JP2000009521A - Liquid level detector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid level detector which can easily be manufactured having different-direction connector parts by using the same components and have a wire cable laid excellently without being bent when used. SOLUTION: This liquid level detector is equipped with a main body 2 which is fitted to the bottom part in a tank through a fitting part, a detection cylinder 4 which projects on the main body 2, a reed switch 11 inserted into the detection cylinder 4, and a float 9 with a magnet which is fitted onto the outer peripheral part of the detection cylinder 4 so that it can be freely moved up and down. In the main body 2, a storage hole 2a is formed from the bottom part to the inside and provided with a polygonal recess 2b. A switch insertion 10 which is provided with the reed switch 11 atop and has a polygonal part 12 to be fitted in the polygonal recess 2b is inserted into the storage hole from the bottom part of the main body 2. A connector part 15 which is connected to the reed switch 11 is bent along the axis of the switch insertion 10 and provided below the switch insertion 10, which is fitted in the storage hole while changed in angle on its axis.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid level detector for detecting an oil level in an oil tank of an automobile, or a liquid level in a tank containing a window cleaning liquid, cooling water, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a liquid level detector for detecting a liquid level in a tank containing, for example, a window cleaning liquid for automobiles, a detector using a float with a magnet and a reed switch has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 62-113021. No., JP-A-8-
No. 29236, and the like. In this liquid level detector, a reed switch connected to a wire cable is inserted into a detection cylinder of a case consisting of an outer cylinder and a detection cylinder inside, and fixed at a fixed position. The float is formed so as to be movable up and down, and the main body is fitted and used so as to be inserted from the outside into a mounting hole provided at the bottom of the tank.

[0003]

In this liquid level detector, due to its structure, a reed switch connected to the end of a wire cable is inserted into a fixed position in a detection cylinder, and the wire cable is connected to the bottom of the liquid level detector. Pulled straight down from. However, this type of level detector wire cable is
Usually, the cable is often laid along the bottom of the tank. Therefore, it is easy to lay the wire cable in a laterally bent state below the liquid level detector. There was a problem that work and its durability deteriorated.

On the other hand, a liquid level detector having a structure in which a connector portion is provided at the bottom of the main body and a connector plug provided at the end of a wire cable is inserted into the connector portion at the time of assembling to connect the connector is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 59-74334. It is proposed in the gazette.

Since this liquid level detector is provided with a connector portion having a receptacle in the lateral direction, when the connector portion is oriented in the laying direction of the wire cable and the main body is mounted at a fixed position of the tank, The wire cable can be mounted well without bending. However, in the case of a liquid level detector where the mounting direction of the main body to the tank is determined in one direction and the connector part is oriented in a certain direction, depending on the mounting direction of the detector, the direction of the wire cable and the direction of the connector part May be reversed. In this case, the state of the wire cable is deteriorated due to the arrow, and the wire cable is strongly bent, so that the durability is reduced.

Therefore, the conventional liquid level detector cannot be a general-purpose detector which can be used for various tanks, so that it is necessary to manufacture various liquid level detectors having different connector directions. As a result, dedicated components are used for each liquid level detector, which increases the number of components and increases the manufacturing cost.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and a liquid level detector having a connector part having a different direction can be easily manufactured using the same parts, and a wire cable is bent at the time of use. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid level detector that can be laid well without using a liquid.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a liquid level detector according to the present invention comprises a main body attached to a bottom portion of a tank via a mounting portion, and a detection cylinder protruding from the main body. And a reed switch inserted into the detection cylinder, and a float with a magnet externally movably fitted to the outer periphery of the detection cylinder. A hole is formed, a polygonal concave portion is provided in the receiving hole, a reed switch is provided at the tip, and a switch insert having a polygonal portion that can be fitted in the polygonal concave portion is inserted into the receiving hole from the bottom of the main body. At the lower part of the switch insert, a connector part connected to the reed switch is provided to be bent in the axial direction of the switch insert, and the switch insert can be inserted into the receiving hole at an angle around the axis. It is configured And wherein the door.

Here, the central axis of the polygonal concave portion of the housing hole and the central axis of the polygonal portion of the switch insert can be arranged so as to substantially coincide in the main body.

[0010] Further, the axial direction of the connector portion may be bent so as to be substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the switch insert, so that the receptacle of the connector portion may be oriented horizontally and horizontally.

A recess having a regular octagonal planar shape is formed in the main body as a polygonal recess, and the polygonal portion of the switch insert has a regular octagonal planar shape that can be fitted into the regular octagonal recess. Can be formed.

Further, a strip-shaped conductor is insert-molded in the switch insert, and the reed switch is connected to the connector portion via the strip-shaped conductor, and the end of the strip-shaped conductor can be formed as a terminal portion of the connector portion.

Further, a flange-shaped mounting portion may be formed at a lower portion of the main body, and a mounting screw hole may be provided in the mounting portion.

[0014]

Operation and effect of the present invention
At the time of manufacture, the switch insert is inserted into the housing hole of the main body and assembled, and at this time, the polygonal portion of the switch insert is fitted into the polygonal recess in the housing hole. At this time, the angle of the switch insert on the plane, that is, the angle around the axis of the switch insert, can be changed at the angular interval between the corners of the polygon and fitted. For example, if the polygon is a regular octagon, the switch insert will be 45 ° around its axis.
The switch insertion body can be assembled in the main body by inserting and fitting at an arbitrary angle in each angle range.

Since the connector portion is provided at the lower portion of the switch insert so as to be bent with respect to the axial direction of the switch insert, the orientation of the connector portion is determined by the angle around the axis of the switch insert. When the polygon is a regular octagon, the direction of the connector can be set within an angle range of 45 °. Also, since the switch insert is assembled by fitting the polygonal portion and the polygonal recess in the main body, not by fitting the cylindrical portion and the cylindrical recess, the switch insert is not affected by external force. Can be firmly fixed in the accommodation hole.

As described above, the switch insert having the connector portion at the lower portion can be fitted into the housing hole of the main body by changing the angle around its axis, and can be assembled. The liquid level detector having the connector parts of different orientations can be manufactured at low cost. In addition, such a liquid level detector improves the durability of the wire cable because the wire cable of the connector plug connected thereto is not forcibly bent during use.
Life can be extended.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a vehicle oil level switch to which the liquid level detector of the present invention is applied. 2
Is a main body of the detector, a flange-shaped mounting portion 3 is provided at a lower portion, and a detection tube 4 is protruded from an upper portion.
The main body 2 is provided with a housing hole 2a for inserting and housing the switch insert 10. In particular, a polygonal concave portion 2b having a regular octagonal planar shape is formed in a part of the accommodation hole 2a.

The flange-shaped mounting portion 3 at the lower part of the main body 2
Mounting screw holes 3a are formed on both sides. An annular float 9 to which a magnet 8 is attached is fitted around the outer periphery of the detection tube 4 so as to be vertically movable, and upper and lower ends of the detection tube 4 are used to set upper and lower limits of the vertical movement of the float 9. And the lower contact part 6 are attached. On the outer periphery of the main body 2, a packing 7 for sealing a gap with the bottom of the tank 1 when mounted on the tank 1 is externally fitted.

As shown in FIG. 3, the switch insert 10 has a polygonal portion 12 having a regular octagonal planar shape, and a connector portion 15 is integrally formed below the polygonal portion 12 with a synthetic resin. The polygonal portion 12 is formed so as to be fittable into the polygonal concave portion 2b of the accommodation hole 2a. When the two are fitted together, the central axis of the polygonal portion 12 and the central axis of the polygonal concave portion 2b of the accommodation hole 2a are the main body. Matches within 2.

When the switch insert 10 is formed, two strip-shaped conductors 14 made of, for example, phosphor bronze are insert-molded into the switch insert 10 so as to protrude upward. The lower ends of these strip-shaped conductors 14 and 14 are exposed in a concave portion 16 in a connector portion 15 formed below the switch insert 10, and they form a terminal portion 14a of the connector. Section and connector terminal section 14a
Are integrally formed.

One of the strip-shaped conductors 14 extends upward and slightly bends its tip, and the other strip-shaped conductor 14 is disposed with its tip bent at an intermediate position, and the strip-shaped conductors 14 and 14 are arranged.
A reed switch 11 is connected through a lead wire 11a along the longitudinal direction between the tips of the lead wires. The connector portion 15 is provided in a form bent at a right angle to the central axis direction of the switch insert 10.

That is, the receptacle (recess 16) of the connector is formed in the horizontal direction, and two terminals 14a are provided in the recess 16. A connector plug 20 is inserted and connected to the connector portion 15.
A locking claw 17 for locking the “0” is provided on a side portion of the connector portion 15.

When the liquid level detector is manufactured, the switch insert 10 is inserted into the housing hole 2a of the main body 2 as shown in FIG.
At this time, the detection cylinder 4 is filled with a silicone resin or the like, and the reed switch 11 is stably held in the detection cylinder 4 against vibration and the like.

At the time of this assembling, the switch insert 1
Since the 0 regular octagonal polygonal portion 12 is fitted into the regular octagonal polygonal concave portion 2b in the accommodation hole 2a, the angle on the plane of the switch insert 10, that is, the axis of the switch insert 10 is The angle of rotation can be arbitrarily set at an angle interval of 45 ° between the corners of the regular octagon. For example, FIG.
When the switch insert 10 is turned 45 ° to the left and inserted as shown in FIG.
Assembled in a rotated state.

The switch insert 10 is assembled by fitting and bonding the polygonal portion 12 and the polygonal concave portion 2b in the main body 2. However, since the polygonal portion is fitted instead of the circular portion, the switch insert 10 is fitted. There is no danger of the 10 rotating, and the adhesive force of the adhesive can be maintained well.

When the liquid level detector having the above configuration is mounted on a tank such as an oil pan, a hole for inserting the main body 2 is formed at the bottom of the tank 1 and mounting screw holes are provided on both sides. The detection cylinder 4 and the float 9 with magnet are inserted from the outside of the bottom of the tank 1 so as to be inserted into the tank 1, the mounting portion 3 is brought into contact with the bottom of the tank, and the mounting screw 18 is screwed into the mounting screw hole 3 a and tightened and fixed. .

Since the connector portion 15 is mounted in a predetermined direction, the connector plug 20 extending from that direction can connect the subsequent wire cable without forcibly bending it.

The liquid level detector mounted in the tank 1
The position of the float 9 with the magnet moves up and down according to the liquid level of the liquid put in the tank 1, and the reed switch 11 in the detection tube 4 turns on and off according to the position of the magnet 8. When it falls below the level, it operates to generate a detection signal.

As described above, when the liquid level detector of the present invention is manufactured, the switch insert 10 can be assembled to the main body 2 by changing the angle around the axis at a predetermined angle, for example, 45 °. Therefore, a liquid level detector having a plurality of types of connector portions 15 having different directions can be manufactured at low cost using the same component. Therefore, in such a liquid level detector, since the wire cable of the connector plug connected thereto is not forcibly bent at the time of use, the durability of the wire cable can be improved and the life can be extended. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a liquid level detector showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view as seen from a connector side of the liquid level detector.

FIG. 3 is an exploded sectional view in which a main body 2 and a switch insert 10 are separated.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view when the switch insert 10 is assembled by being turned around a central axis by a predetermined angle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-Tank 2-Body 2a-Accommodation hole 2b-Polygonal concave portion 4-Detection cylinder 8-Magnet 9-Float 10-Switch insert 11-Reed switch 12-Polygonal portion 15-Connector portion

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A main body attached to a bottom portion of a tank via a mounting portion, a detection cylinder protruding from the main body, a reed switch inserted into the detection cylinder, and an outer peripheral portion of the detection cylinder. And a float with a magnet externally movably fitted on the liquid level detector, wherein a receiving hole is formed from the bottom to the inside in the main body, and a polygonal concave portion is provided in the receiving hole. A switch insert having a reed switch provided at the tip and having a polygonal part that can be fitted into the polygonal recess is inserted into the receiving hole from the bottom of the main body, and the reed switch is provided below the switch insert. The switch unit is provided so as to be bent with respect to the axial direction of the switch insert, and the switch insert is configured so as to be fitted into the receiving hole at an angle around the axis. Liquid level detector. 2. The liquid according to claim 1, wherein the central axis of the polygonal concave portion of the receiving hole and the central axis of the polygonal portion of the switch insert are arranged substantially in the body. Surface detector. 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein an axial direction of the connector is bent substantially at right angles to a central axis of the switch insert, and a receptacle of the connector is disposed in a horizontal direction. The liquid level detector as described. 4. A concave portion having a regular octagonal plane shape is formed in the main body as the polygonal concave portion, and the polygonal portion of the switch insert is a regular octagonal flat surface which can be fitted into the regular octagonal concave portion. The liquid level detector according to claim 1, wherein the liquid level detector is formed to have a shape. 5. A strip-shaped conductor is insert-molded in the switch insert, the reed switch is connected to the connector via the strip-shaped conductor, and the end of the strip-shaped conductor serves as a terminal of the connector. The liquid level detector according to claim 1, wherein the liquid level detector is formed. 6. A flange-shaped mounting portion is formed at a lower portion of the main body, and a mounting screw hole is provided in the mounting portion.
The liquid level detector as described.