extended laterally by a spacer carrying one of the assembly members.

According to yet another characteristic, the assembly members cooperate mutually and detachably by snap-fastening.

According to a first embodiment, the assembly members comprise, on the one hand, a tongue provided with a central orifice carried by one of the fixing elements and, on the other hand, a hook carried by the other fixing element and intended to come to cap the tongue while being provided with a locking pin which engages by elastic deformation in the orifice of the tongue.

According to a first variant, the hook has an inverted U-shaped section delimited between a branch for connection to the second fixing element and a bearing branch on the internal face of which said lug protrudes.

According to a second variant, the tongue has a substantially triangular profile whose upper angles are extended by two guide pins intended to come into abutment in said hook.

According to a second embodiment, the assembly members comprise, on the one hand, a frustoconical stud carried by one of the fixing elements and provided with two peripheral locking fins and, on the other hand, a crown carried by the other fixing element in which engages, by bending of the fins, said frustoconical stud.

According to a specific variant, the ends of the fins are provided with retaining notches in the crown in the manner of a staple.

Another object of the invention is a motor vehicle equipped with a connection device between the heads of tank pipes having the characteristics defined above.

The connecting device of the invention makes it possible to simplify the mounting of the tubing of reservoirs by proposing assembly elements in two separate but complementary parts intended to cooperate in a removable or reversible manner by a movement limited to a single axis. The device of the invention thus provides significant time savings for mounting the tanks with their filling pipes.

This device is compatible with all tubing heads because the assembly elements of the heads are dissociated from the fastening members to the tubing. Thus, it becomes possible to maintain at least two heads juxtaposed and in the same transverse plane, prior to the final operation of screwing the pipes onto the vehicle.

In addition, the device of the invention is compact and saves space, both at the edge of the manufacturing line and in transport.

Consequently, the device of the invention makes it possible to reduce the manufacturing costs and the logistical costs due to the simplicity of the assembly operations and the limited number of tools to be used for mounting the tanks in the vehicle. .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the description which follows, with reference to the appended and detailed figures below.

Figures IA and IB show perspective views of two tubing of tanks each equipped with a first embodiment of the connecting device according to the invention, before assembly.

Figures 2A and 2B show front views of the tubing heads fitted with the connecting device of Figures IA, IB, respectively, during and after assembly.

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view of the device of Figures IA and IB after assembly of the tubing heads.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show perspective views of two tank pipes each equipped with a second embodiment of the connection device according to the invention, before assembly.

Figures 5A and 5B show front views of the tubing heads fitted with the connecting device of Figures 2A, 2B, respectively, during and after assembly.

Figure 6 is a detailed perspective view of the device of Figures 2A and 2B before assembly of the tubing heads.

For the sake of clarity, identical or similar elements are identified by identical reference signs in all of the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Of course, the embodiments illustrated by the figures presented above and described below are given only by way of non-limiting examples. It is explicitly provided that we can combine these different modes to offer others.

Figures IA, IB and 4A, 4B show two heads 1, 2 of pipes T ensuring the connection and filling of tanks (not shown), respectively, in fuel and in consumable fluid, for example, SCR pollution control the vehicle exhaust line.

Generally, each of these heads 1, 2 is intended to open into a hatch flush with the body of the vehicle by being closed by a tight plug (not shown). These two heads are here equipped with a first embodiment of the connection device of the invention.

The connecting device of the invention comprises a first fixing element 11 on the head 1 of tubing T and a second fixing element 21 on the other head 2 of tubing T.

The first fastener 11 and the second fastener 21 are here in the form of clamps mounted around the heads 1, 2 of pipes.

According to the invention, it is intended that these fasteners carry assembly members cooperating mutually and in a removable or reversible manner to maintain the heads 1, 2 juxtaposed and in the same transverse plane, as illustrated by the figures 2B and 5B.

Preferably, the assembly members cooperate mutually and detachably by snap-fastening (or clipping) by being moved and brought together along a single axis.

At least one of the fixing elements and here the element 11 for fixing the head 1 of the fuel pipe, is extended laterally by a spacer 14 carrying one of the assembly members. This spacer 14 makes it possible to adjust the spacing between the heads 1, 2.

According to a first embodiment of the connection device illustrated by FIGS. IA, IB and 2A, 2B, the assembly members comprise, on the one hand, a tongue 12 carried by the first fixing element 11 and, on the other hand, a hook 22 carried by the second fixing element 21 and intended to come over the tongue 12.

The hook 22 here has an inverted U-shaped section defining a lower opening between a branch 22a for connection to the second fastening element 21 and a support branch 22b, as illustrated, in particular, in FIG. 3.

A protruding lug 22c is carried by the internal face of the support branch 22b. This lug engages, by elastic deformation and snap-fastening, in an orifice 12a formed through the tongue 12.

The end of the support branch 22b is in the form of a spatula 22d to facilitate its gripping and the spacing of the branches for possible release of the tongue 12.

The tongue 12 has a substantially triangular profile whose upper angles are extended by two pins 12b intended to come into abutment at the top of the hook 22 in U in poured. The profile of the branches 22a, 22b of the hook 22 is substantially complementary to that of the tongue and the spacing between these branches corresponds substantially to the thickness of the tongue 12, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

When assembling the heads and as illustrated in Figures 2A and 2B, the hook 22 is indexed on the tongue 12 by an axial translational movement (here according to the vertical arrow, Figure 2A). The lug 22c of the hook 22 thus ensures the latching (or the clipping) and the locking of the connection between the two heads 1, 2.

The guide pins 12b provide the function of "drains" by facilitating, for the operator, the introduction and the sliding of the tongue 12 in the U-shaped hook, the rigidity of which allows it to retain its initial shape while providing a spring effect allowing the first assembly and the possible subsequent separation of the two heads.

A variant not shown of the embodiment described above consists in placing the hook and the tongue in a plane perpendicular to the plane defined in FIGS. 2A, 2B. In this case, the assembly is carried out by a translational movement along a substantially horizontal axis and no longer vertical.

According to a second embodiment of the connection device illustrated in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 5A, 5B, the assembly members comprise a ring 13, preferably hollowed out, carried by the first fixing element 11 and in which just engages a stud 23 carried by the second fixing element 21.

To this end, the stud 23 has a substantially frustoconical body 23a, preferably made lighter by the presence of internal cavities, provided with two flexible peripheral fins 23b. The fins 23b fold down during the axial introduction of the stud 23 into the crown 13 (in the direction of the arrow, FIG. 5A) and then unfold elastically, by spring effect, thus ensuring the snap-fastening (or clipping) of the stud in the crown 13, as illustrated in FIG. 5B.

The ends of the fins 23b are provided with retaining notches 23c (FIG. 6) which abut against the inner edge of the crown 13 and thus ensure the locking of the stud 23 in the crown in the manner of a staple and the connection between the two heads 1, 2 of pipes.

The crown 13 is here in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped whose internal contours correspond substantially to the largest section of the body 23a.

The locking of the stud 23 in the crown 13 is however reversible and the stud 23 can be disengaged, if necessary, by simultaneously exerting radial support on the fins 23b and axial traction towards the outside on the body 23a.

Of course, it is quite possible, in all embodiments and without departing from the scope of the invention, to reverse the position of the assembly members 10 on the fasteners.

In addition, although the connection device of the invention is described and shown here only in use for assembling two tube heads, it remains entirely suitable and intended to ensure the connection between more than two heads by providing the

Claims (11)

1. Connecting device between heads (1, 2) of pipes (T) of motor vehicle tanks comprising a first fixing element (11) on one of the heads (1) of pipes and a second fixing element (21 ) on the head (2) of at least one other tube, characterized in that the first fixing element and the second fixing element carry assembly members (12, 22, 13, 23) cooperating mutually and so removable to maintain said juxtaposed heads in the same transverse plane. 2. Connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that said fixing elements (11, 21) comprise clamps mounted around said heads (1, 2) of pipes. 3. Connecting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of said fastening elements (1) is extended laterally by a spacer (14) carrying one of the assembly members (12 , 13). 4. Connecting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said assembly members cooperate mutually and detachably by snap-fastening along a single axis. 5. Connecting device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said assembly members comprise, on the one hand, a tongue (12) provided with a central orifice (12a) carried by one of the fixing elements ( 1) and, on the other hand, a hook (22) carried by the other fixing element (2) and intended to come to cover said tongue while being provided with a locking lug (22a) which engages by elastic deformation in said orifice (12a) of the tongue [12). 6. Connecting device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said hook (22) has an inverted U section delimited between a branch of connection (22a) to the second fixing element (2) and a support branch (22b ) on the internal face of which said lug (22a) projects. 7. Connecting device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that said tongue (12) has a substantially triangular profile whose upper angles are extended by two guide pins (12b) intended to come into abutment in said hook (22 ). 5 8. Connecting device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said assembly members comprise, on the one hand, a frustoconical stud (23) carried by one of the fixing elements (2) and provided of two peripheral locking fins (23a) and, on the other hand, a crown (13) carried by the other fixing element (1) in which engages, by bending 10 of said fins, said frustoconical stud (23 ). 9. Connecting device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the ends of said fins (23a) are provided with notches (23b) for retaining in said crown (13). 10. Motor vehicle equipped with a connecting device between heads (1, 2) of 15 pipes (T) of tanks according to one of the preceding claims.